How To Train Your Dragon: Possibilities

3. Proposition: Stoick isn't sure how to approach this. Gentle and careful approaches to anything have never sat right with him. But he knows that Hiccup is ready to be a chief. Hiccup disagrees.

The morning breeze seemed to sing as it winded its way between the homes of Berk. The faint shimmering of frosty crystals on the grass seemed to illuminate the ground as the sun began to peek itself over the horizon. Mornings like this were always bitterly cold, but they would at least gradually warm up further into the day it got. Weather was the least of Berk's worries anyway as the village had been through tough times over the past few years. Thanks to the efforts of the 'Pride Of Berk', the Viking home had become a beacon of peace in a world that didn't seem to like the idea. Dragons lived among them as neighbors and friends, though it hadn't been easy to reach that point. Still, the recent times had borne spectacular fruit with inventions and facilities designed to accommodate everyone properly to live in harmony. Berk had never been better. However, it was common knowledge that everyone knew that they weren't particularly safe either. The fact that the island was no longer bound in place by water and their slow moving ships meant that many dangers had shown themselves from the outside world. The Outcasts, the Berserkers, plenty of people had tried to take Berk's treasures and dragons from them. For all Berk knew, every single one of them was still out there, plotting their next move in retaliation for their defeat at the hands of their dragons. Still, it was no reason for the majority of the Vikings to be concerned. With a strong chief and equally strong dragons on their side, the residents of the island rested easily in this crisp morning. So easily in fact that not many were awake to see this sunrise, unsurprising given how early the in the day it was. Except for two that is.

