Vǫrðr Inn Verǫld Svíða

Some men just want to watch the world burn

ACT I: embers

3: Cold Nights

Berk was always cold, even in summer, and as a native Hiccup was used to it. But even by Berk's standards, today's wind was chilly and if it was any indication, tonight was going to be even colder.

It seemed like he and Toothless' night flights had been put to an end and it greatly dampened his mood as they soared through the air on their morning flight. Well, it dampened his mood as much as it could – it had been months, but flying was still just as exhilarating as the first time they had woven their way through the sea stacks and came out alive.

He gently rubbed his arms and then breathed on his hands, hoping to warm them up. "I don't know about you bud," Hiccup said, patting his dragon's neck, "but some nice warm food at the Meade Hall sounds pretty good to me."

They sank through the clouds and descended lightly but were still high enough that the few people congregating to the Meade Hall looked like ants.

A chill ran through him, and the boy realized it would be smarter to go home and pull on a cloak so he wouldn't be as cold. His house was closer to them right now than the Meade Hall was anyway.

Not for the first time, Hiccup wondered if dragons could read minds, as Toothless had started to head towards the Haddock house without even a peep from him.

He got off the saddle with ease, unlocking himself from the saddle hooks and halfway to the door of his home when it opened, revealing Stoick standing in the doorway. His father didn't look happy.

Stoick didn't leave his son guessing what he was unhappy about for long though. "Snotlout punched Gringuts in the face this morning."

Whatever Hiccup had been expecting, that was not it. "What? Why?" Maybe Gringuts had tried to sit on Hookfang; to ride another's dragon without the rider's permission had become a huge insult, to the rider and the dragon. (It was the reason behind half of the twins' fights.)

"Gringuts was laughin' 'bout some'hing tha' happened yes'erday. Apparently, they were makin' fun of ya fer bein'... they were jokin' 'bout yer leg." Stoick's expression shifted into one of discomfort. Hiccup knew that his father still blamed himself for his loss, even if the Chief shouldn't.

Hiccup struggled to meet his dad's eyes. "Uh, yeah. They were. But I didn't do anything wrong, I wasn't even planning on telling Snotlout," he explained.

"None tha less, I know tha' ya were in tha right, but try ta stay civil 'round Gringuts. I know things have always been a little tense but... stay outta trouble? Just for until tha tribes have headed home."

Hiccup half-smiled. "I'll do my best."

Stoick looked relieved. "Alright." He swung his hands at his side, clearly not quite sure what to do next, but then reached up and put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and squeezed it quickly, then dropping it to the side. "I have some chiefin' to do son, I'll see you at dinner."

Stoick hurriedly went on his way; Hiccup watched him go, smiling. Their relationship wasn't perfect, but it was a lot better than it used to be.

Toothless bumped Hiccup's hand, so the boy turned to his dragon. "What do you think about finding Snotlout at lunch, Toothless?"

#####

Snotlout's students were on their way to the Meade Hall for lunch when Hiccup landed outside of the Academy. His brown cloak that rested on his shoulders flapped in the wind as he entered the Ring.

"Hey Snotlout," he greeted. His cousin looked up from Hookfang, giving the Monstrous Nightmare one last pat on the snout.

"Look, I wasn't that late today –" Snotlout began.

Hiccup resisted the urge to roll his eyes. More than once, Snotlout had been terribly late and needed to be reprimanded, and as the Chief's son and unofficial head of the Academy, that task had fallen into Hiccup's hands. "That's not why I'm here."

"Oh." Snotlout looked slightly taken aback. "Then why are you here?"

Hiccup took a moment to answer. "I heard you punched Gringuts," he said quietly, refusing to look at his cousin.

Snotlout laughed uneasily. "Well," he said loudly, hitting his chest with his fist in an effort of bravado, "nobody insults the Hairy Hooligans!" His boast wavered near the end.

Hiccup looked up and almost smiled. "Thanks."

Snotlout looked momentarily conflicted, but then he swallowed hard. "Y-you're welcome," he choked up. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "So, er..." He cleared his throat. "Do you wanna head to the, uh, Meade Hall together or are we just gonna stand here all day?"

Hiccup smiled a little. "Lead the way."

