Chapter 20

The Rock at Sea

They had been flying for about two hours when Hiccup could not take it anymore and called for them to land on a small island, or more like a large rock, they were approaching. As soon as they did so he slumped off of Toothless exhausted.

"How badly are you hurt?" Toothless asked anxiously.

"Pretty bad," Hiccup groaned as he slowly pulled his armor and shirt. Toothless took one look at his beaten torso and screamed with anger.

"Those…those…monsters! I'll rip them to pieces! I'll beat them until they've got no skin left! Those…AUGH!" he was so angry he could not think of the words to express it. He finally ordered Hiccup to turn over and began to lick the wounds. Hiccup let out a loud sigh of relief. Toothless scowled.

"I tell you to take things easy and what happens? You get tortured! Why do you always do this to yourself and me?"

Hiccup just smiled. "Thanks Bud,"

"You can thank me better by not getting injured like this!"

"Hey, I didn't exactly ask them to flog me!"

"Barbarians." Toothless spat. "Are humans always so cruel to their own kind?"

"Some do even worse, Bud." Hiccup said bitterly. He looked upwards and called to the dragons with humans to land. The rest would return to the Sanctuary or head to Berk and send up the signals announcing they had been successful. Grimm and Evictus would meantime return to Berserker Island and keep watch on it until daybreak.

Astrid had been helping the others dismount (not an easy task considering Snotlout had somehow gotten his shirt caught on Hookfang's horns). When she turned around and got a good look at Hiccup for the first time she screamed. His back was covered in dried blood. Long ugly crusted scabs crisscrossed along flaps of red skin, partly covering deep gouges.

"Oh Gods, Hiccup, I am so sorry!" She rushed over to him, and the others weren't far behind, "what can I do?"

Toothless growled at her.

"He says he'll take care of me," Hiccup translated.

"Wot does a dragon know 'bout healing?" Spitelout asked scornfully.

"He healed me after you bunch threw a spear into my shoulder, didn't he? Anyway, Night Fury saliva has healing properties in it."

Stoick tried to approach him too, but the dragons sitting near Hiccup at once hissed at him. It was clear they would not allow him near their human, and Stoick could only stare at the young man's back from a distance. He could not figure out what else to do or say.

The younger humans were trusted more and allowed to get close to Hiccup. Fishlegs poured the contents of his water skin into Hiccup's helmet and Astrid took a rag and began to wash his face. Ruffnut, who had a little medical knowledge, began to examine Hiccup's other injuries, while the boys began to set up a makeshift campsite. Snotlout was very glad to be able to do something to get his mind off of the past few days. When he glimpsed his cousin's back he walked away feeling sick and shivering.

"I'm guessing we're staying here tonight, sir. It's as good a place as any." Fishlegs told Stoick, who merely nodded.

"So, Hiccup," Astrid said, "is now the time to tell us what the plan was?"

"I'd like to hear this too," Stoick agreed. Now that they had landed he was not feeling as cheerful as he had been. In fact, he was a bit angry at Hiccup's apparent recklessness. "What on earth were you thinking?"

"Actually, baring my physical condition, everything went exactly as planned." Hiccup smirked. Spitelout snorted.

"Oh yes? Including the part where ya cracked and told 'em everything?"

"Am I really that good of an actor?" Hiccup shook his head, disrupting Astrid's attempts to wipe it off. "I only told them what I wanted them to believe."

"That was all a lie?" Stoick exclaimed.

"Partly."

Fishlegs interrupted "A fleet is assembling, sir, but they would not have arrived for nearly 2 weeks. I felt we couldn't wait that long, so I sent for him and we put this plan together. But I didn't know that you were going to get tortured for it." He looked at Hiccup accusingly.

"And let yerself git caught!" Spitelout sneered.

"Well obviously! I—ow—didn't know where you were being kept, so Toothless and I staged a rescue attempt. All I then had to do was to wait until night and pick the locks."

"Was getting tortured part of your plan?" Astrid asked hoarsely.

