I apologize for the slow update. I was on a writer's block but I'm slowly getting back to it. Hopefully, I do not bore you out with this chapter. :)
Thank you so much for the reviews, fave and follows. I appreciate it so much. I love you all. *teary-eyed*
I was not able to finish proofreading this because I am already sleepy. I'll be sure to do that tomorrow. ;) Edit: Done this do. XD
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. I only own the plot.
Chapter 7
The heat of burning coal blasted through the air, causing sweat to drop from the blacksmiths. Hiccup and Gobber got up early to finish up the last set of weaponry that they were assigned to produce.
"Is tha' the last of it, Heccup?"
"Yeah, I just need to finish this one down then they can be delivered right away," answered Hiccup as he examined the balance of the sword in his hand.
"Well, whaddaya' know! We got ahead of schedule, eh?" Gobber said, wiping his forehead off the sweat, "Two days of freedom! How bout' some good ol' trainin'?"
Hiccup looked at Gobber, raising one of his brows, "I appreciate the offer but I'll pass," he said, pounding his hammer down the blade.
"But, ye'r goin' tah the brawnfest! Ye can't go unprepared," Gobber exclaimed.
Hiccup sighed and slumped his shoulders, turning back to look at Gobber with bemused expression, "I'm going there to watch, not fight."
Gobber held his chin in thought, "Oh, A thought ye were already growin' some ba-!"
"Okaaay, there's no need for you to continue that, Gobber," Hiccup interrupted, not allowing Gobber to finish his sentence.
Gobber shrugged then cleaned his hand with cloth, removing every single dark spot out of his reddish skin. He went around the forge to stop in front of the shelves, taking out a claymore covered neatly with dried animal skin.
"Oh yea, Heccup. Once ye'r done with dat sword, go and deliver this tah King Fergus," Gobber ordered, setting the claymore down at the table.
Hiccup turned his face towards Gobber as he emerged the sword into the water, "What?" he hissed, chorusing with the sound the sword made from being dipped.
"A said, deliver this tah King Fergus," Gobber repeated.
"But, I still got things to do," Hiccup exclaimed in his attempt to make Gobber change his mind.
"Heccup, it's either ye deliver this or ye be mah sparrin' partner, yer choice," Gobber said, changing his hammer hand to a small hatchet one.
Hiccup already knew that he will not win this so he sighed and exclaimed defeatedly, "Fine."
Gobber shrugged his shoulder, thinking it to be a waste that Hiccup did not take the bait. He always thought the muscle-challenged kid should do a few sprints here and there. "Ye don't have tah look so dejected, Heccup, sides' ye'll see Merida and it's nae like it's the first time ye'r goin' tah deliver stuff tah the King," Gobber said as he opened the door out of the forge.
"Lock up, alrigh'? Ye can do what ye want for the rest of the dey after ye'r done with that," the blond blacksmith said, closing the door behind him.
Hiccup sighed as he waited for the sword to cool down.
Hiccup craned his head out of the booth, whistling for the attention of Toothless. The said horse dutifully walked in front of the booth, nuzzling the face of Hiccup.
"Alright, bud. Wait there, I need to mount something," Hiccup said, leaving the booth to grab the King's claymore.
Hiccup went out, hugging the huge weapon in between his arm and chest. The sword was almost as tall as him, making it hard for him to carry it around, 'I swear, Gobber is doing this on purpose,' he thought.
Hiccup placed the sword down a wooden chair to close up the forge. He carried the claymore once again and ungracefully mounted his self on Toothless. He wiped his forehead, exhaling air, "Well, that was a challenge."
He whipped the reins lightly and Toothless started running. 'So, here's the plan. Go to the castle, deliver the sword and then leave,' he repeated to his self as he was on his way to castle Dunbroch.
After long struggles of keeping the weapon safe in his arms, Hiccup almost squealed in joy when they finally arrived at the castle gates. The mount and the rider went inside after the guards allowed his entrance, casually heading straight to the stables.
"Oh, Heccup. How are ye?" greeted the stable boy.
"Struggling," Hiccup said, motioning at the sword in his arms, "How about you?"
The stable boy laughed, grabbing the sword from Hiccup, "Same as usual."
Hiccup gratefully handed the sword and dismounted his self from Toothless, taking the sword back from the stable boy after relaying his thanks.
"Anytime," the stable boy said, walking close to Toothless, patting the equine on its snout, "Lookin' tough and strong as always, eh?"