Stoick the Vast was sat in the living space of his house, a mug of hot broth keeping his hands warm from the cold seeping in from the cracks in the house's walls. The fire was properly lit about a foot away from him, as much as half of it was obscured from his view thanks to his dragon Skullcrusher's large frame. He hadn't been able to sleep very well last night. It was something that had surprised him since he thought insomnia-driven evenings were long gone by his age. Back in his youth when his father first made him chief, there were plenty of them thanks to the pressure, sure. But Stoick hadn't had one since until this particular issue had cropped up into his mind. And that was why currently sat opposite to him was Gobber, a mug of similar warm liquid attached to his prosthetic arm. Though the former blacksmith and dragon dentist of the island had been very grumpy about being asked over for a conversation this early in the morning, he was currently alert with a brow raised higher than Stoick had ever seen it. It was like what the chief had asked him for advice on was sheer lunacy. Maybe in a way it was.
"So, let me get this straight, Stoick" Gobber started, taking another swig of his drink to warm his insides up from the morning cold and his senses from the madness he was hearing. "You mean to tell me that today, of all days just before one of the biggest Dragon Races we've ever staged, which he is a favorite to win, you're going to tell Hiccup you're making him...?"
"Shh!" Stoick suddenly interrupted, motioning a hand towards the upper floor of his house where his son was currently still sleeping. Even if he wasn't, his father didn't want him to hear. Gobber still wasn't impressed by the idea, his voice low and quiet as he carried on.
"...chief? I know you've been thinking about a retirement, but I didn't think you were going senile as well!"
"If there's ever going to be a time, why not when Berk is most prosperous? And why wouldn't he be ready? He's proven himself, Gobber. He's made our home a better place, he's led the Dragon Training Academy for years and saved us countless times! A chief needs a successor like Hiccup" Stoick reasoned.
"Considering that chieftains only used to be succeeded when their successors killed them, I'm drifting more towards it being physically impossible to pull off."
"Gobber..."
"What?" Gobber replied, tweaking his mustache with a free hand, convinced that it was starting to become a little stiff in the freezing air. "I'm just saying that's how it's always been."
"It won't be like that. Berk has changed and so can our traditions" Stoick said firmly. "I'll guide him when he starts, of course. But Hiccup has come a long way since all those years ago. I never would've thought about him taking up the responsibility in the first place if I didn't trust him to be able to handle things on his own. I've been thinking this over for weeks now, Gobber. I've made the decision, he's ready."
"Or is it more you've made the decision for him?" Gobber pondered, scowling a little bit. "Don't think I haven't noticed all of those nice things you've been saying around him lately, like you're doing 'honey and the hatchet' all over again!" Stoick rolled his eyes at this argument being brought up, though Gobber wouldn't be stopped in his rambling. "You know he won't like it, so you're trying to make it easier to deal with. But he's got that stubbornness of doing what he knows from you. With that map he's been making, a Night Fury and all that energy, a Viking his age is not going to be persuaded to toss all that aside with forceful words."
"I think I can trust my son to realize that Berk is more important than a map!" Stoick scoffed, the grip around his mug making its surface groan from the added pressure. Gobber frowned.
"Not to him, it isn't. Not right now." Stoick was actually made to be silent for a moment there. Gobber didn't have many serious moments, but they usually were worth listening to when they happened. The chief ran a hand through his beard with an acknowledging sigh, slowly realizing that his own stubborn nature wasn't making this easy on him or Hiccup. He'd asked Gobber for advice on it after all. Stoick wasn't sure what was stranger. The fact that he didn't know how his son would react or the fact he was relying on someone else to tell him instead. Gobber himself gave a look of concern as he leaned a little close in.
"Answer me this. What made you think you should make him chief now?" Stoick didn't give an immediate response to the question, his heavy eyes glancing between the fire and his mug. He didn't like the idea of admitting this.
"Because times have changed, Gobber" Stoick eventually managed to say. "It's all well and good having a chief like me, one our ancestors wanted all of to us to be in times of war, but with dragons and Vikings alongside each other properly for the first time in our history, I thought...maybe it's time to pass that responsibility on to someone who can handle this peace better than I can."
"Think you're too set in the old ways, eh?" Gobber summarized, shaking his head with a light chuckle. "You know, you're not passed your prime yet, Stoick. You've managed 5 years with all of the challenges of the dragons and invaders and still come out on top. We all have roles in this new way of life. I mean, look at me! Never thought my good ol' dad would appreciate me being a dentist, but here we are. You've still got some chief left in you too."
"Aye, maybe I do. But that doesn't matter. If Hiccup was the one to change us, then I feel it's also right that he leads us as well. He'll come around to it, he's been wanting people to follow his way of thinking enough as it is. The question is how do I really say any of this? You know what he's like when it comes to listening to me."
"I could say the same about you to him. If you ask me, not issuing it like an order would be a good start" Gobber suggested.
"So if I can't bestow it upon him, do I just ask him nicely? Only if he has the time to spare?" Stoick grumbled sarcastically, seeming a little annoyed this would require a more delicate approach than he was used to. Gobber nodded his head with a trace of a smile.
"You can't force it upon him, Stoick. I know 'gently' doesn't fall into your vocabulary, but Hiccup would appreciate it if you tried."
"Gently? A chief needs to be firm with what he needs from his people and..."
"...should know how to best give them responsibility. Including those who don't conform to the usual hooha of Viking life" Gobber said, cutting Stoick off. "You know how it is with Hiccup. He hates confrontation. So you have to treat it as though it isn't one. Which is a little difficult for you, admittedly, but..."
Stoick huffed. Gobber had a point. He still hadn't truly grasped the way Hiccup thought even though their relationship had become stronger over the last couple of years. It took him a few moments to mull it over, but he eventually nodded his head, reaching his arm over to pat the other Viking on the shoulder.
"Well, Gobber, I guess I'll have to try. I just hope Hiccup'll take it well."
"It'll be fine, Stoick!" Gobber yelled, suddenly clamping his mouth shut as he remembered they were supposed to be quiet. With a sheepish smile, he carried on. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Hours passed since Stoick and Gobber had their rest of the village was slowly coming to life as the sun began to climb higher into the sky. Thankfully, it had brought a decent temperature with it. As for Stoick, the chief had thought it best to wait until Hiccup woke up naturally to approach him about his impending succession. His plan was just to try and throw it out as a possibility, maybe ask about what his son thought about his future with that as a possibility. Who knows, it may even give him something to strive towards in the upcoming race, an inspiration almost. But maybe that was being too hopeful.
'Just remember, be positive about it, Stoick. Treat it like a grand opportunity, not an order.' he mentally told himself, preoccupying with a simple task of polishing his helmet. It was just a waiting game now.

