686Chapter 7: The Green Dragon
The Green Dragon
"Come on, Mister Haddock, it will be good for you to get out of Bag-end!" Frodo exclaimed from the other room.
Hiccup groaned softly. He did not particularly want to go outside. Not when he had all these intricate maps to look over and compare to the little he knew of the mainland.
"I would rather just look at these maps."
Still can't figure out where exactly I am. The mainland is confusing.
Frodo strolled into the living room, crossed his arms, and scowled amicably.
"Oh, no you don't! You spent the entire day inside doing nothing but looking over those maps. That's too much like Bilbo! You need to stop all this..." Frodo waved a hand his direction.
"You just gestured to all of me..."
"Yes, and you are coming down for some Hobbit-brewed ale!"
Hiccup reconsidered his isolation at that suggestion, having already heard a great deal about the brews of the Shire and the merriment of how much Hobbits liked to party.
"Even better, you get to meet my friends," Frodo added with a merry grin.
That made it even more tempting. Any friend of Frodo's was likely to be a good person and might be someone who he could introduce to Toothless eventually. Being honest with himself, he was very excited to meet more of the Hobbits. But he was also a little worried that he wouldn't be liked. His interaction with Hobbiton Hobbits so far had been limited to a very brief and awkward visit to the market and his time with Bilbo and Frodo, neither of whom were normal.
He had indeed spent the whole day inside.
"Alright, alright, you win. Oh, Frodo, Hiccup is fine. No need for Mister Haddock."
"Very well then, Mister Hiccup," Frodo deviously grinned.
"That's not what I... really?"
Frodo just laughed and threw on his evening coat from the closet.
Hiccup pulled himself away from the old papers and followed Frodo out the door after putting on his traveling cloak. It was rather late in the day, and many other Hobbits were also making their way into town. The evening gathering was definitely a tradition given how many Hobbits were meeting up and having conversations along the way.
Frodo nudged him in the side.
"To tell you the truth, I am not sure where they get the ale from. I mean, Bilbo's party almost emptied the stores of all the supplies from here to the Southfarthing," Frodo chuckled.
"It did look like a very big party."
"A shame that you didn't join us for it, but I understand that you had a friend to be with."
Hiccup groaned.
"I just wish that he didn't have to stay hidden and alone."
He fell silent when they passed a few Hobbits loitering on the path and speaking to each other. They all gasped in surprise and stared at him as he and Frodo passed by, Frodo politely greeting them by name.
Swarmed by adoring fans...
In fairness to them, it was probably not often that they saw someone like him in the Shire. The nearest tall folk were probably those over in Buckland.
"Where are we going again?"
Frodo clapped him on the shoulder.
"Down to the Bywater and to our greatest ale house and inn. You will love its name too. The Green Dragon!"
Hiccup started in surprise at that.
Wait, what?
"The Green Dragon? Where did that name come from?"
Frodo shrugged.
"No idea. It has been called that for generations. All my friends should be there tonight; they're probably there right now."
They continued on through the warm evening toward the crowd disappearing into the establishment. Everything looked bright and warm in Hobbiton proper.
"Uh, should I expect anything? I'm kind of going to be the only non-Hobbit there."
"You might get some strange looks. Just be friendly, drink a lot, spend my coin, and tell some stories if you must. I'll handle the rest," Frodo reassured him.
Me get some strange looks? Well, never had that happen before...
He squared his shoulders, followed Frodo inside The Green Dragon, and was immediately assaulted by the din of laughter, the smell of food and pipe-smoke, and a number of curious stares.
Gods, I am the tallest person here. Definitely never thought that would be possible.
More strange stares, pointed fingers, and hushed whispering followed as he and Frodo made their way through the crowd.
"Ted, Sam!" Frodo shouted and made his way over to a corner table where a pair of Hobbits sat smoking together near the fire.
They took the empty spots next to the two Hobbits.
"Ted Sandyman, Samwise Gamgee, this is... one of Bilbo's friends from afar, Mister Haddock."
Hiccup took Sam's offered hand and politely nodded at Ted across the table.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mister Haddock sir," Sam mildly said.
Sam looked extraordinarily plain and simple, though that was not uncommon for Hobbits. He had curly hair and was just a little plump, also a common characteristic for Hobbits, while also being sturdy and strong.
