Sigrid The Relentless - How to Train your Dragon

15. Stoick's Gone Overboard

"What, you're leaving?!" Sigrid cried.

Her brother shrugged, hoping she'd take the news a bit better. 

"Yeah, Sig. We can't afford to go back and forth to Berk all the time, it's exhausting us and our dragons, we need an outpost." He explained, but Sigrid still wasn't liking the idea of her little brother leaving Berk... possibly forever.

But it wasn't her choice to make. Hiccup promised her that once they'd found a place, she could visit whenever she wanted. It's been a while since her brother send her a letter, telling her that they'd found an island, as well as a map of how to reach it, but she had yet to visit.

Now, Sigrid was really regretting not going with her brother when she could. Because as of late, her father had been driving everyone on Berk, including her, absolutely crazy!

---

"Sigrid!" Her father had woken her up at the start of sunrise, way too early.

"I need you to rebuild the hut, it's practically falling apart!" He boomed, and Sigrid had grumpily gone up to do so, only to find out that the hut was perfectly fine, in fact, it looked like it was brand new!

But that was only the start of her father's weird behavior. Stoick had also banned her from the training arena, and had completely changed it into his own workspace. He'd been bossing the whole town around, and driving them insane with his unnecessary criticism.

"Sigrid!" Stoick called for her again, and again and again.

The Chief hadn't been able to find his daughter all day, and he'd only wanted to ask her to rearrange the weapons by deadliness; something Sven was unable to do. But it seemed that ever since he'd awoken, she was nowhere to be found.

Little did Stoick know, Sigrid was definitely hiding from him. The other Berkians were more than happy to help the woman hurry on their roofs, in their barrels, and would even lie to the Chief himself, if only she returned the gesture; which she gladly did.

If her father wouldn't calm down soon, Sigrid couldn't promise that she wouldn't throw an axe his way. No matter how much she loved her father, one can only take so much pestering before they go insane.

---

Gobber left Berk about a week ago, and it seemed that her father hadn't even noticed! The redhaired woman couldn't blame the blacksmith, but Thor, he should've taken her with him! But, as she saw her favorite Nightfury land on Berk's grounds, she realised that Gobber hadn't necessarily ran from her father, but that he'd ran to Hiccup.

The youngest Haddock shrieked in surprise as he was yanked between the huts by a strong hand, only to have his mouth covered by his sister.

"Hiccup, thank Odin you're here." Sigrid whispered in relief, shaking the boy by his shoulders.

Hiccup groaned as he saw the deep blue rings of exhaustion under his sister's dulled down eyes, she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

"Sigrid, what's going on?" He asked, concerned. 

"Dad's driving me crazy." She sneered through gritted teeth. "You need to help us, or else I might kill him."

Admitting to true insanity wasn't something she did often, and it was quite obvious she was in disarray. Her hair loose in a frilly mess, and giant bags under her eyes, as well as her twitching fingers, told Hiccup that this was a lot more serious than he'd originally thought.

"Okay." Hiccup agreed quickly. "I'll go talk to dad, and you get some sleep, alright?"

Pulling her brother in a tight hug, Sigrid sighed. "I'd love nothing more."

Eventually, Hiccup somehow convinced their father to leave Berk for the day. He'd told his sister that they had a 'dragon problem', but Sigrid wasn't sure if that was true, or if he'd fabricated it to win their father over, but either or, she really didn't care. For the first time in weeks, Sigrid could sleep in her bed for as long as she wanted, and Berk was peaceful once more. This time, without their Chief.

---

"What kind of dragon is that?!" Sigrid was surprised when her father returned home with a giant multicolored beast of his own. 

Guess Hiccup did have a dragon problem, and her father was the one to solve it, of all people. 

"This is Skullcrusher, my new dragon." Stoick chuckled, gently patting the beast's hard head, amused by his daughter's bewildered face.

"Still doesn't answer my question, but I'll take it." Sigrid sighed, before giving the dragon a gentle smile.

Raising her hand up to his snout, she let Skullcrusher push his face into her palm, welcoming her warm caress.

"Welcome to the family, bud." She greeted the dragon, who seemed to humm at her touch.

Much like her father, Skullcrusher was a giant, hard-headed and intimidating. But when you got to know him he was soft, protective, and doing their best to do what's right. Whilst they'd never forget Thornado, the adorable flat pancake of a Thunderdrum, they welcomed the newly discovered Rumblehorn with open arms, and a high-quality saddle.

"You know-" Stoick started, while he and Sigrid were having dinner. "Your brother is still set on getting you a dragon."

Sigrid groaned dramatically, letting her forehead fall onto the dinner table, making her cutlery shift. "Of course he is. I blame you." 

She pointed her spoon towards her father, accusingly, who simply laughed at her dramatic display.

Oh Hiccup, you just never give up, do you?