Don't leave me

Chapter 9: Return To The Edge

Hiccup's POV

I woke up early that morning to get as much as possible done.

My day started off as it usually did, some eggs and bread for breakfast with yak milk on the side. 

I glanced over at Toothless, who was devouring the contents of the basket in front of him, before I went to get the various letters my mother hadn't had the time to go through before my return.

When Toothless had finished his breakfast, he waddled over to me and placed his head in my lap, watching me as I read through the many letters.

After sitting there for what must've been ages, I let out a deep sigh and sunk down in my chair. "You up for a flight, Bud?"

The dragon's head shot up from my lap as he jumped ecstatically around the room, something I decided to interpret as a 'yes'.

It didn't take long before we shot through the clouds, Toothless performing several swirls as he stretched out his wings.

"Yeah, baby!" I exclaimed, pumping my fists in the air as we fell back down beneath the clouds.

We flew in between sea stacks, grazed the sea and flew so high up we struggled to breathe properly. It was amazing.

We ended the flight by touching down at the academy, where Toothless and I immediately split up.

Toothless went to nap inside one of the stables, exhausted by our flight, whilst I began preparing for a class with the new group of 18 year-olds.

It didn't take long for the class to arrive, and as soon as they laid eyes upon me, their faces all lit up like houses on Snoggletog.

***

"Good work today, class. You're all dismissed!"

As the chatter grew loud and the arena was slowly emptied of students, I began cleaning up.

As I closed the doors to what had become the storage room in the arena, my friends all walked up to me.

"You ready to go?" Snotlout asked, arms crossed as he watched me lock the doors.

"Ready to go? Where?" I asked, a tad bit confused.

"Tuff, you were supposed to tell him!" Ruffnut hit her brother over the head, resulting in him stumbling forwards.

"Oh yeah, that's what I was supposed to do today! Sorry, Hiccup" Tuffnut shrugged before pressing his palm against the back of his head, where his sister had hit him.

Astrid rolled her eyes at him. "We're going to—"

"Dragons Edge!" Fishlegs squealed, interrupting Astrid and earning himself a glare from doing so.

"Wow, we haven't been there in ages!" I exclaimed as Toothless waddled out of the stable he had been napping in, looking a little groggy.

"Exactly!" Fishlegs smiled. "That's why it'll be so much fun to return!"

***

"Wow" I blurted out as we walked around the place we had called home, not that long ago.

I felt Astrid's hand slip into mine. "It's so strange to be back here, now that's it so... empty"

"Chicken?! cHiCkEn!!!" Tuffnut yelled as he ran around the edge, in a frantic search for his feathered friend.

Astrid shook her head at him as she let out a chuckle. "It's nice to see that things are exactly the same way they used to be"

I shot her a smile before we visited our old huts.

As the sky grew darker, we all decided to meet back up at the clubhouse.

We sat down at the hearth, which Stormfly had lit, as we prepared our dinner.

"It sure has been a long time since we last did this" Fishlegs pointed out as the smell of cooked yak danced around the room.

I nodded as I turned the yak chop on my stick. "It sure has"

We sat there the rest of the evening, eating and reminiscing about our days on the edge.

It was nice to just feel like a bunch of teenagers again, without any big responsibilities weighing us down.

I glanced out the door and noticed that the moon had reached the middle of the sky, indicating that it was getting late.

As my friends were laughing at some story Snotlout had told, I got up from my seat and whistled for Toothless.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?"Astrid asked me as she furrowed her brows, her face bathing in the orange light that emitted from the flames of the hearth.

"It's time for me to go" I stated as Toothless came running up to me, tongue hanging out of his mouth as he flashed me his gummy smile. I scratched the dragon beneath his chin.

"Why can't you wait until the morning like the rest of us?" Snotlout asked, taking a sip from his cup.

"Things aren't like they were the last time we were here, Snotlout. My father died and I am now the chief of Berk, and as the Chief of Berk, I can't be running off with my team, leaving my island unprotected for days on end" I got up on Toothless.

"Wait, we'll come with you" Astrid said as she whistled for her dragon.

"No, stay here. Please enjoy all the time you have here, I'm really sorry I have to go. See you all tomorrow?" They all furrowed their brows, their yak chops suddenly becoming more interesting than me.

"Good. Now have fun, and good night!" I waved as Toothless and I shot up into the dark night sky.