(Hiccup's POV)
Things were changing.
Slowly.
But definitely changing.
Hiccup stood in the training arena while the other teens gathered around the next dragon cage. The past several days had gone very differently than the ones before.
Before, he had been the weakest student.
Now—
Gobber pointed his hook toward the cage.
"Alright! Who's up next?"
Astrid crossed her arms confidently.
"Let him try."
She nodded toward Hiccup.
Gobber raised an eyebrow.
"Well now, that's confidence."
The gate opened.
A Hideous Zippleback slithered into the arena, its two heads hissing in opposite directions.
The other students stepped back.
Hiccup didn't.
He watched.
The wings.
The posture.
The heads communicating with each other.
He moved slowly.
Carefully.
Just like he had practiced with Toothless.
The dragon lunged.
Hiccup shifted sideways.
The two heads snapped at empty air.
The class stared.
Hiccup grabbed a shield and used it to guide the dragon's movement instead of fighting it directly.
Gobber's beard twitched with interest.
"Well I'll be."
The Zippleback stopped attacking.
It lowered its head slightly.
Hiccup slowly backed away.
The dragon didn't chase him.
Gobber blew the whistle.
"That'll do!"
The other students stared at Hiccup.
Astrid narrowed her eyes.
"You're cheating."
Hiccup blinked.
"…What?"
"You're doing something different."
Hiccup shrugged.
"Maybe I'm just thinking about it."
Later
The hidden valley had become familiar territory.
Hiccup stepped into the clearing as the waterfall trickled into the pond.
Toothless looked up immediately.
The Night Fury stretched his wings slightly before trotting toward him.
"Hey, bud."
Hiccup tossed a fish.
Toothless caught it.
The dragon seemed noticeably stronger now.
More confident.
Hiccup sat down beside the pond and opened his notebook.
"I did pretty well today."
Toothless snorted.
"Okay, better than usual."
Hiccup flipped to the page showing the tail sketch again.
The damaged fin dragged across the ground as Toothless settled beside him.
Hiccup pointed to the drawing.
"I think I figured out the problem."
Toothless tilted his head.
"You're missing half your tail fin."
Hiccup pointed to the sketch.
"That means you can't balance in the air."
Toothless flicked the damaged tail.
Hiccup grinned.
"But if we replace it…"
He drew a new design beside the first.
"…you might actually fly again."
Toothless leaned forward and studied the drawing carefully.
Above the clearing, hidden among the branches overlooking the basin, the bat-winged dragon watched quietly.
She had seen this human return many times now.
Always bringing fish.
Always talking.
Always drawing.
The Night Fury trusted him now.
That much was obvious.
Below, Hiccup tossed another fish.
Toothless caught it easily.
The dragon looked stronger than before.
Healthier.
Recovering.
Hiccup closed the notebook.
"Alright," he said.
"Tomorrow we try building it."
Toothless blinked.
Above them, the bat-winged dragon's tail flicked slowly.
The story she remembered was approaching one of its most important moments.
Soon—
The Night Fury would fly again.