CHAPTER 3: THE PLAN
A few days had passed by and boredom finally overtook Hiccup's depression. "Yes I've lost my hearing and I'm not going to adapt overnight, but wallowing is just going to drive me crazier." He had to get out, he was developing a serious case of Cabin Fever.
It was early morning so he didn't have to worry about the dark so much. His dad had left him a note on their table mentioning he had to attend to a tribal meeting regarding the dragon raids. If Hiccup needed anything he could ask the Thorston parents for help.
This is where his hearing loss proved to be the greatest difficulty. Communication. He could still speak to others, but they couldn't respond to or talk with him. Isolation was beginning to set in. Even more so than before. Being a runt in the tribe he'd always felt somewhat left out. A few of his older peers also enjoyed picking on him if not downright bullying him.
With his dad otherwise occupied, Hiccup figured this was an ideal situation. He would pack some food and water and head back out to where he last saw that Night Fury. Stashing his supplies and a first aid kit in a rucksack, he scribbled a quick note for his father, letting him know he was going for a walk out around Talons Hollow near Raven Point. Hiccup realized now more than ever he had to let his father know where he was going in the event something happened to him. Hiccup knew there was a freshwater pond there with fish. He may just find his black dragon there if he was lucky. It was actually very close to where the dragon had fallen after he had shot it down.
Hiccup began his trek but didn't realize that Tuffnut and Snotlout had been waiting for such an opportunity. Snotlout was a beefy, stocky teen but short by Viking standards. Snotlout got a kick out of picking on Hiccup. Out of all of his close acquaintances, Snotlout could be considered a true bully. For him, Hiccup was just too easy of a target. Tuffnut, a tall slender goof off with long blond dreadlocks, just liked to prank people with his twin sister, Ruffnut. She strongly resembled her brother but with fine well kept hair. They were never out to hurt anyone but themselves. She wasn't available at the moment though, so he teamed up with the Lout.
Team TuffSnot snuck up behind Hiccup and screamed as loud as they could, "DRAGON!" - Nothing, not even a jump or a twitch. They had happily anticipated a frenzied scurry for safety of the Hiccup. Yeah, it wasn't the most original idea, but it didn't usually take much to make the twerp scramble in a panic attack.
A black figure had been hiding in the shadows watching the stout bulky young-ling and walking branch of long light fur try to startle his Viking of mercy.
His lack of reaction disturbed The One of Night. Ever since this adopted young-ling of his granted him mercy, he felt drawn to learn more of him.
He certainly stood out from the uncouth imbeciles who so moronically tried to frighten him. To a slight extent The Black one could understand why. Amongst many other animals the runts were often shunned, even killed by the parents.
This behaviour seemed ironic considering how humans usually considered themselves superior to all other creatures.
The only advantage he saw to humans was their ability to communicate via spoken language. Even the dragons didn't have this faculty. That and the inventiveness of their fore-paws.
Snotlout called out, "Tuff! We're not giving up that easily. I need my weekly fix of a weekly Hiccup laugh. We need to keep fish-bone in his place. Go get a fishnet fast. We'll set up a little surprise for our little buddy yet."
In response Tuff said, "Hey dude, I'm the one who's supposed to be the master trickster of Loki, but I like your thinking." so off and running went Tuff.
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In the Great Hall, Chief Stoick had called a meeting of his clan heads. Spitelout Jorgenson, Captain of the Guard and father of Snotlout who was also secondary heir to the chief. Gobber the Belch, Master Blacksmith. Mulch Fertal, Master Farmer/Fisherman. Bucket Hardhead, Farmer/Fisherman. Gothi Patchemup, Master Healer. Phlegma the Fierce, Sergeant at arms and Silent Sven, Master Herdsman.
"I called this meetin' to inforrm ye that do tae some unforrtunate accident, mah son and heir has lost his hearrin' - perrmanently." There was a hush amongst the council and Stoick almost thought he had lost his own hearing.
Phlegma broke the silence and asked, "Do ye know why?"
