Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD
HICCUP'S POV
After a few hours, the bonfire faded to glowing embers and most of the humans dispersed, heading in the general direction of the docks. Camicazi rose and stretched, letting out a dramatic yawn. My gaze was wandering around in search of my mom, too distracted to hear Cami calling my name. Her sudden punch to my shoulder made me flinch and bare my teeth in a low growl, which I quickly cut off when I remembered I was supposed to suppress any dragon behavior. Camicazi's eyebrows furrowed as she stared down at me in silent curiosity. I jumped to my feet, taking a few steps away from her.
"I, uh, should go find my mom. I'll see you tomorrow," I rushed out, turning to leave.
"Guest lodging is down that way. Your mom is probably there," she pointed out, gesturing after the other humans. The forest was in the opposite direction, which was where I was headed.
"No! I-I mean...We agreed to meet over...there..." I trailed off, nodding at a random tent near the forest's edge. Camicazi followed my gaze, then looked back at me suspiciously. I knew I was a terrible liar, so I could only hope she let the matter go.
"Right...I'll see you later then," she drawled. "You better pay me back tomorrow! I mean it!" She added warningly. I smiled reassuringly. After a few more tense moments of staring me down, she waved and skipped away, humming loudly. I let out a breath of relief, running a hand over my face. Maybe I should find a dumber viking to befriend. It felt like she could read all my secrets in my eyes.
As soon as Cami was out of sight, I darted to the forest for cover, not wanting to risk running into any more humans. The shadows welcomed me in their familiar embrace, and I slumped against a tree as the day's events finally caught up with me. Being around so many humans was more draining than I thought. This whole day was one long test—a test of courage for the most part, I think. My mom had been right before—I needed some experience around humans if I wanted to be prepared for missions. But maybe, just maybe, today had been a little fun...at least when I was with Camicazi. Hopefully this "friend" of hers is similar in nature. Although the look on her face when she mentioned his name made me think otherwise.
The faint snap of a twig captured my attention, and my eyes snapped to the source. Luckily they were well-attuned to the dark. My rigid posture relaxed when I recognized my mother's outline. I pushed off the tree, jogging over to her. My carefully placed steps didn't make a sound as I approached—perks of being partially raised by a Night-wing.
*Mom!* I greeted happily, wrapping my arms around her in a hug. She returned it, chuckling softly at my eagerness.
"I missed you, too," she whispered, kissing the top of my head. "Let's get going before someone sees us, okay?" She suggested, patting my back. I nodded, and we began walking in step back to where we left the dragons. My body was practically buzzing with excitement. Separating from my other half had left a gaping hole in my soul, one that I'd been struggling to ignore all day. Camicazi helped slightly, but my thoughts were always with Toothless.
I glanced over at my mom. She was staring straight ahead, her jaw clenched with the same unease I'd noticed at the bonfire. *Something's wrong.* I stated, studying her face closely. She blinked in surprise, avoiding my watchful gaze.
"Nothing's wrong," she lied, shaking her head. I huffed in irritation. She knew how much I hated it when she lied. "Okay, okay!" She sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to worry you," she said, biting her lip.
"Mom," I pressed impatiently. The only sounds were her footsteps and the rustling of leaves in the wind as she considered her next words.
"I...saw a woman tonight that I recognized...a woman from Berk," she finally admitted. I took in a sharp breath. That wasn't what I'd been expecting at all. "Berkians stopped coming to this festival years before you were born! I didn't think...I wouldn't have..." She gritted her teeth. "I went down to the docks, but I didn't see any ships with the Berk crest. She might be the only one here, but I'm not sure."
"Did she see you?" I asked, already suspecting the answer but wanting to hear it from her.
"No, thank the gods." She let out a deep breath.
I stared down at my feet, a wide range of emotions going through me. "We have to leave, don't we?" I guessed, my voice a bit subdued. As much as I hated being around so many humans, I'd wanted to spend a little more time with Camicazi. The girl was intriguing, and it was nice to talk to a human my own age.
"I'm sorry, buddy," my mom answered quietly. "It's not as safe as I thought. I can't risk being seen." That much was obvious, even to me. If Stoick found out she was alive and went searching, he could find the nest. Then we'd have a war on our hands.
