Isle of Berk, mid-morning
Stoick the Vast had known from a very young age that he would lead the Vikings, just as his father and his father's father and his father's father's father and his father's-- Well, you get the idea. He would lead as they had done before him. But it was a different Berk than the Berk of Stoick's youth, and Stoick knew it would need a different kind of leader once he was gone.
No one in Berk would argue that Hiccup was already pretty different, but there was a lot he'd have to learn to be that leader.
Gothi, who may well have been able to read Stoick's mind, cast the runes and simply announced that the boy would go to an island far, far away: the Isle of Fandom. And that was all she would say about it.
Hiccup was reluctant, but willing once he'd established that Toothless could come too. What he hadn't expected was that he would have to leave so soon.
Like, today.
He finished securing his bags to Toothless' harness, making sure they were balanced and weren't going to get in the dragon's way. If it took a bit longer than it should have, it was in no way because he was stalling. Really. Finally, though, he had to admit they were done. He rested one hand on Toothless' shoulder then turned to walk to where his father was waiting. He was slow, but he hardly limped at all now, at least not when anyone was watching, and he drew himself up to his full height. Which, admittedly, wasn't very far.
Stoick planted one huge hand on his son's shoulder, making him stagger slightly. "Remember, keep your wits about you. We don't know anything about this place."
"Dad, of course, but I'll be fine! I'm a mighty Viking, remember? Tamer of dragons! Changer of--"
"Yes, yes, Hiccup." Stoick was quick to interrupt him. "All right, all right. Just, do well. You've an important future ahead of you, if," he held up one finger, "if you learn what you need to know."
Hiccup glanced down, still not used to being treated as something good, and smiled before lifting his chin to meet his father's eyes. "I'll do Berk proud."
"Good lad." He stepped back, ceding his place to the blonde-braided lass waiting impatiently for her turn.
"Astrid, I--" It was as far as Hiccup got.
"This is for leaving." Astrid drew back her fist and punched Hiccup in the shoulder. "And this is to make sure you come back." She grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him forward into a kiss.
Hiccup's brain filled with happy white noise as he returned it enthusiastically, his grin ridiculously goofy when she pulled away. "I'll miss you, too," he managed once his ability to think returned, making her smile.
"And you," she said, dragging her eyes away from Hiccup to point at Toothless. "You watch out for him."
Toothless let out a low, rumbling grumble of agreement, then leapt forward, barely clearing her, and shoved his head under Hiccup's hand, nudging him.
"Yeah, buddy, I know. It's time." With one last look at Astrid, he climbed aboard, fastening his safety strap and clicking his metal foot into the lever that allowed them to fly. "Let's go."
With a quick shake, Toothless crouched low then launched himself straight up into the sky, wings whistling as they cut through the air. "Goodbye!" Hiccup waved at the assembled village of Berk, Vikings and dragons both, who had turned out to watch him go. "I'll be back!" They circled the village once, listening to the cheers and roars, and dodging the occasional bursts of flame, before heading out to sea.
Once out of sight, Hiccup pulled the map out of his pocket and tried to flatten it on Toothless' neck. "It looks like we go straight ahead, past the Snowy Island, round the Cape of Bad Ideas, and--" A gust of wind ripped it out of his hand. "And that can't be good." He twisted to watch it disappear behind them, then leaned forward over Toothless' neck. "You know where we're going, right? You can sense it, or...something? Cause if we have to go back I'm going to look like an idiot, and I already know how to do that."
Toothless rolled his eyes, flipped one ear back to lightly smack Hiccup, and banked left. Unlike Hiccup, he'd been listening when Gothi told them how to get where they were going.
Travelling at Night Fury speed they reached their destination in a matter of minutes. It was a swirling circle of blue and white, floating flat several feet above the ocean. "That's it!" he yelled. "Nice convenient place they put it, too." Together, they spiralled higher, hung in the air for a moment, then dove straight down, heading for the portal. "All right! Fandom here we come!"
No one in Berk would argue that Hiccup was already pretty different, but there was a lot he'd have to learn to be that leader.
Gothi, who may well have been able to read Stoick's mind, cast the runes and simply announced that the boy would go to an island far, far away: the Isle of Fandom. And that was all she would say about it.
Hiccup was reluctant, but willing once he'd established that Toothless could come too. What he hadn't expected was that he would have to leave so soon.
Like, today.
He finished securing his bags to Toothless' harness, making sure they were balanced and weren't going to get in the dragon's way. If it took a bit longer than it should have, it was in no way because he was stalling. Really. Finally, though, he had to admit they were done. He rested one hand on Toothless' shoulder then turned to walk to where his father was waiting. He was slow, but he hardly limped at all now, at least not when anyone was watching, and he drew himself up to his full height. Which, admittedly, wasn't very far.
Stoick planted one huge hand on his son's shoulder, making him stagger slightly. "Remember, keep your wits about you. We don't know anything about this place."
"Dad, of course, but I'll be fine! I'm a mighty Viking, remember? Tamer of dragons! Changer of--"
"Yes, yes, Hiccup." Stoick was quick to interrupt him. "All right, all right. Just, do well. You've an important future ahead of you, if," he held up one finger, "if you learn what you need to know."
Hiccup glanced down, still not used to being treated as something good, and smiled before lifting his chin to meet his father's eyes. "I'll do Berk proud."
"Good lad." He stepped back, ceding his place to the blonde-braided lass waiting impatiently for her turn.
"Astrid, I--" It was as far as Hiccup got.
"This is for leaving." Astrid drew back her fist and punched Hiccup in the shoulder. "And this is to make sure you come back." She grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him forward into a kiss.
Hiccup's brain filled with happy white noise as he returned it enthusiastically, his grin ridiculously goofy when she pulled away. "I'll miss you, too," he managed once his ability to think returned, making her smile.
"And you," she said, dragging her eyes away from Hiccup to point at Toothless. "You watch out for him."
Toothless let out a low, rumbling grumble of agreement, then leapt forward, barely clearing her, and shoved his head under Hiccup's hand, nudging him.
"Yeah, buddy, I know. It's time." With one last look at Astrid, he climbed aboard, fastening his safety strap and clicking his metal foot into the lever that allowed them to fly. "Let's go."
With a quick shake, Toothless crouched low then launched himself straight up into the sky, wings whistling as they cut through the air. "Goodbye!" Hiccup waved at the assembled village of Berk, Vikings and dragons both, who had turned out to watch him go. "I'll be back!" They circled the village once, listening to the cheers and roars, and dodging the occasional bursts of flame, before heading out to sea.
Once out of sight, Hiccup pulled the map out of his pocket and tried to flatten it on Toothless' neck. "It looks like we go straight ahead, past the Snowy Island, round the Cape of Bad Ideas, and--" A gust of wind ripped it out of his hand. "And that can't be good." He twisted to watch it disappear behind them, then leaned forward over Toothless' neck. "You know where we're going, right? You can sense it, or...something? Cause if we have to go back I'm going to look like an idiot, and I already know how to do that."
Toothless rolled his eyes, flipped one ear back to lightly smack Hiccup, and banked left. Unlike Hiccup, he'd been listening when Gothi told them how to get where they were going.
Travelling at Night Fury speed they reached their destination in a matter of minutes. It was a swirling circle of blue and white, floating flat several feet above the ocean. "That's it!" he yelled. "Nice convenient place they put it, too." Together, they spiralled higher, hung in the air for a moment, then dove straight down, heading for the portal. "All right! Fandom here we come!"