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cosmicvulture · 5 years

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Okay so I’ve been thinking about why I love the HTTYD franchise more and more lately and I think mainly because it’s about a coming of age story that tackles a different aspect of growing up with each instalment and it does it in a perfect way because we really resonate with the characters.

Here is how I sum up each movie in a single word...

Discovery

Friendship

Growth

So I know the third movie could also be classed as friendship and the second as growth because Hiccup becomes chief and has to deal with loss, but please hear me out...

Discovery

Hiccup is only 15 in the first instalment and doesn’t fit in with his peers. Because of his lack of skill and reckless behaviour he is pretty much ostracised from the group. Of course, his mother is very much the same but Hiccup does not know her at this point in his life.

A major part of childhood development is learning about yourself, including the DISCOVERY of your place in the world. All humans want is a place of belonging and acceptance from peers, and if they can’t find this with the people surrounding them, they surround themselves with new people who do. And that brings us to Toothless...

Hiccup shoots Toothless down to gain acceptance from his peers, but he is set apart from then even more by doing so. He realises that killing a defenceless creature is wrong. Instead he cuts him free and nearly gets killed. Despite warning, Hiccup seeks Toothless out because he is curious and Toothlesses warning did little to sway him since he’s used to being treated like that anyway. He also tries to fix his mistake of shooting Toothless down and in turn DISCOVERS toothless is nothing to be feared of. Soon Hiccup befriends Toothless and this friendship means the world to him because he has never connected with any human peers due to rejection... aka Hiccup DISCOVERED friendship for the first time

Not only that, but he also Discovers that dragons are not what we think and thus aims to protect them, bringing peace to Berk and the dragons and DISCOVERING his place in the tribe, as well as what his personal values are.

2. Friendship

Now of course Hiccup and Toothless were already friends in the first movie, but this instalment tests this friendship and everything they stand for. Again, who you associate yourself growing up with shapes who you are and Hiccups pre-existing friendship with Toothless motivates all his choices and enables him to stand up for what’s right...

Hiccup discovers the threat of dragon trappers who have utilised dragons for wrongdoing. He also uncovers the secret of his mother and her dragon sanctuary. Of course before this he thought only Berk kept dragons, and is now realising that others also use them, but many through means of manipulation.

Immediately after this discovery, Hiccup aims to reason with the trappers to save the dragons and instead learns of Drago. Hiccups first instinct is always to BEFRIEND them due to his nature and past experiences. I befriended a vicious dragon right, so why not these guys?

However, in this movie he begins to learn that men without reason cannot he reasoned with...

As we know, Drago also has an alpha like Valka but instead of befriending it, he has chained it and forced it to work with him. This goes against Hiccups core values that he discovered in the first movie, and his FRIENDSHIP with Toothless and dragonkind motivates him to put a stop to this. Not only that, but Drago then manipulates Toothless into killing Stoick...

Understandably, Hiccup is upset that Toothless did this. Not only because Stoick is dead, but also because toothless is his BEST FRIEND and like everyone else did in the past, has finally deserted him. However, with Toothless gone Hiccup realises that he does indeed have friends and they help him get toothless back! Then of course friendship breaks control from the alpha and everybody realises that FRIENDSHIP is what allows you to learn and overcome new obstacles due to the support of your peers.

3. Growth

By the third instalment dragons have overrun the entire village and now happily coexist with the Berkians. Hiccup is facing new challenges and responsibilities as chief, which is a big part of growing up. Toothless is of course by his side and helping him through every minute, despite hiccup being capable of doing things himself, but just not being confident enough to make decisions without some sort of support.

Then a new threat and comes along...

Grimmel is the biggest threat faced so far and is using venom to manipulate dragons, instead of force like Drago. This means capturing is much easier and thus he manages to get his hands of the Light Fury to use as live bait.

Now growing up also means relationships. Hiccup has made this connection already with Astrid, but Toothless is mate-less due to being the last of his species, so when the Light Fury apprears he is smitten and goes into courtship mode. Hiccup is noticeably upset as the movie goes on since he mistakes Toothlesses love for the light fury as abandonment rather than it just being a part of growing up. This makes him much more unsure of himself and his choices since Toothless has always been his emotional crutch and re-assurance when making decisions.

