Hey guys.
Thanks so much for the feedback so far. I'm taking my time with this one but I hope it's going to be a really enjoyable ride. A lot of stuff is going to be happening and I can't wait to see what you think how it develops. The first few chapters will deal with life on Berk and how they have coped in Hiccup's absence and then will move into their journey to find Hiccup. The man himself won't turn up right away but I have fun plans to keep the journey interesting and thought provoking.
In terms of ages, all of the dragon riders were around 16 when the Battle of the Red Death happened so by now they are all 20-21 years old. Just so I can tackle older themes without things feeling weird.
Flashbacks are in italics
And so on with the story.
Scars:
Chapter 2:
Ghosts
It seemed almost too good to be true as Stoic marched purposefully out of the great hall enthusiastically calling orders he did not think he would ever say again…..
…especially after the last time.
"Spitelout!" Stoic bellowed, "Get down to the docks and get the ships ready! I want the Sharktooth, the Whalemeat, Odin's Wrath and Berk's Pride ready to sail as soon as humanly possible."
The last time Stoic had sailed his small personal fleet out following a similar lead, he and the other Berkians encountered a group of Phoenician pirates who were trying to con them with the most realistic looking Hiccup imposter they had ever seen!
"Gobber! Get to the forge; I want every man, woman and child coming with us to be ready for anything. A sword and shield for everyone!"
It was only when Stoic really looked at the boy close up that he had his doubts.
"Fishlegs! Get a terrible terror in the air! Send word to our allies that we are certain we have found Hiccup. I want them here by nightfall to discuss the matter."
Then the dragons they brought with them had recoiled in disgust at the child being passed off as Hiccup. That was all the proof he needed that the pirates were playing him for a fool.
"Astrid! Snotlout! Get to the academy and assemble all of the other riders! We need to organize Berks defences in our absence."
And Stoic the Vast was no fool.
"Tuffnutt, go with Fishlegs and when you're done, help Trader Johan resupply his ship."
Neither was he forgiving anymore when it came to his lost son and false hope.
As the Hairy Hooligans sailed away from the meeting place it was to the sounds of screaming and dying pirates. Their bodies were ripped limb from limb by dragons, their entire armada of over 20 ships and hundreds of men reduced to a mass floating funeral pyre that lit the horizon for miles in every direction.
After that no-one tried to con the Hairy Hooligans.
"Johan! Tell the Tuffnutt what you need for the journey and restock with whatever supplies you want, free of charge as a way of thanks for bringing us this news. Your ship will lead the fleet as you know those waters best."
Stoic halted in his tracks bringing his small entourage and the villagers behind them to a standstill as they reached the plaza at the bottom of the steps to the great hall.
In the full light of the afternoon sun Stoic could see the steely determination in the faces of the tribe that had grown and developed over the past 5 years. The elder Vikings had softened, his own generation had adapted and the young ones had matured in ways he could not have possibly imagined.
And all because of the actions of his scrawny young son. By his direct and indirect influence Hiccup had saved them all from more than just the Red Death. He had saved the Berkians from themselves. And soon Hiccup would see that.
"See to your duties quickly!" the chief ordered firmly "if our luck holds we can sail with the morning tide!"
At once the entire tribe dispersed before him like a flock of startled terrible terrors and Stoic watched them proudly go about their assigned tasks with the diligence he had come to expect of them.
As the crowd vanished, only one Viking remained and Stoic knew why as the young blonde Viking stood uncertainly before him. Stoic stepped towards her and placing his hands on the shoulders of the young female, spoke quietly so no-one else could hear.
"Ruffnutt, fetch Gothi and bring her to my house. I am in need of her counsel."
"Right chief!" The female Thorston twin rasped with surprising professionalism, nodding her head knowingly before turning and sprinting off to find the wizened old elder.
