Hi. My name is Morte. I am not new to this fandom, but this is still my first time writing story for this particular ship. Please take care of me. For your comfort for reading, click the contrast button. Trust me, it helps a lot.

Warnings: Toothcup eventual romantic relationship. Female Hiccup (if this isn't your cup of tea, you may click the back button). Hybrid Toothless, he can transform into a human (last warning to click the back button while you still can).

Disclaimer: None of this is mine, except the idea. Everything belongs to Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks.

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HOW TO BE A DRAGON'S HOARD

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Chapter 1: The Deal

"Oh, Mighty Night Fury, please stop raiding my village." Little Hiccup exclaimed in the dark. Then there was a beat of wings. She felt rather than see something moved, and the darkness seemed to thicken, wrapping itself around her like thick black veil. She stood her ground when she saw a pair of inhuman eyes before her, boring itself into hers; a pair of bright toxic green eyes with specks of gold and slit pupils, like snake's or cat's. But she knew what those eyes belonged to; the most feared dragon, a Night Fury.

That is not my decision to make, it would sound like a combination of hisses, growls, and croons to outsiders, but to Hiccup, she could hear its voice clearly in her mind; a calming deep baritone. She doesn't hear it directly, instead she could feel it move around and speaking in her mind.

"Then whose decision is it? Let me persuade them." Hiccup tried again to negotiate with it.

It had been too much for her village to take; three raids in a month and the season was getting colder. There would be snow in only three weeks' time. There wouldn't be much supply for winter to come and if the dragon raided the village again, they wouldn't survive this year's winter. Hiccup, the smallest of her kin, took it upon herself to seek the dragon leader and negotiate with them—without telling anyone, off course. The Night Fury—or so it was called amongst her tribe—was the most feared dragon amongst the Vikings. It never stole anything, never showed itself, yet it never missed its shot. Their midnight black scales made the dragon invisible at night and made her kin impossible to shoot them down. From ancient times, their accuracy and intelligence was mind blowing—literally, and has been that way for more than three hundred years. If they even heard a wind of her wanting to meet this dragon, they would die of laughter, probably literally.

Never, in her wildest dreams, that she ever thought of meeting this magical, fearsome dragon by her own; yet here she was, standing by her own in the middle of the forest—in which should she die here, nobody would ever found out—and talking with the most fearsome dragon amongst her kin, Night Fury.

She could feel the darkness scoffed, breathing sulfur-scented air around her. Persuade them? You? A human? Much less as tiny as you? She could practically hear the mockery and disbelief coloring its voice. Hiccup set up her neutral mask as she always did whenever she heard this. She had heard this too much, since the time she could remember until she doesn't even remember anymore.

But this is what she chose. Being the smallest kin that she was, other bigger Vikings looked down on her, underestimating her, saying things behind her back, sometimes even outright in her face. Her same-aged friends were making fun of her; pushing her around, saying harsh things, beating her up, and everyone turned a blind eye.

Her father wasn't much different. Being a chief wasn't easy feat, she knew that, but that didn't give him excuse to forget her on her birthdays and never say goodbye when he went out for voyages. Her father never bothered to understand her—and she never met her mother. People said that she had died, being eaten by four-winged dragon during a raid fourteen years ago, just few months after she was born.

The only one who seemed to care for her was her Godfather, Gobber the Belch. He was a smith and she had been his apprentice ever since she was little—well, littler. He was the only one who understood her and accept her as who she was, because he had seen her brilliance and grace as she worked with his tools. She was an excellent student, he had said, and he himself had to admit that he never learnt as fast as she was. That made her proud and she could stand tall by telling herself that she was at least appreciated by Gobber.

But with the raid getting worse, while the winter was coming, the villagers were going restless. They were even suggesting about sacrifices to dragons. They never mentioned her, off course. No one dared mention her name in front of the chief, since she was his daughter. But she could tell; their stares and accusing looks gave it all. She had always been a sensitive girl and she was getting tired.

She was here not because anyone sent her, but because she was tired of life, and she wanted it to end sooner.

The eyes that bore into hers narrowed and a snarl came out, but she stood her ground. I can sense a deep wound in your heart, little human. It said and Hiccup's mask cracked a bit. Why are you sacrificing yourself for the village that wouldn't appreciate your concern?

Her frowned deepened. Why? That's because she was tired, right? But then why did she still trying to help? Is it because of desperation? "I…" Hiccup frowned and she looked down. She didn't understand. Everything suddenly became blurry. She had hardened her resolve into coming here and she had been certain that this would be the end. She had been ready.

The pair of toxic eyes suddenly dilated and stared at her softly. She swore she could see sympathy in those eyes. So dragons could feel sympathy too?

Little hatchling, it began softly in her head. What do you actually seek?

