Renegade (a HTTYD runaway story)

Chapter 5

Omniscient Berk:

At the village, the renegade heir was almost completely forgotten. No one spoke of him anymore. The newest generation knew nothing of Hiccup, the chief's disappointing son. No one spoke of how he flew off on a night fury, trying to convince the people of his home that they are not dangerous. No one made the connection either. A month after Hiccup's departure, the raids had nearly stopped. They get the occasional dragon hoard here and there, but they weren't nearly as common anymore. There also weren't nearly as many dragons invading, and they didn't steal the food. No one even considered that the end of the raids could have been Hiccup's doing. Many didn't even remember his name anymore. As far as they were concerned, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III was dead.

Stoick, however, never forgot his son. The memories of that day haunted his dreams. Every sleeping hour, he'd hear his son's voice and see him with the nightmare. He'd see his son trying to run from the dragon when the night fury came in. He then saw his son flying the black dragon, trying to convince the people that dragons were harmless. Then he'd hear Spitlout, calling his son a renegade, and the shouts of insults rising towards him. Then finally, he'd see his son's vanishing figure flying into the sun. He would never forget. He made a funeral for his son a year later. He suspected his son to be dead by then.

Astrid and the teens also never forgotten Hiccup. She would never forget the traitor that took her spot in dragon training. The twins would never forget the village chief's scrawny son, who they pulled jokes on and flew off on a dragon. Snotlout would never forget his disappointing cousin, who might have been chief. And Fishleggs would never forget his friend, the only one who had any interest in what he had to say about dragons. What had happened to Hiccup was a depressing affair for all, even those who didn't like the Viking. It hit the teens hardest. They grew up with him because despite what they thought of him, he was now gone despite how much they hated him.

Gobber never forgot his apprentice either. He was dispirited at the forge since his departure. Unlike everyone else, he didn't view Hiccup as a heretic in any way. He saw him as an enlightened thinker, a revolutionary in thoughts and ideas; he also didn't think him dead. 'With that boy's skills, smarts, and a dragon by his side, there is no way in Helhime he's dead,' Gobber would always think every time his mind would stray to Hiccup's 'funeral.' He would hold out on the hope that he was still out there, surviving. He just wished that one day, his theory could be proven correct.

Third-person Gobber:

Gobber remembered that day 2 years after Hiccup left when Trader Johann came to Berk. It was a normal day, the twins wreaking havoc and the people doing their daily routine. Gobber was repairing Astrid's ax, the only weapon in need of repairs since the dragon raids. Suddenly, the town erupted with excitement. Gobber stopped sharpening the ax blade and listened, straining to hear what it was about. One name was said, "Trader Johann!" Eh, it makes sense now... oh, might as well check it out. Doubt Astrid would mind if I was slightly late with her ax, Gobber thought. He set down her ax and hobbled through Berk and down to the docks.

Once at the docks, Gobber was shocked to see the whole town was there, staring in silence as Trader Johann cut a brand new steal Warhammer in two with a sword made of a strange metal by which Gobber had never seen before. "The boy who gave me these weapons called them gronkle iron weapons," Johann said as the people stared in awe. "Who gave them to ya?" Gobber asked, intrigued by the detail of the ax. I haven't seen such attention to detail since... could this be what I've been waiting for? Is Hiccup alive? Gobber's hope increased. "Well... the most notable thing about him was that he rode a night fury", trader Johann started. Ha! It must be Hiccup!

I know no one else who would be crazy enough- Gobber's thoughts faltered as he heard the rest of this new mysterious rider's description, "he was kinda tall, probably their size-," he pointed at the twins, "-he looked to have some muscle and a prosthetic leg. Made expertly too, made of wood with a metal'. He had the confidence of a villa. However, I haven't seen his face, and I only know him as... 'The Dragon Tamer'". That's when Gobber lost hope. A prosthetic leg? Muscular? Confident? None of this matches Hiccup except riding a night fury and being able to smith. It... it's just a coincidence, Gobber thought crestfallen.