"Same to you, Mister Gamgee. What do you do in the Shire?"
"I am a... gardener," Sam answered, though there was something else that Hiccup thought was oddly familiar in his voice.
Frodo clapped Sam on the shoulder.
"One of our oldest and most honored of professions, I would add. Ted here works at the mill and the forge, if we can call what he does 'work'," Frodo chuckled.
"Bah, you're one to talk. What do you even do other than read books? Just living off the mountains of gold hidden in Bag-end, I say!" Ted retorted with a friendly grin.
"There are no mountains of gold. There were a few chests that smelled of troll, but most of those are empty now. How many times must I say that?" Frodo chuckled to himself.
"Keep your secrets then. What about you, Mister Haddock? It's not often we have Men in the Shire," Ted asked.
"I wanted to come visit the Shire... and see Bilbo. I heard that this is a very peaceful place. You see, I'm from far away where everything is cold and grey and not so peaceful."
Ted laughed at that.
"We wouldn't know anything about that. Everything beyond our borders is none of our concern. We like to keep our noses out of trouble. We were just talking here about the things folk are saying these days," Ted cryptically whispered when he was interrupted.
A Hobbit maid with her golden hair in curls came over to the table. There were bright ribbons in her hair.
"Can I get you gentlehobbits anything to drink?" she sweetly asked.
"Ales on me all around the table! Cheers, Rosie," Frodo eagerly answered.
Hiccup noticed that Sam wilted and looked away when Rosie was at the table. He caught Frodo's eye, and Frodo subtly nodded at Sam while Sam was looking away.
Ah, I see what is going on here.
"What are the folk saying these days, Sam, Ted?" Frodo then said while putting his elbows on the table and his head on his hands.
Ted leaned in conspiratorially and huffed on his pipe.
"There's talk of very queer folk passing through the Shire now. Dwarves and others of a less-than-savory nature."
Sam looked back at them from wherever he had been staring.
"Stories are that the mountains are filled with Goblins," Sam added.
"Goblins, what nonsense. Next, you're going to say that you saw a real dragon," interrupted a stranger who must have had a lot to drink already, "You're beginning to sound like that old Bilbo Baggins. Absolutely cracked, that one was!"
Sam was visibly upset by that.
"Hal, what do you know? I reckon there's more truth in the stories than you think. The stories had to come from somewhere. We know that dragons are real even if they thankfully don't live here!" Sam answered while vigorously pointing a finger.
Hiccup and Frodo both subtly stiffened while the drunk Hobbit wandered off to insert himself in another conversation.
Ted dismissively waved Hal away.
"Hal's too far gone tonight. I'd agree that Bilbo was crazy, yes, but crazy in a good way."
Hiccup thought it was a very good opportunity to ask a question he had been wondering about.
"What do you or other Hobbits think about dragons?"
Ted shrugged.
"Oh, I heard tales of them when I was a lad, but now, no sir. I've grown up and left behind those childish stories. I say there's no reason to think those things are anything more than stories."
"They're real though!" Sam added, "And it might be amazing to see one... from very far away... of course!"
Ted then slapped a hand on the table.
"There is only one dragon in the Shire, and that one is Green!" Ted chuckled to general laughter around the table.
And a pair of wry grins.
Rosie chose that moment to return with four large mugs filled to the brim with foamy ale. All four at the table chose a mug, clanged them together, and took a hearty swig. While not one much for drinking back on Berk, Hiccup could not help but savor the smooth taste of the Hobbit amber ale. It was not at all tasteless.
This tastes much better than what we had back on Berk...
"Anyhow, it is no concern of ours what goes on beyond our borders. Keep your nose out of trouble and no trouble will come to you," Ted advised with a long swig from his mug.
They all nodded in easy agreement.
I totally agree. The world wants peace and these Hobbits have the answer. Very different from Vikings up in the Archipelago. The tribes would probably be fighting each other or the mainland even if there were no dragons up there to keep them busy.
"I heard that the Elves are going West to the Havens," Sam whispered.
"That's nothing new. They've been doing that for generations," Ted pointed out.