Hiccup smiled and added, "You forgot bossy."
The stable boy smirked, "Bossy, ye say? A bet Toothless would like those horses," the boy said, nodding his head towards a pair of white and russet horses, "They are just as bossy."
Hiccup craned his head and could not help but gape at the beauty of the horses, "Wow."
"A know but nothin' beats yer horse tho'."
"Who owns these horses?" Hiccup asked. His hold on the heavy claymore loosened.
"The Royal Princes, o' course, ye should see them mount those horses, they blend colors."
Hiccup slumped his shoulders, "Oh yeah, the princes..," he said, almost forgetting about the two for a moment. "Uhm, I'm going to go deliver this," he said, motioning to the sword.
"Oh, yea, sure, I'll take care of Toothless while ye'r away."
Hiccup tightened his hug on the claymore, walking his way to the kitchen as briskly as he could. Maudie opened the kitchen doors for Hiccup then informed him of the King's location. He made his way past the stairs with only one goal in mind: deliver and leave. Hiccup took some time get to the throne room for the heavy weight of the sword slowed him down.
As Hiccup entered the throne room, King Fergus immediately saw him for his prosthetic leg made sounds that echoed through the walls of the room.
"Oh, Heccup, lad. How ye been!?" King Fergus asked with pure joy, standing up from his throne to greet the lanky boy.
Hiccup limply walked up in front of the King, bowing his head, "I've been doing well, your Highness."
"Is tha' the claymore A ordered?" the King asked, going down the stairs to grab the sword from Hiccup's arms.
"Yes, your Highness," Hiccup said, handing the sword to the King.
The King removed the animal skin and examined the weight and balance of the blade. He whipped and slashed the sword through the air, "Ah~ great work as always," he complimented.
Hiccup smiled. He knew that Gobber could excellently make armors and weapons according to the wishes of his clients, especially the King.
"Is Gobber joinin' the brawnfest?"
"Yes, your Highness," Hiccup replied, looking at the ground.
"Aha~! Good, A can ask him for a rematch, we always tied in our duels, A can feel tha' A'll win this time."
Hiccup just nodded and informed, "He's practicing now, your Highness."
"Oh? Then, A should start trainin' as well, A'll see ye around, lad." The King said, stopping for a moment, "A'll have the payment sent at yer home later."
Hiccup bowed then took his leave. He quickly walked the same route where he entered, thinking, 'Deliver and leave.'
He was so focussed on his plan to get away that he almost screamed when a pair of hands grabbed his neck, pulling him down and roughly messing his hair.
"Where do ye thenk ye'r goin' without seein' me first?"
There was no need for Hiccup to guess who the brute was. "Argh, Mer, stop it," Hiccup said, trying to wrench his body out of her hold.
Merida cackled and loosened her lock on his head, placing her hands on her hips. She gave Hiccup a smug look and the smaller boy huffed in return.
"You're a brute," Hiccup said, fixing his hair back into place and massaging his shoulder.
"Tha's what ye get for nae lookin' for me," she said, crossing her arms on her chest.
"So, what is it that you want?"
"Nothin' really, do ye still have a lot of work at the forge?"
Hiccup shook his head, "We've done everything this morning, Gobber wanted to have the time to train."
"O I see, guess we'll be seein' mah dad and Gobber for another match this year, eh?"
"Don't we always?" Hiccup shrugged and started to walk away.
"Mhmmm, since ye don't have anythin' tah do, why don't ye join me tah train?" Merida beamed, looking at Hiccup's back.
Hiccup gave a disinterested look back in reply which made Merida slap him by the shoulder, "Man up, Heccup! Ye need tah train, ye'r as thin as a fishbone already!"
Hiccup sarcastically smug, "Oh please, Mer. A body like this does not need to train or else I'll be bagging all the medals."
Merida deadpanned and blew the curly bang out of her forehead. She immediately straightened her back and pulled Hiccup's wrist, "Won't work, Heccup."
Hiccup gave an exasperated sigh as he allowed Merida to pull him around the castle. Merida grinned, "Don't be such a prissy, Heccup! A'm plannin' tah enter ye at tah competition! Ye know, kick those bratty Princes' asses!"
Hiccup gaped, "Please tell me you're kidding…"
"Nope."
Jackson was at the training ground with his twin brother and friend. The white-haired prince and the brunette-haired assistant were immersed in their sword fight while Jackson sat nearby, watching their every move.