Upstairs, Hiccup was enjoying a rather rare lie in. Lots of rest before a race was always necessary and he would have Thor strike him down before he let Astrid beat him again. Though he might let her score a few points again, just to give her a chance to not be completely trashed. He began to stir from his sleep when he felt a nudging at his arm. He groaned, batting away the source of that nudging to turn away from it and keep in his pleasant dreams and warm bed. It was only when he felt a rush of breath run over his hair and a more insistent noise reach his ears that he realized who it was. The young Viking summoned up the courage to open his eyes and cast aside his blankets, a small shiver from the initial feeling of cold quickly being replaced with a warm bulking presence that lunged over his body with an affectionate nuzzling against his chest.

"H-Hey, Toothless, I'm happy to see you too..!" he chuckled with a yawn, running his hands over the Night Fury's head to try and calm him down. He supposed this was a better way to wake up than having the dragon bang on the rooftops like he used to do. Toothless cooed to him, tilting his head and continuing to push at his body as if he was trying to shove the Viking out of it onto the floor. He eventually managed to do it, Hiccup's body landing with an almighty thud on the wooden ground when Toothless' sheer strength shoved him to the side. Before he had a chance to get up, the Night Fury's head was rubbing over his front, those big claws keeping him pinned down as Hiccup laughed.
"Come on, bud, how are we supposed to win the race if you keep me hostage all morning?" Hiccup yelped, batting at the dragon's arm with weak punches. Toothless happily batted back at each tap with opposing claws, making his rider realize that he was fighting a losing battle against trying to keep his dragon focused for their racing.
"We can settle this 'war' later, bud" Hiccup smirked, nudging the Night Fury's chin as a silent promise they could play later. Toothless relented with a snort, taking a few steps away to allow his human to get to his feet. Hiccup did just that, stretching his arms skywards with a yawn as he ruffled his bedhead hair out of his eyes. He found his clothes hung loosely over the edge of the bed, grabbing them with am outstretched hand and heading behind a wooden shutter in the corner to get changed away from prying eyes. The usual racing gear seemed fitting for today, as well as their map and exploration equipment for afterwards. With one of the biggest Dragon Races Berk had ever seen happening today, Hiccup wanted to impress. Not that he had much doubt when it came to winning, Toothless would be able to wipe the floor with the other riders thanks to their training, the lap times around the island spoke for themselves if he did say so himself. As he finished strapping on his shoulder pads and tying up his one good boot, Hiccup re-entered the room with Toothless' saddle under his arm to find the dragon sniffing over his desk and the drawings scattered about it. Including the large map of the Archipelago that had kept them busy for months. The Viking smiled as he neared his dragon, scratching behind one of Toothless' ear plates as they both admired their work.
"Been to a lot of places there, huh, bud?" Hiccup queried, eliciting a rumble from the Night Fury. "I was thinking we could add some more to it once the race is done. Maybe over here..." he continued, pointing to an obviously blank space in the lower left. "Could find some new dragons lurking in there to show off to. Just gotta make sure we beat Stormfly, right?" Toothless nodded his head enthusiastically, his whole body wiggling at the chance to race and then fly with a happy jumping about. Hiccup laughed and gently held out one of his hands to touch Toothless' snout, making him become still once more in order to attach their riding gear.
"OK...in goes one leg, in goes another..." the Viking murmured to himself as he connected the flying rods and pedals together to operate the tail, hooking Toothless' front legs through the hoops around the front as much as the Night Fury fidgeted from the near ticklishness of it all. As Hiccup tested the fin by extending it outwards and in again, both of the pair's ears perked when the familiar chirps and growls of Terrible Terrors began to sound out from the rooftops, muffled as they were. Guessing that Gothi must've gotten into the habit of using the little green beasts as morning calls, Hiccup was at least glad to see he hadn't overslept too much. He leaned over to his desk and grabbed their masterpiece of a chart, tucking it under the leather armor strapped to his torso.
"Come on, Toothless, think it's time we got somethin' to eat. Gotta be all filled up for all that race!" The mention of food seemed to make Toothless giddy once again at the idea, the Night Fury pouncing onto the wooden beams of the house's roof to then jump his way down to the ground floor. And he managed to do so this time without knocking anything over, much to Hiccup's pleasant surprise.

