Tip the Dragon Scales

Chapter 5

On the second day of Dragon Training, Gobber sets up a temporary maze for his students to navigate. It's a good test of their stealth and speed, especially when dealing with a dragon like the Deadly Nadder.

Ragnar can already tell Hiccup is more distracted than usual and, for a moment, he is as well.

When Gobber releases the Nadder for their training, Ragnar catches a glimpse of a second one in the large pen. The blue dragon is chosen for the day's exercise, but the purple one still manages to catch his attention.

It feels like the world around him stops as he locks eyes with a bulbous yellow pair.

Their shared gaze only ends when Gobber slams the door closed and locks it.

Ragnar shakes his head and refocuses on the lesson, automatically placing himself beside Hiccup as the blue Nadder starts to leap across the tops of the maze walls.

"Hey, you know, I just so happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies," Hiccup says, focusing on Gobber rather than the dragon. "Is there, like, another book? A sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?"

The Nadder, noticing Hiccup's distraction, aims a shot of fire right where he's standing. Ragnar reaches over and yanks him out of the way with an exasperated look.

"Focus, Hiccup!" Gobber calls. "You're not even trying."

"He's right," Ragnar agrees. "Plus, you're being really obvious. Subtlety is a lost art on you, huh?"

"Shut up," Hiccup tells him with a good-natured push at his shoulder.

Their conversation is interrupted when the Nadder jumps off the walls and sets its sights on them. Hiccup's push quickly turns into him grabbing Ragnar's sleeve as they both take off down one of the maze's many passages.

It takes a couple of twists and turns before they lose the Nadder when it hops back on the walls and starts after one of the others.

Gobber nods slightly when he sees the two of them sticking together from his spectator's place outside the Kill Ring. "Today is all about attack," he tells them. "Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter."

Somewhere on the other side of the maze walls, Ragnar hears the distinctive sound of tail spikes thumping against wood.

"I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!" Fishlegs yells.

Ragnar smiles to himself as he figures it must have been aiming at him.

Gobber completely ignores the complaint. "Look for its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike!"

The twins, miraculously, manage to find the Nadder's blind spot. Its wideset eyes mean it can't see directly in front of it and they manage to stay hidden for a few seconds before their constant arguing lets the dragon know where they are.

The Nadder shoots a stream of fire directly at them. They both instinctively reach for the other as they turn and scramble out of the line of fire.

Gobber chuckles. "Blind spot? Yes. Deaf spot? Not so much," he tells them.

Astrid and Snotlout both rush by under him, doing their best to avoid the Nadder. Ragnar is right behind them only to stop when Hiccup does.

He rolls his eyes and waits for the inevitable questioning he knows is coming.

"Hey. Hey, so, uh, how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?" Hiccup asks, looking up at the blacksmith and completely ignoring his surroundings.

"No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale," Gobber tells him in disinterest. He jabs his flesh hand in the direction the other two ran. "Now get in there!"