CH 10: All That I'm Living For
I do not own HTTYD. OOC I have control.
Warning.
Ruffnutt hit me hard. Even waking up in a bed I still notice that everything was still spinning.
It easy to recognize that the room I was in was the room I grew up in. For some reason I can't bring myself to call this mine anymore. Doesn't feel right. In fact it makes me a little nauseous, it could just be from being punched by Ruffnutt but either way I feel sick.
I bring my hands up to hold my head and hope that clears my head a bit. I can't move my hands. I look at my limbs and see the obstruction to my movement, I've been captured and chained. My legs and arms tied up by heavy set chains that bind me to my hard wooden bed.
Since all I can do is turn my head I do my best to see what I can learn of my condition. My eyes catch the window and I note that there is daylight coming thru. The sun was already setting when I got back to the village chasing after Astrid, so with fresh light means I slept all night and it's tomorrow. A panic hits me when I realize that Astrid must have taken my dad to my cove.
Toothless. Are you alright?
Gods, that got messed up so fast. Seriously I planned to run and I ran us both down to the one place we shouldn't be in anymore. Shows what bravery and trying to stand up for myself gets me. Grounded.
I try to slip out of the chains on my arms since they were only wrapping my limbs. Probably couldn't find shackles that actually fit me, one positive of being a fishbone I guess. I don't make too much noise but their still the light scraping of the chain metals. My struggling get me nowhere, I'm stuck here till something happens. If it weren't day time I'd be hoping for a dragon raid to come. I could obviously die, but it would still be my best chance to escape right now. I could pretend to sleep and wait for that to happen but I don't even know what time it is or the day. I could have been unconscious for days for all I know.
Aw, Toothless please be alright. Just stay alive till I get out of here, please.
Don't worry bud, they may have chained me but they didn't disarm me. I'm not a Viking, I don't need a sword or shield, not now or ever. My real weapon, my only weapon will always be my mind. My never been a Viking mind.
I take stock of what I know. I'm captured in the chiefs house. Toothless is alive somewhere. We're separated.
So the plan; find each other again. That's all. For us, that all we need. The rest works itself out.
'thump thump thump thump thump thump thump' footstep coming up here.
I know one will be my dad, and I hear peg legged footsteps so Gobbers coming too. And the others? Easy to guess.
Meeting my expectation, the door opens and enter Stoic, Gobber, Astrid, Snotlout, Tuffnutt, Ruffnutt, and finally Fishlegs. I don't bother feigning sleep. They all came up here because they knew I was awake.
They spread around surrounding me. Before me are the greatest banes of my life (and Gobber), but for Toothless's sake I will fight. Captures as I am my two best choices to do so are either to remain silent or to take the lead.
I chose the latter.
"So, is this another intervention?"
I didn't expect their first reaction to that being my dad throwing his fist in my face.
"You will be quiet son. This is for your own good." Stoic said.
My cheek hurts and my mouth tastes blood but I'm still bound and can do nothing but keep talking. I need to fully use my razor sharp weapon against their short and dull ones.
"And here I thought we were here to talk. My bad. Alright, I guess I'll be going now. Wait that's right I'm a little tied up here aren't I."
I'm Punched again. This time By Snotlout. "Oh just shut up you traitor. You should be grateful to us your still here." Gobber stops him from going on. Thank you Gobber.
I soon notice how tired and sick he and Tuffnutt look. "Looks like someone had too much to drink again."
"Don't bother using your dragon spy magics on us. Were Vikings, nothing can stop us!" Snotlout retorts me.
"Snotlout I've seen you 'stop' for a clump of dust you thought was a spider." I counter.
"SHUT UP!" He hits me again.
"Ay now Lad were eir for help nat hurt. Step bak." Gobber stops him again.
"Teh, fine." And he steps back. I see him get a punch to the shoulder from Astrid. Seeing him put down is defiantly satisfying to say the least.
And like a reset we start this over again. I begin once more. "Who's next?"
