At age eleven, Svenan the Younger had grown tall enough to climb trees and attempt to scale the face of the diving well much to the displeasure of his mother. Astrid knew it was in a boys nature to do such rambunctious, explorative activities but the problem was that his little brother by four years, Icky always had to follow.

Icky was so nicknamed from the Stoick before him—his granddad—Stoick the Vast. Except Icky was not vast, Icky was rather thin and was showing to have inherited his father's build more so than his mother's. Stoick the Wee, he was called in taunts and he didn't like being teased so he would always try to do what Svenan did to keep up. To prove himself a tough and brave—like Svenan.

"Stop following me! I'm gonna to tell mom," Svenan whined as Icky tailed behind him and his best friend, Hailstrom.

"No! If you tell mom on me I'll tell Frostbite where you're going and she'll want to come too."

"No! Don't ever tell Frostbite where I am if she asks."

Icky knew his brother's aversion to the ten-year-old female.

"Then I'm gonna come with you instead."

"Go play with Splint!"

"Splint likes practicing wrestling and always gives me bruises," Icky complained as he rubbed one on his elbow from the last time he encountered the burly kid.

"Well, it'll toughen you up for when you're old enough for training."

"That's in like a hundred-fousand years!" the burgundy-haired child threw his hands up and exaggerated.

"What about Bludgeonstick?"

"He's mean."

"Briarprick?"

"She's meaner."

They were referring to the terrible Thorston twins that were a few months younger and hundreds of bones tougher and crueler than Icky. Briarprick was the one to have come up with the clever title 'Stoick the Wee.'

He would never forgive her. All the other kids liked it, and liked calling him it.

Sven only grumbled, "And our cousins?"

Well the Jorgenson children weren't the first kind of cousins, just some kind of cousins to the Haddocks. They shared lineage on their fathers' side and that was the extent of detail the boys knew about it.

"They don't like me around."

"Neither do I right now. Go pester someone else."

Icky saw his elder brother grumble then whisper something in Hail's ear and then, within a blink, the two older boys were off in a sprint and laughing while Icky shouted at them and told them to slow down. He couldn't run as fast. It was obvious they had tried to get rid of him, and had unfortunately succeeded.

Icky frowned and stomped his eight-year-old-self back toward Berk on the dirt pathway. He wanted to see what Svenan was up to—he had taken some lumber and iron from the forge without Rune, Gobber, or their father's permission and Icky wanted to know why. He had started his apprenticeship at the forge under his father and on the days his father was called away on Chief duties, Rune took over in instructing. Icky liked Rune and helping him around the forge. Gobber did stuff too but he was an old, old man and would ramble off amazingly odd, epic, or funny tales that took Icky's concentration away from assisting Rune. Gobber called it a 'test of concentration' and Icky had yet to pass it.

Still, he had to wonder what his brother was up to with that material. Though if he told his mother, Svenan would make Icky sleep on the floor of their room.

He did the next best thing to get back at Svenan, and he broke into a smile at seeing his eldest cousin, Brigid and Frostbite playing with a rope and jumping over it, while reciting childhood rhymes.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Playing the jump rope," Brig answered, not losing footing. Frostbite stopped jumping though and smiled nicely. Icky didn't understand why Svenan disliked her so much; he thought she was clever and kind.

"Where's your brother?" She asked him sweetly.

"He left out into the woods towards the diving well—he was with Hailstrom."

The girls looked in that direction with thoughtfulness. "I'm tired of playing the jump rope, let's go into the woods."

Brig gave a shrug of acquiescence and they tossed their twine rope into the grass in front of the Ingerman's lodge.

"Icky!" there was a shout heard and he tried to get away before Splint could grab him into a friendly headlock. The boy didn't know his own strength.

"Gah!" Icky squealed at the grip around his mid-section and he was nearly hauled off the ground and slammed back into it.

"Splint! Off that boy!" they heard Ruffnut the Terrible shout.

Splint grunted and let up. He sounded sour, like his day had been ruined.

