A Chief must show no fear, no worry... A Chief is a leader first, and a man second..."
-Stoick the Vast, How to Steal A Dragon's Sword
~O~
The Helmet II
~O~
Hiccup looked down. The dark forest seemed like a huge, burly smudge beneath him, now that Toothless soared in a magnificent arc, reaching the level of the moon with a few mighty swoops of his wings pummeling through the moonlit trees. Behind him, Barf and Belch cagily followed, a little disgruntled of being barred a midnight snack.
They made a few attempts to twist and turn their two mischievous heads, but Toothless had always kept a watchful eye, and he'd shoot plasma bolts towards them (though he'd purposely miss a few inches) whenever they did.
Along the journey, the young scrawny boy said nothing. He curled into his saddle and let his trusty dragon maneuver them towards Berk. It was a long quiet night, and he really couldn't believe what just happened.
A little quest for a Zippleback and he gets more than he bargained for. But he only saved her life, because he knew he'd never see her again. Besides, the shock and terror that had happened could have possibly rendered her unconscious. Maybe she'll remember everything as a dream, Hiccup hoped.
It wasn't long before he realized they were floating on top of the oceans and up ahead, he saw the cliffs and tall, stalactite rocks spearing up from the waters like snouts of large, dark whales. Toothless folded his wings backward and dove to the ground, landing on all fours.
"Go home, you two." Hiccup ordered the Zipplebacks, who responded by scrambling to the sleeping huts of Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "Mind if you stay up a little longer, bud?" He asked, rubbing Toothless behind his ear. The dragon nodded.
"I'll take that as a yes." He reached at the back of Toothless to get his satchel. "Now I'll just grab my helmet and…" he stopped when his hands thrust into nothing but air.
"My...my helmet…" his hands searched around the saddle where he fastened the strap. "Oh, gods. Don't tell me we dropped it." He rubbed his forehead, angered by his carelessness. Toothless let out an apologetic purr.
"I must have let the strap loose when I got off you, the minute I saw…" he shook any unwanted musings out of his head. "Never mind. Don't worry, bud. We'll get it back."
They were probably the only ones awake, since all the candle lights have been blown off and Berk was just another dark splotch in the coast of the Archipelago, except for his house that sat elevated on a sloping hill. But Hiccup didn't want to go home yet, so he stopped to one of his most favorite places to visit: the Meathead Public Library.
The door creaked open, and as he peeked inside, the Hairy Scary Librarian was still up, stamping and piling books in their respective shelves. His craned his long, craggy neck and wrinkled his face when he saw the Viking boy peep from the rim of the door.
"Wha' are ye doin', here, ya filthy li'l boy? Ah won't be 'aven no good troublemakers in mah library," he snorted. "Neither am Ah takin' any no good dragons."
"I just have to ask if you have any books about…the um…Highlands?" He stuttered, seeing the librarian wasn't in the best of moods. Well, since when was he in the best of moods?
"Go check 'em yourself. Ah'm no slave, boy." Toothless growled at the librarian, sensing he wasn't really the friendly type.
"Well, that's extremely helpful." Hiccup rolled his eyes. He swaggered towards the towering shelves, glancing warily at the Hairy Scary Librarian who gnarled at him in response. "Honestly, am I the only sane person on this island?" He asked himself while brushing his fingertips over the titles.
"Hairy Hooligans, Hermit Hags…" he read along, and held his breath at the following book. "Highlands." Dropping low, he reached to pull the book from its grotto. The shelf groaned in frustration since nobody on the island really reads. They think books were an influence of civilization, which was probably a lie since the librarian certainly did not look civilized.
But the library was a fascination for the son of the chief. Massive tomes lay untouched throughout the tables and he wondered if anyone even bothered to peer through the volumes.
Hiccup sat down after taking a few candles to glow by him during his reading. The book that was the size of his own torso exhaled an abundance of dust as he turned the cover over. The first page was a riot of stains and brown smudges peppered in tattered edges.
"Highlands: Legends, Histories, Natives."
The next moment was filled with terror and utter shock when she pulled the dainty object out from its sack. Dropping the object that looked horrifyingly familiar, she scrambled away from it as if it carried some fatal disease. The sound echoed through the stone floor when it fell, its rims spinning until it finally stayed still, facing her in an ominous manner. Her hands turned clammy and trembled at the touch of its hard surface.
It was a Viking helmet.
