The Rider(HTTYD and Brave, 2012)

Years later

(Hiccup's POV)

It's been about three years since Hiccup ran away. Now 17, He had become an accomplished tighter, his weapon of chose being either his glaive, or glove with retractable blades in the knuckles and wrists. All the while he had built some muscle. He was no longer the limp twig he was back on Berk. He was almost free of his past. So much that he could nearly forget his name. But those scars just don't care away. Those bruises don't heal. And he thought if no one knew about his past, they would ignore it. He had taught the villagers how to train dragons and befriend them. They were open-minded.

During his time on Creena, about two years, he had started a group. One dedicated to protecting people in need. One where no one was an outcast. Hilfa. A Norse word meaning "protect." He has made the new friends along the way. The twins, Festa and Hogva, who rode Gronkles, and Tyna, who rode a Monstrous Nightmare.

Festa had ran away as a child, with similar circumstances like Hiccup's. She had lived in a rather barbaric tribe, and they chose to kill all the weak offspring. Since she was the daughter of a priest, at 16 she had been chosen to kill a child who had been born early, misshapen and weak. Instead, she stole the child in the dead of night and ran, eventually finding Creena. The child was being raised in the village's orphanage. She chose dual wielding swords as her weapon.

Hogva had set sailing a month after she left. He claimed he was going on a trading expedition, but he really was traveling to find his sister. He found her two months later, living in the village. It took some convincing, but she ultimately convinced him to join Hilfa. He had chosen a bo staff from the Eastern lands as his weapon.

Tyna had washed up on the shores of Creena a year back. His only memory was something about a red death. Hiccup have him the name Tyna because of it. That and he was extremely forgetful. He chose hand to hand combat, so Hiccup made him a set of armor for it.

Setrina had changed in the last three years. She had begun to fill out her bodice, and she became more shy around boys, Hiccup in particular. Hiccup didn't notice this, however. To him she was still his best friend. She kept her boy and arrows as her weapon, and became more fluent with a dagger and machete. Her dragon was a Deadly Nadder named Stormfly.

Hiccup was doing his patrol, as was expected in a village that rode dragons when he noticed a small ship in the distance flying a strange flag of some sort. So he decided to check it out. He flew Toothless over and had him land on the deck, ready to have him blow the ship to pieces. Toothless had a plasma bolt ready and had his mouth open showing it. The people on board put their hands up in surrender. There was a small crew, about 4 or 5, made up of mostly men wearing skirts. Hiccup had seen some weird stuff in his time as leader of Hilfa, but this topped all of it. He shook his head and spoke to the men on board.

"Who are you?" He said. There was a pause before one of the men came up to him.

"We are messengers, sent on behalf of the great land of Scotland, and the clan DunBroch. The queen requests an audience with the dragon rider. That, I guess, would be you." As he said this, Hiccup got an idea.

"Wait, are you saying there isn't a rider in Scotland?"

"A dragon rider? No, not that I'm aware of."

"So you don't know any other rider?"

"We thought you were the only one." Hiccup nodded slowly, while concocting a plan in his head.

"One more question," Hiccup said, with his trademark sarcasm. "Why are you guys wearing skirts? Is it, like, a fetish, or-" one of the men interrupted him.

"These are kilts. They are the traditional clothes of our home land." Hiccup nodded.

"All right. Follow me to the docks. You can get food and supplies there." And Toothless launched up into the air. "One freaky home land." He said to Toothless in Dragonese.

Maybe they're just eccentric. Toothless said.

"Could you give the signal to hide the dragons?" He asked. Toothless nodded and sent two quick plasma bolts into the sky and a two second roar. Hiccup could only, for the sake of his plan, that the dragons would get hidden in time.

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(Merida's standing)

Merida was furious. She was taking a ride through the woods when she and Angus nearly got burned to a crisp by a wild dragon. Sure, she saw a dragon in the woods, and sure it did attack her, but she was perfectly fine. There was no need to send the messengers to find someone who probably didn't exist. Seriously. A dragon rider? There's absolutely no way possible. Those beasts were untamable. Right? And even if they were, why would someone just-

You know what, Merida thought, I don't care! If there isn't one, I told you mum! But then she scolded herself. When! Now is not the time to be doubting yourself!

Merida went into the dining room and plopped her bow down on the table while doing the same with herself and the chair, much to the frustration of her mother.

"Merida, how many times must I tell you?" Merida mocked her mother's words and facial expression, "no weapons at the table!" Merida sighed and placed her bow leaning against the leg of her chair. Her mother nodded sharply once with approval. Merida rolled her eyes and began to eat, controlling her urges to gobble down her food so her mother wouldn't scold her twice in one night.

"I just can't believe that you got attacked by that dragon." Her mother said. "Let's just hope that the messengers find that rider so he can make sure that this doesn't happen again."

"Mum, do you...really think 'at there's a dragon rider? Seriously, its sounds so...unbelievable.". Merida said.

"One can only hope, dear. If there is, let's hope he can take care of our dragon problem. Until we can guarantee yours or anybody's safety, you will stay inside the castle grounds. Is that clear?"

"WHAT?! But that's not fair! I-"

"Are we clear?!" Her mother said in a threatening voice. She held her glare a moment before sighing.

"Yes." She mumbled and continued to poke her food with her fork her appetite suddenly gone. Her mother sighed.

"It may not seem like it, Merida," she said, "but this is for your own good. I just want to keep you safe. But to more cheering news. The suitors are coming to visit."

Merida froze. Suitors? That meant...oh, no.

"...Suitors?"

"Yes. They are coming for a friendly visit. Seeing it's almost a month until the games for your hand. They just want to see how you are doing."

"Mum? When you say suitors...do you mean...marriage?"

"Of course. Look, I know you're not excited about it, but-" Merida cut her off.

"I'm going to bed." Merida said, cutting her mother off, and rushed upstairs. As she entered her room she slammed the door, making sure her mother could hear her. She then pushed her hands through her hair back and forth, a habit she had made when she was angry, while she groaned in frustration.

"Marriage! Merida I don't want to get married!" She plopped down on her bed in frustration, silently vowing she would never get married, and if she did, to not be forced into it, especially not with someone she was sure she didn't love 100 percent.