I'm just reimagining httyd right now ... could you please read and tell me what you think? It's something that jumped out of the water right at me. - oh look at that I'm being punny!

Just a few things, this was just a side effect of watching HTTYD and HTTYD2 then a documentory.

I hope that you'll give this a chance, I have plans for this to be a big thing. Hope you enjoy!

This is Berk.

Its three miles North of hopeless and a few degrees South of freezing to death, located solidly on the meridian of misery. Why so dramatic, you might ask. It's because nothing good happens here, I'm serious.

My village, in a word, is sturdy. We've lived here for seven generations plus. We're an isolated bunch, we have a 'charming' demeanour, we don't take to outsiders too well and like to pick fights. We're ruled by superstition and traditions and a solid ideal that all must align with at some point in their lives.

My problem is that I'm still getting to the 'alignment' part.

But let's backtrack very slightly.

Why are we isolated? Let's see, where to start … We live on an island, there's a mountain range in the middle, good for sheep and cows and farming. There are hills that are good for wood, and several hidden coves both inland and by the sea. My village is facing the sea, about half a mile up from the coast if you follow the path, or a Viking's stone throw away form a cliff is you want the go the quick way – I mean jump.

Now it's the sea that is the problem.

We can sail, sure, but this is where superstition comes in, but it's called the Meridian of Misery for a reason. Unless you sail within land-sight distance you go missing forever. We've only ever found the washed up shipwrecks and bodies of those who've gone missing. It's not a fluke either. It's been happening for as long as we've lived here, apparently our ancestors were wrecked on this island and that's how our village began.

The saying around here is that there's a monster, a siren, a leviathan, some kind of sea dragon or serpent that attacks ships unless you go in a big fleet – and you can imagine how often that is – and even with a full battle fleet only half will come back.

So that's why we're isolated, not many traders come – Johan is one of the lucky ones, carries more good luck charms than the entire village does, and yet he often has to abandon ship and swim here claiming he was attacked. It's always a different story each time, it had teeth, it had tentacles, it screamed, it whispered – which leads us to believe there's a bunch of sea creatures waiting to hunt us. He's an outsider so he knows how to swim, Berkians tend to wade upstream or paddle. Normally Johan has something of value that he can trade for a ship and off he goes.

But anyway, my people, Berkians, are afraid of the sea and we always have been, so I'm told. Even the Elder, Gothi, who lives above it doesn't go near the cliffs or docks.

Because of that there's a shortage of fish, not many fishing boats come back with fish in tow, so the sea is pretty much 'the puddle of Hel' to us. No one, I mean no one, goes near the beach or the sea, and definitely we don't go in the sea. The closest we go is in the rivers upstream, miles and miles upstream.

Yep, superstition runs deep here – though I might want to add that it's properly reinforced.

Now because we're so land locked the people who live here tend to be muscular and strong working the wood, stones and land, even ice, that the island has to offer – much like a block of land themselves.

That's the ideal.

Take my Dad for instance, he's nearing seven-foot tall, and is about as wide as two people standing together, lots of muscle and power. He's the chief of our tribe. Strong, brave, defensive and protective of his home and the scariest thing since the ocean-monster; they say when he was a baby he took one look at the ocean and it went running back at a full moon.

Do I believe this … yes I do.

Trust me, when you've been glared down by him you'd want to run like that ocean tide too.

So there's Berk, the top dog, the way of life, our food sources and our traditions.

Oh, and then there's me.

I'm … scrawny. There's not much point in denying it, I'm practically a skeleton with skin compared to my Dad and the other teens in the village. I'm not sickly or anything, I'm just a weakling. I don't have a prayer of intimidating the ocean into submission, it would only laugh at me – to be honest I think it already does. I can't lift my own body weight, and that's not much, or rocks, or most important livestock – chickens don't count apparently. I've got green eyes like my Mother, or so they tell me, the ocean took her when I was a baby. I've got auburn hair, edging towards brown as I'm getting older, and I've got freckles and a small scar on my chin – no idea where that came from, Dad said the sea gave it to me the night we lost my Mum, but he doesn't know exactly how it happened.

