First Friends

Chapter 4

Something moved in the bushes in front of me. I stalked forward, both light and heavy on my feet. This quarry was mine, and when Hiccup saw the size of it, he'd be so proud! I pounced, killing the squirrel with a bite to the head. It had mistaken me for a log or some such; it didn't matter, it was dead as the other prey I brought back to the village. I tossed the small body up onto the pile I'd gathered on a large wooden basket-like structure Stoick had commissioned for me. Hiccup had made a harness for me and I slipped into it, pulling with all my might as I headed back to the village. I dropped off my haul and jerked the harness until the clips came off, then decided to go searching for my young master, who was noticeably absent from the town.

I followed his scent when I caught it, intent on finding him soon, and stopped short when I heard a scream. Hiccup's scream. I broke into a full-on run as I charged toward where I heard the yells coming from. I burst through a bush and saw Hiccup backing away from a large, black bear, who was obviously very grumpy. I leapt in front of him, but was batted away quickly.

"Tiger! Ow! Help!" Hiccup wailed. I snorted and shook my head, rolling over onto my stomach and watching in horror as my young savior was snagged then thrown against a tree, where he lay dazed, and half conscious. I stood up, ignoring my now-twisted paw, and roared a challenge at the bear as he stalked toward my master's still body. He turned his head lazily, but otherwise ignored me. I coiled and struck, swiping a paw at him, claws unsheathed. He shrugged it off until I leapt in front of Hiccup, cutting off the bear's direct line of attack. I shrieked my challenge again, hoping at the least I'd draw someone from the village. It had been five years since Hiccup rescued me, and I was well-respected for my hunting skills. I found quarry everyone, including the dragons that raided the village at least once or twice a week, had missed.

"If you want my master, you're going to have to take him from under my cold, dead body," I snarled at the bear. I was so angry I wound up snorting in fury.

"That can be arranged," hissed the bear, chuckling wickedly.

I roared and lunged at him, charging my full weight at him, and sinking my teeth into the fur at his neck. His paws flailed about and scratched my right front paw, coaxing a slight whimper from me, but still I held fast. I growled from the effort and whipped him around, ripping his throat out as I did so. We fell to the ground with his throat gushing his life out as he died. He was dead in a matter of moments, but still Hiccup didn't wake up. I limped over to him, wincing in pain as my injury announced itself. I nudged him with my nose, not caring about the blood I was getting on his face. I wiggled underneath him, rearranging him until he was draped over me in such a fashion that I felt comfortable running through the forest as fast as my injured paw would allow. I turned toward the village and took off, letting loose another howl that drew several people's attention to the forest. I noticed a large cliff in front of us and narrowed my eyes in determination.

I pushed off with my back paws and we flew through the air, Hiccup only coming to briefly to say, "Whoa! Tiger, we're flying!" before blacking out again.

The wind was driven out of my lungs when someone caught me around the stomach, stopping both of us from crashing to the ground, as they spun around to carry over our momentum. I looked up into the chief's eyes. They were brimming with worry that I sometimes saw when Hiccup, his son, was out during a dragon raid. His face was an unmovable mask of hardness that I had learned to read. I blinked heavily, then darkness swallowed my vision.