Icky silently thanked the world that Splint's mother had showed up when she had otherwise he might have been a flat spot in the ground. In fact, Ruffnut the Terrible was probably the only thing that saved little Icky form a horrible squishing, flat demise most days.

She continued on her path, not giving a second glace or demand to the boys.

"So you want to play a game?" Splint asked with gusto, advancing. Icky gulped because he knew 'play' was synonymous with 'being tackled' in Splint's world.

"What are you playing?" Bludgeonstick appeared so suddenly that Icky wondered if he had been hiding and spying. Bludge only gave a sneer at seeing Icky. If Splint was bad with Physical games, Bludge was worse because he tackled on purpose.

"Oh nothing. No—not any games are we playing here. Right now."

Bludge just pulled his lips back in a horrible smile, "Good, so now I can join in."

Icky began to back away from the boys. Bludgeonstick gave Splint a shove, "Get him."

Splint grinned and opened his arms to grab Icky. Icky had no where else to back into for he felt a solid wall. He had backed into the side of another lodge and closed his eyes for the inevitable pain.

It didn't come.

A roar did instead.

Icky looked upward and he saw Toothless glaring down, mostly glaring at Splint and Bludge. His wings unfolded and loomed above them, blocking out the sun. Splint's eyes became round and Bludge's smirk was lost at once.

"Toofless!" Icky cried with so much happiness at seeing his father's dragon.

Toothless jumped down, landing between Icky and the boys and that was enough to send Bludge and Sprint running and yelling. Even though dragon's were friendly, the kids were in awe of the one and only Night Fury. An angry-seeming one no less.

Icky laughed and hopped up, at once throwing his arms around Toothless's neck and hugging him in gratitude. The dragon made a light grumble and bobbed his head from side to side, pleased with himself.

Icky was happy Toothless had stopped the boys but he knew he needed to be tougher so Toothless didn't have to. He had to be brave. Everyone said his father was brave. He knew it was true because of the missing leg. He knew because he asked and that's what anyone ever told him.

"Mommy, why does Daddy only have one foot?"

"Because he is very brave."

...

"Gobber, how did my daddy lose his foot?"

"Oh my wondrous scalawag, your father lost it being brave!"

...

"Svenan what do you know 'bout that missing foot on Daddy?"

"Don't you ever pay attention? He's brave!"

…

It was decided. To be brave, Icky had to lose his foot too.

He craned his head back and looked at the roof of where Toothless had just jumped. If he could get up there and jump down maybe it would break his foot off. He scrambled up and ran around the lodge until he found a stack of crates used for carrying fish. He pulled himself up with his skinny arms but the stack was uneven and a few slid out from under him. He slid with it and didn't suffer any pain but a bump on the rear.

Toothless nipped him by the back of his tunic and carried him away from trouble. He was put back at the forge. Toothless knew that was a place the youngest Haddock should be. However it was closed at the moment. Gobber was probably taking an afternoon rest and Rune probably went to make a delivery. His father was probably out and about with a Chiefly task that didn't require the presence of Toothless. The Chief usually had the Night Fury by his side but there were times Toothless would rather play with the children.

Icky still wasn't deterred in his mission to be brave.

He patted Toothless on his snout and entered the stall. His eyes scanned the shaded place of iron and he found what he wanted.

On the wall there was a sword.

He took a breath and approached the daunting item. He only saw growed-up men handle those things. They looked heavy and sharp. But sharp was what he wanted because that meant it could cut his foot off. Then he would be brave.

He reached up and could only swipe at the blade. He twisted his little face at the problem of height and again, took a look around the room. There was a block that Rune had set his saddles on. Icky pushed them off and scooted the block against the floor until it was close enough to the wall. He went ahead and climbed on top and could reach the hilt.

Toothless had sat by curiously observing, obviously baffled by the lad's intentions.

Icky let out a gasp of breath lifting the sword off its perch, it was very heavy and his arms couldn't hold it. They both fell back and Icky yelled the whole way.

Instead of hitting the hard ground, he plopped into Toothless's head. The dragon, the child, and the sword fell in a heap.