As he made his normal way down the stairs with heavy thunks of his metal foot against the steps, Hiccup's brow raised a little as he saw that his father was already awake. That didn't usually happen thanks to the nature of some of his early flights with Toothless, but it wasn't a bad thing by any means.
"Oh, Dad. You're up early" he spoke up with a smile, heading off to the side wall to get out some fish and other utensils from their containers for their breakfast. Hiccup gently swatted Toothless' ear plate before the dragon had chance to stick his head into the basket of fish, much to Toothless' annoyance, and carried over the armful of items with a cluttering noise to the table. Stoick was broken from his trance of polishing his helmet when he realized he was being spoken to, Skullcrusher giving a low vibration of acknowledgement to his rider's son as well.
"Oh, morning son. Yeah, I was just...you know, keeping the helmet looking good. Maintained and all." Hiccup's brow perked up again as he set down a plate on the table and some fish on a skewer above the fire, giving a hand gesture to Toothless that he had to wait to be fed. As the Night Fury settled into an obedient sitting position behind him, Hiccup had to ponder the strangeness of his father's answer. He knew the helmet was important, but for some early morning cleaning?
"I suppose there is that to do...I guess" he mused, sitting at the table as his father took up a place opposite him.
"Looking forward to the race?" Stoick asked, trying to change topic and avoid suspicion. Hiccup seemed happy to do so.
"Oh, yeah, we're more than ready! Toothless has gotten his lap times even better thanks to some new tail modifications, I've fixed all the aerodynamics of my suit. Astrid's not gonna know what hit her, especially after last time!"
"Weren't you the one who gave her those extra points before?"
"Hey, it wan't my fault, I thought it was going for my basket, not hers! And then it just kinda...fell in." Stoick chuckled, raising a hand up with a knowing wink to his son's and Astrid's relationship. As a father, he did have to occasionally be a little bit embarrassing, something that oddly had been happening the other way round for years until peace with the dragons. Hiccup huffed with a flustered expression and offered a smile to Stoick, just as the aroma of cooked fish began to brush past his nose. He had to admit the pair of them had gotten on much better in recent weeks than any time Hiccup could remember in recent memory, something that made his chest feel warm on the inside. A much needed warmth given these consistent freezing conditions every morning. Hiccup leaned over and took a couple of skewers from the fire, letting them land onto his plate before handing off some of the roasted food to Toothless and Skullcrusher to share. The dragons happily accepted the gift and picked out the pieces they wanted between themselves, just as Hiccup took a bite for himself. Stoick let his son eat in peace for a few moments in silence before he re-positioned his now double polished helmet back on his head. The Viking opened his mouth to speak before pausing, getting to his feet like it was some sort of announcement or speech. Hiccup immediately froze at seeing it, pausing mid-chew.
"Uh, Dad...?"
"Son, we, uh...we need to talk." Hiccup could sense what was coming. The dragons had broken something, hadn't they? The twins had blown up one of yak sheds, maybe? Or maybe it was because Toothless had figured out how to get free food with just a look, so much so that Hiccup had fallen for it more than once? Maybe closer to five times than just once... He instantly launched into a ramble, swallowing his mouthful of fish as his skewer fell to his plate. This was his best defense against getting into trouble after all.
"Now Dad, I know that maybe you've noticed some fish and stuff has been going missing from the docks and you may possibly be thinking that it's me being soft on Toothless or something, but I swear that it's not me. It was probably just some Terrible Terrors wanting to steal something, you know what they're like in their groups!" he blurted out with a forced smile. Stoick just blinked as one of his brows twisted upwards in confusion. The uncomfortable silence between them made that smile falter. "O-OK, so maybe I snuck one or two teensy little fish for Toothless, but he can just give you that big eyed look and..."
"Easy, Hiccup, you're not in trouble" Stoick finally said, almost chuckling at the nervousness of his son. "I just wanted to tell you something, that's all."
"Oh...?" Hiccup pondered, his former worried expression now being replaced by one of inquiry after a tremendous sigh left his chest. Stoick could still be intimidating, even for a 20 year old Viking. "What is it?" Again, Stoick paused, repeating his internal mantra of positive and encouraging in his head to make this smoother.
"Well...you're the Pride Of Berk, son. And I just wanted to say that I couldn't be prouder of what you've done for us. Whether it's in those races or fighting off the Outcasts, you've done wonderful things for this island." Hiccup's previous warm feelings began to falter a little bit. His dad had been rather complimentary about almost all of his work lately. Whether it was the village fire prevention systems or stables or his continuous support of the Academy, Hiccup had noticed it in abundance more than usual these last few weeks. As much as he had enjoyed the attention and seeing his father genuinely happy over what he did, it had felt a little out of place at times. But he had just brushed it off as Stoick being...well, Stoick. Not exactly the most emotionally intelligent chief after all. But now, the young Viking began to see the warning signs almost immediately. When praise started coming out without much provocation despite being prefaced with a 'need to talk', it couldn't end well.
"This isn't another 'honey and the hatchet' kind of thing is it? 'Cause I'm actually kind of, uh..allergic to honey and...hatchets..." he mumbled at his father warily. The larger Viking shook his head with as warm a grin as he could manage. He kept telling himself to keep it friendly. Not a confrontation, just a chance to talk.
"Oh, no, nothing like that. I just wanted you to know that I've been thinking about what you've done. You're all grown up into a proper Viking now, just like I knew you would."
"Well,...thanks, Dad. I've just been doing what you asked me to."
"And that's good. Because...well, it's about your future, Hiccup. With what you've achieved with the dragons, something no-one else in Viking history has done, I couldn't ask for a better successor. So..."
"Waitwaitwait..." Hiccup interrupted, holding up a hand to slow Stoick down. "Successor? Dad, are you...?"
"In fact, no chief of any tribe could ask for a better successor!" Stoick continued, his pride at the imagining of Hiccup leading the others starting to make his initial intentions of quiet talking fade away from his thoughts. The chief didn't really know any other way to be positive and encouraging without nearly yelling about it. Forget honey and the hatchet, this was just going to be honey and lots of loud honey. Hiccup was almost flinched at the increase in volume and the implications at the mention of succession.
"D-Dad, I think I know what you're getting at, but..."
"So in the wake of recent events-"
"Dad..?"
"-I've decided to name you-"
"I can't possibly..."
"-the next chief of Berk!"
"...do what you're...wait, what?!"
"Imagine it, Hiccup! The entire island under your care and command, Viking and dragons united against all of our enemies. People like Dagur or the other Outcasts wouldn't dare try to harm us again. Especially not with a Night Fury at your side all the time, eh?" Stoick proudly declared, gesturing to Toothless who had raised an ear plate up at hearing himself get mentioned. "Now of course, there's no need to rush into anything or give me an answer straight away, a good chief takes his time and assesses all the possibilities before making a decision. Which you'll learn about in some lessons I'll help you with. But you'll do fine, son! I've already thought ahead..."

