A Siren's Song - A Hiccup Love Story (HTTYD/RTTE)

1

Hiccup hopped onto Toothless's back. "Well, this is it, Bud," he explained with a grin, scratching the night fury's scaley head. After finally deciding on how to build their homes on Dragon's Edge, everyone was finally able to start working. "Come on," he urged with excitement, "we've got our work cut out for us." With that, Toothless flew off and everyone began their parts.

• • •

The sun had set a few hours ago and, therefore, everyone was settling in for the night. Around a good sized campfire, everyone and their dragons had gathered to keep warm and eat their dinner.

"Hey, Fishlegs, how's your rock garden going?" Snotlout asked teasingly.

"Actually, it's going quite well," Fishlegs answered with a proud grin.

Tuffnut took way too big of a bite out of his fish before speaking, "hey, is anyone gonna ask how our boar pit is going?"

Ruffnut excited raised her hand and exclaimed, "ooo! How's our boar pit going?"

"Weren't you guys working together today?" Astrid asked.

"Well, yeah," Tuff confirmed, "but that doesn't mean she knows what it looks like."

"Yeah!" Ruff backed up, crossing her arms defensively.

Struck silent by the twins, as they often were, the other four only continued to eat.

"Wait, does that mean you don't know what it looks like either?" Ruff questioned her brother.

"Hm, not sure," Tuffnut muttered and thought for a minute, then turned to the chicken on his left. "What do you think?" The chicken squawked once, then pecked the ground.

"Wait, guys, shh," Hiccup spoke up suddenly, sitting up in alert.

Ruff and Tuff both hung their jaws open. "Did you just 'shh' us?" Tuffnut demanded.

"Really, Tuff, be quiet," Astrid hissed with irritation, "listen."

Finally silent, the six listened. After a few seconds, a gentle, high pitched sound began to sound through the air. It gradually increased, then decreased, then increased, and so on.

"Is that..a dragon?" Fishlegs wondered aloud.

"Uh, I was hoping you might know," Hiccup admitted.

Astrid drew her eyebrows inward and remarked, "it sounds sad."

"Woah, can dragons be sad?" Tuff asked. He then grabbed his chicken and brought it to his face. Staring into it's small, beady eyes, "answer me, oh great chicken."

Silenced by a strong wack in the head by his sister, Tuffnut fell over and released the chicken. The dragon song continued for a few minutes longer, then disappeared.

"Do you think it was a distress call?" Hiccup asked uncertainly.

Fishlegs looked around before answering, "no, the dragons would've reacted if it was." Sure enough, all of the dragons were relaxed. "In fact, they're acting completely normal; maybe there's nothing to worry about."