Ch9: I devise my own demise

I do not own HTTYD Hiccup or the others. I can only make them OOC.

Hindsight is something. Take a second to review everything you have chosen to do and chances are you are second guessing more than half of them regardless of how long ago it was.

Like how I should have not entered Dragon Training, I should have not shot down and crippled Toothless, I should have left Berk as soon as me and Toothless got airborn. I got so many from all my life that to write it all down I would need at least a dozen books the size of the Dragon Manual to squeeze them all in.

The most recent on my mind is that I should have flown on Toothless to bring Astrid back to the cove.

"Wer closer ta da village den da cove. We may still grab er if we kep moven forward. Itll be hard fer er ta find one who ain't too drunk, if iny ar. We can still make it!" Gobbers plan might work.

It happens every time there's anything to celebrate, everyone gets so drunk that not only do few remember what happened but also their hangovers last a week at least. But as Vikings it's hard to tell the difference between being sober, drunk, or hungover.

So now I have another choice. Go forward and face my past one last time or go back and leave as fast as a Night Fury can.

Damn it. Either way I have to choose right now! Village or cove? Village or cove? Where do I go?

My choices are basically be stupid or chicken. Ok so am I Stupid and head to Astrid and my father? Or am I a coward who will turn and leave?

A hand suddenly on my shoulder alerts me to Ruffnutt watching me consider my options. She looks me straight in the eyes. I expect her to be disappointed or angry that I stopped but that's not what I see. She actually looks concerned.

"Hiccup what's the plan?" the way she asks me it like, like almost like. But why? It's almost like she trusts me? I'm about to become a traitor and she trusts ME?

"Lad now o neva." Gobber too.

Damn it. If they trust and follow me then they might be considered traitors along with me. They do anything to help me and they'll share my fate.

No I won't screw anyone like that because of my decisions. No one else but me should suffer for my choices. I need to turn back. Go back hop on Toothless and ru

"Hiccup?"

….another regret?

"Lets get her."

Yeah, probably.

Astrid finally reached the village. Even near the edge adults are littered about in a drunken stupor.

I won't find anyone who can help here. The best place to find anyone to help would be the Great Hall. Knowing where I need to go I just sprint off to the hill the Great Hall was located on. As I run I see Fishlegs standing over an unconscious Snotlout and Tuffnutt. Like any other time, I don't care what happened. So I just keep running past them not concerned if they notice me or not.

I reach the stairs and running 4 step at a time I soon reach the top. I slam the doors open not caring if anyone was in the way.

I see the one person who takes my frenzied presence as more than just a drunken surprise, the chief and Hiccups father, Stoick.

I hurry over to him but I'm so out of breath I can't say what I want clearly. "Whoa Astrid whats the matter? You look like you just went four rounds with a Nadder. Cool down have a drink." He hands me a tankard of mead but I refuse.

"Sir, I have ha somet ha something important ha ha to tell you ha about Hiccup!"

"Calm down Astrid." He want me to catch my breath before I continued.

Taking a second to collect myself I notice that Fishlegs is coming up behind me. "Astrid whats going on? You look like there was a dragon chasing you."

Finally relaxing I manage to tell them what I needed. "Hiccup I know how he got so good at dragon training!"

"Ohhh this is what I like to hear!" his words were followed be a roar of cheers from everyone in the hall. "So what sort of mysteries has my son been engaging in?"

Everyones attention turned to me as they await what I have to tell them.

I take a deep breath "Hiccup's been working with a dragon! "

A brief silence is soon followed by the deafening laughter. 'Haa! Working with dragons!' 'Only if they were Loki themselves!' 'Only someone truly deranged and insane would work with dragons.' 'Not even Dagur the deranged would do something so bizarre!' 'How would that even work? Their just monsters.'

They didn't believe me. I'm telling the truth and no one believes me. "It true he's be hiding a Night Fury in a hidden cove in the forest!" Everyone just keeps laughing. Even Fishlegs is chuckling at the truth. 'A Night Fury! No one would survive such an encounter!' 'Yeah!'

This isn't funny! "He's been learning from the dragons! He's"

'Learning from beast!?' 'What could you learn from such mindless monsters!'

What the hell?! No one believes me! This is serious! They're all treating it like a joke because it's so preposterous. I probably wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself but I did! "This isn't a joke! It's all true!"

'The girls just jealous cause she didn't get chosen for her first dragon slay.' 'Someone jealous of Hiccup for anything? I never thought I'd see the day!'

Everyone keeps laughing. I can't believe that no one will even consider that I'm telling the truth. Are they all just too drunk to understand how serious this is?

"He's planning on running away! He's abandoning Berk for a dragon!"

This time there was no laughter, no jokes. Deserters are serious and no one would joke about that. Here on Berk we were all in this together, no one would just leave the island unless they were banished and that only has happened a handful of times to people who would later become members of enemy tribes like the Outcast.

