Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was supposed to be a relaxing flight. No Hunters. No patrols. No one. Just him and Toothless enjoying a flight before supper. They were flying to Dragon Island and then back to Berk. A quick flight.

It was their routine whenever they were back on Berk. Dragon Island's shoreline was a glimmer on the horizon when they were attacked. The ship came out of nowhere and knocked them into the water with single hit from a catapult. 

Upon being dragged aboard, their attackers wasted no time muzzling Toothless and shackling Hiccup to the mast by his good leg

It took a few minutes to shake the daze but Hiccup managed to realize what was happening. Hunters had been watching Berk from afar. They saw him coming and successfully knocked him and his dragon out of the sky. 

"What do you want?" Hiccup asked, tugging at the chain that kept him from running.

"Johann sent us to send a message. Don't worry, you and that lizard of yours will be free to go when we're done delivering it," a Hunter, who appeared to be the leader, said with a sinister smile.

Hiccup raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What message?"

The leader pushed Hiccup down and pulled a dagger out of his vest. "Oh we'll get it to, but first he told us to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."

He knelt down, placing his knee on Hiccup's chest, and raised the knife above his head. Before Hiccup could react, the lead Hunter plunged the knife into his left shoulder, straight through his armored padding.

The auburn-haired teenager bit his lip until it bled, trying not to scream. The leader pulled the knife out and tossed it aside as he stood back up. He watched as Hiccup tried to apply pressure to the wound, but couldn't seem to muster the strength needed for such a daunting task.

Nearby Toothless was trying to free himself from the dozen or so Hunters holding him down. His human was hurt and he needed to get to him so they could escape.

"What's the message?" Hiccup managed to ask through labored breaths as he tried to block out the pain. 

"The message," the leader began as he kicked Hiccup's hand away from the wound, "is to count your days." He then proceeded to stomp on the wound, feeling a sickening crack beneath his boot. This time Hiccup screamed. "Because your days are numbered."

Hiccup curled himself into the fetal position, trying to protect himself from further blows. He could hear Toothless growling and fighting against the Hunters. But it was useless with that muzzle on. It kept him from biting and shooting plasma blasts. All the Night Fury had at the moment was brute strength. And against a dozen or so Hunters it was useless.

The leader knelt down next to Hiccup's face and leaned so close that their foreheads were almost touching. "Do I need to repeat the message? I hope I do, because I've got a lot more planned if you didn't hear me the first time."

Hiccup nodded. "I got the message."

"Good," the leader sneered as he stood back up. "I guess we can let you go now. But before I tell my men to release the overgrown sack of scales, I have one more lesson to teach you."

Hiccup lifted his head and looked up at the man. He didn't say anything. He just glared at him with all the spite he could muster.

The leader stepped over to where he had tossed the knife, picked it back up, and stepped back over to his prisoner. "The final lesson is that you are nothing without that dragon." He raised the blood-soaked blade and threw it down with all his might, watching it sink into Hiccup's left thigh. "Without that dragon, you are worth nothing more than a sacrifice to appease the gods."

He looked over at his men. "Release the dragon. It's time for them to go. They have a message to deliver."

Two men carefully removed the muzzle from Toothless's snout and stepped back just as the rest of the men let go of him. Toothless wasted no time in running toward his rider. He very carefully nudged Hiccup out of the fetal position until he was lying flat on his back. The dragon stood over his human hatchling, growling at the Hunters that surrounded them. He kept a very close eye on the one that was unlocking the shackle around Hiccup's ankle. 

Once Hiccup felt that the shackle was gone, he crawled out from underneath his dragon and used the saddle to stand up. With great effort and assistance from Toothless, he managed to climb onto his back and get his prosthetic leg hooked into the stirrup. "Let's... let's get out of here Bud."

Toothless took the sky and once he was high enough he shot a plasma blast at the ship, sinking it. He then turned, flying back towards Berk.

Halfway into their journey home, a storm began to form above them.

