More Than Just A Bonny Face (Rewriting)

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     My eyes open again. They can open. That's one piece of good news. I can turn my head. I see Gobber sitting next to me.

     Wait, why is Gobber here?

     "Good evening, Boniface." He smiles in relief and helps me sit up.

     "Evening." I feel my face light up with joy. "Hey, I'm alive."

     "You did only faint after all?" Gobber chuckles like I'm just being silly and dramatic. Am I or did I imagine I got stung by a Deathgripper?

     "What did Hiccup say happened?"

     "He merely said you were out for a walk and you fainted." He places the back of his real hand on my forehead. "You feel fine to me." I take a moment to process my surroundings. I am not in my room. "Gothi has been taking care of you. I thought I'd keep an eye on you for Stoick."

     A cloud of worry blocks my train of thought. "Was Dad angry?"

     "No, not at all." Gobber shakes his head with a smile. "Speaking of him, he'll be quite worried so why don't you head back home."

     "I don't think I can move." I swing the blanket on top of me off my body and that sends a burning sensation down my body. I wince at the pain. "This is what burning alive feels like."

     "You'll sleep it off, child." Gobber helps me out of the bed and down the staircase, every move feeling like pins and needles are jabbing my skin all over.

     "Thank Gothi for me, Gobber." I swing her door open and trudge away into the night. I get a cheery goodnight from Gobber but I just want to lie down and sleep away the pain. If anybody else tries to talk to me, I will ignore them and peacefully get into my own bed. Thank Odin I don't have the top bunk.

     "Hey, Meribeth." I groan loudly and stop walking to let Hiccup catch up to me. "How are you?"

     "I feel like I'm burning alive by the fire of a Deadly Nadder but I would rather take on a Deadly Nadder's fire breath than the pain I am currently having to deal with and it won't go away." I continue my way back to our home, Hiccup soon following me. "Where have you been?"

     "To look for our dragons."

     "Any luck?" Hiccup shakes his head. "They probably flew away. Who cares?"

     "We do."

     He's not wrong.

     Hiccup lets me drag my sore body up the steps of our porch before silently opening the door and sneaking us both inside. I begin to sneak upstairs as Dad is sharpening some weapon of his. Hiccup is quick to surpass me in the small journey to our bedroom.

     "Children," Dad says, sensing our presence. We stop on the staircase, Hiccup looking like he's about to do something he doesn't want to do, and me waiting for a reaction from Dad at my return. He goes with expression in his eyes. I really don't want a hug right now.

     "I have to talk to you, Dad," Hiccup says.

     "I'm going to bed." Before I can make it up the rest of the stairs, Dad holds his hand up to tell me to stay. I mentally groan and roll my eyes.

     "I need to speak with you too, children." Dad claps his hands together. Hiccup and Dad say what they wanna say, but none of us can understand them. It's something about dragons. "You go first."

     "No, no, you go first." Hiccup motions for him to speak first.

     "Alright. You get your wish. Dragon Training. You start in the morning." Dad smiles proudly at us.

     I don't know if I should feel sad or glad about this anymore. Normally, I would thank him and smile. After encountering the Deathgripper, I don't know how to respond.

     Hiccup starts panicking. "Oh, man, I should've gone first! Uh, 'cause we were thinking, you know, we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough... bread-making Vikings, or small home repair Vikings-"

     "You'll need this." Dad passes Hiccup an axe.

     "I don't want to fight dragons," Hiccup says as he shakes his head.

     Dad chuckles. "Come on. Yes, you do."

     "Rephrase: Dad, I can't kill dragons. Meribeth can, but I can't." Hiccup walks down the stairs to our father.

     I agree with Hiccup. 'I can't kill dragons.' I think. I'm not so sure.

     "But you will kill dragons."

     "No, I'm really very extra sure that I won't."

     "It's time, Hiccup."

     "Can you not hear me?!"

     "This is serious, son! When you carry your weapons, you carry all of us with you. Which means you walk like us. You talk like us. You think like us. No more of... this." Dad gestures to all of my weak, younger brother.

     "You just gestured to all of me," Hiccup says with an eye roll.

     "Deal?"

     "This conversation is feeling very one-sided."

     "Deal?!"

     Hiccup sighs. "Deal."

     Dad nods in a win and looks at me. "Are you okay, Boniface?"

     "I will be tomorrow." I lean against the wall with immediate regret.

     "Good." Dad grabs a packed bag. "Your friends came around earlier, to check on you. They were worried."

     "Snotlout isn't my friend," I mutter just to myself.

     "Your bow and arrows are back underneath your bed." Dad heads for the door, looking back and forth between me and Hiccup. "Train hard. I'll be back. Probably."

     "And we'll be here," I say.

     "Maybe," Hiccup mumbles to finish my sentence.