Hey everyone Chapter 18 is finally here! I really am sorry this is later then I wanted to post. My mom had hurt her knee pretty bad so I had to help out around the house and didn't have much time to write. I just hope everything came out alright. So thank you for the wait and enjoy the story. Happy Holidays everyone!

Last night, Staying with Toothless had been exactly what I needed. To say I was nervous when Ashter left was a complete understatement. I was pacing the cove nearly pulling out my hair before Toothless stopped me. I hadn't even realized he had changed human till he grabbed my wrists and spun me around. "Hiccup...you must stop. You will make yourself sick." He said staring me down with a look filled with concern and worry. Looking at him I tried to calm myself so he would release me. Closing my eyes I rested my head in the crook of his neck trying to regain my breathing, finding comfort in his scent. He smelt almost like a mix of ash or soot mixed with the forest, like fire wood.

"What can I do Toothless, I can't kill that dragon, but I can't let it kill me either. I...jeeze I'm even surprised that Ashter isn't running to my father and telling him everything!" I yelled pushing away from him, but only enough to still be in his arms. "Why not just let me help you?" Toothless asked with a confused look on his face as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I could feel myself smiling softly at his idea but I had to shake my head. "No, they will most likely kill you on the spot ,and that is the last thing I want happening to you" I told him with a sigh placing a hand on his cheek. I loved him way to much to let him do that for me.

Toothless began to purr as he leand into the touch nuzzling his face into my hand. I couldn't help but giggle at how cute he was being. He was like an over sized kitty. Watching me he seemed to notice that his purring made me happy, so while grinning he moved closer and started nuzzlingly me everywhere while purring pulling me closer to him. "Toothless!" I cried giggling, pushing against his chest to get away with no avail as he continued to nuzzle places around my face an neck. "That tickles, Toothless, stop it!" I laughed out but that only seemed to motivate him all the more to continue. Continueing till I was no more then a giggling mess in his arms as he held me close.

Purring softly he bumped his forehead with mine gently. "How are you feeling now, my Hiccup, better?" He asked me gently as I pulled back to gazed into his toxic green eyes, they held nothing but love and consern for me. Smiling softly I nodded my head giving him a soft kiss, "Yes, thank you." Chuckling he held me closer allowing me to rest against him once more enjoying his warmth. "You're welcome...I hate seeing you so worried and scared. You're usually so high spirited ready to fly in the sky with me and take on any challange," he spoke as his hand rubbed my back in a soothing mannor. "I see a soul of a dragon in you."

I could feel my face heating up as red blossomed over my cheeks as I pulled away to look at him. "I have a soul of a dragon?" I couldn't help but ask curiously. I could feel him smile before pulling away till he was only holding my hand, "come with me." Confused I let him lead me to the edge of the lake near the waterfall. Even more confused then before I looked up at him only to see him grinning at me, "Hold on tight". "Hold on ti-" I didn't even get to finish asking before he picked me up in his arms causing me to leaped over the gap to the small little penisala on the other side.

As Tootless set me down he lead me to a nice cozy patch of grass that looked over the lake. Laying down he motioned for me to lay beside him. By now I was completely curious of what he was up to. Laying beside him he pulled me so I was pressed close to his side my head resting on his shoulder. "So how do I have a dragons soul?" I asked him looking up at him. He didn't face me he just kept his gaze up at the stars and moon above us.

He was quiet for awhile and for a moment I thought he haddn't heard me at all. Looking at him I open my mouth to ask him again what he ment when he spoke, "Your different, all the vikings on this Island want to kill us, Its almost like a sport to them...," He started and I didn't feel like correcting him. Yes, we were defending our home...but by now what he said is true. We did make a sport out of who kills them and for how much fame you would get. "I thought you were the same." he said as he turned to me, his eyes looking over my face before meeting my own. I was shocked by the emotion I saw there. "At first, I truely believed you were just like them. You were the only human to have ever shot me down." He explained, I winces at the memory. Ever since we bonded and ever since I fell in love with him, I hated the reminder of it. It reminded me it was my fault his tail was injured in the first place.

"When I came crashing down, I was truely terrified that you would have gotten the whole village and came after me. So when you found me that day... I truely thought you were going to kill me." his voice was soft as he spoke this and it made my heart squeeze painfully.

"So thats why...you resigned yourself to death." I said just as soft. Remember how he just layed there after growling his eyes closed. He had been truely ready to die when I said I was going to kill him. The thought made me sick to my stomach and I could feel the tears burning in my eyes. Nodding, Toothless reached over and placed his hand on my cheek, his thumb stroking it softly as I leaned into his touch, "Yes,I had...but then you did something I never expected you to do. You let me go." I couldn't help but smile a little as he said this. "I just couldn't bring myself to hurt you anymore...I just couldn't."