"Great," Hiccup mumbled and he tried to remain conscious. If he passed out now, they'd never make it home. "Come on,  Toothless, we... we gotta try and beat this storm."

The Night Fury flapped his wings harder, pushing himself to go faster, but at the same time he didn't want to risk hurting Hiccup more than he already was.

The duo didn't get very far before lightning struck, hitting Toothless's tailfin, destroying it. Thus wasn't good. Berk wasn't even in sight yet. They'd never make it back. Toothless needed a place to land and fast.

He scanned their immediate surroundings and spotted a seastack. The dragon roared and dove toward it. As they got closer he turned and wrapped his wings around Hiccup, taking the full force of the impact for both of them.

Stoick stood in the doorway of his home, watching as the rain drenched his village. Above him, lightning flashed across the sky every minute followed by the loudest thunder he'd ever heard.

"Thor is angry tonight," Gobber said, standing behind. 

"Aye, he is," Stoick nodded in agreement. "I'm more worried about Hiccup though. He should have been back by now."

"He and Toothless likely set down to wait out the storm," Gobber suggested. "With all that lightning, they probably didn't want to risk getting struck. Those two wear a lot of metal."

Stoick nodded again. "You're probably right, but all the same, we should head out to try and find them. I need to know that he's safe. If either of them got hit, they could be stranded in the middle of the ocean instead of an island."

"We can't leave. Not in these conditions," Gobber pointed out. "We'd be knocked out of the sky before we even made it past the Sentry Statues."

"Doesn't matter," Stoick said stepping into the rain. "My son is out there unable to get home. If he's hurt he's going to need help. Stay here, if you want, but I'm bringing Hiccup home."

Gobber shook his head following Stoick into the storm. "Nah, I'll come with you. Together we stand a better chance at finding him."

Chapter Text

Toothless kept Hiccup wrapped up in his wings as the rain pelted against his scales. He was his human hatchling's only form of shelter as they waited out the storm. Keeping him wrapped up, also made it easier for him to know if Hiccup was still breathing.

The Rider had fallen silent shortly after they crash-landed on the seastack, but he was still breathing. The Night Fury could feel the stickiness of his human's blood. Something he hadn't felt since their battle against the Red Death. Something he had hoped to never feel again.

He didn't know how long the storm had been going on before he heard human voices in the distance. He lifted his head and looked around, but could see nothing through the rain. 

"HICCUP!" The voice shouted over the wind and rain.

Toothless let out a sonic blast, trying to locate the owner of the voice, but all he got back was more rain.

"HICCUP!" The voice shouted again, closer this time.

Thinking fast, the Night Fury shot a plasma blast into the sky and watched it explode several feet above him.

"Gobber, I found them," The voice announced. 

Toothless shot several more blasts, trying to bring light to the darkness. Seconds after his final shot, a Rumblehorn and Hotburple landed on the other side of the seastack. The black dragon roared in distress, urging the other dragons' Riders to hurry.

Stoick dismounted Skullcrusher and ran toward him. As he approached, Toothless unfurled his wings just enough to reveal Hiccup's battered body. The chief dropped to his knees and pulled Hiccup away from the dragon, fearing the worst.

He tossed his helmet aside a placed his ears to his son's chest, listening for a heartbeat. His shoulders visibly relaxed when he heard the thump of his son's heart. "He's still alive."

The chief looked over at Gobber. "We need to get him back to Berk. He needs Gothi."

"How bad is he?" Gobber asked climbing off of Grump.

"He's covered in blood and has a dagger lodged into his leg," Stoick said, standing up, carrying Hiccup in his arms. "Come on, Toothless. I'll fly you back."

The Night Fury lifted his tailfin, showing the vast human the damaged prosthetic fin. Stoick studied it for a second before looking the dragon in the eyes. "Okay." He turned to Gobber. "You stay with Toothless. See if you can fix his tailfin. Hiccup usually brings a spare. I'm taking my son home."

Stoick carefully placed Hiccup on Skullcrusher's back before climbing on himself. "Once I'm back I'll send the Riders out to help you get him home, just in case the fin can't be fixed out here."

