Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 20 - Leap Of Faith

A/N: To be perfectly honest, I posted this chapter more quickly than the past few others because I couldn't stand to leave the story on 19 chapters. That number is just so unsatisfying. P.S.—Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows everyone :)

Disclaimer: 'Fraid not.

HICCUP'S POV

"Hiccup, are you sure about this?" My mom asked for the millionth time, handing me her pouch of coins. I took them from her and put them in my satchel, doing my best not to roll my eyes. "It doesn't feel right sending you back there by yourself," she fretted.

I grabbed her by the shoulders to capture her undivided attention, which felt odd considering our height difference. "Mom, seriously, I'll be fine. I won't be gone long. Besides, I know how to defend myself," I reminded her, taking a step back and unsheathing my dagger halfway for emphasis.

She sighed, but reluctantly nodded. "Alright...but if you need help, just shout as loud as you can. The dragons will hear," she promised.

I glanced up to where Toothless was precariously balanced on a tree branch, his tail swinging idly side to side as he listened to our conversation. He'd already made it clear how much he loathed the idea of me going back into the midst of all the humans alone. I had a feeling if he heard me yelling for help, there would be a lot of blood spilled on both sides. I wouldn't let it come to that, though.

"I won't be gone long," I repeated, breaking Toothless' worried gaze. My mom nodded, waving as I turned and headed deeper into the trees. I felt her eyes on me up until the point I was too far away to see. As unsettling as it felt to be completely alone for the first time in my life, my fear wasn't nearly as strong as it had been yesterday. I was fairly confident that the humans on this island were relatively harmless, as far as vikings go. They respected the peace pact, at least.

By the time I made it to the main village, it was already bustling with activity. It seemed like there were even more people than before. Perhaps other ships had arrived overnight. Not exactly good news for me, but I didn't have time to stress about it. I needed to find Camicazi. She told me last night to meet her in the square, so I quickly stepped into the flow of humans headed that direction. Luckily, I didn't need to worry about possibly being seen by someone from Berk. No one would recognize me, anyway.

Camicazi was exactly where she said she'd be, sitting on one of the logs that had been left out. She looked bored out of her mind. Her chin rested on top of her hand as she drew in the dirt lazily with her sword. As tempting as it was to sneak up behind her, I didn't want to get myself stabbed, so I settled for announcing my presence as I walked up to her. As soon as she heard my voice, her entire demeanor changed. She perked up, nearly dropping her sword as she jumped to her feet with an excited grin.

"There you are! I was afraid you'd disappeared on me!" She exclaimed, sheathing her sword. I held back a wince at her words. They'd almost been the truth.

"How could I? I owe you, remember?" I teased, quickly pulling out a coin from my satchel and tossing it to her. She caught it with practiced ease, briefly inspecting it before pocketing it with a satisfied smirk.

"I knew I was right about you," she remarked, crossing her arms.

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I told my mom about you last night. I told her you're one of the good ones. I was right," she elaborated. I was taken aback by the statement. She barely knew me! How could she possibly make a judgment like that?

Although...I suppose I've already formed my own opinion of her as well. Just the fact that I was back here talking to her was proof I trusted her to some extent. Cami was a bit eccentric, but I didn't believe she was dangerous. Not to the people she deemed her friends, anyway.