"I get it, really," I assured her. "I need to say goodbye to Cami, though. I owe her money, and I'm afraid she'd hunt me across the Archipelago if I left without paying her back." I shuddered at the idea, believing it completely.
My mom cracked a smile, nudging me with her shoulder. "Cami, huh? The girl you ran off with today?" She teased. I scowled, attempting to hide my blush.
"Camicazi, yes. She's...interesting," I replied vaguely.
"I'm proud of you, Hiccup. You ventured outside your comfort zone. You'll be excellent on missions, I can already tell," she praised, ruffling my hair. My chest puffed up and I couldn't hold back my grin.
The rest of our journey was quiet. I'd started listening intently for any movement, my gaze scouring the trees for my favorite pair of bright green eyes. We were nearing the cliff, so they must be close by. If I had to guess, my dragon was hiding somewhere in the darkness, waiting to pounce. I was almost as well-adapted to seeing in the dark as my flock mates, but Night-wings were impossible to spot in the shadows unless they wanted to be seen.
As if on cue, I detected a slight whoosh of the air behind me and quickly ducked down. Toothless' body sailed right over me, his tail brushing the tips of my hair. He landed hard in the dirt, extending his wings to slow his momentum so he didn't go tumbling over the cliff. My mom laughed at his clumsy attack, but I was already running forwards to meet him. Just as he got his bearings and turned around with a disappointed scowl, I crashed into his chest, wrapping my arms around his thick neck.
*I missed you, bud!* I exclaimed, overwhelmed with happiness to finally be by his side again.
Toothless let out a joyful warble, pulling me against him with his paws and falling onto his back so I landed on top of him. He playfully tossed me into the air a few times, causing me to laugh and grin like a fool. After a minute, he let me lie on top of him so he could nuzzle my cheek affectionately, simultaneously marking me with his scent that had probably faded slightly during our time apart.
*Please don't ever leave me again!* He wailed dramatically. *Cloudjumper is absolutely no fun!*
*You're just an overly-energetic hatchling.* A familiar voice grumbled in return, then Cloud's large form crawled over the cliff edge into sight. He immediately went to my mom, who greeted him with a coo and a pet to the snout. He preened at the attention, his nose flaps fluttering.
Toothless rolled over so he could stand up, and I hurriedly jumped off of him to avoid getting squished. He ignored the other dragon's retort, opting instead to sniff me from head to toe. His nose wrinkled as he inhaled a multitude of scents. I ran my hand over his scales as he circled me, not realizing how much I missed their smooth texture.
*You've had an adventurous day.* He observed.
*You have no idea.* I muttered, thinking back to when Cami and I stole the axe. She'd left it on the field after the competition, claiming "it's not worth keeping, and it's not like we paid for it anyway." Seems like a waste to me, but I suppose the axes used on her island are of a better standard. *What about you?* I asked, changing the subject. *Do anything exciting?*
Toothless perked up and flashed me a smile. *Watch this!* He said without explanation, then leapt into the air, diving over the cliff and out of sight. I frowned in confusion and ran after him, stopping at the very edge. I saw him circling just above the ocean's surface for a few seconds, then he dove in, every inch of him disappearing beneath the water. I gasped, just able to catch myself as I subconsciously leaned forward to go after him.
I didn't need to be concerned, though, because he lunged back into the air just a few moments later. He was carrying a mouthful of fish, and my jaw dropped in amazement and pride. Toothless can swim! How did that happen? I hadn't been gone that long!
He landed in front of me, dropping the pile of fish at my feet. *Dinner!* He announced, raising his head. His gaze was trained on me, waiting for my reaction.
I laughed in delight, jumping over the pile of fish to reach his side. *Toothless, this is amazing! You're amazing! I'm so proud of you!* I praised, scratching between his eyes. He purred, giving me a slow, affectionate blink.
*Now we can go on longer flights, and I can do all the fishing.* He suggested. I beamed at the prospect. We could venture out as far as we desired, and I could even map the entire Archipelago if I wanted. Such a simple skill as swimming could change everything! I wouldn't have to worry about him as much on missions, which are more often than not in the middle of the sea.
