I do not own the 'How to Train Your Dragon' franchise. They belong to Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell.

Chapter 4: Dragon Training

The next morning Hiccup didn't want to get up anymore. He was feeling frustrated and excited in equal measures but he knew that somehow, this day would be horrible. Dragon training was something that he could only dream about before, but now it summed up everything he dreaded. He couldn't see himself hurting a dragon anymore. The horrible memories of Drago's campaign at the northern Nest were disturbing enough. Together with the notion of the dragons' situation, of the possible Nest in Helheim's Gate, of the very likely poor treatment they all suffered, Hiccup honestly couldn't bring himself to think bad of the creatures.

As the sun rose up from underneath the ocean, Hiccup was finishing his morning routine and was on his way to the smith shop. The closer he got the more he slouched, remembering how he basically abandoned Gobber yesterday and let him deal with all the repairs. He was going to pay for that, no to mention with dragon training on the schedule, he was going to have to double his work to be forgiven.

The blonde was already up and pounding on an axe. Each bang on the anvil made Hiccup flinch, especially as Gobber didn't even turn to look his way. Hiccup wrapped the apron around his waist and took the nearest blade to fix its cracked handle. The silence in the small space was deafening and very awkward. Hiccup wasn't sure he could take it for very long but he didn't feel like breaking it either. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Ye've been awfully busy lately, eh?"

The young heir winced at the cold tone of his mentor.

"Um, yeah… I'm sorry, Gobber."

"Damn well, ye should." He dropped the blade in the water bucket watching it steam for a few seconds. "Ah don't care about yer plans. After dragon training, ah want ye here and finishing that pile." He motioned to a corner where a cart of broken and chipped weapons laid. "Understood?"

"Ah… yes, sir." Hiccup sighed and went back to the sword. A few beats later and the man spoke, quietly.

"Did it work at least?"

Hiccup looked at the blonde confused. Gobber inclined his head towards the back of the shop, where a dirty cloth was discarded on the ground. Hiccup's eyes widened and he blushed. Of course, the smith would've noticed that. The Mangler wasn't small to begin with and Gobber had been a witness to numerous tweaks he made on the machine over the weeks.

He shook his head, focusing on securing the new handle. "N-No. It- it failed. And then a dragon stepped on it."

The man grunted. "At least it didnae destroy som'thing important."

The boy grimaced but had to reluctantly agree with that. The fact that Gobber didn't follow with a question about how he got away from the dragon was both relieving and disheartening. They continued to work together in mostly silence. The atmosphere became more relaxed as they fell back into old-habits and by lunch they went through a third of the work.

A quick meal between them and they headed for the Kill Ring. Hiccup was getting more and more anxious. Up ahead, in front of the locked gate he could make out the other teens. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were looking excited, laughing quietly and mumbling to themselves or each other. Fishlegs seemed on the verge of throwing up and even Snotlout was pale, though he was handling his nervousness much better. Astrid was absent-mindedly twirling her axe. Hiccup's hands tightened on his own weapon, its weight causing him to drag his feet as the blacksmith limped to open the arena ahead of him.

He nodded to the others. Nobody managed anything more than a grimace, except the twins who were far too chipper for what was about to go down.

"Welcome ta Dragon Trainin'!"

Gobber led them down the slope and inside the fortified space. A brief moment of hesitation and they all followed him. The wide, open ring was carved in the rock of the mountain, its surface smoothed out over decades by dragons and Vikings alike. Above them, a metal grid of thick chains covered the top, not giving any chance for anyone to escape the arena beside the main entrance. On the opposite wall were enormous, massive, iron doorways, each bolted shut and containing their dragons.

Despite the reasoning for being there, the teens couldn't help but marvel at their surroundings. Hiccup himself has only seen this place less than a handful of times. And always from the outside. His father stopped bringing him there about six years ago when he didn't show any signs of improvement on the Viking front.

They didn't use the arena only for dragons though; it was a perfect spot for settling disputes that required duels and even the occasional fighting tournaments. Naturally, as the raids grew in numbers and timings, the less the tribe used it for entertainment. It was harder now for everyone to gather here when they had to maintain the fields or care for the animals and just ensure that they had enough resources to survive.

"Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing their first dragon in front of the entire village." Gobber was pacing in front of them, either ignorant or uncaring of their unusually demure behavior. "Behind these doors are just a few of the many species ye will learn ta fight!"

Hiccup held back a groan. He was standing at the end of the line, next to Fishlegs who was clutching his bludgeon and fidgeting on the spot. The young heir almost wanted to reassure him but the same anxiety was making him just as sick.

"The Deadly Nadder!" Gobber yelled pointing back to the doors as if the dragons were in plain sight.

"Speed: eight, armor: sixteen."

He blinked at the soft whisper.

"The Hideous Zippleback!" The twins cackled.

