How to Train Your Dragon: Journey Beyond Berk

Chapter Eleven - Villiage Preperations

Hiccup's POV:

I awoke to the sound of people talking outside. My eyes fighting to open and when they finally do, I'm struck with the reality that has unfolded within the past week. Astrid and I have slept together, twice now and I'm currently in her bed back on Berk. I jolt out of bed in a shock. Stoick is going to kill me... I thought to myself. I managed to change into my clothes from last night and quickly make my way down the ladder within minutes. I open the back door enough to see if the coast was clear, luckily it was. I quickly ran towards the back door of my father's house.

"Back already?" A voice called as I quietly shut the door behind me. My mother was in the kitchen cooking.

"I know," I made my way past her, "I know I'm sorry!" I called back. I was already up in my room trying to find a new pair of clothes to start the day, preferably something to keep me warm.

"Mmhmm!" I could hear my mother call back as I made my way back down the stairs.

I made my way over towards her and leaned on the counter beside her. "On a scale from one to ten, how dead am I?" I asked.

Valka laughed, "Quite the opposite my dear," She drifted her focus from cooking and back onto me, "I figured you'd be gone by morning so I may have mentioned to your father how you like doing morning runs and were probably out already when he awoke." She smiled at me and laid her hand upon my head.

"You're the best!" I sighed with relief, "Where's Toothless by the way?" I asked.

"Astrid took him along with her this morning for the village meeting." She responded, "Is that your father's?" She pointed at my coat.

"Uh yeah, I don't have any clothes here So I figured I could wear one of his old ones.." I quickly moved on as it felt weird knowing soon enough all my things will be here, "Did you attend?" I asked about the meeting while grabbing a piece of bread before sitting down to eat.

Mother nodded as she brought over the soup to the table, "the people of Berk trust Stoick, and have looked up to Astrid for quite sometime. There were a few hesitant for obvious reasons but many were overjoyed that this ongoing battle can finally be put to rest..." I nodded as she handed me a bowl and we started to eat, "I have to say Hiccup, I know your father and you had many differences in the past but this could be a chance to start over."

"And if it's not?" I asked my mother.

She took a deep breath as she spoke, "We figure it out, as we always have." She took a few bites before looking back up at me, "she won't leave her people you know, if it doesn't work out and we leave..."

I didn't answer. We ate the rest of our meal in silence. I helped as we cleaned the table before I made my way outside. The air was cold, snow covered the island and the buildings that lay upon it. The people of Berk going about their normal lives, I could see a boat down by the docks with people preparing for the gathering of the rest of the dragons. I turned as I heard my name called coming from the hall behind me.

"Glorious morning huh my boy?" Stoick asked as he put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed. "Nice coat by the way!" He laughed as he spoke.

I nodded, "Sorry, I don't have any of my things here yet," I responded, "Sorry about the meeting, I should've been there I just lost track of time."

"No worries son, you've had quite a journey." My eyes focused on the docks down by the lower half of the island as he spoke, "It's a lot to take in after so many years, we will all be adjusting with all the changes to come. I'm just glad I have my family back, I searched the seas for you ever since you disappeared."

I turned back in his direction, shocked by his words. I was always the village disappointment until the very end, "You searched for me?"

Stoick nodded and looked at me, "Well of course. You are my boy! After winning I thought you had run off to celebrate and fell or got lost or something..." He continued to speak, "We searched the whole island, under trees, in caves and even off shores. Gobber had to force me to call off the searches after about a year, as Chief I had to protect the people on the island... With every search we were putting ourselves in harms way, I thought i'd lost you like I did Val..."

This was the most my father had ever opened up, he wasn't much for speaking about feelings. I shook my head to try and move on from the subject and cleared my throat. "D-do you know where Toothless is at?"

Stoick cleared his throat and removed his hand off my shoulder only to point towards the area that gave me the most nightmares. "Should be down there with Astrid, don't be gone too late my boy. We'll be sending out a few boats of men later to gather the rest of the Dragons later."

I nodded and thanked him as I walked off. Every step feeling heavier, not wanting to continue forward. The metal cages appearing closer, soon enough I was able to look below at the arena. The last place people saw me on Berk. I could hear her talking to herself and sketching ideas on a notebook, Toothless sat my her side as he nodded and approved. Astrid turned and scanned the cages, focusing on her thoughts before her eyes met mine. A smile appeared on her face.

"This place has not changed a bit.." I called down to her, my hands tracing the metal bars that separated the arena from the rest of Berk.

"It could use some work," she spoke as she steered her focus back onto her notebook, "You missed the meeting!" She called out to me.

I laughed, "Yeah, stayed up a little too late I guess..."

I could see a smile on her face as she shook her head, "Come on down, I wanna show you some things!"

As I made my way down I found myself stopping before the entrance, my body frozen and my mind swarming with memories. I could see Gobber by the cages taking the hinges off of the doors. Astrid turned and saw me by the opening, my face and body frozen. She made her way over and reached for my hand.

"It's just a hole in the ground, it's okay..." Her voice was soft as she spoke.

I took a deep breath as I took her hand and we walked in. Toothless ran up in excitement when we stood beside him. She handed me the sketchbook as she walked to Gobber to help take off one of the doors.

"What are you turning this place into?" I called out as I scanned the pages of drawings.

Astrid let out a grunt as she helped gobber set down the door before wiping her hands on her pants and looked back at me, "You guys showed me peace was possible, so in the meeting we decided Berk was no longer goin to be a land of kill or be killed."

"What does that have to do with the arena?" I asked, "you'll still need to learn to fight, plenty of people out there don't enjoy the way of the dragons."

She let out a deep breath as she spoke, "Agreed, we'll still train incase of any threats but I think we could use more riders like you and Val.." Astrid nodded to the cage above, "Dragons won't feel safe if they're surrounded by cages, so we'll tear them off and turn this into a training arena for new riders..."

"I sure could use your help back at the shop!" Gobber chimed in, "Astrid wants to build more stalls for the beasts along the hillside, from what I hear you all have a mighty group coming this way."

"The shop.." I responded still trying to wrap my head around it all, "I'll do what I can-"

"He'll be great Gobber," Astrid cut in, "you should've seen what all they did at the sanctuary, it's incredible!"

A slight smile escaped my face as she spoke. I cleared my throat before cutting in, "Speaking of the sanctuary, you coming with us to gather the rest of our things and hopefully the dragons?"

She let out a shrug, "I've already been gone so long, I should stick around and start preparing as much as I can."

I nodded, as I handed her the book back. "Nice sketches by the way, I can't wait to see what you turn the place into..." Our eyes met and we both couldn't help but smile. Her eyes were gleaming from the midday sun, I could feel my self starting to get lost before Toothless knocked into me. "Okay bud, let's go!"