Thanks for reading! I'm gonna try and keep these author notes shorter from now on! Also, I reread the last chapter, and I cringed. I'm probably going to change it up at some point. I'm gonna be changing the summary pretty soon, because I came up with an actual plot other than just following the movie. Ciao!
JustADerangedFanGirl- thank you so very much for reading and reviewing, and yes I will continue this!
pandamaster97720- thank you for the review! And as for how Asher and Hiccup are as parents, how Toothless is gonna work in their relationship, and if both Toothless and Asher are overprotective, well, you're just gonna have to wait and see ;)
atomicsub927- thank you for the advice! I'll definitely remember it and put it in practice for the next few chapters! The scenes in this one are kinda short though...
littlejimmy.gs- I wouldn't be be able to tell you when Toothless comes in, or that would be a spoiler hehe
Guest- thanks!
CajunBear73- oh you'll see ;) btw, love your name!
marine1324- love the suggestion! I'll try and write them in, they might make my story more interesting
~
Stoick looked in the darkening horizon. His calculations about getting home around midmorning were wrong. Way wrong.
The sea sprayed him in the face, coating his skin and beard, along with everyone else who was currently in the ship. The winds would pick up, then quickly die down, making it hard for them to journey back to Berk. They needed to get back quicker though, as the injured wouldn't make it a lot longer without the proper medical attention. They needed a healer, and most importantly Gothi.
Although the spirits we're low on the ship, hope was high as the men and women aboard were thrilled to finally see their family, after a long few weeks. Stoick probably the most thrilled. He was excited to see his daughter's progress in the ring. To see if she learned to swing an axe or a sword, to see if she learned to lift and wield a hammer, to see if she learned to throw a bola. He wanted to know if she was any good at dragon fighting.
She was always like her mother, strong in her own way, but fighting...
Neither Hiccup nor Valka had the guts for that. Putting her in training was a risky decision. She was tiny, maybe only about 5'1 or 5'2. Shorter than all the other teenage girls on the island. Both she and her mother were gentle, but for Valka, it was wanted, and for Hiccup, it was a curse. Stoick knew that Hiccup wanted to fight, to become a strong warrior and dragon killing machine. She just wasn't given enough of other villagers' time. Instead, she was put in wifely training and expected to be a good bride for her husband.
He remembered how she was upset at first, that she'd rather spend her time training with the other kids her age, hell, even Ruffnut got to train with the other kids. But Hiccup was different. Hiccup would be the next leader of the tribe, she'd represent the entirety of the village. Every action she did would reflect on them, especially Stoick himself and Asher.
Hiccup got used to the fact that she had to learn to sew and cook before learning how to defend herself. Stoick did see that it put a strain on her relationship with the village though. Everyone expected her to be strong and a good wife and Chieftress, but Stoick neglected the strong part.
He was pulled out of his thoughts though when members of the crew warned him about the sun finally setting. Nigh time was the most dangerous time to be out on the sea. The waves would rock the ship, sending gallons of seawater spilling onto the deck. Scauldrons mostly came out at this time, so they would have to find a way to either to avoid them or defend themselves against the tidal dragon.
Night has come. They needed to get home quickly. The problem wasn't that it was far, they had cut the distance remarkably and we're only about 30 minutes away. The problem was the damn winds. They would need to row the boat. It was a lot harder because everyone aboard was either physically and mentally tired, or injured. But they had to do what they had to do.
"Buckle up everyone. The wind isn't picking up, and the waves are starting to get higher. We're going to have to row." He was met with groans all around, but his orders were obeyed as everyone grabbed a wooden oar, put it in the water, and turned the water white.
They were getting closer and closer. Stoick could see the lights of the village. He even heard loud music, so they must be having a feast of some sort. He would figure it all out later when they would dock at the port.
The sail back was going along smoothly until it started to rain, soft at first, then harder. It didn't seem bad at all, they would make it to shore any second. But then it hailed. "Everyone below deck! We have a hailstorm!"
Great. Now it's going to take even longer to get home.
They waited out the storm, which surprisingly didn't last a while. They finally docked, and Stoick sighed and started helping people of the ships. They were finally home.