Hiccup was just sat there, mouth agape at the prospect he was struggling to comprehend. As his father continued to ramble and lose all sense of delicately handling the situation, the daunting image of running the entire island began to make Hiccup feel ill. The prospect of the rest of his breakfast also began to disagree with him.
'The chief...?' he thought in a panic. 'I...no, I can't be chief, not now! I'll be restricted to the village, I'll lose all the work we've done on the map a-and...I won't be able to fly Toothless...' Trying to become a Viking had been challenging enough on its own over the years, but an entire village with him as Berk's chief? Hiccup couldn't possibly do that. He'd never done a chief-ly thing in his life! Everyone knew chiefs went to war, commanded armies, made grand speeches, built structures by their own will and strength alone and were a beacon of confidence for Vikings everywhere. Hiccup felt like he had done almost everything in the world apart from those specific things in order to get to where he was now. Stoick couldn't be serious, right? Unfortunately for Hiccup, the way he was still rambling on about how to structure their future lessons on the idea showed that he totally was.
"Another thing you might want to think about is how to make the big announcement. Obviously, the village needs to be told well ahead of time so it can adjust accordingly and..."
'Well, it's official. My dad's gotten desperate with his retirement plans. Or just plain crazy...' Hiccup thought to himself drly, his panicked expression darting between Stoick, who had since turned his back, and Toothless. Toothless had just finished licking his jaws at the conclusion of his meal when he noticed Hiccup frantically gesturing towards the door without a word. With a curious croon, the dragon took a few steps close to his human, only for Hiccup to shake his arm at the door even harder than before. They needed to leave. Hiccup slowly raised from his seat as Toothless crouched behind him, the Night Fury instinctively knowing their 'escape plan' as something they'd done hundreds of times before when things got a little sticky around Dad. Though this time, Toothless couldn't fathom as to why. Whatever it was, it had his rider spooked beyond normal. Hiccup hooked his good foot into the one of the pedals of the saddle as Stoick continued to lose himself in his imaginings of succession, waiting for just the right time to bail. He took it.
"Well, Dad, it's been great, but I really need to get going to the race. You know, lots to do, places to see, things-to-do-other-than-being-chief-bye!" Hiccup's words were almost a jumble at their speed as Skullcrusher growled at seeing his fellow dragon take off. One of the young Viking's hand gestures made Toothless run for the door and at hearing heavy footsteps, Stoick spun around with a confused look just as he spotted the Night Fury's tail whip out to the other side of the door frame.
"Wha-? Hiccup, wait!" he yelled, stomping his way outside just in time to see black wings beating down to the ground and darting off the edge of Berk's cliffs towards the sea. In a matter of moments, Toothless' outline was zooming across the surface of the ocean, the waves parting beneath them from the sheer force of their speed. Enough to win races for sure, and outfly a potentially angry father.
"Hiccup!" Stoick shouted. The boy was fast, that much Stoick knew, but it didn't help him in this situation. The older Viking cursed, slamming his fist into the door frame. He was just going to ignore his own father and his responsibility? Had he not just been singing praises about what Hiccup had done for the village? As much as the chief wanted to be angry at his son just disregarding the great honour of becoming chieftan, it was then that the dawning realisation of what he'd done crossed his thoughts. Hiccup probably felt like Gobber had said. Honey and the hatchet indeed, with more hatchet than he could probably deal with first thing in the morning. Now the chieftain could only be angry at himself for being too forceful.
"Oh boy..." Stoick grunted to himself, slapping his own forehead for letting his ambitions get in the way of allowing Hiccup the choice himself. "So much for taking it gently." He sighed, letting his shoulders slump for a moment as he adjusted his helmet back to a proper orientation. He wondered what would happen next. He knew some sons of previous chieftans had had some pretty bad reactions to being told they were taking up the mantle of responsibility at first. Some had tried to fight their way out of it, others had run but had nowhere to run to. But none of them could beat escaping the island on a Night Fury to Thor knows where.