He looked away from her and spoke in broken tones. "It was—ouch—a risk I had to take. I prepared for it…came up with some things to say when we were flying there." He tried to sound casual about it, but in fact his body was screaming at him with every slight movement.

Stoick was impressed. "So you only pretended to crack?"

"Ah highly doubt that."

"Shut up, Spitelout!" Stoick snapped.

"What are ya taking his side for?" demanded his brother.

"Because I'd like to hear what he has to say!"

"What he has to—!"

"Dad, he just saved all of our lives! You could show a little gratitude!" Snotlout suddenly shouted. Everybody, including Snotlout, looked amazed at his own daring. Spitelout was so stunned he was speechless.

"The world is getting stranger every day!" Hiccup commented. "And the screams were real…very real." Toothless flinched at this. "But if I'd told them everything before they laid a hand on me, it would have seemed suspicious to them. I'm not sure I really fooled Drago, but as he said, they couldn't take the risk."

"But why didn't you tell us this when we were locked up? Why didn't you tell me you were only faking it, and had another way to get us out? It would have made us all feel a lot better to know that!"

"Would it have?" Hiccup rasped. He turned his head to look Stoick in the eye. "I I didn't tell you because I didn't want to risk being overheard."

Stoick admitted that made perfect sense, and it was not like he had given him any reason to entrust any secrets with him. His own words came back to him: "I've never had a son." Dear Odin, even if he had not meant it then, how could he have said such a thing? How could he have said it when he had actually meant it?

"And ya risked everythin' on the 'ope that they wouldn't remove yer pegleg?"

"No, actually," Hiccup grinned, "You know, Spitelout, you've heaped a great deal of verbal abuse on me, but I've actually kinda enjoyed it—I knew even in those cells I'd have the last laugh, so your pathetic attempts to insult me have been more amusing than hurtful."

Spitelout looked taken aback at this.

"You know," Hiccup remarked after a long silence, still lying on his stomach and avoiding Stoick's gaze, "Astrid told me once I tend to talk more than I should, so for this plan I thought I'd use that to my advantage. I think the act of talking makes torture a bit more bearable. Even if you're telling lies and making things up, it still helps a little. It's like an outlet for the pain."

"You say that like you know," Fishlegs said suspiciously.

"Well, I did just—"

"Yeah, and what's up with all these scars on you? A lot of them look rather old." Ruffnut said sharply.

"And didn't Drago mention someone? A Doncia or something? I forget. What did he mean by that? And what was up with that fit you had in the cells?" Astrid asked.

"Oh come on, he 'ad a fit because he couldn't cope with the pressure." Spitelout said dismissively.

Stoick growled "Be quiet, Spitelout. Hiccup, what is it you're not telling us?"

"Plenty of things,"

"You know what I mean!"

"Can't this wait?" Toothless asked anxiously.

"Yes it can, Bud. I don't want to talk about it right now, all right?" He had begun to tremble again and the former prisoners had the sense to not pursue the matter, in case he had another fit.

They were silent for a very long time. Then at last Stoick spoke up.

"Drago mentioned someone…someone who would like to see you again,"

"Her name's Adoncia, and the feeling is not mutual,"

"Right. What does this girl have to do with Drago Bludvist?"

"She's working with him. I don't know exactly what happened, but she met Drago at some point and found her ways to be very much in line with his. He gave her a Skrill as her mount and she became his servant, spy, assassin…and interrogator."

Astrid shifted. "A Skrill? You mean—"

"Yeah, I'm talking about Grimm. And boy was he glad when we got those two apart. She'd beat him daily, just for the fun of it. Now she's got a Razorwhip. Sometimes a dragon hunting ship gets by us with some captives on it."

Toothless finally stopped licking the wounds. "That's all I can do for now. But you've gotta rest this time." He backed away and the humans could see Hiccup's back looked considerably better. The scars were still there, but freshly made wounds looked like they had been healing for weeks, rather than less than a single day.

"So since you left Berk eight years ago, you've lost a leg, taken a spear in the shoulder, lived among destructive dragons, learned how to fly, been tortured, and fought against a bunch of dragon enslaving madmen! Man, this guy's indestructible!" Tuffnut laughed, hitting Hiccup on the arm and making him groan. "But he's always been that way, come to think of it. Remember the time when we were twelve, when we tied him to a rock and threw him into the harbor?"

