First Friends

Chapter 29

I growled viciously as something whizzed by me faster than anything I'd seen. Something connected with my metal paw and I yelped. I noticed a Viking villager running somewhere when suddenly they froze mid stride. I felt my jaw fall open. I looked up at Stoick, who had seen it happen, and he turned and bellowed for everyone to get to the Cove. Everyone scrambled into the forest, and I followed not long after. Stoick brought up the rear, and I roared in outrage when something zipped by and stole a crate of yak jerky. I leapt up and scratched one of the something's as it raced by. It stopped and glared at me, and for the first time we got a look at our opponents. Fishlegs almost squealed in terror.

"Speedstinger!" he shrieked. The leader stopped and examined the claw marks I'd given one of them. Fixing me with an icy glare he disappeared and I felt something sting the base of my tail. I froze mid scream. If my tail could have twitched, it would have. I felt Stoick pick me up, then something hit his leg and he started to flag. I tried to growl to encourage him, but only succeeded in humming briefly.

We made it to he Cove and he set me down before taking up a stance on a rock. He drew his sword and uttered a war cry before freezing in place. I could only hope that Hiccup and Toothless would be able to do something. I was somehow able to keep breathing, so I was fully conscious of when Astrid came up to me and laid a fish in front of me, then she went up to the chief and stick a sharpened stick with a cooked fish in front of him. Somehow, and sometime, I managed to fall asleep standing up and with both eyes wide open. My mouth began to feel extremely and painfully dry, so I wiggled my tongue and managed to lick my lips. Astrid saw the gesture and came over with a bowl of water, which I gulped down eagerly. She held the fish up for me to nibble on. After I finished that I felt my body begin its natural functions and I almost cried, whining instead, as my pee ran down my legs and my excrement fell behind me. I squinted until my eyes shut, too embarrassed to think. Around dawn the next morning I was able to move my head and neck, and even wobble forward a few steps on my still frozen legs. I burbled happily when I saw Hiccup and Toothless again, along with the man who had saved my life when I couldn't breathe.