úlfheðnar, httyd

v. The Dragon Manual

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter five; hiccup
❝ the dragon manual! ❞

    MEANWHILE, a similar question rattled the brains of a young, intelligent Viking. His boots took a similar trek he had the day before, retracing his and Yrsa's footsteps. Shuffling through sticks, fallen leaves and bushes, his mind raced with all of his questions and thoughts. Gobber had told him that every dragon went in for the kill and that every Viking should do the same; it was the only way to survive, otherwise their line of Hairy Hooligans would have died out three hundred years ago.

    He stepped over a fallen tree, landing on a rough patch of rocks and dirt, feeling a little nauseous in his contradicting thoughts. That Gronckle would have killed him in the arena if Gobber hadn't intervened, but the Night Fury? He had every chance to kill Hiccup and Yrsa yesterday, and yet, he hadn't. He let them live, and the question that followed was why?

    And the thing was, Hiccup didn't know. He didn't know why the dragon didn't kill them, nor did he know why he didn't kill him either. Maybe it was a trade-off of fate; a 'you reap what you sow'. But Hiccup knew one thing: there was something in the dragon's eyes, something he couldn't exactly describe. But it told him his answer: the Night Fury didn't want to kill them.

    Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III jumped down through a set of boulders, ducking under ingrown branches and trees pushing themselves into and out of the crevices. He stepped amongst loose pebbles, carefully peering into the brink of sunlight where the narrow crevice opened up.

    He stepped out onto a ledge staring down into a beautiful cove. His breath hitched in his throat. In his youth, he's spent a lot of his time travelling through the woods on the search for trolls, or random fishing trips with his father (they never ended well, they always came back early), and he liked to think he knew Berk back to front. But he's never been here. He's never seen this small paradise amongst the dark trees.

    It was so secluded; isolated and stunning━a small Utopia. Hiccup felt a wave of calm, and he felt comfortable here; away from everyone. Away from his father, away from the other teens that called him horrible things. He breathed in the smell of pond water, flowers and heard the chirping of birds in the long-leaved trees hanging over ... and felt at peace.

    But, in looking around, he saw no Night Fury.

    So, he sighed. "Well, this was stupid," he mumbled.

    Then, his eyes caught something at his feet. Crouching down at the edge of the ledge, his fingers brushed aganst smooth black scales on the stone. He picked it up, holding it in the sunlight dashing through the cove with a curious frown. These had to be Night Fury scales━

     The roar made him gasp and jump back. He hit the side of the boulders, scrambling away from the figure of the Night Fury that clawed up the cove walls━Hiccup didn't even think it had seen him.

    His heart leapt with a thrill. He pushed to the edge, gazing out into the cove at the dragon who clawed in desperation up the boulders━it couldn't grip on, and so it glided away and back to the ground with a mournful cry.

    Hiccup breathed a nervous grin, absolutely in awe of this beast that no one has lived to see. And here he was. His grin broardened and he jumped down a level to the next set of boulders. He sunk low against the stone, peering and watching the Night Fury flap his wings and try to fly out of the cove ... only to cry and fall back down to the mossy grass.

    He scrambled for his book and charcoal, flipping it open to a blank page and began to draw. He scribbled a quick outline of the creature as he scraped along the stone and leapt from the fallen logs ... only to fall again, and again, and again.