How to Tame Wild Dragons (How to Train Your Dragon Fan Fiction)

Chapter 1

Hiccup whooped with joy as they pierced the cloud bank, revelling in the cool vapour that coated his bare skin. The sea below was a blanket of cobalt blue, broken only by the frothy white of breaking waves.

“Come on Toothless, let’s see how fast you can go!”

Toothless wiggled his ears in agreement and spun them downwards with one powerful beat of his wings. Then, as if saying a prayer, Toothless solemnly folded his wings and they dropped like a stone. 

The trouble with nosediving at the sea is that it was nearly impossible for Hiccup to tell how close they were. The wind that tore through his hair made him squint through his lashes at a blur of blue, with nothing to tell him if they were a few miles or a few feet from the water’s surface. 

The tang of the salt air and the crash of breaking waves told Hiccup it was time to pull up, but Toothless barked in excitement and thrummed his wings to even greater speeds. 

“Toothless, I’ve already had a bath this morning!” Hiccup shouted, but his words were snatched away by the wind.

They needed to work together to pull out of this dive and Toothless knew it. The cheeky dragon was trying to show him that Hiccup wasn’t the boss when it came to flying.

“Now Toothless, or it’s jellied eels for dinner!” Hiccup yelled into Toothless’s ear.

The dragon yawped with horror and Hiccup’s stomach lurched as they pulled out of the dive. It was not a moment too soon. Toothless’s belly skimmed along the waves, spraying salt water as they crested each hump. 

“That was close,” Hiccup grumbled. “Let’s go home before you try and kill me a second time.”

Toothless rumbled jovially and splashed a wave with his wingtip, showering Hiccup with seawater.

“I’m soaked!” Hiccup yelled, wiping water from his eyes. “Two can play that game!”

He pushed down with his metal leg and Toothless jerked down into the nearest wave. The dragon snorted sea water from his nostrils and gave Hiccup a waspish slap with one of his ears. Hiccup was soaked up to his waist from that little stunt, but he didn’t care.

“My leg might get a bit rusty, but that was totally worth it!” Hiccup said relish. “Now, no more games, take us back to Berk!”

The setting sun cast a warm orange glow across the sea as Berk came into view. Hiccup angled them towards the two stone guardians that stood in front of their island. For three hundred years, those giant viking statues had stood as a warning to dragons to stay away from Berk. Now, the fires that were lit in their mouths were a beacon, guiding the dragon riders home. 

The sky darkened and Hiccup felt a flash of fear run through him. He swerved jerkily as a shadow flitted over the water ahead of him, then he relaxed as he recognised the dragon that swooped into view. It was a Deadly Nadder, widely considered the most beautiful of dragons, although Hiccup tended to disagree. The deadly poisonous spines on its tail clattered in the wind as it struggled to keep up with Toothless’s speed. 

The dragons scales were a glimmering cerulean blue, with flecks of amber and saffron dusting its wings. Hiccup heard a peal of laughter and noticed a figure nestled on its back. The blonde hair that streamed in the wind was unmistakeable. 

“It’s only me and Stormfly, not some wild dragon!” Astrid yelled, tilting her steed to fly alongside him. “You shouldn’t be worried anyway, no dragon in their right mind would attack a Night Fury.”

“Red Death didn’t have a problem with it!” Hiccup shouted back.

“Well there was only one of him and he isn’t around anymore, thanks to you,” Astrid replied cheerfully. “Your father sent me to tell you that there’s a meeting tonight in the Great Hall. It starts in half an hour, don’t be late!”