How To Be Brave

The witch is to blame!

I watched in horror as the blanket fell off...

And revealed a familiar black dragon. I screamed and scrambled back as far as I could. The dragon stumbled towards me on just two legs and seemed rather dizzy. "B-b-b-Bloodvist!" I screamed. The dragon turned around and saw his shadow. It scared and tried to hide, putting one paw over me. I screamed even harder. It got its paw off and looked at himself, rather surprised. If felt its face, then searched the drawers for... a little mirror? It scared even harder and stumbled back upon the bed, that broke. In a try to escape it stumbled across the room, ruining a big part of the furniture. I watched as I stood up. "Dad?" I asked hesitating. "You're... You're a dragon! Just like Bloodvist!" I yelled. "Why a dragon? That scaffy with gave us a gammy spell!" Dad stopped looking at his new appearance to glare at me. "It's not my fault", I protested. "We didn't ask her to change you into a bear. We just wanted her to change... you." Dad roared so loud, it must have been heard in the whole Great Hall.

*Indeed, in the Great Hall.*

"Did you hear that?" Gobber asked, just after one of his spears had hit the stuffed dragon they used as target. He sniffed the air. "Something's not right."

*Stoick's room*

Someone bounced on the door. I gave dad an anxious glare. What now? I blocked the door before asking: "Who's there?"

"It's me, Hicc. What's going on, are you alright?" A familiar voice asked. I sighed in relief and opened the door.

"Jack, good you're here. As you might see..." He gasped. "We have a little problem. A big one actually." He opened his mouth, which I covered with my hand. "Don't scream." He obeyed and I quickly axplained what happened.

Dad walked around, still on two legs. He growled and tried to tell things. Although we couldn't understand them, we knew the tone in his voice. "There's no point in having a go at us. The witch is to blame."

"Goggly old hag", Jack muttered under his breath. Dad picked up his clothes and revealed the helmet he usually weared. He tried to take it in his claws as good as possible and placed it on his head.

"Unbelievable", we sighed in unison. "We'll get her to fix this", Jack promised.

"Why do I always get blamed for everything? It's just not fair."

"Actuall, the twins also get blamed for a lot... Hicc", Jack replied. I knew what he intended to say. But unfortunately, dad was also in the room. Damnit. I could've used some normal time with Jack.

*In the Great Hall*

Gobber sniffed again. Something was definitely not right. "Everybody, follow me." He ran up the stairs. "And keep a sharp eye."

"Here we go, another hunt through the castle", chief Unbreakable sighed.

"But we haven't had dessert yet", chief Hofferson protested. His daughter agreed, however in a language none could understand. She left the table and ran after her father. The raven haired girl laughed.

"I have no idea", she said against Mala, who was the only one left at the table.

*Stoick's room*

"Dad, you can't go out there, they'll see you", I tried to convince him not to leave his room. Without success, I must say. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Gobber's there. The dragon king", Jack spoke.

"If he so much as sees you, you're dead", I agreed.

"Another one of your entertainments to bore us to death!" A voice in the hallway said. We hid behind a wall. "And what exactly are after..." I turned to see dad left to the other side. "...my liege?"

"Dad!" I whisper-yelled. I quickly placed the stool back where it belonged before running after dad and Jack. "Dad, wait! We have to-" He ignored the both of us and walked through a door. Thereby he knocked over a candle holder. It rang loudly on the floor. Jack and I winced. That couldn't be not heared. "Dad, stop!"

"Stop!" Jack pulled of the blanket dad had weared this whole time. It shocked him.

"You're covered with scales! You're not naked!" I whispered. "It's not like anyone's gonna see you." I looked into the left corridor. Fishlegs stood ther with a basket of apples. Dad waved apologizing. Fishlegs screamed and ran off. "Now you've done it."

Fishlegs ran down all the stairs, until...

"Fishlegs." Gobber pulled his axe away from the boy's throat. He tried to stutter something. "Just calm down, lad. What is it?"

"B-b-b-b-"

"Just spit it out, boy."

"Bloodvist!"

"I knew it!" With that, everyone ran off to catch it.

"Would you just listen to us?" I hissed. "We can't go this way. You'll be seen." We heard people coming our way. "This way!" Jack followed me and we ran down the stairs, until... "Dad?"

*Meanwhile*

Stoick stumbled around. It wasn't easy to walk on two legs as a dragon. He tried to hide, but soon saw that hadn't any use with his now even larger body and entered a room. The twins were in there, messing up stuffed animals. When they saw the large black dragon, their mouths fell open.

"Dad?" I asked. Jack dragged me by my wrist as the hunters passed by. We tripped over a table, falling on each other. We blushed and stood up, entering the room next to the table. Dad was in there, commanding the twins around. They saw us, then pointed to dad. Dad turned and saw us, then pointed to the twins.

"A with turned Stoick into a dragon, it's not our fault", Jack told. "We've got to get out of the castle, we need your help." They gave us stern looks.

"All right. You can have our dessert for two... three weeks." They raised a brow. "Okay, fine. A year." They looked at each other and nodded.

*The hunters*

Thye heard a growl. "Did you hear that?" Gobber asked. More growling and a shadow on the wall followed. "There it goes!" Strange enough, the shadow seemed to move really quickly.

*Meanwhile*

"Come on, dad!" I yelled, as Ruffnut gave the sign. I hoped Tuffnut could distract Gobber for just a few more minutes.

*Hunters*

They followed the shadow and roaring onto the roof. There was no sign of the dragon they'd been hunting, not even in the sky. The men protested because of all the running, now not finding anything. "Let's go back", Gobber sighed. (Un)fortunately, the doors were locked.

*Meanwhile*

We landed in the kitchen, where Tuffnut cared for the perfect distraction as we got away. Soon he was back, a huge grin on his face. Dad looked at them concerned. "They'll be fine. Won't you, kids?" They nodded. "Dad, we have to hurry." He finally got out. "Now, I'll be back soon. Go on and help yourself to anything you want, as a reward", I said, before closing the door shut.

The twins looked at each other, then at the cake that was still left on the table.