How to Tame Wild Dragons (How to Train Your Dragon Fan Fiction)

Chapter 9

There was something cool washing Hiccup’s forehead. It was rough but gentle, repeatedly wiping himwith practices ease. It felt amazing, but Hiccup could detect a faintly fishy smell, as if it were a wet cloth that had been used to wrap a haddock.

He opened his eyes and saw Toothless staring down at him. The dragon gave him a gummy smile, then licked his forehead once again. 

“Urghhh, get off!” Hiccup said, pushing the dragon away playfully. He winced as he sat up, feeling a lump the size of a goose egg on the back of his head.

Somehow, he had ended up back in his room, lying on his bed. They must have brought him back from the forest after his accident. He looked around and noticed Gobber sleeping in an armchair beside him.

“Gobber, wake up,” Hiccup said, prodding the old viking. Gobber woke with a snort, blinking blearily in the dim light.

“Wassat?” he said in confusion.

“Did we get enough wood to start rebuilding our fleet?” Hiccup asked, pacing back and forth. “Did the plan work?” 

Gobber winced at the noise, then hobbled to the large doors into Hiccup’s room and threw them open, filling the room with the cold light of winter morning.

“Aye lad, there was plenty of wood, more than enough, more than we’ve ever had. The first ship’s almost finished! Stoick was so proud. He’s been visiting ye, almost as much as Astrid.” 

“Visiting? How long have I been out?” Hiccup asked, getting out of bed. He was hit by a wave of dizziness and had to lean on Toothless for support. Gobber looked at him with apprehension, then turned away.

“It’s been a few days Hiccup,” Gobber said, avoiding his eyes. “It’s Thor’s Feast tomorrow.”

Hiccup’s heart fell. He still had two problems to solve. They weren’t going to make it in time.

“Where are the others?” Hiccup asked, grabbing his saddle from a rack on the wall and throwing it over Toothless’s back. 

“Now..don’t be upset, Hiccup. They waited as long as they could,” Gobber said, holding his hands up.

“Where are they Gobber?” Hiccup repeated, tightening the leather straps on Toothless’s belly and climbing onto the dragons back. 

“They’ve gone tae fix the fish problem. It was Astrid’s idea actually, when she saw me trying tae use Toothless as a sheep dog. Didn’t work, they just froze in fear or tried tae hide, but she said that it might work with fish. They’re out there now, on the ocean. They’ve got nets between the shore and the viking statues. We might be able to trap some fish in there and then close it off.”

Hiccup relaxed. The idea was a terrible one, but relatively safe. He had flown over shoals of fish before, they didn’t pay much attention at all to Toothless. Even when they did, it was only to dive. Of course the hundreds of dragons that had settled on Berk were a different story. The fish had now learned to avoid their shores.

“That’s never going to work. Fish aren’t afraid of our dragons.” 

“Well, that’s kind of the point,” Gobber said hesitantly. “It’s not their dragons they’re going to use. It’s like you did with the Timberjack. Only…with Thunderdrums.”

Hiccup didn’t wait to hear anymore. With a click of his leg, Toothless shot out through the doorway and into the sky.

“Careful now,” Gobber’s voice floated on the breeze. “You’re not well!”

Hiccup didn’t care. He pictured Fishlegs and Meatlug, trying to dodge the attacks from a pod of Thunderdrums. They were considered some of the most dangerous dragons in existence, capable of shattering the most sturdy of ships with one sonic blast from their mouths.