Alvis knew he wasn't supposed to be in the forest.
His father had told him over and over again: he was not allowed without him, his mother, or Loggard.
But it was practice day in the arena and it was beautiful outside. And besides, he was going to be seven soon. A big kid! Almost an adult! He could make his own decisions.
So when he was supposed to be harnessing Eggshell for drills he quietly put his fingers to his lips and led the consternated dragon out the back into the deep blackforest at the edge of their back yard.
"Shh, Eggshell. We don't want Daddy finding us." Alvis whispered.
Eggshell snorted and shot flame, obviously not happy with his master's plan.
On the edge of the woods, where the canopy just began to obscure the sun enough to make shadows dance everywhere even in broad daylight, he sprinted.
Eggshell pounded after him, but it was hard for him to keep up. Alvis kept tripping over roots, hitting his head on low branches and banging his knees on rocks.
Every time, Eggshell tried to get him to stop so he could lick his wounds, but he just got up and ran further.
Finally, Alvis stopped by a cool stream and they both drank.
Wiping his mouth with a mischievous grin, he pat Eggshell on the back in congratulations.
"We did it, Egg!" He said gleefully. "Practice has to be over now. Daddy will never find us."
He looked to the path behind him and the smile on his face was smacked clean off by a sudden realization.
He didn't know that path.
"Uh oh." He whispered. "Now we can't find us."
He scampered around desperately trying to find a section of the woods he knew but it was all unfamiliar.
In his excitement and attempts to not be found he had gotten himself lost.
He sat down on a rock and began to cry. Eggshell nuzzled him and licked his face, cleaning a cheek that had been cut on a stray branch.
Through his blubbering he heard footsteps. Already on edge from getting lost, he drew his knife. It could be wolves, a wild dragon, an Outcast. He'd had bad experiences with all three of those possibilities.
But the sudden action caused him to tip off his perch and he leaned precariously as he waved his arms for balance.
"Woah!"
He was caught by strong arms as his knife clattered to the forest floor and he was looking into the smiling face of his father.
"Daddy!" Alvis cried, burying his face in his father's beard.
"Hi, pal. Bit extreme plan for cutting practice, doncha think?"
But he winked, obviously not angry. Just glad Alvis was okay.
"Hiccup!" Alvis heard his mother's voice call. "He here?"
"Yeah!" His father called back.
"Tha's great, Mr. Haddock!" Loggard's voice replied.
Both his mother and Loggard emerged from deeper in the forest.
His father let him down and he ran up to his mother, beginning to bawl.
"Oh, shh, shh, it's okay, sweetheart." She soothed, hugging him.
"Yer alright, little man." Loggard insisted. "Yer a trooper, ya are."
Toothless bounded from behind some trees to join them and he licked Alvis's whole head enthusiastically.
Alvis sniffed.
"How'd you know where I was?" he asked.
His father's eyes gleamed.
"What makes you think I didn't spend my fair share of mornings hiding in this forest?"
He ran his hand on the grooves of a rock, lost in thought.
"In fact…this isn't too far from where I met you, Toothless. Remember, bud?"
Toothless roared mildly in his throat and nudged his master's hand affectionately.
Hiccup smiled softly.
"Family has a way of finding each other, pal." He explained, scooping his son up to give him a warm hug.
"Daddy?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I still not have practice?"
"Good try. But no."
"Aw."
A/N: Thanks to Hibernia12 for the prompt and excuse for continuing this story! Just in time for HTTYD 2, I guess?
I hope you like it and thank you for reading/reviewing/ect.!