Because of what I look like and my lack of strength I'm the village outcast. Which has made me socially awkward, and even more of an outcast since I've had no one to be friends with me:

Not Fishlegs, although he's the one who often get put with me in chores. Nice enough I guess, a little uncertain and timid around me, but he's strong. That's why he's accepted, he's really knowledgeable too, he'll ramble on about sea monster legends or ghost stories or even facts about the animals we keep, most of it is fascinating. He helps with most things but it mainly a heavy stone lifter – that's likely to be his profession. Us youngsters help out wherever someone needs us, but we aren't tied to one profession yet.

Not Ruffnut or Tuffnut, the village twins one girl one boy. They're loud, mean and like to be violent. But they're tough, and their like for destruction has put them on the shortlist for being tree choppers. More trees felled than any known pair, but when they've got nothing to do they tend to break, they fell less approved things, such as houses, and statues.

Not Snotlout, my cousin on my Dad's side through my Uncle Spitelout, he's the 'perfect' Viking. Loud, strong, brave – or foolish, boastful, and thick skulled. He's likely to be a hunter, the desired job of choice, and if not he'll be moving rocks with Fishlegs. He's arrogant, mean and likes to push me around and beat me up, so of course being family only makes it worse and I don't have much escape from him. I'd rather jump in the ocean than stick with him.

Not Astrid, she's the toughest girl in the village. She's strong, determined and doesn't really like to talk to me. It just sucks that I happen to like her doesn't it? She's definitely a hunter. That's likely to be her profession. She can't stand Snotlout, she hits him a lot. I like to watch. She trains for hunting all the time, as if she's already been named a hunter. Personally I think all their future jobs are cooler.

What's my job you say?

Actually we don't have them yet, we just pitch in here and there, but I'm an exception because this keeps me out of trouble. I'll have one chosen with the others, I hope it's one that I'll be good at. But my temporary job is an apprentice at the smithy.

I'm a blacksmith, I work under my Dad's friend Gobber. He's lost a hand and foot in a fishing accident, his boat capsized and he was badly hurt by the broken wood, so he lost his hand. Then the crazy guy went at it again and the same thing happened, he lost his leg this time, and his tooth. Since then he's been grounded and has worked his lifelong trade of moulding metal into weapons, ornaments and other things, even mugs. Yet he also has a second talent that he's been teaching me since he can't do it with one hand; making leather. Both jobs are nice work, I even have my own little space at the back of the forge, it's a nice escape.

So that's everything you need to know about me, and my village.

Now let me tell you how it all changed for me.

Hiccup was curled up in his bed when the storm began to rage.

It was vicious, with howling, screaming wind that didn't pause for breath, and relentless, pounding rain that lashed against everything and anything in its path. The houses creaked and groaned under the onslaught, like they were digging in their heels to prevent being blown away. The ocean's waves crashed into the cliffs of Berk, so big they sprayed the houses with salt water. The thunder boomed and crashed mightily, Thor's anger echoing for many, many miles in every direction. It shook the earth and rattled the sky, tearing it open even more.

It woke Hiccup from his slumber and he flinched as the white lightning of the gods flashed through the cracks in the window.

Hiccup had never cared for storms. He wasn't afraid exactly, but they were something dangerous and yet common. He pulled his blankets over his head in a fruitless attempt to block out the rage of nature until morning.

He hoped his plan wasn't ruined …

When dawn broke the rain had finally subsided and a crisp, if slightly damp day began on Berk.

The people emerged from their houses, with lucky weapons and charms clutched in their hands, and began to examine the village for damage. Fortunately only the dock was damaged, it was missing one section and a few floor boards, people's houses were missing a few tiles here and there, and one defensive pillar was missing a catapult.

Chief Stoic at once began to organise his people for a quick and effective clean up.

Hiccup and Gobber were asked to build the metal parts for the catapult, namely the loading point, the nails and the wheel reinforcements. All easy work, but tedious.

Around mid-afternoon saw the end of a hard day's labour. Hiccup hammered away and then quickly doused the last of the nails "One hundred and twenty six, Gobber!" he called, setting everything down in relief and a small burst of pride and satisfaction that came with finishing a long important task.