When Hiccup seeks Toothless so that they can continue looking for the hidden world, he is met with disappointment from his best friend. He thinks of Stoicks words, how love is the greatest gift of all, but it can also mean the loss of something beautiful in the future. Though it seems like this may be in relation of the relationship between Toothless and the Light fury, it’s clearly directed at the platonic love between Hiccup and Toothless which finally allows Hiccup to realise that he may need to distance himself from his friend so that they can both be safe, independent and do what is needed of them (aka PERSONAL GROWTH)

Hiccup doesn’t need Toothless, but just wants him around, so is capable of letting him go if it’s the right thing. His memories of Stoicks words make him realise this. This is also reinforced through his conversations with Valka and Astrid who know Hiccup makes him Hiccup, not Toothless.

Hiccup realises that the world is forever changing and things can’t always stay the same, no matter how ideal that idea is to him. Toothless needs to go, for his safety and also so that he can do other things that aren’t possible with Hiccup. They have GROWN into adults and though they have influenced each other greatly and will always be friends, they need to part.

So overall I know this is why these movies are important for me and also other children who are still growing up. I struggle with change and have found the past few years very hard because of my autism which makes me less able to adapt to new things. However one thing I know will never change is the fact that these movies will always be there for me to seek advice from and comfort me!

Thanks HTTYD and I hope the future generations find comfort in your teachings too...

#httyd #httyd3 #httydthw #toothless #night fury #how to train your dragon #light fury #dreamworks

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itsasumbrella · 5 years

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West Wind | Post-HTTYD 3 One-Shot

This is the first one-shot I translate from Spanish to English, so I apologize in advance for the possible mistakes. I wrote his one-shot to fill the gap it was left in my heart after watching How to train your dragon: The Hidden World. It’s been a roller coaster, mostly it was like writing it twice. Never experienced translating my own work before and it was great.

Summary: [Post-HTTYD3] The dragons are gone and the vikings of New Berk have to start from scratch. Hiccup Haddock not only has to bear with his best friend's loss, but also with the responsibility of guiding his people to a new life without dragons on a foreign land, even if he's not sure if he's someone without his dragon. How did Hiccup manage ten years without Toothless?

Everything was going to be fine.

That phrase became Hiccup’s mantra after the dragons left. Everything was fine. It was okay, he repeated to himself. They were vikings. They would move forward, as always.

Everything was going to be fine.

But, damn it, it was so difficult.

The dragons’ departure supposed a blow to everyone. The first days were awful and Hiccup realised that both he and his people had depended too much on the dragons and now, back to being self-sufficient again, was a calamity for the whole village. The atmosphere was depressing and full of anger, to the point of almost organising a riot against Hiccup.

Many blame him of dragons’ leaving, or that they were now on an island surrounded by cliffs with an almost impossible access to open sea. The phrase ‘you are nothing without your dragon’ came out more than once during the Council meetings, awakening Astrid’s and his friends’ rage. Hiccup would remember those days as the worst he lived as a Chief: he was devastated by Toothless’ absence and he wasn’t dragging out his loss, but also the whole village’s. He was constantly questioned by every step, decision or proposal he made and the security and self-esteem he’d gained through years were now at rock bottom. Hiccup couldn’t remember feeling like this since he was fifteen, before meeting Toothless.

He couldn’t have managed without Astrid.

She was always there for him. Even when Hiccup was certain that he was too annoying with his depression and his anxieties caused by Berk’s situation and the dragons, she was still by his side. Cheering him up. Comforting him. Supporting him. At the beginning, he made a great effort by not showing his desolation, but he wasn’t as strong as he thought he was. He cried every night in the loneliness of his tent and later on his hut. He never denied his weakness. Why? Toothless deserved every single tear he could drop for him.

As soon as she knew, Astrid started sleeping with him.

Hiccup insisted he was fine, that he could stay on his own. He couldn't stand the idea of Astrid’s reputation being questioned by his fault, on top of knowing that she had no intention of marrying him for the moment. But Astrid was stubborn and she insisted:

“Cry as much as you need and remember that you have every right to feel sad, you more than anyone. But every morning get up with your head held high. You are not a worthless viking. You are Hiccup Haddock, Chief of New Berk. Show them that you are more than the kid who trained and rode a Night Fury, because you have always been so much more than that, Hiccup.”

