Hiccup and The Wolf

1: First encounter

Toothless was sleeping soundly on his big rock slab, his best friend Hiccup the human was also sleeping soundly in his own bed, the softest of snores escaping his mouth on every exhale.

The night was peaceful overall, the spring harvest had been a good one, and an impromptu celebration had been held in the middle of the village. Everyone brought their best homemade dish or provided entertainment and last minute decorations.

The last few stragglers had gone to bed a few hours ago, surely to wake up to pounding heads, and dry mouths in the morning. Except for those unfortunate few who's fate was still unknown to them, everyone slept soundly that night.

Toothless stirred just enough to shift his position on his rock bed, just as he was drifting off into deep slumber again a sound hit his sensitive ears, a scratching, scrabbling sound. Without opening his tired eyes the Night Fury roused himself somewhat and listened. It was probably just some birds rustling in their next, or maybe someone had fallen asleep just outside their home and had woken up just enough to stumble inside(wouldn't be a first for a Berkien celebration).

The noise continued, a little more frantic this time.

Toothless opened his eyes, they adjusted quickly to the darkness as he stood up and walked to a large window, Hiccup kept it open for him in good weather. You know, in case nature called at three in the morning.

Toothless peered outside, looking around for the noise that was interrupting his sleep.

Hiccup rolled onto his side and cracked an eye open, no matter how late or how early he went to bed he always woke up just enough to glance over and check on his dragon, it wasn't something he had any control over. It was like a comfort thing for him to see that big, scaly "beast" sleeping like a baby on his big rock slab

His eye landed on the empty rock and in one second both eyes were open and Hiccup lifted his head from his pillow.

Looking around he saw his best dragon friend gazing out the open window, seemingly focused on something very intensely.

Hiccup sat up in bed and yawned, rubbing his watering eyes.

"Hey bud, what's up? Did someone pass out under the window? Are you scared you'll crush them?" He asked with a small chuckle. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed Hiccup got his prosthetic and quickly adjusted it into place.

Getting up, still woozy from sleep he walked over to Toothless and started petting his neck.

"Go on Toothless, do your thing." He encouraged his best bud. Suddenly a loud clattering sound, like dishes falling was heard and Toothless let out a low, warning growl, his eyes becoming more fierce looking.

"Okay, lets go take a look bud." Hiccup climbed onto Toothless, the sleek black dragon jumped out of the window down to the soft grass below, instantly on alert he walked towards to front of the house where there were still tables and various things to sit on scattered about, waiting until everyone was more sober to be put away.

A whine was heard, followed by snuffling sounds, some kind of animal must be getting into some left out food bits.

Hiccup hardly dared to breath to loudly as Toothless slowly turned the corner.

Very slowly Hiccuo slid off Toothless and looked around. The moon was almost full and the sky mostly clear of clouds, only a few big ones were drifting lazily across the night sky.

Looking over at his dragon who was also scanning the area with his big, green eyes, he wondered if they had already scared the creature off. It must not have been a big deal after all.

A rather big cloud started passing over the moon just as Hiccup spotted what must have made the clattering sound, a plate, and a bowl, now chipped but not broken were laying haphazardly on the ground.

Hiccup bent over to pick them up and set them back on the table, their owner would reclaim them and sort them out in the morning. Hiccup noticed they looked clean, not even one crumb was stuck to either dish.

"That's odd.." He muttered out loud, surely no one had bothered to actually wash anything.

At that moment the large cloud passed and the moons light shone down on the area, giving his poor human eyes a better chance at spotting what had upset his dragon. Hiccup turned around and started forward but stopped dead in his tracks.

Yellow eyes, not huge like most dragons eyes, but still belonging to an apex predator stared back at him.

A wolf, a huge wolf a little less than half the size off his dragon was staring him down, deep, angry growling coming from its open jaws, a snarl making the furred beast even more ferocious.

Hiccup sucked in a breath of fear, he dared not move, his only thought was surely Toothless had spotted the wolf as well, and would soon chase it off.

