"Hey Hiccup," Gobber calls out at the end of training as they're all leaving the arena. "Mind stickin' around a minute? I'd like a word."
The other teens look back at him, but Hiccup waves them off. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
"We'll save you a plate!" Fishlegs says as they all run off to the great hall.
When Hiccup turns back around, the one-legged blacksmith has a small grin on his face.
"What did you want to talk about Gobber?" Hiccup asks, hoping it doesn't have anything to do with how he subdued the Nadder today in training. He can't really explain the Dragon Nip he has shoved in the pocket of his vest.
"Things seem like they're goin' well for you, and I'm not just talking about dragon training. I noticed you've been hangin' out with the other teens every day." Gobber points out, gesturing with his hook in the direction the others had run off.
"Yeah," Hiccup says, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess dragon training has really brought us all together."
"I'm glad. I know you're clever, but there's more in Berk for you than spendin' your days shut up in the back of the forge. Looks like you're finally beginnin' to see that." Gobber comes over to clap him on the back. Hiccup is proud when he manages to not be too jarred by the impact.
"One more thing," Gobber continues, bringing his hand up to rest on Hiccup's shoulder. "It's supposed to be a surprise, but I thought you deserve to know. Tomorrow is gonna be the last day of training. Gothi is gonna choose one of you to fight the Monstrous Nightmare. And I'm feelin' pretty confident in who she'll pick."
Hiccup lets out a nervous laugh. "Oh come on Gobber, you'll jinx it."
"If you say so," he says shrugging. "Now get on, the others are waitin' for you." He gives Hiccup a little push with the hand that had been resting on his shoulder.
Not needing to be told twice, Hiccup takes off for the great hall, throwing a quick wave over his shoulder as he goes. He stumbles a few times on the way, in too much of a hurry to bother with being careful. Once he arrives, he quickly makes his way over to the table they've claimed as theirs.
Astrid pushes a plate of food to him as he sits. "So, what did Gobber want?"
"Well," Hiccup says, taking a seat next to her, "he's glad we're all spending time together, but he also wanted to say that tomorrow is the last day of training."
"Oh thank Thor," Tuffnut says, slumping in his seat. "This training everyday thing is really eating up my time, and I'm quite a busy man."
"Busy doing what?" Ruffnut frowns. "You spent like 2 hours clipping your toenails yesterday."
"Exactly."
"Hey idiots," Astrid interjects, snapping her fingers to get them to focus. "If dragon training is ending, that means someone has to kill the Monstrous Nightmare."
"Death and destruction? I volunteer." Tuffnut says, grinning. The manic gleam in his eye makes it look like he's ready to bludgeon someone with the leg of mutton his holding.
Fishlegs' sighs. "We don't want to kill the dragons anymore, remember? Also, this isn't really the kind of thing you sign up for. As the village elder, Gothi has to choose."
They all look at Hiccup. It's no secret that he has been doing the best in dragon training, even if he hasn't been doing things the usual way. Hiccup groans and lets his head fall forward, thumping against the wooden table top. "I'm doomed." He says.
"Probably," Snotlout shrugs. "But if the Nightmare eats you, can I have Toothless?"
Hiccup just groans again as Astrid cuffs Snotlout around the back of the head.
Hours later, they're heading back from the cove together. It was weird for the first few days, having Snotlout and the twins with them, but they all adjusted pretty quickly. Now it has become a daily occurrence for all of them to get lunch together before hanging out in the cove all afternoon. They have just finished talking about the possibility of visiting the Dragon Nip field when they hear it – a loud horn blast.
Fishlegs grins. "The search party is back!"
Fishlegs, along with Snotlout and the twins, take off running, eager to see the return of their family members. Hiccup freezes for a moment, and Astrid decides to hang back with him.
"Nervous to see your dad?" She asks, slowing her pace.
Hiccup laughs humorlessly. "I'm that easy to read, huh?"
She shrugs. "It's not hard to guess. You guys have an… interesting relationship."
"That's one way to put it." Hiccup says, rolling his eyes.
Astrid tilts her head. "How would you describe it?"
"He has ridiculously high expectations and I'm a walking disappointment. I know I'm not the amazing Viking son he always dreamed of, but I'm the one he's got. Shouldn't that count for something?"
Astrid pauses for a moment while she climbs over a fallen tree in their path. "I think he worries about you. I know you don't like talking about it, but after what happened with your mom, he just wants you to be safe."
Hiccup climbs over the fallen tree as well, before he sighs in frustration, pressing the palms of his hands to his eyes. "I know that, but does it have to happen at the expense of making me feel so useless?"