"I know. They are sailing, sailing, sailing over the Sea; they are going into the West and leaving us," Sam shook his head and sighed solemnly.
That sounded very strange.
"What do you mean that they are going into the West?" Hiccup asked.
Frodo and Sam shared a solemn glance before Sam answered.
"Gandalf could explain it better. All I know is that they are going to their true home beyond the edge of the world. It is a place that can only be found by those who know where it is or have permission to go there or something like that," Sam tried to explain.
That explanation didn't help much.
Maybe I should ask about that the next time I see Gandalf.
The incessant muttering and laughter suddenly stilled.
He glanced over his shoulder as a pair of Hobbits stood up on a table and turned towards each other. Each of them held a mug in a free hand.
Frodo leaned toward Hiccup and whispered to him.
"Two more friends of mine. Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. They go by Merry and Pippin."
Then the two Hobbits locked arms and started dancing on the table, likely carried away by a festive spirit and many mugs of ale already imbibed.
"Sing hey! For the bath at close of day... that washes the weary mud away!... A loon is he that will not sing:... O! Water Hot is a noble thing!"
"O! Sweet is the sound of falling rain,... and the brook that leaps from hill to plain;... but better than rain or rippling stream... is Water Hot that smokes and steams!"
"O! Water cold we may pour at need... down a thirsty throat and be glad indeed;... but better is Beer, if drink we lack,... and Water Hot poured down the back!"
A round of cheering went up that, and the two Hobbits downed their mugs before tossing them away.
Hiccup laughed and smiled at the innocent revelry. These two Hobbits were very jovial and lighthearted. Still, seeing the laughter and dancing brought up bittersweet memories of previous years' Snoggletog festivals in the Great Hall or other such celebrations.
"This almost reminds me of home."
"Does it?" Frodo whispered.
"The good parts at least," he clarified.
"You'll have to tell me about it later, but now is the time for laughter, music, and drinking!" Frodo eagerly finished.
The two standing Hobbits were handed fresh mugs. Pippin started singing anew.
"Hey! Ho! To the bottle I go. To heal my heart and drown my woe. Rain may fall and wind may blow, but there still be many miles to go. Sweet is the sound of the pouring rain, and the stream that falls from hill to plain. Better than rain or rippling brook IS A MUG OF BEER INSIDE THIS TOOK!"
Louder cheering followed as half the audience got to their feet and stamped in approval.
"Oh, really! You want to play that game? Fine!" Merry roared and began his lay.
"Oh, you can search far and wide! You can drink the whole town dry, but you'll never find a beer so brown... as the one we drink in our hometown. You can drink your fancy ales! You can drink them by the flagon, but the only brew for the brave and true... comes from from THE GREEN DRAGON!"
Raucous cheering followed that as everyone flew to their feet and clapped in acclaim. Some of them even fell onto the floor. Both Hobbits standing on the table bowed profusely and waved at the table where Frodo, Hiccup, Sam, and Ted were sitting.
"I win!" "I win!"
"Did not!" Merry objected.
"Did too!" Pippin objected.
"Let's settle this..." Merry began.
"... with a drinking contest!" Pippin finished.
The two Hobbits nodded in agreement, jumped down from the table, and ran off to refill their mugs.
"Are those two always like that?" Hiccup wondered in mirth.
"Pretty much. Trust a Brandybuck and a Took to provide amusement no matter what," Frodo explained.
"They almost remind me of another pair from back... home. A brother and sister. Absolutely absurd, those two were," Hiccup mused.
While the Twins had joined in the teasing of him, their humor was more directed toward the absurd and toward the joke itself, not truly in any malice toward the one the joke was on. Plus, they teased, pranked, and abused themselves far worse than anyone else.
"Well, good gentlehobbits, I must be off to home and the Missus. To your good health, a quiet life in which nothing unexpected ever happens, and my best regards to you Mister Haddock," Ted cheerfully excused himself and saw himself out the door.
Frodo eagerly turned to Sam the moment Ted was gone.
"Sam, did you talk to her yet?"
Sam's cheeks immediately turned crimson, and he took another long swig of ale.
"No, I haven't spoken..."
"And why not, pray-tell?"
"Mister Frodo, I am only a lowly gardener."