And again I'm surprised when Fishlegs steps up to my challenge. "You don't have to worry Hiccup, Were only here to help you."
"Your 'help' feels more like exorcism."
"Exactly!" He exclaims excitedly. Uh oh that doesn't sound good.
My dad follows up. "Hiccup you don't have to worry. We will free you from that cursed dragons hold. We are already prepared with how to do it. We just needs to get you ready for your final test."
His words fill in some gaps. They think I'm possessed and think a test will help. Hate to tell them but tests only make things worse before they make it better.
But what test?
"Sorry, I don't think I studied. But give me a few days and I think I can cram and get a barely passing score."
"Son, you have been studying. All your life in fact. We just need to bring that out again."
For a Vikings of Berk that can only mean one thing. "Dragon killing."
"Exactly!" Stoic exclaims with joy in his voice. "Once you slay the beast that did this to you. You'll be back with us."
"What have you done to Toothless!" Now I get what Astrid and the others have told him. They think I'm being controlled by Toothless and that if he dies I'll turn back into a Viking. And the worst part of their theory; they're going to have me kill my brother!
"If you mean the dragon who has done this to you. Then don't worry. We have him restrained and waiting for you in the Killing Ring. Once you're ready. We'll take you to it so you may end his possession of you once and for all. Then"
"FUCK YOU!"
Hearing their plans, it just too cruel to us. They want me to kill my partner? I'm sticking with what I just said, fuck them.
"Don't worry it's just that instead of the Monsterous Nightmare you'll be killing the legendary Night Fury! You'll become Hiccup the Night Slayer! Forever known for ending the most cursed dragon ever to exist!" Stoic continued as if I didn't say anything. Like always.
"Why does he get to do that?!" Snotlout complained.
"Yeah! That should be me!" This time Tuffnutt argues.
"Is gonna be Hiccup, lads. He nees ta break himself free. Free hu da dragon." Huh?
What was that noise? As Gobber spoke I heard this weird slicing noise. What was it? Doesn't seem the other notice.
"That's right to kill two birds with one stone. Hiccup will frees himself of the magic that dragon has on him and becomes one of us all at the same time." Stoic explained.
"Yeah and you already have my answer. Fuck you."
"I know this is hard Hiccup. To not be in control of yourself, but don't worry. Like we said we are all here to help you."
"There is nothing you could say or do that will ever make me kill my best friend. And I doubt any of you actually understand. You say you do but I'm sure you don't have the slightest clue as to what's really going on."
"Your words are only twisted by that"
"Don't you dare call him 'that dragon' again. His name is Toothless! And he is the best friend I've ever had all my life. What you're asking me to do is like asking Gobber to kill you! His best friend! How is friend killing friend helping anyone!? All that will leave me with is loneliness all over again! I'd rather you kill us now, Stoick The Vast."
I know that once I said his name like that he was going to snap. He does so and proves to me to be as predictable towards me as he has been all my life. The second I talk back, he snaps back.
But rather than the yelling I expected I receive his hammering fist smashing into my gut.
"AHHHA!?" The blow was so painful and I can feel more blood enter my mouth from my throat coming in a coughing fit. Some kind of internal damage I assessed.
"I will not have you disrespecting me. Your my son! This is all for your own good! Once you kill that dragon you will realize that all this was best for you!"
Despite the pain I feel, I still challenge him. "Best for me? You said that wrong Stoick!" seeing his brow furrow even deeper encourages me further. I'm not defending myself, I'm defending my friend.
"I know I'm wasting my time trying to talk to you but that the point, Stoic! You've never listened! And all because I never fit your Viking standards. You say you're helping me, but no you're only helping yourself! You want the fake Hiccup that pretended to be everything you wanted but guess what! He never existed! He was all in your imagination! Your own selfish delusion! You never wanted a son! You just wanted someone who would make you look good in front of your village! All for you own selfish Pride! But when you got me you didn't bother to accept me but tried to change me so I fit your ideals. But that was never me! And it never will be!"