Stepping in front of him, Astrid puts her hands on her hips. Hiccup stops abruptly to avoid colliding with her.
"Look Hiccup," she says. "I know things with your dad are difficult, but don't let him get in your head. You are doing amazing things. You're trying to fix the relationship between humans and dragons, maybe even ending the war." Her hands drop from her hips. "Just… promise me you'll remember that if he starts getting to you?"
Smiling, Hiccup nods.
"Great, now let's get back before the others cause chaos without us."
Despite feeling better after his talk with Astrid, Hiccup manages to avoid seeing his dad for several hours. Returning from a search party and getting caught up on everything he missed while away, Stoick does not get a chance to come home until sunset. A plate of cooked fish is waiting on the table for him when he walks in the door. Hiccup might not be the best cook, but he figured the food would be appreciated regardless.
"Hey son. Sorry I didn't get the chance to see you before now. Gobber had a lot to catch me up on." Stoick takes a seat at the table. "Thanks for the fish."
"No problem, Dad," Hiccup says while Stoick digs in. "How was the trip?"
He takes a few bites before sighing. "We didn't find the nest, and one of the boats got damaged, but we avoided any loss of life. But enough about the trip," he says, waving off any further questions. "Gobber had quite a bit to tell me, including some information about you."
"Oh really?" Hiccup takes a seat across from his father and begins wringing his hands together in his lap.
"Don't be so modest!" Stoick thumps a hand against the table in excitement. Hiccup tries not to jump. "He says you are a natural in dragon training, that you have a way with the beasts. I never would have guessed! And tomorrow, Gothi is going to choose someone to kill the Monstrous Nightmare. Gobber seems to think you've got a good chance. Wouldn't that be something?" He asks, smiling wide.
"Oh, it'll be something alright." Hiccup laughs dryly, trying not to think about it.
Stoick stays silent for a moment, looking at Hiccup expectantly, waiting for him to carry on the conversation. Hiccup just stares down at his hands before letting his eyes wander to various points around the room – pretty much anywhere except his father.
Finally, he forces a yawn out of his mouth and stretches his arms up over his head. "Well Dad, I'm pretty beat. It's gonna be a big day tomorrow and I should get some rest." Hiccup starts rising from the table, nodding towards the stairs to his room.
"Oh," Stoick clears his throat and nods. "Of course. But, uh – before you go, I have something for you." Hiccup stops his escape as his father heads over to the other side of the room. Opening a large chest, Stoick shuffles around some of the contents and digs down to the bottom. "I wasn't sure when to give this to you, but I figured with tomorrow being such a big day, it couldn't hurt," he says with his back to his son as he is routing through the contents. After a moment he stops and turns. In his hands is a helmet, perfectly sized for Hiccup's head.
Stoick walks over and extends the helmet towards his son. His figure is still as large as ever, but right now he seems much less imposing, much less sure than normal. "Here. When your mother… I had Gobber refashion the metal of her breastplate into a set of matching helmets." He raps his knuckles against his own helmet. "I thought it would be a good way to keep her close, honor her memory." A smile settles on his face briefly, but it's small and Hiccup can't quite pick up on the underlying emotion behind it. He can read sadness in the corner of his father's eyes, but the furrow of his brow speaks of something more. Longing? Regret?
Hiccup looks down at the helmet, still very shiny since it's never been worn. Usually, hearing people talk about his mom brings the familiar burning of tears to the backs of his eyes, but this time, his stomach roils with guilt instead. With a rough swallow, he nods and takes the helmey from his father's hands. "Thanks Dad." He murmurs, mustering up a weak smile before heading upstairs without looking back.
Hiccup sets the helmet on his bedside table before flopping onto his bed and burying his face into his pillow. Stoick had been excited to talk to him for the first time in… honestly Hiccup can't remember the last time his father was excited to speak with him. He used to dream about it, imagine his father's eyes light up, picture the way he would clap him on the shoulder and smile warmly. If only Stoick knew what was really behind Hiccup's success, what the end of Dragon Training will reveal if Hiccup has to face the Monstrous Nightmare – well, he can imagine they'll be having a much different kind of conversation after that.
Hiccup allows himself to lean back against Toothless' side, eyes closed and face upturned to the sky. Oh how he wishes he could actually relax, but the events of the morning replay clearly behind his eyelids and rob him of any real peace.
