𝓑𝓮𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓭

Chapter 34 - Waking Up

TWO DAYS LATER

Hiccup lay, with his body limp and bandaged in every possible way, on a soft bed, in a healer's hut.

His eyes were dark and bruised, as was the rest of his skin, the bandages had a light green colouration.

Toothless was curled up in a ball in the corner of the room, he had a bandage around his paw, where the Razorwhip had slashed at him.

The Wingmaidens had found the Night Fury after finding Hiccup and saw the way he looked at the boy.

Assuming he was with the boy they brought him along as well, knowing if the boy and the dragon were bonded, then it would be easier for the two to be together.

The Healer's hut was about three stories, the healer in question stood at a large table mixing up a bowl of green paste, as Hiccup began to stir.

He saw his father standing above him, disappointed scowl spread across his face, Snotlout was beside him, snorting and laughing at him.

He saw the guards beating and whipping him, their taunts echoing through his subconscious mind.

" No...no...stop, please...it hurts." Hiccup began to thrash, the healer nearly dropped what she was doing before she rushed to Hiccup's side

" No, Toothless!" Hiccup roared, as his eyes flashed open and he sat straight up, the healer fell backwards and Toothless came over to his rider.

" Hiccup look at me, it's Toothless, your best bud." The Night Fury crooned, the Healer looked at the two of them in astonishment, as Hiccup began to take deep breaths.

" Toothless...where are we?" Hiccup questioned, as the Night Fury pushed his rider back down onto the bed carefully.

" We're safe, that's all that matters." Toothless answered, the healer stood up, gapping at the two friends.

" Who...who are you?" Hiccup asked, looking over at the blonde-haired woman, she smiled before standing above him.

" My name is Nathalia and you're very lucky to be alive." She gestured for him to sit up, which he did and Nathalia began undoing his bandages.

" Where am I?" Hiccup asked, wincing slightly as Nathalia undid the last bandage, revealing the much better-looking brand and whiplashes.

" That will be explained, for now, let's just focus on apply more tea tree paste." Nathalia threw the old bandages into a small firebox and brought the wooden bowl over.

She dabbed a sponge into the green mixture, before gently applying it to Hiccup's back, the boy shivered, the mixture was cold, yet refreshing.

" Sorry, it needs to cool your inflamed skin and deter the infection." Hiccup nodded and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, as Nathalia finished.

" Your glad we found you when we did, you might not be here." Nathalia began wrapping new bandages around Hiccup, who shrugged.

" I guess." Just as Nathalia finished a woman with strawberry blond hair and emerald green eyes walked in, she was flanked by two armoured women.

" Oh, thank Freya your awake, we were starting to get worried." The woman kneeled down to Hiccup, looking at him with a warm smile.

" Who are you and where am I?" Hiccup asked, Nathalia, stood up from the bed and placed the bowl on her table.

" My name is Atali and welcome to Wingmaiden Island." Atali smiled at him, Hiccup blinked a few times.

" Wing what?" He asked, Atali smiled at him, before standing back u, looking down at Hiccup.

" Wingmaidens, we care for all dragons that seek refuge on our island and you are?" Natalia asked, Hiccup smiled awkwardly at her.

" I'm Hiccup, this is Toothless." Hiccup gestured to the Night Fury beside him, Atali looked at Toothless and grinned.

" You seem to have a strong connection with him?" Atali pointed out, Hiccup chuckled, he wasn't used to people asking him that.

" Yeah, I guess I do, he's my best friend." Toothless licked Hiccup's face, the boy laughing.

" Natalie, help him up, I think he needs to see this." Nathalia nodded, before pulling Hiccup's arm over her shoulders and lifting him up.

Hiccup wobbled slightly, but Toothless stood right next to him, making sure his rider and friend was stable, as the walked out of the hut.

The setting sun hit Hiccup's weak eyes, he shielded them with his free hand, before gasping at what he saw.

The village that the Wingmaiden's lived in had hundreds of Razorwhips, the buildings were multistory houses that stood on stilts, cascading down the side of the huge mountain.

The most astounding part was that the entire tribe was comprised of women, each of them had a set of silver wings on their backs.

" Wait, you can fly with the wings?" Hiccup asked, leaning his whole weight on Toothless, Atali smirked and tapped her shoulder.

A young Razorwhip about the size of a dog, climbed over her shoulder and perched himself in Atali's arms.

" They stay on your backs, why aren't they with their mothers?" Hiccup asked, Atali tickled her Razorwhip under the chin.

" We aren't keeping them from their mothers, we are keeping them from their fathers, you see..."Atali began, Hiccup facepalmed he knew exactly what she was talking about.

" Your right, Male Razorwhips usually eat their offspring if it's a boy, so that the child doesn't take the father place." Hiccup extended his hand out, giving the Razorwhip a scratch.

" Yes, that correct." Atali was very impressed with Hiccup, he was very well educated in dragon knowledge.

" And they fly on your backs until they can defend themselves, cause they're born blind, that is impressive." Hiccup smiled, one of the baby Razorwhips crooned at him, before climbing on his back.

" Hey there little guy, " Hiccup spoke to the hatchling, it warbled and began rubbing its head against Hiccup's face.

" You nice man." He replied, Atali watched the boy and the hatchling talk, she was rather curious as to how Hiccup was talking to him.

" You're talking to him, like you can understand him?" Hiccup nodded, allowing the Razorwhip down from his shoulder.

" Yeah, Toothless taught me how to speak Draconic or Dragoneese, I can have a conversation with any dragon." Hiccup explained, Atali looked at him in surprise.

" That is, impressive, I had no idea that the dragons we have been fighting to protect for year's had their own language." Atali answered, Hiccup smiled, before wincing and grabbing his head.

Nathalia placed her hand on his head, realising he was way too cold, she grabbed his other arm and began walking him back into her hut.

" I'll get him to bed, his fever is getting worse." Atali nodded, watching the Healer and Night Fury walk Hiccup back into the hut.

The 18-year-old was sat back down on the bed and soon covered in a wool blanket, Nathalia handed him a bowl of stew, he smiled at her.

" Eat, this will help your headache go away and get some food in you." She smiled, before handing Toothless a basket of fish and heading upstairs.

Hiccup leaned his head against the bed's backboard, thinking about the last few days, it had been torture.

He flinched, remembering the dark cell, Shorsen's sneer, the burning from the brand, the sting of the whip and the cold night air.

So many things had happened, he hated how they made him feel, he hated how he hadn't tried to prevent it, or do anything to stop what they did.

He was weak, he was useless, he was a runt, he was everything his father and Snotlout labelled him as, a hiccup, a mistake.