First Friends

Chapter 3

I mewed a hello to the one called Gobber, and Hiccup carried me down the stairs, holding me about the chest as if I were a toy. I thought it highly degrading, but I allowed it.

"Well, now. Lessee 'ere," mused Gobber. He began poking me with his fake paw and real one, lifting my nose to see inside it, and raising my lips to see my teeth. "'ave you fed 'im anethin?"

"No, I don't know what to feed him," Hiccup said sadly. I wiggled my butt until I was able to pull myself into a more comfortable position, and then jumped to the ground before dashing outside for a personal hunting trip. I caught a couple mice and a rat that was poking around the food stores, before returning to Hiccup and depositing my catches at his feet. I sat down and looked up at him with big adoring eyes. "Awwe! He caught some mice and a rat for himself! That's so cool!" He crouched and stroked my head lightly, coaxing a purr from me. He giggled, then I dipped my head, gulped down the mice, and took the rat somewhere private to eat.

"Ah-ah! Best to leave him to his meal, Heccup," Gobber advised. "He's a hunter now, and he'll not be wanting to be disturbed. He'll come find you when he's done."

"Awh, but I wanna play with him!" he whined. I finished the rat and tossed the bones off a nearby cliff before coming back from behind the bushes, licking my lips happily. "Tiger!"

"What's a Tiger?" someone else asked, about the same age as Hiccup. She had two blonde braids running down her back and was carrying a small axe.

"Hi, Astrid! This is Tiger, my kitten. He's a really good hunter; he even brought down a rabbit today," my young master beamed proudly. I purred and rubbed against his ankles, happy to be with him. He bent down and picked me up, cradling my tummy and front paws, making me feel safe and secure in his arms. I set to grooming myself, something I hadn't felt good enough to do since I arrived but felt up to now that I knew I was safe. I felt a hesitant pressure running along my back and looked at the girl who had come up. She pulled her hand back and looked at me, a nervous expression on her face. I was getting better at reading people's faces, and could tell this cub was unsure if I was friendly or not. I purred to let her know I wasn't going to hurt her, and she reached out a hand for me to smell. When she resumed petting me I continued grooming, running my tongue over my fur and removing the salt that still clung to my fur, making it dingy and paler than normal.