Stoick rubbed his vast forehead in distress. Why had he even tried to take Hiccup fishing? Hadn't he learned by jnow that Hiccup was incapable of doing things normal Vikings could do?
Stoick turned his attention from the lake to glance at Hiccup. The gangly young boy was tying the finishing pieces to his troll trap. His riddish-brown hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, gathered from the effort of making a booby trap to fit a fully grown troll.
Stoick couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong with the boy. He tried to be a good parent, but Hiccup and him connected about as well as dragon's fire did with water.
Hiccup was differentL there was no doubt about that. The question was, what could he do to fix him?
"Hiccup!" Stoick called, a sudden stroke of inspiration hitting him, "Come here for a moment!"
Hiccup turned away from his contraption and dutifly walked over to where Stoick stood. "Here," Stoick said, his eyes scanning the ground. "take this." He held out a rock, large enough to hold in two hands. Hiccup took it with a look of apprehension on his face.
"Alright." Stoick smiled triumphantly at Hiccup. "Today is the day your life changes." A young Hiccups greeen eyes stared up at him. He seemed concerned for his fathers sanity, but he would never go so far as to tell him.
"Right, Hiccup," Stoick put emphasis on the small Vikings name. "Hit your head on the rock." Hiccup opened his mouth to protest, but Stock raised a large hand to stop him. "Just hit your head on the rock."
"Um, Dad? That will hurt. Very much."
"Well, don't you trust me?" Stoick's tone was jovial, but he seemed confused that Hiccup didn't do as he said right away.
Hiccup licked his lips and glanced quickly between his father and the rock. He let out a loud sigh and handed the rock back.
"What-" Hiccup interrupted his father, instead saying:
"Dad, let's face it. I am not a Viking. Or, at least, what you consider to be a Viking. I can't swing an ax without taking someone's head off, and if I hit my head on that rock, all it will do is cause me to loose brain cells, and Thor knows that Berk needs all the brain it can get."
Stoick stared at Hiccup a moment longer before accepting defeat and taking back the rock. Hiccup seemed pleased with himself, and went back to his work in troll hunting.
Stoick shook his head. That boy was destined for great things.
Most likely the destruction of them all.