A/N: I do not own HTTYD or any of the characters in this story.
This is a story that has been long in the making, and is planned to be a long one! so buckle in folks, it's going to be a long ride.
Special thanks to HurryPollo for editing.
Ch1: Birth
It was the peak of winter, or Deadly Winter as the Berks referred to it, the time of the year when the sun didn't peak above the horizon for a week or two, due to North being so far north. When everyone huddled into their homes or the great hall, to escape the deep chill of winter. Not a good time for a baby to be born. It spoke of ill omens and curses, not to mention the birth was premature.
"Stoick, will you stop pacing?" his younger brother, Spitelout sighed, rubbing his temples, "You're making me feel antsy as well."
"Sorry, I'm just worried is all," Stoick apologized, sitting down onto one of the chairs placed around the fire pit. He picked up a block of wood and a knife, and started to carve the wood to calm his mind.
"Valhallarama is a strong, healthy woman," Gobber said, adjusting the fire with a poker, "you're being too negative if you ask me."
"Don't, we're stopping this train of conversation here" Spitelout waved his hand and shook his head-"jinxes are not something we should enact."
"I'm just stating the facts is all," Gobber complained, then sighed, "but I guess you're right." He placed the poker on its holder and stood up, "I'll make us something to eat, it'll calm the nerves."
"There's chicken in the larder, we can cook it on the spit," Stoick said appreciatively as Gobber began to pull out supplies from the larder. But most of his attention was on the door, where hopefully soon the messenger from the healer would be knocking on the door.
"It's nearly morning," Gobber commented as he prepared the meat skewers, "it only took about half a day for your wife's labor, right Spitelout?"
Stoick and Gobber turned to Spitelout, who was about say something when a knock on the door was heard.
All three men looked up, and Spitelout opened the door, letting in Martha, the healer's assistant.
"Is everything okay? Did they both make it through?" Stoick asked nervously.
"Yes," the assistant said, and the tension in the room dissipated, "congratulations Stoick, you have a son."
The room erupted into cheers, Stoick hugging the woman before reaching to grab his helmet, "Thank Thor, I'm going to- is it alright if I go see them?"
"Of course, do you two want to tag along?" the assistant asked, turning to the other two.
"And go out into that weather?" Gobber scoffed, "Nah, I'll stay right here."
"Congratulations Stoick," Spitelout said, giving his stepbrother a hug, "I'll come by tomorrow to see him, but I should be getting back to my own family, yeah?"
"Of course, I'll see you tomorrow brother, say hi to your wife for me," Stoick said, then marched out into the cold. The road was slick with ice, and the wind was strong. But the assistant and he marched through it like the Vikings they were, down the road to the medical house.
Gothi, the mute med witch, greeted them as they came through the door, waving happily.
"Gothi, good to see you," Stoick said, "where is Valhallarama?"
Gothi waved him into a back room, where he found his wife sitting in a bed, covered in blankets.
"Stoick,"- the brunette smiled when he came in, "come here, come meet our son."
Stoick smiled, and sat next to his wife on the bed.
And she handed him his son for the first time.
He was a tiny thing, almost the size of Stoick's head, with big green eyes and a few freckles across his face.
"He's so…tiny," Stoick said, a smile on his face, holding the child close to his chest.
"The elder says it is because he's premature, but I'm hoping we can turn that around."
Stoick smiled and handed his son back to his wife, "I don't care if he's tiny or not," he said, kissing his wife on her head, "I love him all the same."
Valhallarama smiled and cooed at the baby as it shifted in her arms.
"He'll grow up to be a great leader," Valhallarama said, "just like his father."
Stoick chuckled and leaned back against the head board, content and happy. He stayed there until the midwife came in and told him that Valhallarama needed rest, and that he could come back tomorrow. His wife and son stayed under Gothi's watch until Deadly Winter passed, and the second winter began.
The baby grew steadily, and remained healthy, but was still considerably small. But other than his size, he was perfectly healthy. When spring came, and they knew the child would survive, they named him Hiccup, on account of his small size. When the baby turned just over four months old, Stoick noticed something strange about his child.
The child had a birth mark, like any human would. Hiccup's in particular was a faint, dark crescent shape on the back of his shoulder, fitting since he was born at a time when Day wasn't present. However now, now the mark had grown darker…and shinier?
"Love, come here for a second will you?" Stoick said, curiously examining the mark on his child's back.
"What is it, Dear?" Valhallarama asked, walking in from the back room, folding one of Stoick's tunics.
