Bond Between

Chapter 29

Nina couldn't shake the feeling that Hiccup wanted to talk about more than just the news that he was going into Dragon Training. She decided to probe.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" she asked.

"Well, I was kinda thinking, maybe...Nevermind, forget I said anything," he said dismissively.

"If it's bugging you, get it off your chest. I carried the secret of the Terrors around for five years, Hiccup, and it just about ate me up," she said.

He sighed and looked at her as though he were studying. He blinked and looked toward the ground. "If I make it to the final exam, what am I gonna do? I can't kill a dragon, Nina," he said. "Especially not after meeting the Terrors and realizing they're pretty cool....But," he said then paused before continuing softly. "I can't disappoint my father. If I make it to the final exam, he'll expect me to kill it. I don't know if I'm ready for that big of a statement."

"Give it some time," she said. "Follow your instincts, and trust your gut. Do your best, and be the best you possible. I believe in you." Without thinking, she put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

He smiled at her. "Thanks," he said. "I really needed that." They stood and awkwardly shuffled from foot to foot. "Will you come watch?"

"If that's what you need me to do."

"I think my nerves would be able to hold out if you did," he said with a chuckle.

"Alright. What time is it?"

"In the morning some time."

"Does it last all day?"

"I have no clue."

"I'll be in town around say two hours after dawn, sound good?"

"Maybe half an hour to be safe," he said.

"Alright. Sounds good."

They smiled at each other before he turned and headed back to the village. Nina and Herby headed back to the bunker, her grinning stupidly before catching herself and kicking a large stone. 

"Ow!" she yelped. She limped to the sanctuary she had made and Herby chirped a warning to the Terrors that she was in a bad mood. They took to the air holes just as she started throwing things. "Why did I have to fall for him?!" she raged as a bottle of ink smashed against the wall, running dark liquid down the dirt. She whipped around as her lead Terror set up 5 clay jugs made to be broken. She had the wherewithal to wait until he was safely in a hole before she picked them up and chucked them around. "ARGGH!!!" Her anger spent, she sank to her knees.

She took a pained breath and closed her eyes. "Why is he so easy to love?" she asked softly. Tears leaked from her eyes. Her dragons peeked and cautiously left their hiding spots. Herby glided down to her and landed on her shoulder before crawling down her arm and into her lap. The rest of the Terrors moved aside as she rose and climbed into the hammock, needing to rest her body and mind.

She lay awake for a while, Herby laying still in her arms. He lifted his head and she looked down at him, knowing he wanted to say something. "Anger es bad. Breaks stuff," he said. "Ees okay that you likey Heccup. Not fight it, embrace it. Love can make you strong. It is a strength and a weakness." Her eyes widened as she stared into the eternally wise eyes of the Terror who had first bridged the gap between her world and the world of dragons. He blinked at her slowly, then yawned adorably and curled up, winding his tail around her wrist like he always did to sleep. She stared at the ceiling for a while then rolled onto her side and fell asleep.