STOICK THE VAST

There I was, sharpening the blade of my sword against whetstone as I gazed into the beautiful winter forest. Ah, it was bliss. Until a tangled ball of red tumbled out of the trees and down the hills straight to where I stood. Dragged along like a rag-doll behind it was a feeble, wobbly boy. That... is my son.

"Mistuh! Mistuh! There's an emergency!" the tangled ball of red exclaimed with urgency.

"What is it, Merida?" I folded my arms.

"Hiccup's got a boo-boo!"

"Merida! I'm fine!" my son protested. He snatched his right hand away and hid it behind his back.

As you have figured out, my son is called Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Looking at his wee frame, you'd think he'd be smaller than his actual age of eight years. And the tangled ball of red is really a nuisance of a street urchin called Merida DunBroch, daughter of an even greater nuisance called Fergus DunBroch.

"Let me see," I demanded. The little boy's face was despondent as I beckoned him to approach. Being the obedient son he was, he stepped forward and laid his wee hand in my palm. The skin between his tiny fingers were dry and cracked and bleeding, and the tips were starting to blacken.

"Frostbite," I told the curious children. "It's good you came to me fast. Nothing a little warm vapour can't fix with this."

HICCUP

"Hiccup! Look at me! Come ON!" Merida exclaimed, trying to get me to look her in the eyes. But each time she pokes her face just within my peripheral vision, I'd turn away and scowl. I would have ran to my room and slammed the door in her face. But I had to sit still and hang my frostbitten hands over a pail of steaming hot water.

"Please! I'm sorry!" she whined.

"You know I didn't want my dad to know," I muttered.

"But your house is the nearest to The Great Grukapt Grove! Everything else is MILES away!"

"You don't understand," I sighed, looking down at my hands in dejection. "My dad already thinks I'm a wimp because I suck at slaying dragons. I can barely hold up a sword."

Merida lifted my chin so I would meet her gaze. She looked really sorry with her big blue watery eyes. I knew she meant well and she didn't really had a choice. It was either we seek help or watch my fingers blacken and fall off. "You're a great person and a fantastic friend, Hiccup. Dragon slayer or not, you are wonderful all the same."

I smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah!" she nodded excitedly, her wild curls bouncing with the motion. "As soon as your hands heal, let's head over to the Christmas carnival! Don't forget, they've built a slide at the Blijhest Shallows! Astrid will be there!"

My face fell. I looked down at my hands again. That wasn't going to be possible. "My dad said it's going to take all through evening for my frostbites to go away, and I can't expose it to the cold again or it'll get worse... You should go on without me..."

Merida yanked my face up again and examined me closely. She was trying to read my expression. I mustered up a smile. "Really, I'm fine. Just go! Have fun!"

"You sure?"

"Yes I'm sure! Maybe it'll be all better by lunch! I could just bandage it up and slip on some mittens!"

"You think so? What if - "

"You should go all the same."

"But - "

"Really, I want you to go!"

"Okay... I'll be back with baked honeycombs by night!"

And she was gone. I stared as the front door, left agape, slowly closed in. It was a blizzard out there. I sighed. The cold hadn't been so harsh last night. That was why Merida and I decided to camp out at our tree house all through the next day. And that was how I got my frostbites by morning. It was fun, nonetheless. We had built tiny medieval castles out of snow, and little snowmen for armies. I stared at my fingers. The black at the tips was starting to subside a little, and the cracked skin between my fingers had become moistened flaps. I looked back at the front door and found myself missing Merida already.

Just before the door could click shut, it swung open again and Merida tumbled right back in, kicking off her winter boots.

"You're back!" I exclaimed, unable to contain a huge, relieved smile.

"I rather stay here with you," she said, flopping back on the ground beside me.

"Okay, then."

The kitchen door swung open and dad emerged. He was carrying a tray.

"Hot chocolate and peanut butter crackers! Who wants 'em?" he roared, donning a green apron.

"Woo! Me! ME!" Merida squealed, hopping onto her feet. Dad didn't look all too please to see her though.

"Oh, this wee brat is still here?" he grunted.

"Thank you, papa," I laughed.

It was the best Christmas ever.

End.