Toothless smiled hearing my answer to that. "Though you screaming in my ear was just a way of saying thank you I take it?" Toothless laughed loudly as I said this his whole body shaking with mirth. "I remember doing that, and to be honest I was hoping to scare you away but you surprised me even more by coming back. Though if I recall, you were watching me from one of the high ledges." He explained thinking back on those days. Chuckling softly I nodded remembering as well. "I was...just so curious about you, no one had seen a nightfury before, or lived to tell the tale as the book says." I explained, He seemed curious about the book I mentioned but didn't ask any questions about it. "So," I begain looking at him, 'As much as I love our trip down memory lane. how is my soul like a dragons?" Toothless rolled his eyes at my question. "Im getting to that I promise, but we still have more memories to go down."

smiling I rolled my eyes and looked at him to continue, "So when I saw you that day watching me and then you left, I thought that was it she would leave me alone for good. Only you turned up the next day with a fish in hand, looking so very nervous but very determined." He was smiling as he retold that memory. "Oh yes I remember." I told him with a blush. "when I was watching you...please dont give me that look!" I groaned at him as he started to laugh at my embaressment. "Anyway, I had noticed you were having problems hunting...and I felt guilty over-" I was interupted by toothless placing a warm finger over my mouth. "No...No more sadness and guilt, You've already been forgivin, my Hiccup." he said nuzzling his nose with mine, I nuzzled him back as I smiled causing him to purr. "Better?" he asked me as I nodded, "Shall we continue?" He asked once more and once more I nodded softly. Smiling he kissed my nose, " As you were saying?"

Smiling I continued, "I noticed you wanted to catch some fish and...If I wanted you to trust me I thought why not bring him something he likes." I explained to him hoping that was better. It seemed to be as he remembered the fish licking his lips, "Yes, you came with the fish and I was hungry. I was ready to eat the fish you offered, but I rembered you had a knife on you. You seemed to remember too and understand that I wasn't to happy about that. " He said told me and I shrugged, "Hey but I took it out and dropped it" I told him which got me a look from him. "Oh you drop it alright. I couldn't believe you would do that in the first place For all you knew I could have attacked you."

"But you didn't"

"But I could have just as you could have attacked me with it, but you didn't, you kick the knife into the water. I didn't think you could surprise me anymore then you already had. So seeing you throw your knife away, you ha my full attention."

"And a fish."

"Oh yes, the fish, a really good fish..." Toothless said a distant look on his face as he thought back to what I can only asume was a delisious meal. I couldn't help giggling at the look on his face. I remembered that day and how he had looked, "You know, at first I thought you didn't have any teeth at all when you took the fish only to get the surprise of my life as they appeare! You scared the daylights out of me with that!" I told him lightly smacking him in the arm making him laugh. "Also if I recall you also...shared that fish. Can I ask what that was about? I've been curious about that for awhile now." I asked him, I hope there was a reasonable explination behind that. Toothless, after regaing himself from his laughter, faced me with a grin and with the straightest face told me this, "I took the fish and how you were acting as a sort of peace offering so I shared that offer...as a...a test of sorts." He said trying to think of a way to explain this. "Its kind of...a Dragons tradition I guess. If a dragon comes with a peace offer you give them half of the offering."

Well this was certainly interesting, "I take it I passed the test then?" He laughed hearing this and nodded his head. "Yes, yes you passed, though you are very good at reading body language. I didn't think you were going to swallow that bite." He said looking at me with a smirk that made him look way to mischevious and handsome at the same time. Groaning I rested my head against his chest. "To be honest I didn't...I really really didn't but I'm glad I did, because passing that test ment I got to know you." I told him smiling up at him happily. Smiling back, Toothless kissed my forhead resting his there once more. "I remember you trying to smile. It was so cute, then when I saw how sweet you could be I just,reached out." I told him as he grinned softly.

"I remember. You were just curiuous and you ment no harm, but I didn't tust you. Not yet anyway, I thought ignoring you would be the best choice, but you were persistant trying to get as close as possible to me. You even tried to touch my tail!" He laughed making me laugh with him, "But even when I looked at you you didn't leave, you just got up and walked away, but never left. You would just...watch me or do something in the cove somewhere. Even as the sun began to set you were there sitting by the rocks just...moving a branch in the sand. I could not understand it and soon enough I was curious to what you doing. What I found wondering over was you making these...marking in the sand and It looked like...me, it was amazing! so I tried to copy what you were doing."

