How To Find A Hiccup Ch. 8-9
Posted: 15 May 2014, 09:35
by Shnuckles
Chapters 8-9 below the spoiler bars!
Spoiler: click to toggle
How To Find A Hiccup
ACT II: Berk
Chapter 2
'They're Back'
Hiccup and Stoick stared at each other. Hiccup not sure what to do, this situation was very awkward. And Stoick not believing his son had finally come home. The riders stood back, watching and feeling much like Hiccup, not sure what to do.
"Sooo..." Hiccup began, breaking the silence, but Stoick cut him off by enveloping him into a bone-crushing hug. The wind successfully escaping from his lungs.
"Dad, can't... breathe," Hiccup gasped. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Toothless growl at the man. Stoick released him and gave hearty laugh.
"Hiccup!" He boomed. "Look at you, all grown up." Stoick laughed again and Hiccup gave a laugh that he often did when he was shy or uncomfortable. The large chief stepped aside.
"Come in, come in," Stoick said, his arm outstretched into the house. Hiccup smiled awkwardly and entered, the riders following suite. Dane was the last one in.
"And you're Dane, I presume?" Stoick asked. Dane nodded.
"Yes, sir," He said proudly.
"Ah. Nice to meet you." Dane bowed his head slightly and entered the house.
Hiccup sat at the table, Astrid beside him. The other riders and Dane stood behind them. Stoick sat at the opposite side of the table, his chair screeching against the floor as he scooted it closer to the table. Another awkward silence followed. Dane stretched up towards Fishlegs.
"Is it always like this?" Dane whispered. Fishlegs shrugged one shoulder.
"I don't really know," Fish whispered. "But it seems like it." Stoick scooted his chair even closer to the table.
"With you traveling all over the world, we finally have something to talk about," Stoick said hoping he and Hiccup would finally have something to discuss. They were very distant, the events with Scale didn't help either. A few moments passed with no one saying anything and Hiccup doing his best to avert his eyes from Stoick's glare. Snotlout cleared his throat.
"Well, I think I'm going to..." He began but trailed off. Fishlegs picked up where Snotlout ended.
"Yep, we're going to go. See you later." The riders and Dane headed out to the plaza, leaving Hiccup, Astrid and Stoick alone. With Toothless acting like a shadow in the background, watching the whole thing with large, green eyes.
Stoick cleared his throat.
"Oh, well... alright then. I left your room untouched just in case... you know..." Stoick took a deep breath. Why was it so hard to talk to Hiccup? "You ever came home." He finished. Hiccup's eyes widened. He kinda thought Stoick would burn everything he owned once he left. Maybe he didn't give the man enough credit as a father... or as a man for that matter.
"Really?" Hiccup asked. Stoick nodded.
"Go look if you don't believe me," Stoick chuckled, gesturing to the Hiccup's old room in the process. Hiccup's face lit up like a child's on Snoggletog morning. He wasn't excited to see his old room, but it was more of his father seeming to want him back. If that was the case, then Hiccup would definitely have to take him up on his offer. He would have to settle the matter with King first, of course. And, then there was that thing with the villagers possibly hating him.
Without wasting a second, Hiccup pushed his chair back and ran upstairs, successfully making Astrid giggle in the process. Stoick gave her a funny look.
"You're not going soft, are you Astrid?" Stoick asked. Astrid blushed.
"No! Of course not." Stoick chuckled.
"You're a better fighter than liar, Astrid." Astrid sighed.
"Stupid Hiccup." Stoick laughed again. He hadn't felt this good in ages. His son was home and all was finally well.
(~)(~)(~)
Raden sat on Berk's beach at the back end of the island. He was here to do a deed that had him torn up inside. The kid was forced to make a difficult decision, a decision that would change the outcome of the war forever. King wanted him to capture each of Hiccup's friends and family, or else Raden would become an orphan. With his own family being held captive he didn't have much of a choice.
Raden sighed for the umpteenth time since he arrived. King had him transported alone on one of his own dragons, so that way Hiccup couldn't use the Dragon Line to realize he was coming.
Raden just sat there, poking in the sand... waiting. The bushes behind Raden shook and he snapped his head around. Behind the bushes out walked the devil himself...
(~)(~)(~)
Hiccup rummaged through his room. He honestly thought he would never seen it again. All of his books and drawing were untouched, which meant they were thrown all over the place. He stood back to admire his room, he couldn't believe that his dad did all of this.
Hiccup sat on his bed. Something was hard underneath his covers. Without second guessing himself, Hiccup yanked the covers off of the object. A small book sat facing up, staring at Hiccup, begging him to open it. Who was he to ignore it?
Hiccup flipped through the pages, his eyes brimming with tears. All of his old drawings of Toothless were sewn into a single book. Stoick must have gone through the pages at his little workshop in Gobber's forge and put them into a single book. Everything was in there, from his very first sketches of Toothless, to his beta designs on the dragon's tail fin. It was incredible.
Hiccup walked down the stairs to where Stoick and Astrid were sitting, the book tucked away in his leather armor. Astrid telling Stoick all that she knew of the situation Hiccup had gotten himself into. Stoick chuckled when he saw Hiccup.
"Looks like you still can't keep yourself out of trouble," he said. Hiccup gave a small laugh and rubbed his chin.
"Guess not." The room fell into a comfortable silence. Everyone enjoying the rare, sane, moment that seemed to be avoiding them. But, the village was slowly awaking. The other riders were already back at their own homes, reuniting with their families and Hiccup knew it would soon be time to face a large crowd of angry vikings. Not. Fun.
Hiccup had to ask a favor of his father though, first.
"Astrid, why don't you go find your mother. I have something I need to ask... my father," Hiccup asked Astrid. The boy didn't seem to notice, but Stoick beamed when he called him his father. Astrid smiled and nodded. The door closed quietly behind her.
Hiccup took a seat in front of Stoick.
"So, what's on your mind?" Stoick asked, thrilled that Hiccup was actually talking to him. Before Scale, Hiccup and Stoick kinda avoided each other. And, when they did talk, it was often harsh words. But, this was a clean start for father and son.
"I... need your help... with something." Stoick leaned closer a little and motioned him to continue. "When Astrid and the others came to find me they had a little run in with King. He's..."
"Yes, I know who he is. Astrid filled me in on everything."
"Oh, so you know about their dragons?" Stoick furrowed his brow.
"No. I can't say that I do."
"Well, King still has them. I don't have enough man power to lift them, because they're too weak to move, and I was kinda hoping you and a few men would help me rescue them."
"That's asking a lot. I would help, but I'm not sure I could get enough men too."