With everyone silent I feel nervous as the chief steps over to where I am. All attention was on me and what the chief were going to say. "Lass I hope you know how serious those accusations are." His voice was stern. It was the same hardened voice that he used on Hiccup so many times. "If you are lying then I WILL banish you for spreading such slander about my son."

I am not wrong. I have no reason to be worried. "Sir I saw it together with Gobber and Ruffnutt. I saw him protect a dragon, a Night Fury no less." There were murmurs coming from the crowd but no one raised their voice above that of the chief.

The chief leveled his face to level to mine. With anger in both his eyes and tone he asked very slowly. "Is. This. TRUE?"

Everyone waited for me with baited breath till I spoke.

"Yes."

"ARHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The chief smashed his fist onto the nearest table snapping it in two like a twig. "My son. LYING AND CONSPIERING WITH DRAGONS!" he grabbed my arm so hard I felt he may actually rip it out of my shoulder. "TAKE ME TO HIM! NOW!"

Everyone rallied and began lifting themselves up to head out to search for Hiccup. "FIND HIM!" And everyone stormed out the hall. Before the chief follows I stop him to tell him something else.

"Sir, you should know that I think he's being controlled by the dragon to turn traitor. Like some kind of trickery. We may be able to bring him back if we kill the dragon. Or better have him do it to free himself."

The chief nodded and headed out the door shouting out orders to bring Hiccup back alive.

Watching everyone outside I finally notice Fishlegs standing behind me. "Hey Fishlegs, where are Snotlout and Tuffnutt? We could use their help."

"Uhh Well their kinda passed out drunk outside, but I don't think their getting up any time soon."

"Great the one time we really need their help and their out of it."

"Hey Astrid? I don't mean to pry but what are you up to?"

"Hopefully, saving Hiccup."

Once I said that I saw Fishlegs almost change from him timid nerdy self to someone determined to do the best he could for someone, for a friend. "What do you need me to do?"

I don't know why Hiccup thinks he was alone here in Berk because he wasn't. We are all here for him. And we will bring him back. We've got to.

Gobber, Ruffnutt, and I reach the village and with a clear plan to quietly go in and out, to confront my dad and maybe Astrid. I realize that this plan; it's not happening.

Well at least I would guess based on the growing mob with axes, swords, and torches; yelling 'Get Hiccup! Get Hiccup! Capture the traitor! Kill the Traitor!' in what sounds like an execution chant while they wait for me to be hanged.

Is it my imagination or do they sound unusually happy about it.

"Oh yeah that right. She's a Super Viking. Super speeds probably included. Completely slipped my mind." I groan out loud.

"Iccup, Im a hopein dat ya git a plan B."

"Actually Gobber I'm probably up to plan X or Y at this point. Which I do have, fortunately."

I can't let Gobber and Ruffnutt get caught with me. Unfortunately this is going to hurt me while hopefully leaving them unharmed.

Turning to Gobber I give him orders while lifting my arm to him. "Gobber, grab my arm." He does so. "Listen I don't care how or what please just don't let them kill Toothless." I tell them to which they nod in agreement. Then I turn to Ruffnutt. "Ruff hit me!"

"Wha?" she starts but I cut her off when I let out a loud piercing whistle which draws everyones attention to us. I then yell out as loud as I could so that the villagers hear me "LET ME GO!" then I turn to Ruffnutt telling her what to do "Ruff pretend I'm Tuffnutt and HIT ME!" this time she immediately does so.

For the second time this afternoon I'm knocked out cold.

I just hope everyone watching would think that Gobber captured me and Ruffnutt attacked me when it looked I might run. I just hope everyone buys it. I won't let them get caught up in my mess. Everyone has to believe they caught the traitor then they should be safe.

I just hope I can figure the rest out later and manage to get away.

Stoic ran to where Gobber and the Thurston girl were as they captured Hiccup.

"Gobber is it true? Has he been working with Dragons?" I ask him hoping that he'll say no. I've never wanted to hear that word so badly as right now. Just say no.

They hesitated but when the Thurston girl was about to answer Gobber interrupted telling me first. "Umm yes I's true. But don't worry, da dragons trapped, we can capture it. Ruff take some men and get the dragon alive. Ok?!"

She hesitated before nodding in understanding and headed to the forest. She was followed by 20 men who were off to capture the beast.

What do I do? If the Hofferson girl is right then to save Hiccup all we need to do is kill the dragon. It may be best to do so in front of him or as she said have him do it.

Yes, this is Hiccup and in these past two weeks he has proven to the whole village that there is more to him then there seems. That he can be an amazing Viking if he tries.

Or

Was this all a trick by the dragon? Is that even possible?

"Stoick." I look up to Gobber who was now carrying my unconscious son in his arms. "can we ta an lock da lad ta his bed. Ruff did quiet da numba on em."

"Right. But you need to tell me everything that you saw.

"Ai." And the two of us carrying Hiccup along with the Hofferson girl and Iggerman boy headed to our home to hold and question him when he came round.