Forty Four: New Reality

The sun had risen for the seventh time since the battle and life had settled into a routine. Hiccup was now back in the Chief's House, his bed placed by the fire and Gothi visited him twice a day, administering potions and changing the poultices on his burns and amputation. In the mean time, Stoick and Gobber looked after him, with Toothless refusing to leave his side. Astrid and Fishlegs visited daily and in between, they flew their dragons, along with the twins and Gustav. A lot of dragons had moved to Berk following the defeat of the giant dragon, which Fishlegs had determined from the Book of Dragons was a Red Death, and Astrid was the person best placed to help guide the Berkians in dealing with their new residents. Stoick had decreed that no one should attack a dragon and so far, the peace was holding…but he knew they needed Hiccup. And so did he.

Snotlout had stayed away from Stoick, even when the Chief had visited his family and offered condolences to Alva. He had arranged that Alva was to have food delivered daily but he did leave the message that Snotlout was expected to help work mending the village after the last raid. Despite that, the Chief insisted that Hiccup wasn't left unprotected so someone had to be with him at all times. Snotlout had expressed such hatred for the comatose boy and had harmed him so badly that Stoick wasn't taking any sort of chance that Snotlout would try to get his revenge on the helpless Hiccup.

The Chief had handed over to Astrid so he could out to attend to his duties and the young woman was sitting by the bed, watching Toothless clean his forepaw and sighing.

"You would have been amazed at the twins," she continued. She had got into the habit of talking to Hiccup, telling him about what happened in Berk while he was asleep because it helped her feel better that he would waken soon. "I mean, I knew they were muttonheads but Tuff tried to get his head to eat Ruffnut-who was sitting on the second head of the Zippleback. And yet they were really helpful in escorting the ships back from Dragon Island. I mean, they never listen and they talk nonsense about three quarters of the time but now they have stopped being Snotlout's cronies, they hang around all the time. And Gustav…who seems to think I have a crush on him. I mean…as if! He's like Snotlout but smaller and equally thick-skinned…though he isn't cruel or mean. But he doesn't understand 'no' means 'not this side of Ragnaraok, you jumped up little twerp!' Argh!"

Toothless looked up and gave a little warble.

"Sorry," she sighed. "You don't want to hear me complain about Gustav and his amateur attempts to persuade me that I must in love with him! I mean, Berk is still getting used to having dragons here. It's kind of a learning curve though people are learning not to leave food out unattended because the dragons are learning to steal it quite effectively! But they are also helping light the fire pits and seem to be really good with the kids. I know that the Chief is relieved that it's a week and the village isn't on fire…but I know some aren't so happy. Snotlout and his friends are grumbling but without Spitelout, we don't pay attention to him any more."

"…should…"

The word was the faintest of breaths and Astrid stopped, her head snapping round and inspecting the patient. Toothless was crooning excitedly and licking at the still shape…and slowly, his left hand moved to rest against the smooth head.

"…hey…Bud…" he breathed gently. His eyelids fluttered and bleary green eyes opened.

"Hiccup?" Astrid's voice was breathless with joy and he smiled.

"…hey…'Strid…have I overslept…?" he mumbled and turned his head to look at her. He was thinner than before but his injuries had been healing and his emerald eyes were sparkling as he blinked and focussed on her. She smiled and flung herself onto him, giving him a huge hug. "OOOF!" he gasped and wrapped his arms around her. "Guess that's a yes?" She pulled back as Toothless put his forelegs either side of the boy and licked him thoroughly. Hiccup laughed, gently trying to push the dragon back. "Toothless! That doesn't wash out!" he laughed and petted the dragon's face gently. Then the dragon rested his head playfully on the boy's thin body, though he was warbling happily. Finally, Hiccup managed to push the dragon off and slowly sit up.

"Here," Astrid said gently and handed him a mug of water. His hands were shaking from the exertion so she helped him to drink, smiling as he thanked her. And then she plumped up his pillow and helped him to sit up comfortably.

"Thanks," he murmured and looked around. Toothless rested his head on the edge of the bed and purred excitedly. "So what've I missed?" She smiled. Then she punched him in the right shoulder rather gently. "Wow-I must have been sick-that was not full Astrid Hofferson power!" She managed to look smug.

"You're my friend and knocking your lights out when you've only just woken after a week would be mean," she told him. He blinked.

"A week?" he frowned. "I mean…a week?"