"Yeah, I know. People are probably going to hate me. It's just that... I hate having Astrid go through all of this. If Toothless was trapped by that mad man I would be having a melt down. I know Astrid is torn up on the inside," Hiccup said, his glare falling to his hands on the table. "And it is my fault they're there."
Stoick sighed.
"One thing at a time," he said. "But, I think we should introduce you to the rest of the village. You can't hide forever." Hiccup rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of them, he was exhausted.
"Listen," Hiccup said. "I would take whatever punishment that they call for. Anything short of death, that is. But, I can't stay coped up here while King is off doing who knows what! I have a lot more responsibilities outside of Berk."
Stoick rubbed his beard. Hiccup must have really dug himself into quite the hole.
"Why don't we..." was all the time Stoick had to say until the door swung open, slamming against the wall. Gobber stood on the other side.
"Ha ha! It is true! I knew Astrid wasn't lying!" The blacksmith shouted with joy as he hobbled over to Hiccup. With his good hand, Gobber gave him a forceful slap on the back.
"Look at you!" Gobber exclaimed. "The years sure have been good for you!" Gobber laughed again and Hiccup smiled sheepishly. Gobber's happiness and joy seemed to disappear and is face grew serious. He stared at Hiccup for a moment. Hiccup himself was taken back by Gobber's sudden change in mood. But, Hiccup was quickly yanked out of his chair by the blacksmith. Gobber enveloped him into a great bear hug, nearly crushing him.
"I missed you," Gobber said. Hiccup was gasping for breath and Stoick laughed.
"Alright, Gobber, I think you made your point," Stoick chuckled. Gobber released Hiccup, but gave him another good slap on the arm for good measures. The force from the 'friendly' slap nearly knocked the young dragon king over.
"So, what have you been up to, lad?" Gobber asked. "I want to hear all about your crazy adventures."
"All in good time, Gobber," Hiccup said. "But there are other matters to attend to first." Gobber seemed a little deflated, but quickly regained his happy-go-lucky self.
"Well, look at you, going to be a great chief one day with that attitude," Gobber chuckled again, but Hiccup seemed to pale. Stoick seemed to notice, but before he could speak the door opened again.
"What happened to knocking?" Stoick asked, frustrated. It was Dane.
"Sorry, but I just thought that Boss Man would like to know of an angry mob that's coming here... NOW!" Hiccup paled even more. He was right, it was foolish to come back here. Dang it Astrid! Hiccup thought.
"Come on, Toothless, we have to go," Hiccup said to his dragon, then turned to Stoick. "Try to calm the mob, I'll be back." With that, Hiccup and Toothless ran out the back door, not looking back. Stoick stood up and went outside, Dane and Gobber behind him.
"Where is he, Stoick," Shouted Mildew. Dane stepped back in disgust. His face full of revolt.
"Dude, how old are you?" He asked, eying Mildew up and down. The old man just scowled at him and went back to Stoick.
"We know the traitor's back, the Thorston twins kept blabbering about it!" Mildew yelled, leaning on his staff a little more. The whole rant was even more exhausting than he thought.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Hiccup has been gone for five years, you crazy old man," Stoick shot back, crossing his arms. Mildew groaned.
"He's here, Stoick, and we will find him," Mildew said, referring to the angry mob behind him. They turned around and walked back down the hill, leaving Stoick, Gobber and Dane staring at their backs.
"Blasted boy," Mildew muttered under his breath. "What's it going to take to get rid of him? If an arrow didn't work then what will?"
"Boss Man pissed them off," Dane muttered to himself, Gobber nodded in approval.
"You can't blame them though, that's the sad part," Gobber said. Stoick agreed.
"When do you think he'll be back?" Stoick asked. Neither Dane or Gobber knew the answer. Dane suddenly clutched the bridge of his nose in pain.
"What happened to you?" Gobber asked. Dane shook his head, letting his hand drop, but the pain still remained.
"From time to time I get a headache. Hiccup's an OK healer, but he can't figure out why I get them so often," Dane said, shaking his head slightly like it'll help make the pain go away.
(~)(~)(~)
"Well Toothless, here we are," Hiccup said as he and Toothless dropped down into the cove. Hiccup spun around, taking in the scene in its entirety. This cove was where it all started. Hiccup sometimes wondered if what this place did start was good or bad, but every time he looked at Toothless, he decided it was worth it. Every bad thing that happened to them was worth it.
Toothless nudged Hiccup's side, bringing him out of his trance.
"Oh, sorry bud. Guess we'll be staying here for a while."
"It's been a while, since we've been to this place," Toothless said. Hiccup nodded.
"So, we have some time, what should we do?" Toothless gave a long yawn in reply and Hiccup chuckled. "I agree, sleep sounds like a good idea."
Toothless warmed up the ground around him with a small, steady stream of fire before making himself comfortable. Hiccup positioned himself on his wing. Many nights were spent like this, only now they were sleeping early in the morning, with an angry mob after them. Just like good old times. The best friends were asleep in seconds.
(~)(~)(~)
Astrid had been looking for Hiccup ever since she became aware of the mob. After paying a quick visit to the Thorston twins to... 'tell,' them what a horribly stupid mistake they had made, Astrid took off into the woods. She had a pretty good idea as to where Hiccup would be.
She crept through the woods, being as quiet as possible. If Hiccup heard her he might take off, fearing the mob was onto him.
Astrid came to the edge of the cove and peered over. It had been a while since she was here and a wave of memories washed over her. From Hiccup taking off after he had placed first in dragons training. To where Scale was finally defeated. That day was both the best and worst day of her life. Hundreds of lives were saved, but the one she cared about the most had left. And now, he was here again... SLEEPING?!
Astrid groaned deep in her throat. Hiccup had an angry mob chasing him and he was dozing?! She shook her head and dropped down into the cove, kicking up loose stones and sending them to the ground below in the process. Her feet hit the ground with a thud. She wasn't trying to be quiet, it wasn't like he was going to hear her.
She kicked him in the side. Hiccup jerked awake, but calmed once he realized it was just Astrid.
"Well, don't you know how to wake someone up," he commented, closing his eyes and bringing his head to rest on his hands. Astrid rolled her eyes.
"What are you doing?" Astrid asked, irritated. Hiccup sometimes envied Toothless's ability to tune out noise when he was sleeping. He did, however, always know when Hiccup was in trouble. Guess the dragon didn't think Astrid was a threat, to Hiccup's regret.
"Taking a well deserved nap. You should get some sleep, too."
"Why? Because I'm mad?"
"No, because it's been close to twenty-four hours since you have. It's not healthy to go that long without sleep." Astrid crossed her arms.
"You have an angry mob after you and you're... Sleeping!?"
"Yes." Astrid sighed.