Toothless stood up, roaring in concern as Gobber placed his hand on his snout. "It'll be alright, Toothless. Hiccup is going to be fine and we'll get you home as soon as we can." 

Without wasting another second, Stoick and Skullcrusher took off back to Berk, pushing through what remained of the storm. 

The storm had turned into a light drizzle as Stoick was approaching Gothi's hut. He landed his Rumblehorn on the elder's platform, causing everything to shake.

"Gothi!" Stoick called out as he jumped off his dragon's back. "Gothi, we need you."

The elderly healer stumbled out of her hut and over to Stoick, watching as he pulled the limp body of his son off Skullcrusher. She pointed her staff back at her hut, gesturing for the chief to bring the injured teenager inside.

Once inside, Stoick laid Hiccup on her table and began carefully removing his son's armor and clothes. In a corner, Gothi gathered her supplies; bandages, tonics, needle and thread, salves, and a set of Gronkle Iron surgical tools.

As Stoick began to untie Hiccup's prosthetic leg, the teenager groaned. "No. Please. I need that. Please, I have to get away."

Stoick and Gothi shared a quick look of concern and understanding. Leave the prosthetic alone for now. The chief moved to stand by Hiccup's head, placing a gentle hand on his forehead. "He has a fever."

The healer nodded as she laid the array of supplies out. She worked on his shoulder first. She dipped a rag in a barrel of clean water and began to wipe away the blood that stained the young man's skin. With the blood cleaned up, she carefully poked around the wound site before grabbing the needle and thread. 

With a practiced hand, she sewed the wound shut. Then applied a herbal salve over the injury. Hiccup didn't flinch or make a noise during the process. Which worried both of them. He was still breathing, but it seemed more ragged than it had been a few minutes before.

"What's happening?" Stoick asked, worry filling his voice.

Gothi didn't waste time writing out her reply, she simply gestured for him to lift Hiccup's head while she uncorked one of the tonics she had grabbed. Stoick obeyed and watched as she poured the elixir down his son's throat. Once they were sure the young man had managed to swallow it, he gently let go of Hiccup's head, placing it back on the table.

While the tonic took effect, Gothi took a pair of shears and cut into Hiccup's trousers, just enough so she could work on removing the blade from his thigh. She wiped away the blood with one hand and held a scalpel in the other. 

With a steady hand and focused eye, she cut into the Dragon Rider's leg, on either side of the blade, just deep enough to pull it out without causing more damage. 

She set the blade to the side and began to sew the wound shut. Once it was closed she picked up a roll of bandages and wrapped them around the leg. 

"Is he going to be okay?" Stoick asked.

Gothi, again, didn't waste time writing out her reply. Instead, she picked up another roll of bandages and gestured for Stoick to sit his son up. He obliged and watched as she wrapped the bandages around his shoulder then placed his arm in a sling, immobilizing the limb.

Once she was done, the chief laid Hiccup back down. He watched as she grabbed a fur blanket and used it to cover his wounded child's body. She then added more wood to the hearth, making the room warmer.

"Is he going to be okay?" Stoick asked, repeating his earlier question.

This time Gothi picked up her staff and began writing her symbols on the floorboards. She wrote that neither wound was infected, but due to be out in the storm for what was likely hours, he was in the beginning stages of a chest infection. Which would slow his recovery. He would have to be kept warm and given a series of herbal tonics to help fight the fever and make it easier for him to breathe. His clavicle was also broken, but that wasn't a concern for now.

"But he'll be okay?" Stoick wondered, worry lacing his voice.

The village elder nodded before leaving her hut to give Stoick some privacy.

It took until sunrise, but eventually the Riders showed up to help Gobber get Toothless home.

"About time you lot got here," Gobber scolded. 

"Sorry Gobber," Astrid apologized as she jumped off Stormfly. "Stoick hasn't left Hiccup's side since they got back late last night."

"How is the lad?" Gobber asked, anger turning into worry.