"I'm going to go gather some wood for a fire," my mom interrupted, a soft smile on her lips. "Hiccup, when I get back, I want to hear all about your day," she added. I nodded in agreement, and she turned and walked off into the forest. Cloudjumper followed after her, leaving me and Toothless alone.
My mood dampened a bit when I remembered what my mom told me. Toothless sensed my change in attitude and nudged my hand, crooning in curiosity.
*There's been a change of plans.* I explained with a sigh. *We have to leave tomorrow. Mom saw someone from Berk.* Toothless' ears flipped up in surprise, and he reflexively curled his tail around me, as if he expected Berkians to storm out of the trees and steal me away. I patted his shoulder reassuringly. *The woman didn't see my mom, but it's better not to risk hanging around any longer than necessary.* Even I could detect the slightly bitter edge to my voice.
*You don't want to go?* He assumed, obviously confused.
I shrugged, suddenly feeling sheepish. *I don't know...the humans here aren't so bad...* I mumbled, dragging the toe of my shoe across the grass. *Then again, there are no dragons here—that they know of.* I kicked the ground a little more harshly. *They have no reason to be aggressive right now.*
*But you had fun today.* Toothless stated, not a hint of judgment in his tone. I avoided his gaze, afraid to see disappointment in his bright green orbs. It felt wrong to enjoy the company of any human—my mom excluded—when I knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill a dragon on sight. Until circumstances changed, they were the enemy.
Toothless pulled me against him using his tail, licking my cheek. *Hiccup, it's okay to like being around your own kind.* He assured me gently.
I shook my head. *You're my kind.* I argued firmly.
*Always.* Toothless promised. *But you don't have to deny your human half because of me. Your mother is human, right? She's human and she's good, and so are you.* He said fiercely. My heart pounded in my chest as his words washed over me. He always knew just what to say to make me feel better.
*Thanks, bud.* I whispered, resting my hand against his side.
He ruffled his wings, breaking the serious air that surrounded our conversation. *Your mom is almost back. I hope you're hungry!* His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he eyed the fish.
I licked my lips eagerly. *Starving!*
"Hiccup Haddock! I did not raise you to be a thief!" My mom gasped, throwing what remained of her fish at me from across the small fire. I ducked out of the way, stifling a laugh. Toothless, who was lying directly behind me, caught the fish midair and swallowed it down happily.
"You've stolen stuff before!" I pointed out indignantly.
She gave me her best glare. "Only when it was necessary!"
"Well, Cami really needed that axe!" I bit my lip, failing in my attempt not to smile.
"A great influence, that one," she snorted sarcastically, though there was no real heat behind her words. I had a feeling she was just glad I'd made a human friend. It was no secret she had brought me to Amity Island to show me the better side of humans.
"You know, she lives on an island of only females!" I told her, fascinated at the idea.
My mom rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, I know all about the Bog-Burglars. Gotta watch your back with them. They'll steal anything of value off you before you can blink," she said derisively.
"Have you ever been to their island?" I asked, snuggling into Toothless' side. I was more relaxed than I'd been all day, now that I was enveloped in his comforting warmth. He folded his wing over me, blocking out the cold wind.
"A few times. I'll admit, it's a lot more peaceful there than Berk. The dragons don't even bother going there most of the time," she mused.
"That's what Camicazi said. She also said she's the heir," I recalled. It was strange to think I might've been the heir to Berk in another life. I probably would've seen Cami all the time.
"She's Bertha's daughter?" My mom exclaimed in shock. I nodded in confirmation. "Wow...Bertha has a daughter...that's...wow," she breathed, staring into the fire.
I pursed my lips, sharing an awkward glance with Toothless. "Um...you okay, Mom?" I wondered hesitantly.
She smiled briefly. "Yeah, yeah, it's just...sometimes I forget, you know?"
My eyebrows furrowed. "Forget what?"
She sighed, settling back against Cloudjumper. "That everyone I knew is still out there, living their lives—going to work, getting married, having children..." She trailed off, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath before opening them again.
"Everyone moved on," she murmured.