How To Train Your Dragon

3: Encounter

My breath catches in my throat. A real Nightfury is laying in front of us. A Nightfury. Hiccup actually caught a Nightfury. Said to be born of lightning and death itself, Nightfurys never steal food, never shows itself, and never misses a target.

"This fixes everything." Hiccup murmurs.

I can't help myself. Standing I slowly approach the downed dragon, Hiccup grabs my wrist as I step out from behind the rock. I pull away from him. Walking up the length of its body toward its head. The dragon is black with a long tail with a fanned end, long and thick gray claws, a long body, strong built legs, large velvety wings, a short neck, and a round triangular head with folded wing like ears and a nose like a cats. I kneel down reaching out to touch its head.

As my fingertips brush the bridge of its nose, the dragon's eyes fly open. Its eyes are golden with with streaks of emerald green, the black pupils largely dilated. The dragon focuses its gaze on me, its pupils narrowing to slits.

Hiccup grabs my shoulder and pulls me back as the dragon growls. I fall back a few feet from the dragon, my hands behind me and my knees bent in front of me. Hiccup approaches the nightfury as he pulls out a knife. He holds the knife above his head with both hands then glances at the dragon. "I'm gonna cut your heart and take it to my father. I'm a Viking." The dragon raises its head a soft noise rippling from its throat. "I'm a Viking!" Hiccup shouts at the nightfury.

I don't move. I can't move. I've never seen such violence from my brother. I know he wants to kill a dragon, but he wouldn't...... would he?

Hiccup raises the knife higher above his head. I stop breathing. He looks at the dragon. The dragon's head falls to the ground and it closes its eyes the soft noise ripping from its throat again. Hiccup expression relaxes then looks away squeezing his eyes shut and raising the knife a bit higher.

His next action surprises me. He drops his hands to his head and sighs. His hands fall to his sides, the knife clutched in his right hand. He looks at the knife taking a step back. "I did this." He says.

I get to my hands and knees as Hiccup turns around and takes two steps away from the dragon. I crawl over to the nightfury and pull at the ropes. Looking over my shoulder at Hiccup, I click my tongue.

He turns and I tug on the ropes again. Hiccup looks at the knife again then he quickly kneels beside me and starts sawing at the ropes. The first one breaks loosening the dragon's wings. Its eyes fly open again, its pupils narrowing to slits then looking at us. The second rope gives and the dragon's legs are freed.

The Nightfury leaps to its feet. I gasp and wrap my arms around Hiccup's arm. It leaps at us, Hiccup drops his knife as we fall back our heads bumping against the rock, the dragon looms over us, its claws digging into the ground on either side of us. I curl up a bit holding on harder to Hiccup’s arm. The Nightfury narrows its eyes, Hiccup turns his head away its eyes never leaving the dragon's as he tries to push himself away.

The dragon huffs then opens its mouth showing its sharp white teeth. I close my eyes as the dragon blasts us with an unearthly roar. Then it whips around and leaps away, struggling to fly properly. It hits a tree then disappears into the forest.

Hiccup's breath comes in gasps, my own breathing is fast and shallow. I thought for sure the nightfury would kill us. Hiccup grasps for his knife in his trembling hand. Slowly he stands but I remain half curled up on the ground. He stumbles then mutters a groan, drops the knife then drops to his knees and passes out falling face down.

I look around blurredly then my vision goes black.

~oOo~

By the time I come to the sun is setting. I look over at Hiccup. His face is still pressed into the ground. I crawl over to him and roll him over. I pick up a leaf and tickle the inside of his nose with it. Hiccup snorts and sits straight up. "Nightfury!" He gasps.

I nod. Then point at the sky.

Hiccup looks up. "Dad is going to kill us."

I stand and Hiccup follows with a last glance at the place the nightfury disappeared through. We race back to the house.

Our father is sitting with his back to the back door poking the fire. Hiccup opens the door and I close it by leaning my back against it with my hands behind my back. We exchange a glance as our father doesn't even look up.

We hurry to the stairs that lead up to the loft where our room is. Half way up the stairs our father stops poking the fire. "Kids." He says.

"Auh. Dad..." Hiccup says climbing down the stairs again.

Stoik stands up and turns to us. "I need to talk to you." They say at the same time.

"You go first." Hiccup says.

"Okay." Dad rubs his large hands together. "I've decided to let you both go to dragon killing training."

"Oh man. I should have gone first." Hiccup says running his hand through his hair and stepping off the stairs. "I've been thinking... and I don't wanna kill dragons."

"What? Course you do!" Dad laughs.

"Well what about bread making Vikings? We don't have enough of those."

"You'll be needing this." Dad places a large heavy axe in Hiccup's arms. "Of course Whisper has her bow and arrows."

He stumbles under the weight. "Let me rephrase that. Dad I don't want to kill dragons."

"When you carry this you carry the rest of us." Dad fixes the way Hiccup is holding the axe. "That means you walk like us." Dad straightens Hiccup's shoulders. "And you talk like us." Dad pokes Hiccup in the chest.

"Dad... I can't." Hiccup persists.

"Your sister can." I wince and look away. "So, so can you. Deal?"

Hiccup sighs. "This conversation is feeling very one sided."

Dad takes Hiccup's shoulders in his hands. "Deal?"

Hiccup sighs again and rolls his eyes, the axe tilting towards the ground. "Deal."

Dad turns and picks up a sack and swings it over his shoulder. "We're going to look for the dragons' nest one last time before the frost sets in." Dad picks up his helmet and puts it on. "I'll be back in a week. Maybe."

Hiccup lets the axe tilt further. "We'll be here. Probably." Dad leaves the door slamming closed behind him.

Hiccup puts the axe down and we climb the stairs to our room. Sighing heavily Hiccup sits on his bed. I take his hand and spell out, d-r-a-g-o-n-t-r-a-i-n-i-n-g-?

"Dragon killing training." Hiccup corrects. "And apparently so."

I frown.

"You don't want to kill them either, do you?" Hiccup asks me.

I sit on my own bed then shake my head.