"Aren't you scared that they'll find you?"
"No."
"Oh come on."
"What?"
"I-I..." Astrid groaned and rubbed her forehead.
"I knew people here would probably try to kill me."
"Then why did you agree to come back here?"
"Two reasons. One; you made it sound like all was forgiven. Two; it is very hard to say no to you."
"And why is that?"
"Well, you asked me after you found me in the cave." Hiccup cracked an eye open, a smirk played across his face. Astrid couldn't help but laugh a little, a blush gracing her cheeks.
"Has anyone found this place before you left?" Hiccup asked.
"No."
"Then we're safe," Hiccup held out his hand. "Care to join me for a much deserved rest, milady?" Astrid sighed in defeat and accepted his offer of sleep. She took his hand and laid down beside him on Toothless wing, using Hiccup's chest as a pillow. The two were asleep in seconds.
ACT II: Berk
Chapter 2
'They're Back'
Hiccup and Stoick stared at each other. Hiccup not sure what to do, this situation was very awkward. And Stoick not believing his son had finally come home. The riders stood back, watching and feeling much like Hiccup, not sure what to do.
"Sooo..." Hiccup began, breaking the silence, but Stoick cut him off by enveloping him into a bone-crushing hug. The wind successfully escaping from his lungs.
"Dad, can't... breathe," Hiccup gasped. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Toothless growl at the man. Stoick released him and gave hearty laugh.
"Hiccup!" He boomed. "Look at you, all grown up." Stoick laughed again and Hiccup gave a laugh that he often did when he was shy or uncomfortable. The large chief stepped aside.
"Come in, come in," Stoick said, his arm outstretched into the house. Hiccup smiled awkwardly and entered, the riders following suite. Dane was the last one in.
"And you're Dane, I presume?" Stoick asked. Dane nodded.
"Yes, sir," He said proudly.
"Ah. Nice to meet you." Dane bowed his head slightly and entered the house.
Hiccup sat at the table, Astrid beside him. The other riders and Dane stood behind them. Stoick sat at the opposite side of the table, his chair screeching against the floor as he scooted it closer to the table. Another awkward silence followed. Dane stretched up towards Fishlegs.
"Is it always like this?" Dane whispered. Fishlegs shrugged one shoulder.
"I don't really know," Fish whispered. "But it seems like it." Stoick scooted his chair even closer to the table.
"With you traveling all over the world, we finally have something to talk about," Stoick said hoping he and Hiccup would finally have something to discuss. They were very distant, the events with Scale didn't help either. A few moments passed with no one saying anything and Hiccup doing his best to avert his eyes from Stoick's glare. Snotlout cleared his throat.
"Well, I think I'm going to..." He began but trailed off. Fishlegs picked up where Snotlout ended.
"Yep, we're going to go. See you later." The riders and Dane headed out to the plaza, leaving Hiccup, Astrid and Stoick alone. With Toothless acting like a shadow in the background, watching the whole thing with large, green eyes.
Stoick cleared his throat.
"Oh, well... alright then. I left your room untouched just in case... you know..." Stoick took a deep breath. Why was it so hard to talk to Hiccup? "You ever came home." He finished. Hiccup's eyes widened. He kinda thought Stoick would burn everything he owned once he left. Maybe he didn't give the man enough credit as a father... or as a man for that matter.
"Really?" Hiccup asked. Stoick nodded.
"Go look if you don't believe me," Stoick chuckled, gesturing to the Hiccup's old room in the process. Hiccup's face lit up like a child's on Snoggletog morning. He wasn't excited to see his old room, but it was more of his father seeming to want him back. If that was the case, then Hiccup would definitely have to take him up on his offer. He would have to settle the matter with King first, of course. And, then there was that thing with the villagers possibly hating him.
Without wasting a second, Hiccup pushed his chair back and ran upstairs, successfully making Astrid giggle in the process. Stoick gave her a funny look.
"You're not going soft, are you Astrid?" Stoick asked. Astrid blushed.
"No! Of course not." Stoick chuckled.
"You're a better fighter than liar, Astrid." Astrid sighed.
"Stupid Hiccup." Stoick laughed again. He hadn't felt this good in ages. His son was home and all was finally well.
(~)(~)(~)
Raden sat on Berk's beach at the back end of the island. He was here to do a deed that had him torn up inside. The kid was forced to make a difficult decision, a decision that would change the outcome of the war forever. King wanted him to capture each of Hiccup's friends and family, or else Raden would become an orphan. With his own family being held captive he didn't have much of a choice.
Raden sighed for the umpteenth time since he arrived. King had him transported alone on one of his own dragons, so that way Hiccup couldn't use the Dragon Line to realize he was coming.
Raden just sat there, poking in the sand... waiting. The bushes behind Raden shook and he snapped his head around. Behind the bushes out walked the devil himself...
(~)(~)(~)
Hiccup rummaged through his room. He honestly thought he would never seen it again. All of his books and drawing were untouched, which meant they were thrown all over the place. He stood back to admire his room, he couldn't believe that his dad did all of this.
Hiccup sat on his bed. Something was hard underneath his covers. Without second guessing himself, Hiccup yanked the covers off of the object. A small book sat facing up, staring at Hiccup, begging him to open it. Who was he to ignore it?
Hiccup flipped through the pages, his eyes brimming with tears. All of his old drawings of Toothless were sewn into a single book. Stoick must have gone through the pages at his little workshop in Gobber's forge and put them into a single book. Everything was in there, from his very first sketches of Toothless, to his beta designs on the dragon's tail fin. It was incredible.
Hiccup walked down the stairs to where Stoick and Astrid were sitting, the book tucked away in his leather armor. Astrid telling Stoick all that she knew of the situation Hiccup had gotten himself into. Stoick chuckled when he saw Hiccup.
"Looks like you still can't keep yourself out of trouble," he said. Hiccup gave a small laugh and rubbed his chin.
"Guess not." The room fell into a comfortable silence. Everyone enjoying the rare, sane, moment that seemed to be avoiding them. But, the village was slowly awaking. The other riders were already back at their own homes, reuniting with their families and Hiccup knew it would soon be time to face a large crowd of angry vikings. Not. Fun.
Hiccup had to ask a favor of his father though, first.
"Astrid, why don't you go find your mother. I have something I need to ask... my father," Hiccup asked Astrid. The boy didn't seem to notice, but Stoick beamed when he called him his father. Astrid smiled and nodded. The door closed quietly behind her.
Hiccup took a seat in front of Stoick.
"So, what's on your mind?" Stoick asked, thrilled that Hiccup was actually talking to him. Before Scale, Hiccup and Stoick kinda avoided each other. And, when they did talk, it was often harsh words. But, this was a clean start for father and son.
