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1.
Aiden wasn't sure what to do when the night his dad and uncle got back from a hunting mission without any dragons. They'd both seemed in a bad mood but his dad still ruffled his hair and said he'd tell him later. Aiden might only be 9 but he knew that later meant when he was older. And it wasn't fair. He wanted to help. At least Uncle Viggo saw him as more than just another kid.
Still he didn't know if his dad would believe him that he saw a dragon crash in the woods. Leo thought he was just seeing things or that he had a nightmare. But Aiden knew that it wasn't a dream. So he snuck out of the village. His dad would be so mad if he knew that Aiden was going anywhere without his brothers. But he was 9! Not 3. He could handle a trip to the forest on his own. Besides, he'd taken the bow that his Uncle had gifted him.
He'd been wandering the woods for almost an hour and was getting a bit nervous. What would he do if he actually found a dragon? Would his Uncle be proud of him or angry that he had gone off on his own?
The sound of harsh coughing caught his attention. No one ever came out here. Maybe someone was hurt. He moved in the direction of the coughing and soon found a clearing. He blinked in shock when he spotted a young man on the ground with a hand over his chest as he coughed harshly. A black sleek looking dragon was circling the young man who didn't even look old enough to go hunting with his dad and uncle. He had shaggy hair that'd been loosely braided. The clothes he wore was a black and armored like a dragon's skin. The village made armor like that, but they had to kill the dragons. Did he have another way?
Aiden hid behind a tree and watched the pair. The guy looked sick which explained the hacking cough that sounded very wet. But how was the dragon not trying to eat him? Dad said dragons killed people. They weren't friends. This must be the dragon that had crashed last night. Was this the Dragon Master that his uncle complained about?
Finally the coughing stopped but the man was still wheezing. Wet lung realized Aiden. If he didn't get treatment then he would die. Aiden couldn't let that happen. He might not know the stranger but he couldn't just leave him there to die. He stepped out from his hiding place. The dragon immediately turned to him and growled. The Dragon Master was on his feet within a moment. There was a flicker of surprise in his green eyes then he pushed lightly at the dragon's muzzle.
"Easy, Toothless. He's just a boy," the stranger told the dragon, "What are you doing out here?"
"I'm...I'm not scared of you," declared Aiden boldly, "You have Wet Lung. If you don't treat it you'll die."
He shifted a bit on his feet and glanced at the dragon. That was a Night Fury, at least he was pretty sure it was. Only the Dragon Master could have a dragon that rare. It had to be him. Aiden's heart picked up a notch when the dragon looked at the Dragon Master then back at him. Almost as if the creature could read his mind.
"I'll be fine," denied the Dragon Master with a shake of his head, "My friend will help me. You need to go home before your parents realize that you're gone. They'll be worried if you are missing."
Aiden blinked at the fact that the rider was trying to take care of him. Shouldn't he be trying to get rid of him so he couldn't reveal his location to his family?
"You won't hurt me for knowing that you're here?" questioned Aiden almost incredulously.
"No. Just because we're on opposite sides of the war doesn't mean I have to want to harm you," replied the Dragon Master, "Children aren't meant to be brought into war. You should go home and forg..."
He began coughing harshly again. This time his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees. The Night Fury nudged at him in concern. Aiden took a step forward instinctively. Maybe the Dragon Master didn't deserve his help. After all, his dad and uncle were in charge of keeping the village safe. But the other didn't seem that old. Leaving him here would be wrong.
"I'm going to get you medicine from the village," stated Aiden, "Stay here and rest. If you try to fly away, it'll get worse."
The Dragon Master gave him a suspicious look. Aiden couldn't blame him. If their places were reversed, Aiden would be wary too. Still, it wasn't right to leave him. He would just not tell his dad or uncle. It wasn't like the Dragon Master knew who he was.
...
2.
. ..
Viggo frowned as he watched Aiden attempting to sneak around. The boy was normally a lot more upfront. He was the most curious of his nephews. And he was always respectful of him. Something was clearly on his mind. He had a small satchel in his hand. Was he going to meet someone? He was a little young for dating. And Ryker would skin whoever attempted to date his youngest son's alive.
"Are you heading out somewhere?" asked Viggo as he approached him.
"Uncle!" squeaked Aiden in surprise.
His face flushed a bright red and his eyes were wide. Oh, he definitely was up to something. Viggo crossed his arms and waited patiently. Aiden shifted from foot to foot decidedly not meeting his gaze. What was the boy up to?