"Man, I still prefer martial arts than this," exclaimed Jack, motioning to the bench for a small break.
Jamie then stopped to sit beside Jackson, "There's no martial art category for the brawnfest though, well, except for the brawling."
Jack nudged his brother to scoot over for a seat, making the chestnut-haired prince to free some space.
"You've been really quiet, Jackson. Must be formulating tactics to defeat us, huh?" asked Jack.
"You got me," the Crown Prince replied, surrendering his hands up to his face.
Jamie massaged the back of his neck then squinted his eyes toward a pair of teens, "Is that the Princess?"
The twins looked at Jamie then followed his sight, Jackson's eyes widened immediately upon seeing the Princess' companion. In his panic, he grabbed the arms of Jack and Jamie, frantically pulling them behind a nearby tent.
"Jackson? What's going on?" Jamie asked.
"I'll explain later, just stay hidden," Jackson replied, pushing the two further behind the tent. And as if faith was pulling a prank on the Crown Prince, the Princess and the young blacksmith decided to head over the tent where the trio was hiding.
"The brawnfest is not for another two days but this place is already packed," Hiccup exclaimed.
"Uhuh, and the number doubled this year," Merida informed, stocking her quiver with arrows.
Jamie tapped Jackson's shoulder, "What's going on? Why are we hiding?" the youth whispered.
Jack intercepted after Jamie, "Did you do something to the boy last night, Jackson?"
Jackson gaped, "Wha-what do you take me for!?" he exclaimed in whisper.
"Whoa, I'm asking not accusing," Jack smirked, enjoying his brother's reaction.
Jamie looked incredulously at Jackson which made Jackson sigh, "Look, remember when I said he hates us, Jack?"
Jack nodded his head, making Jamie feel left out of the conversation. The assistant began to be curious as to what the twins were talking about.
"So…I couldn't get myself to introduce who I really am…"
Jamie narrowed his eyes at the chestnut-haired prince, "Then…?"
Jackson sighed, rubbing his neck, "I introduced myself as Jacyn the shepherd."
Jack snorted a laugh, "You mean to say that lanky kid doesn't know who you really are? That's a bit hard to believe."
Jamie rolled his eyes, "Don't be so full of yourself, Jack. Not everyone could be aware of who you are."
Jack then shrugged his shoulder, "I don't know, man. The parade was too grand to not be seen by almost everyone in this Kingdom."
Jackson chanced a peek at the duo who were taking their shade at the tent, "Shh, you two, we'll be found out." The bantering duo stopped then peeked inside the tent as well, trying to make out of the things the two were saying.
"What weapon would ye like tah try, Heccup?" asked Merida.
The hiding trio gaped and thought of the same thing, 'He's going to hurt himself.'
Hiccup sat on a nearby log, resting his hands on his knees, "Mer, for the last time, I'm not going to join the games."
Jack chuckled, "Smart move, kid."
Merida rested her hands on her hips, tapping her foot down the grass, "Ye got tah atleast try out for somethin'. It doesn't have tah be abou' the brawnfest."
Hiccup pondered over Merida's words. He already knew the extent of stubbornness that the Princess had and he already knew it was a lost cause to even try, "Fine, teach me how to shoot then."
Merida beamed, "Atta' boy, A'll gladly teach ye!" she grabbed and handed Hiccup a bow and quiver.
"Why do I have the feeling that you planned all of this?"
"Well, ye aren't the only smart one here," Merida sassed, earning an eye roll from Hiccup, "Let's get started!"
Merida went straight the shooting range, stopping from time to time for Hiccup to catch up. The trio stood behind the tent and watched Merida mentor Hiccup.
"Say…why would you care if this kid find out you're the prince?" Jamie asked, looking at Jackson's face.
Jackson returned the gaze of Jamie, "I don't really know, Jamie…I guess, I want to be his friend?"
Jackson's reply made Jack's eyebrow furrow in thought whereas Jamie gave an unreadable stare at the Crown Prince.
"I'm so-sorry, my Lord," the familiar voice of Hiccup said, making the trio avert their gaze to the lanky boy who is now in a shaky bowing stance.
The Princess was standing beside him with her hand on Hiccup's slumped shoulder, "He ded not intend tah do tha', can't ye just let him go?" she defended.
"Pardon me, Princess but that runt almost killed his highness! Look at his bleeding arm!" a fearling said, grabbing the collar of Hiccup's shirt, "and for that, this boy must be punished!"