A Viking, one of the village bakers, came up to Stoick, looked at the lone ship, where everyone had to squish together. Fortunately, there were no casualties like last time. But everyone was super crank about having to share a small space for days. "Where are the other ships?"
Spitelout, his brother in law walked off the ship and onto the solid land, visibly relieved. "You don't want to know."
Stoick finally noticed Gobber standing there, but walked past him. He stared at the trashed ship. "Well, I trust you found the nest at least?"
"Not even close." Stock sighed.
"Ah. Excellent." Stoick walked up the ramp, with Gobber following close behind. He snags one of his bags with his hooked appendage.
"I hope you had a little more success than me."
"Well, if by success, you mean that your parenting troubles are over with, then...yes." Stoick stopped. He didn't understand what he meant by that, and he was going to ask him, but a group of villagers rushed past and exclaimed their excitement.
"Congratulations Stoick! Everyone is so relieved."
"Excited for a new addition, eh?"
"No one will miss that old nuisance!"
"The village is already celebrating." Ahh, so that's what the music and lights we're about.
Stoick was stunned and overwhelmed by the insensitivity. Hiccup may not have been well liked but in a free year's time, she would be ruling the Island. He turns to look at Gobber. "She's... gone?" He said almost fearfully.
"Yeah... most afternoons when she isn't feeling sick, but who can blame her. I'd be out as often as I could if I was in her- uh- situation."
This confuses Stoick even more. "Hiccup? Situation? What?"
"Who would've thought. She has this... way with the beasts." Gobber said. "Oh, and her situation is..."
He didn't get to finish the sentence, however. The Chief was long gone.
Gobber just shook his head. For such a large man he moved quickly and quietly.
~
Hiccup was excited. Everything they knew about dragons was wrong.
They were intelligent, soulful creatures. She just wishes she could share this with the others.
She should probably be more careful though, Asher thinks she's acting weird, well, weirder. But she got to visit her secret, AKA Toothless, since Asher was not home. Instead, he was out at the celebration. They announced that they were expecting, and the village decided to throw a party to celebrate. She told him she wasn't feeling good, but instead snuck out with a basket of fish and headed down to the cove.
It was unfortunate that dragons are fish though, because her intolerance to the sight and smell of it still made her throw up.
~
Hiccup was in the blacksmiths stall, lost in a deep thought. Her head was in her hands, and in front of her laid a desk full of drawings of Toothless. Sketches of his anatomy, and tail designs. Even an odd saddle design or two. It was a rather cool night. A sign that winter was coming, and she decided to start the fire to keep her warmer.
She was interrupted by a big mass in the doorway though. She recognized it as her father, and jumped to cover up her desk as fast as she could.
"Dad! You're back!" She said nervously. She skirted around the bench, trying to block her father's view of all the drawings laid on her desk. "Gobber's not here, so..."
She tried to strike a casual pose, but it ended up looking awkward as she tried to cover up her stuff even more. Thankfully Stoick didn't notice this at all.
Not like he notices anything she did anyway.
"I know. I came looking for you."
"You did!" Hiccup was taken aback. He had never, ever, came looking for her. This was a definite first.
Stoick gave her a stern look. "You've been keeping secrets."
Uh oh
Hiccups' legs felt like jelly, and they gave out from under her. Her blood felt incredibly hot, and her mind raced so incredibly fast that even she couldn't keep up with it. Her heart pounded ferociously against her ribcage, and her stomach started to hurt. She felt like she was gonna throw up. Everything that was on the table slid down with her.
Again, Stoick paid no attention at all.
"I have?" She said dumbly.
"How long did you think you could hide it from me?" Stoicks eyes bore into his daughter. Her whole body felt like it was lit on fire.
"I don't know what you're-"
"Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it. So. Let's talk about that dragon." As soon as he said this all the blood drained from Hiccups' face. This was it. She was going to be killed.
She wanted to try and save herself though. Maybe the punishment would be lessened because she was the Chief's daughter. "Oh, gods, Dad I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you, I just didn't know how to-"
She was cut off by her father's big booming laughter. She just stared at him, baffled. Why is he laughing? She committed treason, should he be lopping off her head? "You're not upset?"
"What!? I was hoping for this!"
"You were?" Hiccup began to feel hopeful.
