wandering hearts | hiccup haddock iii

vi

"Okay! So...are we done? Because I've got some things I need to, uh." Hiccup gestured vaguely to his left, eyes flittering back and forth. [Name] could only press her lips together in fear of letting a laugh escape at the awestruck gazes of literally everyone in the arena. "Yup. I'll see y-see ya tomorrow!"

Practically running away from the fact he'd just backed a Hideous Zippleback into its cage, Hiccup motioned to the girl nervously before leaving the premises. If she hadn't known him as well as she did, his mute indication would have flown over her head and into the sea not far beyond the barred dome of their battle royale. Seeing as she did know the scrawny little genius, she took it that he wanted her to make up some excuse as he was piss poor at acting inconspicuous.

The entire training group and Gobber, their supposed teacher, stared after the lad like he was some extraneous creature that rose from the depths of Hel. No one said a word and [Name] found it was better to speak up before someone got any ideas.

"He's Stoick's son," she commented, shrugging as all astonished eyes turned on her. "Dragon fighting is in his blood."

"But he—" Snotlout started and for once he didn't have anything nasty to say as his brain was too busy malfunctioning. It wasn't the first time it'd occurred.

"Ne'er thought I'd see the day his wee self did somethin' like that ," Gobber puffed, eyes towards the ground as he nodded, grunting in agreement before turning to fully lock the Zippleback's cage. "Good on the lad. Dun't know how he did it, but good fer him."

"You guys didn't see it?" Astrid spoke up, waving an arm back the way Hiccup left. "He threw something into the cage!"

"What was it?" Fishlegs asked, trembling with eagerness.

She frowned, crossing her arms. "I don't know." Meandering towards their instructor she ordered, "Open the cage, Gobber."

"That's enough fer one day, don'tcha think?" the Viking asked, the wooden beams that kept the iron door shut falling closed with a resounding clash. "'Sides, boy needs all the help he can get! Let 'im have a few tricks up his sleeves."

"What about you?"

[Name] looked at Astrid as she turned her burning gaze on her. "What?"

"Yeah, you hang around the runt all day, everyday," Snotlout claimed, sauntering up until he was beside the blonde. "If anyone knows what he did, should be you."

"Hiccup's smart," [Name] informed the rest, keeping her voice guarded and calm after hearing the insulting title mocking her friend. "He knows more than any of you combined, so I'm not surprised he bested a dragon. It was only a matter of time."

"Then, what did he do?" Astrid prodded, stepping closer with a mean look in her eye. "Because tricks aren't going to get him anywhere if a dragon strikes first."

"I don't know what he did, but I'm sure if you head into the cage you'll find out," she replied, simpering lightly as she gripped the handle of her full bucket tighter. "Want to borrow mine?" She lifted it up to showcase that she hadn't lost her water like all the others despite having not been paired up with anyone.

"'Right, that's enough! Trainin's over," Gobber stated, coming up on her right and swiping the container out of her grasp. In one swift movement he poured it out onto the stone beneath them, backsplash hitting [Name]'s shoes. "Get your sorry selves to the Hall to eat. Night'll fall soon."

With that said, the adolescents of Berk started for the door, the twins shoving each other on the way out. Snotlout made some petty excuse on why he didn't get to the dragon before Hiccup did. Astrid was the last to pass by, side-eyeing [Name] as she passed with something almost akin to a glare. The latter couldn't care less what she thought because as long as her focus was on her, Hiccup could get away with the biggest betrayal of his tribe.