Chapter 2

A Touch Daring

My day started off a bit earlier than I had anticipated. And by that, I mean it was probably about five in the morning. I could hear my father's snores down stairs. The man - and pretty much every person in the village besides myself and whatever poor, unfortunate souls were on guard duty at this ungodly hour - slept well following a dragon attack. Well, they slept better than usual. Which, for the record, was typically very well.

I wasn't sure what it was that woke me. I hadn't been dreaming anything of interest, and the only sounds to be heard were the ones I was used to. It was as if someone just snapped their fingers and I was awake. I sighed and pushed myself up, knowing full well I wouldn't be able to sleep again. It was mornings like that that I hated; the ones where I was up early, and had nowhere I was able to go. There wasn't enough light to read or draw, my only two hobbies, and I wasn't allowed to light a candle. If I went downstairs to make breakfast, I would surely wake my father, and that wouldn't be fair to him, considering the long night he had.

There was a fire in my blood, but hell if I knew where it came from. The walls were too close, the air too stale. I wanted out. Immediately. But where did I have to go? Oh, right. Absolutely nowhere. But I didn't care. I didn't care a single bit. Somehow, I had fallen asleep in my clothes the night before, so I dug a cloak out of my clothes chest and draped it over myself carefully, covering my head and arms, just in case someone happened to catch a glimpse of me.

Thankfully, the back door made no noise when opened. I snuck quietly past my father, and he snored away, oblivious. Just standing outside loosened the tightness in my chest. I drank in the cool morning air. I was surrounded by fog and it was cool on what skin remained exposed. The grass was slick with dew as I walked aimlessly away.

This was not something I had ever done before. My heart beat a bit too quickly in my chest and I thought myself through the situation I threw myself into. If my father woke up, which I doubted he would for at least another two hours, he would go up to my room to check on me and wake me up so I could make breakfast, and I would not be there. And when I got back... I didn't really want to think about that. So, I just had to get back before he woke up. I planned only to take a short walk. No problem.

The streets of Berk were unfamiliar to me. Or, rather, they were unfamiliar for me to walk. I could see most of the village out the window of my house. I strolled casually. And when I saw a figure drawing closer in the fog, my heart nearly stopped pounding in my chest. I ducked out of view next to the nearest building. I don't think the person saw me, but I could hear footsteps drawing closer. The figure came into sight.

It was a girl, close to my age I guessed, with blonde hair braided perfectly down her back. Her outfit was adorned with skulls, and she had a way of moving that was part graceful, and part lethal. She passed without so much a glancing in my direction. As soon as I was sure she was too far away to see me, I stepped back out onto the path, staring after her.

"'Ey, who goes there?" a gruff man's voice called from behind me. My stomach dropped into my boots as I was spun around. I must have looked feral, eyes wide with fear and skin covered in dragon-like scales. "Hiccup?!"

"Gobber," I sighed with relief. "Thank Thor." My legs shook.

"What the bloody hell do ye think ye'r doing out here?!" His eyes shifted around, making sure we were alone, before he began to drag me away, toward the forges. I didn't answer until we were safely inside. "Well?"

"I just... I woke up and I couldn't breathe" I explained. "I just needed out for a little bit. I've been in that house almost exclusively for fourteen years, Gob." His eyes softened a little and he put a hand - the right one, since the left one was replaced by a hook - on my shoulder.

"I ge' it. I told yer father, I tol' 'im, 'Stoick, ye can't keep the boy locked away forever. Think how ye would feel if ye had ta stay in yer house yer whole life.'" He sighed, shaking his head. "But, I'm afraid i's the best we can do, Hiccup. People can't be allowed to see ye. They're Vikings; they kill first, an' ask questions late'r." I looked at my shoes.

"I know, but I can't do it anymore, Gob." I looked back out toward the street. "I'm not a piece of livestock you can keep in a pin. It's not fair."

"Fair don' mean ev'ryone ge's the same thing, Hiccup. Fair means ev'ryone ge's what they need." I looked back up at him. His eyes were still soft and gentle. "Ye have a warm bed, all the food ye could ev'r hope ta eat, and ye'r safe. Fer now, tha's got ta be enough."

"It's not." I said it so quietly, I wondered if he even heard me.

"Go home, Hiccup. An' don' worry; I won' tell Stoick." I nodded and left without a word. I had only been gone for maybe half an hour, but the fog was already beginning to lift. Getting back home was uneventful. I stepped inside, and saw my father sitting upright on his bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Shit, I thought.

"Hiccup? Is that you?" I drew in a deep breath. Lying was not my strong suit, but hopefully he was still too asleep to notice.

"Er, yeah. I was just out at the outhouse. You're up early." He made an unintelligible sound I didn't even try to decipher. "You want me to make breakfast?" There was a pause, then a grunt of affirmation. I tossed my cloak over the back of a chair and started a fire. Within just a few moments, it began to take the chill out of the air. I hadn't realized I was cold. The food was almost done when my father lumbered into the kitchen area, sinking gracelessly into his chair.

Neither of us said a word as we ate. I could feel his eyes on me, but I just stared at my plate. He always stared at me. Maybe he was just staring at the scales. Finally, he was done, and, as per the norm, he left his plate on the floor for me to clean up when I finished my food and began my chores.

"I'll be back tonight. Stay out of trouble." I made a nondescript noise, and he closed the door behind him. Alone. I was always alone.

It had been stupid, going into the village. I was lucky it was Gobber who caught me. But, it had definitely been worth it. Enough so that I would have to do it again, I knew. But, perhaps it would be wise to go wander around the woods instead. I grinned as I shoveled the last of my food into my mouth. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, you're going to be a free man yet... Whether your father knows it or not."