How to Love a Night Fury

Chapter 11

The next morning a beat up ship pulled into port. Gobber and the other adults that stayed gathered at the docks to welcome the others home. From what Gobber could tell, the ship was struggling to stay together with all the supplies and people that were on it. He went up to the ship when he spotted Stoick.

"Well, I trust you found the nest at least?" He asked as his chief and best friend was gathering his belongings.

"Not even close." Stoick replied as he got off the ship agitatedly.

"Ah. Excellent." Gobber said sarcastically.

"I hope you had a little more success than me." The chief said with a bit of hope in his tone as he adjusted the basket on his shoulder.

"Well, if by success, you mean that your parenting troubles are over with, then...yes."

The two started to make their way off the docks as they talked. Some of the villagers that stayed behind came up to them excitedly.

"Congratulations, Stoick! Everyone is so relieved." Phlegma said.

"Out with the old and in with the new, right?" Starkard commented.

"No one will miss that old nuisance!" Hoark the Haggard said cheerfully.

"The village is throwing a party to celebrate!" Ack exclaimed just as cheerfully.

Stoick gave them all a worried look then looked at Gobber.

"He's gone?" He asked with worry and fear very prominent in his voice.

"Yeah...most afternoons and days off. But who can blame him? I mean the life of a celebrity's very rough. He can barely walk through the village without being swarmed by his fans. Not to mention he seems to be distracted by his own thoughts now-a-days. Always has a love-struck look on his face." Gobber explained. That last sentence caught Stoick's attention.

"Hiccup?" He asked, very shocked. As far as he knew, his son had a crush on the Hofferson girl, but never to the point of constant love-struck looks. Who gained his son's attention like this?

"Who would've thought, eh? He has this way with the beasts. Must be trying to show off for whoever he has eyes for." Gobber chuckled then walked off to work on helping everyone who returned get settled back in.

~~~HTLANF~~~

As that was going down, Hiccup and Kala were preoccupied with trying to get flying together perfected.

~~~HTLANF~~~

"Okay, Kala, we're gonna take this nice and slow." I said a bit nervous as we glided over the ocean. My grip on the saddle was tighter than it should be.

I looked over the cheat sheet that I drew out yesterday.

"Here we go. Here we go...position three, no, four. Alright, it's go time. It's go time." I fixed the tailfin into the correct position as I talked. I looked back at it and smiled. "Yes! It worked!"

While I was looking over the tailfin I accidentally made Kala crash into a sea stack.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to do that!"

Kala huffed as we flew away from the stack, but then I steered too hard and she ran into another one.

"That was my fault." I said apologetically, but I got a smack from her earplate as a response. "I know, I know. I'm on it. Position four, uh, three."

I changed the position of the tailfin again and Kala started to soar happily.

"Yeah! Go baby! Yes!" I leaned closer to the saddle to help her gain more speed. This was so exhilarating. No wonder she wanted me to experience this so badly.