A/N *edit"One thing that I forgot to mention is that my character description is 5'11", has medium length messy hair, has hazel green eyes, and has white skin.

Feel free to leave an honest review. I'm willing to accept any ideas that may greatly improve the story, so please, anything helps. Take care y'all!

Edit: (5/28/24) Just one last note on this chapter, I worked on the first 3 chapters of this story before deciding to go get the milk. I feel like over the last four years my standards for writing have greatly improved, and I'm excited working on this sixth chapter. I aim to make every new chapter better than the last one, however I feel like the first three chapters need some work. If any of you have any suggestions on things to work on, or things that could be improved, I'm open to all forms of criticism. Take care y'all, and god bless!

"human speech"

human thought

"dragon speech"

dragon thought

Three months before HTTYD - location: Berk

It was only the crack of dawn, the sun barely in the sky, the winds fairly mild. The sky is painted yellow, orange and red with the rising sun, giving off a peaceful atmosphere. Unfortunately the inhabitants of Berk feel the exact opposite right now. Despite how early it is, the entire village is already hard at work, repairing damages done to the buildings, some even tending to the injured.

Dragon raids. They've been happening more often lately. When once they would only occur once every other month, they're now occuring almost every other week, sometimes twice in one week. It's getting increasingly difficult to keep up with the repairs, let alone provide enough food to feed the village. Fishermen have to work day and night to provide enough for the whole village, sometimes skipping a full night's of sleep. Carpenters are working overtime, soldiers working on battle plans, it's a mess.

Half of the village is destroyed. Half of whatever is left is badly damaged. And it's all thanks to those filthy beasts. That's the thought going through everyone's head right now, then again nobody can blame them. Anyone would feel the same if they had to put up with what these Berkians constantly go through. They literally just got raided by dragons last night, just after getting raided by a different tribe the night prior. They didn't lose, of course there were a lot of damages.

One viking in particular, a big man with a thick red beard, is currently roaming around the village with a sour look on his face, ordering vikings to report damages and keep moving with repairs, while also settling the usual fights and arguments that occur after dragon raids. This big man is important to these people, the leader of the village. He's known as-

"Stoick the Vast, mind I tell ya, ya look rather grumpy this morning. Well, grumpier than usual," came a rather enthusiastic voice from behind the man now known as Stoick, in the direction of the forge. He turns around to face the owner of the voice, a double amputee of similar build as him, missing his right arm and left leg, with a thick blonde mustache, having a peg in place of his leg, and an interchangeable mug in place of his hand, which is full of mead despite how early it is. Stoick just rolls his eyes, not in the mood for any humor, nor enthusiasm this morning.

"And how can I not be Gobber? For the last few weeks we've been raided twice by dragons, we're down half of our livestock, and to top it all off, we get raided by dragons again while we're still dealing with the aftermath of our most recent Outcast raid, so yes, I'm very much upset!" Stoick snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He let's out a sigh as he walks over to the forge, which surprisingly didn't receive any damage from the raids, despite being in the heart of the village. He leans against the counter of the shop and let's out a sigh.

"Ya know, if ya absolutely need to, ya can have the day off while I take over for ya," says Gobber as he switches out his prosthetic for a brush which he runs through his mustache. "All this stress canna be good for ya."

Stoick shakes his head in response. "No way, you know what happened last time I let you take over for a day."

"That was only one time!" Gobber tries to defend himself.

"And it will remain the last time," Stoick states sternly, in a voice that allowed no room for arguments. "The entirety of Berk is weakened, winter is a few months away, and our food storage is running on empty! Do you know how precious our time is right now? As Chief of Berk, I can't leave my people to figure things out on their own, and it's all thanks to those flying devils!" Out of frustration, Stoick brings his fist down hard on the counter, accidentally punching a hole in the wood. Meanwhile Gobber seems rather calm and nonchalant, leaning against the wall of the forge and switching out his prosthetic for a hammer despite the Chief's temper. Stoick let's out a sigh, calming down a bit after his little rant.

"Did that feel good?" Gobber places a hand on Stoick's shoulder, his voice more sincere now. "Look, I understand how much this means to ya right now, but ya've been carrying a whole lotta weight, and I'm not underestimating how much ya can handle, but eventually ya'll worn yourself out. I don't have to fully take over, just fulfill some of your duties for a time while ya take a break."