"Sure do!" Grinned Ruffnut, "he would have drowned if the water had been two inches higher—it passed his mouth but wasn't high enough to stop him from breathing through his nose! Oh yeah, I remember that! This guy just won't die!" She ruffled Hiccup's hair affectionately, "it's amazing."

"I remember that day," Fishlegs remarked.

"I don't," Stoick said gruffly. He glared at the twins. "What was the idea, trying to drown my son?"

"Hey, don't blame us!—Sir!" Tuffnut said, putting his hands up.

"It's was his idea!"

Fishlegs turned sharply to Hiccup. "You asked them to tie you up and throw you off the docks?"

"Yeah." Hiccup said shortly.

"What were you thinking?" Stoick shouted, "You could have been killed! According to Ruffnut, you almost were!"

Hiccup looked Stoick in the eye again. "That might have been the idea."

Everyone looked startled, even Spitelout.

"You meant for them to drown you?" Astrid shrieked.

"It was so well thought out," Hiccup stared at the sky, "just suggest to them to tie me up and throw me off the dock as if it was a game. I knew they couldn't resist. And it didn't work all because the rope that bound my legs to that rock was a just few inches too long."

"You were trying to kill yourself?" Stoick exclaimed.

"I believe that's what Astrid just said,"

"But—but why?"

Hiccup looked at him sadly. "The fact that you have to ask after all this time shows just how poor a relationship we've always had."

Stoick fell silent at this.

"But things will get better now, right?" Astrid asked anxiously. Nobody answered her.

It being apparent that nobody was in the mood to continue their journey, and in Hiccup's case he was clearly in no shape for more flying, the decision was made to stay where they were for the night. When it came to picking sentries, Stoick declared that as Chief he would take the first shift. In truth, he had too much to think about to be able to fall asleep, and as the Vikings and dragons alike turned in, he began pacing around the island lost in thought.

He looked over at the sleeping forms of the Night Fury and his son. Hiccup was lying against the dragon's side; the dragon was wrapped protectively around him, and its head was resting in Hiccup's lap. It was making some sounds softly, giving the impression that it was crooning a lullaby to Hiccup. Stoick tried to dismiss such a thought as nonsense, but in truth the dragon did seem to be behaving like a parent or older brother comforting a child. Both of their expressions were peaceful and happy. Stoick felt envious of the creature. He felt the dragon had replaced him. He should have been the one comforting Hiccup, yet Hiccup had barely looked at him since they had escaped. Then again, he could not exactly blame him. Had he not just recently disowned him and tried to kill him? He had now learned that Hiccup had attempted suicide at age 12, and he had never known about it. He couldn't even remember that day! Odin, Hiccup was not exaggerating when he commented on how poor a relationship they had had. It had gotten so bad that the boy preferred the company of a dragon, of all things, over the company of his own family!

He tried to find a way to defend himself. In fairness, he thought, he was the Chief and a widower, he had other duties beyond parenting, and there was nobody else to look after the boy when he was busy. He could not be a father and a Chief at the same time. He had tried that at first, but it had become too much of a hassle, looking after a child while dealing people who behaved like children. If Valka had been there, of course, things would have been much different, but it wasn't his fault Valka had died! That had been a dragon's doing, and now Hiccup was sleeping next to one! And truth be told, Hiccup had been a difficult boy to be a father to. He was always so…different. Small, scrawny, a dreamer, horrible at fighting…sure Stoick had not been the best parent, but his son had not exactly been the best son either.

Abruptly he realized just what he was thinking, and it him feel even worse. Was he so horrible a parent and a person that he could not even own up to his mistakes, but made an effort to justify them? How could he blame a mere child for being a difficult kid? And even if it was true, that did not justify his rotten parenting that had culminated in an attempt to kill him.

"A dragon and the village blacksmith grew closer to him than I did," he said mournfully. "Oh Val, what have I done?"

