renegades, httyd

xix. Goodbyes

renegades
chapter nineteen

    "Quick!" Skulder exclaimed, huddling behind the group of us and away from the aggressive dragons. "Do you whole dragon thing! Tame them━or━or whatever!"

     Hiccup held a hand out, eyeing the group of grown Groncicles that started to surround us. Winglash hunched up, scared, her talons digging into my rabbit fur hood. The adult Groncicles were still very much like Gronckles, but as they grow up, I could see that their snouts grew longer, turning more like a boar made of ice than a Gronckle. I hoped they weren't as aggressive as boars, or as deadly in packs. Most Boulder Class dragons were gentle in nature, I just prayed to the gods that this was the case for these adult Groncicles, too.

    But we had barged in on their nesting ground; we were a threat.

     "Their reaction is completely natural," Hiccup said, remarkably calm in this situation. "We've invaded their nesting grounds, they probably have a lot of young, considering Sleetstorm's age. They're just trying to protect their children and each other. Boulder Class dragons are very loyal."

      "You're just going out on a whim with that, aren't you?" I mumbled.

     Hiccup made a nervous face, "Eh━a little."

     "Maybe we could try what you did with those Speed Stingers?" offered Skulder, quivering in his boots. "S━show them you've got a baby Groncicle under your care."

      "Sleetstorm was already taken from the nest," I said quickly, slowly backing away as the group grew nearer. "If I hand him over, they might think I was the one who stole him."

     "We need to show we're not a threat," said Hiccup, trying to think on his feet. Toothless snarled, and he stopped him with a palm on his neck. "No, bud. We want them to like us. Not scare them away. We are in their home, after all."

      "It's a whole colony of them," I couldn't help but say with breathless amazement. "This entire time, they've been here."

      "W━well━well━" Skulder was stammering, clutching onto the back of my hood. I set my jaw, annoyed. "They must've been here from the beginning. Either they're gentle and got along with the Vikings━"

      "Or they're really cautious because the colony here killed them," finished Hiccup.

      I searched for Sleetstorm. He was still by the nest, frozen and watching his kind approach. His eyes were wide, and I wonder whether he even knew they were similar. He was smart. Maybe he would help ... or maybe he'd turn and join them against us instead. 

      One of them opened their maw and jet forth a stream of━not fire, but ice. Toothless struck a plasma blast and it met in the middle, exploding in a rainstorm of ice shards.