𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠

Chapter 6 - Stampedes

Spitelout and Hiccup trekked through the forests south of Berk towards the cove.

The sun was high and the ten-year-old was telling his uncle what happened the day prior.

" My dad was pretty upset with me." Hiccup explained, his uncle smiled down at him.

" That's why we're going to the cove, I think I know a way for you to make it up to him," Spitelout told the young Prince.

" A gift, that would make him forget it ever happened," Spitelout exclaimed, Hiccup was confused.

" He's the King, what could I give him?" Hiccup asked his uncle as they both walked down into the cove.

On the southern side of the cove was a gorge, that lead out to Long Beach and the sea.

Above the cove was a Yak and Boar, belonging to the children that helped Hiccup and Astrid the day prior.

" Your sword." Hiccup was confused, how could he give his father his sword.

" My sword?" Spitelout pulled his own sword out and showed it to Hiccup.

" Yes, this cove and the gorge beyond is where all young Princes come to find the iron that will forge their swords." Hiccup gasped as he looked around, he'd been to the cove before, but he never knew it's purpose.

" All Princes, including dad?" Hiccup asked looking up at his uncle.

" Even Stoick came here, when he was around your age." Spitelout laughed, thinking of the time Stoick came down here.

" He refused to leave, even when the sun went down until he found the right iron ore." Hiccup giggled, his father was pretty stubborn.

" Really, he didn't leave, how did he know which was the right ore?" Spitelout shook his head and slid his sword back into its sheath.

" I can't tell you that, only the wielder of the sword will know." Hiccup huffed and started to look through the rocks.

" What about this one?" Hiccup held up a rock about the size of a ball.

" Well, I can't say, but try another." Hiccup dripped the rock and continued looking.

" You'll find it, now I'll go and be back later." Hiccup turned to his uncle and cocked his head.

" Why can't you stay?" Spitelout shook his head and sighed.

" It is a tradition for all young warriors, like yourself, to find the iron, without help." Hiccup nodded as his unable left the cove.

" Dad will be so proud when I come home with the iron ore for my sword." Hiccup told himself, Spitelout chuckled.

" It's a gift we won't ever forget." Spitelout trekked back through the forest and gave a signal to Alvin.

Hiccup searched through the rocks, none of which he felt were iron ore.

Gobber had given him lessons on weaponsmithing, which is why he loved inventing.

A bird flew down and sipped the water from the lake in the centre of the cove, Hiccup watched with curiosity.

Hiccup stopped looking at the bird and continued to search for the ore, but each time came up empty-handed.

He looked down at the rock in his hand and screamed, as he threw it at the eastern wall.

A low rumble could be heard, Hiccup looked up and saw a massive heard of Yaks heading towards him.

Hiccup gasped, he dropped his rock and took off down the gorge, hoping to avoid the stampede.

Looking down at the cove from above was a very impressed Alvin and Savage, the smiled while watching the helpless Prince.

The stampede continued to pour into the cove and Hiccup was getting scared, there was nowhere for him to go.

Hiccup looked around and saw a small alcove a few metres up the gorge wall, he rushed to it.

He jumped up, grabbed the firmly held tree root sticking out and sat on the ledge.

                        ~ Line Break ~

Spitelout burst into the castle and ran to the throne room, he found Stoick in the middle of a meeting.

" Stoick!" The King looked up from his talk with Astrid's father and scowled at his brother-in-law.

" Spitelout what is it, I'm in a meeting." Spitelout took in a heavy breath.

" Stoick, farm fence broken, heard stampeded, cove, Hiccup's down there." Stoick pushed his seat so hard it fell over and rushed to the door.

" Hiccup!" He shouted through the Castle, Gobber and Throk followed close behind.

                       ~ Line Break ~

Hiccup held on tight to the tree root, as he sat helplessly on the ledge.

Gobber and Throk stopped at the edge of the cove, as they looked around, they spotted Hiccup.

" Hiccup, hold on, help is coming!" Gobber shouted, the young Prince looked up at them.

Stoick and Spitelout paused at the end of the gorge and looked back, Gobber waved and pointed to the ledge.

" I'm coming Hiccup!" Stoick shouted, as he scaled down the gorge to his son.

" Gobber, Throk, go back to Berk and get help!" Spitelout shouted from where he was, the two men nodded.

Spitelout smiled as they headed back to Berk, he watched his brother-in-law, scale down the steep cliff.

Hiccup looked up from where he was and spotted his father scaling down the cliff face to get to him.

" Dad!" He yelled, his father was only a few meters away and held his hand out.

" Hiccup, come to me, son!" Stoick reached his hand put further, barely avoiding the take below.

" Jump, I'll catch!" Hiccup nodded, as he carefully got up and as he was ready to jump his father got knocked down by a yak.

Hiccup screamed as his father was lost in the heard, Hiccup looked around and saw a small narrow path leading up to a larger ledge.

He carefully stepped onto it and shimmied up to the ledge, checking to see where his dad was.

Hiccup sat on the ledge and watched as the hundreds of yaks ran past, soon his father jumped up onto the gorge wall.

" Dad!" Hiccup yelled in relief, his father nodded at him, as they both scaled the wall.

Stoick slipped on a rock but held onto the rocks, as he continued to climb up the wall.

He was nearly at the top when Spitelout showed himself, looking down of Stoick.

" Spitelout, brother help me?" Stoick tried to get a firm grip on the rocks, but the stones below kept falling.

Spitelout reached down, grabbed his brother-in-law's hands and held tight.

" Long, live, the King!" Spitelout threw Stoick's hands away from the edge of the gorge and the man fell.

" Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Stoick fell down into the stampede, Hiccup watched with horror.

" NO!!" Hiccup reached out as his dad was pulled along by the stampede.

Spitelout stood above the gorge with a sinister smile spread across his face, finally, his brother-in-law was gone.

Berk was his, but he still had to deal with his pesky nephew, who was currently climbing back down the cliff to find his father.