"I'm uh...going to explore," admitted Aiden, "I was going to see if I could find any new caves or maybe a baby animal that I could tame."
"Your mother will kill you if you come home with an animal," reminded Viggo amused, "Your father then will ground you."
"Please don't tell them," pleaded Aiden, "I promise that I'll be careful!"
Viggo considered the situation. Aiden was a smart kid but he didn't know how to use his weapon properly yet. He was still learning how to properly shoot his bow. He shouldn't be alone. If a dragon attacked him, he wouldn't be able to protect himself.
"Aiden," he sighed, "You shouldn't be wandering the forest on your own. It's not safe. Why don't you wait until tomorrow and ask one of your brothers to go with you."
"But that won't work!" protested Aiden, "They won't think it's worth checking out! Please, Uncle. Don't stop me from exploring. No dragons are gonna attack me."
"I'd feel better if someone was with you," hummed Viggo thoughtfully, "Let's make a deal. I won't tell your father and you will ask one of your brothers to go."
"Fine," agreed Aiden, "I'll ask Leo. Happy?"
"Yes, quite," nodded Viggo, "Have fun, nephew."
Viggo would only learn later that Aiden did not in fact ask Leo.
...
3.
...
Hiccup looked up when the child returned. He'd been surprised that the younger hadn't given his location to the hunters. Instead he regularly brought him tea that was helping him with the cough. Over the previous month he'd been fighting Wet Lung and was now just starting to recover. Toothless had been against the idea of flying over the island to begin with. A coughing fit and caused him to lose control over the tailfin and for them to crash.
Toothless had managed to catch him before he'd hit the trees. They had decided to stay on the ground after that. As much as they wanted to, there was no reason to risk it while his lungs were healing. Hiccup hadn't expected anyone to find him. Let alone a child. But he wasn't complaining about the aid. The child didn't even know his name and was still taking care of him. Toothless had laughed at him and the irony of it.
Currently he was laying on the warm bed of burnt grass. Toothless used his plasma blast to clear the land and to keep them both warm. They didn't dare risk building a proper campfire though. The smoke would draw the attention of Viggo or Ryker. Both of whom were not known for their kindness. All he really knew about this boy was his name, Aiden.
"Hello, mister," greeted the child, "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Thank you," smiled Hiccup and he accepted the cup of tea that the child offered him, "Thank you. You know you don't have to keep coming here?"
"Well yeah. But I can't exactly not bring you tea," shrugged Aiden, "I promised to help and not to tell anyone. So I can't just send someone else. Then they'll tell someone."
"I suppose so," chuckled Hiccup.
Ah, to have a child's logic again. A part of him being that kind of naive. Life had taught him to expect the worse. When the best happened, he could be pleasantly surprised. Aiden was a sweet kid. He might come from the Hunters but that didn't mean he was a bad person. With the way that he was treating him, he had to be a good person.
"Can I ask you something?" inquired Aiden nervously, "It's kinda personal."
"Go ahead. I'll answer if I can," offered Hiccup curiously.
What could a child possibly want to know about him? More than that, what did a child consider to be a difficult question to ask?
"Why do you trust the dragon?" asked Aiden quietly.
"What?" questioned Hiccup in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"You trust him," explained Aiden, "You aren't scared of him. Why?"
Hiccup considered Aiden for a moment before standing and waving the boy over. Toothless was watching him curiously as he brought the boy closer to his brother. Maybe it would be enough to show the boy. To give him an idea of why the two of them were so close. Trusting someone, especially a dragon, could be scary. But it was worth the effort. It was worth every moment.
"You see the left part of his tailfin?" asked Hiccup quietly pointing to it.
The current version of the tailfin and saddle were dyed black. Most people wouldn't notice that it was fake. But the original had been a deep crimson that stood out against the rest of Toothless' body. It was the same with the saddle which was why many thought Hiccup was a monster when he attacked them.
"Yeah. What about it?" responded Aiden in a tense but calm voice.
He was doing good at putting on a brave face.
"Its fake," revealed Hiccup and that earned him a shocked glance from the younger, "I made it. So that Toothless could fly again. When I was fifteen, I shot him down in order to prove myself to my village. No one saw it or believed me when I told them. And when I found him, he was trapped and hurt. I had the chance to kill him and I couldn't bring myself to do it."