Stoick just pushes Gobber's hand off, shaking his head. "And what, just leave Hiccup in the forge by himself? You know he can't be left by himself without-without something disastrous happening!"

"You know, I can hear you dad!" A sarcastic, nasally voice could be heard from the back of the shop. Gobber just shakes his head at Stoick's comment, both adults ignoring the voice.

"That's what I'm trying to get around to telling ya. I take your role as Chief for the day, and you get to supervise your son." Stoick seems to consider this for a second, although with an uncertain expression. Before he could object, Gobber continues. "He really needs a father in his life, and you're hardly ever there for him," he says in a gentle, sympathetic voice. "I really worry for him sometimes. I understand that you're only scared to lose him like ya did, well..ya know, but what if something ever happens to him, and you're not there for him. At least use this day to spend some time with him."

Stoick lets out a shaky breath, considering this more deeply. 14 years ago he lost his wife to a dragon during a raid. He was there to protect her, yet he failed. Ever since then he's pushed his own son away, fearing of getting too attached and being unable to protect him. Yet hearing Gobber say that he worries for Hiccup, and that it's a good idea to get to know him before something bad can happen? What bad thing can possibly happen? What is it about Hiccup that has Gobber worried? Stoick knows that his son is bullied by the village, but he can't possibly be considering-

"BOAT UP AHEAD!" Came a voice from the docks, snapping Stoick out of his thoughts. Stoick let's out a sigh of frustration. At the condition that the village is currently in, a boat can either be a good thing, or a bad thing. He turns to Gobber.

"That break you promised me will have to wait. I'm gonna go see what's going on at the docks, you stay here and keep an eye on Hiccup." Stoick places a hand on Gobber's shoulder, lowering his voice down to a whisper. "Remind me to have a conversation with Hiccup later. Make sure he doesn't hurt himself, alright?"

Gobber nods, patting Stoick on the arm. "No need to worry, I'll be sure to watch him like a hawk. Now you go see what's up at the docks chief."

Stoick nods and walks off in the direction of the docks, so much going through his mind right now. First off, what did Gobber mean when he said that he's worrying for Hiccup? And that he's got to be there for his son before something bad happens? And what of this mysterious boat? Is it a small boat, or a warship? He honestly doesn't want to think of any conflict at a time like this. Dealing with dragons and plundering raids is already bad enough. Some viking tribe probably received word of Berk's weakened state and assumed that sending a single warship was good enough. Before he knew it, he was already at the docks. Stoick steals himself and speaks in his booming voice. "what's the report on the ship? By how long do you think it'd get here?"

One of the vikings on patrol spoke up to him, currently gazing out at the horizon through a spy glass. "A single boat just over the horizon, don't see anything else besides that. With these mild winds, they'd probably reach the docks within 5 hours give or take. You should expect them here shortly after lunchtime."

That did very little to ease his worries, however Stoick would never show it. "Is it a warship?" Stoick clarified, wanting a more specific answer.

The viking shakes his head. "It seems a little too small to be a warship, and too big to be a fishing boat. I don't see any long range weapons on the ship."

That was able to calm the Chief's nerves a little bit, however he still felt uneasy. You can never be too safe. Stoick turns to one of the vikings who aren't on patrol yet. "I want 100 archers lining the beaches, and fit as many soldiers on this dock as possible. I'll wait right here for them to come. If they're hostile, then we'll fight with all we got." The viking nodded and ran off to rally up the troops at the request of the chief. Stoick sighs and shakes his head. Today just isn't my day.

Out at sea

Approximately 6 hours out from Berk, in the middle of the ocean, is a single boat. Steering the ship is a malnourished 14 year old. He's been sailing for nearly 6 months. He finished his supply of food 6 weeks ago, and finished all his fresh water 2 weeks ago. He's fighting a losing battle with his body to stay awake, fearing that if he were to pass out, he'd never wake up again.

The young teen wears leather boots, dark brown pants, and a hooded robe that goes down to his calves. With all the fat and muscle he's lost, his clothes barely cling to his body. He can die any day now, he doesn't have much time left.

He can see land up ahead. He would paddle to make the boat go faster, however he lacks the strength and energy to do so. only thing he can do is ensure that the boat stays on course.

Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. The island up ahead of him is much clearer now, much larger. He's only an hour away. Now sure that he can be seen clearly through a spyglass, he runs into the lower deck of the boat and comes out with a white flag. He hangs it up for so the vikings know that he comes in peace. That was when he caught sight of the number of soldiers waiting for him. That was when all fight his body had left finally gave out, and he lost consciousness. The last thing he saw was the deck of the boat coming up at him. And then, all went black...

Berk: Docks

"Chief Stoick, the ship seems to only be occupied by one person, and honestly, he looks like he's on the border of death!" Screamed one viking from a watch tower, looking out with his spyglass.

"He also put up a white flag. I think he means us no harm," yells another viking.

"The rest of them can be hiding in the lower deck, they're probably using him as a diversion for us to lower our guard," declares Stoick, not wanting his men to let their guard down. "The moment the ship reaches us, we storm it and take whoever's onboard prisoner. Once we hear their stories, we'll decide what to do with them." The rest of the vikings let out yells of agreement, although deep down they felt that their chief is being so harsh. However, with all that's happened recently, they couldn't blame him. They just hope the malnourished man doesn't get too hurt.

One of the lookouts call out to Stoick, noticing the young man hunch over and collapse. "Stoick, the young man just collapsed! And judging by his facial features, he doesn't seem much older than your son!"

Stoick's heart couldn't help but clench at hearing that. What monster would dare put someone so young in such a predicament? Stoick thought, still going by his initial thesis. "Whatever happens, make sure the kid doesn't get hurt! We will house the kid, do what you wish with the rest!"

The soldiers all let out roars of approval. Upon hearing what the lookout described, they're now hoping that the ship housed soldiers, that way they could make them pay for forcing someone so young beyond his limit.

Upon arriving to the docks, all the ground soldiers rushed the ship, with the archers staying back for support. Two vikings carefully carried the young teen off the ship, while the rest rushed the lower deck. After a minute, everyone come off the ship.

"Stoick, there's nobody else on the ship. The kid is alone," says one of the soldiers. That was enough to break his heart. One possibility is that the kid could be a spy, although that was very unlikely. Why wouldn't his tribe provide him with enough food and water to last him the trip? And by his health, one can assume that he was merely sailing aimlessly. Another, more likely possibility is that he could be a runaway. But if that's the case, what is he running from? He doesn't see it right to house this kid, for if a tribe is looking for him, he doesn't want to bring conflict to Berk. However, he also doesn't feel right sending this kid back, or leaving him to die. Gods, he doesn't even know how much time he has left, or if he has any left. He calls to the two men who took him off the ship.

"I want one of you to take him to Gothi. The other will go get Gobber, explain the situation to him. Also, tell him to make yak noodle soup for him when he wakes up." The two nodded and took off. Stoick turns to the group of vikings still standing around. "What are you still doing here?! Get back to work! I expect at least half the houses to be fully prepared by sunset!" Everyone scrambles back to what they were doing that day. With the tension now down, Stoick thinks back to Hiccup and what Gobber recently said. He sighs and goes back to the village to continue working on the repair of Berk. There's still a whole lot of work to do.

Sunset - Gothi's hut

His eyes start to slowly flutter open. He's actually surprised that what he's seeing around him looks like a viking hut. He was kinda expecting Valhalla to be more, well, Valhalla. Or to be faced with the fiery gates of Helheim. After all, he did have the blood of the enemy. Lacking the strength to sit up, he props himself up on his elbows, getting a better look around. Next to him is a table full of food, ranging from chicken, to rice, to fruits and vegetables, to seafood. One thing that catched his attention the most was a pot of some soup. It smelt so good, it caused his stomach to grumble. Suddenly, with strength that he didn't have, he quickly sat up and started to devour the soup. Someone quickly rushed to his side and grabbed the soup from him.

"Take it easy, take it easy! You literally just almost died, so you'd have to take it slow, otherwise you might get worse." The young teen turns to face the owner of the voice, a double amputee with a thick blonde mustache. He hands the pot back to the teen, who takes it carefully and sips it more carefully. Once finished, he starts to eat the other dishes on the table, taking careful gulps of water. Once finished with his food, the teen lays back down, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"Where...where am I?" he asks shyly, looking down at the blankets that he's currently wrapped in.

