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Description

The next morning, as the sky lightened from dark blue to bruised purple, Hiccup raced out of his house. He ran through the village and didn't stop until he arrived at Gothi's house. Gulping down his nerves, Hiccup quickly knocked, then waited, for the the healer to answer. The old and bent woman opened the door at once, and her face broke into a smile when she saw him, quickly inviting him in. Stepping over to the fire pit, she scraped out a small pile of ashes with her staff.
What is it?" she wrote in the pile of ashes.
In the fifteen years he had lived, Hiccup had never heard Gothi speak. Instead, she communicated through writing in one of those lost languages not many people knew.
"Well... it's about a horse," Hiccup confided, scratching behind his neck.
"A horse?" Gothi looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Yeah, I found an injured horse in the woods, near Raven's Point. I think he sprained his leg, and he's cut up pretty bad. Do you, uh, have any advice for me on what to do?" he asked weakly, spreading his hands.
Gothi's staff scratched again as she told him which herbs would bring down the swelling, help the cuts to heal, and prevent infection. Then she went to her stores and gave him a roll of bandages and a small amount of the herbs he needed, telling him where he could get more.
Hiccup's shoulders dropped, a warmth starting to tingle through his body.
"Thank you so, so much, Gothi. How... how can I repay you?"
Gothi smiled and rapped him lightly on the head with her staff.
"Stay out of trouble."
Hiccup walked quickly through the forest, his feet treading the path that becoming more and more familiar. His steps were lighter than they had in days, and he swung the bag of herbs from side to side contentedly. Then he froze.
"Oh no," Hiccup groaned, shrinking back slightly.
Not too far off were two teenage boys, Snotlout and Tuffnut. They looked like they were throwing a spear at a tree. As Tuffnut ran to picked up the spear from the bushes, he caught sight of Hiccup, and a sneer spread across his face. At his shout, Snotlout turned and grinned.
Hiccup rolled his eyes at them, but inside his heart was hammering. He wanted to run, but what would be the use?
"Well, well, well," taunted the black-haired, muscular boy. "If it isn't the talking fishbone."
"What do you want, Snotlout?" Hiccup spat, his free hand clenching and unclenching into a fist.
"Ooh, what a threatening tone; I'm so scared," mocked Snotlout in a high-pitched, girly voice. Tuffnut snickered.
"What's that for?" he asked, pointing at the bag Hiccup was carrying.
"Nothing you would understand, Tuff," Hiccup retorted.
"Probably some 'nerd' stuff," Snotlout laughed. "One of those 'new interventions that's finally going to bring down a dragon."
"Well, in that case, take your, ugh," Tuff gave mock shudder, " 'nerd stuff' somewhere else." Tuffnut sneered, grabbing the bag from Hiccup and tossing it to the side.
"Hey!" Hiccup turned to pick it up, but was shoved in the back and fell, sprawling, on the ground, his palms slapping onto the ground as he caught himself.
"Tuff, what was that for?" Snotlout asked with mock surprise. "Here, let me help you up." He leaned down as if to offer Hiccup his hand, but drew back his fist and punched Hiccup in the nose, slamming Hiccup's head back into the dirt. "Oops. I meant down."
Hiccup closed his eyes for second, then sat up and glared at Snotlout, his jaw clenched. "Leave me alone," he snarled, pain shooting through his face.
"As you wish." Snotlout took a sweeping bow, the burst out laughing. "Haha, bye loser."
As soon as the two boys disappeared, Hiccup slumped, letting his back thud against the ground, and let out a long groan.
He pinched his nose, to try and stop the bleeding.
"Why does it seem like everyone hates me?"
Spirit looked up and nickered softly when he saw Hiccup. It had been a long night. A long, lonely night. He had been able to get on his feet, and hobble to the pond for a drink, but each time he had moved his leg, it punished him with sharp stabs of pain.
Look at me, he thought. Once a swift and powerful mustang, now a hopeless, crippled nag.
As Hiccup got closer, Spirit was surprised to see blood dripping from the teen's nose. He gestured to it with his muzzle and raised an eyebrow, asking how it had happened.
Hiccup shrugged, but the action appeared anything but casual. "Got into a scuffle with my cousin and another boy," he admitted, looking down. "They... kinda like to make my life miserable because I'm... well look at me!" Hiccup gestured to his skinny body. He let out a sigh, muttering to himself, "If only I could actually bring down a dragon. That would show them."
Hiccup dropped the bag on the ground and the contents spilled out onto the grass. Spirit studied the contents, and saw flowers that looked like somewhat like daisies, a small brown bag, green leaves, and long strips of white cloth.
"Let's see here, first there's comfrey." Hiccup pointed to the leaves. "That'll bring the swelling down. Then there's chamomile..." he picked up a few of the flowers "...and goldenseal, which will heal your cuts and burns. I got them from Gothi, she's our healer, and," he lowered his voice to a mutter once again, "one of the few people who is actually nice to me."