Aiden was watching him now in a mix of horror, shock, and amazement. This was a story that he'd told no one. He'd been alone for so long now, that he didn't have anyone outside of the dragons to tell. Now a Hunter's son would hear his darkest secret. His biggest failure and his greatest triumph.
"So we became friends. Eventually, we got to where we are today," continued Hiccup, "I ran away from home and we found our own place to make our own."
"Oh. So...you're a runaway?" questioned Aiden, "Not some great hero of legend?"
That startled a laugh from Hiccup. Hero of Legend. That's a new one. There was a flicker of hurt in Aiden's face. Ah. He'd taken his laughing the wrong way.
"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely, "I'm n ot la ughing at you. I'm not a hero. Just a boy who ran away from home."
"Because of the dragon?" pushed Aiden, "Why not show them what you've shown me?"
"They hate dragons," sighed Hiccup, "And they've always hated me. My dad tried to change me into something I wasn't. I was a runt. Smaller and skinnier than the other kids. They bullied me and the adults ignored it. So I ran away."
"Wow. I'm sorry," breathed Aiden in surprise, "I'm glad that I have a better family."
Hiccup gave him a small smile. Aiden was a good kid.
...
4.
...
Aiden slipped into his room through the window. He'd just gotten back from visiting the Dragon Master and it was late. If his dad caught him sneaking in then he would be in so much trouble. His feet touched the ground and he turned to shut the window. He wasn't expecting a hand to reach out of the darkness and cover his mouth. He squeaked in surprise.
"Easy, Aiden. It's just me," reassured a quiet voice.
"Uncle!" hissed Aiden as Viggo released him, "You scared me."
"You shouldn't have given me a reason to scare you," replied his uncle, "Why have you been sneaking out to the forest?"
Oh. He almost wished it was his dad. Uncle Viggo was harder to lie to. How could he explain that he'd been visiting the sick Dragon Master? He'd promised the man that he wouldn't reveal his presence to the village. Breaking promises was wrong. That's what Uncle Viggo and his dad taught him. Promises were sacred. His eyes began to burn.
What was he going to do? He couldn't betray his friend. The Dragon Master promised to take him flying. But that would mean lying to his Uncle. To his whole family. Lying was wrong too. Oh, his stomach hurt. Why couldn't things just be simple?
"Aiden," sighed his uncle, "I can't help you if you don't talk to me."
"But I can't," mumbled Aiden, "It'd be breaking a promise. You told me I should never break a promise."
"Unless the situation calls for it," countered his uncle, "Did someone threaten you? Are you in danger?"
He sounded concerned. Aiden didn't want him to worry. It wasn't fair to him. Still, the older would never forgive him if he knew that he'd been seeing the enemy. Would he ever understand that the Dragon Master wasn't an enemy?
"No. I'm not. Promise," replied Aiden, "I'm not in danger at all, Uncle. I was helping a friend. He's been sick and no one was there to help him."
His uncle frowned. Was he upset? Angry? Aiden could practically feel the gears turning in his mind. He couldn't figure out how to explain that his friend was the Dragon Master. Or that he wasn't a danger to him. It was Aiden who was the dangerous one in this instance. His family would kill his friend if they knew about him. And the thought made him ill.
"You wouldn't be this nervous if your friend belonged to the village," stated his uncle, "Who is it, Aiden? What has you this worked up?"
"I can't," whimpered Aiden, tears beginning to spill over, "I can't tell you. I can't. He's not a bad guy. He's just sick!"
"Hey. Easy, easy," soothed his uncle, drawing him into a hug, "Calm down, nephew. Take a breath. We'll work this out. Okay? Who is it?"
"He's...," hesitated Aiden and looked at his uncle's chest, "Please, Uncle. Don't make me say. Please. I don't want to break my promise. I don't want to get him in trouble."
He watched his Uncle turn over the little bit of information he had. At least, the older didn't seem mad. Just tired. Aiden was a bit surprised when he was picked up and moved to the bed. Then a warm hand was stroking his hair. This was nice. Uncle rarely did this with any of the boys. It made him feel safe. Cared for.
"Alright, Aiden," relented his Uncle, "I won't push anymore. But promise me that you will be careful."
"I promise, Uncle," agreed Aiden softly, "I'm sorry. For worrying you. I didn't mean to."
"I know. I'm not angry, Aiden," reassured his uncle, "Just worried."
...
5.
...
