Four years ago, after Hiccup fled Berk.
_
They didn't know where they were going.
In the darkness of night Toothless flew, Hiccup and a pack of supplies on his back as his young rider fought not to cry…
And failed.
I just destroyed my home. I'll never see dad again. I can never go back.
It didn't matter that the house could and would be rebuilt in a matter of days- at most a week- just like it had three times over Hiccup's childhood.
It didn't matter that his relationship with his father was… difficult… at best, basically estranged and deceptive at worst.
It didn't even matter that he felt relieved to be free of the pressure that hovered in the air of the village. First the weight of the glares, then the weight of expectations…
It didn't matter how logical it was to leave… because despite it all it was still the only home he'd ever known.
But what choice did I have? He lamented. What am I supposed to do? Tame an enraged Monstrous Nightmare, with the entire village watching? Even if I somehow survived long enough to try, they'd never let me! Training requires focus, trust… no dragon can trust me with the entire village armed and banging on the cage like that…
Except Toothless. Somehow, Hiccup knew their connection was stronger than a village of Vikings.
Which is why they left.
Faking his death had been easy. Setting a few candles to burn until they reached kindling in a few half-finished huts made it look like dragons were setting fires. That was enough to start the scramble, but without actual dragons flying around it was easy to convince Gobber to send him home early.
Instead of home, though, he ran to Toothless and together they blew up the empty house.
He knew the absence of remains would get explained away.
"Oh, the dragon ate him first" or "he was so small, he was incinerated instantly."
The only loose end was Astrid.
Astrid… I'm so sorry, Astrid.
It had been the hardest part of the decision, deciding what to do about her. That flight… that incredible flight made him think- wish- that maybe she'd come with him if he asked her. Maybe she'd seen the truth…
But no, it was only a passing fantasy.
He remembered her indignation when he asked her not to tell his father about the nest.
"-to save your pet dragon!?"
Despite it all, her loyalty was still to the village.
And why not? She had a mom and dad who loved her for who she was, she exceled at everything the village cared about… she had everything to stay for, and nothing to gain by leaving.
Meanwhile, he had to lose everything either way…
So he chose the option that let him keep Toothless, and let the village- and his father- keep their memory of him… the false him they'd celebrate.
That line of thinking helped console the young teen as he consulted the stars for guidance.
What now?
They'd need to land for sleep, but Hiccup wanted to cover as much distance as possible before then. He wasn't comfortable with the idea of sleeping on Toothless' back mid-flight, and not being able to work the tailfin at a moment's notice seemed dangerous.
Unbidden, the night sky prompted a surprising memory...
"Remember son," Stoick the vast knelt down beside his six-year-old son as they stood on the bow of a ship, staring into the night sky. "The north star is always true. The Gods gave it to those who are lost, so that they can always find their way."
_
What is my way? Hiccup returned from the memory with a pang in his heart. I've always had A way, even if it wasn't mine… at least I had something I thought I wanted… but now?
Now he had two spare sets of clothes, some tools, a week's worth of food, a small purse of gold that wouldn't be missed in the fire, and his notebooks.
And the stars, apparently. Directions to anywhere… as long as it wasn't Berk.
Or anywhere in contact with Berk.
Or anywhere that fought dragons.
Well, that pretty much meant nowhere.
And that's where the answer lie.
"Toothless," Hiccup leaned forward to let the dragon hear and see him better. "Head east, and just barely north. We're going where no one knows… the uncharted parts of the archipelago."
_
Two weeks later, and Hiccup didn't know if they'd survive the winter.
Somehow, this part of the archipelago was more hostile than even Berk. Every village seemed frequented by "trappers" who actually set out to catch dragons! Hiccup had some success landing outside of town at night and slipping into the larger settlements alone in the morning to trade, but pretty quickly he was noticed as an outsider and found himself unable to answer the questions of some surprisingly hostile people…
Even the ones who would sell to him tried to charge him double the normal rate.
Now he and Toothless were flying back to their "home," a small island about an hour from anything. They'd been sleeping in a defensible but spacious cave when a sudden winter storm caught them halfway, with nowhere to land.
Toothless flapped hard against the wind. They'd tried flying above the clouds, but the downdraft kept sucking them back in.
Hiccup could tell Toothless was tiring. His wings were straining with each beat, and twice now he'd lost his balance in a gale and nearly toppled Hiccup off his saddle.
In was in the midst of this that Hiccup heard the most unlikely thing, something so bizarre he thought he'd imagined it…
"Fly with the wind, not against it!" A muffled, higher-pitched voice called from behind them and to the left. "You can't beat the storm!"
