The End of the Beginning (Hiccup x OC) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 7

I woke up and went downstairs, past my mother and out the door. "Marish." I turned around to see my mother in the doorway. "Since I know you're going to the arena to see the choosing, I might as well go with you." She forced a little smile and I grabbed an apple quickly, waiting for her to come beside me.

We walked in silence to the arena where the platforms were already beginning to fill with expectant Vikings. I ran to the platform, getting in line. Mother caught up to me (the line did not move very far) and we walked around on the wooden surface, looking for an open place to stand. I quickly squeezed between two Vikings before the spot was closed off and stood in the front row.

My eyes scanned the arena for Hiccup as the event began and found him behind a barrier as a Gronckle was released. Astrid had ducked behind it with him, giving him the speech to stay out of her way.

She darted after the dragon and one Viking cheered her on, "You got it, Astrid!" Hiccup stood up to scan the crowd, his eyes meeting mine briefly as he stared at his father's.

The Gronckle suddenly spotted Hiccup and flew toward him. Astrid shouted a battle cry and ran after the dragon, but Hiccup had already knocked it out before she had the chance to kill it. Cheers rippled over the crowd, one whoop of victory from my own mouth.

Stoick lifted up his hands for silence, commanding the crowd to quiet as the elder, Gothi, made her decision. Gobber grabbed the two recruits, pointing his hook for a hand at Astrid.

Gothi shook her head.

Most of the crowd rippled with sounds of disappointment as Gobber pointed to Hiccup.

The elder nodded with a smile and the remaining crowd exploded with cheers of joy. Astrid turned to glare at Hiccup, fuming with anger. "You've done it!" Gobber said, congratulating him with a slap on the back that nearly knocked him over. "You've done it, Hiccup! You get to kill the dragon!"

I rejoiced for him as the other recruits lifted him onto their shoulders, but the look on his face caused my heart to sink and my cheers to cease.

Stoick shouted praises at his boy and Hiccup tried to mask his panic with joyous remarks, but I saw past them.

He didn't want to kill the dragon.

He never wanted to kill the dragon. So why did he partake in the training?

His worth. He wanted to prove he wasn't just Berk's klutz who only created problems. He wanted to prove himself to his father.

As the crowd began to leave the arena, I ran down off the platform and jumped to the ground, waiting for my mother to follow. "I'm going to go herd the sheep," I said once she caught up. She smiled and put her hand on my head, running her fingers affectionately through my hair before I left.

I jogged to the barn and threw the door open wide. The sheep complained restlessly to me as I grabbed a new staff I had made to replace the one lost the night of the dragon attack. The herd clearly did not feel like grazing as I opened the gate of the corral, but the sheep dutifully followed anyway as I led them out to the pasture.

Wooly walked over to me on his little legs with grass hanging out of his mouth, chewing away cheerfully. I laughed and sat down in the field. "Hey, Wooly." The lamb plopped down on his fluffy tail and finished chewing his meal. The little sheep looked as if he were experiencing total bliss.

He swallowed and sat there for a few moments, looking up at me when suddenly, he ran away toward the woods. "Wooly?" I stood up, my staff in one hand, watching his tail and blue ribbon bounce away. "Wooly!" I ran after him, following the little sheep through the trees.