Home-Bound: The Beginnings (HTTYD)

7 - The Red Pine Forest

Hiccup watched in wonder as he scenery of Isunder shifted around him. He should have been tired at this point, but the adrenaline was coursing through his veins. This was so exciting!

"And... That's about it," Luneah concluded, coming to a stop back in the town square. Her short brown hair flew in her eyes when she whipped around too fast, and she brushed it back. "What do you think?"

"It's gorgeous here!" Hiccup said. The tour of Isunder was invigorating—after his mother gave him and Luneah permission to keep exploring, she took him on a more in-depth tour, explaining the history of the island and its people. "What about the wilderness?"

"Oh! Sure, the forest is my favorite place to be."

"Me too, back at Berk."

Her face lit up, and they crossed a series of rope bridges connecting the rocky cliffs. They eventually came to one large plateau with a forest adjourning the top like a huge hat. The trees were huge, and stretched high into the sky. The sunlight was nearly blocked out due to the broad branches and surplus of needles on the trees.

"Here it is, the Red Pine Forest."

"We never had anything like this back at Berk!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Hiccup exclaimed, running his palm against the bark of one of the trees. "The biggest trees on Berk, I was still almost able to wrap my arms completely around. These ones... I don't think four people will be able to get their arms around this."

"This isn't even close to the biggest one..." Luneah chuckled at his excitement. "It's one of our main exports. The wood is strong and the color is sought-after. We use it for our ships. But Mark keeps telling me that it's a waste to make ugly boats out of them."

Hiccup threw his head back and laughed, his hair flopping back along with him. As it glinted in the sunlight, Luneah couldn't help but compare the color to the red of the trees. Hiccup belonged here.

Luneah saw the awed look on his face, and decided to show him her secret. One that only a few other people knew of. She took his hand and led him deep into the forest, before coming to a tree that was larger than most. There was a healthy amount of moss on the bark, and Luneah moved it out of the way to reveal a spiral staircase carved into the bark.

"Whoa." His voice echoed through the interior.

"Come on! I need to show you the top!"

They sprinted up the stairs, two at a time, and just when Hiccup was about to collapse, the staircase leveled out and revealed a hole carved in the bark, before spiraling back up.

"There are many floors. This is the first one." She walked through the carving and stepped onto a branch. Hiccup carefully followed, before gawking at the sight.

Down below, about a hundred feet was the ground. He was also very astonished to note that the inside was nearly hollow. In certain places, the interior branches had been cut away and burnt to create dead zones where foliage was cleared and would not grow again.

Suddenly, Hiccup felt very uneasy being this high up, but he noticed that the branches were carved flat on the tops to create a safe walkway for people. It was all but narrow. The walkway could easily fit three people walking side-by-side. Towards the end where the branches narrowed down, planks of wood were nailed atop them, giving the two ample space to walk.

As the approached the wall of pine needles that just barely let light though, Hiccup saw that there was a slight part in the pine needles like a window that revealed all of Isunder and the forest.

The view was absolutely breathtaking.

"I... Uh... How long did this take?"

"Me and a couple other people started on this mini-project when I was about seven. The last layer at the top is the one that's the most finished."

"Can you take me there?" Hiccup asked.

"Sure!" She exclaimed before smirking. "Just be prepared to climb a lot."

"Oh gods..."

Luneah burst into laughter.

Hiccup was mesmerized by the sound once more. "You know what? Let's just stay here for now. I don't think I'll be able to handle a lot of climbing just yet."

The girl nodded and stared out the "window". It was just around noon, and Isunder was bustling with activity. From their vantage point, everyone looked like tiny little specks. The houses were lacking in definition. The mighty warships and heavy merchant boats docked in the harbor were reduced to small blots of color. Isunder was so much larger than any other place Hiccup had known. And according to Luneah, the world, too, was much larger than he once thought.

"You never told me why those girls were bullying you... I understand if it's a touch subject but—"

"No, it's fine," Luneah cut him off. "You're my savior. You deserve to know," she said lightheartedly.

"It has something to do with my parents. I'm an orphan. I lost my parents during a dragon raid at a young age. Everyone thinks they just left because they didn't want me... they call me useless. I guess I see where they're coming from."

"Don't say that."

Luneah sighed and shrugged. "Been thinking it all my life. It's not that big a deal. I'm used to it."

"But you shouldn't be," Hiccup emphasized. "I know what that's like. Literally, the kids back on Berk called me useless, too."

Luneah huffed and the corner of her mouth quirked up in a little smile. "I guess we have a lot in common, Hiccup.

Hiccup returned the crooked grin. "I suppose we do."

"So," she said, before standing up. "You up for that climb yet?"

As the days passed, Astrid thought about Hiccup more and more. She remembered every little detail about him; his countless freckles, his emerald green eyes, his auburn hair that glowed red in the sun, and—most importantly—his geeky, sarcastic, creative mind.

Hiccup may not have seemed like it, but he was the perfect heir. He was witty, charismatic and smart. Sure, he may be small and not that strong, but the villagers could do the hard work. All they needed was someone smart and wise to plan the village, not someone to do all the work.

Every little thing that Astrid remembered made her long for him more. Not necessarily out of love (though she wasn't completely discarding the thought). It was mostly regret. Mourning. The need to see his face once more. If she did something, would he have stayed?

He might have. He would've been her future husband. Only the best shield maidens go to the heir. And Astrid was the only eligible one.

If only she had been kinder. If only she had stayed friends with him. If only she helped him with the others. If only he wasn't killed. If only.

If only...

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