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I do not own the story of How to train your dragons or any of the original characters. Any names matching public or historical figures are strictly coincidental. The story is rated M because of language and adult situations. Anyone below the age of 17 should probably not read this story.
Chapter 1 The Beginning
This story is a version of the original HTTYD and Brave but using the original stories as an outline. I have never liked Stoic or Valka's characters so you will see some differences there. I don't own HTTYD or any of its characters. This is strictly for fun. My degree is in business so please don't expect perfection in my writing skills. In addition, being new at this, there may be some rough areas connecting the storyline together. I hope you have fun reading it.
Prologue
A very old woman is walking a boy of about six towards a large ornate mausoleum. The two are finely dressed. The woman walks with a slight limp using a cane, is slow and a little hunched over. Her long hair is white and there is a simple golden crown on her head. The little boy is skinny with red hair and a ruddy complection. He too wears a small golden crown. He holds his grandmothers hand tightly. They are surrounded by six guards who are dressed in leather armor and kilts of a blue color. The soldiers stopped at the entrance. Two mausoleum guards open two tall doors. The old lady and the boy enter the huge open building. The boy with big open eyes looked around. The room was antiseptically clean and the
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walls ceiling painted bright white. Along the walls were life size statues of men and women with different types of armor holding different types of weapons. In order all around were stone sarcophagus with lifelike stone carved statues who appeared to be sleeping representing the individuals inside:
Boy: "Nana at is this place?"
Old woman: "This is the house of the honored dead"
Boy with terror filled eyes: "DEAD! Like in dead people Nana?"
Old woman smiling: "Yes my precious one, fear no, the individuals resting eer in life would love ye and protect ye."
Boy: "Are ere ghosts in eer?"
Old woman: "No, though sometimes Ah can feel their spirits as ah remember em"
Boy: "Ye come here often Nana?"
Old woman: "Aye, ah come eer for solace, for comfort and ta remind meself ere ah come from."
The two walk and at each important sarcophagus, they stop and the woman explained their importance. You see, the woman is Empress Annalee Zephyr Delaney, leader of the Viking, Scottish and Germanic people. The boy, Prince Fergus Dunbroch Delaney, first in line for the crown since the death of his father Prince Consort Ian William Delaney who died in the last war three months before young Fergus was born.
Fergus: "Nana, ere only royals buried in eer?"
Empress Zephyr: "No. Many eer ha done great things at benefited the kingdom so much, ey ere brought eer so people can come ta see an understand their acts an lineage."
Fergus: "How come we ere the only ans ere?"
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"Cause ah am the empress and ye ere first heir. Its a sign o respect our people ave fer us. said the Empress.
They passed the tombs of King Fergus of Dunbroch.
Empress: "Ats who yer named after. King Fergus the Bear King of Clan Dunbroch. Next ta im is Queen Elenor first o her name, queen mother, also o clan Dunbroch. Queen Elenore was queen mother ta the first chosen ahns."
"She was?" asked the young prince.
Aye, an she was a grand lady. She as brave an wise. She risked er life fer the chosen ahns many times. She loved em all fiercely till the day she died at 115 years old!"
They walked some more an stopped at another sarcophagus.
"Who is this Nana?" the little boy asked.
Zephyr: "Ats me husband, and yer grandfather. Prince Consort Bolton Angus the brave of clan Berk". A tear ran down her face, "E was a bonnie lad. Full of vigor an patience. Made me laugh too en ah didno want ta."
Fergus: "At happened ta him?" asked the boy.
"No ahn knows. E took off on is dragon Lancer on a diplomatic mission to the eastern ahns an E an all is party ere never seen agin", answered the old monarch.
Then they came to the center of the building. There surrounded by a great sleeping marble dragon were five sarcophagus'. The Empress walked up to the center sarcophagus. She let go of the boys hand and slowly got down on her knees. With tears streaming down her face closed her eyes and with the cross that was always around her neck in her hands began to pray. Confused, the boy knelt down too and closed his eyes too. After a while the old lady stood up bringing her grandson with her. Fergus: "Who ere these people Nana?" The ancient queen just put a finger to her lips.
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Zephry: "Father, Mother Merida, Mother Astrid, may I present my grandson and first heir to the throne of the nations, Fergus Dunbroch of the clan Delaney. E is the son of Princess Astra Haddock and Prince Consort Thomas MacGuffin. E is a good boy, a sweet boy, with the strength of a bear and the heart of a dragon. Ah bring im to ye as me mother did afore me ta introduce ye to the boy who, if E passes is trials will follow in yer footsteps. Ah miss all of ye. Ah ave done me best ta fulfill yer vision. Ah wait impatiently ta join ye."