"According to Gothi, he has a chest infection, two stab wounds, and a broken clavicle," Fishlegs said. "She's not sure when he'll wake up. Or if he even will. Stoick isn't aware of Hiccup's chances yet."

Gobber frowned. "I see. What are his chances?"

"Less than when he fought the Red Death," Astrid answered. "Which is why Stoick doesn't know yet."

Toothless walked up to Astrid, nudging her until she rested her hand on his snout. He warbled in concern, feeling her mix of emotions.

"Yeah, because remember how he flipped out when Gothi told him that Hiccup might never wake up from that coma?" Tuffnut pointed out. "It took weeks to fix the Great Hall."

"Tuffnut," Fishlegs scolded. "Not now."

"Why?" Ruffnut defended. "It's Hiccup, he always pulls through. I bet you he'll be fine within a week."

"I'll take that bet," Snotlout interjected.

"Enough," Astrid ordered. "No one is taking any bets. No one is going to bring up how Stoick reacted last time. We are going to get Toothless home so he can be by Hiccup's side. We are going to pray to the gods that Hiccup wakes up. We are going to offer Stoick all the support he needs during this time. Is that understood?"

The rest of the Riders mumbled some form of "Yes", while looking guilty.

"Good," Astrid nodded. "Snotlout, you and Hookfang will carry Toothless back. The rest of us will lead the way."

Snotlout and Hookfang positioned themselves just above Toothless. The Monstrous Nightmare carefully wrapped his claws around the black dragon and lifted him off the seastack. Gobber climbed back onto Grump and together everyone took off back toward Berk.

Chapter Text

Stoick sat by Hiccup's bed, listening to his raspy breaths. Each breath sounded like a struggle. Gothi had reassured him that his son, his only child, would pull through, but right now he couldn't see how. 

If he recalled, chest infections were often fatal. Berk often didn't have the necessary herbs to treat it. They had to rely on trade in order to get them. 

He also knew that everyone was keeping information from him. They seemed to forget he was the chief, nothing stayed hidden from him for very long. He knew his son's chances of survival were so low that he should be making funeral preparations instead of keeping vigil. But he wasn't going to do that. Hiccup was a fighter. He was stubborn just like his mother. Every breath he took was an act of defiance. 

It had been three days since he had brought his son back to their home. Gothi insisted that it would be better for both of them if he was resting in his own bed instead of in her hut.

His son continuously tossed and turned in his sleep, muttering about messages and learning lessons. For the umpteenth time in less than a day, Stoick wondered what had happened to Hiccup on what should have been a routine flight.

Without warning, Hiccup sat up straight, screaming. Stoick leapt to his feet and took hold of the teenager's shoulders, careful of his injuries. "Easy son. It's okay. You're okay. You're home now. You're safe."

Hiccup stopped screaming and blinked a few times before speaking in a weak whisper. "Dad?"

"I'm here, Hiccup," Stoick reassured. 

"H-how?" Hiccup asked, looking at his surroundings.

"Found you and Toothless on a seastack," Stoick answered, gently pushing his son to lay back down. "You're very sick right now. Just go back to sleep. We'll discuss it more later."

Toothless perked up at the sound of his name, stood up, stretched, and padded over to sit next to his human hatchling. 

Despite his currently weakened state, Hiccup fought against his dad, trying to get out of bed. "No. I can't rest now. We have to prepare. We have to make sure our defenses are in place."

"What are you talking about, son?" Stoick asked, loosening his grip on Hiccup's shoulders. "Prepare for what?"

"Johann," Hiccup answered. "He sent his Hunters to deliver a message."

"What message?" Stoick questioned. "Does it have to do with what they did to you?"

"The message is," the auburn-haired teenager shook his head, trying to get the fog to clear faster. "The message is 'Count your days. Your days are numbered.' He's planning some kind of attack. Probably on Berk."

Stoick nodded. "Okay. We'll fortify our defenses and double patrols. But you need to lie back down and rest. You are in no condition to do anything."