One hand raised against the fierce wind, Hiccup instinctively glanced over his left shoulder…
To see something impossible.
Behind them, a red dragon with four wings was holding position, a wide, flat face with whisker-like extensions flapping in the wind.
And on his back was a figure in green armor, their face hidden by a green helmet with six erratic horns.
The rider- another dragon rider!- waved a staff at them, the strange hook at the end gesturing back the way they came.
"I have shelter!" The figure called, and the massive wingspan of the dragon fanned out and turned, being carried by the wind back and to the right.
Hiccup had to make a snap decision, but there really wasn't any choice.
It's probably-friendly dragon rider we don't know… or almost certain death trying to fly in a winter storm. Or looking for shelter back on the Island of angry villages we left an hour ago.
The promise of shelter overwhelmed his fear of the stranger, and Hiccup leaned down to pat Toothless' neck. It was all the encouragement the ebony dragon needed as his wings fanned out and they glided back to follow their new companions.
This ought to be interesting…
TWO HOURS LATER:
It certainly was… and then some.
"And after all these years… you took after me… and where was I? I'm so sorry, Hiccup. I wish I'd been there, but I didn't know… I couldn't have known…"
The young boy sat, his back pressed into Toothless as they sat in what appeared to be a makeshift kitchen hidden in the depths of the bewilderbeast's island.
The two of them- Hiccup and Toothless alike- were shocked. It had been a whirlwind few hours. Their flight to this island- further north and east than Hiccup had heard of anyone form Berk traveling- plus the revelation of his mother's survival, and the dragon haven, the bewilderbeast…
They were wary, and relieved to have found somewhere safe… somewhere almost impossibly safe…
But more than anything, Hiccup was fighting back tears.
Maybe they were tears of joy… he'd just found his Mother! His mother was alive, and living with Dragons!
Maybe they were exhaustion and relief… only a few hours ago he'd put their odds of surviving the winter at "just south of hopeless," but now there was fish on the fire before them, and an island's worth of apparently gentle dragons defending them.
Or maybe they were tears of loss.
His entire life, he'd been on the outside looking in. He never conceived that he could have had anything else, even… he was always just fighting an impossible battle, every day closer to accepting his fate as the outcast. Who could he have been, with his mother back home as his ally? How different could his childhood have been, if he had spent his life here… on the inside?
Toothless shifted to accommodate as the slim woman knelt down to cup Hiccups cheek with her hand, lifting his gaze gently from the stone floor to her gentle eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Hiccup. Can we start over? Will you give me another chance? I can show you all I've learned, these past sixteen years. I know it doesn't make up for my not being there, but this gift we share, Hiccup… it bonds us. It brought us back together…"
She paused, stoking his cheek with her thumb as his glistening eyes held hers.
"This is who you are, son. Who we are. We can change the world for all dragons. We will make it a better, safer place!"
Her gentle, warm voice reached down into his heart, into that place he'd been searching to fill for all his life…
Curiousity, more than anything, made him ask.
"And Berk?"
Her eyes fell, her voice hardening slightly with the weight of history.
"Vikings don't change, Hiccup. Believe me, I've tried. Some of us are just born… different."
There was a deep sadness to the thought… but also peace.
She's right. Berk wouldn't have changed… I was right to leave.
Hiccup stroked Toothless' side idly as he nodded.
Vikings don't change… but it doesn't matter now. His eyes started to widen as he realized. iit doesn't matter. If I don't belong with dad and the Vikings, if I was born different, then I belong here! The Vikings have it wrong… but here, someone knows the truth! I belong with the dragons!Their greens eyes met again, his now with hope rising from the depths as his hand came up to hold her wrist, her hands holding his face.
For the first time… he felt home."Okay… Mom."
_
Four years later, Hiccup flew with Toothless away from Berk as the city chased off the last dragons of the raid.
He reflected on that first conversations, and on the many like it they'd shared over the years.
We thought we understood… we knew how dangerous Vikings were, how incapable they can be to just wake up and see… but it wasn't enough to save her.
His gaze hardened as Toothless fell into formation with a swarm of dragons- many carrying sheep, yaks, or other livestock.
If Stoick is uniting the archipelago, we can't have enemies in front and behind us.
Fortunately, Valka had followed through on her promise to teach him everything she knew… and together, they learned even more. Nobody knew dragons like Hiccup… and there were a few secrets that worked in Hiccup's favor.
He leaned forward to put his hand on Toothless' neck.
"Easy bud… just stay in formation. I think it's time we went back to the nest… we're going recruiting."