My Hiccup 29
The unusually hot summer was finally coming to an end and the teens decided to celebrate it in their traditional way, well everyone's except Hiccup's. He once again felt like the odd man out as they all flew across Berk to another water whole, this one being one Snotlout and the twins found a few years back when Snotlout still hung out with Dogsbreath and was the leader of the kids. Dogsbreath had died a few months before the war with the dragons ended, accidentally killed while putting out a fire. It was accidental because it just so happen that Hookfang – who was their enemy at the time – had sent him flying with a swipe of his wing and broke his neck. The Monstrous Nightmare went to flee but was captured. Snotlout had witnessed it all but never spoke of it.
Now Hookfang and the other dragons played in the water below a high waterfall where the teens were jumping into the deep water. It looked like great fun and all the teens were laughing but Hiccup found himself unsure and stepping back onto the rocks and away from his cousin and Astrid. Astrid was watching the Fishlegs and Tuffnut below. Fishlegs had declined to jump and was splashing around with Meatlug instead. Astrid's gaze shifted when she heard Hiccup unconsciously kick a pebble.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked as she unwound her long fingers from the leg she had held to her chest and lowering it to the swiftly moving water.
Hiccup stopped, frozen in his tracks. "Ah…yeah. I'm just…" He ran his fingers through his hair and felt the sudden urge to pull it. "I don't know. I'm just…"
"Scared?" Ruffnut provided with a sneer of disgust. She rolled her eyes. "Some dragon conqueror."
"I'm not a dragon conqueror!" Hiccup objected. Everyone was calling him that and even though he had defeated the Red Death thanks to Toothless he didn't do it on his own.
"Sure you're not," the girl teased before leaping off the falls to join her brother below. She curled into a tight ball and made a big splash that sprayed dragons and soaked Tuffnut and Fishlegs.
Snotlout snickered at her words before turning to Hiccup. "So what is it? Are you scared?" he asked, trying to sound serenely concerned but failing miserably. "Hey, if you can free fall through the air with Toothless then you can do this."
"Yeah, that's the thing…I do it with Toothless. I've never jumped from this height into water," Hiccup tried to explain.
"He's right there." Snotlout waved toward Toothless playing with Stormfly and trying to catch fish. "Would you like me to call him so he can catch you like an iddy bitty baby?"
The younger boy's hands curled into fists. Even though they were getting along now Snotlout still had be a bully.
"Hiccup, you don't have to do it if you don't want to," Astrid said gently before glaring at Snotlout. "I'll go with back down…Hiccup!"
If there was one thing Hiccup never could stand it was being called a coward. He splashed to the edge of the waterfall and leapt off before he could think better of it. He could hear the twins down below cheer him on and it sent a rush nearly as powerful as plummeting through the air. The air rushed past him, whipping his air back and the feeling of freedom filled him just like it did when he jumped off Toothless's back and free fell hundreds of feet before he and Toothless lined up just right and shot back up in the air. This time he wasn't going to line up with Toothless. He was going to hit the water.
"Shit me he did it!" Snotlout cried, running to the edge of the falls to watch.
"If he gets hurt I'll kill you," Astrid warned. She watched, her breath held as Hiccup smartly kept his legs together and arms tightly at his sides before hitting that water. It took a few heartbeats before his head popped up to the surface but it seemed he struggling. "Damn it, Snotlout!" She looked around, quickly judging the distance before taking a few steps back to get a good run then she too leapt off the falls. She dove head first five feet to Hiccup's left.
"Whoa…easy there," Tuffnut said, catching Hiccup's right arm and holding him up. "You okay, you're struggling more than ever."
Hiccup was struggling and at first he didn't understand why. He was kicking like he always did but he felt heavier than he should and his left leg just didn't want to move the way it should. It hit him suddenly and he was almost happy when Fishlegs – who was normally a worse swimmer than him – swam over and took his other arm.
"Hiccup?" his friend asked.
Tears strung Hiccup's eyes as the realization washed over him. "I can't swim," he breathed, his voice shaky. He shook his head and went to pull away from his friends but stopped with a sigh.
Astrid swam up ready to take Hiccup from the two boys but Snotlout made a cannon ball and created a small tidal wave that rocked them all. When he popped up he was teasing or joking. He swam up to Hiccup, gave him a meaningful look then dove back under.
"Hey!" Hiccup yelled looking down into the water. He went under for a split second but the boys holding him pulled him back up and kept him that way. A moment later Snotlout was back up holding the prosthetic leg as if it was a trophy.
"See this? It's a problem when swimming. Say goodbye, one leg. This is staying on shore until we're done," Snotlout said as if talking to a small child.
Hiccup looked at his cousin as if he had just lost his mind. "Oh and exactly how am I supposed to swim?"
