Ch. 3- Emerald green

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The next day I went fishing early in the morning, before mom and dad woke up, and caught three fish in an hour.

I put them in my small basket and went home as quickly as possible, hiding the basket behind a bush just barely in the forest behind the house before going inside.

"Starfire!" mom shouted once I entered. Everyone stared at me, breakfast sitting in front of them.

"Hi," I said in my little girl voice.

"Where have you been?" mom asked, slightly worried but also trying to sound stern.

"I went for a walk," I lied, sitting down and eating quickly.

Once breakfast was over I told them I was going to play outside then ran out the door before they could object. I quickly ran around the house and into the cover of the forest.

"Star! Starfire!" I heard dad as I picked up my small basket of fish and ran through the woods. I could tell I wasn't in trouble, so I continued towards the night fury I found the previous day.

When I finally made it to my small, young dragon, she was waiting in front of the cave. She jumped over to me, following me back to the cave.

"Hey, there," I laughed at her. "I like you too." I opened the basket and handed her a fish, "Here you go." She ate it quickly, along with the other two. Then she nearly destroyed my basket looking for more. "No. No! I don't have any more," I told her. She looked at me with sad eyes after watching a bird fly by. "Why don't you just fly, if you want to so badly?" I asked. "Why don't you go catch some fish?" I pointed to the ocean, when she went back to searching my basket for more fish.

She didn't fly all day, just ran around and played with me. I scanned her when we rested for a few minutes after lunch, after deciding to leave a fishing pole and some bait with her the next day. I had found out that she was, just like Toothless, missing half of her tail.

At the beginning of sunset, I said my goodbyes and told her I'd be back tomorrow before leaving. I ran most the way home and made it back just before dark.

"Star, have you seen daddy?" mom asked.

"Nope. Sorry."

"It's okay, sweetheart. I was just wondering." It was silent for a minute before she asked me, "Where were you all day?"

I froze for a second, "Playing in the forest." It wasn't a lie, but not the entire truth either. I was playing with a Night Fury in the forest.

"Star," she warned, "you know how I feel about you playing in the woods."

"I know," I sighed.

"Hiccup's right."

"Right about what?"

"You can talk quite fluently, like an adult."

"Is that bad?" I asked.

"No, no. Not at all, dear." She said, as Dad and Bard came in.

"Hey, daddy. Hey, Bard," I said, helping mom with setting the table. "Dinners almost ready."

"Okay," Bard said, rushing up the stairs.

"Hey, beautiful," dad said, kissing mom on the cheek. "Hey, cutie," he kissed the top of my head. "Did you have fun today?" he asked me.

"Yeah."

"What did you do?"

"I played in the forest," I answered, sitting down.

"Star," he warned, "you shouldn't be playing there. It's not safe."

"I understand." It was true, I did understand, but that didn't mean I won't do it.

"Bard!" mom called. We ate dinner then went to bed. I set out my fishing stuff next to the clothes I laid out before laying down.

I couldn't sleep, so I was going to get a drink of water when I stopped on the stairs.

"Hiccup, she's hiding something. I don't know what, but she is," mom said.

"I know, Astrid. Trust me, I know. If you want me too, not tomorrow but the day after that, I'll follow her and see what she's up too, okay?"

"Okay," mom agreed.

They started to head towards the stairs so I quickly and quietly ran to my room and laid down.

I immediately made a plan to spend one day a week away from the woods, to try and make it less suspicious. It could never be Monday or Friday, for those days are always busy, no one will notice me not being there. I'm going to be a very busy little girl, I thought to myself as I feel asleep.

Again, I woke up early and went fishing. I woke up earlier so I spent more time fishing and caught seven fish. Again, I hid them in the bush and went inside.

Mom was making breakfast, dad and Bard weren't there.

"Hey, Star."

"Hey, mommy. I have a question."

"What is it?"

"What's your favorite thing about daddy?"

She paused before answering, "I don't know, sweetheart. I love a lot of things about daddy." She set me on the counter. "Like his personality, how he acts so childish sometimes, his emerald green eyes, his smile, how he's courageous, brave, smart, responsible- for the most part, resourceful, a lot of things, Star. He's perfect. Why did you ask?"

"Emerald green eyes," I muttered as she spoke. "I'm just curious," I answered. "What is your favorite thing about me?"

She laughed. "I don't know, Star. I love everything about you, dear. Your emerald green eyes, just like your daddy's. Your hair, also like your daddy's. I love how you're smart, quick, adorable, little, your smile, your personality, a lot of things, I can't name them all."

"Okay. What do you not like about me?"

She laughed once. "The fact that time is making you older. But you, yourself, I love everything about you. Same with daddy and Bard, okay, dear?"

"Okay, mommy." I watched her make breakfast over the fire before I started playing with Toothless. "Toothless!" I shouted while laughing, as he chased me around the first floor, until dad and Bard came downstairs.

"Whoa," dad barely moved out of our way in time to not get run over.

"Hey, dad. Hey, Bard," I called out, still running.

Toothless managed to trap me in a corner, no way to escape. His wings blocked either side, I could jump over his head or dive under him. I did a small jump, which he braced for, before quickly diving under him and rolling out from underneath, quickly jump to my feet and wrapped my arms around his neck as he turned around.

"Caught you!" I shouted, giggling. He laughed with me, rolling over so I was on top of him and his back on the floor.

Dad laughed and walked over to us, we stood up and dad patted the top of his head. "She got you, bud." Though we all knew he was taking it easy on me. Toothless is a fast dragon. The fastest in the village.

After that we all ate breakfast and while mom cleaned up afterwards, I helped dad saddle up Toothless.

"Emerald," I said, when I looked in his eyes.

"What? Emerald?"

"Yes, emerald. Mommy said she loved your emerald green eyes. She said she also loved mine."

"Well, your eyes are really pretty, sweetheart. Want to watch me work?"

"Tomorrow," I smiled. He looked shocked, I rarely ever said 'no' when he asked me that question, for I loved watching him work. "I promised a friend that I'd see her today."

"Who's your friend?" he asked, excited that I made a friend, for I wasn't very social.

"Bye, daddy," I kissed his cheek before running inside. I don't think he missed that I avoided his question. It was pretty obvious.

I grabbed my fishing things and snuck out the back door before anyone noticed and went to the cave.

Just like yesterday, the night fury was waiting for me. She ate all her fish and then I named her.

"Do you like Emerald, for your name?"

She looked like she thought about it for a minute, before looking at me and nodded, doing her gummy smile.

"Yay! Come on, Emerald. Let's play!" We ran around the forest and had fun. Then for lunch I fished for an hour, Emerald ate ten fish while I cooked mine in the campfire Emerald made.

After lunch I drew in the dirt while Emerald took a nap. When she woke up, Emerald watched me finish my drawing, fascinated. We played until sunset, before I had to leave.

"Bye, Emerald. I won't be able to come tomorrow, but the day after I'll come, okay?"

She looked sad and whined a few times, but nodded her head once.

I held my hand a few inches from her and looked the other way, eyes closed tightly. She closed the distance, and once I realised she hadn't hurt me, I smiled at her, even though her eyes were closed. After a few seconds she pulled back and opened her eyes. I hugged her and said, "Bye, Emerald. See you the day after tomorrow."

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