This content was created by Lois Letchford. This content was uploaded by Lois Letchford. This is a YouTube video titled "Isaac Letchford Reads 'How To Be A Pirate': Chapter 17 Part 4" (uploaded December 15, 2022). The excerpt is a narrated reading by Isaac Letchford of a fictional chapter featuring characters Hiccup, Alvin the Treacherous, Toothless, and Fishlegs. The passage describes a dramatic fight over treasure, Hiccup being aided by his dragon Toothless, and Hiccup discovering he is left-handed. The content is a single-speaker narrated fiction excerpt rather than a multi-person conversation.
Chapters
It's not that I dislike you personally, Hiccup, but I swore to myself, said Alvin, still smiling, that I would find Aunt Grimbeard's precious treasure and that I would kill his precious heir. That's fair, isn't it?
An heir in exchange for a hand.
And he made a vicious swipe at Hiccup with the Stormblade. Hiccup dodged out of the way in the nick of time. He leapt nimbly onto the nearest mound of treasure and started scrambling up it. And with Grimm'sbeard's only precious sword, too, chuckled Alvin. Isn't fate artistic?
Toothless!
yelled Hiccup.
Get me a sword!
Alvin climbed after him and made another wild lunge at his head. Hiccup ducked behind a large golden chariot wheel.
Toothless!
cried Hiccup.
Hurry up!
Okay, okay, muttered Toothless, who had flown to a pile of weaponry not far away.
Keep your helmet on! Toothless doing his best!
Toothless tried to pick up 3 of the swords, all of them as big and beautiful and flashy as the Stormblade itself. But they were all too heavy. So he turned to something smaller, an undistinguished but serviceable object, a bit rusty at the edges, perhaps. He could lift it easily with both talons, and flew with it to where Hiccup was climbing. He was a quarter of the way up a hill of treasure, hotly pursued by Alvin, who had little red lights dancing in his narrow eyes and was swishing that Stormblade like he was a human flail. Toothless, do the rest! Toothless dropped the rusty sword in Hiccup's hand, and he caught it just in time to parry a blow by Alvin so terrible that it— that if it had actually connected with Hiccup's neck, It might have removed his head from his shoulders then and there. Hiccup caught the sword in his left hand, because, if you remember, his right arm was dislocated and in a sling. This isn't going to last long, he thought to himself. It was a case of man against boy, and Hiccup wasn't exactly the greatest swordfighter in the Inner Isles, even Keep your point up, Hiccup! shouted Fishlegs, desperately trying to clamber up after them so he could help.
Eye on the sword at all times! A strong wrist! Remember your footwork!
Alvin the Treacherous gave a great swipe at Hiccup's belly, and Hiccup was surprised to find his left arm jerked up, and his own sword blocked Alvin's in the nick of time. Alvin was equally surprised, and he hauled his great sword over his wicked head and he brought it down towards Hiccup's neck. And Hiccup's arms flashed up and parried the blow just before it bit. Astonished, Alvin began raining blows thick and fast, swiping and slashing and lunging and Hiccup's left arm parried every single thrust.
Well, suffering swordfish!
exclaimed Fishlegs.
Hiccup is left-handed!
I would not have you think that this was a fight that Hiccup would be proud to look back upon now. For Hiccup would grow up to be a master swordsman, a genius of the art, and this fight, by comparison with the extraordinary skill with which he fought later, was clumsy work, mostly defensive strokes. And although I would love to say that Alvin the Treacherous was a brilliant swordfighter, the truth is that he was just so-so at the art, preferring to poison his enemy's cup or bash them from behind with a rock. to fighting them face to face, but he was still stronger and more experienced than Hiccup. And while it may not have been the best fight Hiccup ever fought, it was certainly the one he would look back on with the most astonishment and pride. For it was the first time in his life that Hiccup realized he was left-handed. Imagine if you had spent the whole first part of your life trying to walk on your hands. The clumsiness of it, always falling over, always stumbling, always the last at everything. Imagine the joy of discovering that in fact you could walk on your feet after all. That is what it felt like to Hiccup fighting with his left hand for the first time. So exhilarating was the feeling that he was even starting to enjoy himself. Hiccup was helped by Toothless, who swooped down and attacked Alvin's head so that Alvin was constantly distracted. Unfair, smiled Alvin.
I never thought Grimmsbeard's heir would stoop to 2 against 1.
The excitement made Hiccup overconfident. And so he called out, leave him to me, Toothless!
Leave him to you?
Fishlegs shouted up furiously.
What do you mean? What do you mean leave him to you? Carry on, Toothless! And that is an order, Hiccup, not a sword fighting at sea lesson. And you need all the help you can get.
In fact, the practice From the sword fighting at sea lessons were a big help to Hiccup. How to sword fight. Figure 1: Bend knees, arms again above head, relax, and then swivel the hips, thrust forward, and lunge. Figure 2: The piercing— the destroyer's defense. A: Raise sword above head. B: Let out ear-splittingly ferocious yell. See? Bring sword firmly forward as your feet leave the ground. The fighting against superior numbers maneuver. Remember to keep your weight on the back foot at all times. Be careful not to remove your own head with that axe.
The confusing the enemy's buttons Up routine!
Only for the very confident. The shifting, moving ground of the treasure mound was rather similar to the movement of the decks at sea. Hiccup kept his balance more easily than Alvin, who continuously staggered and lost his footing. Nonetheless, it was soon clear that although Hiccup was enjoying himself, he wasn't winning the fight. Even with Toothless's help. With a grim smile on his lips, Alvin the Treacherous fought Hiccup back and back, eyes aglow with that red light. Back to his old smooth self again. Come on, Hiccup, he wheeled.
Don't be so scared of your old pal Treacherous. I wouldn't harm a hair—
swipe—
on your head.
Listen, Alvin, urged Hiccup as he parried each blow. I'm sure we can all get away safely if you forget about the treasure. Oh, I will, promised Alvin.
Just as soon as I've killed you, I will.
Look, Alvin, said Hiccup. It's never too late to change. You've still got a chance to live life, Differently.
Make friends.
Start a family. Stop it, said Alvin.
You're making me laugh. You give me a second chance? That's really funny, that is. You're a heartbeat away from the abyss. A mere child fighting a grown man. And you're giving me a second chance? It's too kind of you.
