Stepping Forward
Chapter Four
Two days later the fishing fleet set sail towards the old Dragon Sanctuary. Stoick captained the lead ship while Hiccup led the Dragon Riders and a team of twenty riderless dragons. It was a big group, but Hiccup had learned from experience to plan for worst-case scenarios and with Berk's entire fleet on this trip, the worst-case scenario meant having enough dragons to carry over one hundred men and women to safety should they lose every boat.
Some of the Council and the fishermen had questioned taking along so many dragons, worried that they would eat too many of the fish that the ships were supposed to be catching, but Hiccup was adamant.
He knew that the worst-case scenarios were unlikely and almost never happened. But the thought of having to leave some people behind on sinking ships, or overloading the dragons and having them fall into the ocean, was unbearable. So even though he was the newest, and by far the youngest, Council member and he would have preferred to just be agreeable with everyone, he had forced himself to insist that having all the dragons was necessary.
Stoick had backed him up and so the matter was settled.
Valka and Cloudjumper were there too, as Valka knew the waters around the Sanctuary better than any of the other Hooligans. Besides, there was no way she was going to miss a chance to go on a long dragon-flying expedition.
So early in the morning, while the sun hovered over the horizon and slowly burned away the gray mists in the air around the water, the fleet sailed past the harbor guardians into the open ocean.
"Yes!" Tuffnut punched his fist into the air.
"We're off!" Ruffnut shouted, not to be outdone by her brother. "Spiral Dive, Barf!"
Tuffnut agreed. "Yea, come on, Belch!"
Barf and Belch never needed much encouragement and promptly shot straight up high into the sky, only to turn and dive down, spinning madly while the twins whooped with excitement.
Not to be outdone, Snotlout and Hookfang took off in a series of loop de loops.
"Guys, we need to conserve our energy," Hiccup called. "It's going to be-"
Astrid just grinned at him. "Go, Stormfly!" She and the Nadder spun and twisted through the air.
"A long day," Hiccup finished. Toothless barked and then looked up at Hiccup with a gleam in his eye.
"Now, don't you start," Hiccup began, then stopped and shrugged. "Well, maybe just one little trick wouldn't hurt."
Toothless dove, dipping his feet into the ocean as he skipped across the water like a pebble, before climbing sharply upwards, flying in a loop-de-loop and then rolling over and over through the air.
"They like to show off, don't they?" Valka chuckled, as she calmly stood atop Cloudjumper, then strolled across his wing to leap lightly onto Meatlug's back behind Fishlegs. Then as the Stormcutter swiftly crossed to the Gronkle's other side, she hopped back onto her own dragon and stretched her arms wide, lifting her face to the sun.
Fishlegs and Meatlug exchanged a glance and the Gronckle huffed.
"You're right. We just had breakfast," Fishlegs agreed. "The fancy flying will have to wait."
But the Dragon Riders quickly settled down. As Hiccup had said, they would be flying for the better part of the day and they all knew it would be wise to pace themselves. The Sanctuary was roughly three and a half hours from Berk by flight, but the ships would travel more slowly, especially since they were trying to catch fish along the way.
The morning passed peacefully. Sea breezes blew steadily and the ships cruised along while the dragons flew a short distance ahead, scanning for schools of fish. They didn't have much luck in the morning and at noon Hiccup signaled to the Riders and dragons that they would stop long enough to eat and resume flying after lunch.
The Riders' dragons landed on the deck of the flagship and everyone except Hiccup dismounted. As Toothless needed his rider to fly, Hiccup would let him eat first.
"I'm so hungry I could eat a whole yak," Snotlout remarked as he unsaddled Hookfang. "There you go, buddy."
"Well, we don't have a whole yak, but we do have leftover chops and stew," Stoick told him as he came over to the group. He held out a hand to take Valka's saddle. She hesitated, then smiled and handed it to him. Stoick beamed as he set it along with the others.
"I'll be back soon," Hiccup told Astrid. "Don't let Snotlout eat it all."
"I'll do my best," she promised.
Hiccup patted Toothless' neck. "Ok, bud. Let's see if we can find something for you to eat."
They took off back into the sky, followed by Stormfly, Hookfang, and the others, to join the riderless dragons already diving into the water to catch fish. The Vikings had brought along food for the dragons in case they couldn't find enough on their own, but everyone agreed it would be better to save that, if possible, and the dragons preferred fresh fish, in any case.
Although they had not encountered a large school, they managed to find enough pollack and sole to tide them over and then headed to the ships to rest for a while.
"You sure you've had enough?" Hiccup asked Toothless as they glided back to his father's boat. "We can stay out longer if you're still hungry."