I chuckled remembering the drawing he was trying to make. "I remember you tried to draw me didn't you? You had torn a huge branch from one of the trees and started moving about dragging it with You. You actually hit me in the head when you did that. "I told him rubbing the back of my head at the memory. He chuckled with a soft 'sorry' as he kissed the top of my head. "You would also glance up at me a few times especially when you were finishing it. So when I stood up and looked around I was surprised and actually amazed." This time he was the one to groan. "Yes, but you were amazed by squiggles. Now that I know what drawing actually is I'm embaressed that when drawing you I made squiggles." He told me making me laugh. "It was amazing though because you were trying to draw me. Though apparently stepping on it was a big no no." I told him, he looked at me with a partly affronted look. "Of corse! I worked hard on that and you were going to step on it! You teased me about it too!" He said with the most cutest pout. "I didn't though, I carefully moved through the drawing till...I was right there with you." I told him smiling softly at the memory, because it was the day we started to form our bond.

Toothless seemed to remember it fondly as well as he smiled, "I remember, you bumped right into me look up unsure, nervous but not afraid, you held your hand out I was unsure still and you backed off but only for a moment. Then...you put your trust in me. Closing your eyes you had your hand held out to me and waited, you had put your trust in me to either trust you or..."He trailed off, but we both know what would have happened if he hadn't trusted me. Placing my hand on his cheek he leaned into it. His eyes shut a purr coming from him as if it was that day once more. "From then on you just continued doing things for me, bringing me fish...even though it had an eel..." Toothless shuddered as if even the thought of the creature was horrible. I chuckled as I held onto him, "I did get rid of it though remember?" I told him. "That youd did. You also restored my flight with new contraption to replace my tail fin. The first time we flew though, you were on my tail helping me fly. Of corse...when I found out I shook you off. I truely thought hey you fixed my tail so I didn't need you anymore." He said with a sheepish grin looking out at the lake above us. "that was till we were both in the water, and even though we both crashed into the water you were cheering." I smiled at the memory chuckling. "Thats because it worked, The fin actually worked!" I told him happily as we both laughed. "Yes and you kept trying making the fin better, and through that we worked together one flight after another, I'll never forget the first flight we took around the Island with the finished fin...the feeling of flying once again. How we moved as one through the Island like pillars of rock. Gliding through the stones and trees. It was like our souls had become one then, we were in perfect sync, a perfect harmony, united as one."

The way Toothless spoke, the look in his eyes as he spoke, his voice so soft full of passion it took my breath away. "I say you have a dragons soul, because for us what makes a dragon, loyalty, bravery and how far you go to protect your brood, your family and friends," He explained before continuing, "It's because of the loyalty you show to your village and to me, how protective you are of whats important to you, how you go so far for everyone who you hold dear to you, for your determination to help someone even though your afraid." Placing his hand on my cheek he stroked it softly as I felt my face heat up from the blush I knew was there. "You're my beautiful human with a dragons soul." Spoken so softly he leaned forward placing his lips on mine in a soft gentle kiss filled with nothing but the love he felt for me.

I couldn't believe how far we had actually come as we laied their enjoying each other company under the light of the full moon surrounded by the tall walls of our safe haven. From the moment I shot him down to now we grown to form something that has never been seen on Berk or anywhere, a bond between a human and a dragon that was formed from love.

So as the morning sun shinned into the cove, I stood with one last stroke and a kiss to the top of his head and moved away from Toothless. I don't know what will happen today but all I knew was that I had a nervous feeling in my stomach like something major was going to happen today. With one last look behind me I left the cove and my dragon heading through the woods making my way to the village. Mother if you can hear me up there, please give me the strength to show everyone what we are doing is wrong, I can't kill a dragon and I refuse to...If you can hear me maybe you can help Dad understand,and I wont be a disappointment to him anymore,* I thought following the path through the forest slowly. I was dreading entering the village, my father was probably out of his mind with worry about me.

I could see the village coming up and the first person I see is my godfather. "There you are lass! We've been looking all over for you!" Gobber exclaimed as he rushed over and hugged me. Feeling guilt once more I hugged him back. "I'm sorry Gobber, I was just so nervous about today I... I went to find a place to calm down and I guess I fell asleep." It wasn't a complete lie, I did go someplace to calm down, though that was more to run away and I did fall asleep with Toothless. "Well all that matters is that you're safe and sound. Come now, your father is waiting for you in the mead hall." Smiling softly he lead me to the tall building. There was a few vikings around eating or talking among themselves. Some were even congratulating me and rooting for the big day today. If only they knew. Walking further in we found my father was at the head table with a plate of food in front of him. The food looked untouched as we approached him and he had a troubled an worried look on his face.