Merida shoved the fearling away from Hiccup, "Let go of him! Ye have no right tah subjugate mah friend in mah presence!"
The fearling ignored the Princess' order, reaching out once again to grab Hiccup, stopping when an order was pronounced. "Let this matter go," Pitch said, holding his bleeding arm.
"But, my Lo—" the fearling protested but was not able to finish for the Lord intercepted menacingly in the middle of his sentence.
"I said to let this matter go! The Princess already explained that this young man had no intention of hurting me, do you suppose I wish to be a laughing stock for being riled up by an accident!?" Pitch exclaimed.
The said fearling bowed his head in defeat, trembling as he said, "A—as you wi-wish, my Lord."
Merida sighed in relief, the same goes for the trio. It was a surprise for the three that the infamous vicious Lord Pitch did not ponder on this matter for all they knew, he was an unforgiving man. There had been times that the Lord had commoners whipped to exhaustion upon failure to comply with his orders. And him, getting as much as a bleeding arm, would get the boy thrown in the prisons or worse, beheaded.
"I require the boy to follow me though," Pitch said.
This statement made the trio panic. All they could think about was that it would not turn out good for the boy.
"Shouldn't we do something?" Jamie asked, tapping Jackson.
Jackson was already thinking of ways to diffuse the situation but all of it would require his presence. Jack stared at the scene, "You should say something already, Jackson. Do we get out there?"
"Yes, my Lord," Hiccup said then followed Pitch. Merida walked beside Hiccup but was told by Pitch that she was not allowed to follow. This only hyped the Princess' worry and was about to refuse when Hiccup shook his head at her.
Merida may be stubborn but she knew that displeasing the man would only make matters worse. She had heard the stories on how the man punished his servants. She was worried but she also did not know how to help her friend. For all she knew, she could end up worsening the Lord's mood.
Silently, Pitch went inside a tent made to tend wounds. A nurse stood up to attend the Lord's bleeding arm when he held up his hands and told her to prepare the tools needed for his wound and leave. The said nurse did not wait to be told a second time for she quickly did as she was told.
Pitch sat on a chair, pulling his sleeve up, "It is deeper than I thought."
Hiccup looked anywhere but Pitch, his nervousness heightened at each second that passed.
"What are you waiting for? Start stitching."
Hiccup raised his head, looking questioningly at the Lord, "Pardon me, my Lord?"
Pitch motioned at the sterilized needle by the desk, "You are the cause of this then you are responsible to fix it. Start. Now."
Hiccup felt like he was going to be sick. He went to the table then grabbed the needle. His hand trembled as he held the man's arm and started piercing the skin. It felt like hours for young Hiccup while the Lord sat there. No emotions were present in the Lord's face but the stare he gave Hiccup was not left unnoticed by the young man.
The moment he finished stitching the last of the ripped skin, he immediately cut off the string and distanced himself from the Lord, covering his mouth for he felt bile wanting to escape from his throat.
Lord Pitch examined the stitch, smirking, "Great stitching…for a boy." He rolled down his ripped sleeve to cover the wound.
Hiccup stared at his feet, avoiding the eyes of the Lord for he felt nauseous at the sight of blood which reminded him of his bitter days.
It was also not helping that he was face to face with the rumored mastermind of his family's ill-fate. He had been praying that the Lord allow him to leave after he finished tending the wounds but it seemed that the older man had other plans.
"How long have you been close to the Princess?" Pitch asked.
Hiccup was surprised but chose to answer, "F-five years ago, my…Lord."
Pitch hummed, standing up to bound across the tent, "Is that so?"
Hiccup did not reply but thoughts were running through his head. It was a wonder to him on why the Lord asked him questions. He could only hope that the reason was not connected to who he was.
"Tell me, boy. What do you do for a living?"
Hiccup raised his head to meet the gaze of the Lord, "I am an...apprentice blacksmith, my Lord."
"Is the life of a blacksmith hard for you?" Pitch stopped in his tracks, tucking his hands behind his back as he waited for Hiccup's answer.
Hiccup pondered over the question, thinking what the Lord was trying to achieve, "In terms of labor, it is a tiring work, my Lord. But we are not lacking financially…we're paid well enough for our work."
Pitch averted his gaze from Hiccup, "Is that so? But…if you are given the chance, would you want better living arrangements?"
Hiccup furrowed his eyes at the raven-haired man, "My Lord, may I know why you are asking me this questions?"
