Ch30: My Side Of The Story

I don't own HTTYD or the characters. I use the OC and OOC in this story to fit the plot that's all.

"Uhh because I need to?" I answer Lanie's question hesitating.

Hiccup you are going to need a better reason to work on what you want in the forge then that."

"Any suggestions?"

"None that I would tell you at the moment."

"Come on, I'm not staying coped up here when I have things I could be doing."

'Hiccup how do you think I feel being grounded!'

"You could hurt yourself further and be here longer if you do go. At the moment you cannot even remain standing long without support, and your movements are severely sluggish. That is if you can even stand yet."

"I can and I will. I don't feel that bad."

"Why not just tell me what it is you want to do? I could help or have Chapskin help. He is a blacksmith and a good one from what I hear from his father. He even earned the title of Chapskin the Ironside both because of his skills in the forge and in the final dragon test."

That might not be such a bad idea. What I need and the present I want to make I could have him do it. But that won't work with the addition and upgrade for Toothless's gear. It's too suspicious, it won't be anything they've ever seen and that will bring unwanted questions as to what it's for. The truth of what it's for is out of the question. Not to mention it's complicated without the plans or knowledge of what it is. So while I could trust Chapskin to make two of my things, one of them has to be done by me.

"How about we get some fresh air. Besides we keep the kids waiting any longer the rumors are just going to get worse."

"Please do not call them kids. Keep in mind that they are older than you. You should show some respect. They are two of this village's dragon slaying champions in Dragon Training three years ago."

"Is that how he lost his arm?"

"No that happened before training during a raid. He sacrificed his arm to save my daughter."

"Must be grateful for that."

"More than you know."

"And he was still the champion? Must be one heck of a Viking. Blacksmith and warrior, quiet the talented guy for someone who lost his left arm."

"He didn't do it alone. Shazz and him fought together ever since that incident and became the champions together."

"You do the final challenge in teams? Never heard of that before."

"Neither have we but the two of them strongly insisted. Eventually the chief and elders gave in and they did it together."

"The time's sure are changing. Tag teams in the final dragon test, and banished hunted outlaws befriending and riding dragons. 300 years of tradition seem to be slipping away don't they?"

"I think it might be more changing than slipping away. Wait did you say"

"Hey Shazz Chapskin you can come back in now! I'm not ready to die but I guess that up to Shazz." I yell out to interrupt Lanie once I realized my slip up. I still haven't told her about what my current situation being hunted. All she knows is that I left. That all anyone needs to know.

The older teens rushed in with 15 other people. Anything anyone said was lost in a river of words that came at us in a flurried stream.

Seemed that plenty of people heard what Shazz yelled out. With juicy gossip come all the hyenas looking for a piece of the news.

"EVERYONE GET OUT!" Shazz and Lanie yelled out loud enough to probably push everyone out with their voice alone.

Everyone ran out as fast as they came, in leaving only Chapskin, Shazz, Lanie, and myself.

The two older teens looked like they were ready for answers. Mostly Shazz and her death glare.

"Good to see you up Hiccup." Chapskin greeted.

"Likewise Chapskin. Or should I call you Ironside?"

"Lanie told you about that huh. By the way when did you wake up? Must have been a while ago if you heard about that."

"I got up last night. Managed to hear a few things about where I am. So you two tag teamed?"

"That a longer story for a less pressed time."

"Dinner then?"

"Sounds like a date."

"My, that really is weird to see. It's like watching Chapskin talk with his past self." Lanie gave her opinion of our conversation.

"I think it's more like he's talking to himself. Like his reflection in the water just popped out and started moving on its own." Shazz gave an alternate comparison.

"Hey, reflection Chapskin here listening to every slightly patronizing word."

"Sorry, Hiccup."

"Don't say sorry to him mom!"

"Dear just forget about before. It was not what you think."

"Mom there is no way to misunderstand that! You two were naked pressed together like a sandwich!"

"Shazz It was just an accident. Like a joke."

"Well it sure wasn't funny!"

"So what's your side of the story Hiccup?" Chapskin ask me while the girls argue on their side.

"I sleep walk a bit."

"Ah so it was an accident."

"Yeah pretty much. I haven't done it in such a long time so it was a bit of a surprise. Sorry for the confusion."

"What about the naked part?"

"I don't know about that. Probably lost my clothe in my sleep. Not too sure, I remember Lanie changing my bandages and that's it before Shazz freaked out."

"Yeah I notice you're wearing Shazz's old stuff."

"Please don't remind me. It bad enough that they fit better than my own clothe. Not to mention what she will say. Seriously this morning has been one big mess after another."

"Let's just see if you can convince my fiancé that it really is just a series of freak accidents."

"Fiance. Yeah I heard you two were getting married. Lanie told me it's happening soon. Congratulations."

"Thanks but it seems that I may have made a little hiccup in the planning." I raise my brow at him giving an 'I-can't-believe-you-just-said-that look.

