This morning had been better than the last. I woke up next to Toothless like always, stretched, and went for a morning run before the sun had even begun to rise. Toothless was finally up by the time I got back, and after a hearty meal of Night Fury seared fish a small Terrible Terror named Zippy came to lay beside me. He was holding a message from Eret, one of the first that I've received since coming to Berk, and it reported that there's been a small gap in all trackable enemy activity since my sudden departure, giving everyone a chance to recuperate and prepare. It was a great feeling to know that everyone was safe for at least a little while, and I went into the village that day in a pretty good mood. That is, until the Gang found me...
"Are you gonna tell us or what?!"
Ruffnut pressed.
"Tell you what?"
I replied, trying to play dumb long enough to work my way out of this subject.
"Where you were all this time."
She pushed again. I internally rolled my eyes but tried my best to keep my disinterest in this conversation under wraps.
"Can't we just eat breakfast?"
I tried, but Ruff wasn't having it, crossing her arms as she shook her head.
"We're all done, and it looks like you won't be eating much more anyway."
She looked down at the full plate of chilled food I still had in front of me. I knew I was losing, but before I could even say anything else in retaliation the questions started.
"Why were you gone for so long?"
Snotlout.
"Why didn't you contact us?"
Fishlegs.
"How did you get so tan, and where did the accent come from?"
Ruffnut.
"Where were you staying? Was it a cave, a tree, the ocean..."
...Tuffnut...
"How were you living?"
Snotlout again.
"Where you alone?"
Fishlegs once more. They just kept coming.
"It's a long story."
I tried to answer.
"Why did Drago Bludvist think you were dead?"
That last question caused me to look up at Astrid who had asked it. She'd been pretty quiet up till now, which might have been what drew my attention to her when she spoke. I had almost forgotten she was even here. Regardless, this wasn't really a question I could just leave hanging, but it wasn't exactly one I want to dive too deep into either.
"Because he thought he saw me die."
I answered simply, not bothering to address the many other questions. Everyone was looking at me in different ways now. Fishlegs looked terrified. Snotlout and Astrid both looked confused, most likely because their imaginations were trying to work out the different situations that could have caused that to happen. The twins however looked excited.
"Wow!!! Did you fight him first? Was there blood?"
"How did you do it? Was it a fake drowning, or a pretend fatal strike maybe?"
"Did You Fall Off A Cliff!!!"
"WE NEED TOO-"
"ENOUGH!!!!!!!"
YOU ARE READING
Without Saying
FanfictionHiccup Horendous Haddock III loved Berk with all his heart. It was the place where he was born, and where his family lived for generations. He would do anything to keep them safe, even if it meant he could no longer live on Berk itself. Even if it m...