"I... need your help... with something." Stoick leaned closer a little and motioned him to continue. "When Astrid and the others came to find me they had a little run in with King. He's..."
"Yes, I know who he is. Astrid filled me in on everything."
"Oh, so you know about their dragons?" Stoick furrowed his brow.
"No. I can't say that I do."
"Well, King still has them. I don't have enough man power to lift them, because they're too weak to move, and I was kinda hoping you and a few men would help me rescue them."
"That's asking a lot. I would help, but I'm not sure I could get enough men too."
"Yeah, I know. People are probably going to hate me. It's just that... I hate having Astrid go through all of this. If Toothless was trapped by that mad man I would be having a melt down. I know Astrid is torn up on the inside," Hiccup said, his glare falling to his hands on the table. "And it is my fault they're there."
Stoick sighed.
"One thing at a time," he said. "But, I think we should introduce you to the rest of the village. You can't hide forever." Hiccup rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of them, he was exhausted.
"Listen," Hiccup said. "I would take whatever punishment that they call for. Anything short of death, that is. But, I can't stay coped up here while King is off doing who knows what! I have a lot more responsibilities outside of Berk."
Stoick rubbed his beard. Hiccup must have really dug himself into quite the hole.
"Why don't we..." was all the time Stoick had to say until the door swung open, slamming against the wall. Gobber stood on the other side.
"Ha ha! It is true! I knew Astrid wasn't lying!" The blacksmith shouted with joy as he hobbled over to Hiccup. With his good hand, Gobber gave him a forceful slap on the back.
"Look at you!" Gobber exclaimed. "The years sure have been good for you!" Gobber laughed again and Hiccup smiled sheepishly. Gobber's happiness and joy seemed to disappear and is face grew serious. He stared at Hiccup for a moment. Hiccup himself was taken back by Gobber's sudden change in mood. But, Hiccup was quickly yanked out of his chair by the blacksmith. Gobber enveloped him into a great bear hug, nearly crushing him.
"I missed you," Gobber said. Hiccup was gasping for breath and Stoick laughed.
"Alright, Gobber, I think you made your point," Stoick chuckled. Gobber released Hiccup, but gave him another good slap on the arm for good measures. The force from the 'friendly' slap nearly knocked the young dragon king over.
"So, what have you been up to, lad?" Gobber asked. "I want to hear all about your crazy adventures."
"All in good time, Gobber," Hiccup said. "But there are other matters to attend to first." Gobber seemed a little deflated, but quickly regained his happy-go-lucky self.
"Well, look at you, going to be a great chief one day with that attitude," Gobber chuckled again, but Hiccup seemed to pale. Stoick seemed to notice, but before he could speak the door opened again.
"What happened to knocking?" Stoick asked, frustrated. It was Dane.
"Sorry, but I just thought that Boss Man would like to know of an angry mob that's coming here... NOW!" Hiccup paled even more. He was right, it was foolish to come back here. Dang it Astrid! Hiccup thought.
"Come on, Toothless, we have to go," Hiccup said to his dragon, then turned to Stoick. "Try to calm the mob, I'll be back." With that, Hiccup and Toothless ran out the back door, not looking back. Stoick stood up and went outside, Dane and Gobber behind him.
"Where is he, Stoick," Shouted Mildew. Dane stepped back in disgust. His face full of revolt.
"Dude, how old are you?" He asked, eying Mildew up and down. The old man just scowled at him and went back to Stoick.
"We know the traitor's back, the Thorston twins kept blabbering about it!" Mildew yelled, leaning on his staff a little more. The whole rant was even more exhausting than he thought.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Hiccup has been gone for five years, you crazy old man," Stoick shot back, crossing his arms. Mildew groaned.
"He's here, Stoick, and we will find him," Mildew said, referring to the angry mob behind him. They turned around and walked back down the hill, leaving Stoick, Gobber and Dane staring at their backs.
"Blasted boy," Mildew muttered under his breath. "What's it going to take to get rid of him? If an arrow didn't work then what will?"
"Boss Man pissed them off," Dane muttered to himself, Gobber nodded in approval.
"You can't blame them though, that's the sad part," Gobber said. Stoick agreed.
"When do you think he'll be back?" Stoick asked. Neither Dane or Gobber knew the answer. Dane suddenly clutched the bridge of his nose in pain.
"What happened to you?" Gobber asked. Dane shook his head, letting his hand drop, but the pain still remained.
"From time to time I get a headache. Hiccup's an OK healer, but he can't figure out why I get them so often," Dane said, shaking his head slightly like it'll help make the pain go away.
(~)(~)(~)
"Well Toothless, here we are," Hiccup said as he and Toothless dropped down into the cove. Hiccup spun around, taking in the scene in its entirety. This cove was where it all started. Hiccup sometimes wondered if what this place did start was good or bad, but every time he looked at Toothless, he decided it was worth it. Every bad thing that happened to them was worth it.
Toothless nudged Hiccup's side, bringing him out of his trance.
"Oh, sorry bud. Guess we'll be staying here for a while."
"It's been a while, since we've been to this place," Toothless said. Hiccup nodded.
"So, we have some time, what should we do?" Toothless gave a long yawn in reply and Hiccup chuckled. "I agree, sleep sounds like a good idea."
Toothless warmed up the ground around him with a small, steady stream of fire before making himself comfortable. Hiccup positioned himself on his wing. Many nights were spent like this, only now they were sleeping early in the morning, with an angry mob after them. Just like good old times. The best friends were asleep in seconds.
(~)(~)(~)
Astrid had been looking for Hiccup ever since she became aware of the mob. After paying a quick visit to the Thorston twins to... 'tell,' them what a horribly stupid mistake they had made, Astrid took off into the woods. She had a pretty good idea as to where Hiccup would be.
She crept through the woods, being as quiet as possible. If Hiccup heard her he might take off, fearing the mob was onto him.
Astrid came to the edge of the cove and peered over. It had been a while since she was here and a wave of memories washed over her. From Hiccup taking off after he had placed first in dragons training. To where Scale was finally defeated. That day was both the best and worst day of her life. Hundreds of lives were saved, but the one she cared about the most had left. And now, he was here again... SLEEPING?!
Astrid groaned deep in her throat. Hiccup had an angry mob chasing him and he was dozing?! She shook her head and dropped down into the cove, kicking up loose stones and sending them to the ground below in the process. Her feet hit the ground with a thud. She wasn't trying to be quiet, it wasn't like he was going to hear her.
She kicked him in the side. Hiccup jerked awake, but calmed once he realized it was just Astrid.