"Look who I found wondering by the forests,Stoic." Gobber said as he motioned me forward as my father looked up at me with a look that was a mix a worry, with just a touch of anger, "Hiccup, were have you been? What if something happened to you." He said his voice leveled but but could hear the worry and disappointment hidden just beneath. I couldn't help but feel guilty at that. "I'm sorry dad...I just got nervous about today and I went somewhere to calm down, I guess I fell asleep," I told him with a small shrug, "I'm sorry dad." Sighing my father stood up. I expected many things to happen. For him to yell at me or to tell me how reckless I was, but what he actually did shocked me.

Getting up my father had pulled me to him and hugged me. "As long as your okay that's all that matters." he said softly. It had been so long since my dad hugged me returning the hug I apologized to him again enjoying the hug. After today I'm not sure I would ever get a hug again. Pulling back he coughed awkwardly and patted my shoulder. "Well...Glad to see you safe, why don't you get yourself some food before your big moment." He said giving my shoulder one final pat before walking away with Gobber who gave me a look of 'Good luck.'

Sighing I felt my shoulders sag as I got some food taking a seat by myself. I truly didn't feel like eating anything. The butterflies had returned to my stomach making me more queasy then anything else. After while of just poking my food I pushed it away as someone took a seat in front of me. Looking up to my surprise I saw Ashter in the seat across from me. Giving me a nervous smile he cleared his throat. "Hey listen, I'm sorry about yesterday about freaking about the...you know." He said looking at me, he must have meant Toothless and finding the nest. "It's fine Ashter, really..." I told him with a shrug looking at my food. "No it's not, I didn't give you a chance to speak or even explain it to me, you literally had to knock some sense into me." I was shocked as he said this to me, I could see the sincerity in his eyes as he spoke.

"I want to let you know I wont tell your secret but," he started as he took my hand into his, "Just because he has your heart at the moment doesn't mean I will give up on you just yet. In fact it makes me want to fight for you more." He told me placing a kiss on the back of my hand shocking me even more. "Ashter..." I started but he held up his hand stopping me. "I know you love him, but I still feel like I have a chance so please allow me this at least." He asked me softly, this was so surprising that all I could do was nod my head. Smiling he pushed my food closer to me. "You better eat something you have a big challenge today," He said but stopped and thought for a moment. "did you figure out what to do?" He asked gently letting go of my hand. "Sighing I shook my head no. I still only poked my food only deciding to take a few bites after seeing the look Ashter gave me. "Well we have to think of something..." He said to me gently looking worried. Smiling softly I sighed It was going to take some getting use to seeing this side of Ashter. "I'll figure something out, why don't you go find the others I'm sure they are probably already heading to the arena. I'll meet you guys after I'm done here okay?" Unsure he studied my expression to see if he should really leave me alone. Giving him a reassuring smile he sighed . "Okay fine, but i'll meet you at the entrance to the arena okay?" He told me still unsure it was nice knowing he actually cared. "Okay, i'll meet you there I'm just going to wait here for a bit and try to actually eat." I said motioning to my still full plate of food. Nodding his head with a small smile he gave one last unsure look as he got up. "Ashter I'll be fine!" I told him with a smile trying to be convincing. "Okay, okay I believe you, I'll see you at the arena." Getting up he made sure I would eat before heading out.

Sighing for what felt like the umpteenth time I actually tried eating my food. I know I told Ashter I would think of something but I still don't know what to do other then to...to tame them. Though if I do that then I would lose everything. Was I really willing to risk everything for the sake of a dragon?

When I think back to the times before I met Toothless. I would have jumped at the chance to do this, but when I think of the times I spent with toothless what I got to do and experience with him. I wouldn't change that for anything in the world! I got to see how amazing dragons truly are and how they are just protecting each other from something much worse then us.

With a heavy heart I managed to finished my breakfast and got up and made my way out of the mead hall. Making my way home to change and freshen up, I saw many more villagers all wishing me good luck and hoping I bring the village glory. Smiling I just waved saying thank you thanking the heavens as I finally entered my house. Taking a few deep breaths I head up to my room to get ready. Stripping down I washed off the dirt from sleeping on the ground with toothless. I hope Toothless will be alright after he changed back and we had lied down he was still worried for me. Hopefully I can return to him and show him I'm alright.

Putting on some fresh clothes, I pull my hair back and I gazed at my reflection in the water basin I couldn't recognize myself. Yes I looked the same but...I was a much different hiccup then I was what seems like months ago. No longer was I the fifteen year old girl who ran about trying to get the villages approval and be like them. Now I was someone who knew how to be with dragons who has ridden a dragon and flown through the skies. I was smarter then I was before and I knew better, some who was going to show not only my village but my father that what we are doing is wrong and we need to stop. Taking another deep breath, I steel myself I got up leaving my room and home. It was time to face my destiny. I can't kill a dragon but I sure as helheim will tame one. I just hope this will come out well in the end.