First Friends

Chapter 32

Gobber delivered the harnesses and Stinger covers two days later. He'd needed more measurements and materials. I felt bad that Hiccup and Stoick had to pay for them, so I decided to go hunting to make it up to them.

"Stingers, I need you guys to stay here in the village. Make sure no one gets hurt, unless it's from inside the village. Stoick will give you orders and you guys have to follow them, even if you don't understand exactly what he means," I said to them.

The female who had helped me that first day, Swift, bowed her head, clearly distressed at my orders. "But Leader, what if something happens to you?" she asked. The others quipped "yeah" but otherwise stayed silent.

"I'm not the only hunter the village has, but I am it's most valued," I said. "I'm going on a private hunting trip, as a way of thanking Hiccup and Stoick for their help. They had to pay for your harnesses and stinger covers."

They pouted, but did as ordered.

I was in the woods ten minutes, stalking a deer. Both Hiccup and Stoick loved deer, so I knew if I brought it down, they'd be satisfied. I pounced and tackled the deer. It wheezed out a cry for help, but it was too late. I sank my claws in and kept a firm grip as it suffocated. When it finally died, I started dragging it back through the brush to the village. I almost gave up halfway, but then Swift and a couple others appeared. I was mildly annoyed that they had disobeyed my orders, but also relieved that they were there to help.

"Okay, help me carry this back to the village, but make sure you don't damage the legs. I've got special plans for them," I said. They picked my kill up and helped me carry it back to the village. I wrote a note to the butcher and asked him to spare me a leg, the least damaged one preferably. He gave it to me and I carried it back to the house. I opened the door and dropped the leg in front of Stoick, who was starting to doze at the fireplace. He jumped slightly when I opened the door, but thankfully kept his ax sheathed.

"Tiger, you brought a leg of venison for Hiccup and I?" he said. I bobbed my head in a nod. He ruffled my fur and gave me a rough hug. "Thank you, you old flea bag." I licked his face when he said that. He always called me a flea bag when he was in a good mood. Pest when he was in a bad mood. Hiccup came in, followed by Toothless. "Son, I think you should spend some more time with Tiger. He misses you." I looked at Stoick in confusion, but his face had turned into a mask of unreadable hardness.

"Alright, Dad. When I get back from flying with Toothless tomorrow, I'll spend time with him," he said. I felt a bit hurt that he was basically abandoning me, but I didn't want to seem whiney.

"I guess he's playing favorites," I mumbled. Toothless laughed at me, making me grateful that the Stingers were outside.

"Listen, Furball," he said. His tone wasn't hostile, but it wasn't the friendliest. "Hiccup's my rider, and he'll always be mine. He's outgrowing you, kid. Someday you'll be just another rag for him to change."

"That's not true!" I bellowed. I clapped a paw over my mouth when Swift came in.

"Sir! I heard a disturbance here. What's the matter?" she said.

"It's nothing, Swift. Don't worry about it," I said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Positive. Now go wait with the others. I'll be out soon to assign each of you to homes. You'll all be delivering messages for the village," I said. "And packages, if you can carry the weight."

She nodded before leaving. I closed the door behind her. I turned to Toothless, pain evident in my eyes and on my face. "Hiccup will never outgrow me," I said. "We've been there for each other through thick and thin. He'd never abandon me."

"Are you sure?" he asked. Before I could respond, Stoick stood and beckoned for me to follow him. He left the house, and I followed.

He went a short distance before sitting on a log behind the house. He patted the spot beside him and I sat down next to him. "What's eating you, Tiger? I haven't seen you this way ever," he said after a while.

I pulled out my notebook and pencil. Squinting in the darkening light I wrote four words that on their own mean little, but together mean the world: Hiccup outgrow me someday.

"What makes you say that?" he asked when he managed to decipher my writing in the dim light.

Underneath the message I wrote, Dragon said so. He's right.

Stoick crossed out "right" and put "wrong."

"I don't know who told you that folley, but they're lying. Hiccup will never outgrow you, TIger. You can't outgrow someone you love," he said to me. He put the journal down on his other side and picked me up in a near-strangling hug. It felt so good.