Astrid had always been his right hand and Hiccup surprised himself by finding in her the authority he needed to stabilize Berk’s situation. Houses and ships were built, sources of freshwater and new hunting places were found, secret accesses were made to get to the beaches… Hiccup attended every demand his people ask for while they were building the village that Berk was dreaming for generations. New Berk had more resources than its former location, its climate was warmer, but windier, and its location was strategic and advantageous against any attack.

That place became soon their new home. The best one anyone could ever wish for.

People moved from being furious with him to being delighted and grateful to him.

Your dad would be proud, they repeated over and over again.

Hiccup just smile with sadness and carried on with his job, without an ounce of resentment against the people who doubt him a while before.

But, at least now, everything was fine.

New Berk was a large island. Maybe too much in comparison with their former home. It took months till Hiccup could draw a decent map. A task that could have taken days if he could have flown over the island with Toothless. He tried not to think about it, convincing himself that if there were cartographers who could do their job without dragons, he could do the same.

Astrid joined him to his expeditions when she wasn’t training, along with Spitelout, the New Berk’s guard. Their home was almost impregnable, but they were vikings: they should be ready in case they were attacked. However, it was a necessity to get back in touch with the old allies, as a simple matter of exchanging resources or strengthening ancient alliances. Astrid volunteered to sail till their old territory before Hiccup would ask for a volunteer. He wanted to oppose, but who better than Astrid for the task? She was his right hand, his general and his fiancé. It would have been a nonsense denying it.

“What am I going to do without you?”, he asked her desperate the night before her departure.

“You will be fine, Hiccup”

“I can’t do this alone”

“You are not”, she insisted holding a hand against his chest, “You have so much vision and bravery in you that is amazing. Whatever you choose to do, Hiccup, you’ll be great.”

Astrid left with a party formed by Eret and other viking and, during her absence, Hiccup finished his last invention. It was a propeller system installed throughout the whole village. It used the force of the wind and water to do tasks that would have taken days in hours, like milling cereals or improving the running of the forge. He called it “Milling system of wind and tide”, but at the end everyone just called them “mills”. Thanks to his invention, along with the boost of fishing and the amazing amount of flora and fauna of the island, the Berkians were thrilled that they wouldn’t have to be exposed to a possible famine in a near future.

Despite all the work which needed to be done and his great effort to move on, Hiccup couldn’t avoid feeling empty. Astrid’s absence increased that feeling. Yes, he was fine in that place. He knew his dad would have been pleased too and his people, even the gang, looked that they had already got over the dragons. But was he happy? Everyday, he ended in the cliff where he saw Toothless for the last time, wandering if his friend was okay, if his tail was working properly, if he was happy in the Hidden World with the Light Fury, if he had already forgotten him… In those occasions, his mum always came by his side. Valka understood him more than anyone and he knew how awful it was for her to be separated from Cloudjumper after being more than twenty years together. He felt stupid for being the one who was being consoled and not being able to do the same for her. But Valka was a strong woman, she’d always been.

“You know it was the best for them, son, even if we don’t like it”, she reminded him warmly while she was stroking his hair.

“I know, but I would have loved to spend a little more time with them. Just a little”

“Holding to that idea will never help you to move on, Hiccup”, she said with sadness, “The fact that you move forward, doesn’t mean you have to forget him.”

It took time for him to process her words until one night he accidentally broke his prosthesis. Hiccup only had two when they came to New Berk: the one he lost when he fought against Grimmel and the one he was wearing now. Both had three functions: metal leg, ice leg and… the leg he used for Toothless’ tail. He considered to recreate an exact replica, but he stopped himself.

For what?

That night, after making his new prosthesis, he took everything that belonged to Toothless: his saddle, his tails, the old sketches full of designs and drawings of his friend, and he kept them in a trunk. He didn’t hide it, just left it in a corner, accessible when he considered necessary to comfort himself with those memories. He swore by himself that he would never forget him, although he knew it was impossible. But it was time to move on and he had to do it for himself. He kept the Night Fury symbol on his shoulder pad, because Toothless would always be part of him and, while he wouldn’t know, the Night Fury would be New Berk’s Chieftain’s crest for many generations after him.

