The Blacksmith's Apprentice

Twenty-One: Fear or Hope?

Twenty-One: Fear or Hope?

Hiccup slid off Toothless, absently patting the dragon's flattened head and feeling the approving grumble that shivered through the sleek shape. His emerald eyes were inspecting the saddle for any signs of slippage or any chafing on the dragon's thick neck and his dexterous fingers slid gently over the straps, checking for any laxity or signs of wear.

"How's that for you, bud?" he asked thoughtfully as he crouched down and checked the stitching. "No rubbing?" Toothless gave a slightly insulted grumble. As if his tough hide would be worn down by a piece of cured yak skin! "Hmm-stitching is very secure: that double stitch technique seems to be holding well..." He looked up and smiled. "So I guess you can build a saddle for a dragon."

He rose and walked to his bag, handing the dragon a couple of large cod, which Toothless instantly ate, giving his toothless gummy grin back at the young man as soon as he had finished licking his lips.

"How did it go?" Astrid asked, walking forward from the entrance to the cove. She was in her spare blue top, her armoured shoulder-pads and her familiar armoured leather-panelled skirt-but she was still moving gingerly due to the bandages around the wound in her side, even several days later. Toothless's ear-flaps pricked up and he bounded towards her like a puppy, licking her eagerly. She giggled and tried to push him away. "Argh! I'm reliably informed that doesn't wash out!"

"Definitely not, Milady," Hiccup confirmed with a grin, his eyes sparkling as he looked up and walked towards her. "And you, useless reptile-really not feeling the love..." Toothless gave a laughing noise and Hiccup rolled his expressive eyes, his face still lifted in a smile. "Yeah-you can try to explain it now..." And Toothless instantly whipped round, the tail fins moving in perfect synch as he bounded forward and leapt on Hiccup, pinning him effectively and licking him until his face was drenched with slobber and his hair sticking up wildly. "GAH!" the blacksmith's apprentice managed, trying to wipe the tenacious stuff off his face and out of his mouth...because it tasted foul. Finally, he managed to push the over-eager dragon off, sitting up to a peal of laughter from the blonde.

"Wow-you were right about that stuff being sticky..." she chuckled, seeing his dismayed face and wildly disarrayed hair.

"Why thank you, Milady," he managed sarcastically, scrambling up and scrubbing his face and hair in the little lake, managing eventually to sluice most of the saliva out. "The saddle seems to work well-and I'm glad I added in the footrests," he commented, running his hands through his soaked auburn hair and finger-combing it sort of back into place. "And Toothless was remarkably tolerant...well, after I had chased him down and put the saddle on..." He splashed his face and scrubbed the last vestiges of saliva away, smiling to himself at the memory of chasing the Night Fury round the cove trying to get the saddle on. Toothless had thought it was a game and Hiccup had almost given up... He scrubbed his face again and swiped it dry on his sleeve, then turned to look at Astrid...

...and froze. There was a shape behind her, moving cautiously and his eyes widened.

"Astrid!" he said in a suddenly calm voice. "No sudden moves. There's a dragon behind you!"

Her eyes widened and he knew it had to be because she was angry because Astrid Hofferson was fearless. Her hands clenched into fists and she stared at him in a silent plea before she reached for her axe. But as she turned to face the creature, he saw Toothless move, his back arching and teeth snapping down. In a second, he was at her side protectively, his tail curled around her and the watching Hiccup felt a surge of pride at his friend's actions. But he rose quietly, his eyes locked on the creature and he felt a thrill of recognition.

It was the Nadder, the blue and gold dragon that had saved his life-and later taken Astrid. She was hanging back, her pupils wide and friendly and her manner non-aggressive. And he could see her limping as she moved, the deep, raw wound from Toothless's attack still ugly on her flank and hip. As he watched, Toothless gave a low growl of anger and she backed up a step.