The Forgotten Friend (How To Train Your Dragon)

Chapter Five:

By the time early morning rolls around, I trail close behind Hiccup while clenching the prosthetic tailfin.

"So, where is this cove?" I question.

"It's close." Hiccup replies, sparing a glance at me, "You might want to hang by the entrance. I don't think Toothless would like to see another Viking."

"I still can't believe you called the Night Fury 'Toothless.'"

"Hey! I really thought that he didn't have any teeth," Hiccup defends.

I can't help but chuckle. As we continue in the direction of the supposed cove, I feel the strange, yet familiar, sense of someone or something watching us. Unlike me, Hiccup seems to be unfazed, and he increases his speed.

"Come on. We're here," he proclaims with a toothy grin.

He squeezes between two boulders and beckons me forward. Similar to him, my smaller stature allows me to slide between the boulders with little effort, and the prosthesis easily fits through. As a result of the little to no canopy over us, sunlight beams down on the rather beautiful cove; a small pond below us reflects the scenery above, and a tall tree shades parts of the cove.

I raise an eyebrow, peering over the edge of the rocky cliff, "How are we supposed to get down?"

"Simple."

Despite hauling a basket of fish, Hiccup clutches to the side of the rock wall, and his feet shuffle along a narrow path that trails down to the base of the cove. I follow his example, yet I keep my gaze on the moss-covered floor of the cove, not wanting the Night Fury to attack me while my back is turned. We find ourselves behind another set of boulders. However, the space between the two boulders is much wider, and a Viking shield, presumingly Hiccup's, is blocking the entrance.

"I'll go first. Just stay here until I know Toothless won't attack you," Hiccup plans, taking hold of the prosthetic tailfin.

He ducks below the shield before proceeding forward. I, on the other hand, sit behind the safety of the shield. From my vantage point, I watch the Night Fury appear itself to Hiccup, licking its lips at the sight of the fish-filled basket.

"I hope you're hungry," Hiccup speaks, his voice echoing through the cove.

He drops the basket in front of the dragon, kicking it over to spill the contents.

"We've got some salmon, some nice Icelandic cod, and a whole smoked eel," Hiccup lists as Toothless sneaks closer, only to recoil.

Hiccup lifts the eel off the pile, and the Night Fury roars in what seems like fear.

"It's okay!" Hiccup coos, tossing the eel to the side, "Yeah, I don't really like eel much either."

Toothless nips at the fish and begins to devour them. Hiccup snakes his way to the dragon's tail while muttering things under his breath. Breathing on the back of my neck has my heart skip a beat, and I whip around, finding Seze gripping the near vertical stone wall. His amber eyes dilate as he nudges my arm with his snout. Hiccup's unexpected scream rips me from Seze, and my eyes fall on Toothless speeding out of the cove with Hiccup clinging on his tail. My breathing hitches, watching as Toothless falls into an uncontrolled dive.

"Oh no. The tailfin isn't working," I gasp, covering my mouth.

Even from my view, I spot Hiccup pulling the prosthetic open, allowing Toothless to regain control and altitude. Hiccup's cheers fade as they climb high in the air. Toothless dives into the cove once more, gliding mere feet over the pond while Hiccup continues to grin with pride. Now taking notice of the small Viking, Toothless banks sharply to the left, sending Hiccup skipping into the water; Toothless follows suit not long after. I stifle my laughter, turning to face Seze, who has an amused look on his face.