/I'm fine./ Toothless assured him. /I'd rather rest a little while now. You go ahead and have your lunch./
The ship's dining area was a large room on the second deck next to the galley. There was a single long table with benches and the meal was well underway by the time Hiccup came in. He paused by the head of the table to speak to his parents before slipping into a space next to Astrid, who had indeed managed to save him a plate.
"It's actually pretty good," she told him.
Hiccup nodded towards the burly Viking bringing in another big bowl of stew from the galley. "Dad's always said that Agnar is the best cook. That's why he's always assigned to the captain's ship."
After eating, everyone sat at the table for a little longer, resting from their labors and enjoying the tall tales of previous expeditions that the sailors began sharing. Then Brunnhild and Henrik burst into a slightly bawdy sea chanty. Ruffnut and Tuffnut joined in singing at the top of their lungs, and soon most of the others were too.
But eventually Stoick stood and called out, "All right, everyone. Time to get back to work," and everyone stood and began shuffling back to their duties. Hiccup and the Riders quickly saddled up and their dragons carried them aloft again.
It was not long afterwards when Valka's Seashockers, swimming ahead of the ships, began leaping from the sea into the air, and Stormfly signaled Astrid that they were coming up on a school of haddock. The Riders spread out, alerting all the ships, and the fishermen tossed their nets overboard.
While the fishermen raised nets full of fish and then lowered them again, most of the dragons glided, idly letting the wind carry them, while a few landed back on the ship decks to save their energy, though they had to be careful not to get in the way.
Hiccup and his friends coasted in a circle while Valka took Cloudjumper down near the water to watch as the dark blue seashockers swam near the surface, helping to herd the school of fish into the nets.
"Hey, Tuff, if we could breathe underwater, we could ride a Seashocker too," Ruffnut remarked, noting the Tidal dragons' two-heads.
"Watch out. You'll hurt Barf and Belch's feelings," Hiccup remarked.
"I don't know. B and B might appreciate a holiday." Astrid grinned.
The Zippleback glanced her way and gave an amused snort.
"If we could breathe underwater, would we be mermaids?" Tuff wondered.
"You would be a merman," Fishlegs pointed out.
"He'd be a mer-idiot," Snotlout commented.
Astrid, Ruffnut, and Fishlegs snickered.
After a moment, Tuffnut grinned. "Who're you calling an idiot, you big lout?"
Snotlout jeered back and they fell into their old pattern of friendly putdowns. But Hiccup thought he had seen a flash of something in Tuffnut's eyes and that his grin had seemed strained for a moment.
He wondered if he should say something-he remembered all too well what it felt like to be on the receiving end of callous taunts-but Tuffnut seemed to be happily insulting Snotlout right back and the two of them had always interacted like that, so Hiccup decided that he must have been imagining things.
In any case, a shout from below alerted them that the fishermen had caught all they could and that the ships were ready to sail on. Everyone moved back into formation and the moment was lost.
Just before sunset the spiky mountain Sanctuary rose over the horizon. Hiccup watched as it glowed orange and gold in the fading sunlight and tried to suppress a shudder as his last memories of this place washed over him.
Toothless shivered, obviously feeling the same way. Hiccup laid a hand on the Night Fury's shoulder in silent sympathy. Knowing that this place would hold the most memories for his mother, he looked around for her and realized that she and Cloudjumper had landed on the deck of the flagship and she was standing at his father's side on the ship's bow.
"Let's go down, bud," Hiccup murmured, suddenly wanting to be with his parents as they returned to the place where his family had been reunited and yet nearly torn apart.
Toothless landed lightly on the deck beside Stoick and Valka. Hiccup silently slipped from the saddle and stood by his father's side. Stoick already had his left arm wrapped around Valka's shoulders; now he reached to pull their son close with his right one. Hiccup leaned against him and with his other arm, he reached for Toothless, knowing the dragon needed comfort too. Cloudjumper stood close to Valka on her far side as well, and the Haddock family watched in silence as the Sanctuary drew near.
It loomed closer and closer until finally, after holding his wife and son especially close for a second, Stoick released them and slowly turned, motioning to the first mate at the ship's wheel.
"Anchors down," The Chief called. "We'll stay here for the night."
Hiccup pulled a soft woolen bottle-green tunic over his head and fastened a thin brown leather belt around his waist. The tunic matched his trousers and he also wore a brown leather boot on his right foot. He dragged a brush through his rumpled hair and sighed as he glanced at himself in the small square mirror that hung on a wall in the captain's quarters.
"Not really sure why we always dress up and dance on the first evening out," he grumbled, although he really didn't mind that much. After all, several hours of dancing with Astrid wasn't the worst way to spend an evening.
Stoick opened the door and entered. "Oh, Hiccup. I'm glad you're here." But then he hesitated before saying awkwardly, "So, what do you think? Do I look all right?"