"And the Cotton family are all farmers. So what? Who cares?" Frodo nudged him.
"Why would she like me? I'm nothing much special," Sam sighed.
"Don't sell yourself short, Sam. You are fond of Elven poetry and stories..."
Hiccup was so seated that he could see the counter behind which Rosie kept going to refill mugs from giant barrels. She was very focused on her work, but she did cast the occasional glance their direction. Likely in Sam's direction.
Did Astrid ever do that with me in the Great Hall? Probably not. She was all for training and fighting only. Always serious. Rosie is probably happier in general because of how good the Shire is. Maybe Astrid would have been happier if things had changed on Berk.
"Did she enjoy the dance at the party the other day?" Frodo continued.
"Well, yes, but..."
"Did she dance with anyone else at all?"
"Well, no, but..."
Frodo laughed and cuffed Sam on the shoulder.
"You'll figure it out eventually, Sam. Even if you have to go on some grand adventure first! Who knows what kind of spooky monsters are out there in the beyond?"
"What is out there?" Hiccup asked.
"Trolls, Goblins, big wolves, big spiders," Frodo teasingly waved his fingers at the shuddering Sam, "and those are just the ones my uncle Bilbo met!"
Hiccup coughed and sputtered on the ale in total surprise.
Wait, trolls exist?
"Don't have to go that far outside the Shire to find something that gives me the creeps. The Barrow-downs," Sam mumbled.
Both Hobbits shivered at the name.
"What are the Barrow-downs?" Hiccup asked.
Frodo reluctantly answered after a moment of consideration.
"To the East just past the Old Forest. They are a plain with low hills and many old tombs of men. Travelers who go through there say that there is a wight that lives in the tombs."
"A wight?"
Frodo nodded and explained.
"Some fell spirit laid claim to those tombs, so the story goes. Most Hobbits stay far away from there, and some have been lost through the years. They wandered into the mist and were never seen again. It is probably the only place anywhere nearby that Hobbits are truly afraid of."
Sam nodded in agreement.
"Folk have been seeing strange things near there and in the Old Forest for as long as anyone can remember. Shadowy shapes, talking trees, and other unmentionable things," Sam whispered.
Talking trees? Yeah, right...
"No one admits openly that the wight is real, but everyone who has been there has felt the chill and seen the fog that never fades. There is something unnatural, something evil in those barrows," Frodo explained.
"Why hasn't anyone done anything about it?" Hiccup wondered.
"We Hobbits are not great warriors, in case you could not tell. Also, the wight, if it is real, cannot really leave the tombs it is bound to, so it is not much of a problem as long as we stay away. Hard to imagine how one could get rid of a wight. What creatures of evil fear the most is..."
Frodo didn't finish his thought and instead just stared with a blank expression into the distance.
"Frodo?" Hiccup asked.
Frodo blinked and shook his head.
"Oh, it's nothing. Come now, Mister Haddock, you promised me stories from your land! You have an attentive audience of two."
Hiccup took a long swig of the brown ale, considered the pair of eager Hobbits sitting with him, and decided on a few old tales of Bjork and some things he had heard from Trader Johann that could be safely told. This would be fine as long as he didn't start talking about family.
"And that man, Stoick, really popped a dragon's head clean off its shoulders when he was only a baby?" Sam was awestruck.
"It's only a story. Do I believe it? Yes, I do," Hiccup answered.
"He sounds like a true giant to me," Frodo chuckled.
Hiccup laughed at that and took another swig from the mug. It was his fourth mug of the evening. It was becoming a very warm, pleasant evening.
Conversation was also looser and freer, for some odd reason.
"Standing up, I would only be up to his chest right now."
Both Hobbits gasped in amazement.
"He sounds like a great leader from what you've said of him. To lead a people far in the North and always being attacked by dragons, they must be a very tough people to live up there," Sam observed.
"Yep," Hiccup nodded, "you'd think that most people would just leave. Not us... them. They have stubbornness issues. Stoick was..." his voice trailed off into a noticeable pause.
"Did you know him well?" Sam asked.
Hiccup sighed and took a moment to compose himself.
"I... I did for a while. He was... like a father in many ways, but I had to move on because living up there became... too dangerous for someone I care about."
Frodo put a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.