"With your arms, stupid. Remember how our dads always said to use or legs? Throw all that out and use your arms. I'll just put this somewhere safe."
And to Hiccup's and in fact all the kids' surprise Snotlout swam to some low rocks and placed the artificial leg there. No one understood why until they were ready to leave. Until then Hiccup struggled to relearn how to swim. He kept trying to kick as well as use his arms and to a point it worked. And while the others joked around no one really made fun of him like they used to and they all tried to help. It seemed the dragon trainer was now being trained by the very people he taunt how to train dragons. After a while even the dragons joined in and Toothless would dive under him and then pop up with Hiccup on his back. What started off as a scary experience turned into the one of the funniest Hiccup had ever had with the other teens. They stayed until late in the afternoon when hunger began to get the best of them and no one felt like hunting even though it was much easier now that they had dragons to help them.
Hiccup swam awkwardly to where his cousin put his prosthetic leg and pulled himself up onto the rocks. It took a little fiddling to get the contraption back on. Once it was he had to walk to the other side of the beach to gather his clothing – thankfully the twins didn't try hiding them like they used to – and quickly dress with the others. Fishlegs gushed over how quickly he learned to swim with just his arms while the twins slapped him on the back – in might be noted that Ruffnut actually slapped his butt and remind him she liked "crazy".
"I knew you could do it," Snotlout said, his chest puffed out in pride. "Not as good as me of course but you might be decent competition this Thawfest."
Hiccup brightened. He had lost every Thawfest competition since he was old enough to compete. "You think?"
"Nah. You'd need a leg up and only got one of those," his cousin teased before turning to Hookfang.
"Hardy ha…you're so hilarious, 'Lout. Maybe next Snoggletog you should ask Loki to add a personality to you list of gifts."
That didn't faze Snotlout in the least. "Uh huh, don't forget to ask Thor for a little muscle, noddle arms. There's actual axes thrown at Thawfeast not little sticks. Toothless can't do all the work for you."
"Are. There *are* actual axes," Hiccup corrected.
"Whatever," Snotlout said breezily as he mounted his dragon. "Later losers."
Astrid rolled her eyes as she walked over to Hiccup. "Don't pay attention to him. You did great. We should have thought about your leg before we suggested swimming, especially jumping off the cliff. None of us considered how heavy it must be." She rubbed her left elbow in a gesture Hiccup had learned she did when she was nervous or guilty of something.
"It's okay," Hiccup assured her. He smiled shyly only to receive a hip check from Ruffnut that made him stumble a little closer to Astrid. "Ruff!" he chastised but the female twin was already climbing onto Barf's neck while her brother did the same with Belch.
"You two behave!" was all Ruffnut said before she and Tuffnut took off.
"Yeah, I ought to go, too," Fishlegs said hurriedly.
Astrid rubbed her arm some more. Then she gave him a punch in the arm, smiled and darting toward Stormfly. "Race you to home!"
It was Hiccup's turn to rub him arm but in pain not nervousness. "What, no kiss? That's not fair, wounded Viking over here."
She laughed. "Kisses are only for special occasions. You better not be expecting them every time you stub your toe. You're cute but not that cute." She gave a smirk and then she and Stormfly were gone.
Hiccup scratched Toothless's head as he climbed onto his saddle. "I don't think I'll ever understand girls," he told the Nightfury. Toothless raised his head to rub his cheek against Hiccup's. "You don't get them either, do you, bud?"
*No, I don't, Little Freckle,* Toothless purred, not the Hiccup completely understood him. *At least she's not biting your flank.*
They flew back to the village but Astrid was nowhere to be found. Hiccup was tempted to search for her. It wouldn't be the first time they had played hide-n-seek but something deep inside Hiccup told him to check in on Old Wrinkly. It was technically his day off with no teachings or work other than his daily chores so normally he would let his grandfather be to do whatever it was old men did on their free time. It became a nagging feeling so Hiccup steered Toothless toward the little hut on the beach. On a day like this Old Wrinkly could usually be found outside smoking his pipe. On a particularly hot day like this he'd be resting his feet in a bucket of water under the canopy the townsfolk had created for him. He was nowhere in sight.
Hiccup was tempted to go back to the village and see if he was at the market. Surely he wouldn't be in the hut where it would be stifling hot. Still he had to check. Something felt wrong…horribly wrong.
"Hiccup?" called an old withered voice and for one brief moment Hiccup thought it was Old Wrinkly calling to him.
He looked back but his smile fell. It was only Mildew hobbling down the path to the beach, no doubt here to complain about something the dragons had done or to try and convince Old Wrinkly that Toothless was bad for Hiccup and the Hooligans in general, not that Old Wrinkly ever paid attention. How they were friends was beyond Hiccup. So, not bothering to answer Mildew – which was the farthest Hiccup's bad manners went – he pushed open the door to the hut and stepped inside.
