Another Nightmare book 1

Chapter 19

'Toothless...'

The though cut into Toothless' consciousness like a Timberjack slicing through trees. It destroyed his concentration and caused him to crash even quicker than with his last ten attempts of escaping from the cove. He had felt Hiccup's pain all the way from the village, as the hatchling was being attacked. He was suffering, and Toothless, who had promised to protect him, was stuck in this damned hole! The tailfin Hiccup had built laid useless between some rocks on the other side of the cove.

'Hiccup!'

There was no imminent answer, but Toothless could sense Hiccup coming closer. The hatchling was still in pain, but at least Toothless knew that Hiccup was alive and coming to him. A few seconds later, he could smell Hiccup's familiar scent, and the horrible stench of his blood. Toothless was a predator, so he could relish the smell of fresh blood, whether it meant a meal or the death of an enemy, but this... this was completely different. The smell made Toothless' thoughts become more clouded. A growl reverberated around the cove as the instinct to rip apart whoever was responsible got stronger. The only thing holding him back was his physical inability to do anything about it.

There was also another Viking scent with Hiccup. Was it one of those deserving death? Was that Viking following Hiccup? They were already almost outside the cove. Toothless' ears perked up as he heard approaching steps and pained whimpers. He would have recognised Hiccup's voice anywhere. He rushed to the entrance faster than any other living thing could move.

The moment Hiccup stepped out from between the two rocks; Toothless recoiled from the sight he witnessed. His hatchling had bloodstains all around his body, especially in the areas where he wasn't covered by artificial skin, clothes, but even some of those were ripped and bloodstained. The thin skin around Hiccup's left eye had turned darker; almost black. His entire face showed how much pain he was in, even with all the relieve that had appeared on it the moment he stepped into the cove. Toothless could easily sense the pain tearing at Hiccup's insides, where he couldn't see with his eyes.

Then there was the other, larger Viking hatchling holding Hiccup in his grasp. Seeing what had happened to his hatchling, Toothless wasn't about to let any Vikings that close to Hiccup. A low growl emanated again from Toothless' throat as he started approaching, eyes narrowed and glued to the larger Viking, whose face was turning from worried to terrified.

Something in the back of his mind was telling that this was Fishlegs, the same viking whom they had met the previous night, who was actually friendly to Hiccup, but Toothless wouldn't risk allowing anyone else to stay that close to Hiccup now; not alive, at least.

Toothless stopped as if he had hit a mountain as Hiccup's hand fell on his snout. For a fraction of a second, he was calming down, but blood from the cuts on Hiccup's arm bled on the black scales and some flowed all the way into Toothless' nostrils. The smell covered every other scent; every other thought. Toothless was completely frozen. Practically shaking from a mix of rage, fear, and worry. He might have continued his advance on Fishlegs and killed everything in sight, other than Hiccup. Then Hiccup's mind descended on him.

Despite the pain and dizziness that Toothless knew Hiccup was feeling, his thoughts held back the black dragon as Hiccup sought comfort from Toothless. The tentacles of Hiccup's mind divided into smaller strings to reach every corner of the dragon's mind, like the times they had been one while flying. Toothless welcomed the presence and its warmth, even when he noticed increasing pain that didn't seem to come from any particular part of his body.

It took Toothless a second to realise; it was Hiccup's pain he felt, and he could sense Hiccup feeling less of it because of that. The strings of his mind stopped and tried to withdraw.