"Are you blaming your own father for all you failures? Ha that so like you." Snotlout mocked.
"No. My failures are mine. I accept that, all of them. But my greatest failure is not that I couldn't get my father's approval. It that I thought, I actually believed for one second, that I the true Hiccup, the one that has had to suffer all his life, could ever be accepted by any of you! I'm not a Viking! I've made my peace with that. I won't fight for anyone's acceptance anymore. I'll be who I am. And that person is not your's in any way. You don't have the son you always wanted . You have to live with that. Just like I don't have the father I've ever wanted. That's all there is."
"I always accepted the things you did! I always cared for you! But you always resisted what I taught you and never followed my orders! That put everyone in danger. Berk does not need people who put others in danger! Even if you were never strong, all you needed to do was stay where you belonged, out of the way in the forge. That was your calling. You are a Weaponsmith. Always have been. But you kept challenging everything like you thought you knew better! You are a child! MY CHILD! MY SON! And I know what is good for you! You never listened!"
"You never listened to me!"
"But then you became a true fighting Viking. You listened and fought like one of us! Dragons are our lives! Killing them NOT befriending them. It's just not possible. They are monsters that can only kill and steal from us. You will return to that person because that is the true you. That is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. That is MY son!"
"Your wrong about dragons their just like us. They live their live the best they can. They scare, they laugh, they have fun, they feel sad, and most of all they are not the real enemy!"
"That dragon has corrupted you to such an extent! I swear by Odin that I will kill all dragons. And soon we will be doing it together, son."
"Never."
"It will be so. You simply need to kill that dragon who has done this to you!" He gestured to the chains that held me like it was Toothless who did it.
"This isn't Toothlesses fault, it's yours! You're the ones who tied me up like some sort of insane rabid animal! So leave him out of this! Stoic this is between you and me!"
"It is you and me vs them!"
"No! It's me and Toothless Vs YOU! You and everybody else in this room!"
"Enough!" His frustration pecked. Our argument was done. Now it time for what he does best. Force.
"I see that we really can't talk you back to sanity. The cursed Dragons hold on you is simply too great. So we will educate you of your true self. Your body will remember what it's like to be one of us. This is the way it has to be."
Astrid finally speaks up after being silent so long. "Sir maybe if we and the other talk to him and remind him of his real friend, you won't hav"
"No Astrid. It's clear it not your turn just yet. But don't worry you'll have your chance to bring him back. Once me and Gobber are done."
"But"
"No buts girl!"
Snotlout grabs Astrid and starts to pull her away with Tuffnutt, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut pushing her out.
"Astrid, their right. This is the adults turn to solve the problem. And if all goes well we'll be celebrating Hiccups return and first kill tonight with the rest of the village. Ok!" Fishlegs reasons with her.
No we won't. I will never kill a dragon. I will not bend or break on this even if kills me. I will not even lie about it anymore, Toothless is my friend I won't fight or hurt him. EVER.
I know that if I pretend to follow them I could get out of this then when face Toothless I can jump on and finally get away from this place. But I won't. That would not be me. The current true me.
He's my brother. We are not two individuals. We are in this together. This is my one unconditional and unchangeable ABSOLUTE.
Slice
That sound again. It happened as the teens left. What is it?
Looking back to Stoic I keep fighting. "Bring your torture and your pain. I'll never say yes."
I don't care what they think. It won't be anything compared to what my life has been like.
As the other teens leave Spitlout, Snotlouts father, enters carrying a table covered in a cloth. Something hidden underneath. Followed by Gothi the village healer.
"So be it." Were Stoics last works before he pulled the cloth off the table revealing blades, sticks, ice, stones, flammable materials, needles, rags, canteens of water, hooks, hammers, nails, swords, rope, a mace, whips, ball and chains, and various clamping devices used for different parts of the body.
"I'm sorry my son, but know that this will hurt me more that it hurts you."
Somehow I doubt that.