"Hiccup's birthmark, it's… different," Stoick explained, handing over the child to his wife.
She sat down on the bench and took the child, examining his back, "Well it certainly is," she said worriedly, stroking the dark mark,
"Stoick, this… this looks like a dragon scale."
"Have you ever heard of such a thing?" Stoick asked, frowning.
"No, I haven't," Valhallarama said, looking up at her husband, concerned, "Love, what if he's cursed?"
"We should take him to the elder," Stoick said, standing up, "before we jump to any conclusions. See what she says."
They took him to the elder that evening, an old woman by the name of Freda. The woman was ancient, nearly 70 years old. She was talking to Gothi, the healer and next in line to be elder, when they were welcomed into her home.
"Stoick, Valhallarama," Freda greeted, "what brings you here?"
"Our son," Valhallarama said, taking the child out of its sling, and walking forward, "his birthmark, its changed."
"Hmmm let me see him," Freda asked, and took the child into her bony hands. She turned him around and looked at the mark.
"What does it mean?" Stoick asked.
"Patience Chief," Freda said, "these things take time. Gothi, hand me those scissors."
The graying mute handed Freda the scissors, and Freda snipped a clipping of hair off the top of Hiccup's head. She handed the child back to his parents. She stood up and hobbled over to a small, elevated pit with embers inside of it. She placed the hair inside it, watched it burn, and then scrutinized the smoke it let off, "Hmm, this is not good."
"What is it?" Stoick asked, "A curse?"
"The spirits of Night have decided to make the child one of their own," Freda said.
"Because he was born when the sun doesn't rise," Stoick realized, speaking hoarsely.
"Yes, the dark scales will consume his body, altering his human shape."
"How do we remove it?" Valhallarama asked determinedly, "I'll not let my son turn into a monster."
Gothi stepped forward, shaking her head. With her own cane she wrote on the stone slab.
"I don't understand, this isn't a curse?" Valhallarama frowned, reading the lettering, she and Stoick exchanged glances, "But it sounds like one"
"Good things can come from Night, just as bad things can also come from Day. That is why we have both of them," Freda supplied, "the Norns have given Hiccup a hard life. The kind that either destroys people, or makes heroes of the greatest kind"
"So there is no way to stop this?" Stoick asked.
"Correct, however there is a chance to slow the transformation down, so that he can grow up human," Freda said, "there is a small island just south of the Berserker Tribe's home. In it there is a small spring that glows with the sun's light during the summer equinox. The water's power might just be strong enough to prevent the spreading."
"The summer equinox is in a fortnight," Stoick frowned, "that means we would need to leave today to get him there in time."
"Stoick, take Hiccup home and pack my things," Valhallarama said steadily, handing the child to her husband, "I know what my next quest is; I'm going down to the docks to ready the ship. I'll get Hiccup there in time."
"I'm coming with you," Stoick said, "he's my son too."
"With you gone there is no one to defend the village from the dragon raids," Valhallarama said, "I will go alone, I love you Dear, I'll see you down at the docks," the brunette turned and then left.
Stoick sighed, "Aye, why did I ever marry such a spitfire?" he mumbled, and then thanked the elder and elder-to-be and returned home. He packed his wife's things, as well as Hiccup's. Hiccup gurgled happily as he chewed on his stuffed dragon, watching his father load up the boxes. Valhallarama returned quickly, and with Gobber's help, and the three of them carted the supplies down to the docks.
"Safe sailing, Love," Stoick said, as they stood on the docks.
"We'll be back," Valhallarama smiled, "don't you worry."
"And I'll be here," Stoick smiled as they exchanged the usual farewell.
He watched as the ship sailed off with the tide.
Then waited anxiously during the four weeks the trip would take, praying hard on the summer equinox that his son would be well.
Valhallarama returned early with a favorable wind, and good news. The water had washed away the traces of the change. And the sages of the island had assured her that the blessing would hold off the transformation for years.
They had held Night back from claiming their son's life.
A/N: Thanks for reading! this chapter is more of a prelude than anything. this is going to be the only author's note you'll see for a while, so take note:
Night - Norse god of the- you guessed it- night
Day - Norse god of the day
Norns - Norse god's of fate
Thor - uh... Thor. Carries around a hammer... controls the weather. haven't heard of him? well... google him.
Odin - 'All-father' big all seeing god, Thor's father.
If i missed any god's mentioned in the writtings, let me know.