"Oh, I see. Well, not really, but I think I understand. Sorry I brought it up, Mister Haddock," Sam profusely apologized.
"No, don't worry about it, Sam. I don't imagine that I will be going up there any time soon anyway."
Or ever...
Frodo looked around at the thinning crowd as more of the Hobbits departed for the night. Hiccup also noticed how much emptier the place was becoming. He had no idea how long he had been at The Green Dragon, but it was getting very late.
Or early in the morning.
"I say that we all go and turn in. What do you all say?"
Sam and Frodo both yawned at the same time.
"That settles that. The vote is unanimous!" Frodo chuckled.
The three of them made their way to the exit. Unfortunately for Sam that meant walking right past Rosie as she was greeting everyone on their way out the door.
Her greeting smile was as kind and endearing as it was indoors.
"Good night, lads..."
"Rosie..." "Good night..." "Rosie..."
Someone right behind them decided to stop and wax eloquently to Rosie on the way out.
"Farewell, sweet maiden of the ale... your hair is as sweet as honey..."
"Oye, mind who you're sweet-talking," Sam muttered under his breath after tossing a backwards glance at Rosie.
Frodo stepped over to Sam's side and put an arm over his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Sam. Rosie knows an idiot when she sees one."
Hiccup glanced back over his shoulder and, sure enough, Rosie was kindly but firmly encouraging the sloshed Hobbit to continue on his way.
Then Frodo stepped away from Sam after patting him on the back. Far from reassuring him, Sam seemed suddenly very worried about something.
"She knows an idiot when she sees one? Does she? Oh, no..."
Hiccup stifled the snicker at how clueless Sam was.
He thinks he is so useless. So awkward. Poor guy.
I wonder what it will take for him to find his courage? Rosie has her eye on him.
"See you tomorrow, Sam," Frodo gave his best friend a hug.
"Back to work, indeed. Mister Haddock, it was a pleasure to listen to your stories. You will have to us tell more. How long did you say that you will be here with us in the Shire?" Sam asked.
"I'm not sure. I have no plans to go anywhere else for now," Hiccup truthfully answered.
Gandalf would definitely not approve of me or Toothless going anywhere now. Not that we really want to go anywhere else.
"Excellent! Well, see you around!"
Sam shuffled off toward his home.
"Come on, Hiccup. Let's get going," Frodo beckoned him to follow.
They started toward Bag-end; however, Frodo turned to him when they were halfway there, and he whispered even though there was no one who could possibly overhear them.
"I have a plan to get Toothless openly into the Shire."
Hiccup almost tripped over his feet in surprise.
"Really? What is it?"
"First," Frodo paused, "I need to know something. Does he really have fire, and if so how powerful is he?"
He thought it was a strange question.
"Very powerful. He can make... explosions as big as those fireworks at the party. Bigger probably."
Frodo nodded, apparently satisfied by something, and they both resumed walking.
"Okay, good to know. I will take care of everything. It will take a few days before anything can happen."
"Shouldn't I get to know what the plan is?"
"True, you should both know," Frodo agreed, "I was thinking that you two could go and clear out the wight from the tombs on the Barrow-downs."
Hiccup blinked in surprise. It was not clear to him how killing a ghost, if it existed or if that were even possible, would help get Toothless into the Shire.
"Why do that?"
"Everyone here is scared of those Downs. Think of it as a gesture of goodwill for you both to get rid of that thing."
The plan made some sense.
"I suppose we could, but I cannot fight at all."
Frodo frowned.
"No, I don't think you would need to. Toothless should have enough fire to do what you need to do. Creatures of evil do not like light and warmth; they prefer the dark and the cold. Not much is brighter or hotter than dragonfire, I imagine."
"Yeah, that's definitely true. Why not do this right now?"
"Because I want to summon Will Whitfoot, the Mayor of the Shire, here. Clearing out the Downs would be one less thing for him to worry about. I would tell him that there are two brave warriors here to destroy the evil in the Barrows, and all that these warriors ask for is that we let them live here in peace if they are successful. It sounds like a very generous deal. I get Will to agree, and then we introduce you and Toothless."
"What could go wrong?" Hiccup groaned.
Frodo only laughed.
