(Hiccup's POV)
The forest felt a lot quieter than Berk.
That might have been because nobody here was yelling at him.
Hiccup moved carefully through the trees, holding the basket close to his chest. Inside it were several fish he had taken earlier that morning.
If anyone asked, he had a very bad explanation ready.
If Gobber asked, he had no explanation at all.
Branches snapped under his boots as he followed the path he remembered from before—the path where the Night Fury had crashed.
Eventually the trees opened into the same rocky basin.
The hidden valley.
Stone walls curved around the clearing, and a thin waterfall spilled into the small pond at the center. Moss covered the rocks around the water, and the place felt strangely peaceful compared to the chaos of Berk.
Hiccup stopped walking.
The dragon was there.
Curled beside the pond.
Its head lifted the moment Hiccup stepped into the clearing.
Green eyes locked onto him instantly.
Hiccup froze.
"Okay," he said quietly. "Still terrifying."
The dragon slowly stood.
Its wings shifted slightly as its body lowered into a cautious stance.
Hiccup carefully lifted the basket.
"I brought breakfast."
The dragon didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Just watched him.
Hiccup swallowed and slowly reached into the basket.
"Let's try this."
He tossed a fish across the clearing.
The dragon jumped back as the fish landed in the grass.
Its eyes darted between the fish and Hiccup.
Hiccup stayed perfectly still.
"Go ahead."
The dragon crept forward slowly.
It sniffed the fish.
Then snapped it up.
Gone.
Hiccup blinked.
"Well… that worked."
He tossed another fish.
This one didn't even reach the ground.
The dragon caught it in midair.
Hiccup smiled a little.
"Nice."
Across the clearing, the dragon swallowed and looked back at him.
Still cautious.
But curious now.
Hiccup slowly sat down on a nearby rock.
"I was planning on killing you yesterday," he admitted.
The dragon blinked.
Hiccup shrugged.
"But I couldn't."
The dragon tilted its head slightly.
Hiccup leaned forward a bit, studying the dragon's face.
Something moved.
The teeth slid forward from the dragon's gums.
Then disappeared again.
Hiccup's eyes widened.
"Whoa."
"You've got retractable teeth."
The dragon blinked again.
Hiccup grinned.
"That's it."
"Toothless."
The dragon snorted softly.
"Yeah, I know," Hiccup said. "Not very scary."
He tossed another fish.
Toothless caught it easily.
The two sat there quietly for a moment.
Then Hiccup noticed the tail again.
The missing half of the fin dragged across the grass.
"That's why you can't fly."
Toothless flicked the damaged tail slightly.
Hiccup leaned forward, studying it.
"That was me."
He picked up a stick and started drawing in the dirt.
A tail.
Then the missing section.
Then a replacement fin attached with straps.
"If we built something like this…"
He moved the stick through the air like a wing.
"…you might actually fly again."
Toothless leaned forward and studied the drawing carefully.
Above the clearing, hidden among the branches surrounding the valley, another dragon watched.
The bat-winged dragon rested along a high branch overlooking the pond.
Her ears rotated slowly as she listened to the strange interaction below.
The human made soft sounds.
The Night Fury answered with small movements and low vocalizations.
Neither one attacked the other.
The bat-dragon's tail flicked slowly behind her.
For now, she remained hidden.
Watching.
Learning.
Below her, Hiccup tossed another fish.
Toothless caught it.
And the first real step of their strange friendship had begun.