When Snow Meets Lightning (Httyd x Male!oc)

part 5

Hiccup walked through the woods alone, retracing his steps to where he first encountered the Night Fury. He weighed the bola in his hands, pondering the question that had been gnawing at him.

"So, why didn't you?" Hiccup asked aloud, though the only response was the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

Entering a secluded cove, Hiccup surveyed its emptiness with a mix of disappointment and determination. "Well, this was stupid," he muttered to himself, shaking his head at his own recklessness.

His eyes fell upon something gleaming on the ground. Kneeling down, Hiccup picked up a few shiny black dragon scales, marveling at their smooth texture and dark luster. The discovery filled him with a sense of awe and excitement.

Suddenly, the Night Fury swooped past overhead, its shadow momentarily casting over Hiccup before it landed awkwardly on the ground, clearly struggling. Hiccup instinctively hid at the cove's entrance, heart racing with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

Pulling out his notebook, Hiccup flipped it open and retrieved his sketching pencil. "Why don't you just... fly away?" he murmured softly to himself, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own breathing.

With focused determination, Hiccup began sketching the Night Fury. He carefully outlined its form, capturing the sleekness of its scales and the sharpness of its features. As he worked, he noticed something crucial—the dragon was missing one of its tail fins.

Erasing the fin on his drawing, Hiccup adjusted his sketch to match the dragon's current state. But in his concentration, his pencil slipped from his fingers, clattering against the rocky ground. The noise startled the Night Fury, which turned its head sharply, fixing its piercing gaze upon him.

In that moment, as Hiccup met the dragon's eyes, there was a flicker of recognition between them—a silent acknowledgment of each other's presence in the cove, bound by curiosity and circumstance.

The forest around them remained tranquil, the only sound the faint whisper of leaves in the wind. Hiccup held his breath, uncertain of what would happen next, as the Night Fury watched him with a mix of wariness and intrigue.

Later that night, they all sat around a table in the great hall, the room dimly lit by flickering torchlight. The air was thick with the scent of roasted meat and the steady hum of Vikings sharing their evening meals. At a separate table, Ludic sat hunched over a worn notebook, scribbling with focused intensity. He couldn't shake his thoughts of Frostbite—the elusive white dragon that lingered at the edge of his life. Whether walking through the village or sitting quietly by the sea with a fishing rod, Ludic always felt the dragon's presence overhead, silent and watchful. Frostbite haunted his dreams, his mind, his every quiet moment. And it was wearing him down.

"Alright," Gobber's booming voice echoed through the hall, drawing attention back to the table of trainees. "Where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?"

Astrid let out a breath and spoke with a hint of annoyance. "I mistimed my somersault dive. It threw off my reverse tumble. Sloppy work."

Ludic glanced up from his notes, his dark blue eyes sharp in the low light. "That wasn't the real issue," he said plainly, his voice cutting through the chatter like a blade. "Your mistake was taking your eyes off the dragon in the first place. You were showboating—flips and spins don't mean anything if they put you in a bad position. Especially on slick surfaces like that stone in the arena. That kind of move isn't brave—it's reckless."

The table fell quiet for a moment, Astrid narrowing her eyes at him—but not arguing. She knew he was right. Ludic returned to his notes without waiting for a response, his mind already drifting back to Frostbite.