First Friends

Chapter 5

Hours later I woke up to someone pushing on me, shaking me in an attempt to rouse me. I sat up and curled a lip slightly until I saw that it was Hiccup. He was sitting up with bandages around his stomach where the bear had scratched him...The bear! I looked down at my paw just as he pulled me close and hugged me, giving me a kiss on the top of the head. I began to purr, purely out of instinct as he ran his fingers through my fur, calming both of us down and reinforcing our bond and friendship. Sure we played everyday, but that was just enrichment for both of us, not true bonding. The other children in the village often played with us as well, and through me Hiccup gained a few lifelong friends. Fishlegs frequently came over to visit, sometimes Astrid did too. Stoick and I could tell he liked her, so I teased him relentlessly when she was around. I'd crouch really low with big, hungry eyes and pounce on him, licking his face madly and giving him a wild new furdo. It usually made her giggle. Sometimes when no one was looking Snotlout would play with me too. He was a rather strange character as he was already shaping up to be a ginko ((made-up word meaning "Ladies' man")), and that fact was not lost on a couple girls their age, but they quickly lost interest when his "Higher-than-thou" attitude shone through.

"Thank you, Tiger. I saw how brave you were fighting off that bear," Hiccup murmured, holding me even closer. I nuzzled his face, savoring our closeness. By this time, my purring had increased in volume, and Stoick came up the stairs to check on us.

"Glad to see you're both up, and alright," he rumbled awkwardly.

"Dad! Tiger fought off a bear for me," his son yipped excitedly.

"I know. The hunters in the area found the corpse. The meat will help feed the village," replied his father. "Thank you, Tiger." He cupped my chin and looked into my eyes. They were brimming with gratitude and seemed a little more damp than normal. My tongue flicked out and caught the tip of his nose, prompting a small smile from him.