Astrid came back from her trip with a dislocated shoulder, a slashed lip and a black eye. Hiccup freaked out when he saw her so badly injured, but she smiled tired and said:

“You should have seen how we left them after kicking their asses.”

The trip went as it was expected and soon they would restart the trade relationships with other tribes. The dragon trappers were just an exception within a profitable trip, but nothing they couldn’t fight against, and without dragons to manipulate, they were weak. His fiancé looked happy to be back and she was thrilled with the changes Hiccup applied to the island. She didn’t overlook either that he had a new prosthetic. Nevertheless, Hiccup realised that something was odd in her. Her mind was somewhere else and she was constantly distracted.

“What’s wrong, Astrid?”, he asked.

She always answered with excuses. Everything was fine, she repeated, everything was going to be fine, but Hiccup knew she was lying. He didn’t pressure her, he waited till she was ready, as he did many times in the past. A week after her arrival, she exploded:

“I think we should marry.”

It was evening and they were alone in the forge. It was bucketing down and the village was deserted. Astrid was soaked and she was shaking like a leaf, but her eyes were full of determination. Hiccup was bewildered by her sudden proposal. They haven’t talked about marriage since before the dragons departure, even Tuffnut didn’t bring him up the subject again. Hiccup’s heart pounded strong against his chest, full of happiness because she finally made her mind up. But the ghost of his insecurities appeared in the back of his mind.

“Are you sure you want this, Astrid?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve made my choice”

Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

“Weren’t you the one who told me that we weren’t nearly ready to marry?”

Astrid sighed.

“I didn’t want to tell you this because I know you had too much on your shoulders, but after your dad’s death, the reconstruction of Old Berk, your new role as a Chief, the trappers, the exodus to New Berk and… their leaving, I wasn’t sure you were ready to assume a new burden, no matter how many times you repeated you wanted to marry me.”

“Burden?”, ask Hiccup troubled, “Astrid, you are very far from being a burden for me. Nothing in this world could make me happier than being your husband, not even…”

His voice faded. Unable to pronounce aloud that fleeting thought. Astrid smile with sadness and hold his hand tightly.

“This trip was a nightmare without Stormfly. She was the best companion. There is no day I don’t think about her or I don’t look at the sky and wonder if she’s okay, or if… if she has already forgotten me.”

She burst into tears for the first time in months. Hiccup’s heart broke seeing her so inconsolable, but he realised that it wasn’t until then that Astrid dared to talk about how awful she was feeling since the dragons left. She cried. And did the same.

“Would you marry me then?”, she asked among tears.

“Gods Astrid! You don’t need to ask!”

They got married in February, a time after the first anniversary of their departure. The Berkians couldn’t understand why they should marry in the middle of the winter, but they felt it was the right moment to do it. Before the wedding, Hiccup submit a proposal to the Council that surprised everyone:

“I want Astrid to become the Chieftess of New Berk and not just my consort.”

Both talk about it and Hiccup insisted it should be in that way. A equal marriage. She was his right hand, his general. She couldn’t be in a position below him. Many wanted to discuss such a barbarism —”a woman as a lider of our tribe? are we crazy?”—, but Hiccup gave such hard punch against the Council table that everyone instantly shut up. That day everyone saw the fierce sparkle of Stoick Haddock in their Chief’s eyes.

The decision was made.

And no one dared to argue.

The wedding was simple, without many flourish in spite of being a Chief’s nuptials, but they didn’t need more. Before the ceremony, Hiccup spotted Gobber in the first line among the public and got close to him to ask:

“Why aren’t you beside my mum?”

The blacksmith blinked surprised and he was drawn into Valka’s side by his former apprentice. Gobber couldn’t hold his tears during the wedding, knowing that the fact that Hiccup allowed him being in the stairs along with Valka, taking up the place Stoick should have been, was the best way from Hiccup to tell him that he considered him a father.