Hiccup finally obliged and laid back down. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Stoick wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"I should have warned you earlier," Hiccup said, closing his eyes. "But the lead Hunter said I needed to learn a lesson first."

Before Stoick could ask what he meant, Hiccup had drifted off back to sleep. His brief bout of consciousness was over.

Just as Stoick was trying to figure out what to do with the information Hiccup just dropped in his lap, he heard the front door open. He stood up and walked over to the stairs that led to his son's room. He looked down and saw that it was Astrid.

"Evening lass," Stoick greeted. 

"Any changes?" Astrid asked, skipping formalities.

"Aye," Stoick answered, offering a hopeful smile. "He woke up, briefly."

"Did he say anything?" Astrid wondered as she climbed the stairs.

"Said Johann sent Hunters to deliver a message," Stoick replied stepping out of the way. "Our days are numbered apparently. I'm going to call for an emergency council meeting. We need to be prepared just in case what Hiccup said is correct and not just the result of a fevered dream."

Astrid nodded as she reached the top of the stairs. "I'll stay here and watch over him. Did he say anything else?"

"He implied that his injuries are the result of the leader teaching him a lesson," Stoick said, feeling anger boil inside him. "If I ever get my hands on that man, I'm going to teach him a few lessons in return."

Astrid smirked. "I'll be right there beside you, ready with a few lessons of my own."

Stoick offered a smile of approval. "I'll be back. I don't reckon he'll wake up again, but I'll get Gothi to come by all the same. Hopefully, this is a good sign and his chances of living are improving."

The blonde teenager's eyes went wide in realization as her shoulders slumped in defeat. "When did you figure it out?"

"I knew from the minute Gothi gave Hiccup that first tonic," Stoick explained. "She doesn't do that if she's confident in a person's chance of survival. And I understand to a point why you all kept such crucial information from me, but if you do it again, I won't be so lenient. You will receive something much worse than this little lecture. Got it?

"Got it," Astrid agreed. 

Once the chief was gone, Astrid went over to Hiccup and carefully adjusted the furs covering him. Toothless watched, waiting for her to finish. "He'll be okay, Toothless," Astrid said, reassuring herself more than the dragon. "He's going to get better."

Toothless warbled as he carefully laid his head on top of Hiccup's chest. He didn't like the feel of the fur rubbing against his scales, but he knew his body gave off extra heat. Heat his human needed to stay warm and recover.

Astrid smiled as she gave him a pat on the snout before sitting down. 

Astrid wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but when she woke up Gothi, Stoick, and Gobber were there. Gothi was checking Hiccup's wounds and applying a healing salve to each of them before wrapping clean bandages around them. Gobber was helping hold Hiccup up in a sitting position as she worked. When she was done treating his injuries, she pressed her against his chest, listening to his heart, then his lungs. 

None of them seemed to notice she was awake yet. Which she was fine with. They needed to focus on Hiccup and make sure his brief time awake wasn't a fluke or a dark omen.

Gothi took a step back and gestured for Gobber to lay Hiccup back down. The blacksmith did as he was told before picking up the furs and placing them back on top of the auburn-haired teenager. 

Guessing they were done, Astrid took the chance to speak up. "How is he?"

The three adults nearly jumped as they turned to look at her.

"Don't do that," Gobber scolded, half joking. "We're not as spry as you."

Astrid suppressed the urge to laugh. "Sorry. I didn't want to interrupt while you were checking him over."

"It's quite alright lass," Stoick assured before turning to look at the village healer. "Gothi?"

Gothi picked up her staff and began writing on the floor. Gobber stood behind her, translating. "She says; 'His breathing sounds better, but he still has a fever. Neither of his wounds are infected and apprear to be healing just fine. It is too early to see how his clavicle is healing. It could be weeks before we know. If he wakes up again try and get him to drink the herbal broth. It will improve his breathing and help with his pain.'"

"So we're not going to lose him? Stoick asked. "He's going to pull through?"

