Well I did say I would be back to carry on with this, getting some of my confidence back in writing, always a pain when you got the plot but trying to word it in a way that'll go down well.
And he keeps playing world of warcraft.
And you wade are a thrush.
What do you mean by that?
That you're an irritating c...
Sandman no, not in front of the kids!
I'm sure they've heard worse. Anyway on with the chapter.
Chapter 11- Of blades and daggers
Several months had past since the conversation with his mother and still wondered to this day if he should be like his father and bottle up the true him, whenever he finds out who he truly is, or let the whole of Midgard see for themselves what he can do.
On top of that he was no closer to finding the veins of tin and copper needed to make bronze for his jian design.
So far he had made it out of wood to get a more accurate look at what he would be wielding. The oriental design was a smaller design than the hulking swords Vikings used, making it easier to manoeuvre for a frame such as Hiccup.
But other little problem was that he didn't know how to actually fight.
Sure he he managed to take out the outcasts in the forest, but exhaustion from travelling via boat, running through the forest and avoiding Hiccup various obstacles played a key factor in his victory, all he needed to do was finish them off.
And sure he took down the Snotlout, the twins and Mildew easily but that was more to do with them underestimating him, leaving their guard wide open.
Combat itself against someone who didn't give a damn about what he looked like, he wouldn't stand a chance.
He thought about asking someone, the question was who?
He can't ask the village or his father, as much as they accepted his help, he still couldn't trust them fully.
He didn't want to ask Gobber, the man had done so much for him already.
Maybe someone outside of Berk perhaps?
'Perhaps' Hiccup thought to himself as he felt the hand-crafted jian in his left hand.
Quite odd consider most would use their right hand as their weapon hand, but Hiccup found out during his times attacking trees that the swings from his left was stronger than his right and considering he learnt a long time that he was an odd kid, why change.
He gave the jian a few good swings like he would an axe, swinging wide and wild.
So much so that he lost grip of it and it flew into a nearby tree where a certain pissed off night fury was snoozing away, well was until he saw a projectile coming his was and ducked quickly.
"Opps sorry Toothless" Hiccup skittishly said trying not to laugh as the black dragon glared at him before grumbling as he headed to the lake while Hiccup attempted to retrieve his weapon embedded in the trunk of the tree.
As Hiccup struggled to pull the sword from the tree, he didn't notice the familiar stormcutter and his rider land in the cove until a pair of hands helped him retrieve the weapon only for him to turn his head to see his mother standing looking puzzled at the odd non-viking sword.
"Interesting...design" she mutter as she gave it a few swings as it felt it to be lighter than the wooden practice swords she used to train with as a kid.
Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck as he explained what the sword is called and where it originated from as Valka listened on, quite impressed at how Hiccup chose the most non-viking thing as his weapon of choice.
"Impressive son" was all she could say after he finished, but he still looked down.
"It is mom, just two major problems" he said as his hands moved about, something his mother found out whenever he went into detail about things.
"One is getting the material to make it, the book explains about how they made it out of bronze, but so far finding the necessary tin and copper has proven difficult"
"And the other?"
He sighed heavily at hat he was about to say, feeling embarrassed to say it.
"I don't know how to fight"
He lazily picked up a nearby stone and threw it in the lake making it skip to the other side while Valka looked at the sword, then her son and finally the book that detailed the sword.
She was thinking back to what her father had taught her about swords when they used to go on their own camping trips.
Suddenly a smile came upon her face as she knew what to do, but she'd have to wait until Hiccups birthday.
Lucky enough it was in two weeks time.
But before she could help Hiccup with that situation she can help him with the other.
She walked up to him and embraced him until he looked at her.
"Son, I will tell you this for one thing, finding copper and tin in the archipelago it nigh on impossible, the mainlands is your only best bet or if one of the merchants sell it"
Hiccup looked down, understanding what his mother was on about.
"...however" Hiccup looked up to his mother again as she carried on.
"You don't need to use bronze for it to be a weapon just because the book says so, I've only known you for a while son but I do know you like to give things a 'Hiccup flare'" she chuckled making Hiccup smile and blush at the same time, he had to admit she was right, he never followed rule if it meant his disadvantage, it was how he was able to survive for this long.
"so why don't you use another metal that'll make it unique just like the wielder"
Hiccup thought through what she said, another metal? He mentally kicked himself for not thinking it through.
The question now is what other metal to use?
This was something he'd have to think on later as he spent time with his mother until she needed to go, he was happy he got to spend time with her but he also knew her work at the dragon sanctuary was important.
Hopefully by the time she came back he'll have come up with something.
Two weeks later
"Alright ye lot! Get that banner up and keep it straight this time" was all that can be heard along with the several barked orders from Stoick around the village as they got ready to celebrate something.
And that something was Hiccups twelfth birthday.
Stoick and most of the villagers felt guilty for the boy, not only was he falsely accused by them and exiled from living in the village, but he also still thought about them as to appoint Astrid the heir since he couldn't come back officially for another five years, but saved the young Hofferson boy from plummeting to his doom and even took on the surprise attack by the outcasts, on his own birthday which they all completely forgot, even his own father.
But this year would be different, they remembered this time and are determined to make up for their past mistakes.
Or at least try.
As the preperations were under way ready for Hiccups surprise a certain blond shield-maiden was wondering what she could do for him for all that he'd done for her.
She was still trying to get her head around kissing him and wondered if it meant anything or a spur of the moment thing.
But she shook her head of that as she wondered what she could do for Hiccup.