Pitch moved his gaze back at Hiccup, smirking, "Not a man for games, aren't you, young lad? Very well, I'll be frank. I want you to help the Crown Prince be better acquainted with the Princess, seeing as you are close to her."
Hiccup almost rolled his eyes; annoyance started to show on his face.
Pitch continued, "If you get the two of them together, then I would make sure that you would compensated with riches, taking you out of the slumps you are currently living in."
Hiccup blew air through his nose, "I would never sell out my friend." Hiccup said with irritation evident on his voice. 'Not like your damned prince stood a chance anyway!'
Pitch laughed deviously, "That's what they always say, perhaps, you want more? How about I add a land and manor? Filled with your very own servants."
Hiccup fumed, thinking why he would condemn his closest friend to live with ruthless royal assholes, "I appreciate the the offer but no thanks. You can shove your land and manor down your throat." He said, spinning towards the tent's exit.
"Rudeness would not get you anywhere, boy. I will remember you for this," Pitch said, void of any expression, making Hiccup stop.
He looked back at the Lord and said, "So be it."
Jackson, Jack and Jamie sighed in relief when they saw Hiccup went out unscathed from the tent. The trio were already devising a plan to bail the young lad out in case it took anymore longer. The expression plastered on the boy was noticed by twins, finding it to be unusual for every time their uncle conversed with someone privately, their faces would either show nervousness or relief, which was so different from what they saw on Hiccup - an expression of intense hatred.
This face perished right away when the Princess patted Hiccup's shoulder. A look of worry was evident on her face. The two seemed to be talking about something which the trio could not hear from their spot.
"Well, that's…a surprising turn of events…," Jamie uttered.
"Indeed." The twins said simultaneously.
Jack then turned his attention to his brother, "Are we going to keep on hiding though? I mean, we'll be at the same place this coming brawnfest."
"I haven't really thought about it," Jackson said, tilting his head back on the tent's wall in frustration.
The stable boy brought Toothless out, handing the reins to Hiccup. He was about to mount his horse when Merida suddenly grabbed his arm while looking intently at him.
"What?" he asked.
Merida eyed his friend, "Why did ye do tha'…?"
Hiccup furrowed his brows in confusion, "Do what exactly?"
Merida sighed and whispered, "A know…it was not a missed shot…ye aimed it…"
Hiccup paled and averted his eyes, "I…do not know…what you are -."
Merida spoke, stopping Hiccup, "A' don't know the reason Hiccup, A' won't force ye tah tell me now but A' expect ye tah tell me when ye'r ready."
Hiccup did not move nor say a word. In truth, he did aim at the Lord for he saw him standing near the practice target. It was a mere act of impulse and rush of adrenaline after the Princess informed him that the black-cloaked man was the famous Lord of Overland. And during that time, his mind wandered whether he would let go of the arrow or put it down. It was only at the last few seconds of his aim that his mind went back to full consciousness. Sadly, his hold on the arrow already loosened but luckily, he was able to divert the bow and deter its movement, making the arrow miss the dreadful opportunity to kill the Lord.
He mounted on Toothless' back and Merida held his hand, "But whatever it is, Heccup, A'll always be yer friend."
Hiccup smiled faintly before Toothless took off for a run.
Hiccup awoke from his sleep after he heard the whining and galloping noises of Toothless. He cracked and massaged his freshly-asleep bones, making his way down the small dining room for his breakfast. He gratefully ate his share of bread and water, sitting up to clean the house and dishes.
Toothless waited for him outside, overly ecstatic to spend the day with his master. He galloped around, neighing in joy when Hiccup appeared outside the house.
"Hey, bud." Hiccup said dearly.
Toothless neighed in response then nuzzled Hiccup's cheek which made the lanky boy giggle. "Alright, that's enough, bud. How about we go to the river, hm?"
Toothless neighed happily. "Knew you would say that," Hiccup said, rubbing Toothless' neck. He mounted his horse in grace, whipping the reins right away.
Toothless took off into the direction which leads to the river. Hiccup and Toothless went the same route, passing through every obstacle within the woods. After several scattered wood planks, steep rocks and fallen trees, the two best friends reached their goal.
Hiccup led Toothless to swim through the water, giggling as the water splashed on him. He slid off the saddle in one side, raising his arms above his head to prepare himself for a dive. The water, although it was only chest-deep, managed to swallow Hiccup. The lanky boy dove down then curled his body up to submerge his head out of the water. On the other hand, Toothless sprinted out of the water and galloped his way to the nearby grass.