To say their relationship was difficult was an understatement. Hiccup had the position; Snotlout had everything a Viking should have. It hadn't helped that Spitelout, Snotlout's father, was highly competitive. And then everything changed. They went from the mocker and the mocked to allies in a matter of hours.

But no matter what, Hiccup knew he cared for his cousin, and deep down, Snotlout did too. Not that either of them would ever admit it, of course. But it was there all the same. And really, that was what mattered.

#####

At lunch, Hiccup slid into the seat next to Fishlegs, who didn't have any food or plates lying in front of him, but instead a large book with a leather bound cover. Most of the book was blank pages, but a small piece was already filled with writing and drawings.

Fishlegs was writing furiously, his charcoal chipped down to a small nub. Hiccup peered over the larger boy's shoulder. "Adding something to the Tidal Class?" he asked.

"Just a few last minute footnotes; some Scauldrons were seen near Crab Cove; it might be a migration point," Fishlegs answered. "Do you have time to help me organize all the Zippleback riders' interviews?"

"I have some work to do at the forge first, but does mid-afternoon work for you?" Hiccup said.

Fishlegs smiled. "That'd be great, thanks."

Hiccup waved a hand dismissively before digging into his food. "Anytime." They continued their meal in a comfortable silence and Hiccup found himself feeling grateful that he could now call someone like Fishlegs his friend.

After a couple of hours at the forge, Hiccup flew over to the Meade Hall to find Fishlegs sitting at a table covered with papers, his back arched, his face hovering just over the one he was currently reading.

The Gronckle rider didn't even look up when Hiccup took the seat beside him. "I've left a pile for you," the large boy said, sparing a glance finally to look at him.

Hiccup turned to the stack of paper in front of him. It wasn't huge, but it was still thicker than at least three of his notebooks combined. This was going to take a while. He reached up and took a few off from the top. "Alright." He looked down at the first piece of parchment. "Let's get started."

#####

Spark and Flint always argue over who I'm riding. A saddle so I'm located more towards the base of their necks should fix that, or even perhaps one on their backs and I'll see through the opening between their necks...

Hiccup looked blearily up from the paper. The candle they had put up an hour ago flickered as he took the piece he had finished reading and put it in the 'Keep' pile the boys had wordlessly set up. Fishlegs let out a yawn and put his own piece in the 'Throw Away' pile, which was significantly larger than the other.

Hiccup rubbed at his eyes. "We did it," he croaked. Fishlegs only murmured in agreement. Hiccup groaned as he pushed himself up onto his feet; his right leg had fallen asleep. He nudged it against the side of the table, hoping to provoke some feeling from it, but to no avail.

"I don't know about you 'Legs, but I'm heading home." He moved out of the narrow space in between the table and the bench. "Bud?" he called.

It only took a few moments for Toothless to arrive at his side. The Night Fury had been taking a nap, or eating their leftover meals from náttverðr. Toothless let out an excited warble – was it time to fly?

Hiccup frowned a little, placing one hand on the dragon's head and scratching. "It's too cold at night now bud. Maybe some extra fish instead."

Although obviously disappointed, Toothless accepted the reality. Despite how much he wanted to fly, he knew that humans couldn't take the cold like dragons could. It made them sick and that was bad. Hiccup was not going to get sick because of him.

"Night Fishlegs," Hiccup said, turning around and beginning to walk away from the table.

"Good night Hiccup," Fishlegs replied, sounding as tired as he felt. "And thanks."

Hiccup turned back slightly and almost smiled. "You're welcome."

The journey back to the Haddock house felt long. The blistering wind, which was thankfully blowing on his back, but still freezing, didn't help. He kept one hand on Toothless, waves of heat coming off of the reptile.

Even though it was cold and winter was rolling in within a week, this night would have been a perfect one for flying. The night sky was cloudless and the moon was almost full. Hiccup stopped walking and sighed; there was no chance of taking the risk of getting sick. Even if Toothless let him, that hypothermia he had gotten when he was a kid had scared him straight.

With a dejected, "C'mon bud," they resumed their walk back home. They were only a few steps from the porch when he heard loud, deep voices.

" – Honestly Stoick, m'son was just doin' a little teasin', nuttin' harmful 'bout it –" Chief Knuck was saying.