"Well, don't you know how to wake someone up," he commented, closing his eyes and bringing his head to rest on his hands. Astrid rolled her eyes.
"What are you doing?" Astrid asked, irritated. Hiccup sometimes envied Toothless's ability to tune out noise when he was sleeping. He did, however, always know when Hiccup was in trouble. Guess the dragon didn't think Astrid was a threat, to Hiccup's regret.
"Taking a well deserved nap. You should get some sleep, too."
"Why? Because I'm mad?"
"No, because it's been close to twenty-four hours since you have. It's not healthy to go that long without sleep." Astrid crossed her arms.
"You have an angry mob after you and you're... Sleeping!?"
"Yes." Astrid sighed.
"Aren't you scared that they'll find you?"
"No."
"Oh come on."
"What?"
"I-I..." Astrid groaned and rubbed her forehead.
"I knew people here would probably try to kill me."
"Then why did you agree to come back here?"
"Two reasons. One; you made it sound like all was forgiven. Two; it is very hard to say no to you."
"And why is that?"
"Well, you asked me after you found me in the cave." Hiccup cracked an eye open, a smirk played across his face. Astrid couldn't help but laugh a little, a blush gracing her cheeks.
"Has anyone found this place before you left?" Hiccup asked.
"No."
"Then we're safe," Hiccup held out his hand. "Care to join me for a much deserved rest, milady?" Astrid sighed in defeat and accepted his offer of sleep. She took his hand and laid down beside him on Toothless wing, using Hiccup's chest as a pillow. The two were asleep in seconds.
Spoiler: click to toggle
How To Find A Hiccup
ACT II: Berk
Chapter 3
'Mob And... A Dragon Proposal?'
Raden knelt in the bushes of Berk's forest, a slight wind was rolling the leaves high above him. Dane crouched beside him. The two were spying down into the cove where Hiccup and Astrid slept on Toothless's wing.
Raden hated himself right now. Here he was, spying on his leader. He shook his head, disappointed in himself. Dane eyed the couple with hate.
"If you don't mind me asking," Raden said in a whisper and shifting his weight to make himself more comfortable. The leaves crunched beneath his feet.
"Shut up," Dane added forcefully. Raden gave him a bored expression and turned his attention back to the Cove where Hiccup, Astrid and Toothless were sleeping. Completely unaware of the two teens watching them.
"What did Hiccup do to make you hate him so much?" Raden questioned, ignoring Dane telling him to clam up. He groaned in response.
"Hiccup... killed my family."
(~)(~)(~)
Hiccup was extremely sore. He tried moving, but found that he couldn't. Slowly coming to his senses, Hiccup cracked a tired eye open, a ringing in his ears left him deaf to the world around him. An unpleasant scene met his blurred gaze.
He was in the Great Hall. Stoick stood in front of him, but he was off to his left allowing Hiccup to see the entire village of Berk. They were all crowded in the Hall and they were not happy. The ringing in his ears began to die down, allowing the roar of the angry vikings to pierce his ear drums. He wished the ringing was still there.
Still shocked and slightly disorientated, Hiccup tried to remember what had happened. Small flashes appeared in his mind, from him being jolted awake to being hit on the head with a club. Yep, no doubt the mob had found him and Astrid. But, how did they find them?
Where was Astrid? Hiccup tried to move to find her, but found he was tied to a chair. Only his neck had the freedom to move. Astrid sat beside him, immobilized to a chair similar to the way he was.
"Hey," he said groggily. Astrids head was bleeding slightly and it was only then Hiccup realized that a small trickle of blood ran down the side of his cheek. Guess she had been knocked out similar to how he was.
Astrid scowled at him.
"What?" Hiccup asked. Astrid just shook her head and turned back to the angry village. Stoick was having trouble getting them to calm down.
Hiccup's eyes widened.
"Where's Dane and Toothless?!" He screamed to the crowd. They paid him no attention, he turned to Astrid. Her face softened.
"I don't know what happened to them. Like you, I woke up here," she said. Hiccup growled deep in his throat. There were few things that sent Hiccup over the edge. Messing with people he loved was one of those things.
"Hiccup?" Astrid questioned noticing Hiccup's strange personality. She hadn't seen him look like this since... "Scale?" She asked, scared and hesitant.
"No. Not Scale," Hiccup said. "Just a pissed Hiccup."
Hiccup's leather armor had many secret compartments and was made way more complicated than it should have been. But, Hiccup couldn't help himself.
While his wrists were bound together to the back of the chair, his fingers were free. Using his middle finger, he pressed it against his bounded wrists, hitting a secret button. A small knife popped out farther up his forearm, cutting the rope and freeing his wrists. With one slice, his legs were free and he stood up.
"He's loose," a random viking yelled as Hiccup cut Astrid free. She made sure to give him a good punch in the shoulder.
"Better?" Hiccup asked her, rubbing his, now sore, shoulder. Astrid smirked. The two stood beside Stoick, facing the fuming mob.
"Hey," Hiccup said to his father.
"You feeling alright?" Stoick asked. "I had nothing to do with..." Hiccup held up his hand to silence his father. A high pitched whistled emitted from his mouth, silencing the angry crowd. Hiccup chuckled.
"Works on dragons and vikings," Hiccup whispered to himself.
"Now," Hiccup yelled. "What is the means for tying me and my, lovely, Valkyrie to a chair?" Hiccup didn't know it, but he had both flattered and embarrassed Astrid.
"You set war to the archipelago!" A viking yelled.
"For, like, 10 minutes," Hiccup countered.
"Do you know how many lives were lost?" Another viking yelled. Hiccup rubbed his forehead, paling slightly. He was at a lost for words.
"Yeah, I guess I should... apologize..." he trailed off.
"You should do more than that. You should be executed for your crimes!" The hall erupted into another frenzy.
"Where's Toothless and Dane?" Hiccup asked Stoick. "I need to get out of here before they DO kill me." Stoick rubbed his forehead, thinking. The crowd began getting restless, shouting and demanding for Hiccup's head. In return, Hiccup paled even more. He had so much on his plate it wasn't even funny.
With Berk breathing down his neck, King trying to kill him, hundreds of kids he had to look after, and then there was Astrid...
Oh crap, Hiccup thought.
An ax flew out from the crowd of vikings. The weapon heading straight at Hiccup's head. He caught it and the crowd went silent. That ax was going fast... very fast.
"Now!" Hiccup yelled, wielding the ax. "I understand why you all are here and I understand why you all are mad at me. I do not blame you. But, there is another matter far outside this place that threatens the sake of the world! If you do not want anymore bloodshed, then step aside and let me finish off this threat once and for all!" Hiccup was livid! He hadn't felt this much rage since he was corrupted by Scale. He must have had been burying more feelings then he thought and they all just bubbled to the surface. He felt better after his outburst, but was still in a mood that said, 'don't mess with me.'
