HTLANF AU: How to Raise Your Night Furies

Part 1 ~ Chapter 4

"You know, I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there another book? Or a sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?" Hiccup asked as he looked up at Gobber the following morning as Dragon Training was going on around him.

The Deadly Nadder they were going against then sent a stream of fire at the unsuspecting boy, who yelped and dodged it, but his axe got destroyed by the fire in the process.

"WHOA!" He yelled as he tossed the burning handle away from him.

"Focus, Hiccup! You're not even trying!" Gobber shouted down into the arena.

'Yeah, because I don't wanna do this!' Hiccup thought as he rolled his eyes and hid from the Nadder.

"Today is all about ATTACK! Nadders are quick and light on their feet! Your job is to be quicker and lighter!" Gobber explained as the teens ran about in the maze that was put together for the day's training session earlier that morning.

"AAAAAH! I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!" Fishlegs yelled as he ran away from the Nadder.

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

The twins ended up in the Nadder's blind spot by pure chance and were focused on staying in it, but that focus was lost as Ruffnut got distracted by the scent of her brother beside her.

"Ugh! Do you ever bathe?" She asked as she covered her nose with a disgusted look.

"If you don't like it, then just get your own blind spot!" Tuffnut shot back as he pushed his sister.

"How about I give you one?!" Ruffnut asked, very pissed off now as she pushed him right back, which led to them fighting one another.

Because of them bickering in front of the Nadder, it gave the dragon the opportunity to spot them and attack.

"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot? Not so much. Heh, heh, heh." Gobber said as he saw the twins running away from the Nadder terrified.

"Hey, so how'd you guys sneak up on that Night Fury?" Hiccup asked as he held his shield close to him.

Gobber sighed and looked at his apprentice. "It was tied up thanks to you shooting it down. NOW, GET IN THERE!" He bellowed.

"Hiccup! Get down!" Astrid whispered from close by.

Hiccup listened to her and hid against the wall both she and Snotlout were hiding behind. Once they knew the Nadder wasn't nearby, Snotlout and Astrid tumbled to the other wall and Astrid gestured for Hiccup to follow. He tried to do the same move as Astrid, but because of the weight of the shield the maneuver failed and he struggled to try and get it to work. Astrid rolled her eyes with a tiny smile as she quickly rushed over to him and dragged him over to where she and Snotlout hid just as the Nadder noticed them and sent a stream of fire their way.

"Thanks.." Hiccup breathed and Astrid nodded as she looked for the dragon.

Snotlout took notice of the Nadder as it was passing by the gap and smirked as he pulled Astrid away from the gap she was peeking past to find the Nadder. "Watch out, babe. I'll take care of this."

"Hey!" The Hofferson yelped irritably.

Snotlout then tossed his hammer at the Nadder, but he missed and that gave away their position and the Jorgenson yelped as he dodged a blast of fire. Astrid then glared at him and he immediately tried to defend himself.

"The sun was in my eyes, Astrid! What do you want me to do, block the sun? I could do that, but I don't have time right now!"

Hiccup wandered away from them as he got lost in thought, not taking notice of things going on around him as he did.

As Hiccup was lost in thought, Astrid somehow ended up on top of the walls and began leaping from wall to wall as the Nadder chased her down. She noticed Hiccup and became worried as she grew closer.

"HICCUP!" She yelled.

The shout got her best friend to snap out of it, but not in time as the final wall she was on toppled down and made the both of them get tangled up from the fall. Astrid's axe ended up lodged in Hiccup's shield and they struggled to get detangled.

"Oooh! Love on the battlefield!" Tuffnut joked.

"She could do better." Ruffnut said with her arms crossed.

"Just...let me...why don't you..." Hiccup said as he and Astrid struggled to get detangled and get her axe free.

Astrid then got frustrated, released her hold on her axe as she got up, then she gripped it and yanked the shield clean off Hiccup's arm. She then swung at the Nadder as it got too close and the shield shattered from the impact against the Nadder's head.

The Nadder squawked in pain and shook its head as it got very disoriented from the blow, then ran off back to its cage.

"Well done, Astrid." Gobber congratulated as he locked up the Nadder again.

Astrid panted as she dropped her axe, then held her hand out to Hiccup. He took it and allowed her to pull him up from the ground.

Astrid then leaned in and whispered in his ear. "You've gotta start trying harder, Hiccup. If not for yourself, then for Kala at least. She'll need all the protection she can get."

Hiccup swallowed hard and nodded at her as she backed away as her statement sunk in.

'She's right. I've gotta get better at this so I can protect my daughter. I can't slack off just because I was forced to do something I didn't want to.' He thought, but then was quickly broken out of it as his cousin gripped his tunic with an enraged look.

"Is this some kind of joke to you ya runt?!" He shouted.

"Snotlout let go of him!" Astrid yelled.

"No!" Snotlout shouted back, then put his full attention on Hiccup again. "Our parents' war is about to become ours! Figure out which side you're on, you dragon lover!"

Snotlout then released Hiccup harshly, leading to the boy falling back onto the ground as his cousin stormed off. Astrid helped her friend up as she glared at the retreating form of Snotlout.

~~~HTRYNF~~~

"I wanna fly."

Luna looked away from the two playing Night Fury hatchlings with wide eyes as she looked at the human beside her.

"What do you mean by that Hiccup?"

Hiccup looked at her with a determined look. "Take me flying. I wanna know what it's like."

"But, you will be able to experience it with your own pair of wings in a month's time. Why do you wish for me to take you flying?"

Hiccup looked back at Toothless and Kala as they played. "I wanna know what it's like to fly while I'm still human."

Luna looked at him confused, tilting her head to the side. "Are you sure, young one? It could be dangerous and I do not wish for you to get hurt or risk Kala losing her father."

Hiccup looked at her and smiled. "Then just take me on a calm flight around the island. There doesn't have to be anything drastic. I just wanna know what it's like. Please?"

Luna sighed then smiled as she stood. "Oh alright. But just this once."

Hiccup grew excited as he stood and mounted Luna's back, then held on the best he could as she took off from the cove.

~~~HTRYNF~~~