Chapter 14– The Dragon Who Didn't Escape
The afternoon sun barely pierced through the thick treetops as Hiccup reached the clearing. He was panting—more from nerves than exhaustion. The trail in his mind was clear—marked by the memory of the roar, the impact, and something he would never forget: the eyes of the Night Fury.
The ground was scarred with deep claw marks and burn traces. He swallowed hard.
— "You crashed here... I'm sure of it…"
Then he heard it.
A low sound. A muffled growl. Like distant thunder rolling through the forest.
Hiccup froze, hiding behind a tree trunk. Carefully, he peeked out.
And there he was.
The Night Fury.
The dragon was circling slowly around the clearing, sniffing as if searching for something. His left wing was partially tucked in—clearly injured, but not badly enough to stop him from walking. His tail lashed at the air, restless. He was hurt… but alive.
Hiccup thought: last night, after letting the Night Fury go… he's still here.
— "But... why didn't you leave? Why are you still here?" — he whispered to himself.
He took a deep breath, slowly drew the small dagger he carried, looked at it… and dropped it to the ground.
With careful steps, he walked out from behind the tree.
The dragon turned in an instant, green eyes wide, body coiled like a spring. A growl echoed through the forest.
Hiccup stopped. He raised his hands slowly.
— "I don't want to fight."
Toothless lowered his body, as if ready to pounce. But didn't move forward.
— "I just… wanted to see you again."
Silence.
The dragon blinked. Twice. But didn't move.
Hiccup took another step. Then another.
The dragon let out a deep sound, a warning, and Hiccup froze. They stared at each other for long seconds—two beings from opposite worlds, bound by a moment neither fully understood.
Slowly, Hiccup pulled a piece of fish from his satchel. The same smoked fish from breakfast. He held it out.
— "Peace?"
Toothless sniffed the air. Then took a step. Another.
Hiccup held his breath.
The dragon came closer. His snout neared the boy's hand. And in one swift motion, snatched the fish.
Hiccup let out a nervous laugh, relieved.
— "You have more teeth than you should... I think I'll call you Toothless."
The dragon made a strange noise. Almost like… a laugh? It was hard to tell.
In that clearing, something changed.
For the first time, a Viking faced a dragon without fear. And a dragon accepted the presence of a human without attacking.
They sat together, separated by just a few feet of grass and mutual distrust. But there was the beginning of something much greater: friendship.
---
On the other side of the village, Thor was walking Astrid home.
— "So, what did you think of Gobber's training?" — he asked with a smile.
Astrid sighed, brushing her hair back.
— "Well… I'm still alive. So that's a good start." — she said with an ironic smile. — "But what about Hiccup? Aren't you going to help him?"
Thor stopped for a moment, looking at the sky tinged orange by the sunset. His voice was steady, even if his expression didn't show much:
— "He just hasn't figured out what he's good at yet. But he's getting there."
He smiled at Astrid.
— "Let's go home."
With a swift move, he picked Astrid up like a princess. She blushed slightly, surprised by his boldness.
Thor activated his power, and the two were quickly carried to her house.
When they arrived, Astrid turned to him.
— "Stay… for dinner. Just a bit."
— "For you, I'd stay until morning." — he replied with a playful smile.
They spent hours eating, talking, laughing. The kind of peaceful night both of them needed.
Later, as Thor returned home, he opened the door and found Hiccup deep in thought, scribbling in his notebook.
— "So… did you figure out what you can do?" — he asked, curious.
Hiccup looked up, thoughtful, remembering his silent exchange with Toothless in the clearing.
— "Yeah… I think I've found a path."
Thor nodded.
— "Good. Then go to bed. Training tomorrow."
He gave his brother a light pat on the shoulder and headed to his room. As usual, he waited for the night to fully fall… and then slipped out the window, heading to the cabin where Shiro waited for him.
When he entered, her sweet voice greeted him:
— "Shiro says… ni-san, why did you take so long?"
Thor approached, sitting beside her with a gentle smile.
— "Sorry, Shiro. I had a few things to take care of."
He picked her up with care and carried her to the bed. Lying beside her, he wrapped her in a protective embrace.
— "Good night, Shiro."
— "Good night… ni-san." — she replied, smiling as she closed her eyes.
There, under the silence of night and the warmth of his arms, Shiro fell peacefully asleep.
And Thor… felt peace.
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