With that the ancient one turned to the sarcophagus to the right.
NANA: E's got yer red hair and yer temper". She kissed the marble cheek of the long dead monarch.
She then walked to the left sarcophagus.
Op"Aunt Astrid the boy as yer love of adventure and steadfastness of will"
Zephyr then kissed the cheek of the stone figure with braided hair.
On each side of the graves were two more graves with two very fierce looking warriors. The one one the left with her long braided hair down over her right shoulder, crouched, teeth clenched, eyes challenging all comers, holding two battle axes the old lady bowed her head in prayer then she looked at the face an said, "Sister Ylva may my grandson grow ta have yer loyalty and dedication. Ah thank ye fer yer service to the King. I hope ye made it ta yer Valhalla." Then the empress walked to the figure on the right with eyes just as angry, a glare just as fierce, holdin g a shield on her left arm and holding a sword in her right hand she said another prayer the uttered the words "Sister Elisa, may Fergus be as fierce and fearless in battle as you are. Help him to face the challenges as you did. Ah look forward ta seeing ye in Heaven. May God bless ye and me grandson as well."
She then walked to the side of the center sarcophagus. She lowered herself to hug the stone figure saying: "Pappa, this is yer Anna. Ah have brought Fergus with me ta honor ye." Tears now flowed freely from her old eyes. "The kingdom is still at peace as ye left it. The laws ye and Nama M established still hold ta this day. Men speak of ye in awe. Those who date ta
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slander ye memory ere struck down. Ah miss yer smile and yer stories. Ah miss sittin in yer lap and cuddlin. No one ever replaced ye in me heart, no even me sweet Bolton. Ye left yer mark on all of us. Toothless still protects ye. Yara and Elisa ere still on guard. Nana Mer and Nana Ast still sleep aside ye. Mah time will come soon and ah look forward to at day. Ah am yer last grandsire alive. They ere all there an ah will be too. Ah hope God lets me see again but ye will always live in me heart. Goodbye fer now Poppa."
Empress Annalee Zephyr the kissed the figure, stood dried her tears and holding her grandsons hand walked out of the quiet mausoleum without a word. Later, in the gilded carriage drawn by six great Clysdales, Prince Fergus broke the silence, Fergus: "Nana ere ye alright?" The old lady sits the boy in her lap. "Aye Ferggy, Nanna is ok. Ah love ta visit but its always hard. They were sech wonderful loving people and ah miss them. Coming ere brings back memories."
The boy looks at his grandmothers wrinkled face and asked, "Who ere those people Nana?" Zephyr: "They ere Ylva Hofferson, Elisa Hastings, Astrid Hofferson Haddock, Merida Dunbroch Haddock and Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third".
"THE CHOSEN ONES!" exclaimed the little lad. Zephyr chuckled: "Aye at the ere. But they ere more an at. They ere yer great Nana, yer great Aunt and yer great Poppa."
Fergus: "Really! Yew knew em?"
Empress Annalee Zephyr: "Aye, Ah did know an love em. Let me tell ya a story……..
Chapter 1
This is a story about a boy named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. A boy who would grow into a man, a great man. He would not achieve greatness easily. He would be abused, persecuted, ridiculed, feared, and finally loved.
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Hiccup Haddock was born on the island of Berk in the Barbaric Archipelago. It is a northern island where it snows nine months of the year and hails the other three. They survive by their fingernails. They live by fishing, raising yaks and sheep. Because of the small amount of level land, they grow just enough hay and grain to keep themselves and the livestock alive.
Many die of starvation during the long winters. Children born in the winter rarely survive. Weak or defective babies were often times taken and left in the forest for the animals or the snow to ensure the strength of their tribe. To compound the problem is the constant attacks by dragons which steal their livestock, burn their homes and mame and kill their people.
The people are referred to as Vikings. In the world south of the Archipelago they are feared warriors and raiders. They are a large people averaging 6 to 7 feet in height and weigh sometimes 300 pounds. They are muscular and aggressive by nature. They will fight at the drop of a hat and they are usually the ones who drop it.
Hiccup's father Stoic was over seven feet tall and weighed over 300 pounds. He was the son of Stoic the Vast and Valka Haddock. Stoic was a fierce fighter on the battlefield. He used a large war hammer in battle or during dragon raids which were usually at night.
Born two months early and in the middle of winter Hiccup was behind the eight ball. Though advised by a Viking named Mulch to leave the child in the snow, Valka was able to convince Stoic not to. Also Stoics gather Harold the Bold, insisted on giving his grandson a chance.
