Chapter 8

As Zero landed he dashed off into the trees, not waiting for the other riders. Yet, he could still here the faintest of 'I wonder what he does there...'. Racing to his den frantically looked inside and sighed a sigh of relief when an almost sleeping Hazel was in bed.

'Zero..? You're back...I already took dinner like you asked me too..What's wrong?' She asked groggily, sitting up.

'You know the humans? You can meet them now. With their dragons, but in the morning'

'What...?' her voice was replaced with nervousness. 'You know.. I only trusted you because you look like a toy that my mom made me to teach me not to go near dragons, minus the colors, but it was accidentally cute so she just gave it to me instead...I'm not ready...'

'It will be Okay, I'll take their heads off!' he faked a growl while smiling.

'Really...?' 

'Yeah, Of course. And, if you do want to come, try to keep the 'dragon talk' a...thing that only we know, okay?'

'Okay, And you mean Secret?'

'Yea...Secret'

Zero quickly approached his barrel of fish which was almost finshed. He took the three, leaving one for Hazel's breakfast and gulped it down. He headed to his nest and curled up. He watched as Hazel tucked herself back in bed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zero felt a tug on his head fins and peeked a eye open seeing Hazel with a grudged face. He stood to a sitting position and slowly streched his body. 

'What?'

'I ate my breakfast! Thanksforleaveingthefishforme, anyways, we have to leave remember? To meet those people who ride the dragons.'

'Yea, yea, I'm going, I'm going. I'll just put out the torch. Take things you really want and put it in the barrel-plus your blanket...'

'Eww-That slimy barrel! Ugh...'

'It's not that slimy' he muttered to himself. 'Just...Do it.'

'Rude...'

'Hey, I didn't mean it! Another word I mean!'

'Alright, Alright...' She started taking her pillow and blanket, walking over to the barrel and shove it in. She was about to take the dog.

'No, don't take that. they don't know about my powers, so later until they find out okay?'

She heaved and took some of the gears and put it in, she looked at me expectingly, acting like I was gonna say anything, but then continued. He walked towards the torch and blew a gust of air towards it. Putting it out after a few seconds. He walked over to the barrel, Hazel sitting by it.

'Let's go.' Zero used his tail to grab the barrel. 'Wait, Climb onto my back instead.'

'What? Oh, you want me to Climb on your back!' she nodded after he got onto all fours. It took a few attempt, but luckily, no more than that. after checking she was secured around his neck. He dashed out of the cave and spread his wings, taking off. Zero could fell her heavy breathing, she was definitely scared, so he hurried. Soon the edge came in few. Dropping down to the stables, he gave Hazel a bit to rest. 

'Are we here..?'

'Not yet..'

Zero located the place where the dragon riders normally meet up and landed at the egde behind. He could definitely hear talking. Alright this is a suprise.. 

'Stay here' Zero whispered, signaling to the side as she dropped down from his back with a spot 'Oof'

Zero carefully peeked his head at the side and did a friendly hiss. He noted Astrid was not there.

'Oh, look it's Zero.' Tuffnut said calmly. This must be before the Snuffnut episode...

'Oh, hey Zero. We were just talking about you- You know, it's kind of weird that you don't eat dragons?' Ruffnut said calmly.

'Yea, I mean, Fishlegs said it completely goes against your nature.'

'It does-! No offensive Zero. Even if Another rider exsist that raised Zero from hatch,-' Fishlegs added.

'He would have already went off to his rider as soon as he had the chance, I know Fishlegs...You are such a mystery, Zero.' Hiccup finished.

Zero snorted and turned back to meet Hazel's eyes. Such a timing, they mentioned my rider...Oh the look on their faces! 

'Come in front of me.' He gestured to the front. Slowly Hazel peeked her head to show herself.

'Is that her?' Tuffnut genuinely asked.

'Oh my Thor, he kidnapped a child...' Snotlout gasped.

'Zero..?- where-? What?!'

''No, no, no! Don't blame Zero! He only tired to help me!' Hazel quickly tried to defuse the situtation. 'Myshipcrashedherewithmyparentsandnowthey'redeadandZerotookmeinandnowhistakingcareofmeandnowhe'stechnicallymydad.Pleasedon'tsepratemefromhim!' She quickly said.

'Tuff, Translation, it's clear they do not know what she said.' Ruff said causally

'My ship crashed here with my parents and now they're dead and Zero took me in and now he's taking care of me and now he's technically my dad. Please don't separate me from him.' Tuff responded.

Zero now saw that Fishlegs was starting to cry.

'well...You need a family and you can't really stay here...What's your name.' Hiccup asked.

'Hazel...And I have Zero; He will protect me and I may be seven, but my parent taught me how to survive! I got this!' She said fiercely, but it was kind of adorable. Zero dropped the barrel to the side. Hiccup laughed a little. 'Look-'. Zero gave a slight, accidental growl. 

'See! I already got a dad! He's right here!' Hazel put he hands on her hip proudly.

'Okay, Okay! I don't like this...But you can stay.' Hiccup reluctantly said.

'Yay! Where do Me and Zero stay!'

'Oh, ho, no. We don't have a place for you...and Zero to stay, yet...For now, we'll all just rotate.'

'What?! Who said I wanted to take care of a baby!' Snotlout shouted.

'I am not a baby!' Hazel hissed back.

'Okay, Okay...Whatever.'

'Look, Let me just tell you. You're smart for someone so young but that doesn't protect you from the danger that's happening.' he knelt down and then looked at Zero. 'You're different, but you must protect her, got it?'

I nodded with a serious look on my face. 

'I still don't get why I can't tell them about speaking dragon...' Hazel leaned over to me and whispered.

'Well-! Fine, It's going to spill anyway, so, they'll figure it out anyway. You can talk to me.'

'Yipee! More lessons?' she face to turn to him

'W-what? What lessons.' Hiccup stammered.

'You'll see later!'

___________________________________________________________________________

Hazel struggled to get off as Zero tilted himself forward. Today Zero was going to teach more complex words, using other words. She ran towards a grass patch, and sat crisscross. 

'Okay, So, instead of me teaching you, how about you tell me what words to learn.'

'Uh...Hm... I don't know...'

'Well okay, I'll teach you words of my choice. But try to keep track of words you don't know, Like Track for example.'

'Huh? Oh, I'll keep that down. But how will I tell you?'

'You can't really speak dragon but try to replicate the words with roars and remember them.'

'O-oh Okay? No, I have a better Idea! if we make are own alphabet, you could write the words down, say it, and I'd understand! ' she Jumped up and down from her good Idea.

'Okay..'

They spent the remaining of the morning making the alphabet in their way and learning lots of new words. Zero gestured for her to climb on her back. He was crouched down enough for her, to climb on, but it was a struggle. Using his back legs to get on. She started to get lifted of the ground. It was scary, but she had to get used to it now. Hazel sighed as they landed onto where she calls the meeting place, because the dragon rider met here when she first saw them. They weren't here this time.

'We'll stay here till evening, they eat here.' Zero instructed plopping himself down.

'What..? Fine, but don't snap at me if I bug ya!'