Gothi gave the chief a nod of confirmation before she began packing up her supplies. Stoick's shoulder seemed to visibly relax as he let out a breath he had been holding since he found Hiccup and Toothless on that seastack. "That's good to hear. Really good to hear."

The village elder bowed in respect as she left. Gobber followed close behind carrying her bag. "I'll be back with the herbs needed for the herbal broth," he said before making his way down the stairs.

Stoick sat down at the foot of the bed, looking at his son, buried under several layers of furs. The furs made him look smaller than he actually was. His face was pale and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Despite the many furs, he shivered under them.

Even though they received good news, Stoick still had a look of fear and worry written across his face. Astrid leaned over and rested a hand on his knee. "He's going to be okay, Stoick. It might take a while, but he's getting better with each passing day."

"I know, Astrid," Stoick stated. "I still worry though. He came early. Did you know that?" She shook her head, pulling her hand back.  "Two months before his estimated arrival. When Valka first went into labor we assumed Gothi might have been off with how far along she was. But when he came out and we saw how small he was, we knew it was too early. Too early for any baby to survive. Instead of celebrating we waited. We prepared for the inevitable. But he made it through the night. Then the next one. And the one after that. By the fourth night, it was clear he was a fighter. Valka fed him constantly, more than most mothers do. Probably every hour or so. When he wasn't eating I was carrying him around the house too afraid to put him down. By day six, he was screaming up a storm. We still hadn't named him yet. Gothi warned us not to get attached, because we could still lose him. Valka nicknamed him 'our little hiccup'. After a month, the nickname became his real name. After two months, he was as healthy as the rest of you other babies. We held his naming ceremony the day he turned three months old."

"He's still a fighter," Astrid reassured.

"Aye, that he is," Stoick agreed. "But because he was so early, it meant he got sick easier and quicker than anyone else. Every time he coughed, I was told to prepare for the worst. I knew better though. The only time, aside from right now, I truly feared he wouldn't make it, was after the Red Death. What remained of his leg kept getting infected. In the beginning, he had just lost his foot. But due to the constant infections, Gothi had to amputate more of his leg in order to give him a better chance. She also decided it was better to cauterize the amputation site than to sew it back up. It worked, no more infections. The relief I felt when he walked out of the house two weeks later, was indescribable."

"Does Hiccup know about any of this?" Astrid asked. "How you felt? The second amputation?"

Stoick opened his mouth to speak, only for someone else to answer for him. "I do."

Both turned and saw Hiccup wide awake, watching them.

Chapter Text

"How much did you hear, son?" Stoick asked, hoping to the gods he only caught the last bit.

"Enough," Hiccup answered, his voice just above a whisper, making it hard to pinpoint the kind of tone he was using. He let out a sigh. "But it's nothing I didn't already know."

Stoick raised his eyebrows in shock. "How did you find out?"

"I always knew," Hiccup replied as he managed to sit himself up. "No one really kept quiet about it. As the son of a chief, everyone knows my business before I even do. Gobber told everyone about how my leg kept getting infected so Gothi had to cut off more. He then beat up three Vikings who said I wasn't a real hero then since I lost my leg to infection instead of the Red Death. Every time I got sick, Gothi reminded me that I came early, so I was at a higher risk when it came to illness." He coughed a few times before continuing. "As for knowing what you're feeling, you don't hide them as well as you think. Your eyes give it away every time. I saw the fear when I woke up last time. I still see it, but it's changing to relief."

"Am I really that easy to read?" Stoick wondered.

Hiccup shrugged, immediately regretting it as he grabbed his wounded shoulder with his good hand, wincing from the pain. Astrid stood and walked over to the desk, grabbing one of the tonics, uncorking it. "Here, babe, take this. It'll help."

The wounded teenager let go of his shoulder and grabbed hold of the tonic. He swallowed it in a single gulp and handed to empty flask back to his betrothed before looking over at his father. "And yeah, Dad, you are that easy to read. Maybe not to your enemies or those who don't know you very well. But I've grown up watching those eyes. Spent fifteen years looking for approval. Which was rare to see growing up. Now I see it all the time."

