How to speak Dragonese Read Free Page B

gray shadowy shape of an enormous boat loomed at them out of the fog.
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    It was a far, far larger boat than Hiccup was expecting. Surely Peaceable fishing boats didn't normally have three layers of oars? And the sound the dragons were making was also unusual.
    "Those dragons aren't hungry, they're angry," said Hiccup slowly.
    "Who cares?" shrieked Fishlegs, grabbing a grappling hook that was on a rope attached to the prow of The Hopeful Puffin. He threw it so that it caught perfectly over the rim of the larger boat and held.
    Fishlegs was not a great athlete. He had tried this countless times in Boarding-an-Enemy-Ship Lessons and had never managed to throw it successfully before.
    In fact, several times he had nearly knocked himself out in the process. Which just goes to show, it's amazing what a person can do when he feels he is in deadly mortal danger.
    "Hang on a second, Fishlegs!" warned Hiccup. "We have to keep our heads here! We haven't definitely seen a Sharkworm yet, have we? And those dragons are screaming the most awful things in Dragonese..."
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    VIKING DRAGONS AND THEIR EGGS
    The SHARKWORM
    One of the scariest predators in the ocean. You are not safe either in the water or out, for the Sharkworm has thick, muscly alligator legs that allow it to Climb on board ship to kill.
    STATISTICS
    COLORS: Black, green, gray. ARMED WITH: Serrated fangs, claws, etc... 9
    RADAR: Absolutely......8
    POISON: None......0
    HUNTING ABILITY: Unbelievable on sea and land... 10
    SPEED: Astonishingly quick .....10
    FEAR AND FIGHT FACTOR: Don't get in the water.... 10
    [Image: Wings fold into body cavity when swimming]
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    But Fishlegs was in too much of a twitter of terror to listen to Hiccup.
    "Have you forgotten? We're supposed to be boarding a Peaceable fishing boat right now!" he scolded. "Remember Boarding-an-Enemy-Ship lessons? Remember Gobber? Big chap, bad breath, muscles like Bashyballs? He's going to KILL us if we don't come back with a Peaceable helmet, right? Although, of course, it's a fascinating question whether or not that was a deadly man-eating Sharkworm or just a trick of the eyes, I really don't feel like staying here and discussing it somehow ..."
    Fishlegs started climbing the rope.
    Again, Fishlegs was normally hopeless at rope-climbing. But this time he was up that rope as quick as a Shortwing Squirrel serpent scrambling up a tree.
    Hiccup hopped nervously from one foot to another, listening to the furiously angry dragons shrieking from the enormous ship towering above him.
    He couldn't let Fishlegs board the ship alone.
    Hiccup said a quick prayer to Woden, put his hands upon the rope and began to squirm up after his friend.
    "Here goes ..." muttered Fishlegs, as he reached
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    the top of the rope and prepared to climb over the edge and into the boat. He pulled out his sword with one trembling hand. "Remember, they're only fishermen, they're scared silly by Hooligans," he reminded himself. "What was it Gobber said to say when we went over the top? Oh I know, that stupid Hooligan War Cry -- YAAAAH!"
    "Wait!" whispered Hiccup, frantically scrambling up behind him. "Don't do anything rash!"
    But it was too late.
    Hiccup reached the top and Fishlegs threw himself over the side, screaming "Y-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-H!" at the top of his voice. Gobber really would have been proud of him.
    Fishlegs landed on the deck, swinging his sword around his head in his most menacing and barbaric fashion, expecting to be faced by two or three terrified Peaceable fishermen.
    Instead of which, three hundred and fifty of Rome's finest soldiers, heavily armed with the latest in modern weaponry, swiveled round to look at him.
    "Oh brother ..." whispered Hiccup to himself, still swinging from the rope and peering over the rim of the boat. "So much for this being our lucky day ..."
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    3. OUT OF THE COOKING POT AND INTO THE BARBECUE
    "Uh-oh ..." said Fishlegs.
    This was most definitely NOT a Peaceable fishing boat.
    It was, in fact, a