The celebrations last at least a week, but Hiccup and Astrid only had eyes for each other. For the first time in months, Toothless was a secondary thought in his mind. Astrid and New Berk were his world now and, although there still was a feeling of emptiness inside him, he learned to live with that.

The first years of marriage were an eternal honeymoon. When they weren’t ruling the village, they perfected the art of sailing, studied the stars and seeked new corners of the island were they could spend time together alone. Their friends moved forward too: Ruffnut married Fishlegs and they had triplets six months after the wedding while Tuffnut established a chicken farm which was surprisingly efficient. Snotlout took Astrid’s place in New Berk’s guard with his father. Eret moved discreetly to Gobber’s forge, but no one ask why. If the Chief wasn’t complaining, why would they? Valka took the responsibility of exportations and she explored the surrounding islands. At least her new job relieved part of her wild spirit.

Everything was fine. At least, that was what Hiccup thought.

And then, Zephyr came.

And everything changed forever.

They took their time until they decided to have children, basing on both were too busy to think about babies. Moreover, they liked to have time for themselves, enjoying the company of each other and focusing their energy on the improvement of the village. They were twenty six when Astrid got pregnant. It was a remarkably easy pregnancy, although Astrid got horrible cravings that only Valka knew how to cook and Hiccup had to make a great effort for not throwing up everytime he smelled his wife’s food.

The delivery was slow and agonizing for Astrid and she demanded Hiccup’s presence during the whole birth, wrecking his hand terrified. Zephyr came to this world screaming and both parents were convinced that her weepings should be how the valkyries sounded when they sang.

Holding his daughter for the first time was the best moment of his life.

Better than his wedding.

Better than meeting his mother again.

Better than kissing Astrid for the first time.

Better than the first time he flew with Toothless.

It was painful the thought of Zephyr not knowing the dragons, but he didn’t doubt of telling her stories of Toothless, Stormfly and every dragon which lived one day with them. The eyes of the child, blue as her mother’s, had the same irrepressible passion her dad always had. Hiccup was devoted to her daughter, always taking her anywhere he went, even to the Council’s meetings. As they were both Chiefs, Hiccup and Astrid share their responsibilities as parents, so it wasn't weird to see Zephyr in her parent’s arms or giving her first steps through the village. Shortly before her second birthday, someone had the folly to ask Hiccup:

“When are you having a heir?”

Although years softed Astrid’s temperamental nature, she still was the one who brought order to the chaos and no one dared to question her because she was always right, while Hiccup was the more opened to discuss any matter. However, there was an unspoken rule in the village: don’t piss off the Chief. He had an appearance of being so serious with his hair combed and his short beard perfectly cut and clean, representing a very different image of what his dad was one day. However, Hiccup was a dork, even more with his daughter and other children of New Berk. He was easygoing and very nice to deal with. He was a wise and clever leader, supported by an amazing woman as Astrid was, who was constantly watching over the Berkians. The young and flighty viking who one day rode a Night Fury would have been forgotten if it wasn’t for the dragon which remained in his shoulder pad. But no one in New Berk —and it should be remarked: no one— was stupid enough to dare to awake the Chief’s rage, because his anger could be that great that even the hunkiest men trembled in his presence. For that reason, when he was asked about the Chieftain inheritance, Hiccup turned slowly to the poor guy and, with a tone colder than ice, ask:

“What heir? We already have one if she wants to one day.”

No one talked about it again and it wasn’t necessary to announce that Zephyr was Hiccup’s heir. However, not long after that incident, Astrid’s new pregnancy was announced.

Unlike Zephyr’s, Nuffink’s pregnancy was so difficult that, although the child bornt healthy, his mum almost died. Hiccup couldn’t remember having such a hard time in his life, not even when his father was killed or when Toothless was kidnapped by Grimmel. Astrid was dying in their bed and there was no way Hiccup could be separated from her side. He cleaned her, changed her, medicated her and hugged her when she was crying because she was cold.

“I would have loved to fly one last time before dying”, she whispered one night while she was with high fever.

“I can take you there, we can sail to the Hidden World with the children to see them again.”

“They won’t remember us.”, she grumbled with her eyes filling with tears.

“Of course they will. I’m sure that they always have us in mind, as well as we keep them in ours.”, Hiccup said with broken voice while he was cleaning his sweaty cheeks with his fingers.