He looked up at the sky. The night was cloudy but here and there some stars were visible. He had often thought that Valka up there among the stars, watching events on Berk. He supposed it was a common source of comfort for those who had suffered losses. But at this moment, he hoped it was not true, for if she was up there, she would know exactly the relationship her husband and son had had. He shuddered at the thought of facing her if he ever reached Valhalla (he took it for granted that was where she had ended up) and could imagine her demanding why he hadn't treated their son better? Good gods, what would she say if she saw that night when he threw that spear?

"Is there any way to make this better?" he asked nobody in particular. "What can I do, Val?"

"Chief?"

Stoick whipped around and saw Astrid standing beside him. "It's my turn to watch, Chief."

"Oh—I must have lost track of time." He looked a bit embarrassed. "Actually, lass, I can stay up longer. I'm not tired."

"It's a lot to think about, isn't it?"

Stoick nodded bitterly. "Somehow whenever Hiccup gets involved it always gets complicated."

"I hadn't noticed," Astrid replied in a tone that matched Hiccup's dry sarcasm.

"Lass, you know him better than I do—what can I do?"

"Chief, I…I don't think I have the right to intrude in that…and I don't think I know him better than you do."

"You lived with him for a whole week. That's more time than I've lived with him in 8 years." Stoick said sadly.

"Well…" Astrid mused, "Sometimes when I've got a problem, I ask myself 'what would my father do if he were in my place?' What would Valka do if she was here?"

"Valka would never have let things get this bad," Stoick groaned, "She'd have paid attention to him…Thor, she would've probably begged him to find her a dragon of her own once she learned about that Night Fury…and I reacted by trying to kill him." He bowed his head in grief. "How could I have done that?"

"I don't know." Astrid said softly, "But look, chief…I think you do know what you have to do now. You've been given another chance that few people ever get. You've got a chance to fix things. And I know if I asked myself 'what would my father do,' I'd tell myself he would try to make amends."

Stoick nodded.

"I can't presume to tell you how to do that, of course. I've got my own share of amends to make, and I'm not sure what to do either." She looked at Hiccup, "but I think a good starting point would be to talk to him."

"About what?" Stoick asked anxiously. He and Hiccup had barely ever had conversations when he had lived on Berk. In his depressed state of mind, he had no real idea what to talk to his son about.

Astrid shrugged, "maybe about Toothless?"

Stoick had been hoping to avoid bringing up the dragon. He saw Toothless as something that had come between him and Hiccup, and he was still uneasy about letting the creature come to Berk. Hiccup might have tamed it, but the fact remained dragons had taken his wife, and the lives of many others.

"Chief, if you want Hiccup back on Berk, you must know by now Hiccup will bring Toothless with him or not come at all."

"I know, I know, but…are we really going to do this, Astrid? Are we going to bring dragons to Berk?"

"I think so, Chief." She for one now wanted it.

There was another problem that Stoick did not mention to her. If Hiccup did return, the Chiefdom of Berk was his to claim. Stoick had hoped that this problem would end when he proclaimed Astrid the heir, but now it had the potential to get even worse. It would hardly be right to just tell Astrid she was out and Hiccup was in, while on the other hand Hiccup's claim as a direct descendant and the original heir was the stronger of the two. Assuming Hiccup wanted to be Chief in the first place.

Stoick decided to first let Hiccup and Astrid talk it over amongst themselves. Maybe the two of them could settle this amicably. And with this decision he made another one. He had been often wished for another chance with his son, and now he had it. He would deserve Hel and all the horrors in existence if he messed up now. And he would prove to Hiccup and everyone else that he could be just as loving and affectionate as that Night Fury. As for what Spitelout had been suggesting earlier, those dreams of conquest and greatness had to go. Or maybe not. Maybe with Hiccup's help they could be realized in another way. But they could not exist at the expense of his son; that much he was adamant about. He had messed up horribly, and he was going to set it right now.

When Stoick finally turned in for the night, he felt considerably better.

'Tomorrow, son, we will begin again. Tomorrow, Val, I will be a father to our son."