The teens stood all lined up, Gobber standing behind them, and much of Berk crowded around the top edge of the arena. Their excited whispers floated down to the teens and made Hiccup's shoulders tense. Up in front of them stood Stoick and Gothi – the chief standing tall and Gothi in his shadow, clutching onto her staff. Gobber stepped up behind them and, starting at the beginning of the line, held up his hook to hover over each of their heads. With each person, Gothi shook her head and the whispers above would intensify. It wasn't until Gobber's metal appendage hovered over Hiccup that Gothi nodded, smiling down at him. Cheers erupted all around them, his father's booming voice one of the loudest. Vikings flooded in through the gate and some of them hoisted Hiccup up onto their shoulders, starting a chant of his name while they paraded him down to the Great Hall.
As soon as the opportunity presented itself, he had fled for the cove. Everyone's excitement was too much to bear. They were all so eager to watch him become a dragon killer, to spill the blood of the beasts as per tradition, to feel the thrill of the slaughter. The idea of it all made him want to be sick.
At the sound of nearby footsteps, Hiccup cracked open his eyes to see Astrid approaching.
"I thought I might find you here," she says as she sits cross-legged next to him.
"Well Toothless is much better company, so it wasn't that much of a leap," he jokes.
Astrid brushes her bangs out of the way before getting right to the point. "Have you thought about what you're going to do tomorrow?"
"I kind of thought I might just let the Nightmare eat me." At his words, Astrid frowns and Toothless lets out a low grumble, both unamused. Hiccup sighs and rolls his eyes, "I thought it was funny."
"Seriously Hiccup, you can't put off thinking about it any longer." Astrid crosses her arms. "You have to face the Nightmare tomorrow."
Hiccup shrugs. "What is there to think about? I'm not going to kill him, so I'll have to train him."
"Train him?"
"You know what I mean. I'm going to show everyone what we know – that dragons aren't the mindless killing machines everyone thinks they are." Hiccup runs his hand over Toothless scales, but Astrid thinks the act might be more comforting to Hiccup than Toothless at the moment.
Astrid reaches out her hand and rests it on top of Hiccup's, stilling the movement. "I need you to know that no matter what happens tomorrow, I've got your back – we all do."
"Yeah? Even Snotlout and the twins?" He asks, trying not to sound too doubtful. It's difficult though – it's always be just him with no one else to really rely on and old habits die hard.
"Hiccup, I don't know if you've noticed this, but we've all changed since we started spending time with you, and it's a change for the better. Aside from the fact that we are seeing dragons in a new light, Fishlegs is more confident, Ruff and Tuff's destructive behavior is at an all-time low, and I don't think Snotlout has ever been less of an ass in his life."
Hiccup laughs for a moment before pausing. "…and what about you?"
"Me?" Astrid asks, slightly surprised he is asking. "You took a girl who operated every day with a narrow focus on training and success, and taught her she could be more than that. Taught her that she could let herself just be a person, hang out with other kids her age, and be kind."
He is quiet for a while and Astrid begins to wonder if maybe she said something wrong, but then he breaks that silence. "Thanks."
Astrid's eyebrows raise. "Why in Thor's name are you thanking me? You are the one who deserves thanks."
"You didn't have to tell me all of that, but you did. So, thanks." He smiles at her and she sheepishly smiles back.
Last night as he was lying in bed, struggling to fall asleep as he kept picturing himself facing against the Nightmare, Hiccup briefly considered giving into cowardice. He could flee, take off with Toothless to a new land, start over, maybe find a place where dragons aren't regarded with such hatred (because surely, such a place has to exist somewhere). Weeks ago, the thought would have been a serious option, and a very tempting one. But now? Now he knows what it is like to have friends and to maybe be a part of something bigger than himself. Leaving it all behind now isn't an option, not without trying to change things first.
Hiccup leans back against Toothless, but turns his head to face Astrid. "Plan B is always an option if training the Nightmare doesn't work out."
"Plan B?" She asks.
"Yeah, I hop on Toothless and leave, find somewhere new to start over." He's not sure why he says it since he's pretty much already dismissed the idea.
Astrid lightly shoves at his shoulder. "Not without me you won't." She's grinning as she says it.
Hiccup shakes his head. "I wouldn't dream of it." And he finds that he means it.
Hiccup waits at the entrance to the arena, nearly all of Berk crowded above him, their excited chattering filling his ears. Behind him, Astrid hovers. Outwardly, she doesn't look it, but Hiccup feels she might be more nervous than she lets on.
"What's the plan?" She asks.
"Convince the Nightmare not to eat me, and then convince the Vikings not to kill the Nightmare anyway." Hiccup responds, looking out at the Vikings who are gathered.
Astrid nods. "Simple and to the point, I like it."
