A day had passed and still the two Vikings were still in her nest. The Nightmare was putting up with a lot; having them here, letting them give her hatchling strange-smelling water, her little one cuddling with them, but she drew the line at him eating their food. The Nightmare and her mate were more than capable of feeding their little one even if they couldn't make the wrongness go away.
She leaned over and sniffed her hatchling. He was napping in the funny-limbed Viking's arms. Heat had stopped coming off him some time in the morning but he still smelt wrong. The Nightmare had kicked the one Viking out earlier; she didn't want a dangerous, able-bodied Viking in her nest. She didn't want the other one here either but her mate over-ruled. The hatchling had to heal and the Drake understood the need for help. However, her mate was currently away fishing and as soon as the little one woke she would rid her cave of the other Viking as well.
Stoick sighed as he sat in the Great Hall and rubbed his head. It had been a long day of dealing with petty issues, such as disputes that could easily be resolved without him, and finishing up repairs after the last dragon raid. Thankfully he was currently being left alone with his untouched supper before him. The Great Hall buzzed with the chatter of friends and families having their own supper. Stoick normally enjoyed the sight of his people happy and content but right now it only served to remind him that his family was lost to him. For the time being. Bur and Edith's report had been inadequate, they were hiding something but Stoick was too busy in Berk to spare for a trip out to Hiccup. Gobber and Spite were there, though, and they would look after the boy the best they could given the circumstances; if it was anyone else out there Stoick would have dropped everything and went himself to figure out what he wasn't being told. At least the rain had stopped; any more of it and there would have been flooding. The rain had put them behind in repairs as it was. There just wasn't enough time in the day.
Stoick woke abruptly to the shouting; he couldn't recall falling asleep but he got up from the table in a rush, bashing his knee off the table's leg. Cursing, Stoick ran to the door and opened it to find a raid well under way. He shook his head at the chaos; the dragons circled overhead in the dark sky as Vikings ran about slipping in the mud. Utterly hopeless.
"Get those torches up!" Stoick shouted. Several people got to work on that as Stoick ran to the tower to get a report. Passing the forge he noticed how quiet it was and cursed, "Where's Hrothgar?" He roared.
The Vikings waiting outside the forge shrugged and Stoick gave and exasperated sigh.
"Find him and get him in there! We need weapons." Stoick didn't stay to see if he was obeyed; he continued to the tower. Of all the times to be without Gobber and Spitelout; why did Stoick agree to them both going?
"Dad!"
Stoick stopped short. Hiccup? Could it be? Stoick looked around; ignoring the fact that the voice was the wrong pitch to be Hiccup's. Maybe, just maybe.
"Fishlegs!" Frank Ingerman rushed to help his son get away from his burning house to an undamaged one. Stoick's heart fell, of course it wasn't Hiccup.
As angry as she was with Vikings, her hatchling's sire in particular, the Nightmare kept out of their way. A zippleback noticed her hanging back and growled; nightmares were very helpful in forward attacks, directing Viking attention from the smaller breeds in the fight. However, the Nightmare did not want to risk injury. Or notice. She got her offering of a yak and got out.
The Nightmare made sure she was in the middle of the flock while they flew into the Nest to deliver their offerings. She had to avoid obvious attention to complete her mission and allow a fast escape before She became aware.
The Nightmare waited in one of the side tunnels for Her to finish feeding, as they were supposed to do, then crept off in search of the little dark hatchling. The tunnels and caves were full of dragons settling down to rest after the raid, there was chirping and snorting and snapping coming from all over. The Nightmare knew where to go though. Finding the hatchling was easy, he was in an entrance tunnel looking up at the sky. Being a young hatchling he was not allowed to fly outside the nest without a grown dragon, even if he could fly. The black hatchling was stretching his leathery wings and sniffing the morning air. The Nightmare followed his line of sight to the horizon. The sun was coming up and the stars where winking out; night and day meeting in the sky.
The Nightmare crooned at him and he looked up at her suspiciously out of the corner of his eye arching his back hissing. He hated being babied. The Nightmare rolled her eyes and rumble-chirped the flying sound. The change was instant. The little dragon started bouncing around her excitedly. The Nightmare herded him outside and spread her wings, waiting for the hatchling to copy her before taking off. It would be a long flight back, possibly midmorning before she returned to her nest, but her hatchling would have a playmate and that was worth the delay.