"Well, this is Berk, and to be more specific, you're in Gothi's hut," the double amputee says with a rather enthusiastic voice. "Gothi said that you're free to go once you regain your strength, but be sure to take it easy for a week." The teen nods in response, staring at the wall. "Name's Gobber by the way," says the amputee.

"Oscar," responded the teen, now known as Oscar. After a few awkward minutes of silence, the door opens up. In walks a massive viking with a thick red beard, undoubtedly the viking chief. He asks for everyone else, but Oscar to leave. Gobber and Gothi nod, leaving the hut. The chief pulls up a chair and sits across from Oscar.

"So, how are you feeling?" asked the chief. Oscar sits quiet for a few minutes, seeming to contemplate a question that should be so simple. He shifts awkwardly in place, before answering.

"Same as before, except with a full stomach now," Oscar responds, adding a humorless chuckle. Stoick couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that.

"What do you mean by that?" Stoick asks. Oscar just shrugs, averting his gaze. He awkwardly shifts in his bed.

"I don't know, I still feel miserable I guess." Stoick sighs, excepting the answer. Clearly whatever drove this ki- drove Oscar to run away must've really hurt him.

"What's your name?" Stoick asks, not wanting to overwhelm the kid.

"Um..my name..is Oscar, just Oscar." That alone confused Stoick. Everyone he ever knew at least had a last name.

"You don't have a last name?" Oscar looked down, fidgeting with his thumbs. He lets out a shaky sigh, as if it were something that bothered him.

"My dad was never around, and my mother was killed shortly before I was born. I only survived because I was cut out of her." He looked down, his eyes welling up with tears. "The only family I ever really had was my village...and they all hated me. I was always different." That alone did it, Stoick had enough with beating around the bush. He has to ask him for his sake.

"Look, I need you to consider what I'm about to say very carefully. All children on this island are expected to be raised in a family household by the time they're 16. You're clearly at least 13. So, since no one is really willing to raise you, I was wondering if you would be willing to consider living with me? You'll even have a brother. How does that sound?" Stoick says with a gentle, caring smile. Oscar seemed to consider this for a bit, before he shook his head.

"You wouldn't want to raise me. Nobody would. I'm better on my own." That broke Stoick's heart. How could someone so young seem so depressed, so willing to be left to fend for themselves, so...so... suicidal?

"Why would you say that?" Stoick asked, trying the best he can to keep his voice calm and leveled. Gods, he feels like he's walking on eggshells.

"You wouldn't understand." Oscar said. His gaze still hasn't moved from where it was. Stoick sighed and gently placed a massive hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I'm not gonna force you to explain to me your past, nor am I going to force you into any position that you don't like. However, I do feel obligated to force upon you what you need, and you need a family. I will never hurt you like they hurt you, I will always make sure that you're happy, that you feel like you fit in. You'll even have a brother, who's a lot like you. I may not know much about you, but from what little you told me, I know that you need someone in your life." Stoick gently grabs his right hand with both of his, prompting Oscar to look up and face him. "You remind me so much of my own son, Hiccup. He's all alone, and he doesn't have anyone. He's mistreated by the village, and there isn't much I can do about it. And I think...I think he's suicidal because of it. A friend of mine was telling me that I need to put aside more time for him, yet that's very difficult for me because of my role as chief. Yet, I feel that having a brother to confide in, someone to support and defend him is all he needs. And I have a feeling that deep down, you need the same as well." What Stoick said stuck Oscar deep he started to tear up more, but he quickly wiped his eyes. He refused to look week in front of the chief, yet when he glanced back up, he noticed that his eyes were starting to get glossy too. Right there, he could tell that his words were truly genuine. "What do you say, son, would you want to move in with us?" Oscar couldn't help it, he sniffled and wiped his eyes again. After a few tense minutes, he managed to steal himself, and he finally nodded.

"Yes, I would love to live with you. I would love to have a family."

A/N

Hey everyone, so this is my first take on trying fanfiction. I'm actually typing from my phone right now because the WiFi here is currently trash, so I can't connect on my laptop for some weird reason. I honestly advise against it as a last resort. Well anyway, please review and feel free to point out any errors/potential improvements in my story. All criticism is welcome.