Laying on that wooden bed completely unable to move even my fingers I can only take a deep breath and nod.
"Let get it started."
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Toothless, chained and tied up in the center of the humans dragon prison struggled with all his might to free himself as his heart was tearing apart and the pieces shatter. With each passing second he had to listen to his brothers screams fill his ears like the cries of sorrow from his soul shooting through his body. He was so far away and he could still hear his voice like it was right next to him
"HICCUP! No no no Stop please let him go just stop it! Please let hims go! It my fault please punish me it not him it me! Just let him go! He's not the one you want! It ME it's all my fault spare him just spare him a second PLEASE! Theirs no reason for you to punish him he is one of you come come and get me leave him alone to your god or the royal dragons or the void it self someone DO SOMETHING take my life if you want leave him! Don't do this! Your don't have to it me it was all me I tricked him I lied to him just leave him be! That all he deserves he's not like you! HE INNOCENT!"
But his roars only are only heard and understood by five.
"Damn darkwing! Would you just fucking shut the hell up! It's just some ningen doing their rituals or whatever." (Authors note: I wanted the dragons in my story to address humans by a different title or term. I thought ningen would work well for that purpose. It Japanese for human, person, or man. It's literal, that's all. It'll be the same for Darkwing and the other self-dragon terms. Dragon language, dragon terms that's the game.)
"Alright who said that! it not just some ningen! He's my ningen no my partner! NO! It's my family that's screaming his heart and lungs out their! Their out their torturing my Brother! And who the hell are you!"
I didn't mean my outburst but now I feel like I'm just talking to myself. But then a second softer voice comes.
"Don't mind him darkwing. This heavywing here tends to get cranky with loud things. Especially loud ningen."
Then a third voice accompanies the first two. I realize their talking from behind me. "I've heard that darkwings were ningen supporters but I never thought they were that devoted to them. Does it matter? Theirs like hundreds of them, what does one in pain matter. What's one ningen matter at all? I find it interesting that it's so important to you."
A fourth voice. "Why are we talking about ningen at all?" Then a fifth. "Don't worry brother, It just the darkwing crying like a baby, brother. Listen darkwing I can't understand why you would you care but just let it go. Right brother?" To which the fourth responds. "Your right brother."
A fifth then speaks rather tiredly. "Uh Yawnnnnn haaa. Whatz happninenz wez a hava'nz a meetinen?" Aw fuck that was a mobflyer wasn't it. I think Hiccup called the terrible terrors.
Wait why are dragons here. No nonon they can't be here for me. I need to save Hiccup!
"I don't know who you are but if you're here for me then I'll tell you what I told all the others; fly off or fuck off." I feel myself slip back to old habit. Snap and growl before shooting everything I see.
The third voice responds to me. "Even if we had wanted to take you on darkwing, we couldn't."
"What do you mean 'couldn't'? And who are you for that matter? Where are you hiding?" I bombard them with questions.
The second voice answers me. "Darkwing we are behind you. Look and you'll understand why we can't do anything to you."
I hesitate to do as I'm told but I do so anyways out of curiosity. Large wooden forms? Human doors? No, not human. Dragon doors. They're trapped.
The second voice continues. "We are the prisoners of war that the ningen have captured and use to entertain themselves and train their young." I see the door the second voice was coming from was the furthest to my port side. I can see behind the bars the speaker was a female rainbowscale, Hiccup called their wingtype Nadder.
Then the third voice talks, I identify it as the center door and from behind the small bars I see a female hardtail, Gronckle. "I find it interesting. A dragon caring for a human."
The first yells out from the furthest door to my starboard side. I don't have to see his kind. The rainbowscale already called him as heavywing, or the humans Monsterous Nightmare. "Would you all just shut up! I'm trying to enjoy this human screaming don't forget today is my time, remember."
His time? He's dyeing? He doesn't sound that old. In fact he sound just like a third age. Young adult, was that it? "Doesn't sound like your time nightmare. Sounds like you got quite lot of time left in you."