Merida, still taken aback, was breathing heavily. She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Her heart twisted beneath her ribs and jolted at the image of the Viking boy flashing through her mind. But what did she know about them? Who were they and how did this war even begin? Why were they called barbarians when this 'Viking' she encountered didn't kill her, instead, he saved her.
Her mind was bombarded with so many questions that needed to be unriddled at once. She hoisted herself up, took the helmet with the satchel and barged out of the door, heading to the place she didn't really fancy, but the only place she knew that could possibly answer everything she never bothered to ask.
"G'd evening, Maudie!" The softhearted servant leaned against the wall as Merida passed by in a rapid pace.
"Wha' is she up tae, now?" Maudie snorted, bending down to pick up the deserts that she splattered on the floor. But to her surprise, three little red headed devils popped out of nowhere and stole the delicious cakes under her very nose.
Merida opened the door in one swipe, causing a few torches to flicker as an unwelcomed breeze of summer gales entered. Their Royal Library was a very beautiful one indeed. Scroll-laden shelves were strewn across the room like incessant pillars. She scrambled up to the ladder to explore the highest reaches, which contained the first letter of the word she was trying to find.
"Vikings…Vikings…Vikings…where are ye?" Merida groaned. Her fingertips brushed over the illuminated text of the book she was looking for in bold letters.
"'Vikings: Barbarians of the Archipelago,' Ah! Ye beauty!" Quickly, Merida battled to bend the sturdy little book out of its shelf. The book still lay inside its hollow, refusing to submit to the princess's grapple. With one final pull, the book launched itself towards Merida, who, in surprise, stumbled back and fell.
"Gah!" She screamed. "Oh, that's just grand." The princess was now dangling upside down, with her foot latched on one of the ladder steps. She began swinging herself back and forth to get herself down, and from this, the ladder broke in halves and Merida fell flat on her back.
Grumbling, Merida rubbed the nape of her neck. "Well, the morning will certainly be a pain after this."
Beside her, the innocent little book lay opened to arouse more of Merida's curiosity. She picked it up and sluggishly hovered towards the corner then sat down on the floor with crossed legs, her back resting against the stonewall. With only the moonlight spearing through the intricate stained glass windows as her source of light, she flipped the cover over to begin reading.
"The Highlands are home to savages and brutes, each individual living in these areas are armed in seasoned hides, chaotic souls and inanity. Because of the abundance in their allies, their contentment never lasted on one single territory, and have a habit of attacking ancient Viking war ships and looting their lands," Hiccup read, "But they have much worse practices that happen every generation…"
"For every generation, young Vikings must learn to kill hundreds of large animals, raid even their neighboring tribes, and even abduct young Scottish people to become their slaves." Merida breathed, her pulse sprinting at the thought of becoming a slave. "Because of relentless Viking raids, the people of the Highlands forge an alliance to wipe out the entire race of savage, uncivilized Vikings."
Hiccup gulped, the handwritings were scribbled frenziedly. "Capable of hoisting a ton over their heads in a high arc, lifting logs of trees and hurling it towards another side of a field, traditional kills of predators and gruesome beasts…"
"Able to slaughter with their bare hands, women are encouraged, even required to fight in battles," The Princess quite liked the idea of being required to scuffle in warships. Surely, she can shoot down an entire armada if she can. They kept reading, flipping pages that suggested more of the opposing clan's unruly assets.
"If you ever engage a Scottish…"
"If you ever engage a Viking…"
Hiccup's hands trembled, hesitating to turn the next page. His fingers wrapped around his dagger, its shape familiar and reassuring that everything that happened was real. Merida swallowed, her recent encounters flashing in vivid memories.
"Kill them on sight."
"Kill them on sight."
"For they will always…always…go for the kill." They read simultaneously.
Merida, upon finishing reading, laid her head against the wall in exhaustion. "So why didn't ye?" She looked at the helmet once again, before shoving it back into the satchel and retreating to her room with questions far more complicated than ever.
After reading the last line, Hiccup closed the book with a thwack. His fingers were tapping the book as he laid his chin on his palm, bafflement written all over his face. "I…I can't."
Step. TAP. Step. TAP. Step. TAP. Hiccup looked behind, his vision following the source of the sound.
"Can't wha', Hiccup?" Gobber asked, stopping mid-stride to look at him.