Gobber stuck his head over his project and examined the nails "Excellent! Just got to touch up the old hammers then yer out for the day if you've got plans," he commented in his enthusiastic way, piling the nails into buckets for later use.

Hiccup gave an awkward smile "I do have something … er, should I get those hammers?" he asked when Gobber didn't let him loose.

Gobber nodded absently "Out back!" he called.

Hiccup packed up his tools and walked around the shop to pick up the hammers left by the builders. There were six large stone hammers waiting for small repairs to ensure they'd complete the reconstruction of the catapult.

He had just dragged the box to the doorway, he was too weak to lift the box, when a rough hand shoved him backwards.

Hiccup smacked his head sharply on a stray wooden box and briefly saw stars before regaining his vision. Snoutlout was laughing boisterously as he walked away, the twins sniggering just behind him. Hiccup touched the back of his head gingerly and hissed at the sharp throb of pain, it would smart for a bit, hopefully it wouldn't turn into a large lump. Hiccup thanked his lucky stars it wasn't bleeding, and that he was still awake – he didn't want to appear any weaker than he was.

He stood up and heaved with non-existent muscle and finally delivered the box of stone hammers.

Gobber saw how he swayed on his feet and sighed, he put down his tools and pushed Hiccup onto an anvil "Take a breather Hiccup, yer look like yer goin' ta drop," he chuckled, thinking that it was just the lifting that had worn him out.

Hiccup rubbed his aching head and nodded "Yeah, a hit to the head would do that to you," he muttered sarcastically.

Gobber paused with this new information and then just ruffled his hair fondly "When you get yer profession named you won't have to worry about them anymore, they'll be too busy bashing heads against rocks and skulls," he grinned and patted Hiccup on the back, it nearly sent him back to the floor.

Hiccup winced as he thought of the day when his profession would be named. The young were given a job role in the village and spent the rest of their lives studying it. It was chosen by performing several tasks and the Elder read into your performances and listen to the gods until she knew who and what you were meant to be. She was very good at it, not one disappointed customer to date.

Hiccup, or Snotlout, were to be chief in the future, but that didn't meant you could skip out on pitching in with the village.

Hiccup sighed "Dad will just make me stay here with you and work in the forge," he complained.

Gobber chuckled "Don't worry lad, you can still spend your spare time here with me if you want, gods know I enjoy yer company," he twisted a hammer back onto its handle and winked fondly at Hiccup who smiled quietly.

Hiccup glanced outside "You're the only one …. maybe Gothi will say I'm meant to be here," he said dully. It wasn't that he hated it here, but to be belittled and forced under constant supervision in the disguise of an apprentiship was very demeaning.

Gobber smirked and moved onto the next hammer "Na lad, yer not meant to be cooped up in here. You've got somethin' about yer, don't know what, but yer place is out there doin' what you do best," he wisely stated, though he knew not what Hiccup's destiny was, it wasn't in any conventional profession. Hiccup got restless in the forge, he was easily bored and always experimenting and researching, he was a good forger, but it wasn't his true calling.

Hiccup tried to look disappointed for his friend and mentor's sake, he was the only adult who came close to understanding him. But he had to go and check on his plan … "Do you need me still?" he asked, watching Gobber speedily repair the hammers.

Gobber shook his head "Na, run along Hiccup. I've got this," he grinned.

Hiccup smiled for the first time that day and slipped out of the forge. He made his way across the village into the woods. He hoped he wouldn't run into his tormentors, his cousin especially; they were merciless when they were without witnesses.

Hiccup made his way through the trees to the small stream and began to follow it down to the beach.

The beach made Hiccup nervous, it was the one place where he could be alone, yet it was dangerous here. People had been known to have been swept off into the sea and never been seen again. Because of that Hiccup stuck close to the rocks that made a slope to the sea, it wouldn't take much for Hiccup to be swept away, he weighed practically nothing.

He was an idiotic fool for coming here, just a mile away from Raven's point where the sea stacks began. The beach was bare like a haunted wasteland, and the way it moved under his feet was unnaturally strange. The sand was dull, mostly golden but brown and black too with rocks and boulders scattered across the barren land.