"Fucking darkwing not only calling me by that ningen word but also not knowing our circumstances! Stupid traitor of the Uverworld and the Queen!"
The hardtail stops him before he continues. "Wait darkwing do you really not know of this place and of our being here? Of how we've been captured and used by the ningen?"
I answer. "No. I've never even seen this place before today. What is it?"
The other dragons seem surprised by my information. The hardtail then asks me another question. She seems to be very inquisitive regarding everything. "Were your eyes open when the ningen brought you here darkwing? Do you know our land position?"
Her question makes me realize why I never seen this place. It inland deep and close to the mountains the raiding partys never come close to the mountains because the humans can fight better when on an higher ground. There's also nothing worth raiding here. Other than the caught Uverworlders, Dragons.
The only dragons that have ever been to this place are us.
"We are inland near mountain side." I say with depression in my voice, knowing full well the others reaction.
And their responses were just as I expected.
The fourth and fifth voice, a twinneck, or human code, Zippleback, begins denial. "It can't be –if that is so then we are unreachable brother!"
The hardtail then comments. "Did you know this Rainbowscale?"
She responds. "Yes. I was able to tell our position from the distant smell of the salt water and the deep smell of the forest and mountain stones. I never said anything because I also realized as you have that no Uverworlder would come this way. They wouldn't dare for fear of the danger of Ningen defense here."
The heavywing speaks but this time In melancholy and despair. "So then it truly is my time. Like the many before me, yes rainbowscale?"
"I'm sorry, but yes."
"Would one of you just tell me what you're talking about. He is too young for it to be his time." I ask them.
"Darkwing here the ningen end the time of all Uverworlder that enter here. This past time of light, the Ningen celebrated that their strongest second age would kill heavywing. It happens everytime at this point before the full ice season." The hardtail gives me details.
The humans were going to kill these dragons these Uverworlders like animals? Why?
The heavywing continues. "Today I face the one ningen coded Hiccup."
Then it hit me. "That why he desperately wanted to run. Hiccup was their champion second age. But he didn't want to. And now he has to scream! Just for saying no."
If that so if this is truly what is happening to him, then then I did all this? To him?
"What the hell are you muttering darkwing? Can't you see some of us need to prepare themselves for"
"SHUT UP! He's screaming for you you know!" That's right, if I never played my game on Hiccup then the two of us would be gone by now, the heavywing would not have to his time end, and Hiccup would not be screaming now!
This is all my fault. All of it.
"Hiccup."
"Excuse me darkwing but who is this 'Hiccup' you keep calling out to?" The rainbowscale politely asks me.
"He's my brother. And he's screaming now because of me."
"That screaming ningen is your brother? How?" The hardtail curiously and confusedly asks me.
"He saved me. I lost my flight and he gave me back the sky. And What do I do to repay him?! I gave him to the humans to make him scream like that! No Hiccup I'm sorry!"
I could hear one of them was intently sniffing the air.
"The kind one." The rainbowscales softly says.
"What?" I ask.
"Everyone take a good whiff of the darkwing now! Focus on his back!" the Rainbowscale commands the other.
I could almost fell their snouts crawling on me.
"It him. The one you all spoke of."
"The kind one brother, the kind one."
"Yes, but how or why?"
"Interesting. Very Interesting."
"Itz himz tiz himz brightz thing brightz thing!"
Ok now I'm depressed and creeped out. "Now what are you all mumbling about?"
"Darkwing please listen. We did not put much thought into it before but this season their was one ningen who did not fight us. In fact he made us feel good in strange ways. Such as giving us drowsy grass, and scratching us in good places. Does this have anything to do with you? Is your brother the ningen who smells of fish, iron, and ash?"
"Yeah that sounds like him. Why? And don't call him ningen. He's Hiccup and he's my brother. He deserves some respect. He's"
"Very kind to us." One of the twinnecks interrupts me. "What?"
"He never fought us brother only kept us away from the fight brother."