Everything was as it should be in the hut, a clutter of books and maps and the usual brick-a-brack that was in disarray. It was never like this when Hiccup's grandmother was alive and his father always joked that the hut resembled Old Wrinkly's mind, cluttered yet scattered everywhere. Hiccup had tried on many occasions to clean it but Old Wrinkly had an ordering system that only he can maneuver.
"Grandpa?" he called as he carefully made his way through the maze. Toothless was stuck at the front of the building, unable to inch more than a few feet into the building. A muffled sound came from somewhere toward the back. It didn't sound right.
"Hiccup…stupid dragon. Out of my way!" snapped Mildew from the front of the house.
Hiccup stopped and turned back just in time to see Mildew squeeze past Toothless with that stupid sheep of his…Fergus…Fungus…whatever it was called. Toothless growled at the both of them. "Mildew, leave that thing outside. Toothless, stop growling at him. Something's wrong with Old Wrinkly."
"I could have told you that. He missed our chess game," Mildew grumbled, still carrying his sheep under one arm without a care of what Hiccup said or thought.
Ignoring him, Hiccup continued on until he reached his grandfather's bedroom. And there sprawled out on the floor lay Old Wrinkly, looked deathly pale and wheezing horribly. "Grandpa!" Hiccup cried in freight as he rushed to his grandfather. There was a crash in the front of the house and Mildew screamed but Hiccup didn't pay any of it any mind. He knelt on the floor and lifted his grandfather's head onto his lap. "Grandpa! Grandpa, please…please open your eyes."
He felt Toothless's large form push against him before the big black snout leaned forward to sniff at the withering old man in Hiccup's arms. Tears rolled down Hiccup's cheeks. It was unbearably hot in the hut, too hot for someone as old as Old Wrinkly, too hot for even Mildew who was wheezing behind Hiccup.
To Hiccup relief his grandfather slowly opened his eyes but they no longer held the same light they normally did. They were pale, frightfully pale.
"Hiccup," Old Wrinkly wheezed and it sounded like a dying breeze in late autumn. "I knew you'd come."
"I'm here, grandpa, I'm here," Hiccup assured, hugging him as tightly as he dared. "Toothless, go get my Dad. He'll know what to do."
"Yes, yes! Get that beast out of here!" Mildew urged, unable to get around Toothless this time and barely able to see over him to what was going on.
Old Wrinkly reached up to touch Toothless's snout. "Sh…Toothless is perfectly fine here." He ran his fingers up over his frills then over one eye lid until he was back to his nose. "Besides, there's nothing Stoick can do. I've already held on far longer than I should have."
"What are you talking about? Hang on to what?" Hiccup demanded, fear filling him.
His grandfather only smiled wistfully at him before weakly gesturing for Hiccup to come closer as if to tell him a great secret. Once Hiccup was close enough he placed his lips on the boy's cheek in one last kiss. "You are the chosen one, never doubt it." Then he glanced once more at Toothless. "Your mother would be so proud." And with that he closed his eyes never to open them again.
"Grandpa?" Hiccup asked, daring to hope. He placed his ear to Old Wrinkly's chest and listened quietly. "Grandpa? No…no, no, no, no, no… Please don't go…please!"
Mildew gently pushed him aside and listened for a heartbeat as well but there was nothing. No heartbeat, no breath, no movement of any type. Old Wrinkly had passed away in Hiccup's arms with a smile on his face.
Stoick arrived not long later, half dragged and half flown by Toothless who had rushed out of the hut the moment Old Wrinkly took his last breath. The chieftain had not been impressed with his son's dragon at first but find Hiccup curled around Old Wrinkly's body with the rare sight of Mildew trying to comfort him was enough to make him understand the dragon's actions. Everybody knew it was just a matter of time before each of the elders passed on but Old Wrinkly was like a rock to most. He was the second eldest of the tribe and his health was not the best so it was no surprise when he finally died at the ripe old age of ninety-four which was surprising old for a Viking.
Stoick got right down to business. He taught Hiccup how to care for a loved one's body then carried it out to the Great Hall for a celebration of his life. It was a great festive time but Hiccup couldn't bring himself to enjoy it so his father took him back to Old Wrinkly's hut to gather what would be needed to his burial. Hiccup had witnessed numerous burials during the war against the dragons but never anyone he loved. He was very young when his grandmother passed and only remembered the distant burning she her body on been on. Stoick managed to find Old Wrinkly's favorite sword and shield, his helmet and a few other personal things that the old man might want to take to Valhalla and placed them on the table but stopped when Hiccup picked up one an old book that his grandfather had always carried in his breast pocket.
"No this," Hiccup said holding it tight against his chest and looking as if he might put up a real fight if anyone dared put it on the ship with his grandfather's body.