"Yup," Astrid confirmed. "Seven days. Seven nights. That's usually what a week means."

"I've been asleep that long? How?" He sounded a little concerned and she automatically took his hand, stealing a glance at the dragon who gave a small croon.

"What do you remember?" she asked him and his brow furrowed.

"We were fighting the huge dragon and Toothless had blasted its wings then ignited the fuel inside it," he said slowly. "It was dying, blowing apart…but Toothless's prosthetic tail had burned and we lost control. Then…the tail hit me and I fell…and I thought it was going to die. My shoulder started burning…and then I blacked out."

"Toothless saved you from dying-we found you wrapped in his grasp and in his wings," she explained and he turned to the dragon, rubbing the head.

"Another one I owe you, Bud," he grinned and the dragon gave a small warble. "Thanks, Toothless." The dragon gave him a small lick and took up station again. Astrid leaned close.

"But you were badly hurt," she said. "You've been out for a week. You'd hit your head. You have burns across your chest and left shoulder…" He frowned and then raised an arm, wincing as he felt the light bandages over the area. Quietly he touched the side of his neck and realised that there was a healing burn there was well.

"It's only fun if you get a scar out of it, right?" he said dryly. She looked away. "A few burns are pretty good, right?" She blinked and her eyes were shining. "Not good?"

"Your left foot was badly burnt and broken," she said in a choked voice. He stared at her.

"Oh."

"It-it couldn't be saved…" she said in a rush, holding his hand tightly.

He looked at her for a long moment…and then he reached for the blanket.

"I want to look," he said and she let his hand go. He lifted the blanket up-and then he stilled, slowly turning to rest his right foot on the floor-and then his left leg slid round and there was a faintly metallic thud as the prosthetic hit the floor by his foot. Gobber had looked at his young apprentice, a young man who had lost so much already-and he had decided that Hiccup deserved better than a simple peg to replace the foot, ankle and half of the lower leg that he had lost. So the boy was wearing a unique device made of metal that had a bigger flatter point of contact with the ground to make him more stable, a custom-built shock-absorbing pivot and had a more cushioned pad to help him move around more easily.

He swallowed and looked up, meeting Astrid's eyes with a suddenly uncertain look. Toothless sniffed the metal leg and then gave a little whirr as she took his hands.

"It will be okay," she told him but his head dipped.

"How can it be?" he asked softly. "I mean…I'm already a former slave, an outcast and an outsider. I'm fifteen…and now I'm down a leg. It's just another thing to make me different…" But she shook her head.

"Hiccup-about a quarter of people in Berk are amputees," she told him gently. "This village has been horribly ravaged by dragon attacks. And you are a hero! No one will hold this against you. It's a badge of honour, a sacrifice you gave for your people." His eyes flicked up.

"My people?" he mumbled. "I…"

"You are the Chief's son," she reminded him. "And he has made no bones about reminding people of that!" He shook his head.

"I think everyone here just thinks I'm a slave and an outcast," he said sadly. She shuffled over and sat beside him, her hand twined with his.

"They think something else now," she assured him. He frowned.

"Can-can I have a look? At the village?" he asked and she nodded, rising. Toothless gently walked along at his side with Astrid on the other side as they slowly made it to the door. The first step on his new leg had him almost collapsing but Toothless caught him and Astrid grabbed his hand. Leaning on his two best friends, he slowly made the door-and Astrid flung it open-to look over the village.

Sun was streaming down on Berk, the sky a bright blue and not a cloud in sight. The houses looked clean and the coloured paints looked vibrant and new. And there were dragons almost everywhere-perched on roofs, basking on the Plaza, sitting on the cliffs-and no one was fighting anyone else. Hiccup blinked and took a couple of shaky steps onto the front step, his shocked eyes flicking across the village. Then he ducked as something caught his eye: a Monstrous Nightmare swooped by and the young Rider whooped.

"Hey-it's Hiccup! Hiccup's awake!" he yelled and waved as his dragon roared. Almost falling off, the younger boy immediately grabbed the dragon's horns and gave an embarrassed laugh. "Thanks, Hookfang…must remember to keeping hanging on…" he said as the orange and brown dragon shot off a ball of flame into the sky. Immediately, the other riders homed in on the Chief's house and they landed, their riders all hurrying up to greet Hiccup. The boy, still adjusting to being awake and unsteady on his feet, found himself surrounded by people clapping him on the shoulder or-in Fishlegs's case-hugging him. He tried to pull back, unnerved by having so many people round him, having them all trying to hug him and fearing they would attack him in a moment. He cast around for Astrid and saw her grinning-and in a moment-he stretched out his hand for her, only relaxing when he felt her grasp curl gently around his.

