The Thunder and Lightning Riders

Chapter 20: Why? Pt 2

Hiccup's POV

When someone says something to you, it's usually not true.

Like if your dad says they believe in you, he usually doesn't.

Or if you're like me, and say you're going to sleep, you're usually not

Astrid was asleep in our bed, her blonde hair slightly covering her face. She looked like a Valkyrie.

I had changed out of my armor and I was in just my regular clothes. I opened up one side of our large window on our wall. Throwing my legs over the window sill and using the outdoor wall as a climbing aid, I made my way to the bottom.

Toothless was asleep on our roof, as close to the sky as possible. It was his favorite spot in the spring and winter.

And, I just needed some time away from everything.

And possibly everyone.

The island was a wonderful place, but it was filled with people. It was hard to be alone sometimes, and it was harder as a chief.

I loved the people here. I was willing to do anything to protect them, but what if I didn't know what to do?

I didn't have just a few people to worry about like before. I had hundreds of peoples lives on my shoulders. If I messed up, there could be a mass massacre.

Maybe that was why I hated being away from the island so much. I hated leaving it vulnerable. I wanted to be a good chief. I wanted to be the chief that could protect his own. I had already lost so many, and I didn't plan on losing more.

I walked straight to the woods and made my way through it with no difficulty. I knew these woods like the back of my hand.

My body automatically walked to the cliff that overlooked the water.

It was a calm place, with a slight breeze, and you could smell the ocean. The moon always shined the brightest here.

My legs hung over the edge. I closed my eyes and breathed in. If I listened close enough, I could hear the water.

I breathed out, trying to get my breathing as even as possible to match it with the waves crashing against the shore.

It was mesmerizing. It was calming, and serene. I always had a hundred things running through my brain, so it was refreshing every once in a while to just be able to focus on one thing, like the water, or the slight breeze.

I just sat and took in the moment, not bothering to think too much, besides noticing the beauty of the scene before me.

I took a moment to think about Berk. To think about my father, who I had idolized growing up. I remembered the times when I would spend hours in the forge trying to get his attention or by creating hand drawn masterpieces. Finally, at 15, I had given up trying to please him.

That was the year that my life changed for the better. I will always be thankful for that time.

I thought about what could have been with me and my father. He had put a warrior mindset in my mind. His words from years ago still lingered within me. 'A warrior puts everyone before themselves. Before their lives. If you care about them, then you best be ready to kill for them, but more importantly hiccup, you must be ready to die for them.'

When I was younger, my thought process had always been that he was busy and doing the best he could.

He had been a bad father. He was a bad dad. He was a bad parent. He was a bad dad. Part of me still wanted to believe that he still cared about me. It was too bad that there was overwhelming evidence that he had preferred my cousin.