She could bake him something, but thinking through it was a bad idea as it might kill him as she can't cook to save her own life.
Same went for crafting.
The only thing she was good at was fighting, the only trait that's mostly accepted in Berk or in any Viking village when she thought about it.
As she thought about it while holding her axe, her uncles old axe that Hiccup not only rescued from her home while it was ablaze but repaired it to be like new.
Suddenly she had an idea as she quickly rushed back home and into her room as she started rummaged through her large chest at the end of her bed, throwing the contents to the side as she searched deeper until at last she came across what she was looking for.
She lift up her hand revealing something covered in an old cloth as she unwrapped it as she looked at an old dagger.
This was no ordinary dagger as it wasn't much use in combat anymore due to how old it was.
It was more sentimental.
The dagger given to her by her grandmother on her deathbed stating to one day give it to someone you care about.
It made no sense to her back then as she was determined to be a shield-maiden and have no time for caring.
Until a certain auburn haired boy showed her differently.
As she thought about it, since she never thought of love but perhaps she can give this to Hiccup a symbol of friendship.
"Yeah...friendship" she assured herself as she rewrapped the blade and headed out of the house to wait for Hiccup to come into the village.
Which didn't prove to be too long as he's seen carrying a huge pile of furs and leathers towards the trade markets, sweat dripping off him, fresh cut upon his arms and face and struggling with the weight of the goods, but too stubborn to let anyone help him as they have tried most times.
But as he gets to the market, he groans as he sees they're all shut.
"Oh come on!" he yells, he didn't need the day to get worse for him, first one of his traps snares him resulting his cutting himself lose and falling to the ground, then getting chased but a extremely pissed off boar, these explained the cuts.
He know he could have ask Toothless to help, the dragon would of, but Hiccup wanted to do this for himself, he was too stubborn in his own ways.
"'iccup?" came a familiar voice as he turns around to see Gobber hobble over to him and embrace him in a hug to which Hiccup returned.
As Gobber looked from the boy to the pile of leathers and furs, he raises his eyebrow in confusion.
"Err what's with der stuff lad?" he asked pointing towards the pile which confused Hiccup.
"It's market day Gobber" he replies as he looks at the deserted area "or so I thought"
Gobber however smacked himself over his head for his own stupidity, he forgot to tell Hiccup the market was off today.
"Sorry lad, I forgot ta tell ye it was closed today"
Hiccup simply deadpanned the old smithy as to say 'really? You don't say'
"But yer dads looking fer you in the square" Gobber carried on as he gestured for Hiccup to put the good down and follow him.
Hiccup was following, wondering what he done wrong now.
As they rounded the corner towards the square he saw a large banner stretched across as everybody jumped out.
"Surprise! Happy Birthday Hiccup!"
This stunned Hiccup, he thought they'd forgotten again, but here they were, most of the village.
Most being that those who actually liked him turned up.
But he didn't care those people didn't like him at least the others see he wasn't so useless after all.
He spent hours being greeted by many of the villagers wishing him a good day as they drank merrily.
'Yep if it's a good piss up involved, Viking will celebrate anything' Hiccup thought to himself as he enjoyed himself, talking amongst the more sober individuals, mainly Fishlegs and surprisingly Astrid.
Fishlegs talked about how his dad got him a copy of the book of dragons to read, talking about the various dragons, some things the same for the dragons 'extremely dangerous, kill on sight'.
All except the NightFury as there is no known information just 'hide and prayer it does not find you'
'Yeah or you can get licked to death' Hiccup chuckled in his head as the night drew near and most of the residence were either at home, still celebrating or over celebrated.
Fishlegs too felt tired so bid Hiccup farewell before heading home with his parents.
This left Hiccup alone with Astrid, who seemed to be avoiding his face and looking down at her hand which he noticed was holding something.
"You okay Astrid?" he asked in concern, making her look at him and smile.
"ye-yeah, just wanted to wish you a happy birthday personally and to give you something" She said as she stood up facing Hiccup as he stood up too, even if he was slightly shorter than her he still looked into her blue eyes as he handed him a wrapped object.
Hiccup accepted it and looked at it curiously as he unwrapped the fabric revealing the old blunt dagger as Astrid nervously rubbed her arm as she explained.
"It was my grandmothers, she gave it to me before she passed away, she told me that when the time came to give it to someone I care about" she looked away still rubbing her arm as she carried on "I didn't know what to think at the time, I thought you had to give it to someone you're gonna marry, which was silly since..."
"...you want to be a shield-maiden" Hiccup finished off her sentence as he smiled.
"Right! So it was left in the bottom of my chest not knowing if I'll ever use it, but I wanted to give it to you, a-as a sign of friendship of course!"
Hiccup still kept smiling as he felt a warm feeling inside of him "of course"
Astrid stopped rubbing her arm, not feeling nervous as she moved closer to Hiccup "and I'd like to be friends with you Hiccup, I really really do"
For some unknown reason both the young pre-teens seemed to be getting closer and closer to each other with their faces an inch or two apart.
BOOM!
The two were knocked back as the sound echoed throughout the village as they and the rest of the villagers looked up too for something they weren't expect tonight.
"Dragon raid!"
The adults gathered weapons as the mothers, elderly and children ran for the hall.
Hiccup however wondered where the first explosion hit, seeing as no house was on fire only to get his answer as he turned to the remains of his goods.
"Oh come-fucking on!"
What?! A cliffhanger?! You sir are a dick!
I know, it's how I roll.