Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 35 - Battle Buddies

A/N: Hi :) Enjoy!

STOICK'S POV

The boy had only been in my presence for a few minutes, but I was already itching to pull out my hair in pure frustration. His fear was obvious in the way he stood as far from me as possible and the way his gaze flickered constantly between the door, his feet, and my general direction. However, any hope I might've had at using his discomfort to my advantage was dashed when it became clear that he possessed an unflinching determination to see his goals through. It was an impressive sight to behold; if he lived in the village I'd probably be giving him a congratulatory slap on the back or a few words of encouragement to 'keep up that attitude!' After all, strength was valued above all other aspects of a true viking's character, and his well of fortitude seemed to be overflowing if the last few hours were any indication.

That being said, I really should have expected his unrelenting stubbornness. It tickled the miniscule portion of my brain where the most ridiculous idea had begun to take root ever since my conversation with Gobber the previous day, and I could almost hear the memory of Valka's voice as clearly as if she was whispering in my ear: "I pray to the gods that this child isn't a stubborn ox like his father!"

My heart clenched with an old, familiar pain, and I viciously wrestled down any other wayward thoughts. There was simply no world in which my wife and son still lived, and I refused to let mere coincidence lead me down a path of no return. I'd already grieved once. I couldn't do it again. I would focus on the facts.

I was being presented with the first glimmer of opportunity to end the war, and I'd be damned if I let it go to waste. It grated on my nerves that the one offering such an opportunity was an insolent, dragon-hugging, wild child, but I was willing to accept it as my only option.

As the boy's words truly sank in and two distinct paths were set before me, there was nothing I could do but curse the gods' ironic sense of humor and reluctantly entertain the notion of allying myself with a bloody dragon.

"I'm listening."

Hiccup blinked. Then blinked again. "Wha—Really?" He exclaimed, half excited, half wary. He looked so very young when he wasn't glaring daggers at me. I sat back, gesturing impatiently. He took the cue instantly, much more eager to oblige when he was getting his own way. Typical. "I have a plan. Well, sort of a plan. Really it's more of a hunch—"

"Stop rambling and sit down before you fall down," I interrupted, nodding toward the seat directly across from me. His lips clamped shut, eyeing the chair like it was seconds away from leaping to life and attacking him. "That wasn't a request," I added warningly. His fingers twitched nervously, and his teeth pressed against his bottom lip with so much force I was surprised he didn't pierce the skin, but he slowly acquiesced to the brusque order. Only when he was settled into an awkward perch on the very edge of the seat did I motion for him to continue.

"Um, the plan—hunch—requires the help of you and your..." He squinted thoughtfully, searching for the proper word. "...vikings," he finished lamely. I raised an eyebrow, curious as to why the term tribemates seemed to escape his vocabulary. Another odd quirk to add to the dozen others. "You need to make the Alpha angry, draw it out. It shouldn't be too hard. Vikings have a talent for that sort of thing." His smile was amused yet bitter.

"That's your big plan? Piss off the giant?" I grunted, shaking my head. "And when the army of dragons comes out to attack us? What then?" I pressed.

Hiccup leaned forward eagerly. "They won't attack you! That's the whole idea!" He insisted. "If you distract the Alpha, even for a moment, it will lose control over the other dragons. Once you draw it out, it'll be too focused on you to try and ensnare the dragons again. An Alpha needs full and complete concentration to control an entire army," he explained, sounding suspiciously knowledgeable about the subject.