"Hiccup, that's something your grandfather cherished above all else. He'd want it in Valhalla," Stoick tried to reason as he reached for it.
The boy took a step back. "Not this. He'd want me to have it. He told me himself."
Stoick sighed. This was not the time for an argument. "Hiccup."
Hiccup took another step back unfortunately it was into a wall. "It was Mom's. See?" He opened it up to show his father the pages filled with drawings. "He carried it around because it reminded him or her. He said I could have it if he…if he…" He couldn't stop the tears and silently begged him father to understand. "He said she was just like me."
He closed his eyes and clung to the book as his father came closer. He knew there was no way he could ever stop his father from taking it but he couldn't let it be destroyed either. He waited, expecting it to be taken but instead he was pulled away from the wall and into his father's arms.
"Aye, she was just like you, a little fireball of trouble," Stoick said with a little chuckle. "You can keep it and anything else you find that you want. Just don't turn our hut into…this." He gestured at the chaos all around them.
The funeral was the hardest part for Hiccup. His father dealt with most of it; placing the body on the ship as well as the items that will be travelling with him to Valhalla. Hiccup couldn't really make out the body; it was just a slim figure under a white sail. The entire village came out to pay their respects and give their blessings toward a swift and safe journey to Valhalla where they would one day all meet again.
A bow was gently placed in Hiccup's hands and it took a moment to realize what was next until his father knelt before him, getting down to his eye level to ensure he had his son's complete attention.
"Are you ready?" he asked and when Hiccup didn't answer he explained further. This was Hiccup first time truly participating in a funeral. "We're going to light the tips of the arrows and fire them at Old Wrinkly's ship. You need to aim for the pyre so that it lights and the body can burn."
"Why do we have to burn the body?" Hiccup asked feeling rather childish. It was a question he should have known the answer to yet his mind refused to provide it.
His father didn't reprimand him or talk down to him he just touched Hiccup's shoulder and tried to smile reassuringly but there were tears at the corners of his eyes showing how much he was hurting too. "So that we can release his soul and let him join with the other great warriors of the past."
"Oh," Hiccup answered dumbly.
Stoick only smiled and kissed his forehead as he stood. "We all die one day, Hiccup. And on that day we must we ready to let those we love go." He lit his arrow in a flaming cauldron then took aim.
Hiccup did the same and stood next to him. When his father gave the word the two of them fired at the ship, both with perfect aims. The moment they lowered their bows the rest of the tribe took aim and fired at the ship. It was ablaze in seconds and burnt brightly in the bay.
Stoick gave a speech after that but Hiccup only got pieces of it, his mind still not ready to accept his grandfather was gone. Few stayed to watch the ship burn. Most of the villagers wandered back to the Great Hall to continue celebrating Old Wrinkly's life. The Riders one by one approached Hiccup, some gave him hugs or a squeeze to the shoulder. Snotlout kept looking at the ground seeming unsure what to do or say.
"I shouldn't have taken us swimming," he mumbled when he reached Hiccup. "If we'd stayed in town you would have been there early this morning and he might still be here."
Hiccup would be lying if he didn't say he hadn't thought the same thing only he didn't blame Snotlout. He blamed himself for tagging along instead of helping out his grandfather like he usually did regardless of his lessons. "It's not your fault," he told his cousin, unable to meet his gaze.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"I don't know."
Snotlout nodded, unsure what else to say, and wandered off after the twins.
And then Hiccup found himself in Astrid's arms. He almost broke down right then and there because it was such a tight hug, a hug that promised comfort and to never let him go and all the things he wanted so bad for as long as he could remember yet never realized until right that moment. He wanted to stay like that forever but he knew he couldn't, he knew it just wasn't right, not yet. He pulled away from her, surprising them both, and tried to smile but he came out as more of a grimace.
He opened his mouth to speak, to try to explain but nothing came out. And then, to his surprise, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, right where his grandfather had kissed him hours earlier and it brought fresh tears to his eyes.
"This calls for a kiss," she said gently as she drew him in for another hug. "And as many hugs as you need until you fill better."
He held her back. "What if this pain never goes away?" he asked in all seriousness.
"Then I'm here to punch you and kiss it better as long as you need me to." It was intended as a joke but all she got was fresh sobs and him hugging her tighter.
"I'll take the kisses. Snotlout can have the punches," he warbled, his face pressed against her hair.
"No promises."
She stayed with him until the sobbing stopped and tried to coax him into joining the others at the Great Hall but Hiccup's heart wasn't into celebrating. He sat on the rocks and watched as the burning ship slowing sailed across the bay, his only companions being Toothless and his father who thought it unwise to leave Hiccup heartbroken and lost. They sat together until the ship burned to its last embers and sunk deep to the bottom of the sea and it, like Old Wrinkly were no more.