Still, maybe his son just needed some time to work this out. Even if he'd dumped this on Hiccup somewhat thick, Stoick was confident that a smart lad like him could come to a decision on his own. He'd explained the offer, now it was just a matter of what Hiccup would do with that information. Flying with his dragon always seemed to help him put his thoughts together better than anything else would, some 'me' time as Hiccup called it. Stoick's former grin partially returned as he noticed the other residents of the village start to head towards the race arena. He took a heart stroll himself and greeted his people as normal as if this morning meeting had never happened. He was almost a little glad that the burden of telling his son his upcoming duties had been lifted. Besides, it hadn't gone that badly.

Hiccup would never miss a race. He'd be back in no time.

"Looks like we're missing the race today, bud!" Hiccup yelled over the roar of the wind, taking off his helmet from one of the saddle's side hooks and fastening it over his head to protect his eyes. "Just as high as you can take it, boy, today's going to be an exploring day!" Toothless, still utterly puzzled as to why they had left in such a hurry despite the hours of training they had put in to beat Astrid in the races, obeyed the command, though not without an obviously worried noise vibrating it's way to Hiccup's body. Hiccup patted the dragon's neck and held on tightly to the saddle handles.
"It'll be fine, bud, we've got other things to worry about first. Like a new island or maybe trying out a new suit revision or two!" he reasoned. As far as he was concerned, none of that had happened. He'd never be chief this early, it'd take something pretty drastic to make him do it. His dad had plenty of years left, right? And right now, Hiccup was more preoccupied with getting as much space between him and the ground as possible.

That flight suit wasn't going to test itself.