renegades, httyd

liii. Welcome Home

renegades
chapter fifty-three

    The forests of Berk were surprisingly tranquil━at least, around these areas. The bushes were still, the trees were whistling a sweet song in the wind that harmonised the birds' solos where they were perched on the branches. It was green, it was beautiful━it was peaceful and quiet, far from the rambunctious lives of the Vikings back at the village; the perfect place for a twelve-year-old to escape the embarrassment of what he had done. Hiccup hadn't meant to do what he did. He didn't mean to almost burn down the forge. He didn't mean to force down too much pressure onto the bellow━as someone as small and thin as him, he always had to place more effort into everything he did ... he wasn't expecting all the effort come out in one blow that ignited the forge with such force, the furnace ... well ... exploded ...

    He kicked the small fallen branches at his feet as he stormed through the woodland, annoyed with himself that he had even messed up the one thing he was surprisingly good at. Hiccup had ran away before Gobber could say anything, before his father could find out it was his fault, and before his cousin and his friends could possibly get any insult and word of mockery in to then laugh at his misfortune. He even left Revna━which he probably shouldn't have done. She was probably facing what he would've, taken the whole blow for him━but he had gotten scared. He had raced away without a second thought.

    (What a Viking he was...)

    Hiccup sighed, slumping as he decided to take a seat upon a fallen log. He glowered up at a small flock of birds that had taken flight up through the branches and towards the sunlight. He reached for his book, opening it up to where he had last left his charcoal, hoping that drawing something peaceful will let him feel some of it. All he had was that forge━and after today, Gobber was sure to want nothing to do with him. He'll lose that, too, and he'll officially be the most useless Viking in the entire village.

    He tried to sketch out the base of a tree before giving up, throwing his pencil back into his book and closing it with a snap, "Argh━the gods hate me. Completely hate me ..."

    The rustle in the bushes behind him made him freeze. Eyes wide, Hiccup's breath hitched. Oh no... he thought, starting to feel his heart pound. It would only be his luck that a dragon would sneak up on him━and it's probably some horrible dragon, too, like a Timberjack, or a Monstrous Nightmare, ready to take his skinny-legged self away from this world.

    Hiccup searched for something to use as a weapon. When all he could find was a stick, he knew he was screwed. But even still, he got up onto his feet and brandished it behind him, "Uh ... hello?" he called━not at all bravely. "W━who's there?!"

    He didn't expect to see the younger Hofferson daughter to poke her head through the batch of leaves. Her wide eyes peered back at him, looking as if she had been caught doing something horrible. Then she realised who it was, and her wide-eyed look turned into something of disappointment, "Oh," Estrid Hofferson let out flatly, "it's you."