Her eyes widened more. What? Seek? What did she actually seek? She was sure she wasn't seeking anything by coming in here. But could it be what she had been looking for? Appreciation? Concern? Acceptance? Love? But those didn't matter anymore, right? She had hardened her resolve. She did this because she was tired. She was tired of being ridiculed, of being a mistake—of being her name, a Hiccup. If so, then why…

(As a tear unknowingly drops down, she cupped them on her palms. When was the last time had she cried? She didn't remember anymore. Her heart had numbed over the years. Yet she still could feel it, she could hear it; the sound of her heart being smashed into pieces. Hiccup brought her hands to her face, hiding tears that were silently trickling down her beautiful face.)

Then why was it that she feels so sad?

Her knees hit the soft grassy ground as the darkness continue to wrapped itself around her; but rather than felt threatened, she felt safer, calmer, as if it was protecting her from the outside world. If I stopped raiding your village, what will you do to repay me? It asked instead.

Hiccup—grateful for the change of topic—looked up to the pair of eyes that had been watching her quietly—never judging nor mocking—with her own eyes, stained with tears. "I'll…" She gulped down a lump down her throat as she once again hardened her resolve. "You can do whatever you want with me."

The darkness shifted a bit and she could see the look in those inhuman eyes was getting conflicted. Are you still sacrificing yourself, Little Hatchling? It asked with a calming baritone inside her head and fatherly croons in her ears.

"I am not sacrificing myself," she said quietly, brushing off the tears off her cheeks. "I will be the sacrifice, anyway—might as well turn myself in before they decide to throw me off the cliff or something—save myself the pain, you know." She shrugged offhandedly.

A sound of deep chuckle resonating inside her head and she realized that it was the dragon's. It was strangely calming. You are an amusing little human. They held their gazes for a few more moments before it decided, I will take your offer, human hatchling. If you come with me, I will stop the dragons from raiding your village. And you won't have to put up with all those things you've suffered anymore.

She had to admit, the offer sounded too tempting. I will give you three days to say goodbye to those you love. If you weren't here by the third day, I will come for you.

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Hiccup opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the brown wooden ceiling of her house. She slowly peeled herself up into sitting position and looked down. She was on her bed, wearing her white nightgown, with her bear-skin blanket around her. She frowned in confusion. What happened?

The last thing she remembered was the Night Fury. That's right. She had been in the forest, talking with the Night Fury—hadn't she? She almost laughed at the thought. She? Talking with a Night Fury? Even the thought of it made her feel as if everything was a dream, if it was really a dream. It felt so real, though. She could still feel the dragon's warm puffs of breath and the sulfuric scent around her. She remembered the last thing it said. It gave her three days to say goodbye, and if by the third day she didn't come, it will come for her. But it was all just a dream, right?

She was getting more confused by the second. Hiccup couldn't tell which reality and which dream is anymore. Does that mean that she was going crazy already? Hiccup nervously shuddered. She didn't want to end up like Mildew—the crazy old man who strangely hated her and blamed her for every unfortunate thing that happened in Berk. Thankfully, even though some people shared his opinion, everyone was still sane enough and had enough brain to defend her from some crazier things he had blamed her for.

That crazy old man had once blamed her for being born when thunderstorm came up on Berk, saying things like Thor cursed her for being born and wanted her die. She had been only six then and being cornered by some crazy old man. No one was helping, even though they eyed Mildew warily. Fortunately, her father came to intervene just when Mildew was about to hit her with his cane. Her father, Stoick the Vast—even though it seemed like he never cared about her, she was still his daughter—was beyond furious. He immediately sent her home earlier than usual, saying he would take care of it, and she ran to their house, like a puppy with their tail between their legs.

Then that night, he came home earlier than usual and asked her various questions, like if she were hurt, and what else that Mildew said, or why everyone else didn't help. That was how she knew that even though her father seemed to not care, he was still her father, the only family she had left after her mother died. And families don't abandon each other. They had a long awkward talk that night over dinner that she cooked, and he praised her cooking skill—he said that he was grateful that even though she inherit her mother's beauty, Hiccup didn't inherit her mother's cooking skill. They had laughed over that, and they talked a lot. Her father told her that her mother, Valka, wasn't the most skillful cook and he went ill just after he drank her yak-nog. She had laughed.

Hiccup smiled at the memory. She still loved her father. And even though it seemed that her father not cared about her, she knew he still loved her, because she was his daughter, the only family he had left after his wife passed away.

She made a decision. It doesn't matter whether the Night Fury was a dream or not. She would make a lot of memories with her father and Gobber. She would find out if it was a dream or not at the third day anyway. As she decided that, Hiccup sat up quickly, feeling the blood rushing to her head, and started to change her clothes.

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To be continued...

Author's note:

Thank you for reading such short chapter. I'm sorry for any typos and grammar errors that I am not aware of. If you click review or favorite button and leave feedback or questions, I would really appreciate it and I would respond to them. Once again, thank you for reading. See you in the next chapter.