“The kids would love them. I’d love to see them together with Stormfly and Toothless.”

“A dream come true.”, he agreed.

He could guess she was delirious when she touch his face with feverish eyes. Her hand was burning against his skin.

“Don’t leave me Astrid, please.”, he begged resting his forehead against hers, “I can’t live without you. I can’t stay alone, I’m nothing without you.”

“You have the kids”, she muttered resting her hand in his chest, “You have a spark on you that have guided us all. You will be fine.”

Astrid Haddock didn’t die that night. Neither the next one. Or the ones which came later. Against all odds, Astrid recovered thanks to Gothi’s cares, Hiccup’s support and her viking stubbornness. Three months after giving birth, Astrid was as great as always and full of energy, carrying Nuffink in her back and holding hands with her daughter.

The Haddock children grew up in an environment full of love and marvellous stories. Hiccup never forgot the words his father told him once when he was a boy:

Son, there is not greater gift than love.

Zephyr, in spite of having her mum’s serious and strong personality, she had inherited the dry sarcasm of her dad, love for books and the inability of staying still in just once place. Astrid burst out of laughing every time Hiccup complained that their daughter had sloped off again.

“For Gods’ sake, Hiccup! You’ve just sounded like your dad!”

Nuffink was more introverted than his sister, but he was curious, constantly laughing and he had inherited his mum’s fascination for weapons to such an extent that, although he was just a child, he ran every time to the forge to see Gobber and Eret working. His only problem —if that could be called ‘a problem’, because his parents persevered it wasn’t— was his stuttering. Because he was so shy with strangers, Nuffink stuttered that much that sometimes it was difficult to understand him, especially for a toddler like him. He was very attached to his mum of whom never separated from in any social event.

Both siblings got incredibly on well, even though Zephyr was too overprotective with his brother. It wasn’t strange that the Chief’s daughter got into a fight with other kids who dared to pick on her brother, even more if it was because of his stammering. Hiccup scolded her that violence wasn’t the solution, although he was secretly proud of her daughter’s sass. What it was more, he was grateful that Zephyr had the bravery and the cheek to tell her mum and grandmother off that their cooking was terrible.

Everything was fine in New Berk.

But Hiccup couldn’t stop thinking about the promise he made to Astrid.

So one night, shortly before Nuffink’s third birthday, Hiccup found his courage to bring up the subject to her.

“Are you sure, Hiccup? It’s almost certain that they won’t remember us.”, she reluctantly said, “We don’t even know if we are going to be able to find the entrance to the Hidden World.”

“Let’s try, Astrid.”, he begged, “The children are dying to see Toothless and Stormfly and it’s been years since we’ve been dreaming to sail to the Hidden World. Also, what if his tail isn’t working? I cannot stand the idea of him being unable to fly for himself.”

Astrid hold his gaze and, then, she sighed.

“Fine.”, she gave in, “But if something happens to the children…”

“It won’t.”

“Hiccup…”

“It won’t.”, he repeated convinced.

They left days later, guided by the west wind. They sailed during days, insecure if they were taking the right route, but the kids were excited with the trip, the first one of their lives. During the voyage, the children learned to sail and fish, arts that their parents learned not so long ago.

And then, they found the entrance to the Hidden World.

Hiccup didn’t remember being that nervous since Astrid got sick after Nuffink’s birth. What if Toothless didn’t recognize him? What if his tail was broken? He saw among the mist the Light Fury first and three small dragons by her side. Then, he saw him. Even before he could react, the Night Fury flew to them and landed in the poop of the ship. The dragon didn’t seem to recognise him.

“Hey Bud, it’s me”, he greeted anxiously.

The Night Fury narrowed his eyes with suspicion and looked to Astrid and the kids, who seem terrified of him. Hiccup looked away, closed his eyes and extended his hand to him, hoping he would recognised him by his smell. Before he could react, he felt the sticky lick on his face and Toothless pushed him against the floor jumping excited while he was licking him.

Hiccup laughed while Astrid smiled relieved, assuring to their kids that his dad wasn’t going to be eaten by a dragon. Hiccup petted his friend, unable to believe that he was finally seeing his friend after all those years separated.

