Secret of a Dragon (An HTTYD Story)

Chapter Fourteen: One Last Threat

What he has just seen weighs heavy on Hiccup's mind. He can't seem to concentrate on anything except how mistaken the other Vikings are. How can they think that the dragons are senseless beasts whose purpose is only to kill? Obviously, none of them have seen what Hiccup has seen, and this is what bothers him. How can he change their minds without revealing his friendship with Toothless?

His cheek feels raw from where it has been laying on his sleeve. He stares dully at his pencil as he flicks it across his desk. It rolls to the right and lays against his arm, so he finally moves enough to straighten it out. He sighs as he flips to the left this time, and as he reaches for it, he glances up and wishes he hadn't.

"Dad! You're back! " he yelps. He stands as fast as possible and tries to hide his drawings of Toothless. "Uh -- uh, Gobber's not here, so..."

"I know," Stoick interrupts, shoving himself through the doorway. "I came lookin' for you," he adds, straightening his helmet.

"You -- you did?" Hiccup finds the corner of his notebook and quickly closes it.

"You've been keepin' secrets," Stoick says grimly, looking at Hiccup as if he's done something wrong. Hiccup begins to dread what his father means.

"Wha -- I -- uh -- I ha -- I have?" Hiccup stutters, wishing he could say something a bit better.

"Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?" continues Stoick quietly.

"I -- I -- I don't know what you are --"

"Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it." Hiccup flinches at his dad's tone.

"Oh?" he says faintly.

"So... let's talk... about that dragon."

Hiccup's heart plummets, and he accidentally knocks his notebook to the floor. "Oh -- oh, gods," he whimpers. "Dad, I'm so sorry, I was going to tell you, I just didn't know how to, uh --"

His voice fades away as Stoick suddenly begins to laugh loudly. Hiccup joins in nervously, certain that either he or his father is misunderstanding something. "Uh, you're -- you're -- you're not... upset?"

"What?!" Stoick shouts, startling Hiccup. "I was hoping for this!"

"Uh, you were?" Hiccup says disbelievingly.

"And believe me, it only gets better!" Stoick continues, grinning wildly. "Just wait 'til you spill a Nadder's guts for the first time! And mount your first Gronckle head on a spear -- what a feelin'!!"

Hiccup's face fell. His father wasn't proud of what he had done; he was proud of what the others thought he had been doing. His father didn't think he would end the war by creating peace; he thought he would continue to fight the war for the Vikings. But Hiccup could never do that. And he could never explain it to his father either.

"You really had me goin' there, son!" Stoick says, interrupting Hiccup's thoughts. He gives Hiccup a playful punch which pushes the small teen into an open basket laying behind him. "All those years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen. Odin, it was rough, I almost gave up on you, and all the while you were holdin' out on me, oh, Thor Almighty!"

So this is what his father thinks of him. Is Hiccup still a failure in Stoick's eyes? Well, maybe not since Stoick doesn't know the truth. But when he does, Hiccup will be worse than a failure. He will be an embarrassment. Hiccup pushes himself from the basket and watches his father nervously.

"Ah! With you doin' so well in the ring, we finally have somethin' to talk about." Stoick pulls up a chair and stares at Hiccup expectantly. Hiccup opens his mouth, and closes it, and then sighs. He can't say anything without revealing Toothless, so he says nothing. Stoick suddenly seems to realize what he is doing, and his smile falls from his face. He reaches behind him. "Oh -- uh -- here." He brandishes a Viking helmet. "I, uh, I brought you something." He straightens one of the horns on its side. "To keep you safe. In the ring."