Chapter 2
The Forge was known for its ancient stone walls and it's not-so-attractive customers who came and went. It was the only place far enough away from his school and home for Hiccup to feel comfortable and unprepared for once. The little garage turned workshop was the only place in Berk where you knew you could fix a car with only one door left.
Hiccup wiped the sweat from his forearm, soaked in motor oil, as he pulled away from the hood of the car. He huffed hotly, the garage door wide open and the old air conditioner leaking more water than cold air for months that he had repeated Gobber a thousand times to fix. Gobber Belcher, the best mechanic in town for generations, his father's best friend, was his godfather, more his uncle. He taked care of him since he could walk when his father was busy with his work or out of the country.
The boy grabbed a more stained than clean rag from the recessed wood countertops and wiped his hands absently looking at his work in classic turquoise. After spending more than half of his childhood growing up in that old workshop that smelled of metal and ash, Hiccup had ended up learning several things without remedy.
He wiped his forehead with the rag again, sighing. Jeez, why was it so hot in there? It was 24 degrees! 24 for Berk, the ice city.
Hiccup heared metal rattles and bangs accompanied by curses from upstairs. He looked at the ceiling with an amused smile and shook his head. He set the rag aside and peeled off his sweat, ash, and black oil T-shirt and picked up another clean red one, wiping it over his head as he approached the ascending wooden stairs. More loud pounding came closer and closer.
" 'iccup boy! Agh, damn stairs-!"
Hiccup rolled his eyes skyward with a customary smile.
"Here, Gobber"
He saw the squat, short figure clumsily coming down the stairs, understandable with her wooden leg that Hiccup'd told him to trade for a modern prosthetic a thousand times.
The blond who looked like something out of an '80s viking movie with his braided blond mustache and wry gray Berk team cap "The Berk Vikings" with big white lettering. Gobber finished his descent into the workshop with a loud, tired snort.
"Ah, there yo' are boy" he blurted out, his voice laden with accent making Hiccup smile.
"Here for four hours, Gobber"
The man swayed toward the car parked in the middle of the shop.
"You finished with the ol' thing?"
Hiccup followed him slowly with a noise of assent.
Gobber peeked through the still open engine hood. He looked at it analytically for a few seconds and finished with an approving nod.
"Good job, 'iccup" he smiled giving him a slap without measuring the force on the shoulder, Hiccup smiled at him rubbing his shoulder "You've a good hand for the classics, boy" he laughed taking off the hood support and closing it with a soft blow "I'll take care of return it this afternoon, you go with your giddy friends, take the rest of the day off "
Hiccup raised his eyebrows following him with his gaze "Are you sure? I can still stay for-"
Gobber stopped him by swinging his good hand sharply. "No no no, there is no more work today, go, enjoy your youth, boy!" he said nonchalantly practically kicking the boy out of the workshop, handing him his leather jacket.
The auburn smiled, taking his jacket and walking on his own foot through the garage door of the workshop.
"Okay, okay, I'm leaving!" he turned to him without stopping walking towards his black motorcycle parked in front of the workshop "If you don't want me here you can just say it" he joked.
Gobber laughed, his long mustache swaying with the motion "Very funny, boy. See you tomorrow"
The boy saw the man walk up the stairs again, forgetting to close the garage door, again. Hiccup shook his head and walked over to the garage, pressed the button next to the door, and walked back out into the street as the garage door slowly squeaked shut behind him.
Hiccup stood next to his motorbike, a matte black classic that his friends nicknamed "Night Fury" as a joke first, but that stuck with it, when he heard the horn of a car in front of him. He raised his head to the black car parked in front of him. Hiccup wrinkled his nose in annoyance.
"Crap..." he whispered to himself.
The tinted window of the passenger seat lowered with a smooth movement. The tall, bulky red-haired man at the wheel stared straight ahead. Hiccup sighed.
"Get in"
... ... ... ...
Astrid hated Mondays. Plus the first day of school.
And on top of it, it fell on damn Monday. But what twisted soul did come up with that?
The first day of class went fairly well, basically the same as last year and the previous one, and the previous one... She had to thank the twins for their jokes and crazy things because otherwise she would have already killed herself with boredom in the second hour.
She took the keys out of her worn brown coat, and unlocked the door. Stuck as usual, she had to give several shoves to get inside.
"Damn door..."
A blast of cold air greeted her. The messy little living room was even colder than outside the house. She rubbed her arms huffingly to try to warm herself up a bit as she walked into the kitchen dodging clothes she didn't recognize and empty cans.
"Moom" she called "I'm home"
There was no immediate response.
"Even though nobody cares..." she crooned to her under her breath as she opened the fridge. She sighed closing it when she found nothing.
Astrid turned and looked upstairs at the stairs across the room.
"Mom?" she called again.
She heard noises of sheets and springs from the rooms above as she walked towards the stairs.
Her mother get off the stairs in a translucent nightgown and a poorly tied robe.
Astrid leaned against the railing raising an eyebrow "Did you just get up?"