He immediately stood up, tucking the book in his chest. "Oh, you know, can't actually believe how I managed to kick some Scottish butts on my way here…"
"Is tha' sae? 'Ew many?"
"Enough. I don't like to brag…" He shrugged his shoulders and flexed his muscles (?). Gobber couldn't read the boy's mixed expressions, try as he might to draw some hint from Hiccup's green eyes. Hiccup kept stuttering in his words and that's when his mentor suspected something was going on.
He inched closer, so close that Hiccup had to lean back. "I know wha' this is about."
He gulped, "Er…you do?"
"Is this about the breakup with Astrid?"
"Oh." Hiccup said, a little relieved he didn't know what was really going on, yet mortified that people like Gobber knew about the issue with Astrid. "Right, I mean…yeah, but I'm not so…down about it," he cast a sidelong glance at his mentor.
"Now, yer thinking about this all wrong. Its okay tae be upset."
"Uh..upset? Me? Pffft…"
"Look, it's one of these times that when ye lose something, yer bound to get something better! Look a' me hand…" Gobber raised his left hand, replaced by various metal prostheses by his own craft and design. "Those no good fingers I finally go' rid of when those dragons ate 'em. Now, Ah have a hammer hand!"
"I don't know. I kind of prefer flesh." He said, rubbing his fingers together protectively.
"Yer probably just tired. Ye better get some sleep, Hic. Ye know wha' happens tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. I'm going to the Highlands and I'll be gone for a month. It's all been arranged." He grunted, knowing he'll be sequestered in a huge forest for sundry days, surviving with only Toothless and himself.
Gobber raised an eyebrow. "Ye packed yer skirts?"
"Skirts?"
"Yer father wants ye to blend in while ye spy." He grabbed a few of his handmade kirtles and waved them for Hiccup to see. He groaned, and put up his hand to keep the skirts at bay.
"Very funny. I'll wear that the day Ragnarok happens or when our dragons are the ones riding us."
Gobber jeered, "Sorry, Hic. You have to wear this."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO. NO. NO. There is absolutely no way I am wearing a skirt."
"This is humiliating." Hiccup lifted the ends of the green kilt he was forced to wear the next day. Disgusted and ashamed of himself, he covered his face every time someone passed. It was almost noon and everyone on Berk gathered to see maybe the last of him. No doubt, some of the elders had taken extra time clearing the road to gawk at the heir of Stoick the Vast preparing to venture into the unknown while wearing a ridiculous outfit.
All his friends were staring at him.
"Ugh, Hiccup. You look like a girl. " Astrid taunted, glancing at a mortified Hiccup from head to toe. "But it's a nice look for you."
"Wait, men actually wear that kind of thing in Scotland?" Snotlout asked, gesturing at his cousin's clothing. "Boy, am I glad I'm a Viking."
"I sort of like it." Ruffnut leaned closer to Hiccup. "It's kinda cute." Astrid pulled the horns on her helmet, causing her to stagger back.
"Sorry. That's a little too intimate." She said.
"What? Why? You guys aren't dating anymore, right?" Astrid rolled her eyes in response.
Snotlout glared at the two. "You guys are really fighting over him, than me?"
"Thank you for the kind words." Hiccup stiffened, trying to stay out of sight as possible. His father approached him from behind.
"Alright, son. Do ye have everything ye need?" Stoick asked. Hiccup glanced at Toothless who was carrying a large hamper.
"Yes. Yes, I do."
His father nodded; satisfied at how well he thought his plan was turning out. "Alright, we'll be expecting yer return after a month. And by that time, ye'll tell us everything ye learned about them."
With a frustrated grunt, he said, "I will."
"Brighten up, son. You've fought the largest dragon in the world and won. This is nothing!" He beamed.
Tuffnut wrinkled his forehead. "Yeah it was so cool when we defeated that Seafra…seacrab…."
"Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus?" Fishlegs told Tuffnut.'
"Seafra-exactly," Tuffnut grinned.
"Great, as soon as Hiccup's gone, I won't have anybody to pick on," Snotlout paused.
"You have me." Fishlegs pointed out.
"You're a little too fleshy."
"Sweet baby thunder of Thor…" Astrid clapped a hand over her forehead. "Are you sure we can't send somebody else to do this job?"
"Hey, I'm the heir of the Hooligan Tribe. It's my responsibility. Don't worry, Astrid. Everything will go back to normal once I get back." Hiccup reassured her.