Toothless huffed, frustration overtaking his caution for a few moments, he looked over at Hiccup and saw his person picking up the things him and the other humans ate food off of.

Toothless walked a few paces away and smelled the ground, he was no tracker class dragon, but he knew some large, furred animal had been here very recently. A predator his nose told him, like him, but with no human connections and less, Toothless thought, sense to not attack his favorite person.

Looking up at the sky he saw a large cloud pass overhead, the moonlight that now shone making his night vision even sharper. The Night Fury whipped his head around when he heard a growl, it was no dragon growl, he could already tell.

An ugly beast, not smooth and elegant like him and his fellow dragons, stood just a couple of yards away from Hiccup. One wrong move on his part would probably result in an attack.

Toothless let out a mighty rumbling roar of fury, no one threatened his human and got away with it! Especially not some foul smelling, furry beast. He lunged forward to chase this intruder away.

The wolves eyes went from staring Hiccup down to the now charging black dragon. It shifted its feet and bent lower, growling back impressively even though it was now in real, mortal danger.

Hiccup managed a full breath when he heard Toothless roar, his best bud had spotted the wolf. He started to back away, from his memory Toothless should be somewhere be on his left side. So he was trying to get out of the way by inching to his right. Out of the corner of his eye Hiccup saw a black blur pass by him, relief filled him but only for a moment.

The wolf lunged at him with impressive speed, spit covered teeth snapped at him, barely missing his arm, but wolfs sharp claws met their mark instead.

One screaming roar, one plasma blast and lots of sounds of pain from himself and the wolf later, Hiccup found himself laying face up on the cool, dew covered grass, Toothless, with a small curl of smoke still leaving his panting mouth was gazing down at him, a worried expression in his eyes.

"I'm okay bud." Hiccup said weakly, he reached up to pat Toothless on the head but found it to painful to move his arm.

"Ah! Thor! Odin!" He yelled out. Toothless let out a soft murmuring sound of worry, he very gently nudged Hiccup cheek.

"Hiccup! Hiccup what in Valhalla is going on!" Stoick, Hiccups father cried out into the night. The large Viking man was sans helmet but he had his axe at the ready. Looking across the yard he saw a destroyed table and Toothless standing over his son.

"Hiccup!" Stoick ran over to the pair, worry coursing through his body.

Others had been roused by the loud sounds of growling, roaring and a large wooden table being blasted into little more than kindling.

Toothless stepped back and allowed Stoick to check on his son. The smell of blood filled his nose and he looked around once more, making sure the wolf was really gone. Satisfied he focused on his human once again, concern urging him to stay by his side.

"I'm okay dad, just a scratch ah, just, a deep, painful scratch." Hiccup lamely quipped. His father helped him sit up and assessed the wound, there were two fairly deep cuts and two lighter ones. Stoick ripped off the torn part of Hiccup's tunic and wrapped it around the wounds to stanch the blood.

"I'm taking you to Gothi, Skullcrusher!" Stoick called for his dragon, a Rumblehorn who's coloring was as beautiful as he was tough.

Voices of concern and shock whirled around Hiccup and his father but they paid them no mind.

"What did this son?" The large bearded chief asked his son.

Toothless had come closer and sniffed the blood staining Hiccup's clothes, he whined almost doglike and tenderly licked his cheek. Hiccup put his good arm on his dragon and took a deep breath.

"It was a wolf, a big one. If Toothless hadn't nearly hit it with a plasma blast I don't know...well this," he nodded towards his hurt arm, his freckled face twisted in pain as the adrenaline started to wear off.

"Would have been a hell of a lot worse." He finished, as lightheaded and in pain as his felt, his father being there made him feel safe.

Just then Skullcrusher arrived, he smelled Hiccup's blood and the scent of some kind of predator other than a fellow dragon.

"Come on son, let go get you patched up, again." Stoick added cheekily, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey, at least I don't need a new limb, again." Hiccup replied with a halfhearted smile.

They mounted Skullcrusher and took off, Hiccup tucked tightly against Stoick's chest.

~TBC~