The Sacrifice
By TheFlyingPiggy
A/N: Just thought I'd let you all know...I haven't written fanfiction in years...the last time I did I think might have been in 2008 and I haven't written all that much since then but recently I've found myself writing again. I thought I'd just warn you if you're reading it and it sounds like I'm rambling...Like I am in this A/N.
Please Enjoy!
Chapter One: The Healer's News
Toothless was lying at the end of Hiccup's bed. He finally had to surrender into the powers of exhaustion and was curled into a tight ball, sleeping uneasily. Stoic sat in a chair beside Hiccup's bed and felt sleep trying to take him over as well, but he was fighting it as much as he could. His hand was propping his head up now though, his neck seeming to have run out of energy. He reflected back to the last time he and Toothless were like this – when Hiccup had lost his leg years ago after the battle with that monstrosity of a dragon. He tried not to dwell on those times, but they always seemed to haunt him, as he was sure this new experience would haunt him as well.
Toothless and Hiccup had returned from flying two days ago, after only having been out flying for a few hours. Usually, when Hiccup and Toothless would be gone for half a day at least if they were able to get away with it, but when Hiccup hobbled into the house, his seventeen year old was cold, shivering, and leaning on Toothless for support in a way that he hadn't in a long time. Apparently they had gotten caught in a storm and Hiccup had told him that not only were they being pelt with freezing rain but hail as well. Stoic was ushering his son over to the fireplace, and Toothless got a fire going before Stoic was even able to grab supplies to start one.
It wasn't long before his son started to droop and lean on Toothless, from where they were sitting on the floor. Stoic thought that it was good that he was going to sleep, thought that sleep would make Hiccup's body better and get him to his old self...but that was two days ago and Hiccup still had yet to wake up.
Stoic had called the healer the day after Hiccup passed out in front of the fire and was unable to wake the boy the next day, and who was burning up when he touched him. The healer was grim as he looked Hiccup over, but then again, he had the chief looking over one shoulder, and a very possessive dragon over the other. He was nervous as he told the two his diagnosis. Pneumonia, and it seemed to be winning. The healer said that all they could do was keep him warm, slip him soup whenever possible, and hope for the best. He scurried out of the house as soon as he could, not wanting to find out if either of them were going to "shoot the messenger" and here they were.
The healer was due back today though, at Stoic's request. Just a check-up to see how his son was doing today, as opposed to yesterday. Stoic was thinking about that, about how he had to stay up to open the door for the man, when he started to drift to sleep.
When Stoic next awoke, he heard knocking and someone nudging him rather harshly in the shoulder. When he opened his eyes he saw a frustrated Night Fury staring at him and he glared at it.
"What do you want, devil?" He asked, never quite being able to let go of the habit of calling him that, especially when he was annoying him like he was now. Then Stoic heard the knocking again and jumped up, and rushed to the door. On the other side was the nervous looking healer, hold his bag up near his torso as if trying to hide, but Stoic ignored the younger man's nervousness and ushered him inside.
"H-how is my p-patient today?" He asked nervously, but he was already walking over to the boy. He might have been nervous, but he was a healer first and when he was in that mode, it was as if no one could stop him. He touched Hiccup's forehead and let out a grim hum before checking Hiccup's pulse and opening his eyelids, trying to see how they reacted to the light.
"Has Hiccup moved since yesterday?" He asked, still inspecting Hiccup, now more ignoring Stoic and Toothless, just paying attention to them for their answers. Hiccup was still breathing a little harder as he had been all day and the healer clucked his tongue at that.
"Not that I'm aware of, no." Stoic answered him, watching him closely as he lifted up Hiccup's shirt. He wasn't aware of what the healer was doing, because he wasn't a healer himself. He wished for a moment that he had learned a little more than useful herbs for burns, cuts, and scrapes as a boy. He was always going to be chief, but knowing some finer points of the other professions was part of his job as well, and he seemed to be lacking in the Healer department.
"Have you been able to get any broth in?"
"A little, and I rubbed the neck like you showed me to get him to swallow." The healer nodded at this before standing from the bed and crossing his arms. He didn't take his eyes off of Hiccup and his face was dark. He sighed before turning to the other two.
"This...this doesn't look good." He said silently. "H-Hiccup, I'm not sure he'll..." He said, slowly. He had given this news before but doing it to the chief seemed different than anyone else he had ever had to say these words to. "I'm not sure he'll make it. From the looks of it, Hiccup may very well be gone by Thuresday." Stoic blinked, it was Monenday. Hiccup had only a few days, if that. He looked down at Toothless. The dragon seemed as surprised as he, and he was always so surprised at how much the dragon seemed to understand, when he heard a low growl start to come from Toothless. He felt like growling himself.
"I suggest you leave now." Stoic whispered, trying to keep his own anger in check. It might not be toward the healer, but he would be the one ending up with the brunt of it if he was still here in a few minutes. The healer nodded and started to quickly put his things together into the bag he had brought, not wasting any time in getting out of the house. He scurried to the door, but after he opened the door he paused and looked back to the room where the other two still were.
"Y-you may do a sacrifice or r-ritual." He stuttered out, fully nervous again. "I may be able to do nothing, but the Gods...they may be able to help." He said, hoping he was giving the two some good advice. He finally walked out of the house, closing the door silently behind him.
In the next room, Toothless and Stoic both looked at each other and both seemed to come to a decision. The only questions that were left were when, where, and how.