Spirit's ears pricked. He found himself wanting to know more about this world he had landed in, the people, the animals, the dragons even.
Spirit turned his head to look as Hiccup crouched by Spirit's injured leg. "I can keep talking, if you want," he said quietly.
Spirit nickered quietly, tossing his head, and Hiccup let out a small laugh.
He began by dipping a cloth into a bowl of water and wiping it gently on Spirit's cuts. It stung, but not too much.
As he worked, he talked. He told Spirit about the teens in his town, Fishlegs, who had practically memorized every fact they had on dragons, his cousin Snotlout, the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and the beautiful Astrid.
"Then there's Stoick, chief of the tribe, and... my dad. He..."
Hiccup trailed off and Spirit's thoughts turned to his own father, a pure black stallion named Strider. Around the time Spirit turned three, he had disappeared, leaving Spirit free to take over the Cimarron herd. Strider was never heard from again. No one knew what had happened to him, but now that Spirit thought about it, he wouldn't be surprised to hear he had been captured by humans.
"Ever since my mom died, we, um... I don't see him very often," he finished lamely, looking down and fiddling with a piece of chamomile.
Spirit suddenly found himself wishing he could talk. He wished he could tell Hiccup about his family, about Rain, Esperanza, and the rest of his herd. To tell him about all the adventures he had been on before coming to this world, how he had been captured by humans, fallen in love with Rain, made friends with the Lakota, Little Creek, and finally returned to his homeland. He wanted... to tell Hiccup his story.
Spirit snapped back out of his thoughts as Hiccup began speaking again.
"Um... Gobber. He's a blacksmith. I've been apprenticed to him since I was little-"
Spirit snorted with laughter.
"Okay, okay! Little-er. He's almost like my uncle; he's taught me a lot, and although he jokes about me being skinny, he's just a lot easier to be around than my dad."
That's more like it, Spirit thought smugly, taking on a haughty expression.
"Aw, cut it out, Flame!" Hiccup laughed, rolling his eyes as he placed a comfrey leaf on Spirit's leg and slowly wrapped the bandage around it. Spirit nickered with as relief spread through his leg, and the pain mellowed to a dull ache.
Thank you, Spirit said with his eyes. The mustang turned to Hiccup, and saw the boy holding out his hand. Spirit hesitated, then slowly pushed his muzzle into Hiccup's palm. In that instant, everything changed.

Description

The next morning, as the sky lightened from dark blue to bruised purple, Hiccup raced out of his house. He ran through the village and didn't stop until he arrived at Gothi's house. Gulping down his nerves, Hiccup quickly knocked, then waited, for the the healer to answer. The old and bent woman opened the door at once, and her face broke into a smile when she saw him, quickly inviting him in. Stepping over to the fire pit, she scraped out a small pile of ashes with her staff.
What is it?" she wrote in the pile of ashes.
In the fifteen years he had lived, Hiccup had never heard Gothi speak. Instead, she communicated through writing in one of those lost languages not many people knew.
"Well... it's about a horse," Hiccup confided, scratching behind his neck.
"A horse?" Gothi looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Yeah, I found an injured horse in the woods, near Raven's Point. I think he sprained his leg, and he's cut up pretty bad. Do you, uh, have any advice for me on what to do?" he asked weakly, spreading his hands.
Gothi's staff scratched again as she told him which herbs would bring down the swelling, help the cuts to heal, and prevent infection. Then she went to her stores and gave him a roll of bandages and a small amount of the herbs he needed, telling him where he could get more.
Hiccup's shoulders dropped, a warmth starting to tingle through his body.
"Thank you so, so much, Gothi. How... how can I repay you?"
Gothi smiled and rapped him lightly on the head with her staff.
"Stay out of trouble."
Hiccup walked quickly through the forest, his feet treading the path that becoming more and more familiar. His steps were lighter than they had in days, and he swung the bag of herbs from side to side contentedly. Then he froze.
"Oh no," Hiccup groaned, shrinking back slightly.
Not too far off were two teenage boys, Snotlout and Tuffnut. They looked like they were throwing a spear at a tree. As Tuffnut ran to picked up the spear from the bushes, he caught sight of Hiccup, and a sneer spread across his face. At his shout, Snotlout turned and grinned.
Hiccup rolled his eyes at them, but inside his heart was hammering. He wanted to run, but what would be the use?
"Well, well, well," taunted the black-haired, muscular boy. "If it isn't the talking fishbone."
"What do you want, Snotlout?" Hiccup spat, his free hand clenching and unclenching into a fist.
"Ooh, what a threatening tone; I'm so scared," mocked Snotlout in a high-pitched, girly voice. Tuffnut snickered.
"What's that for?" he asked, pointing at the bag Hiccup was carrying.
"Nothing you would understand, Tuff," Hiccup retorted.