"Sorry, didn't mean that."

"So what's your hiccup?"

"Well I don't have a Best man at the moment."

"I see I see." I nod my head in understanding. "No I don't I don't know what that is, Sorry." I really don't, I've never heard of what a best man is. Is that like that dragon champion in training?

The other stop what they're doing and stare at me like I wasn't real. Everyone stopped just to see if I was being truthful.

"You can't be serious?"

"What do you mean you don't know? You're the chiefs heir How can you not know? Are you just that stupid? First you go after my mom and then you lie about your life?! I knew it you are some kind of con-man. We know who you are Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III!"

"Hiccup you might want to take that back before you turn my fiancé into your murderer."

"I said this before, that's a right already reserved for someone. Someone not you." I look at Shazz to make my point that she won't kill me, as a joke or for any other reason. I see her a bit startled by my statement. "But yeah I am being serious. I don't know what that is. In fact I don't know much about weddings in general. I know the family bonding aspect, the offerings, and rings and the uhh the uhmm…. No that's it, that's all I know. I don't know anything about the ceremony, I've never been in one myself."

"Alright how can you not have? You're the heir to Berk, didn't your dad teach you the traditions you will have to do? It's the chief's duty to wed villagers. Well most of the time, at other times it's can be done by any villages elder."

"Yeah, see I didn't know that about the elders. Can they really do it too?" I ask them seriously.

"Ok wait, are we still sure that this is Hiccup Horr whatever of Berk? He doesn't seem to know anything." Shazz asks unsure about my identity.

"Hey! I am who I am. Hey!? What happened to the stuff I had when I got here?" I ask hoping to distract the conversation again.

"Oh I got your notebook, money, and mini-knife here." Chapskin was passing them back but they were intercepted by Lanie who took them from Chapskin.

"Oh no, I am not letting you do that again. Now answer, you are Hiccup right?"

"What do you mean 'again' mom? What did he do!"

"He called you two back in to avoid my question I had. But I am not going to let you dodge another question again. I believe you are Hiccup of Berk. But it seems you don't know much."

"Pfft that's an understatement." I assert that statement. "Believe me recently I really don't know much."

"So why?"

This is an interesting question, 'Why'. Truthfully I don't know why either. Why was I never told things, why we're thing hidden from me, why did I think anyone was being forthcoming with me when all they did was try to keep me out of their lives?

Again an interesting question. Really I think it was a misjudgment on my part. No one really hid their dislike of me or what I did so I thought that was all it was, they just didn't like my way. It always seemed easy and simple, like a 1+1 equation, I was Hiccup living with Vikings so I wasn't wanted. It was supposed to be simple and the way to fix it was to prove myself, but in the end it wasn't. It wasn't simple or anything.

Little things, that's what I keep missing. All the little things that people did or didn't do, and said or didn't say. I keep making that mistake to overlook and not fully analyze the full extent of people's actions towards me. I never noticed that everything around me once put into context made more sense and explained more about my position in Berk.

I was never allowed in certain gatherings that I should have. I was the chief's son so I had to be present at lots of events to learn to do them one day. But I never was. Anything I know about chiefdom and tribe relations I learned from watching Stoic from a distance. Not taught, saw. Stoic always said that I had to learn to become a good chief but he never took the time to show me how. In his own way he knew that I would become chief but never really believed it himself that I could properly lead. Hence 'good'; not great, unique, or outstanding, just good.

For Stoic or any Viking that's the same as forgettable or unimportant. Not an ideal reputation for a chief. A chief needs a fearsome title.

And as for the village, they may have to take me as a leader but they didn't have to like it. For them so long as I stayed out of their hair they didn't care what I did. That's why I was never invited to anything. I know that some people like Mildew saw me as a cursed child from Loki or something like that, so it really did make sense why I would never be invited to something as holy as a wedding. It'd be the same as being wed by a dragon to them. I was just bad luck to them in anything I did. For me to be involved would be like marking any event as corrupted. A bad omen for the future.

With that same line of thinking I can figure what my dad intended to do about me when I was still Hiccup the Useless. Arranged marriage. It's not all unheard of. If he found a strong woman that would marry me she would become the leader and I would be a figure head. He would even be able to double his gain by finding a girl from another village farther from us and less friendly to us to increase relations and trade.

Marriage huh? Maybe it's because it was never anything I'd ever been involved in but I never really thought about how it would be like. Really me a husband? This is probably only the second time in my life that I ever thought about such a thing. Sure I've thought of things like girlfriends but that's a bit different then wife. It's like a whole other level; the commitment, the responsibility, the family…

I need to stop thinking about that right now. Imaginary situation and fantasies can only give rise to hope or madness. For me the latter is the only possibility. Since everyone already considered me crazy I'd rather not enhance that opinion for myself. Once I say it about myself then I'm in trouble.

I am not repeating all that to Chapskin and the others, that's for sure.