Aiden was shifting from foot to foot nervously. The Dragon Master was checking his harness before they went flying. It was just before dawn and he was keeping his promise. Though he suspected that his dad would find his bed empty long before he could get back from flying. He was both excited and a little nervous. Would the dragon take offense?
"Alright, I'm ready," declared the Dragon Master and moving towards the Nightfury, "You ready, kid?"
Toothless was watching him patiently. Aiden was sure that the dragon was amused by his nervousness. Still, he had no idea where the rider would take them. Could he even trust him to come back here to the island? What if he took him to his base instead and refused to let him leave? Oh, his stomach was hurting. He shouldn't be doing this.
"Kid?" inquired the rider in concern, "Are you alright? You don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"No. No, I'm okay," insisted Aiden and moved closer to the dragon, "Promise not to drop me in the ocean, Mr. Night Fury?"
The dragon crooned in amusement before nudging him gently. The Dragon Master held out a gloved hand towards him. Aiden accepted the hand and allowed the older to pull him onto the saddle. He wrapped his arms around the Dragon Master's middle. The young man chuckled and gave his hands a comforting squeeze.
"Don't worry. Toothless won't drop you," promised the Dragon Master, "Ready?"
"Y...yeah," whispered Aiden and buried his face between the older's shoulder blades.
The dragon's powerful legs crouched and then they were in the air. Aiden couldn't help his startled yelp. The two had no problem ignoring gravity. His stomach dropped and his heart rate picked up. They were climbing higher. He buried his face into the other's shoulder fearfully. What had he gotten himself into? How was he supposed to handle this kind of height?
"Breathe," encouraged the Dragon Master, "Its okay kid. You can open your eyes now. We have leveled off."
Swallowing hard, Aiden did as the other asked. They were above the clouds. So high that he could barely see the village that he called home. The sky was just beginning to lighten up. It made the view more than a little beautiful. More than that, the way that the pair flew seemed effortless. They were a well-oiled machine and worked together flawlessly.
"Its beautiful," he whispered in amazement, "I've never seen anything like it."
"Dragons can go places that few people can," explained the Dragon Master, "And Toothless is the fastest of all the dragons. They aren't the monsters that we see them as."
"Does...does that make me a monster?" wondered Aiden in a small voice, "Cause my family hunts and kills dragons? Am I a bad person for not stopping it?"
"No, you're not a monster, kid," reassured the older man, "My family killed and probably still does kill dragons. Until I met Toothless all I ever wanted was to be like them. We can change our ways if we have enough reason to."
"Oh. Good. Cause I don't wanna be a monster," breathed Aiden in relief, "Can I ask you something, sir?"
"Of course," laughed the rider, "What is it, kid?"
"Do you think that anyone can learn to ride dragons?" inquired the boy, "Could I learn to ride a dragon someday?"
"Of course," confirmed the Dragon Master, "But that depends on you. Dragons can't be forced to do what you want. If they choose to accept, then its possible. You might have to work for their trust."
"Right. Of course," sighed Aiden, disappointed, "I'm a Hunter. Why would a dragon ever want to bond with me?"
"There is always hope, kid," argued the Dragon Master, "Never lose that. How about I show you how to make friends with a Terrible Terror before I go home?"
"Really?" exclaimed Aiden in surprise, "You'd do that?"
"Of course, I would. Now hold on tight. We're gonna dive," ordered the rider, "We're going to land and see what we can find."
"What do you mean di..." he tried to ask and then shrieked when Toothless took a sharp nosedive towards the ground, "...ve! Ahhhhhh! We're gonna die!"
...
+1.
...
Viggo followed Aiden's tracks into the forest. Ryker was furious. The child had disappeared from his bed. There were no signs of a struggle and his bow was gone. So Ryker woke him to track his youngest son in order to find out what was going on. Not that Viggo minded. Aiden was his favorite nephew. He didn't want the child to get hurt.
The trail led deeper and deeper into the woods. This was concerning. What had the child been doing? Had he really been visiting a friend that was sick? In the forest? That didn't seem to fit. What was the child hiding? They made their way to a clearing where both men's hearts stopped at the sight. A dragon had recently gone down here. And not a small one.
"Where is my son?" questioned Ryker, his tone was cold and angry, "If that dragon..."
"Easy, Ryker," interjected Viggo, his own worry spiking as he slid down into the clearing, "I don't see any blood. If the dragon had taken him there would be at least some blood."