The disheveled brunnete woman rubbed one eye, finishing her lazy step down. Astrid couldn't recall seeing the woman in her early forties in formal wear and tamed hair.
"Yea"
Astrid frowned "Right now?"
Sigrid made a face walking to the kitchen "Yeah, what about that?"
"It's half past three!"
The woman turned to her, opening her eyes.
"You wake me up at three in the morning?"
Astrid gritted her teeth. "PM, mom!" she followed her briskly "But what the-what are you doing here? You were supposed to be at work!"
Sigrid sat on the kitchen island while she pulled a half-empty packet of cigarettes from her robe pocket.
"Ah, that. I've got kicked out"
"What?!"
The woman wrinkled her eyes in pain as she lit the cigarette "Jesus, girl, don't scream! I have a fucking headache of crap..."
Astrid caught her cigarette before she could raise it to her mouth and stubbed it out against the counter. "Well, you're not the only one. Shit, mom. You started that job just a week ago!" she scolded her leaning forward on the island "What the hell did you do?"
The woman was silent for a few seconds, Astrid could only hear her breathe out and the broken noise of the refrigerator.
Sigrid looked at the unlit cigarette before frowning at her daughter "That's none of your goddamn business, girl" she got up from the stool with a squeak "Next time don't wake me up" she growled.
Astrid heard her come out of the kitchen and go back up to her room.
She snorted trying not to scream helplessly as she pinched the bridge of her nose trying to control herself.
Astrid raised her head to the empty fridge.
"Shit..."
She hated Mondays.
... ... ...
The smooth noise of the engine filled the atmosphere of tense silence inside the spacious car. Hiccup settled himself on the comfortable leather seat crossing his arms without taking his serious gaze from the window.
He finally sighed defeated.
"Soo...?" He started out trying to finish fast.
The graying red-haired man made no sign of having heard him.
"I'm going to Berserk for a while"
Hiccup turned his head towards him.
"Berserk?"
The man nodded. Berserk, the neighboring town of Berk, was known for its many incidents and problems with the government for years when its last president was murdered.
"There has started to be more and more riots and a struggle for power in the goberment. Again" he reported in a neutral voice as if he was briefing a platoon "They need me there to help control the situation"
The boy looked at his father for a few seconds before looking away. He supposed you had to be used to these impromptu trips when your father was the Chief of Berk's army, the great Stoick the Vast, as he was known around the city.
A few seconds of awkward silence slipped between them. Hiccup glanced at him when they stopped at a stoplight.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tonight. After leaving you home I'm aheading to the airport"
Hiccup nodded without really supporting it.
"Why did you pick me up anyway?" he looked him "I could have gone back by myself, now I'll have to go back for the bike"
Stoick looked at him for the first time on their way, not quite turning his head. "Can't I say goodbye to my only son?"
The auburn bit back his sarcastic laugh as the traffic light turned green again and the car started.
"Sure" he said finally trying not to sound cynical.
The car began to move away from the lights of the city towards the highest part of Berk.
"I'm taking you home to pick up your things tonight. Tomorrow you'll be back to Gobber's, you'll stay there while I'm gone"
Hiccup turned sharply.
"What?" he snapped "Dad, I can take care of myself! I don't have to stay with Gobber-"
"I'm not going to leave you home alone that long Hiccup" he interrupted him, his deep, imposing voice overlapping his own voice.
Hiccup raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You're only leaving for a few days, I can stand alone dad, I've done it before"
"I'm not leaving for just a few days, Hiccup" he said at the end with a colder voice.
Now he was confused.
"I don't know when I'm going to come back"
Hiccup opened his eyes trying not to show his surprise to his father. He was used to not showing many emotions in front of him anyway.
They sneaked into his neighborhood full of big white lighted houses with perfect gardens and "perfect people" Hiccup thought absently that he didn't like his shitty false neighborhood before speaking.
"Are things that bad at Berserk?" he asked in a serious voice looking ahead.
His father only gave a nod, moving his long, coarse red beard.
Hiccup felt the car stop and without realizing it they were already in front of his house, a huge modern house too fancy and empty. He looked at the dark house before he heard his father turn off the engine.
"Well" the man began clearly not knowing what to say "No parties, no crappy decisions, no police stations, no drink, and I don't even want to hear from your derailed little gang around here. Alright?"
Hiccup frowned and rolled his eyes. He got out of the car and slammed the door before his father could say anything else. He strode toward the white oak door, his hand in his pocket already searching for the keys.
"Hiccup"
The boy stopped and turned inquisitively unable to hide his annoyance from him and looked at his father.
"Take care"
And before he knew it the black car started up again and drove down the same road until it disappeared down the street.
He gritted his teeth. "Take care?" But what was he, an acquaintance whom he hadn't seen for six years and who he just met on the street?
Hiccup growled loudly and stood in front of the door. He went to get the keys, but-
"Shit"
He left the keys and backpack at The Forge.
"Shit!"
Yeah, he hated Mondays.