Hiccup normally wasn't one to eavesdrop but he was frozen to the spot. They were discussing what happened yesterday. They were discussing him... How could he not listen?

"It was much more than teasin' Knuck!" Stoick said, sounding hurt and angry. "There's nuttin' funny 'bout my son bein' one of tha youngest amputees in Berk's history!"

"Yer boy just needs to toughen up –"

"Hic'up isn't like tha' Knuck! It's amazin' he made it past his firs' year – tha' was one of tha coldest winters ya know – an' time an' time again, yer son pushed too far an' almost killed him!"

"Gringuts has an interestin' sense of humour tha's all – he didn't mean fer it ta go too far!"

"But each time it did!" Stoick roared. "There's some'hing not right wit' tha' boy of yers."

"At least mine can hold his own against anyone – it's a miracle that Hic'up's alive today, Thor knows why!"

It felt like an icicle had pierced his heart, even if he knew it was true. By the time he was twelve, he had experience more near-death experiences than most Vikings had in their entire life.

"Ya shut yer mouth – my son is a hero, he defeated a dragon tha size of a mountain an' stopped tha war!"

Both Chiefs were breathing heavily, seemingly trying to compose themselves.

"Maybe so," Knuck said begrudgingly, "but ya know tha' yer boy is dif'erent, not tha Viking – how can ya expect otha chiefs ta take him seriously?!"

Stoick was silent. Then, "Knuck, I know my boy isn't tha most ordinary Viking, but he's tha best I've ever seen."

Hiccup felt himself swell with pride. A warm feeling spread up from his chest and to his fingers.

"Stoick," Knuck began gently, "ya know what Hic'up means, dontcha? What otha people will see it as? Stoick... Hic'up means accident, after all."

It seemed as if every other noise – the sea lapping against Berk's rocky shores, the creaks and groans of his house, the chirp of crickets and wails of dragons – had faded from the world, leaving only the sound of Hiccup's heart thundering against his ribcage.

Accident?

A lump formed in his throat and his eyes stung.

In the early day of the Berkian Vikings, names had specific meanings. Each child was named by the Naming Dame, who was the oldest woman in the village. He knew that certain names had certain meanings and used to be used as the person's title – Stoick meant vast, for example – but that practice had mostly died out after the fourth generation.

Hiccup knew the Naming Dame who had named him had died a few days afterwards. The villagers were superstitious and had taken it as a bad omen. It didn't help that the dragon known as the Night Fury had arrived two weeks later either. Stoick had shrugged it off. Gothi had become the new Naming Dame and that had seemed to be the end of that.

Hiccup got on the saddle. Berk's one and only library – a small room lit by candlelight just on the outskirts of the village (Vikings didn't have much use for words, after all) – would hold the answer.

He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "To the library bud."

The night air chilled him to the core, but he found he barely registered it. They landed with ease outside of the small shack and Hiccup pushed the door open tentatively. It creaked and even though he didn't weigh nearly as much as his peers, the floorboards still groaned beneath him.

The small library was drafty and dark. After stubbing his toe (really, couldn't his metal foot have hit it instead?) on the leg of a small table, he groped in the dark for a candle. A few moments passed until he felt the cool metal of the holder and the dried wax.

He brought the candle close to him. "A little light Toothless?" he asked, lowering the candle so it was at the dragon's eye level. A tiny shot of the Night Fury's plasma blast hit the wick, illuminating the drafty room with light and casting eerie shadows on the walls.

As Hiccup surveyed the room, it seemed like nothing had changed since the last time the he was here, when he was two or three and his mother's funeral had been concluded by entering her name in the Death Book. He had clutched his father's hand and cried the whole time.

He held the candle up to one of shelves, scanning the spines. All were leather bound, thick, with hastily scribbled Norse on the spines. A thick coating of dust covered all of them, except for the black book near the end – the Death Book. There was only a thin layer and Hiccup gladly went past it onto another shelf.

Finally, he had reached the 'N' section. The Name Book was the first, and he pulled it down, setting the candle on the windowsill. He blew the dust off and opened it up.

The pages were yellow with age and some of the edges were slightly burned – surely from previous dragon attacks. Judging by the date scrawled in the corner, it was even older than the Book of Dragons.