"HICCUP!" The familiar bellow of the Chief echoed up the slope and Hiccup glanced down to see the powerful shape of Stoick sprinting at full speed up the flight of stairs carven into the side of the slope, his bear fur cloak lifted by the wind. "SON!" And then he arrived, sweeping the boy up into his arms, his powerful arms wrapped protectively around the thin shape. Sighing, Hiccup wrapped his arms around the Chief's neck and buried his head in the Chief's neck as the man hugged him fiercely. "I thought I'd lost you," Stoick murmured, hugging the boy strongly.

Hiccup sighed and the tension left his body.

"I resigned myself to never seeing you again," he murmured. "But I knew it was worth it because you were safe. The village was safe."

Gently, the Chief pulled back enough to inspect the bruised face and a shocked laugh ran through him. "Oh my Gods," he said. "You had every right to sit in that cell and let the fate we deserved take us. But you didn't. People in this village treated you so badly and you got out of jail and flew to the Nest to save us all." Hiccup's eyes widened.

"The cell!" he said. "Did you…?"

"Astrid had let out Bucket as soon as she had returned," the Chief reassured him, smiling. "And I am proud to call you my son. You saved the village-and all the bone-headed Vikings within. You gave your leg in destroying the greatest dragon anyone had ever seen. You have never killed a dragon, have you?" Hiccup shook his head. "And I guess you never wanted to?" The boy paused and then shook his head again.

"There was no other choice," he sighed. Stoick gently lowered him to the floor and then rested a paternal hand on his shoulder.

"No matter what has happened to you in the past, no matter where you were raised, you proved yourself as a Viking of Berk, as a man and a warrior and a hero," Stoick told him as Astrid came to stand beside him and Toothless poked his head around the doorway, padding quietly to stand behind his human friend.

"But not everyone will be pleased to see me," the boy sighed.

"Not everyone is happy that there is peace with dragons," Gobber admitted, limping up. "Some of them measure their manhoods by how many of the beasts they kill. Mebbe now they'll have to prove themselves doing something useful!" And then he pointed. "I see yeh like my handiwork!" Hiccup lifted his left leg, looking at the leg in the sunlight. It really was a clever and unique piece of engineering that the blacksmith had created just for his young apprentice. "I saw the saddle and tail yeh created for the dragon and I have repaired them to work with yer new accoutrements. Though I guess yeh may want to tweak the design?" Hiccup gave a small shrug.

"I may add a little Hiccup flair!" he admitted as more of the villagers gathered at the top of the Plaza. Stoick smiled and waved at his people.

"My son has wakened!" he announced. "Hiccup is my son and he has proved his worthiness to be a Hooligan by saving the warriors and defeating the monster that has been controlling the raids for the last three hundred years. Now we are here on a peaceful island, at peace with the dragons. I will not tolerate anyone mistreating him any more. Treat him like the hero he is!" And then he turned to his son. "We just need to officially recognise you-and allow you to claim your birthright."

oOo

His leg was hurting fiercely by the time he got back into the house and Astrid and Gobber helped warm some broth they had waiting for him over the fire. The blacksmith had also brought a crutch for the young man to used as his stump continued healing as well as his repaired and upgraded version of the tail. And though Toothless was bouncing around and scrambling over the rafters in his eagerness to get back into the air, he tempered his enthusiasm when he saw how exhausted his little Viking was. And with his new friends and those who had believed in him before surrounding him, Hiccup ate some food, scrambled tiredly back into his bed and was asleep before Gothi could even make it up to check he was okay.

But he didn't sleep for long and when he woke that evening, the Chief, Gobber and Gothi were waiting. Sleepy but head clearer, he answered the Elder's questions and allowed her to check his wounds and treat his healing burns before allowing to eat. And though he was still tired, the Chief made sure he had roast chicken and yak, bread and cabbage and baked apples and honey. Gobber was casually inappropriate and made sure the boy was aware that most of his customers were asking about the lad and sending their best wishes. But not even the blacksmith could miss the fact that the boy was quiet and curled on himself as he related tales of the villagers and their concern. He cleared his throat.

"Okay, laddie-spit it out!" he said bluntly as Stoick looked over at his friend. Hiccup poked his chicken leg aimlessly.