"I would say that depends on Toothless minding his manners. You two will be fine."
Hiccup swayed slightly on his feet.
"Alright, I'll tell him in the morning. By the way, how strong is the ale?"
Frodo, in no danger of losing his footing, chuckled heartily.
"That ale was a stronger one. If I were you I would have some water before you turn in."
They finally arrived at Bag-end sometime around midnight, judging from the moon's progression. Hiccup took Frodo's advice and drank some water before turning in. The bed was very warm and comfortable, especially considering the weeks that he had spent sleeping on the ground, more or less. It took a while before he fell asleep after crawling into bed.
It was the first full day that he had spent separated from Toothless since they had left Berk. Being apart from him had been necessary but not enjoyable.
I'm going to see him first thing in the morning. Just hope that I can sleep well again tonight.
Hiccup left Bag-end before dawn. He had wrapped himself in a warm cloak from the closet. His sleep had been disturbed and not at all restful.
He had found himself dreaming about Berk and especially about the deep forest and the misty parts of the isle. He had been walking alongside Toothless when they got separated. Then he found a deep cave that led under a hill. The cave's mouth was veiled in a thick mist. However, as soon as he tried to inspect the dark crevice, a skeletal hand reached out of the shadows, grabbed him, and dragged him, kicking and screaming, into the cave's depths.
Then he found himself strapped into an elaborate saddle on Toothless's back. They soared over a perfectly peaceful kingdom filled with humans and dragons of all kinds. The riding gear he wore was pitch black, and he wielded a golden staff befitting his status as Dragon Master. He lifted his staff high into the sky, took in the total control and peace that he brought to the world, and savored the pure power flowing into his soul from the living fire wrapped around his finger. All through his great strength of will.
It was at that point that he had woken up in a cold sweat and had not been able to go back to sleep. The shadows had danced around the guestroom, and it had felt as though he was not alone.
"Ugh, I should not have skipped breakfast."
The chill morning air definitely helped him to wake up. He eventually reached the same place where he and Toothless had agreed to meet this morning.
Alright, where are you, you useless reptile?
A brief search eventually revealed what he was looking for. A dark lump was hiding behind a thick patch of bushes.
"Hey Toothless!" he announced in a singsong voice.
The dozing dragon did not stir.
"Useless reptile..."
He walked over to Toothless's side and saw the single, natural fin under which Toothless's head was sheltered. He tickled the tailfin, and it immediately lifted in response. An eyelid opened, and a green eye narrowed on him.
"Hey there Toothless, did you sle..."
Toothless flew to his feet and leapt at him, knocking him onto his back and gently holding him down with a paw. The dragon was either very playful or spooked by something. Hiccup realized after a moment that Toothless was definitely worried based on how heavily and rapidly he was breathing and how his eyes were slightly narrowed.
"What was that for?" Hiccup groaned.
"That was for you worrying me!" Toothless gasped.
"Heh, heh, heh... when did I ever worry you... recently?"
Toothless stepped back and warbled piteously while Hiccup got back to his feet.
"In my dream..."
"Oh, I am sorry for worrying you in your dream," Hiccup cheekily smiled.
He was batted in the head by a paw for that comment.
"Alright, I deserved that one. Do you want to talk about it, bud?"
Toothless lay his head on his paws and crooned softly. He still needed a moment before he spoke about what he saw in the dream.
"We were flying through a sky filled with cries, fire, and smoke. Everything was spinning around us. Then a shadow hit you and... you fell."
A whimper followed.
"I tried to catch you, but you were falling so fast and there was blood and..."
Toothless closed his eyes and sighed. He opened his eyes a moment later when he felt Hiccup's palm on his nose.
"And then you woke me up..."
"Oh, come on, Toothless. I couldn't let you have such a bad dream, after all. And I have even better news for you," Hiccup grinned.
"What is it?" the Fury's eyes widened slightly.
"Frodo has a plan to get you openly into the Shire."
That got ears lifted and a tail swaying in eager anticipation.
"What is it?"
"Remember that Old Forest?"
A soft growl was the only answer needed, though the growl faded when Hiccup stroked his neck.
"There is apparently a place beyond that Forest. Somewhere that has tombs, places where dead bodies are put. Frodo said that something bad lives in the tombs. A wight."