Hiccup scanned his eyes across the horizon, along the coast, and out to sea just encase a monster was waiting to snatch him away. When nothing moved he slowly approached the characteristic landmark of the sea stacks. He had put a net there yesterday in the hope of creating a better method of fishing for his village, then he'd be helpful instead of Useless.

The beach beneath his shoes made him nervous, nothing good happened on the beach.

Once he was on the rocks he felt slightly safer and walked to a deepish pool with overhanging rocks on the sides. Hiccup has secured a net to the sides and hoped the storm would wash something into it; he wanted to have something to show for his toil of making the thing.

When he looked into the pool he saw ripples and soft splashes.

His heart leapt in hope.

Hiccup fell to his knees and peered over the edge of the pool. He had caught something!

He ducked back against the rocks and gathered his nerves to look properly. He only caught a glimpse, but he had definitely seen a Big shape in the net. It wasn't a fish like he had planned.

He looked again.

His net was tangled and wrapped tightly around a dark shape. The shape was large, larger than an average man, more like a canoe in how sleek it was. It was easily two and a half times as long as Hiccup was, and about twice as wide at the middle, there was a fin coming from its lower back, and its skin was a dark grey on the underbelly with black on its back. Its mouth was a long, like a nose, and the net was tightly around it, keeping it closed. Its small eyes were also closed. It was moving pitifully with the waves, twisting and turning on the spot as it hung from where the net had it suspended, half out of the water with the retreating tide.

Hiccup stared. A fish that size could feed everyone at one sitting! Or himself and his Father for a year!

Clearly the gods were smiling on him today.

Hiccup stepped down onto some lower rocks with wide eyes. "I-I did it?" he asked, half unsure. He pinched himself twice and jumped when the ocean surf sprayed him, "Definitely awake … oh this, this fixes everything! Yes!" he cheered.

He approached the place where one part of the net was tied and brought out his small dagger. If he could somehow bring this home he wouldn't be labelled Useless anymore, or at least for a day or so. He pulled the net a little closer, or tried to. "I have caught one of the ocean's monsters! I have brought down this mighty beast-"

"Squee!"

Hiccup yelped and thrust his dagger forwards while scrambling backwards for a grip on the rocks.

It was still alive!

His heart was pounding as he watched the creature's eye open, it began to thrash with its powerful tail, wailing and, dare he say it, screaming in alarm. The eyes were deep and dark as they rolled in the creature's head, before finally focusing on Hiccup.

Hiccup felt fear flash down his spine when he saw the alien intelligence in the creature's eyes. They focused on him like a trained arrow.

The giant fish stilled for a second, panting deep and heavily as if it were exhausted. Then it seemed to whimper, its eyes never left Hiccup's.

Hiccup just stared, not even the ocean's waves splashing him could break him out of his shock. He nearly dropped his dagger from loosened fingers, but gathered himself just in time. He swallowed and climbed to where he was above the creature and licked his lips uncertainly as he approached.

This was not a fish.

This was a sea monster, one of the things that had been tormenting his people for years, he could extract revenge and be the first person to kill a monster. The excitement of how he would be glorified nearly made him lose his grip on the rocks. He looked down at the monster who was wriggling slightly and twisting to keep its haunting eyes on the boy.

Hiccup felt his breathing speed up and gasped a few gulps of air before grasping one part of the net and holding the dagger steady "I'm gonna kill you, monster," he said as evenly as possible, steeling his nerves and his face in determination. He slashed one side of the net and made the monster swing closer to one side of the pool, where it would be easier to stab it in its heart.

The monster moved with the net and got itself tangled again. Perfect.

Hiccup climbed down until he was level with the creature, and crouched by its side, where he could see its smooth flank, where a heart or organ lay. Hiccup turned the dagger in his hands so he could stab cleanly downwards.

He swallowed and felt his blood rush in his ears "I'm … I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my Father," he said firmly, never wavering. He closed his eyes and could nearly see his Father's face, for once proud, Astrid and Snotlout staring in admiration, the twins moving to one side and Fishlegs grinning unashamed of their delicate friendship.