"And believe me! It only gets better! Just wait till you spill a Nadder's guts for the first time." Whelp. There goes her hope.
"And mount your first Gronkle head on a spear. What a feeling!" Stoick smacks Hiccup on her shoulder, sending her into the wall.
"You really had me going there, daughter. All those years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen! Odin, it was rough. I almost have up on you!" Hiccup grimaces and steps back up, basking in the irony of the situation. "And all the while, you were holding out on me! Thor almighty!"
Stoick grabbed a small stool and sat down on it, his gigantic body barely fit in it, and his mass made the already tiny room seem claustrophobic. He was relieved in a way though, as it was evident in the way he spoke to Hiccup. "Ahhh, with you on your way to becoming a dragon killer, I feel like we have something to talk about."
An awakes silence permeated the room. Hiccup averted her eyes nervously, Stoick adjusted his seat and awkwardly cleared his throat. The silence continued until he finally broke it. "Oh, I brought you something."
In his hands was a horned helmet, "To keep you safe when you're in the ring."
But she wasn't in the ring anymore. Hiccup accepted the gift, and turned it to look it over. "Thanks, but... uh... I'm not in the ring anymore dad."
Stoick immediately took an angry face. "What do you mean you're not in the ring anymore, we had a deal!"
"Dad, let me explain, I-"
"I specifically told Gobber-"
"This conversation feels very one-sided-"
"And he assured me you would be safe-"
"Dad! Listen to me!" She yelled. Oh, my gods. That's was the first time she ever yelled at her father, and boy did it feel good.
"Okay. I'm listening." His face was still stuck in that look. The one that made her feel like her father hated her, but she had to be confident and tell him.
"I'm pregnant." His face immediately relaxed.
"Oh. Yeah, that would do it." Stoick stood up. "One day, when you return to the ring you will wear the helmet. It was your mother and she would've wanted you to have it. It's half of her breastplate. Keeps her close." He tapped his own helmet and smiled.
Stoick beamed with pride. "One day you will wear it proudly. You deserve it. You will eventually hold up your end of the deal."
Hiccup squirmed a bit, and finally forced a yawn. "I should go to bed, I'm really tired."
"Yes, good, okay, good talk-"
"Yeah, yeah I'll see you later, thanks for stopping by and the... the breast hat."
"Yeah, the hat. Well uh, good night." Stoick left the room awkwardly, and for some odd reason, Hiccup felt more burdened than she did before.
~
Hiccup woke up to the sound of the front door opening and feet running up the stairs. So she opened her eyes just in time for Asher to open the door and barge in their room. He dropped his axe and came up to her, excited. He grabbed her shoulders and gave Hiccup a big hug.
"Is everything okay? You're acting kind of weird." She said groggily, rubbing her eyes to try and get the tired out.
"Oh, my god's Hiccup. I get to kill the Monstrous Nightmare tomorrow!" His smile ran from ear to ear, and she could see his teeth flash in the afternoon light. One of Asher's best qualities was definitely his smile. She loved the ways his eyes crinkled, and how his nose scrunched up, how his cheeks went higher than they normally are. But she wasn't as excited to hear the news about his victory in the ring.
While Asher pranced around the room, Hiccup finally got up to make their bed. "Oh, I'm so happy for you." She said with false happiness, trying to give her best fake smile.
Since they were married, she would have to be present to watch him slay the Nightmare. It was expected of her, but ever since meeting Toothless and bonding with him, she couldn't stand to see the mistreatment of dragons. Asher didn't know that of course, and she didn't expect that he and dragons would be buddy-buddy. They were raised to believe the creatures we're bad.
"Thank you." And it seemed impossible, but his smile got even wider. "The gang wanted to go celebrate in the woods and stuff. Ya know, like a bonfire later tonight. Did you wanna come?"
"Um... you guys go without me. I'll join you guys for dinner though."
Asher just shrugged and glanced at Hiccup. "Alright, sounds like a plan"
Oh, gods. She needed a plan, and needed it quick.
~
This was shorter than the last chapter, but the next will be longer. I kinda got grounded so I decided to publish what I had, even if it was unedited. Sorry guys. Don't forget to review
-ILI
Edit- 4/29/20 grammar and spelling