CHAPTER 5 – The Morning of the Wedding
Hiccup wakes up. The sun is shining, Terrible Terrors are singing on the rooftop…
He saunters down to breakfast, thinking all is right with the world, than Valka says, "Son, we need to talk."
"Not now, Mom, I got a whole day of goofing off to get started…" he muttered to himself.
"What was that?" asked Valka curiously. "Nothing," he replied quickly, "it's an inside joke."
"Okay…"
She looked at him oddly, before shaking her head and sliding him a plate of Gobber's porridge. "Anyway, as I was saying, we need to talk." Hiccup took a bite, chewing slowly. He grunted to show he was listening.
"Your wedding is today."
He nodded.
"This afternoon."
He took a sip of yak milk.
"Are you ready?"
He swallowed.
Valka observed him expectantly.
"Yes." He said finally. "I am."
She nodded.
"Good. Even if you aren't, at least I know you'll try you best."
She stood, and went to fetch some water from the well, leaving a rather disgruntled Hiccup behind. He sighed. After he finished his breakfast, he cleared away the dishes, and went upstairs. Toothless lay on his rock slab, asleep. Hiccup snuck past him. Suddenly the Nightfury's eyes flew open, and they moved to follow his master. The dragon watched his boy reach under his bed and retrieve a wooden chest. He watched him open the chest and gingerly take out a small box. Toothless sneakily raised his head to get a better view. Inside the little box was a small glistening object. A ring. White gold, expertly handcrafted, and imbedded with tiny purple amethysts and blue aquamarines.
Toothless snorted, making the chief jump and almost drop the box. When he recovered, Hiccup smiled sheepishly at the Nightfury. "This is for Astrid," he said, "when we exchange the rings." Toothless rose from his bed and slunk over to his human. He nuzzled his head into Hiccup's shoulder. "I know bud. I know." The young chief stroked his scaly head. "It's just another adventure." The dragon's large black wings extended, rustling, and encircled the pair in a sort of embrace. The best friends sat there, on the floor together, gazing at the ring and pondering everything it represented.
"I hope I'm ready," said Hiccup.
They looked at each other.
Then Gobber called up the stairs. "Hiccup! Come down 'ere! I've go' somethin' t' show yeh!"
He hastily replaced the ring in the box, and put that in the wooden chest, which he shoved under his bed. "Coming!" he cried, "Come on, bud." When they got to the main room, they encountered Gobber, who was holding a long object wrapped in a blanket. "Hi," said Hiccup. "Hey," Gobber replied. There was a pause. Then Gobber thrust the package towards Hiccup. The chief took the bundle and peeled back the blanket warily. It was a sword! Hiccup squinted at the engravings on the hilt. And not just any sword…Stoick's. Gobber cleared his throat. "Fer the weddin' yeh were supposed t' ge' a sword from yer ancestor's grave. T' give t' Astrid. But I figured yeh didn't wan' ta do tha'. So I figured yer father's would work just as well."
Hiccup gazed at it. Then he gazed at Gobber. Then he looked back down at the sword. Then he looked back at Gobber. "Thank you," he said finally. He slid the sword from the blanket. Surprisingly, it was in excellent condition. It had been recently polished and sharpened. Someone had been taking good care of it. Gobber…had been taking good care of it. Hiccup glanced at his friend. He seemed to have some dust in his eye.
"I'm alrigh'," choked Gobber, wiping his watering eyes. He pulled himself together.
"Now," he said hoarsely, "are you alrigh'?" He gave the young chief a hard look.
Hiccup nodded. He took a deep breathe, and then nodded again. "Yeah," he said, "I'm alright."
Gobber chuckled. "Worried about yer performance tonigh'? Well, I won't be as much 'elp as yer father would've been, but I can tell yeh t' take i' slow, an' don't—" Hiccup nearly dropped the sword.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Why does EVERYONE keep talking about this?!" he exclaimed. "That is NOT my issue! In fact, I don't really HAVE an issue! I'm just jittery, okay?! That's normal, I think!"
The older Viking laughed. "I kno', 'iccup!" he hooted, "I was jus' tryin' t' ge' a rise ou' t' ya!"
Hiccup turned away, shaking his head. He exited the room, and entered the kitchen.
Gobber followed him. "Oi, 'iccup, I'm sorry, I jus—"
"No, Gobber, it's not you. Really. I've just been having a rough time for the past 24 hours." Hiccup sat at the table, and placed the sword in front of him. He rested his elbows on tabletop, and settled his head into his palms. "Oh really," said Gobber. He pulled out a chair. It squeaked loudly as he dragged it across the floor. He sat down across from Hiccup. "Do yeh wan' t' tell me about i'?
The young man sighed. "Not really." He stared blankly at the wall behind Gobber. "You probably already know everything." Gobber raised his eyebrows. Of course, he knew already.
"Tell me anyway," he said.
"Astrid's going away. Two weeks after the wedding. I'll be by myself for a year."
Gobber nodded sympathetically.
"You know," said Hiccup, "I thought our getting married would mean we wouldn't ever need an excuse to see each other. That we could see each other every morning, every day, every night, and never have to be apart unless we wanted to be. I thought it would make things easier, better, for everyone. Instead, it's going to be harder, because now…it can't be like that. Right when I thought I'd found a way to keep her by my side for good, she's gone again! Against her will, obviously, but still gone. And they said a year at least! What if it's not at least? What if it's more? I can't stand her absence for that long, can I?"
Gobber twirled his braided mustache. "I dunno, 'iccup. Only you know 'ow much yeh can stand."
Hiccup ran his fingers through his hair roughly. "I'm talking nonsense, aren't I!" he said, frustrated.
Gobber shrugged. "Yer father was worse."
Hiccup rolled his eyes. Then he exhaled loudly. "I just don't know what to do with myself, Gobber."
Gobber smiled. "Jus' do wha' yeh do best." Hiccup squinted at him, vaguely wondering if he was implying Astrid was a dragon to be trained.
"Now ge' ou' there," Gobber said interrupting his thoughts, "an' go an' marry th' girl alrea'y!"
Hiccup scrunched his nose up, laughing, "Okay, okay!"
"But…not jus' yet," said Gobber slyly, "Ye've gotta go t' th' bath'ouse first."