"Plus eleven, stealth times two."

"The Monstrous Nightmare!" Snotlout winced.

"Firepower: fifteen."

"The Terrible Terror!"

"Attack: eight, venom: twelve."

"CAN YE STOP THAT?!" Both Hiccup and Fishlegs jumped. Gobber huffed and turned away. "And... the Gronckle!"

This time, Hiccup reached out to the boy next to him. It felt odd, especially since Fishlegs chose to ignore him for years in order to gain the 'cool' status, but the poor kid was whimpering at the mention of Meatlug.

And Hiccup had a heart.

"Jaw strength: eight."

He flashed him a quick smile.

The smith was going for the doors, where a level was next to the wall. As his hand closed around the wood, he heard the others gasp and shuffle.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first?" As suspected, Snotlout was the first to question him. Hiccup sighed and gripped the axe more comfortably. He wasn't sure how much use it would be anyway.

"Ah believe in learning on the job."

The gate opened with a snap and an angry not-yet-named Meatlug stormed out. The dragon promptly took off the ground swallowing the meagre pieces of loose rock laying around before directing her attention at the scattering children.

Gobber leaned against the wall, watching them scramble and smirking. "Today is about survival. If ye get blasted... yer dead! Quick! What's the first thing yer gonna need?"

"A doctor?"

"Plus five speed?!"

"A shield!"

Bless you, Astrid! Hiccup was already heading for the pile of shields near the entrance. Of course, the cumbersome weight of the axe made it difficult to run without tripping.

"Shields! Go! Yer most important piece of equipment is yer shield! If ye must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield!"

Hiccup was sure that everything was part of Gobber's revenge now. He was far too happy with their panicked dash all over the arena. He grabbed the first piece in reach, a red and white one, and immediately retreated near the wall. Astrid, Fishlegs and Snotlout did the same, though Astrid was jumping on her feet and always kept moving even if she pulled back each time she got closer to the Gronckle.

"Get your hands off my shield!"

"There's like a million shields!"

He swallowed the groan that almost got out. The twins were fighting again. The shield in question had skulls and green flames. It looked like something a child painted. Most likely Bucket. But their arguing made them forget about the dragon entirely so when not-yet-Meatlug stopped and took a deep breath, Hiccup felt his heart freeze.

His shout was out in the air the moment the ball of flaming rock was shooting across the ring. Astrid was running too, not a second later, sliding down and pushing the twins' legs from underneath them both. All three went down and the fireball sailed over their heads and into the wall. Astrid spun back on her knees, eyes fierce and shield up.

"Those shields are good fer another thing: noise! Make lots of it ta throw off a dragon's aim!"

Seriously, Gobber!

But he followed everyone's lead and started hitting his weapon against his shield. The Gronckle was starting to dip in her flight and she was shaking her head, confused. Hiccup wasn't sure if he should move towards the others or stay where he was. Astrid was instructing – or threatening – the twins to get up and pick a shield already, while Snotlout was moving slowly up to her and Fishlegs was waddling near the wall and cringing with every beat. He decided to inch his way to Fishlegs and at least be some moral support.

"All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?"

"Uh… five?" Snotlout guessed.

The dragon was starting to get use to the noise and was once again barreling across the arena, slower this time.

"No, six!" Fishlegs forgot his reservation and lifted his bludgeon up as if to make sure that Gobber saw him answering. The top of the weapon got blasted and he shrieked and started running randomly.

"Correct, six! That's one fer each of ye! And yer out, Fishlegs."

Hiccup stopped advancing as the screaming boy was coming straight for him. With the dragon on his tail. At the sight, Hiccup ducked behind the nearest stockade, hesitating before tugging Fishlegs with him too. The dragon ignored them and went after the others.

"Fishlegs, stop yelling!" He finally snapped.

The stout boy fell silent, panting nervously. "Oh… what do we do? Hiccup, what do I do? That is Meatlug!"

"I don't know, Fish, I just – I… She seems kinda pissed off…" He finished lamely, sneaking a look outside. He had never expected the dragon to come out so aggressive. Toothless was hostile but didn't move to attack him at all.

"I would be too if I was locked up every day." Fishlegs muttered. A scream echoed behind them and Gobber called out Snotlout. "How are we going to win their trust when we have to fight them in Dragon Training, anyway? Gobber is gonna watch our every move…"

Hiccup frowned, seeing the truth in his words. "We have to talk about this together and come up with something. For now, we should just… survive I guess."

Gobber chose that moment to bang his fist against the wood. "Hiccup, get in there!"

The boys winced and got out of their safe place. Tuffnut was currently chasing his rolling shield and Snotlout was helping up a dazed Ruffnut. Astrid was moving everywhere. Alternating between yelling at the dragon and hitting her shield, she was trying to get the Gronckle's attention away from the others and to an emptier side of the ring. Their side. Fishlegs was stuck between running away again or standing with them.

