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

14

Finally, she found an island with hunter ships docked on the beach. Aldru landed and turned human. She hid behind a bush as a couple of hunters ran past her, one shouting, "find the night fury!"

Yep, definitely here, Aldru though, half amused and half nervous. Deciding that she'd be quicker as a dragon, she changed back and scurried away in search of Hiccup and Toothless.

She stopped at the edge of a clearing, however, a bizzare scene infront of her. Someone was beating up hunters left and right. But when the person turned around, she saw that it wasn't Hiccup.

Accidentally stepping on a twig, Aldru flinched as the man jumped at her. He was about to bring a mace down on her, but stopped when he saw that she was no hunter. "Woah.." He uttered, then lowered his weapon, "I've never seen you before..what are you?"

Aldru cocked her head and relaxed a bit. She gurgled softly as if to answer him. "Ah, nevermind," the man said carelessly, then laughed, "you wouldn't happen to know Hiccup, would you?"

Aldru perked up immediately, making him raise his eyebrows and confirm knowingly, "thought you might." He turned on his heels and rested the mace over his shoulder. "I'm trying to find him, but these hunters keep getting in the way."

He looked over his shoulder when he noticed that Aldru hadn't moved. He knelt on the ground and held a hand out to her. Again, she flinched away. "Hey, it's alright," he spoke in a calm voice, "I won't let them hurt you."

Although she'd never met him, she could feel the truth rolling off of his tongue. Whoever this man was, she could trust him. Slowly, she approached him and nuzzled against his hand. The man looked shocked, but no less happy. "You know, you're a lot calmer than most dragon's I meet," he remarked as he stood back up straight.

Aldru squawked in thanks as she crawled beside the man. Then the two began their search for Hiccup. Not long after that, they heard Toothless close by. Aldru raced over to a wall made of bushes and sniffed. But before she could reunite with her friends, more hunters came out of nowhere.

Viggo's words echoed in her head, If you're ever caught by my men again, I'll not be so easy on you.

"Stay there, dragon," the man yelled, then began defeating the other men one by one. The red haired man then came back over to Aldru and crouched down to scratch her cheek, "there, see? You're safe." He then stood, took a deep breath, and began tearing down the bush wall.

Aldru immediately leapt inside and attacked Hiccup. "Aldru?!" He stated in surprise, "what are you--how did you get here?"

But he was soon distracted by the man in the entrance. His jaw hardened, "Dagur..!"

As she learned the man's identity, Aldru's jaw dropped. This was Dagur? The man who'd tried to kill Hiccup and Toothless on many accounts? The man who worked for Viggo? How was this that man? She snapped out of it quickly at the sight of Hiccup rushing toward him with a good sized rock. Immediately, Aldru hopped in between the two. She faced Hiccup and screeched, forcing him to hault.

"Hiccup, I promise I'm not here to hurt you," Dagur insisted.

Hiccup looked from Dagur to Aldru and asked helplessly, "you trust him?"

Aldru nodded quickly and slithered over to Dagur. She weaved around his legs a few times to prove he was harmless. Dagur chuckled obnoxiously, "that's some dragon you've got, Hiccup."

And although he didn't trust Dagur, he did trust his friend's judgement fully. Finally, he dropped the rock.

• • •

Dagur had helped move Toothless to a more secret cave with Hiccup. Afterwards the two boys went to find a dragon root arrow antidote. Aldru had stayed behind to keep an eye on Toothless. Now, Hiccup and Dagur were brewing the ingredients together. Thankfully, the strong tension that was once between them seemed to be fading quickly.

"So," Dagur began, stirring the pot with a stick, "what kind of dragon is she?" He glaced from Hiccup to Aldru.

Hiccup, still unwilling to reveal Aldru, squinted his eyes at Dagur and answered vaguely, "a very rare kind."

Dagur chuckled, "well, I figured that much, brother." He released the stick and walked over to Aldru. Sitting beside her, he gently unfolded one of her wings to admire it, "she's absolutely beautiful!"

At this, Hiccup couldn't help but smile as an image of her human face flashed in his mind. He adverted his eyes from Aldru as he felt his face heat up and muttered, "yeah, she is."

Dagur then asked excitedly, "what kind of cool things can she do? Spit acid? Sting? Perhaps these wings conduct lightning?"

"Actually," Hiccup disagreed, "she sings." A disappointed frown replaced Dagur's wide grin. Silence then fell over the cave.

Within the hour, Hiccup was able to escape with Toothless and Aldru. Dagur found his own way off the island as well, and went his separate way. And by the time they made it back to the Edge, the moon was high above.

Astrid stood at the doors to the stable with arms crossed and a stern face. Hiccup landed, bracing himself for the yelling.

"What were you thinking?!" Astrid demanded.

Toothless quickly snuck away into the stables. Aldru, however, stayed beside him. "I was just looking around," Hiccup insisted, "Toothless may have gotten hit with a dragon root arrow, but he's okay now, and we made it back."

Astrid rolled her eyes, obviously wanting to argue more. But before she could say anything, a cloud uncovered the moon and shown down onto them. And under neither Aldru, a dim purple light began to glow. Astrid widened her eyes as she blurted suddenly, "Aldru, open your wings."

Though she didn't know what was happening, Aldru did as she was told. Immediately, the purple grew and covered the platform.

Hiccup gasped. "The moonlight is shining through your wings," he observed in awe, "Aldru, we found your light..!"

Aldru squawked excitedly and flew up to the club house immediately. Once Hiccup and Astrid made it up, she opened her wings again. And when Hiccup held the dragon eye up in the light, words and pictures covered the back wall.