"My dad leads by example that includes how he taught me so I'm sort of half taught. As for weddings and other things I always get the invite late so I never make it. Now give me back my stuff." I lied.

I do want the knife back. It's Gobber's and he gave it to me so I'm not going to lose that.

The teens seem to be hesitant to believe my excuse but they seem to take it better than I thought they might, they look like they accept it. That's just another dent and boost to my confidence. It's a lousy lie yet they still buy it. I'm either that good or that bad at lying.

Lanie however seemed to know better, she somehow knew I was screwing with them about my real lack of social knowledge.

"Hiccup I think I'll hold on to your things for now." 'Till you tell the truth.' Is how she means it.

Great she's holding my stuff hostage.

"So Hiccup, I think you know, or at least expected, that we want to hear what your story is and how you got here." Chapskin informs me of their intentions. His statement can be simplified in one word, interrogation.

"Just so you know we didn't find a boat or anything else other than what we found on you. So if you did come by ship then it must have sunk or been destroyed. We also didn't find anyone else. Is there anyone else here with you? Like pursuers or other fellow crew that came with or followed?" Shazz detailed the results of their island search.

"No I came here alone. My boat was already half sunk when I landed so it's probably frozen underwater by now."

"So you were here before the storm hit. Why didn't you try to search for people?"

"I hurried to find shelter since I arrive just before the storm. I couldn't use my ship so I hurried deep in the woods where I found a good spot to take shelter from the cold. After the worst passed I walked around as much as I could to find anything or anyone on the island but with my injuries I really didn't get far so I never really found much."

"Ok so you did come here on your own."

"I did, but I didn't really sail here. I actually drifted. I stole a small dingy and escaped but I passed out onboard and when I woke up found myself already on your shores. It was really lucky for me that I just stumbled on this island, my ship like I said was half sinking. If I didn't I probably would have drowned."

"So that's how you got here, but what about why? We know Berk tortured you, what happened? Why did they do it? What did you do?"

Here a question that I have to answer very carefully. Truthfully telling them why breaks what I told them earlier and would put me in trouble if they know I'm wanted, and a lie can't be complete or believable because it's hard to explain what I did without seeming like a traitor to my people. The real problem with a lie is that I runaway, which means someone did something wrong which resulted in me running away. If not to incriminate me the only other way is to disparage Berk. What I tell them comes down to either portraying myself as the bad guy and traitor or make Berk the villain in my story who unjustly hurt me. No matter what I tell them it's going to turn them against someone, either me or Berk.

And there's a big problem with tuning them against Berk. If I do that I run the risk of leading them to conflict with Berk out of sympathy for me.

No, I'm not having anyone fight for me like that. I can't use others sympathy towards me like that. That's just wrong and even worse if anyone gets killed because of it.

No sympathy.

I'll be the one that's wrong and I'll run.

But my plan was taken from me. Lanie tells this part herself. "Hiccup told me last night. He told me that Berk recently captured someone that drifted to their shores. Hiccup was being nice to them and freed them. When his father learned this he captured them both and began torturing them. Right Hiccup."

What is she doing?! That is not good she's playing their sympathy towards me rather than my idea to be wrong! And she's already said it I can't take it back without the whole story failing badly for both of us.

She got herself tangled up in my problems. And now I have to follow her story. "Yeah. We managed to slip away but he died from his injuries before we got to a ship." Damn it.

They completely accepted this story only because Lanie told it, otherwise they obviously would have been skeptical.

They had the look that I expected from hearing the story, sad and apologetic sympathy.

"Why did you help this guy? If you didn't you would still be safe at home. So why?" Shazz asked. This time her voice wasn't angry at me like earlier, she pitied me for being hurt by my people and wanted to know why.

"You said he was just an innocent teen about your age right." Damn it Lanie! Stop covering for me.

"Yeah, he said that his ship was destroyed and he drifted to Berk." I unwillingly complete her story.

Chapskin and Shazz believe the story. Someone they know is backing me so they're taking what she says as true. "Alright, well you should be fine here for now. It must have been pretty traumatic to have your own village do that to you just for doing the right thing and helping someone." Oh please don't say what I think you'll say Shazz. "But you'll be fine here. We'll take care of you. So just take your time and heal up. Just don't make any moves on my mom and we'll be fine, ok."

"Ok" I weakly reply.

"Good, well we should be going Chap. We still have things to get ready for the wedding. Especially you Chap!"

"Yes dear. I'll find a Best man by the end of the day." I still don't know what that is.

They got up from where they were sitting and left out the door chatting happily to each other about their plans for later. Shazz turns around to say one last thing. "Oh yeah listen we're going to tell this to the chief so he may come by later to confirm what you told us."

"Shazz dear also go out and see that you clear up that mess you made about us sleeping together, please."

"Already on it mom."

They left the house to do whatever it is they planned to do. I wait till I think they are clear and when I feel it is I turn to Lanie and tell her exactly what was on my mind about what she said.