First Friends

Chapter 25

I jumped up in alarm when Toothless landed fairly noisily in the Cove. I looked around in a near-panicked state. I'd fallen asleep curled up around the basket, with the blanket nestled between my paws. My sleep-addled mind didn't pick up a comprehensible word of their conversation for a moment. Then Astrid punched Hiccup's arm, and I was instantly awake. Something about the punch seemed like a playful bite my siblings and I gave each other when we were together.

"That's for kidnapping me," she said. She brushed her hair out of her face, and pulled Hiccup in to give him a peck on the cheek. "That's for...everything else." She turned and started back toward the village, glancing back over her shoulder once to look at Hiccup one final time before jogging out of sight.

I approached Hiccup with the blanket in my teeth and the basket being dragged behind me by my tail. I looked at him in the moonlight, and saw a distant, far-off look on his face. He smiled softly, and then Toothless came up beside him and purred with satisfaction.

"Well what are you looking at?" Hiccup asked. I gurgled a laugh.

"You're welcome for nothing, you silly human boy," Toothless replied. I laughed so hard I was snorting and rolling on the ground.

"Tiger! I thought I told you to go home," Hiccup said, finally noticing me. I gave him my big eyes and he knelt down, giving me a bear hug, pulling as much of me as possible to himself. I licked him repeatedly, coaxing a sound of disgust from him. He pushed me off then grabbed a stick to play with, throwing it, and laughing as I crashed through the underbrush after it as we headed back to the village.

We came to the crest of a smaller hill and he tried to grab the stick out of my mouth, but I set my jaw and pulled until he got the idea to climb onto my back. I tore through the forest as though I were a breath of wind, smooth and flowing, but still fast. I leapt powerfully, with Hiccup still on my back, and landed on a tree, which bent under our combined weight, letting us basically slide into the outskirts of town. As I stepped off the tree, it snapped back and cracked my belly painfully. I staggered, but kept going forward. Hiccup and I entered the house and, after checking to make sure there was no permanent or even temporary damage aside from a few bruises, we went to bed.

As we lay there that night, Hiccup told me what had happened that drove him to almost leave Berk behind forever.

"I was chosen to kill a dragon, Tiger. I have to kill one in front of the entire village." His voice caught slightly on the word "kill" but he kept his voice to a quiet whisper. He lay on his back, stroking my fur as he spoke. I leaned over and licked his cheek comfortingly. "What am I gonna do? I can't kill that dragon, but I don't want to disappoint my father." He sighed, rolling over onto his stomach and resting his head on his right hand while his left hand ruffled my head. "I guess I'm going to have to change his mind too. I have to make them see that dragons aren't evil. Just like how Toothless showed me. In a way, you showed me that too. They respect you, so I'd feel really comfortable if you were there too, Tiger. Do you think you could stay out of the forest for the day, just to make sure I'm okay?"

I gave him a look that said it all. "What do you think I do? Leave you to the wolves?" He chuckled, then lay his head on my side, soon slipping into a light, uneasy sleep. I sighed and decided to consult the stars, which my mother once told me were the messengers of the gods and goddesses. I grabbed a pillow from the pile near the bed, and slipped it under Hiccup's head. He stirred, then settled down again. I crawled under the bed and down the stairs, past Stoick's sleeping form, where he sat slumped before the fire, snoring loud enough to wake the dead. I used my tail to open the door and close it behind me as I left. Even if Stoick had woken up, he likely would have assumed that I'd just gotten up to go to the bushes for a quick pee break. I climbed the tallest hill that was relatively close to the village, and found a cliff that had a view of the stars. A streak of light shot across the sky, and I gasped, recognizing it.

"I-I really don't know what to say," I stuttered. "I know I won't be around forever, but please, keep my human safe, and his village too. Help his people see that the dragons aren't inherently evil, help them see the truth. I don't know if I can ask these things of you, Great Goddess, but my mother told me before she died that you would always be there to keep an eye out for us. You have given me the responsibility to look after and care for this human and I've taken care of him well so far. I made an error with the bear, but I am grateful I didn't come out unscathed either. For giving me victory over the bear that day, and letting my human walk away relatively unharmed, I thank you, and I swear, to my dying breath, I will protect Hiccup, even if it costs me my life."

My words seemed to echo slightly, as though reverberating through the still night air. One star seemed to twinkle slightly, as though blinking in response to my words. I felt a sudden peace wash over me, like a wave of icy water. I sighed to keep my nerves under control as I trotted back to the village. I nudged the door open, closed it behind me, and headed back upstairs, where Hiccup was tossing and turning. He settled down immediately when I wiggled under his head, pushing the pillow off the bed. My human, I thought with a slight grin. I curled around and gave Hiccup a light lick on the forehead, and he smiled, pulling my head in closer in his sleep. I felt my small lip turning turn into a full-blown smile as he did that. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.