"How long will it last?" he asked suddenly, his eyes concerned. "I mean, they're being nice now…but I was arrested for flying on a dragon and was going to be killed for treason…and sooner or later someone will bring up the whole Outcast thing! And then I'll be despised and isolated again. And-and I don't want to get used to being treated like a real person when it will get taken away from me again."

There was silence and the three elders all shared shocked glances.

"Oh son," Stoick sighed. "That isn't going to happen…"

"But it will!" Hiccup said suddenly, his face pale. "Alva or one of her friends will start it all up again. They won't stop until I am dead…" And he closed his eyes and covered his face. Stoick walked round and knelt by him, forcing the distraught boy to look into his face.

"Hiccup," he said quietly, "I won't allow it. You are the saviour of the village and you are my son. And I am going to adopt you as my son and Heir. I am going to give you the name that you should have had from birth. And I am never giving you up."

The boy swiped his face with his palms and sniffed, then looked up.

"Really?" he whispered. Stoick gently wrapped an arm round the boy.

"Hiccup-you aren't the son I imagined…you're about half that size, to be honest…but you are the son I want," he explained. "You are brave and stubborn and inventive. You didn't hesitate when you saw me in danger-or the village in danger. You did something that no viking would ever think of. You saved Berk! If those aren't the qualifications to be a Viking of Berk, the Heir to Berk, then I don't know what is!" Then he leaned forward and kissed the boy on the top of his head. "I just need you to trust me. I will fix this."

Hiccup wiped his nose and nodded.

"I trust you, Dad-I really do," he sighed. "I just wish I could trust the rest of Berk."

oOo

A week had passed and things had settled down. People insisted on greeting Hiccup in the Plaza and the Great Hall and he smiled and waved to them, forcing himself to call their names to be polite. There were still a few who held back, refusing to acknowledge him and still muttering darkly when he entered the Hall-but they were definitely the minority. And his new friends stuck close, avoiding Snotlout and his couple of remaining cronies who remained a dark, brooding presence in the corner, always threatening…something.

Exactly seven days after he woke, a Council Meeting was called and Hiccup was summoned to attend. In a brand new green tunic with golden stitching around the neck and cuffs, new leggings and cleaned boot and belt, Hiccup stood in front of the Council, feeling his knees tremble. The village was assembled behind him, watching intently as the Chief stood. Beside him, Gobber, Gothi, Everyone-wishes-he-was-still-Silent Sven, Mulch, Phlegma and Earwig the Archivist were sitting at the Council table.

"We are here today to honour this boy, Hiccup, who came to this island only a few months ago but who has made his home and his place among us," he announced. His keen gaze swept over the room, lingering a little longer on Alva, Snotlout, Dogsbreath, Goatface and Hobnut Thorston. "I asked my Council to investigate if he had any family and the trail led back to here to Berk. The woman who claimed she was his aunt was a woman named Marte Alkmund, who came from Berk with her new husband, Dag Ullisen-Gobber's former apprentice. They left Berk abruptly the day after my wife died and my son was supposedly stillborn." He paused. "Hiccup was told that his 'aunt' took him because his mother had died but his father had rejected him. He was a runt." And then he sighed.

"His father didn't reject him-he was never given the chance," he continued after a breath. "The only woman who delivered around that time was my wife. The babe she took was my son who she assumed I would reject. And for fifteen years, I assumed my son had died…until the will of the gods brought him back. He had come home. He is my son-my true son, the only child my dearest Valka bore. Not stillborn but stolen. And I finally got a chance to know him."

There were shocked looks.

"It is true," Phlegma announced. "Mulch and I checked."

"And he wasn't welcomed," the Chief said. "He was harmed and rejected-but he saved my life, he befriended a dragon and he saved the warriors who were going to be killed by the monster we had woken, the monster causing the raids. He saved the village, losing his leg in the process and bringing us peace and our new dragon friends."

There were ragged cheers as the villagers all whooped and roared in excitement.

"So now I am officially recognising Hiccup as my son-a young man who is a hero, a strategist, a young Viking who didn't hesitate to risk his life to save us! He deserves to be a Hooligan of Berk. So in front of the Council and the village, I recognise Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, son of Chief Stoick the Vast and Chieftess Valka Haddock of Berk! I claim him as my son-and Heir!"

"No," a voice cut in. "No, you can't. I refuse."

And swiftly, axe in hand, Snotlout walked forward.

oOo