"Yeah, simple…"
"You can do this Hiccup." She insists. "We all saw how you handled the dragons in training. And compared to befriending a Night Fury? This should be no problem." Hiccup isn't sure who she's trying to convince more – him or herself.
"I know, just – if it goes wrong, if I don't make it out, you'll take care of Toothless, right?" When he asks, he meets her eyes and she can see they look a bit wider than normal, pinched at the edges. He is nervous, and Astrid tries not to let it affect her.
"Of course I would," she reassures him, "but nothing is going to go wrong."
Before Hiccup can respond, Gobber is walking down the ramp to join them, and their conversation is forced to an end. Hiccup adjusts the helmet weighing heavily on his head, trying not to think about what his dad said when he'd presented him with the gift. The blacksmith pushes down on a lever and the door to the arena is opened.
"Good luck Hiccup," Gobber says, smiling proudly at him.
Hiccup just nods and smiles, hoping it looks less like a grimace than it feels. Stepping inside the arena, the gate lowers behind him until resting against the stone with a heavy clang. The cheering heightens for a moment before falling nearly silent.
Above, Stoick stands tall and proud, his hand raised to gather everyone's attention. "I wanted to thank you all for coming to this momentous occasion today. In a village like ours, dragon training is a necessity, but it is also an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the strengths of the next generation. And today, we get to focus on the strengths of my son as he kills his first dragon and becomes one of us! No one is more surprised, or more proud, than I am. Let's hear it for Hiccup!" The cheering explodes to new heights. Hiccup swears he can almost feel it reverberate around in his ribcage, or maybe that's just the steadily increasing pounding of his heart.
Crossing over to the weapon rack, Hiccup selects a shield and a dagger, before nodding that he's ready. Slowly, the bar keeping the Nightmare pen secured is lifted. A moment passes where everything is still, then the doors are flung open with alarming force and the Nightmare lunges into the open space, scales already alight. He rumbles deep in his throat, eyes already locked onto Hiccup since he's the only person immediately within range. As the dragon's piercing gaze pins him in place, Hiccup's breath stutters in his lungs. Forcing himself to inhale deeply, he reminds himself that the dragon may look like he's on the offensive, but he's been locked up and hungry and frightened. He's been backed into a corner and, though the Vikings would be loath to admit having the same values, their old saying applies - going on the offense is the best defense.
Deliberately, Hiccup drops his shoulders and lets both the dagger and shield fall from his hands. The dragon's eyes narrow curiously. Hiccup can hear the clamoring from above get louder, but he tunes it out. Taking small slow steps away from the items he dropped, the Nightmare tilts its head the slightest amount and its flames die down. Hesitantly, Hiccup takes a step towards the Nightmare. It tenses, regarding him suspiciously. The weight of the helmet on his head reminds him to see things from the Nightmare's perspective. He locks eyes with the dragon, raises his hand to grasp at the horns of the helmet, and flings it off to the side. The clatter of metal against stone might be the loudest sound Hiccup has ever heard, magnified by the depth of the silence that has settled over the crowd. He hardly dares to breathe as he takes another step forward, and this time, the Nightmare doesn't react. He pushes his luck by taking another, and this time the Nightmare responds by doing them same. A light huff leaves Hiccup's lips because that's the closest thing he can manage to a laugh of disbelief at the moment. The Nightmare's nostrils flare as Hiccup is close enough for it to catch a vague scent, and its eyes return to their normal size, no longer narrowed with offensive fear.
Hiccup steps forward again, gradually raising his arm in front of him. He's cautious, but just as he thought, the Nightmare simply lets him approach. The distance between them gets smaller and smaller until Hiccup is resting his hand against the Nightmare's warm scaly snout. It snorts in approval, smoke puffing from its nostrils.
The silence that fell when Hiccup discarded his helmet is shattered the moment his hand makes contact with the Nightmare. The people are confused, suspicious, and angry. They came here to watch the Heir of Berk paint the arena floor with dragon blood, and instead they're seeing what looks to be impossible. At the increase in volume, the Nightmare shifts, curling its body enough to bring its tail around Hiccup in a protective measure. He might trust Hiccup, but the other Vikings haven't earned that right. Looking up at the crowd, the faces that minutes before were cheering out his name now freely hurl curses down at him.
The clang of iron grabs everyone's attention. Everyone falls silent and Hiccup turns his head to see the gate to the arena rising with his father standing at the opening.
"Come here." Stoick calls lowly. "Now."
