The End of the Beginning (Hiccup x OC) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 4

I watched the recruits train the next day and became even more intrigued as Hiccup began to ask Gobber about Night Furies. "You know," he began, "I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies." Book? He must mean the Dragon Manual. "Is there another book? Or a sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?" A dragon blast took the axe head off the hilt in Hiccup's hand, causing him to yelp and run from it.

"Focus, Hiccup!" Gobber replied. He stood on the platform today, causing me to have extra care and awareness so as not to be discovered. "You're not even trying." The recruits for this lesson were placed in a maze-like structure with removable walls. The dragon they fought was a Deadly Nadder, hopping from wall to wall above the students. "Today is all about attack. Nadder are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be lighter."

The recruits stumbled past Hiccup as the Nadder saw Fishlegs's body and released a series of spines from its tail at him. Fishlegs screamed and grabbed a wall, lifting it to block the attack. "I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!" he shouted.

"Look for its blind spot," Gobber continued coaching. "Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike." I wrote that fact down in my journal. When I looked back up, Hiccup had wandered over to Gobber again, looking up at him from below.

"Hey, so how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?" he asked.

"No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale," Gobber replied abruptly, becoming annoyed with him. "Now get in there!"

"I know, I know, but hypothetically . . ."

Astrid whispered harshly to him, "Hiccup!" She put a finger to her lips and gestured for him to hide. He did as told, waiting nervously for whatever was going to happen next.

The Nadder leaped over the walls, landing in front of Astrid. She somersaulted in front of its nose, finding the blind spot. She held up her axe, prepared to strike when Snotlout jumped between them, 'protecting' Astrid. "Watch out, babe," he said, flaunting his supposed courage and love. "I'll take care if this."

Astrid protested and glared at him when he missed. "The sun was in my eyes, Astrid," he defended himself poorly. "What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I could do that, but I don't have time right now!"

The Nadder ran after Astrid, knocking down the walls as it chased her. My eyes followed the dragon, but my ears listened closely to the conversation Hiccup had taken up once again with Gobber. "They probably take the daytime off. You know, like a cat." A cat? Dragons are definitely not like cats. Cats are cuddly and cute. Dragons bite and shoot fire. "Has anyone ever seen one napping?"

"Hiccup!" Gobber exclaimed, frustrated.

Astrid also shouted his name as he spun to see the maze walls collapsing and Astrid falling onto Hiccup with the Nadder not far behind.

"Oooh!" Tuffnut commented, "Love on the battlefield!"

Ruffnut crossed her arms. "She could do better." The Nadder closed in on them as the two tried to untangle themselves from each other. Astrid freed herself and grabbed her axe, stuck in his shield from her fall. She yanked her axe and shield from his hands and turned, swinging both onto the Nadder's nose. The dragon stopped, yelping in pain and ran away.

I sat up and crossed my legs, marveling at her skill. "Well done, Astrid," Gobber commented, wrestling the Nadder back into its cage and barring it.

Hiccup got up and the others stared at him. "Is this some kind of a joke to you?" Astrid asked, angrily with a glare. "Our parents' war is about to become ours. Figure out which side you're on." She pulled her axe out of the shield and stomped off, obviously irritated.