How To Be Brave

The second sunrise

*In the forest*

The hunters were on his heels. Stoick couldn't think clear anymore, he just flew. He landed in the stone circle.

*With Hiccup*

"Toothless! Easy, bud!" I called out when I almost lost balance. "Done!" Finally I had finished the stitching. "Wooh!" Toothless and Snowflake brutally stopped when a wisp appeared right in front of them. They made a trail again. We immediately drove in that direction.

*In the stone circle*

Stoick had flown as fast as he could, but it hadn't been fast enough. Soon he was surrounded by all of the tribes. They tied him down so he couldn't move anymore. Gobber walked towards him, his axe ready. Just when he wanted to strike...

A dagger hit the blade with an enormous force, hitting it out of his hands. "Get back!" I called out. "That's my father!" I quickly stepped between Gobber and dad.

"Are you out of your mind, lads?" Gobber asked stunned when Jack joined me. I looked behind me.

"Dad, are you hurt?" Gobber pushed me and Jack aside, while the chiefs grabbed us to make sure we didn't get away. I struggled out of chief Agreeable's grasp, knocked over another soldier and grabbed the sword. I stopped Gobber right in time. "Hiccup!" Within a few strikes, I disamred Gobber and chopped off a part of his peg leg.

"I'll not let you kill my father", I hissed. The twins jumped on Gobber.

"Kids", Jack said, who finally managed to get out of the chiefs' grip too. They got off immediately.

"Kids?" Gobber asked with an unbelieving expression on his face.

The ground shocked when another dragon arrived. "Bloodvist."

"Kill it!"Everyone attacked the enromous black dragon, but he made them fly with one strike. Even Gobber couldn't take him. I threw one of my daggers at the dragon. It hit him in the shoulder. He turned to me and hit the sword out of my hands. He pushed me against the ground. I screamed.

When dad heard me scream, he broke out of the ropes clustering him. He ran to Bloodvist and hit him so hard he flew off me. When the bigger dragon stood up again, he tried to get me. Dad blocked his way. They fought, but it wasn't a fair fight. Bloodvist was much larger and havier than dad. he made him fly against one of the stones and walked over to me. But dad stood up again and dragged Bloodvist to the pillar. The bigger dragon tried to attack him, but dad got out of the way and he smashed against the pillar. Hard. Dad pushed him against the pillar several times, making it shiver. Bloodvist kicked him out of the way and walked over to me again.

The pillar fell and I screamed.

From underneath the stone only the crippled claw was visible. A blue light rose from the stone, forming the silhouette of a man with a crippled arm. My eyes widened. He nodded to me. He disappeared, his silhouette forming a wisp that flew off. "Are you okay, Hicc?" Jack asked. I nodded and looked to the dragon laying next to me. Jack grabbed my shoulder. "The second sunrise." We ran to Toothless and dragged the tapestry to dad, draping it over him. I took a few steps back. But instead of turning human again, his eyes became the yellow amber dragon eyes he had worn just two times before.

"No. I... I don't understand. I..." I stammered. I fell on my knees. "Oh dad, I'm so sorry", I sobbed. Jack crouched next to me. "This is all my fault. I did this to you. To us." The dragon licked my face. I hugged him tight. "You've always been there for me. You've never given up on me. I just want you back", I begged. "I want you back, daddy", I cried. The sunlight came closer ot the circle, filling it whole. "I love you", I whispered. I cried until I felt a hand stroke my hair. It was too big to be Jack's. i shot up.

And stood face to face with dad. He smiled. "Dad! You're back!" I yelled. He laughed and hugged both me and Jack. When we finally broke apart, I examined him. "You've changed."

"Oh, darling", he said. "We both have."

"Stoick!" Gobber shouted. He ran to us and hugged the three of us so tight as if it was the last time he'd see us. I took a few steps back when I was released.

"Oh." I tagged dad's shoulder. "Dad, you're naked", I whispered as soft as I could. His face dropped.

"Eh, Gobber? I'm naked. Naked as a wee baby", he whispered. Gobber looked at him. "Don't just look at me, do something!" Gobber then brutally forced everyone to look the other side. Until the twins ran to us.

"Now that's what I call a wee naked baby!" He called out, throwing them in the air.