Stoic loved his wife but she had strange ideas. One idea was bathing everyday, washing utensils, plates and cooking pots were washed in boiling water. She had him build a bath tub inside the house that could be heated inside. She held meetings with the other wives. Sometimes his father the Chief got complaints from husbands.
Stoic and Valka were brought together via an arranged marriage. She was from the Berserker tribe. She was the youngest daughter of Chief _. She was tall and skinny with brilliant green eyes, auburn hair and
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a quick wit. She would challenge any man who dared cross her. Unlike all Berserkers, Valka Haddock was not confrontational. She didnt start or ho looking for a fight. She would try to compromise and negotiate rather than instead.
Her worst weird idealism was that she didn't hate dragons. As a matter of fact, She was quite verbal in her opinion that dragons were not just blood thirsty killing machines.
Being the son of the Chief and heir to the Chief position, Stoic could not tolerate any dragon. Especially with the raids getting worse after three hundred years of war. Valks also believed that through diplomacy, the tribes could put their differences behind them and live in peace. Stoic believed in bullying an oponent until they were dead or capitulated.
Chief Harold liked Valks ideas and brought her to the "thing" which was a meeting of the Chiefs once a year to discuss Viking law, trade and mutual aid and assistance. Valka turned heads with her beauty and her mind. Harold respected her and included her to be with him and the council when they met with the other Chiefs. She was closer to Harold than to Stoic. Stoic was sometimes jealous of his father's relationship with his wife.
Hiccup Horrendous the III. Hiccups name was traditional but he had been born in the winter, two months early, tiny and sickly. It had taken all the young couples energy and strength to keep the baby alive. Though small, Hiccup was a fighter and survived with the help of his mothers strengh and the help of the village. He had his mother's face, eyes, and personality. The only thing he seemed to have inherited from Stoic was his hair and his temper.
Stoic was heartbroken and clueless as to how to raise a child after Valka died. Thank the gods Hiccup had been weaned early due to Valka's inability to nurse him longer. She was gone, his Valka was gone. He had hoped she would return on her own but she hadn't. Though he had never understood her, he adored her and mow she was gone.
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After Valka left Stoic had sent ships to the other tribes looking for her. He seemed to be one step behind her every time. Then, right before Hiccups' fourth birthday news of Valka came. It was the worst news possible. A messenger from the Murderous tribe reported that during a dragon raid, Valka had tried to talk and stop a huge four-winged owl-faced dragon but in the end, the dragon grabbed her in its talons and carried her off. She was just one of thirty that had died or been carried off that day.
Stoic was devastated at the news. He did not leave his home or speak to anyone for two weeks and when he came out he was a changed man. He was no longer smiling jovial man always there with a good joke or advice, no more the easy-going, quick to forgive the man who had been such a caring kind chieftain. Now he was cold, spoke only when necessary and broached
no patience for failure or disobedience.
During a visit, a man from the Berserker tribe had gotten a little too drunk and had kissed a Berk man's wife uninvited. Before even the woman's husband could stand, Stoic had grabbed the man then had beaten him so badly it took months for the man to heal and then Stoic had insisted the man be given over to the Outcasts tribe. That was an example of the new
reality in Berk.
Stoic became distant to his best friend Gobber, the village blacksmith, he ignored his brother Spitelout and became resentful of his own son because he looked like Valka. He went so far as to hand the boy over to Gobbers wife
Helga to rear.
No amount of talking would get Stoic to pay any attention to Hiccup. Hiccup, of course, didn't understand. Helga and Gobber even brought the boy to their home so he could have some sort of normalcy in his life.
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For the most part, Hiccup was a good kid. He was very bright, he loved being at the forge with Gobber and home with Helga. Helga taught him things his mother would have, even potty training. Hiccup was still tiny compared to the children his age. He was also smarter and had a sharp
cynical sense of humor.
There were only a few kids Hiccup could associate with around his age. There was Astrid Hofferson, a strong cute blonde girl from a family of warriors. She excelled at everything it took to become a warrior but less so at domestic chores. Next came the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, children of Loki always in some sort of mischief. The came Fishlegs Ingerman. He was a huge boy who had weighed nearly twelve pounds when he was born (little Hiccup had barely weighed four). He too was very bright like Hiccup. Next came Heather and Nora Swenson, both pretty, bright and energetic girls. Lastly was Snotlout Jorgenson. He was short but very muscular, not very bright and was a bit of a bully. Hiccup was a year older than all of them but was also the smallest and weakest.
They all started school at five years learning the basics of writing and numbers along with survival skills. Weapons training and defense were also taught. All adults were expected to teach and took turns doing so.