Hiccup woke up coughing. His head was a lot better but his chest felt funny when he breathed and his throat still hurt when he swallowed. Hiccup sat up and looked around. The cave seemed so empty now; his uncle and Gobber had been kicked out by the Nightmare, and she had left that evening. Only the Drake was there, curled by the entrance sleeping. Not blocking the way out.
Hiccup sat there and stared at the opening. He could get out. Would the dragon really be so careless after so long? It appeared so. Slowly, Hiccup got up and inched toward the opening. He could see stars above and the dark shapes of tree tops against the sky. It was all so close. Gobber and his uncle were close; they had said so at least; on top of the ridge. All Hiccup had to do was edge out the door without waking the Drake.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Hiccup snuck around the dragon and out of the cave. He was almost there when the Drake shifted and his tail thumped down in front of Hiccup. The boy froze. Three breaths, six, ten and the Drake did not move. Hiccup edged to the right to get around the tail. Finally, Hiccup was out in the fresh night air. Hugging the cliff Hiccup made it to the trees and went around and up. He didn't look back and so did not see the Drake open an eye and watch him go.
Stoick was never letting Gobber go anywhere during raid season again. At least, Hrothgar was never going to be in the forge unsupervised again. The fool couldn't even get nails out in descent time. It was almost midmorning and only one house was underway for rebuilding and repairs to the catapult and tower were behind as well. The devils had made off with enough sheep to be more than an inconvenience. Not even midmorning and Stoick was having an awful day.
Several people had stopped working and stood gawking up the hill. Stoick was about to get after them until he heard a familiar voice,
"Dad!"
There was no way. It couldn't be, Stoick turned and sure enough there he was. His boy! Hiccup! He was running down the hill, Gobber and Spitelout behind him. The boy was going to fall; it was a muddy, steep hill and Hiccup was never careful. Not that Stoick found himself caring about that now. As much as he wanted to, Stoick found himself unable to move; unable to even believe. He was dreaming again, lack of food and sleep was making him hallucinate. Stoick had dreamed of this often enough. He didn't move or speak until Hiccup slammed into him. It was real, this was real. Stoick knelt down and held his boy close; forgetting that they were outside and the village needed to be rebuilt and repaired. Hiccup broke the embrace before Stoick was ready to let go.
"Dad, my other tooth'th loothe, look!" Hiccup opened his mouth and wiggled his remaining front tooth. Stoick was dumbfounded. The boy had been kidnapped and was living with dragons for 27 days and the first thing he talks about is a tooth?
"I left it alone thith time, like you thaid to. It wath eathy besauthe the dragonth only eat fish. I'm tired of fish can we have thomething elthe for thupper?"
Stoick tuned out the chatter as he checked Hiccup over; there were bags under his eyes, he was thinner, as Stoick had thought. Hiccup was also pale, and his hair was stiff. Stoick rubbed a strand between his fingers to loosen the hairs.
"What's in your hair?"
"Hm? Oh, dragon thpit. They like licking, it'th really grosth, but I couldn't make them thtop." Hiccup said before coughing.
"Cover your mouth, Hiccup." Stoick said rubbing the boy's back.
"Yah might wanta put the boy ta bed," Gobber said when he got down the hill, "Was up for most of the night and had a fever that only broke yesterday mornin."
A fever? Stoick checked Hiccup's forehead but his temperature was normal.
"We walked all night!" Hiccup said, "It'th not eathy to walk in the woodth at night cauthe you can't thee the brancheth or rootth. Gobber got hith leg thtuck in a hole too." He giggled.
"Laugh it up, lad," Gobber said, "You might end up with a peg leg one day and then I'll be laughing at you."
Hiccup laughed but Stoick glared up at Gobber. Hiccup losing a limb was not a laughing matter. Stoick noticed that Hiccup was leaning against him, though, and the boy yawned before coughing again. Stoick stood.
"You're going to bed." He said before turning to Gobber, "I need you in the forge. Kick Hrothgar out."
Gobber smiled, "Told ya he was no good." Then he frowned, "He better have left things where they belong." He went off in the direction of the forge muttering.
"Spite, can you over see this?" Stoick gestured at the work being done in the village, "I'll be back in a bit. Come on," Stoick herded Hiccup up the hill to the house. Hiccup took his hand but didn't tug or bounce.