Stoick replied, "Gothi tells me only some kind o' loud noise could 'ave done the damage that hurrt Hiccup. Hiccup tells me he doesnae rrecall wha' happened. Gothi believes this is possible as such a noise could have knocked him out and caused him to forrget wha' happened." This had been a little white lie on Hiccup's part. He knew his father hated dragons both for their raiding of his village, and having flown off with his mother Valka fourteen and half winters ago while Hiccup was still a babe. Hiccup had not wanted to fuel the fire of his father's hatred further by admitting it was a dragon that caused his hearing loss.
Despite his ill feelings over the hearing loss, Hiccup did not resent the Night Fury. He concluded it was just the dragon's way of telling him to back off. That Fury could have killed him, but didn't. Other than his lost hearing, the dragon hadn't even scratched him and there was no way the dragon would have known what he had done to Hiccup's ears.
Spitelout then spoke up next. "Does that mean ye will make my son, Snotlout prrimarry heir of Berrk? How can someone who is deaf lead the trribe?" Stoick knew that Spitelout, the husband of his sister was ambitious for his son, but the question was legitimate as well. Stoick hadn't made Spitelout Captain of the Guard without trusting him.
Stoick in turn answered, "Hiccup is only fifteen and therre will be many morre winterrs beforre he would 'ave to take the rrole o' Chief. I wish to explorre morre options beforre makin' a final decision. I will tell ye this Spitelout, we will begin Snotlout's trrainin' as Chief as soon as possible, in the event that Hiccup cannae afterr all assume the rrole o' Chief himself." As much as he respected Spitelout, Stoick prayed to Odin that a better solution would present itself. Snotlout was an arrogant little turd with the leadership skills of a slug.
"Alrright Stoick, I will starrt off his trrainin' with the duties o' Captain o' the guarrd. Afterrall I am yer backup if somethin' werre ta happen to ye beforre Hiccup could step in. Neitherr o' them arre yet old enough forr the rresponsibility." Spitelout explained to his Chief.
Nodding his head Stoick reluctantly agreed, "Aye, that sounds rreasonable."
Phlegma then spoke up. "Chief! I may 'ave a possible solution forr ye." Stoick's head snapped around in amazement.
"How's that?!" he hopefully exclaimed.
"My sisterr-in-law, Énjal Hofferrson o' the Bog Burrglars is deaf, and her daughter Astrrid was enrrolled in The Scholarr's Institute o' Bog Island to become an ASL-Norrse interrpreter. She may have grraduated alrready."
Gothi scratched out on the floor with her walking staff, "ASL? What is that?" Gobber, acting as her interpreter, read out loud "ABC?"
WHUMP! Rubbing his head after Gothi's swing to his head with her staff, Gobber complained, "I rreally need ta make somethin' ta help with ma vision."
Gothi scratched out, "You need to go back to school. Try again." So Gobber took another crack at it. "ASL? What is that?" He smiled.
Phlegma explained that ASL stood for Archipelago Sign Language. A language of the hands developed by the deaf and hard of hearing citizens of the Archipelago.
Mentally Stoick cheered a prayer, Thank you fatherr Odin. Holy smokes ye worrk fast! Stoick grew very excited. He clapped his bear paw hands together and rubbed them in a twisting motion. "Yes! That sounds good! That's the plan then! I will arrange to sail to the Bog Burglars and arrange a contrract with this Miss Hofferrson to come and worrk as ma son's interrpreter. Excellent!" Stoick was so excited with this news that he just plum walked out of the council meeting to get ready for his voyage.
The others just stared at his beefy back side and billowing bear fur cape. "Meetin' adjourrned." declared Spitelout with a shrug of his shoulders.
A/N (Author's Note): Regarding sign language I am no expert. If any of the deaf community comes across my story, feel free to submit corrections. Personally I am fairly fluent in Signed Exact English S.E.E. and have minimal knowledge of ASL (AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE for those of the hearing community) thanks to my daughter who is actually an ASL - English interpreter. In this story I will refer to ASL but call it Archipelago Sign Language to better fit the HTTYD theme. Someone who is near and dear to me is a late deafened adult, and that is where my personal experience comes in.
Sign of the Chapter - Trap: Form a five shape claw with your dominant hand, and have it clap down on your secondary hand, palm up, as if to catch a mouse.