What he did see was a plasma blast bedding. A Nightfury then. Then he spied the familiar limping steps of the Dragon Master. Oh no... did the Dragon Master kidnap his nephew? Is that why the boy was acting odd and disappearing? Was he being threatened? Or worse. He glanced at his brother worriedly. This was a recipe for disaster.
A roar sounded causing both he and Ryker stepped back into the shadows. A large shadow passed overhead and the two hunters were frozen in place. Any noise would alert the beast to their location. It landed in the clearing and the Dragon Master sighed.
"See kid, it wasn't that bad," he teased the figure behind him, "And you said we were going to die when Toothless dived."
"You're the one who told him to dive straight down!" protested a familiar voice, "It's scary at first!"
"Aiden," breathed Viggo and Ryker tensed next to him.
They watched as the youth was allowed down from the dragon. Then the two were laughing. Laughing. The Dragon Master then dropped to the ground with a wet cough. Aiden immediately began scolding him for pushing himself too hard. The younger checked him over and then the dragon nuzzled at the pair playfully.
"Aiden made friends with the Dragon Master," whispered Viggo to his brother.
Ryker looked at him in disbelief. As if he didn't believe what was happening before him. Their nephew was helping the enemy. The same enemy that had cost them several dragons and money. But the two were clearly friendly and relaxed. There was no fear on the child's part. Viggo now understood why the child refused to answer his questions last night.
Before they could decide what to do, there was a gust of wind. The Nightfury raised its head and sniffed the air. Then he growled in the direction that they were hiding in. The Dragon Master and Aiden were on their feet within moments. The Dragon Master shoved Aiden behind him in a protective gesture. Clearly the man cared about the boy.
"Come out," ordered the Dragon Master, his voice was surprisingly soft and young.
It had been previously roughened through battle or by his mask. For the first time Viggo was actually able to get a good look at the Dragon Master. Viggo doubted that he was even 20 years yet. He was a wiry young man with a slim build. Dark armor and was the same one they saw when they fought him. The only difference being that his mask was pulled down.
His face was surprisingly softer than Viggo expected. With a strong jaw, aquiline nose, and a smattering of freckles on his cheeks. He didn't even look old enough to go out on a hunt with the Hunters. More than that, his expression was carefully blank. But his eyes, a sharp jade green in color, were watching the treeline.
Slowly Viggo stepped back out. Ryker didn't seem to approve but he stepped out for his son.
"Dad!" cried Aiden in alarm, "Uncle!"
The Dragon Master seemed to choke and then gave a harsh wet cough. Aiden was rubbing his back. Viggo realized that the cough had to be from Wet Lung. Which meant that the child had been giving the medicine to the Dragon Master.
"Dragon Master," greeted Viggo cautiously, "I am hoping you would release my nephew."
There was a flicker of surprise. So at least Aiden hadn't told the Dragon Master who he was. Just that his family was a part of the tribe. Hopefully that would mean the boy wouldn't be hurt or taken as hostage. He could hear his brother grinding his teeth. The older was not happy. Viggo didn't blame him. He wasn't sure how to handle this without risking the youth's life.
"Welp kid," said the Dragon Master giving Aiden a light push forward, "Looks like I won't get the chance to help you find a Terrible Terror."
Both Viggo and Ryker choked. They thought the Dragon Master was going to take the boy. But he was releasing him. Without prompting. Without a threat. Though there would be questions about the boy wanting to find a Terrible Terror. Aiden looked at his dad nervously before moving towards them. Once he was close, he darted the rest of the way to his dad.
The Dragon Master however had climbed back onto the back of his dragon. The Nightfury was watching them suspiciously and bared his fangs at them. Then he launched into the air leaving them behind.
"I can't believe it," muttered Ryker tightening his hold on Aiden, "He could have used you as a hostage. What were you thinking Aiden?!"
"Sorry, Dad," whimpered the child, his face pressed against his chest, "I was just helping him. He was sick. It was the right thing to do."
Ryker looked over his son's head at Viggo. He was as lost for words as Viggo was. Never would either of the men have guessed that the Dragon Master would let the child go. Or that the man wasn't even an adult. He had to have been a teenager when they first encountered him. That was...concerning. How had a teenaged boy managed to completely change the landscape of their world?
"Well, that was not the morning that I expected to have," admitted Viggo, "We should return to the village."
Ryker nodded and moved to go back first. Viggo hesitated and looked up at the sky in consideration. This was something to take into consideration later.