"Dad? Can I have a bath?"
"You want a bath?" Stoick raised an eyebrow. Hiccup nodded. "I thought baths were stupid."
Hiccup coughed again. It sounded like a chest cough. "No. I'm tired of being dirty. I wanna be clean now."
They got to the house and Stoick put the kettle on once inside.
"Alright, a bath and then bed. You hungry?" Stoick asked as he pulled the tub out. Hiccup was looking at the swing, pushing the wooden seat gently with a confused expression; he seemed somewhat out of it. Stoick definitely needed to put the boy to bed.
"No, Uncle Thpitelout gave me breakfatht on the way here. It wath dried fish." Hiccup scrunched up his nose, still staring at the swing.
"Ok then." Stoick grabbed two buckets and went out to the well to fill them then dumped them into the tub. It was warm enough without being heated. "Get in and start washing." Stoick gave Hiccup soap and a cloth then went to get more water.
Hiccup was drowsily washing when Stoick came back in. After pouring one of the buckets over Hiccup's head Stoick held out his hand for the soap. Working up a lather Stoick set about washing the dried spit out of Hiccup's hair.
"She doethn't know I'm gone." Hiccup said.
"What?"
"The Nightmare. She doethn't know. She left latht night. She'll be back thoon and then she'll know. She'll be mad." Hiccup said rubbing his arm. It was cut, a long gash that looked nasty.
"That doesn't matter," Stoick said, "Yer home now and you don' need to worry 'bout it. Close yer eyes." Stoick rinsed the soap out of Hiccup's hair with the water from the second bucket. He was going to have to wash Hiccup's hair again to get it fully clean, but first Stoick wanted to take a look at that cut.
"She got mad." Hiccup said as Stoick checked it over. He could feel his blood boiling. A large part of him wanted to grab his hammer and hunt the monster down. Hiccup had to be taken care of first, though, and the village. Stoick didn't have time for revenge.
"We'll wrap it up after. Stay here." Stoick picked up the bucket and went to get more water. He would find that monster and kill it, maybe in the winter when he had more time. There was a rustle in the trees behind the well, a flash of red. Stoick dropped the bucket and pulled out his hammer, creeping forward into the trees. The nightmare was gone, there had been little chance of catching it really, but the sack of Hiccup's things was left there. What the Hel was going on? Stoick picked up the sack, filled the bucket and went back to the house.
Hiccup was still in the tub, staring at the fire, and the steaming kettle.
"You forgot," He said without taking his eyes off the kettle.
Stoick dropped the sack and set the bucket down; he had forgotten. He got a mug and put honey, yarrow, and mint in it, followed by the boiling water.
"Wash yer face," He said as he stirred the honey till it dissolved. Stoick set the mug aside and knelt next to the tub again. He took the cloth from Hiccup and washed behind the boy's ears and the back of his neck.
"Was this the dragon too?" Stoick asked gently cleaning three scabbed over cuts on Hiccup's neck. They weren't nasty, little more than scratches really.
"Yeah, but that wath an acthident ." Hiccup said.
Accident or not, the devil would pay for every cut and scrape. Putting the cloth aside Stoick lathered the soap in Hiccup's hair again,
"Close yer eyes," Stoick said pouring the water over Hiccup's head, "How did you get a fever?"
"I jutht got thick?" Hiccup said. He was avoiding the answer. Stoick rolled his eyes and held up a dry blanket.
"Just like that, eh?" He wrapped the blanket around Hiccup as the boy got out of the tub. Hiccup wouldn't meet his eyes,
"Well, maybe." He fiddled with the blanket, "Maybe I wath playing in the rain. Maybe you were right about that."
"Maybe, huh?" Stoick smiled as he rubbed water out of Hiccup's hair with the blanket.
Hiccup was picking at a loose thread, "Yeah."
Stoick shook his head, "Stay by the fire." He stood and went into the bedroom to get Hiccup some dry clothes as well as some bandages and salve. The clothes Hiccup had been wearing would need to be made into rags; they were beyond patching.
"Alright, lad, let's get you dressed and in bed." Stoick said coming out to the main room.
