Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 17 - The Burgling Bog-Burglar

A/N: I'm not lazy, I swear. I've just had absolutely zero free time.

Disclaimer: HTTYD, you are hereby disclaimed.

HICCUP'S POV

My fingers traced the edge of my dagger's handle cautiously. This girl was a head shorter than me, but any human had the potential to be dangerous. I wasn't sure why she looked so irritated, anyway. I'd done nothing to her.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned defensively. My mother told me this territory doesn't belong to any one group, so the fact that she was calling it her "turf" didn't make any sense.

Camicazi pointed an angry finger in my face, and I just barely resisted the urge to bare my teeth in warning. A dragon would've bitten off her hand by now. She didn't seem to have any concept of personal space. "Oh, please! I saw you eyeing the loot. That money is mine, so back off," she warned, still quietly enough to not be heard by the surrounding humans.

I took a second to process her words, glancing over my shoulder at the man I'd been observing before. He was still just as oblivious, his pouch of coins dangling temptingly on his hip. When I turned back to face her, my eyes were narrowed. "I wasn't going to steal anything," I protested.

"But you were thinking about it," she retorted, her finger still in my face. I side-stepped her, creating a bit of space from both her and the crowd.

"I don't need money," I shot back, and she finally dropped her hand, eyebrows furrowing in suspicion. "I do wish you'd leave me alone, though," I grumbled under my breath, but it was obvious that she'd heard me.

Camicazi relaxed her posture, grinning mischievously at me. "No need to get all mopey, kid. I was just defending my rightful property," she insisted with mock sincerity, placing a hand over her heart.

"Rightful property?" I snorted in disbelief, my hand leaving my dagger so I could cross my arms.

She shrugged, sidling up behind the man. With extreme deftness, she snatched the coin pouch off his belt, not making a sound. The man coughed, but otherwise remained engaged in the play. I couldn't stop a small smile from briefly lifting the corners of my mouth as she ambled towards me with a satisfied smirk.

"It's that easy, kid," she crowed, tossing the pouch lightly into the air a few times before stowing it in the satchel that was slung over her shoulder.

"I'm not a kid," I snapped, glancing around the girl. My mom was in the same place as before, unaware of the annoyance I was dealing with. Despite my discomfort, I didn't want to bother her. She appeared to be having fun.

Camicazi raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Is that so? How old are you, then?" She challenged.

I looked away, my cheeks flushing red. "My age is irrelevant. Intelligence and maturity come from the mind, not the body," I argued, raising my chin to feign confidence.

She pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh, and nodded her head slowly. I didn't find any humor in the situation, especially when she began to circle me. This time I did bare my teeth, following her every move with my gaze, but she wasn't paying me any attention. "You sure talk smart. Where you from?" She wondered idly, kicking at the dirt as she walked.

I hesitated. My mom had told me that people just asked questions out of curiosity, but I certainly couldn't tell this random girl where I lived—not that our island had a name the humans would recognize. It wasn't on any maps.

When I didn't speak, she finally looked up, pausing in front of me. "Fine, don't tell me. Not like it matters, anyway," she rolled her eyes, waving me off. "You could at least tell me your name. Unless you want me to keep calling you kid..." She grinned, already predicting my answer.