Well, that was odd, Hiccup thought. Stoick always dressed practically, and appropriately for whatever the occasion might be, but he was not one to fuss overmuch about his appearance. But he did seem to have taken some pains to look nice tonight. His beard braids were even more intricate and he too wore new clothing—a warm tunic and trousers almost the same shade of green as his son's.
"I don't know, Dad. Maybe one of us should change. People might get us mixed up," Hiccup joked.
Stoick looked even more awkward. "Yes, well, it's just that your mother always said I looked nice in green and I thought…"
Hiccup smiled and patted his father's arm. "You look great, Dad. You'll sweep her off her feet."
Dinner was a boisterous affair. Hiccup's family might have had mixed emotions about returning to the Sanctuary, but most of the crew were ebullient. They'd had a good catch that afternoon and the fishermen considered it a fortunate omen. The cheerful spirits were contagious and Hiccup found his earlier melancholia lifting. After dinner everyone trooped up to the top deck. A rope of small lanterns stretched between the masts, to provide light and the dragons stood alongside both sides of the deck. They always enjoyed watching, and sometimes participating in, Viking customs. The few Hooligans who could play a musical instrument gathered towards the stern, just before the quarterdeck, and struck up a sprightly tune.
Stoick held out a hand to Valka who stood nearby. She accepted readily and Hiccup watched happily as his parents led the dancers through quick steps and turns, clapping hands and exchanging partners, then twirling back together again. They were both laughing breathlessly as they struck the final pose, Stoick tall and handsome, and Valka looking bright and lovely in her red and blue dress, with a few dark hairs falling loose from her braids.
The little band played a slower song next and Hiccup turned to Astrid. "Milady?"
Astrid had never looked prettier in a simple pale yellow dress and her golden hair falling past her shoulders. She moved into Hiccup's arms and they swayed back and forth in time to the music.
As they slowly danced in a circle, Hiccup was suddenly aware that-whatever the past held or the future might bring-for this moment in time, he was perfectly, almost heartbreakingly happy. What more could he ask of life than what he had right now—his family and friends nearby and everyone well, and the most wonderful girl in the world in his arms as they danced under a black velvet sky with diamond stars and a bright moon overhead?
"I love you so much," he whispered to Astrid.
She smiled at him. "I love you too."
Hiccup leaned over to kiss her, and the little voice that whispered doubts and fears in his mind had never been further away.
The whole evening seemed magical. They skipped merrily through the patterns of the traditional folk dances and held one another close through the slow romantic tunes. Most of Hiccup's attention was on Astrid, and on the steps of the dances, but he noticed that his parents spent the evening together and that both of them seemed as happy as he'd ever seen them.
He also noticed that Ruffnut and Fishlegs seemed to be spending a good bit of time together, and that Snotlout danced the evening away with Agnes Aland, Agnar's daughter, a dark-haired girl few years older than the Dragon Riders, who helped her father in the galley.
But finally the hour grew late, the musicians and dancers tired, and everyone began to retire for the night.
Valka and Stoick spoke quietly, gazing into each other's eyes for a lingering moment before she slowly turned away to follow the other women, except for Astrid and Ruffnut, downstairs to their berths.
Stoick watched her leave before coming over to Hiccup and his friends. "Everyone have a good time?"
As they all nodded, he addressed his son. "Hiccup, where are you bunking tonight, my quarters or-?"
"I think I'll sleep out here with the gang," Hiccup told him. Unless the weather was bad, the Riders and their dragons liked to sleep on the deck under the night sky.
Stoick nodded. "All right then. I'll see you in the morning. Everyone, get some rest. Good work today."
He headed off to the captain's rooms as Toothless and the other dragons drew near.
/That was wonderful. We should have dragon dances, too./ Meatlug pranced in a circle.
Hookfang stretched his wings. /You have fun with that. I'm getting some sleep./
Toothless gently butted his head against Hiccup. /You did look like you were having a good time./
Hiccup started to agree, but he was interrupted.
"Hey, where's Tuffnut?" Ruffnut demanded, her voice sharp as she realized that her twin was nowhere in sight.
They all looked around.
"I don't know…wasn't he just here?"
"Tuffnut?"
"Hey, Tuff?"
Astrid caught her breath. "He couldn't have fallen overboard, could he?"
They all rushed to the railings in a sudden panic.
Toothless spoke up. /We dragons were all along the railings. I don't think he could have fallen overboard./
Barf and Belch had raised both heads high and was looking about wildly. /But what if he did? We have to search!/
The Zippleback shot into the air, followed by Toothless, Stormfly, Hookfang, and Meatlug.
But at once a familiar voice called them back down, though rather grumpily. "I'm up here."
Tuffnut scowled down at them from the quarterdeck.