"Hungry already, bud?" Hiccup asked, floating with his back in the water. Toothless snorted through his nose before he started to eat grass.
Hiccup then looked up at the clear blue sky as he allowed the rush of water to float him away. He was starting to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere when he heard someone speak.
"Well, well, look who's clothed?"
Hiccup's eyes snapped wide, moving his foot down to touch the bottom of the river. He whipped his hair around, looking for the owner of the voice.
The man in question chuckled, "Looking for me?"
Hiccup then whipped his head to the man's location and what he saw surprised him, more than enough to make him scream and move away frantically, making him trip on his back and submerge back in the water. Luckily, it was a soft fall but the water attacked his mouth and nose, causing the poor Hiccup to cough and sneeze after he emerged out of the water.
The man on the other laughed at the sight before him, "Well, I've seen surprised expressions before. But yours top them all!" The man exclaimed.
After recovering from his coughing fit, Hiccup brushed away his bangs out of his eyes to give the man the most venomous glare he could muster to do.
The man, in turn, held his hands up, "Whoa, easy. Didn't mean to do that…well, I actually kind of did…but was not expecting the reaction to be that great." The man said, chuckling.
"Well, congratulations. Should I hand you a medal?" Hiccup shot back in irritation.
"Would it be in gold?" The man shot back, smirking.
Hiccup rolled his eyes while he crossed his arms. He ignored the man who blatantly laughed at his predicament and swam his way to the sides of the river, whistling for his friend, Toothless.
"Leaving already?" the man asked.
Hiccup pulled his self out of the water to sit by the river bank and expressionlessly looked at the man who was sitting with one knee curled and other feet dangling down the ground. The pose was not the thing that surprised him. It was the fact that this man's face and hair was covered in a scary demon-carved mask with a wig that appeared green with dirt. The only part that was visible of the man's face would be his mouth and chin. "If a weird man appears before you, would you be in the right mind to stay?"
The man shrugged his shoulders, "If they are interesting, why not?" he said, sliding down from the rock and walking close to the lanky boy.
Hiccup stared intently at the man. "Problem is, you're not." He deadpanned, pushing his self up to stand.
The masked man exaggeratedly feigned hurt by clutching his chest with his hand, "Come on, it's not every day you see a mysterious man like me."
"Mysterious?" Hiccup raised his brow, "…strange describe you better."
"I can work with that. Anything but ordinary." The man exclaimed, dipping his right foot in the water, seemingly trying to test the water's coldness.
Toothless went close to Hiccup, nuzzling the boy's cheek. The horse looked up and saw the masked man. For some odd reason, Toothless menacingly galloped his two front hooves at the man, obviously startled by the man's appearance.
"Whoa, Toothless." Hiccup said, grabbing the reins to stop Toothless from galloping.
The man jumped in surprise, making him fall down the water. Toothless stopped his gallops then made a snorting sound which Hiccup chorused with a laugh of his own. "Guess we're even now."
The man, whose body was submerged in knee-deep water, laughed as well.
Hiccup limply walked close to the fallen man, holding his hand up for the man to take. (Déjà vu, yo!)
The man, in turn, took the hand offered and waited as he was pulled up by the lanky boy. To his surprise, the kid had a pretty tight grip which he thought to be the cause of working as a blacksmith.
The two stared at each other, both of them was assessing the features of the person in front of them. Hiccup could only make out that the man was a head taller than him with a fairly toned-body frame. He was not able to see the person's face but he managed to see the man's icy blue eyes through the mask's small holes which reminded him of the clearest blue sky he had ever seen. He also noticed how white the man's teeth were as if they were freshly fallen snow.
On the other hand, the man tightened his grip on the smaller boy's hand as he gazed intently at the boy's features. He could not help but stare at the boy's forest green eyes which were surrounded by thousands of freckles. He absentmindedly smiled as he fought the urge to trace out the constellations he recognized out of the boy's face.
Toothless, feeling left out, huffed through its nose then bounded close to Hiccup, whipping his tail at the back of the lanky boy's head. The whip removed his attention from the masked man, making him pull out his hand from the other's grasp and use that hand to massage the back of his head.
"Toothless! What was that for?" he snapped and glared at his friend. The horse just walked away, waving his tail.
Jack tilted his head at the side, "Toothless?"
Hiccup averted his attention from Toothless, "Uhm…long story."
Jack pouted, "I've got time."