But something was missing.

Hiccup called to his children who approached them afraid of the Night Fury. Toothless observed them curious and, then, he understood what Hiccup wanted. He bent his head while Hiccup took Zephyr’s and Nuffink’s hands and explained them how they should introduce themselves. Astrid kneeled behind them, excited to see the recreation of the moment her husband sealed his friendship with Toothless many years ago.

When Zephyr and Nuffink touched Toothless’ nose and they smiled, Hiccup finally felt that the emptiness in his heart, which had accompanied him for many years, was finally filled. The dragon licked the children exultant, aware that those little humans were his offsprings. Zephyr and Nuffink complained with disgust while Toothless surprised Astrid by licking her too. The woman welcomed him with a laugh and then the dragon jumped to the poop of the ship again and roared. Three small figures appeared from the waterfall mist and Hiccup’s heart skipped a beat. Toothless, like him, was a dad too. The Night Lights were extroverted creatures which showed a great curiosity on them. Encouraged by their dad, they played with them till the Light Fury came with another dragon.

“Stormfly!”, Astrid shouted.

The Nadder recognised Astrid’s voice and she landed so enthusiastically on the ship, swinging it wildly. The kids ran to the blue dragon fascinated as she observed them with curiosity. Astrid introduced them and Stormfly bent her nose to smell her friend’s offsprings.

“S-she’s be-eautiful”, Nuffink stammered amazed.

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other and they had to contain the excitement that almost made them cry. This was happening. The dream they were cherishing for years it was finally becoming true.

They were giving their most special legacy to their children.

That day the whole Haddock family ploughed throughout the sky on Toothless and Stormfly. They spent a day that none of them would ever forget; not even Nuffink, who was just a toddler.

But every beginning had its end.

When the sun started to hide on the horizon, the children were trying to hide the exhaustion, but Hiccup decided it was time to return to the ship. There were complains, even from the dragons, but Toothless agreed with his friend.

It was time to say goodbye.

That farewell was less painful that the last one. Although Hiccup burst into tears again, he left in peace knowing that his best friend was happy. And, selfishly speaking, Hiccup was happy with his current life. More than happy. His children, wife and village were his whole world now.

He’d finally moved on.

Those reunions happened over the years. New Berk continued to flourish and it became one of the richest and safest islands of the Archipelago. Hiccup and Astrid agreed that only the Haddocks would keep on secret the location of the Hidden World. There were complains and arguments on the subject, but both Chiefs knew it was the best for all, convinced that Toothless wouldn’t like the approach of humans to his kingdom.

Valka accompanied them in the rest of their trips until she passed away many years later. She went to the Hidden World after the insistences of Cloudjumper to Toothless for letting her enter at least once to the paradise that Valka always wanted to meet. A time after her passing, Hiccup found out that Cloudjumper died from age and sorrow. Twenty years together had been many, even for a dragon, but the relationship between Valka and Cloudjumper was so special as Hiccup had with Toothless.

Hiccup and Astrid travelled to the Hidden World until Hiccup couldn’t make it anymore. Actually, it wasn’t shortly before his death that Hiccup accepted he couldn’t return. By that time, Zephyr was the Chief of New Berk and Nuffink was her right hand man, although he was working in the forge after having it inherited from Gobber and Eret after their passings. Despite her advanced age, Astrid was in great health, although her hair was white now and her face was marked by wrinkles and time.

Hiccup had it more difficult to walk with his prosthesis due to his rheumatism and when he got sick with pneumonia everyone knew that their former Chief, the longest and greatest ruler that Berk had ever had, wouldn’t survive.

It was late and Hiccup found it hard to keep his eyes open. His chest was whistling, a sign that showed that it was more and more difficult to breath on his own. Astrid was by his side, holding his hand and stroking his hair. She was smiling to her husband with tenderness, not allowing herself to break down in front of him. He deserved her best face until the end, later she would afford to cry for him. Hiccup thanked her effort by squeezing her hand with the little strength he had. Nuffink was seated on the floor, resting against the foot of his parents’ bed, tired of crying, while Zephyr was on the other side of the bed, weeping in silence and with bags under her eyes. His grandkids left a short while ago and Hiccup made a huge effort to tell them their favorite tale for one last time:

“There were dragons when I was boy…”

Now, they were just waiting till Hiccup fell sleep for not awakening again. Every now and then, he whispered words of love to his wife and he caressed her daughter’s hands with his fingers. They stayed like this until a gale hit against the windows and then Hiccup murmured:

“West wind.”

