The Black fire (BOOK 1)

Last word

-Narrator: Hiccup.

I saw my dad sitting in a chair next to a big desk. He didn't notice me until, at the last stair, the wooden floor creaked. He lifted his head, looking directly at me in the eyes. ''Take a seat Hiccup, we need to talk.'' He said, so calmed, I almost didn't hear him. I approached slowly, whatever he was thinking, I sure wasn't going to like it. But I was there because Mark told me to make peace with my dad.

We both stood there for a pair of minutes, waiting for somebody to say the first word. The silence was only broken by the busy people outside of the house. The tension was building in the room, and I couldn't take it, so I finally said: ''I need to tell you something dad.'' Stoick looked at me, his eyes were open wide. Of course, he didn't spect me to call him dad. In times when we were angry at each other, I just called him ''Stoick'' or ''Chief''. He sure was surprised. After the initial confusion, he cleared his throat: ''You speak first.'' he said.

I sighed and looked down, then back up, looking at him in the eyes. ''I wanted to say...'' I mumbled, not able to finish.''... I'm sorry.'' I finished. He stared at me, but he didn't say a word. ''I'm sorry about how I behaved this last week dad. And I wanted to apologize. Not everybody has the luck I got.''

He continued looking. And when I was finished talking, he sighed. A pair of minutes passed without nobody saying anything. Suddenly, my dad started:  ''When your mother was killed in the raid, things changed... And I can understand if I'm strict sometimes. But you must know I want the best for you and the village.'' I avoided my dad's stare. ''But I'm not going to last forever, and that is why I wanted you to train with me.'' I looked at him again. ''I'm asking you one more time; will you change your mind?'' 

It was a nice opportunity of gaining some experience, but it still was a hard choice. I finally decided: ''I will do it, but with one condition.'' My dad looked satisfied and standed up, smiling at me. ''Whatever you want, son.''He said, proud.

The happiness wasn't going to last long.

''I want you to set Mark free.''

Narrator: Stoick.

I was hoping not to listen to those words in the same phrase. But he said them. Out of all the things he could have asked me, that was the only one I couldn't do. My expression changed, and I sat agin in the chair. ''I can't do that, and you know it.'' ''Yes you can! He is not a threat to us, he just wanted to protect himself!'' He insisted. Hiccup was as insistent as me sometimes. ''Listen dad, he is not the moster you think he is. He has no family, or friends. He has nowhere to go, please let him live.'' 

I took the next two minutes asimilating the information; if what Hiccup said to me was true, that would explain why he attacked our island in the first place. But that doesen't repair all the damage he had done. At the same time, if I regret my decisions, what kind of leader would I be? But Hiccup wasn't going to make this easy.

I stood up and tapped Hiccup's back. '' The decision is taken, and you have two choices: you can complain and don't give up, or you can let him go, it will be the best thing Hiccup. You can only make this worse of you deny his fate.'' I said, slowly but firmly. Hiccup cried, lears dripping from his eyes. ''But dad...!'' 

Before he continued, I made him quiet with a gesture. ''It's my last word, the whole village is on my side. But I managed to pospone the execution for tomorrow.'' Hiccup leaned in my shoulder and started crying, shivering like a leaf in winter. ''Sometimes, these type of decisions are for the best...'' I said, but he didn't seem to calm down. My mind started working on a way to make him feel better. 

''Hey, what if I keep the plane as it is? Then, you will have something to remember him.'' At that moment, Hiccup stopped crying, and sat on the same chair I was moments ago. He was looking at the ground under him, sobbing like crazy. 

Two minutes went by...

...and my son didn't move. I decided to give him some space and I got out of the armoy.

Hopefully, he will understand.

-Narrator: Hiccup.

What a failure. What a failure I was, I couldn't protect my only friend. Sure, now my dad was in peace with me again, but at what cost? In the end, It was going to be like in the beggining.

No, that was not going to be the end of Mark's story, no way. I was ready for betraying my village, my home... my dad. For saving the only friend I got. But Stoick was right, I couldn't fight against all the village, I had to think about another way of setting Mark free. And my mind finally worked with me.  An idea flashed though my head.

''Yeah... that would do.''

I went upstairs only to see Mark laying in the bed and still chained. When he saw me, he got up fast, as he also saw I was in a hurry. Probably by my expression, he knew something was wrong. ''Is something wrong Hiccup?'' He asked. I explained to him the conversation I had with my dad downstairs, skipping the part of his execution, of course. He listened carefully, and when I stopped talking, he nodded. ''Well. at least your dad is not angry with you anymore, he is with me.'' He mumbled. ''I don't think he was happy with you before anyways.'' I said, pulling all the sarcasm out of it. Mark laughed silently. But didn't move as I  freed his hand from the chain with a key. ''How did you get the key?'' He asked. I smiled. ''Having small hands is usefull sometimes.'' I answered. I gave him his revolver and some ammo I found near it, in the bedside table. ''Oh, my dad is going to kill me if he discovers what I am going to do... '' ''But, what are you going to do?'' He said, loading the drum of six bullets in his weapon. I went downstares with him and then opened the front door.

''I'm getting you out of here.''