He took a seat on the floor and hurriedly started to search for the 'H' section. Once he found it, he had to try to find his name among the others. It was at the very bottom of the 'Hi' part, he very nearly missed it.

There, clearly printed, as blunt as an axe, were the words:

HICCUP = Accident. This name is given to the runt of a generation.

His heart sank. What Knuck said had been right. Toothless crooned softly beside him, nudging his head with the dragon's large scaly one gently.

"I'm alright bud," Hiccup said thickly. "It's just..." Toothless' exhaled sharply through his nose, causing Hiccup's hair to ruffle. He nudged his boy again. Hiccup sighed. "I know Toothless, I shouldn't let it get to me... It was just what the Naming Dame named me, not what everyone thinks of me..."

Yet the lump in his throat didn't disappear.

Still feeling deflated, Hiccup stood up and put the Name Book back in its place, when he noticed something he hadn't before. Standing beside the book was another one titled Naming Dragons.

Like the Death Book, it only had a thin layer of dust on it, due to the Record Keeper of Berk being forced to pencil down the name of the dragon he and Toothless had defeated five months prior. After much debate (which had included more fists than words) between the names of the Green Death and the Red Death, the villagers had finally decided on the latter.

Always curious, Hiccup pulled the book down and sat back down on the floor. There were splotches of ink all over the contents page, but with a question burning in the back of his mind, Hiccup flipped to the page titled Subsections.

There weren't many names written below. There was 'DOWNED DRAGON' with the same advice Gobber had given them written underneath.

The very last subsection name – which surprised Hiccup greatly – was Toothless.

Almost afraid of what he would find, he read the words printed beside.

TOOTHLESS = Mistake. This name is given to a dragon whom has lost their claws or most often broken teeth, or suffered a great injury, rendering the dragon defenseless. This is often a mistake that costs the dragon their life.

Something like recognition seemed to flash in Toothless' eyes when he looked up to meet them, and although he knew the Night Fury was smart, he knew the dragon couldn't know what was written on the page. Nonetheless, it made him feel at least a little better.

Closing the book, he put it back in its spot and blew out the candle before leaving the shack. He didn't want to be in there anymore – he needed fresh air. Maybe then it would be easier to breathe.

He mounted Toothless' saddle, his prosthetic clicking into the stirrup. "Let's go Toothless," he murmured.

They blended into the sky as only a Night Fury could and he didn't even have to say the word as Toothless glided over the forest, already knowing the destination.

#####

As the night had worn on, it had only gotten colder, but Hiccup was still surprised at the deep-settled chill in his bones and how much he was shivering by the time he and his dragon reached the Cove.

For a moment, he had considered going home. But the emotions twisted up inside of him, most of which were hurt and sadness, were too tangled to unravel before he got to his house. Hiccup had decided he wasn't ready to face his father. Stoick would ask what was wrong and then he would have to come clean about eavesdropping and it would just be another shouldering of guilt for the Chief... And seeing Chief Knuck would be hard too.

Hiccup sighed and plopped himself down on one of the many boulders littered around the Cove. Another shiver ran through him, but he made no attempts to get warm.

Toothless warbled worriedly behind him, but he didn't turn around, which he felt sorry for, but he really just felt like being alone.

Toothless rumbled in annoyance. He could hear the dragon pad his way over by the sound of his scales and wings grazing the frost-covered grass. Toothless exhaled sharply on him, like before in the library shack.

"Go away Toothless," Hiccup told him miserably. Toothless snorted indignantly; as if. Instead of listening, he draped a wing over his rider's shoulders, sharing his warmth. Although obviously still content to wallow in self-pity, Hiccup didn't try to shove his wing off, so Toothless took the opportunity to wrap another wing around him.

Even if the action had first irritated him further, Hiccup found he couldn't complain. He was not just as warm, if not more so, than he would have been sitting in front of a roaring fire in his house. His shivering had subsided within a matter of minutes.

"Thank you," he told his dragon, albeit reluctantly. Toothless hummed happily and it was infectious. Soon, his annoyance and hurt had ebbed away.

Sometimes he wondered how Toothless could communicate with him so efficiently without words. He would love to be able to speak to his best friend – all the questions he could ask!