Hiccup stepped off the small podium he was standing on and walked toward the Great Hall's exit. The vikings making a path for him. They knew what Hiccup was capable of, Scale proved that. So, if he said that something was up, something bad, then they best let him take care of it... then they could kill him.
But, a wooden staff blocked his path right before he could push open the doors. Mildew was not about to let him pass.
"Where do you think you're going, boy?" He asked. Hiccup growled deep in his throat.
"Where's Dane and Toothless?" Hiccup asked with a death tone.
"Prison." Hiccup breathed deeply. At least they were alive. "They know you so, like you, are enemies of Berk. The village has called for their heads as well." Wrong thing to say. Hiccup snatched Mildews staff out of his grasp and broke it over his knee. Grabbing Mildew by the collar of his shirt, he forced him against a thick beam.
The crowd began to move in, but Astrid and Stoick were there, holding them back as best they could.
"You listen here, old man, there is something out there. Something you've never faced before. And unless you want that coming here, then I suggest you stay out of my way. I know why you all here hate me, but I can't do anything about that now! King is building an army to wipe us all out and I'm the only one who can stop him!" Hiccup stormed out of the Hall leaving Mildew stunned and shaken.
Astrid followed, leaving Stoick to clear things up with the village.
"Hiccup! Wait up," Astrid called. Hiccup wasn't running, but he wasn't going slow. His direction was aimed straight toward Berk's jail cells.
"What?" Hiccup asked with irritation in his voice as Astrid caught up to him.
"What was that?"
"What was what?" Astrid rolled her eyes.
"That little show you put on in the Great Hall, what the heck!" Hiccup stood in front of her.
"Look, I know that wasn't the best thing in the world for me to do. But there might not be a world for us to live in if we don't stop King," he said.
"Then why did you come back here? We could have taken care of King and then come back." Hiccup sighed, but didn't answer. "Come on, tell me. Why did you agree to come back?" Hiccup seemed to have lost his intensity and went back to being his calm, hiccupy self. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted
"I'll give you a hint," a familiar voice said. "She wares a spiked skirt, has blonde hair and wields a double sided battle ax," Dane walked up to them, Toothless by his side. The kid tossed Hiccup a small box. "I also believe he came here for that."
Hiccup eyed the small box. He knew what was inside it... a ring.
"How did you get out of..." Astrid began, not noticing Hiccup ogling the box. Dane cut her off.
"Fish came by and got us out." Astrid turned back to Hiccup who looked up at her with a blush.
"Well...?" Dane said, trailing off. "That was what you wanted, right? Because I did not break into her room for nothing." Dane chuckled. "Speaking of which, you won't believe what drawer she had that in."
"OK!" Astrid yelled and took a step closer to Dane. The boy gave a yelp and ran away, leaving Astrid and Hiccup alone. Toothless eyeing them from a distance.
"Come on, Hiccup, now's your chance before something else goes horribly wrong," Toothless said. Hiccup, despite himself, chuckled.
"Uhh..." Hiccup didn't know what to do. Astrid seemed to notice the small box for the first time and blushed.
"So," she said. This whole situation quickly grew awkward. Toothless sighed, this was going to go nowhere. Why did he have to do everything?
Toothless sauntered over to Hiccup's side. Using his tail, the dragon swatted Hiccup behind his knee, forcing him down into a kneeling position. With his snout, Toothless directed Hiccup's hand (the one holding the box) up a little bit and flicked it open. Hiccup was now in a perfect position to 'propose' thanks to his dragon.
It happened so fast that Hiccup didn't know what happened until he was in a kneeling position.
"Useless human," Toothless said as he sat beside his friend. Hiccup laughed as did Astrid, but hers was due to another reason.
"How do I say this..." Hiccup said.
"I think it goes something like, 'will you marry me?'" Hiccup snapped his head around to see non-other than Dane, being a smart mouth.
"Good bye, Dane," Hiccup said. Dane gave a thumbs up and left... again. "That boy," Hiccup said to himself. He cleared his throat.
"OK, right, before we get interrupted again and before Toothless loses his patience, let's get this show on the road," Hiccup said. He was utterly panicking. He'd faced danger and death and nothing was more nerve wrecking than watching his Walker friends dying in battle. But this, this was something he almost couldn't handle. He could not handle it in fact. He zoned out, thinking of everything that was impossible (and bad) was going to happen. Only when Toothless slapped him over the head with his tail did Hiccup come back to reality.
"Your soon-to-be-fiance is waiting for you to propose," Toothless said. Astrid stood where she was, a hand over her mouth. This wasn't the way she imagined this moment, but, to be fair, it didn't seem to be the way Hiccup had meant for it to happen either. Now that it was happening, however, she didn't really mind it.
Hiccup cleared his throat again and took a deep breath. He was thankful that most of Berk was at the Great Hall for this moment. But, little did he know Phlegma was peeking around the corner of a house, watching.
"Astrid Hofferson," he began. Oh crap, he though, this is going to be hard. "I've known you all of my life. At first, I admired you from afar, wishing to be you. Then, when I got older, I wanted to be friends. and soon I became even more selfish and wanted to be more.
After we've dated for a few months I knew I wanted to be with you forever," almost there. "But then, Scale ruined it all. And now here we are, five years apart has torn me up on the inside and I... well, I never want to spend another moment of my life without you beside me. Astrid," gulp, "will you... marry me?"
(~)(~)(~)
Dane watched from afar as Astrid nodded yes to Hiccup's question. He watched as Toothless pushed her into Hiccup's arms. It made him sick, but happy. Once he captured Astrid it would hurt Hiccup all the more. That was the reason he made Hiccup propose.
He disappeared into the bushes and back into Berk's thick woods.
Berk had no clue that their greatest enemy was now living among them, rounding up each of the Dragon Riders.
Dane walked to the far side of the island where a secluded beach was. He hadn't planned on finding a beach there, but it worked out for him. Raden, his right hand by force, was there to greet him.
"You've got him?" Dane asked. Raden sighed and made a sweeping motion with his hand, stopping at Fishlegs. He was tied up with chains and his mouth was gagged.
Dane walked over to him and knelt beside him. He chuckled.
"I'm surprised Raden could drag your fat bum over here," Dane chuckled. Fishlegs seemed to grow sad. "What's the matter?" Dane tilted his head in fake concern.
"I didn't drag him here," Raden said. "He's mad because I outsmarted him." Dane turned towards him.
"How did you manage that?"
"Told him to follow me, it was an emergency." Dane laughed at Fishlegs's gullibility.