"I'm a Viking." He said to himself, at last he could call himself that. He would finally earn the privilege that all the others were born with. He could make up for not being tough and strong. He looked the creature in the eye and yelled "I'm a Viking!"

In response to Hiccup's yell the monster let out another squealing whimper and struggled again, but found it could not move more than an inch in any direction.

Hiccup turned away from the eyes of the creature and breathed deeply and raised the dagger. He heard a curious sound that resembled a sob and opened his eyes to find that the monster's eye was locked on him.

There was fear in that eye, the monster's slightly green, mostly black pupil was shrinking in terror and it was shivering uncontrollably, panting and whimpering as it hung restrained and helpless.

Hiccup paused in shock.

It was scared …

The spray of the ocean woke him up and he turned away and raised his arms higher.

The monster let out a wail and closed its eyes.

Hiccup felt his heart tug painfully and gritted his teeth as he willed himself to lower his arms and make the blow that would make him the most respected person in the village. He jerked his arms, they would not move. His hands were stiff, his elbows were locked.

All he could see was the pure terror in the creature's eyes as it begged for its life, for it to be spared … and Hiccup felt … Empathy.

Hiccup knew that fear.

…

He couldn't do it.

His arms dropped to his sides and he opened his eyes to examine the scene before him. His blood now cold as he saw the monster waiting for its life to end. Hiccup felt sick at the thought of taking a life. It was a monster, but those eyes understood his intentions, understood so much, it was scared because it couldn't help being a monster in the unfortunate path of a potential Viking. Just as he was a runt in the path of a perfect village. He looked at his shaking hands, then back to the monster.

It was covered in scrapes and bruises, probably from the rocks and the storm last night, there was some dried blood, and some skin was dry. It looked weak too, tired. It must have been hanging here all night. Hiccup felt a pit in his stomach, the creature couldn't go free because he was tangled in his net.

"I did this …"

Hiccup turned to leave, to run away from this revelation and forget those haunting eyes, but the deep gasps of the monster stopped him. It would just lay here until it died of hunger … a slow painful death … it would be the same as stabbing it, Hiccup realised and closed his eyes tightly and faced the monster again.

Hiccup hesitated. This wasn't what a Viking would do. He glanced around for someone who could see, though he knew there was no need, and prepared to do something stupid.

Hiccup put his knife to the net and sliced cleanly.

With a squeal, the monster fell into the pool and swam disoriented for a few seconds as the rest of the net began to fall off its sleek body.

Hiccup saw some of the thick strands tangle on its back fin and reached down to pulled it off. It was free.

Then the monster struck!

It turned with surprising speed when the net was fully off it and grabbed the dangling edge of Hiccup's bearskin vest and yanked him forwards. Hiccup pitched forwards and was dragged into the cold sea water.

Hiccup yelled, his voice cut off quickly due to the water surrounding him and entered his mouth. Then the panic set in, he struggled, clawing at the water with his hands and kicking with his heavy feet. He only sank more.

His clothes were heavy, he was never taught how to swim, and he was completely caught off guard. Hiccup could barely think, but he knew if he didn't get a breath soon he would drown!

Then the creature was there.

It pushed him up to the surface and Hiccup gasped a breath and coughed painfully. The creature splashed him with its tail and herded him threateningly into a corner with no escape, Hiccup clung to the rocks and watched at the creature stared him down with those alien eyes. Its mouth opened and it was a big one, one that had lots of sharp needle point teeth!

Hiccup closed his eyes and turned into the wall. Make it quick, he thought, maybe it would bite his head off instead of drowning him.

The creature seemed to growl and Hiccup dared to peek one last time – only to be smacked roughly in the face by the creature's tail.

Hiccup crashed back into the pool. That was a powerful blow. His head rung and his face was numb with the force. He floated dazed and nearly out of it.

When he regained his bearings he found himself in the shallows somehow, his face was uncomfortably propped on the edge of the rocks above the water's surface. He gripped the edges of the pool and pulled himself up to the dry side of the rocks.

He looked behind him and saw the large monster swimming around the pool fast and faster. Hiccup thought that it might be performing some evil charm on him and, although he had never put much stock in gods or luck, he quickly sent prayers to all the gods he could think of for protection against evil.

