Heir and Pride

Chapter Thirty Three

The dragons had made the seastacks at dusk and Hiccup had stared for a long moment as Stoick made his daily walk to the cliffs and stared out to sea. Today, however, his mouth was moving and the boy listened closely as his father's loud and clear voice rang across the distance between them.

"Son, I know you're listening!" he shouted to the still figure, now seated behind Astrid on the Night Fury. He paused and Hiccup saw him bunch his fists. The boy curled up, his head down, expecting scorn and dismissal from his father-so his next words took both the listeners by surprise.

"I-I didn't want to believe you but the more I thought about it, the more I realised I had treated you worse than a thrall! You are my son, my only child, the only part of Valka I have left. No matter how exasperated I was at you-and you were a stubborn, disobedient boy..." Hiccup managed a watery smile of acknowledgement at these words. "No matter, I should never have treated you so badly. I should never have humiliated you. I should not have spoken so cruelly to my boy. And I should never ever have struck you. I am so sorry, son. I know you may never forgive me, but I have to ask you to consider one day letting me make up to you."

Hiccup blinked. His eyes were burning with tears.

"Come home, son. Be my son-my Heir-once more!" he pleaded. Hiccup closed his eyes and Astrid felt his ragged breathing through their contact. She sighed. Hiccup needed his home now he was sick. He needed people around him. He needed more than she could provide.

"You should go," she murmured, forcing the fear from her voice. "You deserve it, Hiccup. That was what you wanted, wasn't it?" There was a small nod, the shamed admission of his victory. "So you should go home. They can look after you, treat you, make sure you learn to walk properly. You can teach the village about dragons and help ensure the peace is a lasting one."

"What about you, Astrid?" he asked in a small voice. She gave a small sigh.

"Stormfly and I will be fine: we're warriors," she said with false cheerfulness. "You need to be here. You want to be here. And I can't." She half-turned. "I-I don't mind-you deserve it. Honestly."

His head was pounding and his leg was excruciating but he could hear the slight note in her voice, the edge she tried to conceal. She did want him to go home-but it would mean she was alone. He blinked. He had been alone for years and years, ostracised by the village and his family. Now she was being treated the same for her treatment of him...which he had forgiven her for. The village had punished her because they refused to punish themselves. And he could leave her to it, because she was brave and capable. Because she still scared him. Because she had hurt him so badly and left him to die-though not alone by any means. Because she did deserve some punishment.

Just not this.

"N-no," he murmured softly. "Unless you are forgiven, I can't stay either. I gave my word, Astrid. I promised that I would stay with you, until you were safe."

"This is what you wanted," she insisted. He took a shuddering breath, the warmth of his fever seeping through into her. "It's what you need!"

"And a few words will make it alright? Years of torture, of being ignored, of being hated?" His voice was bitter. She half-turned.

"Consider it, Hiccup," she advised him gently. He gave a small nod, his head pounding with a headache as the sun sank below the horizon. They stared a little longer as the Chief stared at them, then turned and walked away. "Really consider it," she murmured. But he just hung onto her and as the night fell, they wheeled up, with Stormfly at their side and dived down low over the harbour, skimming the waves and soaring silently round the seasick that supported Gothi's home, spirally tightly up and landing on the deck with a gentle thump. The door had opened by the time Astrid had helped the limping Hiccup from the saddle and turned to the small, hunched shape of the Elder. She took one glance at the flushed, listing shape of the boy and helped Astrid manoeuvre him in.