Hiccup sighed, "He likes to eat loac berries that cover his teeth black and stuff." Toothless went back to his master with grass on his mouth which Hiccup took to slowly feed it to his horse.
Jack hummed in reply. "He's a pretty good-looking warhorse, isn't he? Bought him?"
Hiccup looked at his friend then smiled.
(Flashback)
It was another day back in Haddock's territory. A young boy, at the age of ten, sneaked away to explore the vastness of the woods located nearby their castle. The Prince of Haddock Kingdom breathed in the air, making his visibly tensed self relax.
He already felt tense with the scolding he would receive later for breaking his father's number one rule: Never ever leave the castle without permission.
There was nothing unusual at the first hour of his walk. Just the ordinary scenery of trees and boughs, making him kick pebbles that stood in his way. He stopped when he heard the distinct sound of a whine. His curious mind kicked in, making him search for the source of the it.
And as he got closer to it, he found a trail of flattened grass with blood tainting the green out of each leaf. The sight alerted the young boy to hasten his steps, almost making him run in the process. When he finally arrived to a cliff, he peered over and saw a stunning black warhorse lying on the ground.
He gaped and he could only mutter a breathy whoa. He gulped then clenched his fists, contemplating on which action he should do. Parts of him said that he should ignore the animal while another part of him said that he should get closer and check what was wrong. And after a minute of contemplation, the latter won.
He moved away from his spot, walking straight up to where the animal lies. He saw the horse immobile, making him think that the animal was already dead. His eyes swerved through the animal, stopping at the sight of two arrows stuck in its left back leg.
"Where's your rider?" he looked around, searching for anyone. "Did he…leave you for dead…?" he spoke slowly, saddening at the thought.
He heard the knights banter about it one day. He heard them say: A downed horse is a dead horse. Kill the useless thing when it cannot serve its purpose.
"I'm sorry." He apologized in the rider's behalf. He went to touch one of the arrow's sharp end but was stopped when the warhorse suddenly made a slight jerk.
Hakon subconsciously closed his eyes shut and covered his head, defending himself from an expected blow. When none came, he opened his eyes and stared eye-to-eye with the lying horse. He could not explain but he felt that the horse mirrored the feelings he had at the same moment. Fright, curiosity and amazement.
"Let me…help you." Hakon squeaked, reaching his left palm out.
The horse stared at his hand for seconds before its head limped back in the grass, closing its eyes. Hakon took the gesture as approval, quickly kneeling close the injured leg but made sure the horse would not accidentally kick him in the process.
"This would hurt for a bit," he said in a shaky voice.
He grabbed hold of the two arrows, positioning his self to pull them out. "Here goes nothing," he said as he pulled the arrows with much force as he could muster.
After four tries, he was able to pull the arrows out. He could only dread the sounds the horse made while he was removing the arrows. But he could only smile like a proud father when the horse went through the whole thing. "You're a warrior worthy of your title," he said while smiling.
His smile faded fast when the horse suddenly stood upright. Hiccup's eyes widened when the equine galloped menacingly at him. He crawled on his back and stopped when he reached a large stone. He felt cornered as the horse stared down intently at him. He already expected a blow from the beast but to his surprise, it limply ran away.
Hakon stood up on shaky legs then took three steps before his knees gave up, making him fall facedown the soft soil.
He went home that day with his mother fretting about the dirt and blood on his clothing while his father scolded him for hours about sneaking away.
But those negative attention from his parents did not stop him from sneaking out again. He went to search for the horse and befriended it by using berries and fruits as leverage. He found a name for the horse the first time the animal attempted a smile, surprising Hiccup for the loac berries' juices mimicked the color of the horse's fur.
"Hmm…Toothless."
(End of Flashback)
Hiccup shrugged, "No, found him."
Jack nodded his head before he reached his hand to touch Toothless' snout. The horse shook its head away from the his hand before walking away swiftly.
"Uhm…he does not like to be touched just by anyone," Hiccup said, scratching the back of his head.
"That's a shame," Jack said, clasping his hands behind his head.
Silence fell between the two. Jack gave the boy another once over until his eyes stopped at the boy's peg leg. Hiccup noticed the boy's stare and shrugged, "I don't know how it happened."
Jack raised his head to look at Hiccup, "What?"
Hiccup tapped his fake leg, "I mean this."
"Ah I see, was I not discreet in my stare?"
"Hardly," Hiccup deadpanned, taking off his wet shirt and shaking his head off to remove the water.