Then the monster launched itself into the air.

Hiccup's jaw dropped at the surprising grace and beauty that movement had, and what pure power lay within that body.

It cleared the rocks into the deeper, larger pools of the sea stacks that would no doubt lead it out to sea to never been seen again. For a whole second he got to view the monster in the air, and in its element it was a sight to behold – Hiccup would later look back and feel honoured to have seen such an event, but for now he was just trying to wrap his head around the fact that a creature bigger and heavier than him could somehow fly out of the water.

Several leaps later and the monster was out of sight, lost in the fog of the sea stacks.

Hiccup swallowed, and promptly spat out the salt of the sea water, and stood weakly on his feet as the splashes and calls of the monster became more distant. Hiccup picked up his dagger that had fallen in the shallows of the pool, and breathed as his heart finally calmed.

Blinking like an owl, Hiccup sluggishly trudged towards the beach. As soon as he was on the sand the adrenaline left him and his legs refused to support him.

He fainted.

When Hiccup arrived at home he was only damp, but smelled strongly of the sea.

He had hoped it was all just a dream, everything from the moment he got out of bed. But the gods could never be that nice to him.

He woke up on the beach with the tide lapping at his ankles. He scrambled back to shore and then trudged home in the dark. He had a large bruise from the monster's blow to his face, and a bump on the back of his head where Snoulout had shoved him. There was still a little sand in his clothes, and he still had water in his boots that squelched with every step, and his hands were still shaking from the event. Not even from the cold.

Stoic, Hiccup's Father, glanced up when Hiccup squelched loudly through the front door. His blank face allowed one eyebrow to raise at the sight of his boy wet and shivering.

Hiccup jumped when he realised his Father was still up and gave a sheepish smile as he edged towards the stairs "Er … I don't really have much explanation for this," he admitted, just hoping he would be allowed to disappear to his room.

Stoic turned back to the fire and sighed deeply "Hiccup, I'm taking several men to search for the Hel sent devils from the sea."

Hiccup perked up a little and stopped inching. "Oh … when?" he asked, the real announcement must have happened while he was unconscious. His Dad had the top profession; A sea Hunter, one of the few who were privilaged, brave, and skilled enough to sail and survive and hunt at sea.

Stoic just looked into the fire "First light. I need to speak with you son," he heaved to his feet and approached Hiccup who was now sitting on the stairs.

Hiccup tilted his head and pulled off his sodden shoes. "About what Dad?" he grunted, blinking in shock when water tricked out of the shoe he was holding upside down. I guess they're waterproof on the inside too.

Stoic glanced at the sight but dismissed it "About your up-coming profession choosing."

Hiccup at once went rigid. "R-right … well I'm sure Gothi's had a few tricky customers before," he began, his Father had often mused and discussed the idea of having Hiccup not participate or have a private choosing. The tasks were designed for fully fledged Vikings after all, Hiccup was sure that his Dad didn't want Hiccup embarrassing him, as his only son he was a failure. Even his name meant runt. "I'm sure she'll just put me in the forge, or a tailor or … something a little more … me, right? No need to skip out-"

Contrary to what Hiccup was suspecting Stoic was just worried for him. Some tasks were very trying and injuries were known to happen, but Gobber had persuaded Stoic by pointing out that it was the only way for Hiccup to find his niche in the village. Gobber had even volunteered to be Gothi's assistant to keep an eye on Hiccup.

Stoic heard the slightly hysterical edge appear in Hiccup's rapid speech and grunted in a stern way to get him to listen "I won't be there to see you through it, so do you best, and for the love of Thor be careful," he grumbled.

Hiccup shut up.

His wide green eyes turned to his Father "I-I'm not being pulled out?" he asked in astonishment.

Stoic shook his head wearily "No. tradition states that all, even potential chiefs, must take part. I can't risk you not being favoured by the gods, you get yourself into enough accidents and trouble as it is."

Hiccup shrunk under the harsh words but couldn't keep the grin off his face "I'm in … wow I'm, wow …"

Stoic gave a hesitant smile "If it's too much I can always-"

Hiccup waved his hands before him "No, no, no, it's great, I'm just- I never expected this," he admitted.