"Oh! Fanks again Toofless!" Icky cried happily before he pushed the sword up until its hilt was on the ground, and its blade pointed to the sky. The dragon seemed winded at catching both and he opened his jaw in protest seeing the boy position his foot under the path the blade would strike if he let go of it.

"I'm brave!" Icky declared and closed his eyes, letting the blade go and gravity to take course.

"What in Odin are you doing? You crazy Sqit!" both horrified dragon and foolish child heard the voice of Svenan the younger. Icky pulled his foot back startled, and not so brave after all. The sword crashed to the ground and made a ruckus – possibly waking Gobber who kept home on the other side of the shop.

Svenan rushed around the forge and took a better look, wild eyed and concerned so suddenly after finding it so easy to leave Icky behind not an hour before.

"No really, what is this? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"No! I'm being brave!"

"Getting yourself cut in half by a sword isn't brave!" Svenan was suddenly angry and grabbed Icky by the ear, "Come on, I'm telling Mom what you did."

"NO!" all Icky's braveness, even the little bit he did have washed away.

Icky was in tears by the time Svenan pushed him in the lodge. Toothless had followed apprehensively, possibly still curious to what was going on with the children of his rider.

"MOM!"

Astrid the Agile was sharpening her axehead and looked up sharply to see both her sons home well before they usually were.

"What's happened?"

"Icky tried to cut himself in half with a sword. I saw it! You shouldn't let him be in the forge anymore."

"NO!" Icky wailed and rubbed his ear. His brother had finally let go.

Worry did reach their mother's eyes and she set her weapon down and came forward,"Was it an accident Icky?"

"No.." he sniffed. She narrowed her eyes.

"Tell me."

"No."

All were surprised such a docile child had suddenly become so stubborn.

"Stoick..." her voice held a hint of warning.

But Icky choked on his tears and fled from them, scrambling up the stairs to his room he shared with Svenan. He failed at being brave. And now every one was mad at him. How was he ever going to be like his father now? He looked with disdain at his foot that was still there.

Awhile later there was a knock at his door.

"Icky, the evening meal is ready," he heard his mother say.

He hesitated before answering. "I wanna talk to Daddy."

A moment passed and the door opened. He heard the footstep and then weight of spring metal, signifying it was indeed his father.

"Hi Son," the Chief smiled.

Icky sniffed and then ran to him. Hiccup caught him in his arms and hauled him up in a hug. "What's the problem? Your brother told me you were playing with a big sword today and could have hurt yourself."

"I was trying to cut my foot off to be brave like you."

He felt his father's breathing hitch. Icky was set back to the floor and his father had a very serious look on his face, "Having no left foot doesn't make someone brave."

"But that's what everybody always tells me!"

"Well I'm telling you differently," his father replied and then took a seat across from him on the edge of the bed. "Bravery is what you learn, not what you become overnight. And no one should have to lose a body part to prove they are brave. Do you understand?"

Hiccup reached forward and held Icky's chin with a serious air, and the boy felt a thumb brush the scar on the side of his face, "The thought of anything bad happening to you makes all my bravery go away, Icky."

That was a surprising admission. He thought his father was brave all the time.

"So can I be brave with two feet?"

Hiccup cracked a grin. "Yes, you can be brave with two feet."

Icky smiled with relief. He had to learn to be brave. "How do you be brave then?"

His father shrugged and stood while holding out his hand for Icky to take. "It's a complex ordeal. You can start off with facing your fears. For example – stay in your own bed when a lightening storm comes."

Icky was afraid of the lightening and thunder. Svenan used to be too. But Svenan was tough and brave already. Icky would do it though, if that meant he was on his way to becoming brave like the rest of his family. Like all the growed-up Vikings he knew.

Especially his father, who wasn't brave all the time but still seemed to be on the outside.

He took Hiccup's hand and smiled.

A/N: Another month, another chapter. BUT, good news - looks like the next few chapters will be coming sooner than later. Sorry for slow updates. RL Work has been crazy.

Thanks to Antic for catching grammar fails and Yamilink on Deviantart for the creation of Rune.