"You idiot!" He exclaimed and laughed harder. He wiped the tears out of his eye. "Good work, Raden." Dane took a deep breath and regained himself.
"I'm off to Berk's healers, Stoick said they're really good. Maybe they can fix my eyesight," Dane said. "Thanks for freeing me Fishlegs." Dane slapped him on the arm. He turned and started to walk back into the forest, but Raden stopped him.
"Won't they arrest you again?" He asked.
"No. It seems like Hiccup cleared things up. Oh, by the way, I thought you would like to know that I have a new mother." Raden knew what he meant. Dane looked back at Fishlegs who was eyeing them. "Almost forgot." Dane walked back to his prisoner. Raising his boot, Dane stomped on Fishlegs's head, sending him into the black pit of unconsciousness.
ACT II: Berk
Chapter 3
'Mob And... A Dragon Proposal?'
Raden knelt in the bushes of Berk's forest, a slight wind was rolling the leaves high above him. Dane crouched beside him. The two were spying down into the cove where Hiccup and Astrid slept on Toothless's wing.
Raden hated himself right now. Here he was, spying on his leader. He shook his head, disappointed in himself. Dane eyed the couple with hate.
"If you don't mind me asking," Raden said in a whisper and shifting his weight to make himself more comfortable. The leaves crunched beneath his feet.
"Shut up," Dane added forcefully. Raden gave him a bored expression and turned his attention back to the Cove where Hiccup, Astrid and Toothless were sleeping. Completely unaware of the two teens watching them.
"What did Hiccup do to make you hate him so much?" Raden questioned, ignoring Dane telling him to clam up. He groaned in response.
"Hiccup... killed my family."
(~)(~)(~)
Hiccup was extremely sore. He tried moving, but found that he couldn't. Slowly coming to his senses, Hiccup cracked a tired eye open, a ringing in his ears left him deaf to the world around him. An unpleasant scene met his blurred gaze.
He was in the Great Hall. Stoick stood in front of him, but he was off to his left allowing Hiccup to see the entire village of Berk. They were all crowded in the Hall and they were not happy. The ringing in his ears began to die down, allowing the roar of the angry vikings to pierce his ear drums. He wished the ringing was still there.
Still shocked and slightly disorientated, Hiccup tried to remember what had happened. Small flashes appeared in his mind, from him being jolted awake to being hit on the head with a club. Yep, no doubt the mob had found him and Astrid. But, how did they find them?
Where was Astrid? Hiccup tried to move to find her, but found he was tied to a chair. Only his neck had the freedom to move. Astrid sat beside him, immobilized to a chair similar to the way he was.
"Hey," he said groggily. Astrids head was bleeding slightly and it was only then Hiccup realized that a small trickle of blood ran down the side of his cheek. Guess she had been knocked out similar to how he was.
Astrid scowled at him.
"What?" Hiccup asked. Astrid just shook her head and turned back to the angry village. Stoick was having trouble getting them to calm down.
Hiccup's eyes widened.
"Where's Dane and Toothless?!" He screamed to the crowd. They paid him no attention, he turned to Astrid. Her face softened.
"I don't know what happened to them. Like you, I woke up here," she said. Hiccup growled deep in his throat. There were few things that sent Hiccup over the edge. Messing with people he loved was one of those things.
"Hiccup?" Astrid questioned noticing Hiccup's strange personality. She hadn't seen him look like this since... "Scale?" She asked, scared and hesitant.
"No. Not Scale," Hiccup said. "Just a pissed Hiccup."
Hiccup's leather armor had many secret compartments and was made way more complicated than it should have been. But, Hiccup couldn't help himself.
While his wrists were bound together to the back of the chair, his fingers were free. Using his middle finger, he pressed it against his bounded wrists, hitting a secret button. A small knife popped out farther up his forearm, cutting the rope and freeing his wrists. With one slice, his legs were free and he stood up.
"He's loose," a random viking yelled as Hiccup cut Astrid free. She made sure to give him a good punch in the shoulder.
"Better?" Hiccup asked her, rubbing his, now sore, shoulder. Astrid smirked. The two stood beside Stoick, facing the fuming mob.
"Hey," Hiccup said to his father.
"You feeling alright?" Stoick asked. "I had nothing to do with..." Hiccup held up his hand to silence his father. A high pitched whistled emitted from his mouth, silencing the angry crowd. Hiccup chuckled.
"Works on dragons and vikings," Hiccup whispered to himself.
"Now," Hiccup yelled. "What is the means for tying me and my, lovely, Valkyrie to a chair?" Hiccup didn't know it, but he had both flattered and embarrassed Astrid.
"You set war to the archipelago!" A viking yelled.
"For, like, 10 minutes," Hiccup countered.
"Do you know how many lives were lost?" Another viking yelled. Hiccup rubbed his forehead, paling slightly. He was at a lost for words.
"Yeah, I guess I should... apologize..." he trailed off.
"You should do more than that. You should be executed for your crimes!" The hall erupted into another frenzy.
"Where's Toothless and Dane?" Hiccup asked Stoick. "I need to get out of here before they DO kill me." Stoick rubbed his forehead, thinking. The crowd began getting restless, shouting and demanding for Hiccup's head. In return, Hiccup paled even more. He had so much on his plate it wasn't even funny.
With Berk breathing down his neck, King trying to kill him, hundreds of kids he had to look after, and then there was Astrid...
Oh crap, Hiccup thought.
An ax flew out from the crowd of vikings. The weapon heading straight at Hiccup's head. He caught it and the crowd went silent. That ax was going fast... very fast.
"Now!" Hiccup yelled, wielding the ax. "I understand why you all are here and I understand why you all are mad at me. I do not blame you. But, there is another matter far outside this place that threatens the sake of the world! If you do not want anymore bloodshed, then step aside and let me finish off this threat once and for all!" Hiccup was livid! He hadn't felt this much rage since he was corrupted by Scale. He must have had been burying more feelings then he thought and they all just bubbled to the surface. He felt better after his outburst, but was still in a mood that said, 'don't mess with me.'
Hiccup stepped off the small podium he was standing on and walked toward the Great Hall's exit. The vikings making a path for him. They knew what Hiccup was capable of, Scale proved that. So, if he said that something was up, something bad, then they best let him take care of it... then they could kill him.
But, a wooden staff blocked his path right before he could push open the doors. Mildew was not about to let him pass.
"Where do you think you're going, boy?" He asked. Hiccup growled deep in his throat.
"Where's Dane and Toothless?" Hiccup asked with a death tone.
