The Rise of Light (Book 3: Together Forever)

Runaway

Hiccup's POV

They should be arriving any minute now.

"Hiccup, it's so good to see you again!" I turned in time to get hugged by Astrid.

I saw Sky and Darkstar run-up to their hatchlings and yell at them.

"You know I missed you, right?"

"Even if I didn't have the bond with you, I'd know."

Then Amber shyly walked into the middle of the group.

"Oh, Amber. I want to introduce you to my soon-to-be-mate. Actually, maybe someday-mate?"

"Hiccup, we're keeping it as soon-to-be."

I shrugged, "Anyway, this is Astrid. Astrid, this is Amber, she's a Night Song."

"Oh! So you're really not seeing someone else."

"You thought I was?"

"No..." I gave her a look. "Okay! Fine! Yes! Well, what was I supposed to think? I hadn't seen you in five years and the minute we get home you runaway. Then you tell me about some mysterious person, dragon, whatever, and say that you're not in love with her."

"You could've had some faith in me. I did. I didn't see you for years and all I have to go off of is fragmented memories."

"Oh... Hiccup..."

"No. It's okay. You don't trust me. I've had a lot of that going around lately, so not too big of a deal."

"Hiccup! No, I trust you." She called after me as I flew off.

I need to be alone. No-one else. Not even Amber.

I flew to a huge tree and hung from one of the bottom branches when a figure appeared.

Toothless's POV

Three months. Three months since I yelled at Hiccup. Three months I'd been looking for him. A fraction of the time he was looking for me.

Five years before I yelled at him, he rescued me. He spent days trying to rescue me then set up a rescue team to save me and I yelled at him after seeing him for the first time in years.

Delta and I were flying towards the Hidden World for a small break when we saw a gathering of dragons on an island. One of the dragons broke off and landed.

"Hiccup?" I asked Delta.

She nodded.

We followed the plan we'd chosen months ago to make him listen to us.

"Hiccup? Can I talk to you?"

He dropped out of a tree.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here." He growled out. "I thought you said that I was a waste of space and unworthy of being a dragon. I thought you said you never wanted to see me again."

Oh, gods, we came at a bad time, didn't we?

"I want you to leave. Now."

"We're not leaving without you, Hiccup."

"Fight me, then."

"Really, Hiccup? You've never beaten me. Not once. And I was going easy on you."

"Well, I'm not the Hiccup you once knew, Alpha." I flinched. That hurt. He didn't call me Toothless or brother. Gods! What has our relationship come to? "You know what, Alpha? This is my territory. And my home. And you are not welcome here. I realize now that the Gods were giving me a sign. I realize now that we were not destined to be brothers. I realize now that we were destined to grow apart. And here we are. Two brothers whose hatred for the other runs so deep that we're going to fight. Now, this is my last warning: leave."