Toothless tilted his head to his side and narrowed his eyes.
"A wight? What is that?"
"Not sure," Hiccup frowned, "something spooky. Vikings have stories of other things called draugr, a dead body that lives in tombs. Maybe it is like that."
Toothless blinked.
"A living dead body? What?" he barked.
Hiccup threw up his hands in his own confusion.
"I don't understand it either. What matters is that it's a place that scares a lot of Hobbits. Frodo thought that we might kill the wight there with your fire. Do something good for the Shire, and that would prove that you are not a bad dragon."
Toothless grumbled softly while thinking about it. Hiccup then realized something about the tombs that they would be flying to..
"You know what? There might not even be anything there, now that I think about it. Places people think are haunted might be like that. No one goes there, which makes it mysterious, which makes it scary, and so on. We should do it," Hiccup proposed.
"Us walk into a place with strange, not-dead things to go kill them?"
"Sounds very stupid, I know."
Then Toothless grinned while showing his sharp teeth.
"It sounds crazy and twisted to me. Yes, we should do it!"
Hiccup nodded and then glanced up at the overcast sky.
"And we will. We need a few days first. That is what Frodo said. Until then, how about we go flying? I kind of feel bad that..."
He got no further before Toothless leapt toward his side and crouched down with an eagerly swaying tail.
Finally up in the clouds and beyond any possibility of being seen, they settled down into a glide so that they could speak.
"So, Toothless, how was your day yesterday?"
Toothless huffed and glanced back over his shoulder.
"Boring. I went nowhere and had much time to think."
"Think about what?"
"Everything you told me about this world. That there are only bad dragons. I do not... know what to think about that," he answered with a slightly sad croon.
Hiccup rested a hand on Toothless's neck and gave him a gentle scratching.
"I spent the whole day looking at Frodo's maps of this Middle-earth land. I had no idea that the mainland was so big."
"I know nothing of it. I never flew from the Monster's nest for long."
"As I said before, we can go and look for other dragons eventually. I cannot believe that all of them are bad."
"That would be good..." Toothless agreed.
Then Hiccup sighed and closed his eyes.
"I was also thinking about home, about Berk, and everyone I knew there."
"What about them?" Toothless faintly growled.
"They... were not that bad. I was useless for what they thought they needed. They were very good to everyone else in the tribe, mostly. Putting up with Mildew's crankiness, Bucket's craziness, Sven's... silence, the Twins' pranks, everything. At least everyone was on the same side."
"Hiccup, do you truly want to go back to that?" Toothless asked.
"Well, not really. I mean, I just wish that they could see a better way. Maybe... I... we should have stayed to try to change them. I don't know..."
Toothless huffed and slapped Hiccup with an ear.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"That was for you twisting your own tail. Even if you tell your nest that we dragons are not bad, that does not stop the Monster from controlling the other dragons. The fighting will not stop until the Monster dies. Even that might not be enough. The best thing that your nest could do is to leave that island."
"Yeah, it would be, but that is not happening. They have stubbornness issues."
Toothless chuckled at that and spun in a looping spin through a cloud. Then he settled back into a level, easy flight.
"Hiccup, you do not live there now, and you do not need to make them proud of you. I think that this world will be our home now. Everyone I care about is here..." he purred softly.
Hiccup could not help but be moved by that reminder of why he and Toothless had left in the first place. Then Toothless continued with a definite hum of amusement.
"And we can find you a female here to impress and take as a mate!"
"Toothless! How could you say that, again?" Hiccup felt his cheeks going very red.
"Very easily now that I can talk!"
Hiccup flicked the nearest ear.
"Useless reptile..."
"I am not a reptile, whatever that is! I am a dragon!"
"Shows how much you know..."
Hiccup walked down into Hobbiton around noon. He had some business he wanted to attend to sooner rather than later. First, he sought out Ted at the mill and forge. He found both of the places, but Ted was not present and neither of them were being worked by anyone else.
Oh well, not sure where he's gotten off to.
Then he continued on into the farmer's market. As usual, there were several stands already set up with farmers setting up their produce for sale.