"If…you get back." Ruffnut corrected.
"Shut up, or I swear to Odin I will slice your head." Astrid's insides began to churn and boil as well. Ruffnut laughed that this was having an impact on Astrid.
"Still concerned over Hiccup? Like I said, you guys are no longer together."
"That doesn't mean I don't care about him."
Tuffnut groaned. "Blaegh. Give me a second to leave," he rasped. "I can't stand girls and their mushiness," Ruffnut rolled her eyes, and smiled haughtily at Astrid.
"Hey Hiccup, since I'm your cousin, can I be the President of the Dragon Academy if you die?" Snotlout snarled, pumping his chest with his fists to show his strength.
"The Vice President will take care of that." Hiccup sighed.
"And he won't die." Astrid scoffed. The whole group was silenced when someone rose on a very high point on their village, making him the center of attention.
"Alright, everyone! The son of our Chief is preparing tae leave!" Gobber yelled, hauling the notice of everyone in the island. Hiccup took the signal and ran towards Toothless while trying to pull down his skirt to make it longer.
Toothless looked curiously at his rider. "I know what it looks like, now will you please stop it?" He saddled himself and got ready to take off. The Night fury spread his folded wings as Hiccup let the prosthetic tail out.
"Hiccup, wait!" Hiccup looked behind him to see Astrid. It was kind of hard to ever look at her again, especially after everything that's happened. "I know what happened last week was hard for both of us. But I really think it was for the best. I just wanted to say I'm sorry if I had ever hurt you."
He managed a weak reply, despite his closing throat. "I…I'm sorry too. I guess we're better off like this," he said, refusing to meet her eyes.
"Hey, Hiccup?"
"Yes?"
"Be safe." Fear began to creep like frost on his skin, wondering what will happen once he leaves the island. The crowd waved about in the village, shouting hoots, goodbyes and even condolences as they watch Toothless leap from the cliff and dive towards the ocean. The waters ripped in halves as he plummeted through the rocks. With waters fathoms and fathoms wide, they cruised for quite a while until the sight of trees peeked out in green, jagged, outlines.
They plunged into the forest as silent as feathers flying through serene gusts. "We have to go deeper, Toothless. I have to find my helmet." He carefully made his way between the jutting rocks until he reached a place where the falls settled into a narrow stream that wound its way toward the glen's floor.
"I don't remember this place." Hiccup dismounted Toothless, letting his dragon drink the crisp waters lapping softly along the banks. He looked up from the sound of rushing noise and saw the cliff from where the waterfalls perched. Mists drifted as it poured, racing down like hundreds of frosty horses on silver tethers.
"We're probably at the lowest point of this island, Toothless. It's best if you stay here while I go upriver." Toothless made a sound of objection.
"It's okay, bud." He patted his dragon's snout. "I'm trying to blend in, and a huge black dragon walking beside me isn't going to help. I'll be back for you, I promise."
And there, Toothless slumped onto the barracks quietly; his enormous eyes following the figure of his rider slowly disappear into the darkness. Hiccup no longer heard the gentle rise of the waterfall as he delved deeper and higher, trying to find his helmet.
Of course, if you were a fanciful person, you would expect a wild, redheaded princess riding through the forest on a beautiful dark stallion. But Hiccup wasn't that much of a fanciful person.
So he didn't.
He kept barreling through the woods as if he were the only person on the isle. He thought about a lot of things; if he was going to survive here, how everyone was doing, how Astrid was doing. As much as he hated to admit it, he had been quite miserable since the break up. For a Viking his age, he was already dealing with very complex emotions. Hiccup knew he could never find someone as good as Astrid.
But little did he know he was about to find someone better.
A/N: ASDFGHJKL Have you guys seen the teaser trailer for How To Train Your Dragon 2?! It was UHMAZING. Hiccup looked so different, but he's gotten hotter. SO its okay *fangirls*
Thank you, for all 17 reviews my ducklings. Your reviews are among the kindest I have ever received in my months of fan fiction writing.
If you were a little confused, Hiccup and Merida were reading at, sort of, the same time, but they're not in the same room. Just wanted you to see how serious the different perspectives of Vikings and Scottish are against each other.
So...going back to the latter, the official meet and greet of Merida and Hiccup happens next week (probably) so review and tell me what you want to happen so I can make a few tweaks and get ideas from all you beautiful people! You all look the same to me, anyway.