How To Train Your Dragon: How to Negotiate Like a Viking
'Nother HTTYD one. Next drabble will be a different fandom. Index, ahoy (which I really need to update soon).
Title: How to Negotiate Like a Viking
Series: none (as of yet)
Word Count: 545
Rating: PG
Disclaimer Post
Summary: Not all Vikings are quite as understanding about the whole Hiccup's-best-friend-is-a-dragon thing as Berk's Vikings. Well, that's not going to work at all.
Notes: This is set a short time after the movie. I tend to think of the dragon training class as an aerial fighting unit, post movie. This is, I'm a bit embarrassed to say, based almost entirely on the fact that we see them flying together twice and both times in formation. I figure Hiccup and Astrid are more or less in charge. They balance each other. Hiccup is dragon catnip all by his dorky lil' self, plus there's his ability to not just think on his feet, but to do so in a way that's tactically useful. Then there's Astrid, who knows fighting and such in ways Hiccup doesn't, and is no slouch in the leadership department, herself. So, yeah. There you go.
This, Tuffnut thought sourly, was what Berk’s dragon riders got for listening to their soft-hearted flight leader and lending themselves out to other tribes. Sure, the village was intact enough, and none of the residents were badly hurt. All of the Berk dragons and riders had come through more or less unscathed, too-except for Hiccup. He’d been clipped by a bola Toothless had been trying to evade and been knocked unconscious. Because if there was a way to be knocked out by a rock while you were flying on a dragon, Hiccup would be the one to find it.
On Berk, this would not be a problem, or at least it wouldn’t be such a near-disaster. There was a brand new dragon-sized back door in the healer’s hut for situations just like this one. Your average dragon, it turned out, was both possessive and overprotective when it came to their rider. With Toothless? Over Hiccup? Hoo, boy. Duck and freaking cover, dude.
But, no. Hiccup was being treated inside, Toothless (along with everyone else) was outside and, if Tuffnut was any judge, the dragon was about two minutes from going ballistic. Meanwhile, Astrid was desperately trying to convince the clan chief that yes, human/dragon relations really were almost entirely dependant on this one boy and his dragon-yes, still-and could the chief please not throw their entire island back into a civil war?
Tuffnut was just about to suggest to his and Ruffnut’s Zippleback that gee, the convincing might go faster if the chief’s house was on fire when Astrid stepped out.
“Toothless!” she snapped, in exactly the same tone of voice she’d used when she ordered Snotlout to lay down cover fire-literally-while Toothless got his injured rider to safety. The anxious dragon was at her side before she’d even finished saying his name.
Astrid turned back to the chief, who’d followed her out. “This,” she declared, gesturing to the now-snarling dragon behind her, “is Toothless. If you don’t want dragons inside on your island, that’s fine; we can’t do anything about that.”
(Tuffnut and Ruffnut snorted in unison; they damn well could do something, they just hadn’t yet.) “But,” Astrid continued, “you can be the one to explain to Hiccup’s best friend the Night Fury why he can’t be near his rider.”
Toothless-who wasn’t really all that toothless, all of a sudden-spread his wings and growled dangerously. Naturally, he had any number of different growls, but this one was special; Tuffnut had dubbed it his “make your peace with the gods, puny human” growl.
The chief looked like he wasn’t sure whether to pray for help or soil his pants. Astrid took a step to the side and Toothless’ growl took on that peculiar hoarse, whining note that meant someone was about to get crispy-fried. The chief was suddenly very alone.
“I give, I give!” he cried, falling to his knees and covering his head with his hands.
Astrid smiled sweetly. “May your wisdom guide your tribe for many years to come,” she said, then, “this way, Toothless.” Girl and dragon both disappeared into the healer’s hut to retrieve their boy.
It’s about time, Tuffnut thought, then he settled in to mark the time until they could leave.
Title: How to Negotiate Like a Viking
Series: none (as of yet)
Word Count: 545
Rating: PG
Disclaimer Post
Summary: Not all Vikings are quite as understanding about the whole Hiccup's-best-friend-is-a-dragon thing as Berk's Vikings. Well, that's not going to work at all.
Notes: This is set a short time after the movie. I tend to think of the dragon training class as an aerial fighting unit, post movie. This is, I'm a bit embarrassed to say, based almost entirely on the fact that we see them flying together twice and both times in formation. I figure Hiccup and Astrid are more or less in charge. They balance each other. Hiccup is dragon catnip all by his dorky lil' self, plus there's his ability to not just think on his feet, but to do so in a way that's tactically useful. Then there's Astrid, who knows fighting and such in ways Hiccup doesn't, and is no slouch in the leadership department, herself. So, yeah. There you go.
This, Tuffnut thought sourly, was what Berk’s dragon riders got for listening to their soft-hearted flight leader and lending themselves out to other tribes. Sure, the village was intact enough, and none of the residents were badly hurt. All of the Berk dragons and riders had come through more or less unscathed, too-except for Hiccup. He’d been clipped by a bola Toothless had been trying to evade and been knocked unconscious. Because if there was a way to be knocked out by a rock while you were flying on a dragon, Hiccup would be the one to find it.
On Berk, this would not be a problem, or at least it wouldn’t be such a near-disaster. There was a brand new dragon-sized back door in the healer’s hut for situations just like this one. Your average dragon, it turned out, was both possessive and overprotective when it came to their rider. With Toothless? Over Hiccup? Hoo, boy. Duck and freaking cover, dude.
But, no. Hiccup was being treated inside, Toothless (along with everyone else) was outside and, if Tuffnut was any judge, the dragon was about two minutes from going ballistic. Meanwhile, Astrid was desperately trying to convince the clan chief that yes, human/dragon relations really were almost entirely dependant on this one boy and his dragon-yes, still-and could the chief please not throw their entire island back into a civil war?
Tuffnut was just about to suggest to his and Ruffnut’s Zippleback that gee, the convincing might go faster if the chief’s house was on fire when Astrid stepped out.
“Toothless!” she snapped, in exactly the same tone of voice she’d used when she ordered Snotlout to lay down cover fire-literally-while Toothless got his injured rider to safety. The anxious dragon was at her side before she’d even finished saying his name.
Astrid turned back to the chief, who’d followed her out. “This,” she declared, gesturing to the now-snarling dragon behind her, “is Toothless. If you don’t want dragons inside on your island, that’s fine; we can’t do anything about that.”
(Tuffnut and Ruffnut snorted in unison; they damn well could do something, they just hadn’t yet.) “But,” Astrid continued, “you can be the one to explain to Hiccup’s best friend the Night Fury why he can’t be near his rider.”
Toothless-who wasn’t really all that toothless, all of a sudden-spread his wings and growled dangerously. Naturally, he had any number of different growls, but this one was special; Tuffnut had dubbed it his “make your peace with the gods, puny human” growl.
The chief looked like he wasn’t sure whether to pray for help or soil his pants. Astrid took a step to the side and Toothless’ growl took on that peculiar hoarse, whining note that meant someone was about to get crispy-fried. The chief was suddenly very alone.
“I give, I give!” he cried, falling to his knees and covering his head with his hands.
Astrid smiled sweetly. “May your wisdom guide your tribe for many years to come,” she said, then, “this way, Toothless.” Girl and dragon both disappeared into the healer’s hut to retrieve their boy.
It’s about time, Tuffnut thought, then he settled in to mark the time until they could leave.