"And that is him screaming now? What are they doing to him? Why? Do you know Darkwing?"
"They are causing pain to him because he was the one to end your time heavywing and he refused to do so. He planned to escape but I got him captured. And now"
"They are convincing him, and are now harming him for siding with the enemy. Well, no wonder he is your brother you're practically the same ideals layered in different bodies." The hardtail interrupts me.
The heavywing then asks me "Why does he refuse to end my time? If he does he would not have this pain."
I think for a moment before I realize the full reason for all that Hiccup has done with both the violent girl and now. "He doesn't want to fight. Not like that, not like them."
The others just let this information sink in.
The rainbowscale finally asks another question. "Darkwing, what will your brother do? Will he let his time end like that?"
"No, he'll come here I know he will. And if he can't, I'll come to him somehow."
"Would you like some help?"
"Huh?"
"A trade, darkwing. Help for help."
"Why? Is it just to get yourselves out?"
"No it to get all of us out, your brother included."
Can they really help? That would be a first. Usually they would just attack or abandon me. Can I trust them?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
"I'm in."
Astrid didn't leave the chief house after she was pushed out of Hiccups room. The others said they would come back later but she had stayed.
She didn't know why she stayed. Hiccups' screaming was deafening. He never stopped.
They started just before midday but now it was midafternoon. By my count I spent seven hours here listening to his screaming. I keep wanting to run in there and order them to stop, but no matter what I want they won't stop. All I can do right now is wait and keep reminding myself that this is the right thing to do.
"I'll probably have nightmares now about his screaming."
But that shouldn't matter. If it can get Hiccup to stay here then, then I'll volunteer to be the next one tortured. It's only fair for bringing him back like this.
Over his screaming I can only keep saying "This is the right thing. It for my friend. I should even be in there with him!" But I'm not.
'He'll die.' No he won't. We're saving him.
'Was this really the only way?' He's been corrupted by the enemy. I couldn't let him go.
'You could have just talked to him. He still took the time to listen to you instead of just escaping when he woke up. He could have done that but he stayed and listened to you.' I did talk to him, but he didn't listen to me. He just kept talking about that dragon. He's the one to blame for Hiccups pain.
'Toothless protected Hiccup when you held a knife to him. He acted, you yelled. He did more in that one second than you did in seven years. Why is that?' It wasn't my choice. I need to become stronger, for everyone.
'And where would that leave Hiccup?' Safe. He would have been safe. But now he's being hurt.
'By his own father. Is that what family really means? Is that what you would have done?' It's to get him away from the enemy the dragon. Whatever it takes to save him, to bring him back.
'Back from what?' Our enemy.
'Toothless is your enemy. But who's Hiccup's enemy?'
That's all I can take.
"Who are you? What are you?" I'm alone in the room. Theirs only Hiccups screams around me. So who am I arguing? What for?
'Seven years ago you didn't just leave Hiccup. The real question is who are you?' What does that mean?
'Are you Astrid, are you Hofferson, are you a Shield Maiden, are you friends with Hiccup, are you friends with the teens, are you loyal, are you kind, are you ruthless, are you with or without mercy, are you a girl, are you a woman, are you a person who protects or is protected, are you a person that destroys, are you right, are you wrong, are you determined, are you committed, or are you a Viking? Well do you even know?' I'm Astrid Hofferson, Shield Maiden of Berk that's all who I need to be. But I don't know who you are.
'I'm the girl that was left behind when you chose the ax rather than what it meant, what it was supposed to mean, to both of you.'
I don't get a chance to reply when footsteps start coming down the stairs. I never noticed when the screaming stopped.
"We'll continue tomorrow." Was all the chief said. And he just went outside. Spitlout and Gothi went with him.
Gobber came up to me where I sat.
"Dija stay der da hole time?" I nod.
"Hes out cold now but if ya lik ta say somtin ya could tri lata."
I stand up. "Now."
"Eh fine. Jus ge ta da Great Hall lata. I'll wait fer ya."