Several of the playing children ran up to him, clamoring eagerly in greeting. Ruby, Willow, Botho, and Ivy were the first among them to greet him. They had rolling wheels and balls they threw in play.
"Gandalf's friend!" "More fireworks?" "Play!" "Found you!"
"Hey there everyone! What are you doing?"
He was again struck by how friendly and open the Hobbit youths were. They didn't care or even notice that he was an Outsider.
"Let's play hide and seek!" "Nothing!" "Chase!" "Got you!"
"Hold on, hold on! I'll play with you all later, but I have to go to the market first!"
They were visibly disappointed, but they ran off together toward the fields, laughing and playing with each other. He grinned as he watched them run off.
Kids will be kids.
Just as had happened the last time he went into the market on his own, he got a number of strange looks from all the Hobbits present. Some of the farmers paused in the middle of dragging a hog or small pony along with them, instead glancing at him as he passed. Many of the Hobbits whispered to each other at his passing.
He was used to such treatment from back on Berk. The difference was that here there was no open hostility or sneering. Rather, it felt more like honest curiosity. He was also taller than everyone else here.
I don't think I'll ever be used to that...
Then he arrived at the Boffins' stall. Folco Boffin, an old friend of both Bilbo and Frodo, was manning the family stall. Those old friendships helped a lot to make him more open to one of Bilbo's old 'friends', even if said 'friend' was an Outsider.
"Folco! Just the Hobbit I was looking for!"
"Mister Haddock, a pleasure to see you again! Loved doing business with you before! How may I help you?"
Folco leaned back on his chair and began stuffing his pipe with Longbottom Leaf.
"The fish I bought from you were very good," Hiccup began.
"Glad to hear it! I had no idea that Men had such an appetite; for you to eat all of those fish is amazing!"
Hiccup grinned and shrugged.
"I may not have had all of them on my own. I wanted to make a deal with you."
Folco's eyes went wide at the mention of a deal.
"Do tell. I always like making deals," the Hobbit eagerly implored.
"So, I really like fish, and I might want to buy a steady supply every three or four days. How does that sound? Do you think you could do it for me?"
"How many fish are we talking about?"
"How about four or five."
Folco grumbled and twiddled his thumbs.
"That's a lot of fish. What do you need that many for?"
"That's my business. But if you want to know, I'm from up North where we eat a lot of fish."
Folco nodded.
"Aye, your business is your business. Does it matter what kind of fish?"
"Big ones."
"We can do that for you, for a fair price. It's not easy to get lots of big fish here."
"That's fine. I can pay."
Folco then got to his feet and held out a hand which Hiccup gladly shook.
"Do you need a written contract or is a handshake good enough?" Folco asked.
Hiccup shrugged.
"This is fine. You know the Bagginses, and Bilbo recommended I shop from you."
"Did he? He's a fine Hobbit. Different from most of us and most odd, not even counting his disappearing into thin air..."
Huh? I guess he did leave kind of suddenly.
"... but he was always kind and generous with his wealth, especially to the Hobbits of lesser means than himself. Always very good to his nephew Frodo."
Folco then puffed his pipe some more.
"Any idea where Bilbo's gone off to?" the Hobbit asked.
"He left to live with some Elves. He wanted somewhere peaceful and quiet where he could work on a book."
"That's not surprising," Folco nodded.
"That he left?"
"That he'd run off on another adventure right after the Wizard showed up. Of all the Outsiders I've seen, the Wizard is the most troublesome."
Hiccup glanced around at everyone going about their business and occasionally throwing a glance his direction.
"Mister Boffin, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did. Certainly, for one of better clients you may even ask another."
"What does everyone think about me?"
"You're certainly strange and an Outsider; it's not often that we have Men in the Shire, but you're harmless. You bring coin and spend it; it's hard for anyone to be frustrated with that."
It wasn't exactly the answer he wanted, but it was peaceful enough. He was also not aware of anyone who was actively against his being here.
They certainly are somewhat suspicious of outsiders. That's not really bad of them. Some skepticism of strangers is understandable.
He thanked Folco and then wandered back through Hobbiton toward Bag-end.
I hope that this plan with Toothless works. Who am I kidding? We just have to fly to some old tombs, confirm that they are empty, and bring back some proof. How hard can that be?