"Fishlegs! Yer supposed ta be out! Get 'ere!"

"B-But…"

Hiccup nudged the boy and nodded. He then followed Astrid in drawing the dragon away so that Fishlegs could slip by to the rest.

"So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?"

Astrid snorted, unladylike but still so mesmerizing to watch. He almost forgot about the dragon until a stray shot forcefully dragged his feet back to the ground.

"Hiccup, move!" His feet snapped into action without a second thought. "One shot left!" Gobber bellowed from the sidelines.

Him and Astrid were circling the dragon, beating their shields and making her shake her head and growl at the constant annoyance.

"Keep at it!"

The dragon gave one loud roar and dropped to the ground, kicking towards the nearest target, which was Astrid. Hiccup gasped. The girl retreated, executing a perfect back flip when the boulder like tail of the Gronckle swiped where she'd been. She was trying to put some distance between them, using her shield to block her glancing strikes. But she was driven nearly all the way to the wall without much space to move.

When Hiccup concluded that Gobber wasn't going to stop the fight, he did something stupid. With a groan he held up his shield… and threw it. It wasn't strong enough to smash to pieces once it hit the dragon but his objective was achieved when she turned incredulous eyes at him. And then charged.

He heard Gobber yell his name, but it wasn't as much of a concern as the angry Gronckle heading for him. He ran aimlessly, hearing the dragon crash against the ring wall as he turned. The axe was slowing him down so he ditched it, the loud clang as it hit the floor making him flinch.

"DUCK!"

He instinctively fell in a roll just in time to sense the warmth of fire pass overhead. He huffed, uncoiling quickly from his position and watched as Gobber wrestled the dragon with his hook.

"And that's six! Go back ta bed, ya overgrown sausage! Ye'll get another chance, don't ye worry." The smith threw her back in the pen and locked it. "Remember, a dragon will always, always, go for the kill."

He watched them carefully as Hiccup pushed himself up. Astrid was beside him while the others joined them, all looking wide-eyed and drained by the day's events. He tried to calm his frantic breathing but noted, happily, Astrid's twitching hands as if she wanted to help him but couldn't quite convince herself to.

"Well, that's about it fer today! It wasn't as bad as I though ye'd be but… eh, there'll still lots ta improve. Tonight we'll talk more at the Meade hall! Now shoo!" The teens left the arena while Gobber made sure that all the ramming and fire shooting didn't damage any of the locked gates or their levers.

Hiccup remembered to pick up the axe as he walked, slouching more and more with every step outside. There was no way for him to go back to the cove while he still had work to do at the shop. Maybe he could pull off the tired act and have Gobber let him go quicker, but there was no guarantee that Toothless would still be there. That thought alone was enough to both delight him and sour his mood.

"Ouch!" He cried clutching his shoulder from the sudden punch. "W-What?"

Astrid glared. "What were you thinking?"

"What was I – what? What are you talking about?"

Ruffnut and Tuffnut cackled behind him.

"Um… you kinda were chased by an angry dragon and almost got shot." Said Fishlegs seemingly worried for his metal state. "Are you okay?"

While very touched by their concern, Hiccup quickly waved it away. "I'm fine. The twins almost got shot too, y'know."

"Yeah… but they're the twins."

Snotlout sniffed. "It'll be a cold day in Hel when I'm worried about those muttonheads." At everyone's raised brows he quickly added. "And you! You too, Hiccup!"

"Anyway, I had it under control." Astrid continued, pushing away her bangs. "Don't do something dumb like that again, Haddock!" She emphasized her words with another punch.

Hiccup stumbled back. "If this is you caring, I think I'm good without." His mouth snapped shut when surprise passed over Astrid's eyes, and then regret. "I, uh…"

She shook her head and left.

Fishlegs blinked. "Huh."

Hiccup only sighed and started walking after the others. Ruffnut was poking at Astrid but when she got no response she joined her brother in teasing Snotlout again. He really hated his mouth sometimes. If he kept spouting out the first instinctual thing that came to him there was no way to make any progress with Astrid. He sometimes wished he would go back to being an awkward mess… Okay, maybe not. He knew she wasn't trying to be mean but he was used to back talking whenever Snotlout would pick on him. And Astrid's way of caring was too much like that in his opinion.

"So, uh, thanks for everything back then." Fishlegs' shy voice broke his thoughts into smoke.

"Oh, it's fine. Don't mention it."

"I mean it." When Hiccup looked at the taller blond it was to another sad face. "I–I wasn't a very good friend… and I wanted you to know that-that I'm really sorry, Hiccup."

"Hey, it's okay, Fish! I understand, I do!" Hiccup smiled honestly. He was glad to get an apology, as late as it was. It was better than never as he had initially expected.