Jack stared while the boy took off his shirt. He already had seen him naked but upon closer inspection, the Prince was able to see how unmanly thin and freckled the boy was. "Do you usually take off your shirt in public?"
Hiccup raised a brow and the sudden flashback of what the male told him earlier entered his mind: Well, well, well, look who's clothed?
Hiccup gasped at the realization and subconsciously embraced his self, "What do you mean by that? Were you peeping on me!?"
Jack immediately raised his hands up in defense, "Relax, tiger. It was by chance, not like I planned to see you naked that day."
"What day?" Hiccup asked, mouth still open, showing off his crooked teeth.
"Uhm…," Jack chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "You know what, it's not really important. I mean, I have what you have under this shirt anyway." He said coolly.
Hiccup narrowed his eyes. He could only silently agree with what the stranger was implying. They were both males after all but he could still not feel comfortable at the stranger's stare.
"Do you mind? You are making me self conscious."
"Oh, I thought you stripped for that reason."
Hiccup facepalmed, spinning on his back to leave the stranger. "Oh the Gods must hate me. I had to deal with an annoying shepherd, now this!?" he said, barely audible to the stranger behind him. He hung his wet shirt at a tree branch and crouched down to remove his boot and peg leg.
Hiccup left his pants on and laid down the grass as he waited to dry off. Jack walked closer to the boy, his shadow covered Hiccup's face from the pleasant sunlight. Hiccup craned his head to meet eyes with the masked man, "You're still here? Don't you have anything else to do than to annoy people?"
Jack gave a hearty laugh, "Annoying people is what I love to do," he said as he sat down, Indian-style. "The attention they basked me makes me feel alive!"
Hiccup rolled his eyes, "You must be a lonely man then."
The smile on Jack's face melted down to a sad smirk, "Hmm…you think so?"
This made Hiccup to return his gaze back at the mesmerizing blue eyes of the masked man. The man's tone full of mirth drastically changed at his last words. He could not explain it but he swore he had seen the same look mirrored in the man's eyes – loneliness. The feeling that kept him company years ago when he was caged in a castle he called home.
Hiccup sighed and sat up, "…are you?"
"Sometimes," Jack shrugged, "I have my brother..." 'That you threaten to take away from me,' he continued in his mind.
"Then, there's no reason for you to frown," Hiccup said, raising his head to look at the blue sky and making Jack follow his gaze.
"You're fortunate to have a family with you here on earth, whereas, others could only gaze up at the sky to find theirs," Hiccup said as he reached his left hand up, imagining the faces of his father, mother and friends. Oh, how he long to meet them again.
Jack brought down his eyes back to Hiccup, wanting to question his puzzling words. But the sentence never came out of his lips for his body froze when he saw the pained and longing smile on the smaller boy's face. It was heartbreakingly beautiful.
Hiccup was brought back to reality and noticed the stare of the man. He coughed and blushed, "Haha that was…uhm, distastefully corny. Sorry about that." He scratched the back of his head.
"No, you are right," Jack shook his head and genuinely smiled.
Silence fell once again between the two.
"Hiccup."
Jack furrowed his eyes and realized what the boy meant. He did remember his brother say that the boy was named Hiccup.
"Jack," said the Prince, holding out his hand.
Hiccup did not bother to bask in surprise. It was unusual that somebody understood right away that he was introducing his self. Although Hiccup was doubtful, he shoved the nagging thought away and took the man's hand.
They only shook twice and immediately let go of each other's hand, smiling at each other as they silently declare their blooming friendship. The two could not explain but there was this shine in their eyes which told them they had something that mirrored each other, something that other people could not understand but they both could.
In order to break the silence, Hiccup spoke, "You should take off your shirt or else you might catch a cold."
Jack decided to be back to his playful self and flirtatiously acted like a girl by rapidly blinking his eyes and sophistical-y covering his lips with his pale hand while the other fanned his face, "Oh my, Mr. Hiccup, you are moving quite too fast," he said in a horribly pitchy voice.
Hiccup visibly gaped his with one brow up in annoyance, "I take back my handshake." (In other words, his offer of friendship.)
Jack laughed loud, stifling his laugh with his hand, "But I'll still have your name." Then the good ol' Jack winked.
Yes, I used a scene from "Sarasah" manwha for Hiccup and Pitch arrow accident and stitch treatment.
Holy crud, I don't know what I was doing on this chapter. Horrible chapter, yeah? D;