Hiccup runs his hand over the Nightmare's scales – a habit he has picked up in Toothless' presence to bring himself comfort – and stands his ground. "He's not going to hurt me." Hiccup insists. "We don't have to kill them."
The furious look on Stoick's face only intensifies at his words. Ignoring that Hiccup even spoke, he projects his voice to the villagers still standing around gawking. "Everyone go home." He says forcefully. "I need to have a word with my son."
At his tone, everyone immediately begins to vacate the area. As curious as they all are, no one is willing to bring the chief's wrath upon themselves.
"Hiccup, you are going to come over here right now."
"Dad, please listen to me-"
Stoick cuts him off before he can continue. "I won't listen to a word you have to say while you're standing next to that beast. If you want to talk, you'll do as I say."
Hiccup clenches the hand not resting on the Nightmare into a fist. His father is stubborn, the most stubborn man on Berk. Hiccup could stay where he is, locked in a battle of wills against his father, but it will get them nowhere. Reluctantly, he removes his hand from the Nightmare's snout and takes a step towards his father. The dragon bristles at the lack of contact, and looks displeased that he's heading in the direction of such a loud and clearly angry Viking.
"It's okay," he says, trying to reassure the Nightmare, but it's half-hearted at best. How can he say it's going to be okay when he has no idea if that's true?
Reluctantly, the Nightmare lets him leave. He walks slowly, trying not to drag his feet as he approaches his father. As soon as he's within reach, Stoick grabs his arm and pulls him fully out of the arena.
"Gobber," Stoick says, "make sure that beast gets locked back up."
Gobber's expression is drawn and hollow, like the excitement he'd had before the commotion had been violently carved out, leaving a gaping wound in its place. The blacksmith nods at Stoick's orders.
The grip on Hiccup's arm tightens further and his father begins to march them in the direction of their home. Hiccup's shorter legs struggle to keep up with Stoick's pace, but he doesn't relent, leaving Hiccup to practically be dragged along.
When they reach their house, Stoick throws open the front door and pushes Hiccup inside. The force of the shove throws him off, and Hiccup stumbles before hitting the floor.
"Of all the ways today could have gone, this never crossed my mind. Petting a dragon? Have you lost your mind? It could have eaten you!" Stoick throws his hands up in exasperation.
"If you will just let me explain-"
Before Hiccup can finish, Stoick interrupts. "I'm gone for a few weeks, expecting you to learn to defend yourself, and this is what I come home to? What in Thor's name were you doing while I was away?"
Hiccup rises from the floor and leans back against the table. The solid wood pressing into his lower back helps keep him steady. "I studied dragons while you were gone. I participated in dragon training just like you asked me. We read the Book of Dragons – but Dad, the book is wrong."
"Wrong?" Stoick shouts, an incredulous laugh escaping his lips. "Do you know how many Vikings have died so we could gather the information on those pages? So we could learn things to keep us safe and eliminate the threat of those beasts as best as we can?"
Hiccup holds up his hands defensively. "Okay, so maybe the book isn't wrong, necessarily, but it is biased! I don't doubt dragons are physically capable of what the book describes, but that information was collected about dragons that had been provoked to violence. They're wild animals like any other. When attacked, they lash out – Vikings do that same thing!"
"Provoked to violence?" Stoick's voice is a bit breathless now, like he's too shocked at what he's hearing to draw full breaths. "The dragon that came after your mother while she protected your crib wasn't provoked. It attacked her because it could. It's as simple as that."
Hiccup shakes his head. "I refuse to believe all dragons are bloodthirsty monsters. There are people who kill for the sake of killing, and I'm sure there are dragons who do that same. But to think they are all like that? I spent time with them while you were away. They can be caring and protective and playful. You just have to give them a chance."
Hiccup looks up into his father's eyes with pleading hope, seeking out any evidence that his words have had even the slightest effect on the man. Stoick's gaze is hard and unflinching.
"This war has gone on for generations, Hiccup. Years of bloodshed have shown that it is us or them. These words you speak expressing sympathy for the beasts? It's treason."
Hiccup squeezes his eyes shut, trying to ignore the tear he can feel rolling down his cheek. He tried, and he has failed.
Stoick straightens and clenches his fists at his sides. "As the Chief of Berk, I am duty-bound to deal with all treasonous individuals. Until I decide on a suitable punishment, you are to be brought to a cell and kept in confinement." His shoulders drop a fraction of an inch and he whispers, "I'm sorry son, but you've left me no choice."
Hiccup shakes his head and looks up to meet his father's eyes, not bothering to try and hide the tear tracks on his face. "There's always a choice Dad. Sometimes it is just easier to think we don't have one."