"Still… it was not right to push you away like that. I – I promise I will be a better friend from now on, okay?" Hiccup nodded and Fishlegs broke into a relieved smile. "Do you wanna see the improved Book of Dragons?"

He was about to say 'Hel yeah', when the pile of unfinished work at the forge materialized into his mind. "Wow… uh, sorry Fishlegs! I can't right now! Gobber wants me at the shop, working until my hands bleed… again." He laughed at his friend's vaguely disturbed face.

"What?" The blonde squeaked.

"He's a bit cross with me since I've neglected my duty lately. It's nothing."

"Oh… well, maybe tonight. After the meeting?"

Hiccup started running ahead. "Sure, can't wait!" He waved over his shoulder smiling and was thankful to see the boy respond in kind. He really was lucky that he managed to patch up his friendship with Fishlegs somewhat. Now if only he wouldn't put his foot in his mouth around Astrid.

/\\\

It was almost sundown and Hiccup was truly exhausted. So exhausted he debated even going to the dragon training meeting. As he laid limp in his chair, Hiccup didn't want to move anymore, anywhere and for any reason. He spent minutes there, thinking about nothing. His mind, of its own accord, went to Toothless. Would he still be in the forest? Should he even go find him? It wasn't his intention the first time but a small glimmer of hope in his heart told him to try. To keep trying. It hurt more than he ever imagined to face that confused, unfamiliar stare that held none of the sincerity he remembered.

But he wanted to see him again. Why did he even come back? He tried to scare him during the raid, he made it clear he wanted nothing to do with Hiccup. So why did he start a hide-an-seek game and showed himself to Hiccup in broad daylight? Why bother with an insignificant Viking runt unless he reminisced something about him? Hiccup was baffled as to the Night Fury's reasoning, and it made him all the more curious to find out what was up.

With a grunt at the pain shooting up his arms and shoulders, Hiccup stood up, grabbed his vest and marched to his house. The fatigue was fading with each step. He was going to get back his bud, whether he knew it or not.

He didn't hesitate in the house; he went straight to their small food storage to get a fresh fish before he was leaving again, going down the winding path to the cove. By the time he reached it, the sky was more dark than bright and he was there. As Hiccup entered through the boulder gap, the Night Fury was standing near the edge of the lake. With his neck frills flared up, he looked a mix of surprised and on guard.

For a while they both stood frozen in place. There was no divider this time. No forest to stand between them, no foliage or trees to hide in, no ledge to show any difference. There were only a few meters away from each other and they were both weary of making the first step.

Hiccup decided to break their stalemate. He came closer, slowly and deliberately. Toothless was back in semi-hostile mode, hackles raised but eyes still wide and it encouraged the boy to continue. When a certain distance was reached the dragon growled softly and Hiccup stopped.

"Hey, bud." He said, fingers tightening over the fish. He didn't break eye contact as he stretched his arm out, holding the treat. "I don't wanna hurt you…" He continued slowly trying to coax a positive response. "Can't, even if I tried anyway."

He wasn't sure how long he maintained that position. It was getting dark and clouds were rolling in. Toothless twitched but inched forward, his whole body tense. He abruptly froze and snarled. His all of a sudden flashing teeth had Hiccup gasp and pull back slightly.

"W-What?" Toothless glared at his middle. He didn't know what to make of that until his hand felt the shape of the dagger he always wore on him. He quickly took it out of his belt and showed it to the dragon. "This? You-You don't like this, huh?" At the Nigh Fury's spiking growls, Hiccup threw it away without a second thought. "Ok, ok! It's gone now. It's fine."

Toothless calmed down. He watched him suspiciously for a few more seconds before he resumed his approach. His snout was close enough to sniff the fish and for Hiccup to see the scales on his skin. He tried to control his breathing, to stop his arm from trembling. Toothless was not going to hurt him, he had to believe that. But still, the sight of those sharp fangs closing in on his hand was making it hard for him to keep his arm out like that.

It was a brief eye contact before the fish was ripped from his fingers and the dragon was ten steps away from him gulping down the treat and licking his gums. Hiccup jumped at the quick action, his arm snapping back to his chest before he even realized anything.

He breathed out, lips jerking into a smile. "Not bad, right?"

The dragon, much more relaxed now, tilted his head. They considered each other for a few minutes. Toothless wasn't nervous anymore. If anything he looked like he was trying to figure out something and Hiccup had no idea how he could read that on a reptile face. A thunder clap had them both jump and turn to the sky. The heavens were covered in angry black clouds.

Hiccup winced. "I need to go… uh…" Toothless' frills flicked up at the storm noises so Hiccup took that as his cue to retreat. "See you later… I hope."

He knew the dragon's keen eyes were following him back to the entrance. When he was on top of the cliff, he looked down in the darkened space to find it empty. With a sigh he didn't know was disappointed or not, he fled back to the village.