A/N: I'M ALIVE! That's right, I'm not dead! The delays will not stop me, and this story WILL be finished if it's the last thing I do! But seriously, I'm very sorry for the long wait. There's just been delay after delay. Surely I'm not the only author on fanfiction who's suffered a severe case of Writer's Block? Thanks for all the great ideas for names, and I had such a hard time choosing one! But she could only have one name, or else…. MARY SUE WILL ATTACK! So, yeah…

Special thanks to TooAwesome4Words, SwiftslashxLeafstorm, and Sincerely The Sign Painter for reviewing!

Chapter Four: A Bonding Touch

I look up at him for a long moment, before moaning and covering my face with my wings. I would rather he just end my life now, and get it over with. The Vikings are all confused, and debate among themselves.

"What's it doing?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's a trap! I know it!"

"If it were a trap, it would've killed Hiccup already, you idiot."

"Hiccup, what are you thinking? Get back!"

Obediently, "Hiccup" as I guess he is called, steps back again and out of my line of vision. I debate lifting my head to see him better, and decide against it.

"Why doesn't it attack us?" one very confused Teenager asks.

"Let's fight another dragon, this one won't even move," another says.

"But we have to write about this dragon! We have to fight it!" yet another protests.

"Let's give it a day and come back to it," the Adult Viking finally decides. "It's probably still in too much shock to fight. But don't worry, I'll bet by tomorrow it will be wild with rage!" he continued.

"Uh, is that supposed to make me feel better?" a Viking Teenager asked in a nervous voice.

I find myself alone in the dark once again as the large heavy doors shut with a loud groan, before locking with a heavy thud. It looks like I'll be left to myself until tomorrow. I can't help but feel a little angry. I had spared that Viking Teenager's worthless life; was it too much to ask if he return the favor? Just once? "Well," I think angrily, "That's what you get for sparing a Viking brat."

Hours later, I am stirred from my fitful sleep by a soft groaning and creaking sound. I lift my head just slightly, expecting to see blinding sunlight as the doors open. "Is it morning already?" I wonder. However, I am met with just a small amount of light, and I realize the sun is going down. Wait, down? It's evening, not morning! The night has just barely begun! What's going on here? I am answered a moment later when the doors open fully and I behold a single, lone Teenager. And I recognize him. He's the one I spared, the one I was just mad at for not returning the favor.

He looks at me calmly, and I glare back at him, but don't growl. Finally he speaks, "I'm sorry it took so long. I just couldn't find an opportunity to come sooner."

My expression turns confused, and I stare at him. He brings out a fish, and says quietly, "I brought you some food."

Once again I glare at him, and raise my head with a low growl. He flinches back, but instead of attacking I simply turn my back to him so that he can't see my face. He's quiet for a moment, but then says, "You know, this is probably the only chance for food that you'll be getting for awhile…"

Despite myself, my stomach rumbles slightly. But stubbornly, I refuse to face him. He sighs, and then says, "Fine. You can sit there, and think suicidal thoughts all you want, but I'm not going to stop trying to get you to eat. You need the food for strength."

I snort. Hah, that's a good one… What good is food when I'm going to die anyway…? Suddenly, I realize what he's saying. I AM becoming suicidal. Of all the things I thought I'd ever be, suicidal and overly depressed is NOT one of them. I glance at the fish, and give it a quick sniff. There's no poison that I can tell. I start to reach for it, but I suddenly spot the knife strapped to his belt. This could be a trap! I recoil and growl, staring at the knife on his belt. I can't believe that I actually forgot this might be a trap, if even for a moment. He glances down at his belt, then back at me. Slowly, he reaches for it, and I brace myself. He then grabs it by the hilt, and unsheathes it. He holds it out, and then… drops it.

I stare. I've been doing a lot of that lately, haven't I?

He kicks it away from us, way out of reach. Realizing that he's unarmed, I relax slightly. He holds out the fish invitingly, and I cautiously uncoil myself enough to reach it without standing up. Slowly, I open my mouth and wait to see how he reacts. He stands stock still. I snap it out of his hand in an instant, without biting him. He flinches slightly, but shows no other signs of fear. I check him up and down, before determining that he has no more fish on him. As I lean away from him again, I remember for the first time that I know his name now. The other Vikings had called him Hiccup. An odd name, but it is a name. Dragons don't get names unless they're really important, like a Night Fury or a Monstrous Nightmare.

He looks at me for a long moment in wonder, and finally shakes his head. "Right… well, on to step two."

I give him a confused look, and he clarifies, "You have to stand up now."

When I refuse, he sighs and says, "Please?" He gives me his most adorable pleading look ever, but it has no effect. If he's just trying to get me better so he and the others can fight me, I'm not going to cooperate! He gestures to the ring outside invitingly. Well… I could just stretch my wings… I reluctantly get to my feet and step outside my stall. I stand to my full height and unfurl my wings, stretching them to their full length. Hiccup gapes in wonder. I look around in confusion. There's nothing extraordinary in the Ring, so what's he staring at? He looks at my wings and says in an awed voice, "Wow, I just now realized how magnificent your wings are. You must be the best of all dragons when it comes to flight!"

I look at him sadly, wishing it were true. He gazes into my eyes, and asks, "Do you trust me?"

I start. Do I? He has done nothing bad to me, and something tells me that he can be trusted. I might just be going insane, but… Ever so slowly, I walk towards him. He stretches out his hand, and I sniff at it. Feeling an unusual burst of confidence, I gently place my snout against his palm. We stay like that, and for a moment in time, all is perfect. To him, it might just mean that I'm finally letting him pet me. But it means so much more than that. It's the Bonding Touch, which is what dragons do to seal a pact that can never be broken. When they gently touch noses, or in this case, when I touch his palm, it's like we're sealing a promise. It's a promise that should never, ever be broken. In our case, it's a promise of trust. It's like I'm saying that I trust him, and he can trust me forever. It's like he's saying that I can trust him, and he trusts me. I won't break this promise, but I can only hope that he won't either.

Slowly we move apart. A thoughtful expression spreads across his features, and he says firmly, "You need a name."

I am truly shocked. To receive a name is the greatest honor of all for a dragon. He gives an embarrassed frown and asks me awkwardly, "So… Are you a guy?" My indignant squawk was enough of an answer. "I'll take that as a no. Sorry about that, it's just with dragons… it's hard to tell."

Humph! Well, I could use that same excuse with Vikings. They all look alike.

He sits back and studies me. After a moment's thought, he starts listing names. "What do you think about Luna, Willow, or Comet? Or maybe Stormbolt or Ocean? Perhaps Skyweaver, or do you think Skydream sounds better?"

I feel disoriented by the sudden long list of possible names. I'm surprised at Hiccup's naming skills and huge imagination. Has he been thinking up names before now or what? I think those are all good names, but they just don't seem to fit me.

He thinks a moment longer and then says, "What about Aqua or Flare? Those are nice names."

They were, but… no.

"I have one last idea, what do you think about the name Skyshimmer? Shimmer for short?" That seemed the best of all of them. I nod my head eagerly.

"Skyshimmer it is then." He seemed pleased with himself. Little did he know just how much of an honor he has given me.