"Ok." The boy was still coughing; he wasn't going to get much sleep if it kept up. Stoick got him dressed and the cut on his arm salved and wrapped. The cuts on his neck were already scabbed over but Stoick put salve on them anyway, better safe than sorry.
"C'mere," Stoick said taking a seat, he pulled Hiccup up onto his lap and the boy cuddled in. Cuddly and Hiccup was not good. Not unless it was past Hiccup's bedtime. Usually Hiccup hated to be cuddled; he hated being still and felt confined when held. He would squirm until he was allowed to go.
"Drink this; it'll help your cough." Stoick handed Hiccup the mug, "Both hands."
Hiccup wrinkled his nose at the taste but didn't complain. Stoick held the boy closer and sighed, at least Hiccup was home and safe in Stoick's care again. Half the mug was drunk before Hiccup put it back on the table and laid his head against Stoick.
"Dad?"
"Hm?"
Hiccup snuggled closer, "Nothing." He was half asleep. Stoick could send him to bed now or wait a few minutes then put him to bed. There was a lot that needed to get done. Hiccup coughed a little and Stoick rubbed his back; Spitelout could take care of things out there for a bit. It had been 27 days; right now Stoick could just be a father. He laid his cheek against Hiccup's head; the boy's hair was still damp but Stoick didn't mind. He was simply happy to have his son home. Taking a deep breath Stoick took in the familiar smell of his son, underneath the smell of the soap. For the first time in 27 days Stoick was able to relax and he leaned back in his chair with his son fast asleep in his arms.
A/N: That's the end of part two. Only one part left to go! Back to Imprint for part two next week. Of Fathers and Nightmares will be back on May 27.
So, Stoick has his son back but that is going to be one angry Monstrous Nightmare and I would not want to be her mate when she gets home. And poor Toothless caught up in the middle of it. Again, don't get too excited, I'm not planning on having Hiccup and Toothless know each other before the movie.
KaliAnn: The Nightmare will get named in another few chapters.
Shadow4146: No, the Nightmare wouldn't just give Hiccup up, she's going to be furious when she gets home. The Drake, though, knows that Hiccup is a Viking and that they should just let him go home.
Kas3y: I see what you mean about the second movie, I would have liked to see her a little more in that one.
xsnowfallxx: Umm, Hiccup's last internal comment could be considered angst, but I don't consider this story all that angsty in the modern non-literary definition of the word. I'm usually too happy a person to go there and am on the optimist side of things. More "the sun will come out tomorrow" and less "it is dark now while I wait for the sun to come out tomorrow" which I suppose is better than "it's so dark that I don't think the sun could ever shine again and I'm doomed to darkness forever." Well that turned dark.
Regality: Thank you! The scar is the one from the movie that's explained in HTTYD 2 and the hatchling is Toothless, he's just not named in this fic because Hiccup doesn't name him till the movie.
MercurialDestiny: I, I really don't know. I never thought about it. That's a good question, it definitely is important because the story would be different with a different dragon. Possibly it's because Hookfang and Snotlout are my favourites in the show. Don't get me wrong love Hiccup and Toothless to death but it's Hookfang and Snotlout that kept me watching. That dragon has such a fun personality. So I'm going to say that's why although it wasn't a conscious decision.
KIMIWA: No, the Drake is male, and is the smaller one (CB told me to make him smaller because it's a reptile thing. Although the bull gator I saw was bigger than the females I saw in the Everglades.) Sorry for any confusion.
Pipe Dream: Yes, the Drake (male) is the smaller one. CB told me to make him smaller (see comment above). The Nightmare is the female and the bigger one. She's the one who pulled Hiccup out of the water and cut his arm. I wouldn't say the Drake is more cuddly in general, he's just comforting Hiccup now. He doesn't really want a Viking hatchling, at first it's because he doesn't like Vikings, but now it's because he knows they can't take care of him properly and thinks what they're doing borders on cruel (not saying this is what I think, it's just what's going on in his head. You never get to see that because I never write from his POV) He likes Hiccup now and wants him to go home to his own kind for his own good. And for that the Drake will face the wrath of his mate (brave fellow). They do have names but they haven't been named in the story yet so you don't get to know them. If it makes you feel better CB doesn't get to know them either (she calls the Nightmare Mama dragon for now. That's not her name but I don't mind if that's what she's called while people talk about her. It's confusing I know.)