"Probably some 'nerd' stuff," Snotlout laughed. "One of those 'new interventions that's finally going to bring down a dragon."
"Well, in that case, take your, ugh," Tuff gave mock shudder, " 'nerd stuff' somewhere else." Tuffnut sneered, grabbing the bag from Hiccup and tossing it to the side.
"Hey!" Hiccup turned to pick it up, but was shoved in the back and fell, sprawling, on the ground, his palms slapping onto the ground as he caught himself.
"Tuff, what was that for?" Snotlout asked with mock surprise. "Here, let me help you up." He leaned down as if to offer Hiccup his hand, but drew back his fist and punched Hiccup in the nose, slamming Hiccup's head back into the dirt. "Oops. I meant down."
Hiccup closed his eyes for second, then sat up and glared at Snotlout, his jaw clenched. "Leave me alone," he snarled, pain shooting through his face.
"As you wish." Snotlout took a sweeping bow, the burst out laughing. "Haha, bye loser."
As soon as the two boys disappeared, Hiccup slumped, letting his back thud against the ground, and let out a long groan.
He pinched his nose, to try and stop the bleeding.
"Why does it seem like everyone hates me?"
Spirit looked up and nickered softly when he saw Hiccup. It had been a long night. A long, lonely night. He had been able to get on his feet, and hobble to the pond for a drink, but each time he had moved his leg, it punished him with sharp stabs of pain.
Look at me, he thought. Once a swift and powerful mustang, now a hopeless, crippled nag.
As Hiccup got closer, Spirit was surprised to see blood dripping from the teen's nose. He gestured to it with his muzzle and raised an eyebrow, asking how it had happened.
Hiccup shrugged, but the action appeared anything but casual. "Got into a scuffle with my cousin and another boy," he admitted, looking down. "They... kinda like to make my life miserable because I'm... well look at me!" Hiccup gestured to his skinny body. He let out a sigh, muttering to himself, "If only I could actually bring down a dragon. That would show them."
Hiccup dropped the bag on the ground and the contents spilled out onto the grass. Spirit studied the contents, and saw flowers that looked like somewhat like daisies, a small brown bag, green leaves, and long strips of white cloth.
"Let's see here, first there's comfrey." Hiccup pointed to the leaves. "That'll bring the swelling down. Then there's chamomile..." he picked up a few of the flowers "...and goldenseal, which will heal your cuts and burns. I got them from Gothi, she's our healer, and," he lowered his voice to a mutter once again, "one of the few people who is actually nice to me."
Spirit's ears pricked. He found himself wanting to know more about this world he had landed in, the people, the animals, the dragons even.
Spirit turned his head to look as Hiccup crouched by Spirit's injured leg. "I can keep talking, if you want," he said quietly.
Spirit nickered quietly, tossing his head, and Hiccup let out a small laugh.
He began by dipping a cloth into a bowl of water and wiping it gently on Spirit's cuts. It stung, but not too much.
As he worked, he talked. He told Spirit about the teens in his town, Fishlegs, who had practically memorized every fact they had on dragons, his cousin Snotlout, the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and the beautiful Astrid.
"Then there's Stoick, chief of the tribe, and... my dad. He..."
Hiccup trailed off and Spirit's thoughts turned to his own father, a pure black stallion named Strider. Around the time Spirit turned three, he had disappeared, leaving Spirit free to take over the Cimarron herd. Strider was never heard from again. No one knew what had happened to him, but now that Spirit thought about it, he wouldn't be surprised to hear he had been captured by humans.
"Ever since my mom died, we, um... I don't see him very often," he finished lamely, looking down and fiddling with a piece of chamomile.
Spirit suddenly found himself wishing he could talk. He wished he could tell Hiccup about his family, about Rain, Esperanza, and the rest of his herd. To tell him about all the adventures he had been on before coming to this world, how he had been captured by humans, fallen in love with Rain, made friends with the Lakota, Little Creek, and finally returned to his homeland. He wanted... to tell Hiccup his story.
Spirit snapped back out of his thoughts as Hiccup began speaking again.
"Um... Gobber. He's a blacksmith. I've been apprenticed to him since I was little-"
Spirit snorted with laughter.
"Okay, okay! Little-er. He's almost like my uncle; he's taught me a lot, and although he jokes about me being skinny, he's just a lot easier to be around than my dad."
That's more like it, Spirit thought smugly, taking on a haughty expression.
"Aw, cut it out, Flame!" Hiccup laughed, rolling his eyes as he placed a comfrey leaf on Spirit's leg and slowly wrapped the bandage around it. Spirit nickered with as relief spread through his leg, and the pain mellowed to a dull ache.
Thank you, Spirit said with his eyes. The mustang turned to Hiccup, and saw the boy holding out his hand. Spirit hesitated, then slowly pushed his muzzle into Hiccup's palm. In that instant, everything changed.