But such a thing was unheard of. Even in the old legends, there was never any dragon-human communication. Yet he knew that dragons did have their own language – the grunts and rumbles and body language meant something more, weren't just random. If only he could decipher them.

In all fairness, he could understand Toothless fairly well. He knew which warble or croon or tail flick meant what, for the most part. And for the time, as he gave Toothless a small hug of thanks, it was enough.

#####

They spent the night in the Cove. After the young Viking had given into his tiredness, he had been kept warm by being curled up into Toothless' belly, just like how his father had found him after the battle with the Red Death, held protectively by the Night Fury.

Speaking of his father, as the duo flew to the Meade Hall for breakfast, he found dread build up in his stomach at the thought of Stoick's reaction. The Chief would be furious, and that was putting it lightly.

When he did see Stoick, Hiccup walked up to him slowly, Toothless nudging his backside to prod him along. "Look, dad, I'm sorry I didn't come home last night –"

Stoick put a hand on his shoulder. "Ya overhead me an' Knuck's conversa'ion, didn't ya?" His son didn't meet his eyes and the boy's silence was enough of an answer. "I'm sorry ya had ta hear tha' Hic'up – ya know tha' none of us see ya like tha' right – mos' don't even know their name meanin's."

Hiccup half-smiled. "Thanks dad."

Stoick removed his hand and swung his arms at his side. The older Viking cleared his throat. It was back to business as usual. "Ya are, however, in trouble. No midday flights for tha rest of tha week – do some more classes wit' tha kids."

Hiccup took his punishment in stride and knew that if it wasn't for the fact that Toothless needed him to fly, the ban would have been for much longer and for the whole day. Stoick knew that was unfair though and kept that in mind whenever – although not extremely often – he needed to hand out punishments. Doing some more classes wasn't the worst thing in the world and it would keep him away from Gringuts, which was always a welcome bonus.

"Now get along ta ya friends – Astrid's been particularly worried." Stoick smiled with a knowing look in his eye and Hiccup flushed, turning as red as a flaming Monstrous Nightmare.

Stoick watched him go to the table with the other teens fondly, allowing himself a chuckled as Astrid socked his son on the arm – "That's for scaring me," – and proceeded to give him a quick hug – "That's for everything else."

Now that it was clear Hiccup was safe and sound – really, he should have known that Toothless would always bring Hiccup back, at least in almost one piece – Stoick wanted to go up the Shrine.

Unfortunately chief duties were going to get in the way – the Lorne's were expecting a baby any day and he needed to prepare the induction ceremony with Gothi; there had been some fishing squabbles down at Pebble Beach – he would have to wait until evening.

Despite how tired he felt, he knew he would still make the journey, even if the Shrine was as high up as Gothi's house on the opposite side of the island.

He had a lot to say.

#####

Hiccup went about his daily tasks to the best of his ability. He helped Fishlegs give feedback from the letters to Ruff and Tuff and added the important information into the Dragon Manual, but he knew his heart wasn't in it. If Fishlegs picked up on anything odd, he didn't ask.

Like his dad had told him to, he told his students extra classes would be happening. The kids' cheers - "More flying, yes!" - brightened his mood considerably. The students really were improving, especially Nonta, the young girl who rode a Gronckle. When he told her so, she was practically glowing with happiness.

The fact that Hiccup didn't see Gringuts at all for the rest of the day didn't hurt either.

After doing some small work at the forge for Gobber, he and Toothless went on a flight before heading to the Meade Hall for diner.

He was ready to put the horrible night before behind him and it seemed like all of Berk was doing the most to help him to.

#####

The Shrine was not much more than a large slab of stone that rested upon a platform on the otherwise craggy base of the mountain. It was too large to be simply an altar, yet still too small to be considered a boulder. Gravestones of the past women on Berk collected around it.

As always, Stoick dropped a collection of wild flowers on the stone and kept two and laid them on the grave of his wife, Valhallarama the Swift. He pressed two fingers to his lips and dropped them to the stone before turning towards the larger slab.

Carved into the stone was a simple name in runes: Hluti.

Stoick, his legs aching from the effort it had taken him to get up there, sank to his knees, and began to pray. "O Goddess of Fate, thank you for keeping my son safe on this cold night and I pray for his safety for many years to come. Please keep him away from Gringuts, I don't want any harm to come to him and especially no more pain from my own foolishness."