Stoick felt a wave of guilt wash over him, as he was reminded of how poor of a father he used to be. He could try excusing it as wanting to keep his son safe, but everyone knew what the real reason was. He had been ashamed of Hiccup. Sure he loved and cared about him, but shame overrode those feelings, even in the privacy of their own home. 

"I'm sorry," Stoick apologized.

"No need to apologize," Hiccup stated matter-of-factly. "It's in the past and we're better now. Both of us."

Stoick offered a small smile as he stood up. "One of us is better. The other is still quite sick with a chest infection. That same other should be resting and getting as much sleep as possible."

"I feel fine," Hiccup said, before having another coughing fit. Once it subsided, he offered a weak smile. "See fine."

"Uh-huh," Stoick murmured, unamused. "You don't sound fine. Now, lie back down and go back to sleep. When you wake up again, there will be some herbal broth ready to help with that cough of yours."

Hiccup pouted, but laid back down. "Fine, but before I do, I have a quick question. I was told to deliver a message. Did I? Or was that a dream?

"Aye, you told me the message," Stoick assured. "I then told the council, none of whom seemed to be eager to listen to the words of someone so sick. I told them better safe than sorry. Patrols are being doubled and we're fortifying our defenses. I'm more concerned about those lessons."

Hiccup didn't reply as he was fast asleep once more. 

"I'll ask him about it later," Stoick said to himself before looking over at Astrid. "Why don't you head home. It'll be sunrise soon and you still look tired. Your bed will be comfier than the chair."

Astrid stifled a yawn and got ready to decline the offer of proper sleep, but Stoick gave her a pointed look that told her arguing would do no good. "I'll be back later."

Three weeks later, Hiccup was sitting at his desk trying to mindlessly doodle with his right hand. The task was proving to be more frustrating than relaxing. He set the charcoal pencil down and rubbed his still-healing clavicle.

Gothi figured it would be another month or so before it was fully healed. Which meant both he and Toothless wouldn't be flying anywhere for a while. Even if it wasn't broken, he'd still be stuck on the ground for several weeks while he continued to recover from his chest infection. He was doing better, but his breathing still sounded like he had been gargling saltwater. 

As he was debating making a daring escape out of his window, just to get out of the house for a bit, his father appeared at the top of the steps holding a bowl of broth and some bread.

"Gothi suggested trying to see if you could keep some solid food down," Stoick said as he set the bowl and bread down. "I went to the baker and asked him to make a loaf just how you like it. Cooked through but still soft."

"Thanks, Dad." Hiccup studied his father's face. As usual, he was keeping his facial expression neutral, but his eyes gave him away. He was worried. He had questions, but he wasn't sure how to ask. "Everything okay?" 

Stoick sighed as he moved to sit down on his son's bed. He took off his helmet and set it aside. After what felt like forever, he finally spoke. "I don't want to push you, before you're ready to talk about it, but I need to know what happened on that ship."

"Is-is it really necessary?" Hiccup asked, hoping to get out of this conversation. "Toothless sank the ship, so I doubt those Hunters are going to be a problem. Also, I'm  home now, so why bother?"

"Hiccup," Stoick pushed. "As your father and chief, I need to know. I understand why you don't want to talk about it, but I need to know. I found you wrapped in Toothless's wings, soaked in your own blood, unconscious in the middle of the ocean during a storm. I need to know what happened, whether those particular Hunters are still alive or not."

Hiccup sighed, pushing his simple meal away from him, no longer feeling hungry. "Toothless and I were almost to Dragon Island when we were knocked out of the sky. Upon being dragged aboard, I was shackled to the mast and Toothless was muzzled with probably a dozen or so men holding him down. The leader told me he had a message from Johann, but he had to teach me a lesson first. He proceeded to push me down, then stabbed me in the shoulder. Then as he told me the message, he stomped on my shoulder. Everything started to go fuzzy at that point. I remember him saying something to the effect of 'I'm useless without the dragon and only good enough to be sacrificed to the gods.' He then threw the knife at my leg and let us go. I know Toothless sank the ship, but after that, nothing. Not the storm, the seastack, or you finding me."