"No you go on without me. I'll just go see him and then I'll go."
"I don thin ya should."
"I'll be quick."
I ascend up the steps and enter his room.
The first thing I see is that Hiccup wasn't chained like he was earlier. Now he had a ball and chain locked on one of his legs, and his arms were rope tied to one of the house beams.
Then I see the blood on both the floor and on the bed coming from Hiccup. The dripping sound like water slowly falling. I slowly close in on to the bed.
He was only in leggings so I could see all the discolorations in his skin. His abdomen was a deep black and red but the blood was not pouring out but under the skin. I saw some stiches across his body, some were from long shallow cuts and others were small but on deeper wounds, they dragged something sharp across his skin and other time stabbed him deep. His entire left arm and his right shoulder were bandaged but were already soaked deep in his blood. On his face he had a bandage cover his left eye which had streaks of dried blood that looked like he cried blood for a while. Next to his face I see what looks like a cut piece of untanned leather.
They skinned him.
Over all he wasn't getting up. He's not a strong Viking whose body can take a lot of punishment like this and walk away like nothing. At least from the looks of it Gothi took good care to patch up all his wounds, so he won't die from any of them. But he was still unconscious. Anything I say now won't mean anything, not if he's like this. But I still have things I want to say.
"Your Gonna be alright Hiccup. Once you say yes you're going to be just fine."
In raspy pain he surprisingly responds. "But I won't really. Not here."
This wasn't the time for anything serious. If I talk to him now it'll be just another argument. Just a quick 'see you later' and I'll head to the Great Hall. "No, you'll be fine really. We won't give up on you. So please don't give up on us."
His one open eye just watches me, slowly and quietly we just stare into each other's eyes. I wonder what he sees when he looks at me. His were glazed and unfocused. He's been at it for over eight hours, he must be tried.
I turn to the door. I should leave before he has a chance to keep fighting back. Stepping away I move slowly to the door. approaching the door I can feel his eye on me as I walk away.
He still tries to talk back in rasps laced with his deep pain. "Either way it'll be over soon."
"Just say yes." I whisper unexpectedly.
"No." He whispers back.
Out of nowhere someone starts talking. "You won't survive this twice. Will you really just die for the dragon? You can still save yourself. Just say yes." Looking up to the doorway I see Ruff leaning there with her arms crossed watching Hiccup and me.
She walks past me to Hiccup and sits on the bed. "Are you alright with that?"
"So long as Toothless is fine, yeah."
"He was captured."
Pause
"Then were both dead." He closes his eye and turns away from us. Like he's waiting for us to kill him then and there.
"You won't keep fighting? Won't cut yourself free?"
"If I could I'd be gone now."
"Even in your condition?"
"I'm not like Stoic. I don't care about appearances; I'll crawl thru the mud and dirt with all the laughter of the world on me if I could just reach Toothless."
Ruff fidgets as she sits on the edge of the bed watching Hiccup.
"Is it that you want to be with him or is it that you just want to cut all ties with us?"
"I just want to be with the people who accept me for who I am. That's all."
"And that not us?"
"You only accept Vikings. That's not what I am."
"Then you've made your peace?"
"Yes."
"Then this is goodbye." She stand up but before she leaves she gives him a light pat on his skinned shoulder.
"Goodbye Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III."
"Goodbye, Ruffnutt Thurston."
Walking over to me she asks "Won't you say goodbye?"
"I'll believe in him. He'll live, he'll say yes, and he'll be back together with us." I know he will.
The two of us leave the house. It's getting dark. The only thing left for us to do now is eat dinner and wait for tomorrow.
"Ruff, could you help me get some food for him. He's probably hungry."
"The chief told us not to. Said it'll help him say yes faster."
"Right but still"
"Lets get him some fish. That probably still his favorite."
"Right. I know." But I don't know. Did I ever know?
Authors note: Hiccups Horrendous Haddock III final relationship with the Village of Berk: ? The answer, next chapter.