As the Zippleback settled back down on board, Belch snatched him, lowered him to the main deck, wrapped his neck around Tuffnut in a fierce hug, and then shook him in admonishment. /Why were you hiding up there? You nearly gave me a heart attack!/
In a similar fashion, Ruffnut ran over, punched her brother's shoulder, and threw her arms around him. "Didn't you hear me calling? Don't ever do that to me again!"
Tuffnut pulled away. "I didn't fall overboard." He glared at them. "I'm not that much of an idiot."
He stomped away and flopped down on the deck with his back to the teens and dragons, leaving them looking at one another in confused dismay.
Hiccup ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He didn't really know what to say, but he thought he might have some idea of how Tuffnut was feeling, so he followed the other boy and sat down beside him. The other Riders trailed after and sat with them in a small circle with their dragons nestled around them.
Most of the other boats in the fleet had settled down for the night, but one lone ship was still celebrating and the distant sounds of singing and a lyre playing broke the silence.
Hiccup was trying to think of something to say, when Tuffnut spoke more quietly. "Look, I didn't mean to scare you guys. I just wanted to be alone for a little while."
"You're not an idiot, Tuff," Hiccup said quietly. "You're actually pretty smart when you're not trying to hide it."
Tuffnut—and the other teens—looked at Hiccup as if he had suddenly grown two heads like a Zippleback.
Hiccup shrugged. "It's true. Look at all the trouble you and Ruffnut get into. It takes brains to be that fiendish."
Fishlegs nodded in agreement. "That's right, Tuff. You're the best trouble-making schemer I know."
"What about me?" Ruffnut demanded.
"You're good at battle tactics," Astrid pointed out to Tuffnut. "And you helped to free the Submaripper."
"You helped me invent Ruffcream," Ruffnut said.
"I invented Ruffcream." Tuffnut argued.
"Then it would have been Tuffcream," Ruffnut growled, her eyes narrowing.
Hiccup interrupted them quickly. "But I know how you feel."
Tuffnut looked at him incredulously. "You're the most brilliant person on Berk. You're like a genius."
Hiccup looked back at him just as incredulously. "You do remember the first fourteen years of our lives, right? Hiccup the Useless, the village screw-up? Remember that?"
Tuffnut grimaced. "Oh, yea."
"I just meant that I know people can say things that really hurt," Hiccup said quietly, feeling uncomfortably awkward. "And if I ever did, then I'm sorry."
"Me too," Astrid said.
Fishlegs nodded. "Yea, me too."
There was a pause and then Snotlout spoke for the first time. "I may—occasionally—not be as smart as I usually am and I might say something that maybe I shouldn't. But hey, none of us are perfect, right?"
They all stared at him. Hookfang, who was lying down behind Snotlout, tapped him on the head with his wing.
Snotlout gave Tuffnut a sheepish look and mumbled, almost inaudibly, "Sorry."
Tuffnut looked around at all of them and suddenly grinned. "You know, you guys are a bunch of big mushy idiots."
They all burst out laughing. But when the laughter died, Tuffnut suddenly turned and gripped Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup, I don't think you ever said anything mean to me, but I think I did to you, and if I didn't say it before, I'm really sorry."
There were murmurs of agreement from everyone in the group and Astrid leaned against Hiccup and hugged him.
It seemed to inspire Fishlegs. "Group hug!" He ordered.
"No!" Snotlout groaned, but his protests were smothered as everyone wrapped their arms around each other and piled together.
When they pulled apart and leaned back against the dragons, Ruffnut patted Tuffnut's shoulder. "Maybe it could be Ruff-Tuff cream."
"I think Tuff-Ruff cream sounds better," he responded.
"No, it doesn't!"
"Good night, everyone!" Astrid snapped fiercely.
"We didn't get our blankets," Fishlegs fretted.
"We don't need blankets. We have our dragons," Hiccup pointed out sleepily, snuggling close to Toothless. The Night Fury rumbled softly and wrapped a wing around him.
The other Riders and dragons nestled close together too, and one by one, they fell asleep under the stars.
Author's Notes: In this story, there are Hooligan women who catch fish too, but 'fisherperson' just sounded awkward and always writing out 'fishermen and women' is also awkward and wordy, so just know that the fishermen include both genders.
A quarterdeck is a raised deck behind the main mast of a sailing ship (according to Wikipedia).
In the last chapter, Gobber mentioned that he got the cocoa from Trader Johann. A couple of people pointed out that in the television series, Johann turned out to be a bad guy. I have only watched a few episodes of the shows. I have picked up a few things from reading fanfics, and from what my new HTTYD friends have told me, but there is much I don't know about the series. Since my stories are AU anyway, I think I will use whatever bits seem to work in my stories, but they may not be canon. Hopefully, it will work and be believable in the context of my own story.
So long story short, Trader Johann is a good guy here.
Thanks for reading! Please do review—it makes my day!