Stoick could feel his blood boil as his son recalled what happened to him. He hoped those Hunters were dead, because if they were alive, none of them would like what he would do in the name of vengeance. "Hiccup, I am sorry for making you relive that before you were ready, but thank you for telling me. Just know you are something without Toothless. You have the heart of a chief and when the time comes, you will be the best one Berk ever had. You care about the people. You care about our future. Johann and that Hunter know nothing about you or the man you have become. Do you understand?"

Hiccup nodded. "I know. I know his words mean nothing and that he means nothing. I also know that Johann probably told him to say those words to make me feel insecure and useless, like I did before I found Toothless. And I'm trying not to let it get to me. When I'm awake, it's easy, because I can see what I've done for Berk. When I'm asleep, however, those words get into my dreams and take me back to when I was a kid trying to fit in with the rest of the village. The words show me how in the way I felt. How I seemed to take up space I hadn't earned. How I would fantasize running away and becoming this mysterious person that people wouldn't know. Those kinds of dreams will eventually fade. They usually do."

Stoick buried his head in his hands, trying to keep the tears at bay. How? How could he have never known his son had felt this way? He already knew he had failed as a parent, but hearing how his son had lived his life before Toothless came along made it worse. He lifted his head and looked at his only child, who was staring back in concern. "If your mother knew how poorly I and the village had treated you, she would have fed us to the dragons herself. I should have taken better care of you. Encouraged you. Made sure you felt cared for and loved. It took you befriending a dragon to feel what you should have felt all along."

"Dad," Hiccup said slowly. "It's fine."

"No, it's not, son," Stoick countered. "It shouldn't have mattered that you were different from everyone else. We shouldn't have treated you the way we did. It was wrong."

"It was, but you eventually learned. Everyone did," Hiccup explained. "Learning to embrace differences can be difficult. But we all get there eventually. And because of it, Berk is stronger and more united. We have gained several allies, each with their own differences. Differences we embraced. Sometimes it just takes a while and that's okay. I'm not angry or resentful anymore. Dreams are one thing. And just like the past, they fade with time."

Stoick stared at Hiccup in awe. "When did you get to be so wise?"

"Living on the Edge gives you pretty healthy perspective about life," Hiccup replied, nonchalantly.

The chief chuckled as he stood up. "I guess it does." He wrapped his hand around his son's good shoulder. "Try and finish eating up, then get some rest. If you need anything just holler or send Toothless to get me. "

Hiccup nodded, stifling a yawn. "Thanks, Dad. And don't worry, I will."

Seven weeks later, Hiccup was outside his home with Toothless, attaching the new tailfin. After being cooped up inside for over two months, the Dragon Rider had convinced his father and Gothi to let him just fly around the island, claiming that the fresh would do him some good.

Gothi eventually caved and gave him the go ahead, but only on the condition that he flew no higher than their mountain. Once he agreed to her terms, she was more than willing to let him go.

Stoick had been a bit more apprehensive, but let him go all the same. But he added to the conditions; the second Hiccup felt dizzy, short of breath or experienced even a twinge of pain, he was to return home immediately. The auburn-haired teenager debated arguing these, rules, but agreed to them all the same, knowing his father was right. He was still sick after all and didn't need set back all the progress he had made.

Once Toothless's tail was in place, Hiccup stood and got ready to climb onto the dragon's back when his father stepped out of the house. "Remember to be careful, son."

Hiccup hooked his prosthetic leg into the stirrup. "Don't worry, Dad." He smirked. "What could go wrong?"

Stoick raised an eyebrow. "If you have me answer that question, you won't be flying at all."

Hiccup's smirk fell as he shook his head. "Yeah don't answer that. Don't worry, we'll be careful. Right, Bud?"

Toothless roared in agreement as he spread his wings.

"We'll be back soon," Hiccup promised as Toothless took off. Neither waiting for the chief's reply.