"Prison." Hiccup breathed deeply. At least they were alive. "They know you so, like you, are enemies of Berk. The village has called for their heads as well." Wrong thing to say. Hiccup snatched Mildews staff out of his grasp and broke it over his knee. Grabbing Mildew by the collar of his shirt, he forced him against a thick beam.
The crowd began to move in, but Astrid and Stoick were there, holding them back as best they could.
"You listen here, old man, there is something out there. Something you've never faced before. And unless you want that coming here, then I suggest you stay out of my way. I know why you all here hate me, but I can't do anything about that now! King is building an army to wipe us all out and I'm the only one who can stop him!" Hiccup stormed out of the Hall leaving Mildew stunned and shaken.
Astrid followed, leaving Stoick to clear things up with the village.
"Hiccup! Wait up," Astrid called. Hiccup wasn't running, but he wasn't going slow. His direction was aimed straight toward Berk's jail cells.
"What?" Hiccup asked with irritation in his voice as Astrid caught up to him.
"What was that?"
"What was what?" Astrid rolled her eyes.
"That little show you put on in the Great Hall, what the heck!" Hiccup stood in front of her.
"Look, I know that wasn't the best thing in the world for me to do. But there might not be a world for us to live in if we don't stop King," he said.
"Then why did you come back here? We could have taken care of King and then come back." Hiccup sighed, but didn't answer. "Come on, tell me. Why did you agree to come back?" Hiccup seemed to have lost his intensity and went back to being his calm, hiccupy self. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted
"I'll give you a hint," a familiar voice said. "She wares a spiked skirt, has blonde hair and wields a double sided battle ax," Dane walked up to them, Toothless by his side. The kid tossed Hiccup a small box. "I also believe he came here for that."
Hiccup eyed the small box. He knew what was inside it... a ring.
"How did you get out of..." Astrid began, not noticing Hiccup ogling the box. Dane cut her off.
"Fish came by and got us out." Astrid turned back to Hiccup who looked up at her with a blush.
"Well...?" Dane said, trailing off. "That was what you wanted, right? Because I did not break into her room for nothing." Dane chuckled. "Speaking of which, you won't believe what drawer she had that in."
"OK!" Astrid yelled and took a step closer to Dane. The boy gave a yelp and ran away, leaving Astrid and Hiccup alone. Toothless eyeing them from a distance.
"Come on, Hiccup, now's your chance before something else goes horribly wrong," Toothless said. Hiccup, despite himself, chuckled.
"Uhh..." Hiccup didn't know what to do. Astrid seemed to notice the small box for the first time and blushed.
"So," she said. This whole situation quickly grew awkward. Toothless sighed, this was going to go nowhere. Why did he have to do everything?
Toothless sauntered over to Hiccup's side. Using his tail, the dragon swatted Hiccup behind his knee, forcing him down into a kneeling position. With his snout, Toothless directed Hiccup's hand (the one holding the box) up a little bit and flicked it open. Hiccup was now in a perfect position to 'propose' thanks to his dragon.
It happened so fast that Hiccup didn't know what happened until he was in a kneeling position.
"Useless human," Toothless said as he sat beside his friend. Hiccup laughed as did Astrid, but hers was due to another reason.
"How do I say this..." Hiccup said.
"I think it goes something like, 'will you marry me?'" Hiccup snapped his head around to see non-other than Dane, being a smart mouth.
"Good bye, Dane," Hiccup said. Dane gave a thumbs up and left... again. "That boy," Hiccup said to himself. He cleared his throat.
"OK, right, before we get interrupted again and before Toothless loses his patience, let's get this show on the road," Hiccup said. He was utterly panicking. He'd faced danger and death and nothing was more nerve wrecking than watching his Walker friends dying in battle. But this, this was something he almost couldn't handle. He could not handle it in fact. He zoned out, thinking of everything that was impossible (and bad) was going to happen. Only when Toothless slapped him over the head with his tail did Hiccup come back to reality.
"Your soon-to-be-fiance is waiting for you to propose," Toothless said. Astrid stood where she was, a hand over her mouth. This wasn't the way she imagined this moment, but, to be fair, it didn't seem to be the way Hiccup had meant for it to happen either. Now that it was happening, however, she didn't really mind it.
Hiccup cleared his throat again and took a deep breath. He was thankful that most of Berk was at the Great Hall for this moment. But, little did he know Phlegma was peeking around the corner of a house, watching.
"Astrid Hofferson," he began. Oh crap, he though, this is going to be hard. "I've known you all of my life. At first, I admired you from afar, wishing to be you. Then, when I got older, I wanted to be friends. and soon I became even more selfish and wanted to be more.
After we've dated for a few months I knew I wanted to be with you forever," almost there. "But then, Scale ruined it all. And now here we are, five years apart has torn me up on the inside and I... well, I never want to spend another moment of my life without you beside me. Astrid," gulp, "will you... marry me?"
(~)(~)(~)
Dane watched from afar as Astrid nodded yes to Hiccup's question. He watched as Toothless pushed her into Hiccup's arms. It made him sick, but happy. Once he captured Astrid it would hurt Hiccup all the more. That was the reason he made Hiccup propose.
He disappeared into the bushes and back into Berk's thick woods.
Berk had no clue that their greatest enemy was now living among them, rounding up each of the Dragon Riders.
Dane walked to the far side of the island where a secluded beach was. He hadn't planned on finding a beach there, but it worked out for him. Raden, his right hand by force, was there to greet him.
"You've got him?" Dane asked. Raden sighed and made a sweeping motion with his hand, stopping at Fishlegs. He was tied up with chains and his mouth was gagged.
Dane walked over to him and knelt beside him. He chuckled.
"I'm surprised Raden could drag your fat bum over here," Dane chuckled. Fishlegs seemed to grow sad. "What's the matter?" Dane tilted his head in fake concern.
"I didn't drag him here," Raden said. "He's mad because I outsmarted him." Dane turned towards him.
"How did you manage that?"
"Told him to follow me, it was an emergency." Dane laughed at Fishlegs's gullibility.
"You idiot!" He exclaimed and laughed harder. He wiped the tears out of his eye. "Good work, Raden." Dane took a deep breath and regained himself.
"I'm off to Berk's healers, Stoick said they're really good. Maybe they can fix my eyesight," Dane said. "Thanks for freeing me Fishlegs." Dane slapped him on the arm. He turned and started to walk back into the forest, but Raden stopped him.
"Won't they arrest you again?" He asked.
"No. It seems like Hiccup cleared things up. Oh, by the way, I thought you would like to know that I have a new mother." Raden knew what he meant. Dane looked back at Fishlegs who was eyeing them. "Almost forgot." Dane walked back to his prisoner. Raising his boot, Dane stomped on Fishlegs's head, sending him into the black pit of unconsciousness.
AMAZING!