The silence stretched on but once he had bowed once more respectfully, he went to his wife's grave and told her everything. About the tribes, Hiccup's leg, his hopes and fears. Even in death, she was his confidant, and his support.

"I love you Val," he said, his voice cracking. He gripped the stone tightly and then stood up. He had to get back to the Meade Hall for dinner and to check up on his son.

He sent one last prayer to the goddess of fate and left the Shrine.

#####

The Viking and his dragon were walking home from the Meade Hall after dinner. Clouds drifted across the moon and the stars twinkled. The blustering wind was at their backs, but Hiccup still shivered slightly.

Perhaps it was this distraction that made his metal leg slide on a patch of ice. He barely had time to register it before Toothless had swooped in to catch him. He supposed the sensation should have been familiar, since it happened almost every day. But a lifetime of falling with no one moving to catch him kept him from taking any catch for granted.

He looked down at his dragon and gave the Night Fury a pat on the snout. "Thanks bud." Toothless warbled happily.

Something twitched behind Toothless and it caught the boy's eye; the tail. Guilt rose up and a wave of shame washed over him.

"You know about your tail bud?" he said nervously. Toothless' ear plates perked up. "Well I..." His heart leaped up into his throat. "I –"

There was a yell behind him. "Get inside Hic'up, ya'll catch a cold in this weather!" Stoick hollered.

"Okay dad!" he called back, feeling relieved. It was easier to breathe now. "We better go bud."

Hiccup shuddered a little, but Toothless nudged his hand with his nose. Instantly, the warmth seeped into his ice cold fingers and he scratched under the dragon's chin to show his thanks.

Toothless trotted after him into the house. Hiccup got into bed gratefully, wanting to postpone the conversation that would surely come, one day. Not tonight, nor tomorrow, but soon.

He took off Toothless' saddle gear – the leather could rub against his scales uncomfortably in the night – and hung them up on a hook. Then he took off his own appendage and left it beside his bed, when he realized something that hit him quite jarringly.

They matched. In Berk, matching battle scars were a sign of brotherhood.

He supposed in all the craziness of the past few months, he hadn't really taken time to think about it, but he and Toothless matched. He guessed that the gods really did keep score up there and he let out a chuckle.

Hiccup didn't know how much he believed in fate, but the more the longer he had been friends with Toothless, the more he thought he did.

It seemed like at every corner, Toothless seemed to fit into him like a puzzle piece.

The mistake and the accident. Looks like they had proven everyone wrong. And as Hiccup drifted off to sleep, his heartbeat slowing in time with his dragon's breathing, he was ready to keep proving that.

#####

A woman in long white robes walked up the Haddock house, her long dark hair flowing behind her in the wind. Her skin was as white as bone with high, strong cheek bones and she had blue eyes, yet no pupil. The blue of her eyes shifted between colours of deep, ocean blue and navy.

In each hand, a string was stretched out, wrapped around her long fingers. One was black and one was green. Near the beginning of both strings, in the space between her hands, they were tied into a knot, at not even a quarter of their length.

Slowly, she wound them around each other twice, forming a small braid of seven, but she just as slowly unraveled her.

She looked up at the house with her pupil-less eyes, which had shifted back to navy. The woman looked back down at the two strings in her hands. She did not move her mouth, yet still spoke, her eyes flickering back up the house, a darker blue than ever.

"I'm sorry," the goddess said.

Hluti was gone before the moon reached the highest point in the sky.

A/N: Hello everyone.

The idea of 'Hiccup' meaning accident is from the book series, which I have not read (I do want to though). The meaning behind Toothless' name is original, however. Secondly, is story also disregards HTTYD2 to some extent, which is why I am using the name of Hiccup's mother in the book series. The gods - Hluti, especially - will play a further part in this story.

Spitelout is confirmed as Snotlout's father in the TV series.

Hluti = fate in Old Norse.

The real plot-propelling stuff is in the next chapter; make of that what you will. Unfortunately, due to real life business, the next chapter should be up within two weeks, or it could be a little late. Just a warning of precaution.

P.S.: Hopefully, this will be my shortest chapter, excluding the Prologue.