The Arcane Evil (httyd-fic)

Chapter 27

Hiccup woke up the following morning by being pounced on by Toothless. "AAAH, Toothless you're heavy!" Hiccup managed to gasp as the dragon now lay on top of him. Hiccup looked at Toothless "No... No.... Do not even think-" Hiccup was cut off as Toothless started licking him.

"Toothless! You know that that doesn't wash off!"

After Hiccup was fully awake he noticed that dawn hadn't even broken yet. Toothless sat on his haunches with his tongue sticking out. Hiccup sighed. He wasn't getting back to sleep. "Want to go for a flight Toothless?"

Toothless gave a happy warble and proceeded to open the bedroom door with his paw, startling the guard in the hall. Hiccup could not help but chuckle as they passed the poor guard and headed for the courtyard.

"I really need to make a saddle." Hiccup mumbled to himself. Toothless spread his wings once they were in the courtyard as Hiccup got on him. The pair were in the air in no time, swooping through the clouds.

Hiccup and Toothless returned to the castle when the sun started rising. They were circling a tower and descending when something caught Hiccup's eye, or rather someone. Somebody was frantically waving at them from the empty archery range.

Hiccup and Toothless swooped down towards the range to get a better look and saw that it was a boy waving at them. Hiccup guessed that the boy would have been around 16 or 17 years old. Toothless landed and the boy approached them.

"That..... That.. That was so awesome!!" The boy shouted as he looked at Hiccup and Toothless. "I've never seen anyone fly like that. I've never seen anyone fly!! How do you do that? Are you a new recruit?"

Hiccup and Toothless both looked at each other and back to the boy who kept asking questions in rapid succession.

"Calm down" Hiccup finally managed to say. "Why not one question at a time?"

"What's your name?" The boy immediately asked. "Mine is Ryany."

"Hiccup and this is Toothless."

"How do you fly like that?" Ryany asked without missing a beat.

Hiccup chuckled and then pointed to Toothless who sat on his haunches in front of the boy. "I get on his back."

"What are you doing in the range so early?" Hiccup now asked as he looked around. The place was deserted with the exception of them.

"I came to practice with the sickle and chain." Ryany explained as he held up the long-ranged weapon for Hiccup to see. He then aimed it at the target which it pierced near the bullseye "I'm not really allowed to touch it though, so I practice in secret."

"Why aren't you allowed?" Hiccup asked curiously. "You seem pretty good at it actually."

"During practice I almost shaved off advisor Drago's eyebrows with it....... twice. He has since banned me from using the weapon. I'm great with a bow and arrow, just not so good with this one."

Hiccup could not contain the laughter upon hearing that. He clutched his stomach and nearly fell to the ground. "I would pay to see that." Hiccup managed to get out between guffaws. "I got the feeling that Drago doesn't like me very much."

"So mister. Are you a new recruit?" Ryany now asked. "I didn't see you when the party I belonged to went on patrol a few days ago."

"RYANY!!" Was shouted from the door as Hiccup saw the woman from yesterday approach. "There you are." Ellyn said as she got closer. "Oh you are-" She said upon recognizing Hiccup from yesterday but stopped mid sentence when she saw the sickle in Ryany's hands. Ellyn groaned, "You know you aren't supposed to use that."

"How will I ever get better at it if I don't practice." Ryany countered and then said teasingly "You are just jealous because you can't use any long-ranged weapons."

"Can we not bring that up again!" Ellyn muttered. "Anyway, you are late for breakfast."

"I have a feeling that there is a story behind that." Hiccup mumbled to Toothless who let out a warble that sounded like laughter.

"Can mister Hiccup join us?" Ryany asked excitingly.

"Eh... just call me Hiccup. Mister makes me feel old. And breakfast does sound nice." Hiccup said before he excused himself to ask one of the guards if he could relay a message to Astrid that he would be eating breakfast with Ryany.

When Astrid had just taken her seat at the table one of the guards gave her the message from Hiccup. She laughed a bit which caused Eret, Drago and several other court members to look at her. "I think Hiccup made a new friend." She says so only Eret could hear.

"Do you know who?" Eret asked curiously.

"That boy named Ryany. The one that Drago over there was ranting about some time ago." Astrid explained. "Seems he invited Hiccup to breakfast."

"You mean the one who almost took off Drago's eyebrows?" Eret asked to which Astrid nodded. "Things are getting interesting."

Meanwhile Ryany, Ellyn, Hiccup and Toothless had entered the Mess Hall where breakfast was being served. Toothless ever the curious dragon began sniffing around. Some of the soldiers were startled by the black dragon's presence while others looked at it in curiosity.

Ellyn guided them to a table to the side once they had gotten their meal. Hiccup had managed to get some raw salmon for Toothless and the dragon was now blissfully eating the fish.

"You two seem close." Hiccup said.

"We joined the same year." Ryany explained. "One thing led to another and we ended up as friends."

"So Hiccup, you never answered my question." Ryany said.

"What question?" Ellyn asked while brandishing a chicken leg at Ryany. "You are too curious for your own good."

"I just asked Hiccup if he was a new recruit." Ryany answered which caused Ellyn to cover her mouth as she nearly choked from laughter.

"Honestly Ryany. Haven't you heard the rumor that the Queen appointed a new Regent while she would be gone?" Ellyn asked pointedly.

"Sure I did. What does that have to do with anything?"

Ellyn gave Ryany a look and then pointed towards Hiccup. It took a moment for Ryany to get it before he went slack-jawed. "You're the new Rege- hmmf"

Hiccup had swiftly clamped a hand over Ryany's mouth before he could announce it to the whole hall. This action caused Ellyn to place her head on the table and start to laugh.

"But... but.... But you don't act like a noble." Ryany finally managed to say after he could talk again.

"I'm just a simple blacksmith." Hiccup explained.

"Yeah right" Ellyn scoffed. "If I know procedure then her Highness is making you pick some guards while she is away."

"That's right Eret did mention that you worked in the castle before you decided to join the knight order." Hiccup said.

Ellyn nodded. "There is something that I need to do." She explained "The Queen gave me the opportunity to join."

Ryany broke Ellyn's line of thought when he asked Hiccup "Do you have any stories from your travels?"

Hiccup nodded and proceeded to tell the two some of the things that happened during his wanderings.