Stoic nodded "Okay. Be careful, er, train hard in between, you're tested three times on each one. I've got to go and, hmm, gather the men in the ships."

Hiccup dipped his head at every other word "Okay."

Stoic put on his hat and picked up his lucky talismans and his bag of belongings "Good. I'll be back … probably," he finished, always aware of the threat that something was out there waiting to kill him as much as he waited to kill it.

Hiccup kicked off his other shoe and watched his old man walk towards the door "And I'll be here … maybe," he finished softly, always aware that the torments and accidents were worse when his Father was away. Must be the gods playing a hateful game on him that Stoic happens to leave on a voyage when Hiccup was ready for his choosing, a dangerous combination.

When the door closed Hiccup was left with nothing but an empty house, and his thoughts.

He moved up to his room and sat on his small bed, his room was more of an attic, it even had a sky-facing window that he often climbed out of, or fell out of, he wasn't great at climbing. It was covered in his drawings of places he'd seen, people he knew, captured in many different lights and moods, and then there were his designs for the forge. He had tried designing and crafting a new type of weapon, like a spear combined with an axe for a long range that you didn't throw, Gobber had dismissed the notion unfortunately.

Hiccup looked up from his bed to his desk and grabbed a charcoal pen and some paper and began to sketch the creature he had seen that day.

He had a crystal clear memory of things he had seen, and so drew in the creature's sleekness, its wide eyes, smooth skin, streamline body with an odd back fin and two side fins that didn't look like they did much. Then the tail that moved so differently from other fish, up and down instead of side to side. But it was the face, the long narrow nose that opened into a wide jaw, and the hole in its forehead, that Hiccup remembered clearest.

When he was done he stared at the creature he could not kill due to fear of its life. It was captured in mid jump, elegantly curved, a creature perfect for the sea.

Hiccup wondered if he was truly a weakling, to be low enough to empathise with what was clearly a sea-dweller, and thus a monster. One of the monsters that had killed his people. However he knew exactly why he had empathised.

But he had been told that he could have been drowned at birth. That terrified him. If his Mother and Father hadn't of believed he would be strong he would have been tossed off Raven's point. The people never let him forget this.

Sometimes, if people thought you were too useless and bad luck, you could be tied to a stone at low tide off Raven's point, and the water would slowly rise to drown you. This was a fate designed to free the village from bad influences. Hiccup lived his life trying not to screw up, trying not to be bad luck or an accident bringer – he failed often – to avoid being given that fate.

He felt tears in his eyes.

That creature didn't want to die.

He didn't want to die.

If it weren't for his Father he could have been dead long ago, it was him sticking up for him, or maybe no one dared demand this of the chief – to sacrifice his only son and heir for the sake of the village? Who would be mad enough to suggest such a thing?

The forge saved him, Gobber saved him, his Dad saved him.

So he saved the creature. Because when he stared into those terrified, pleading eyes, he saw his own fate: tied to a rock until death.

He couldn't kill that creature when he knew that this was a masquerade of a fate he could be cursed with.

Hiccup placed that piece of paper in a draw of his desk and promised himself that he would never forget this lesson today. He was better than his tormentors, he knew mercy, he was not a killer, and today was proof that the gods did not despise him.

Hey, he was here in once piece, right?

They must have something in store. Hiccup decided to look to the positives and quickly got ready for bed to prepare for what the next month's tasks would bring him.

Yeah, I made Toothless a Dolphin.

(So, yeah ... that happened - don't ask how my brain works, even I don't understand!)

So here's why this came out at me:

I think that flying is a lot like swimming and Hiccup could become the first of his tribe to have a pod of dolphins to swim and train with, Toothless being his special number one friend of course.

Dolphins can help catch fish and save lives and even navigate ships and fetch things so I thought that this is an intelligent animal that Hiccup could really get along with.

I also just happened to see the trailer 'a Dolphin's tail' in which the Dolphin Winter really reminded me of Toothless because they have a similar experiance - go watch that trailer and you'll know what I mean.

I hope you enjoyed this, and that you'll give it a chance, I'd love your opinions everyone so please drop a few by, I don't mind clearing them up :)