Stoic smiled at the girl's response and her attitude. Despite retaining all her chaotic and insane tendencies, especially when in the company of her brother, Ruffnutt Thorston had demonstrated quite a talent for the arts of healing after being apprenticed to Gothi to help with the lack of healers after the battle of the Red Death.
Since then she had become more serious regarding helping others which had led her to saving not only a wounded Scaldron but then being instrumental in bringing back a blood bane eel to save the entire village from an outbreak of eel pox 2 years ago.
However the most important talent she had learned under Gothi's tutelage was the ability to understand and translate fluently the unhinged looking runes Gothi wrote to communicate with. Far more accurately than even Gobber could. Stoic figured it was because the twin was slightly unhinged herself and he thanked Thor a little crazy in the world could do some good.
But over and above that, this talent had made the girl privy to sensitive information that not even the new heir of the tribe knew. Ruffnutt was now a critical link in communicating with Gothi and by doing so learned a lot of things Stoic did not want broadcast publicly.
Though he was hesitant at first, the Thorston girl had proven herself to be unquestionably reliable and trustworthy, two words Stoic would never have thought he would associate with her.
The hive of activity that been sparked and the shouts of burly Vikings going about their urgent business broke Stoic from his thoughts and he began to stride towards his home.
Though he wanted to be part of the preparations like he had before, this time was different. He clutched the letter from Navan and allowed his more troubled thoughts to creep to the surface of his mind. He needed to consider some very uncomfortable questions and Gothi had always been adept at guiding him.
Stoic pushed open the door of his home and walked into it with an energy he not possessed in a long time. He strode over to a barrel in the corner, poured himself a tankard of Meade and sat heavily down at his table to await the elder's arrival.
As he sat in the silence of his home Stoic began to picture in his mind the ghosts of his past.
The night that four winged dragon took Valka and he was left cradling a baby Hiccup in his arms, the days he watched his 3 year old son toddle crazily about the house flapping his arms squealing "Ima dwagon! Ima dwagon! I cam Fwyy! Wawwwww!"
Stoic chuckled at the memory realising that, even at such a young age his son had dragons on the brain.
But Stoic's smirk fell as he saw Hiccup grow from a happy toddler into a quieter and subdued child. No longer did laughter fill his house, but dry sarcastic barbs and long awkward silences that reeked with sadness and pain. The smiles did not come to Hiccup's face but were instead replaced with bruises, cuts and black eyes, proof of the boy's un-vikingness and incompetence. Or so he thought back then.
Finally he remembered the last conversation he'd had with Hiccup in this house. He had forced Hiccup into dragon training and abruptly left to hunt for the nest, refusing to brook any argument from his boy and casting aside Hiccup's desperate attempts to connect with him.
He had emotionally and verbally stamped on his son, just like everyone else and neglecting his duties as a father.
As the conversation replayed over and over in his head, the veiled meanings of his son's words now clear to him in hindsight, Stoic reached into the folds of his armour and withdrew a second letter.
Setting the unfolded document on the table beside the letter from the chief of the Hardheads, this piece of parchment was clearly a lot older than the new one.
5 years older to be exact.
It was the last thing Hiccup had left and its contents were just as disturbing as Navan's. Stoic knew the two letters were now connected.
As he poured over the runes on the pages again and again Hiccup's last words spoken in his home kept ringing in his head, filling the charged silence of the room.
He barely heard him that night 5 years ago on his way out the door.
"And I'll be here….maybe."
A tear fell into Stoic's tankard as he kept reading and remembering.
There you have it guys!
Two chapters in two days! Yay! I'm trying to keep the word count lower to make the story easier to handle. As with my other tales I have a vague plan for each chapter and then let the muses take me so I'm going to be just as surprised as you are at some points with where this tale goes. But the overall arch of the story is pretty much planned out so I do know where the story is going. Having said that any cool ideas you wanna suggest might make it in.
Any questions, reviews, PMs, feedback, ideas, requests are all greatly appreciated.
See you in the next chapter.
Until then take care of yourselves and each other!