As expected, the Hofferson girl was the best at anything that dealt with weapons and defense. A close second was Snotlout who was naturally aggressive. Heather turned out to be the best archer and Nora was the best at the short sword. Fishlegs didn't like weapons training but with a shield and broadsword, no one, not even Astrid with her trusty double-headed axe could get near him.
Poor Hiccup was so small and weak that he couldn't raise any of the blades and didn't have enough strength to pull back a longbow. The boy was also left handed but no one understood the significance of this at the time, not even Hiccup.
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He became the target of all the other children's verbal and physical abuse. He was teased remorselessly, physically abused daily and avoided during any exercise, playtimes or lunch. Like any other bullied child, he withdrew into himself, rarely speaking unless forced to do so. He was not a coward and never cried while he was beaten up.
Hiccup did have talents though. He had a quick mind and an almost eidetic memory. He rarely had to hear or read lessons more than once to be able to give correct answers. He was curious to a fault and in class. The other kids would get angry because he too often asked the most questions and gave the most correct answers to questions.
Hiccup was also artistic. Though sometimes crude, Hiccup could draw things and people around him with great accuracy and detail. He learned to read and write by the time he was 2 and a half thanks to Helga, the wife of Gobber the Belch. The boy also loved to read and write. He kept a journal starting when he was six.
These talents and traits were ignored by his father and most of the villagers because they weren't Viking enough. He was inventive, constantly taking things apart to see how they worked. He tried to make items that would improve weapons or life in Berk. His inventions almost always failed. A few of his inventions had caused damage to the village ended up hurting him.
Stoic out of embarrassment tended to ignore Hiccup. It was easy to do too because as Chief he worked sometimes long into the night and was to mentally exhausted to deal with the little boy once he got home. That all ended the day Helga Duterson was killed and his best friend Gobber was badly wounded.
Hiccup cried when he was forced to leave Gobber and Helga's house, (he was almost five). His father berated him for it, "your a Chief's son for god's
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sake, quit your blubbering and man up. Viking men do not cry! You are so much like your mother. Get up, go up to the loft, get in your bed and get out
of my sight!"
Hiccup feared and resented his father. On the rare occasions Stoic tried to train or speak with the boy, Hiccup would stay silent and ignore the chief. This of course enraged Stoic and usually resulted in some sort of physical
punishment.
Things only got worse for Hiccup. Early in the morning, just two weeks before his fourth birthday there was another dragon raid. Hiccup was playing just outside of Gobbers house with Astrid and Fishlegs. Then the warning horn sounded three times to identify the threat as incoming dragons,
Astrid and Fishlegs ran for cover like they had been taught by their fathers. Hiccup didn't have the luxury of a father who was loving , and
attentive so when the dragons attacked he froze. A Deadly Nadder had landed and was walking towards the little boy when Helga burst out of her door screaming at the dragon as she headed towards Hiccup still frozen standing in the middle of the village's main path. Unfortunately, Helga had surprised and startled the Nadder which immediately shot poisonous spikes from its tail before it flew off. Helga was struck by three.
Nadder poison is fast-acting and Helga immediately collapsed to the ground in front of the little boy. Hiccup sat down picked up Helga's head and was cradling it in his tiny little lap crying,"I'm sorry momma, please don't die, please don't die! I'll be a good boy I promise!", he cried.
Helga reached up and weakly put a hand on Hiccups' cheek, "you are always a good boy my sweet love. Be brave and I will be waiting for you in Valhalla".
With that her hand dropped, her eyes glazed over, a smile still on her face. Hiccup rocked her crying inconsolably while the raid continued on. Finally, rough hands grabbed him and pulled him away from the dead woman.
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The next evening a large funeral pyre was erected for the fourteen souls who had died. Hiccup hysterically cried when the pyre was lit. He screamed and cried so loud Stoic slapped him hard to the ground shouting, "She died saving you, you useless runt of a child! I'm ashamed of you and so would she be!"
Hiccup went dead quiet. Even those families grieving were taken aback by the scene before them. Tiny Hiccup raised himself off the ground and looked his father straight in the eyes. He wiped the blood from his mouth and nose and with his small squeaky voice shouted, "I hate you, I hate you, I hope you die in your sleep!"
Enraged Stoic went to grab the child but his brother-in-law Spitelout and three other men stopped him as Hiccup ran into the forest. Hiccup hid in the woods and stayed thete until the next day. The search party found him clinging to life in a small cave on a cliff overlooking the bay. Besides nearly dying the village learned a new insult to the boy and their cruel chief, "Hiccup the Useless".