Suddenly, they heard a heavy knock on the roof, startling everyone in the room except for Hiccup. A weak smile creased in his lips and Astrid understood what was going on.

“Nuffink, open the door.”

“B-but m-mum…”, his son tried to argue.

“Do as I say and open it.”

Nuffink obeyed her and he held his breath when he found Toothless on the other side of the door. The Night Fury entered in the house without asking for permission and he approached to the bed with a sad look on his face, like if he perfectly knew what was going about to happen. Zephyr moved away to make way for the dragon and she placed next to her mother and brother on the other side of the bed.

“Hey Bud.”, Hiccup greeted in a thin voice, but smirking, “You must forgive me for not having gone this year to see you all, but I’m afraid I won’t be back.”, he turned to his family, “Don’t worry, the secret of the Hidden World will be safe. I couldn’t leave it in better hands.”

Toothless growled sadly and Hiccup put his hand on his nose, as he had done so many times before.

“Thank you for everything, Bud. I can leave this world knowing that I had the best friend I would have never dreamed of and a wonderful family that the Gods could give me.”, he coughed and a grin of pain drawn in his face, “My Dad wasn’t wrong when he said that there is no greater gift than love and all of you are the most precious treasure I’m taking with me to Valhalla. I love you all.”

Hiccup closed his eyes, holding his family by one hand and feeling the scaly skin of his best friend on the other one. He sighed his last breath with a smile on his lips, leaving this world with an encouraging thought:

Everything went well.

Xx.

109 notes · View notes

wolfie-dragon-rider · 5 years

Text

Grey Stains, a new story

Hey everyone! Those of you who follow me on Ao3 or FFN might have noticed this already, but last week I posted the first chapter of a new story of mine, called Grey Stains. It’s a HTTYD Hogwarts AU, taking place several years after the end of Harry Potter.

Summary: Post-Deathly Hallows Hogwarts AU. When Harry Potter escaped Gringotts on the back of a dragon and flew off towards the battle of Hogwarts, most of the wizarding world saw a hero. For a young Hiccup whose mother died in the Gringotts escape, it is much more complicated to grow up in a post-war world that still bears scars no one wants to talk about, especially when you're bad at magic, your father is overprotective and paranoid of dragons, and there is a rising fear of neo-Death Eaters threatening the fragile peace. An original story (i.e. not Harry Potter retold) about trauma of all kinds, but also about overcoming your fears with the help of others. Eventual Hiccstrid.

I have been planning this story literally for years, so I’m very excited to finally share it with you all! I hope you like it! If you have any comments, thoughts, reviews, or questions, please let me know!

Enough talk, here’s the first chapter. I’ll be updating weekly, on Sundays. If you’d rather read on FFN or AO3 you can find it there as well, under the usernames wolfie-dragon and wolfie_dragon respectively.

----------------------------

Hiccup broke out into coughs the moment he hit the ground. The world span around him, unfocused and blurred, as he tried not to suffocate.

"Oh, come on, son. Apparating is not that bad," Stoick said, roughly pulling him up by his armpits from the dusty courtyard tiles.

"You-" Hiccup couldn't finish his retort at first, too busy getting air back into his lungs. The dust, the tight suffocating space he had just been in, it brought back flashes. Screams. Crumbling masonry.

"Easy for you to say. You're not... allergic to dust and tight spaces," he eventually managed to spit out. Stoick scoffed for a second, but didn't start a rant at least. Hiccup was grateful for that. Whenever he'd panic at a small room or dust cloud Stoick would normally complain that he should 'man up' already since he was not "actually allergic to dust".

Maybe he was right, but that didn't mean Hiccup didn't get physically sick every time he had to face it.

"Look, you're okay, so let's get your stuff. You have your list, right?" Stoick asked, grabbing his wand and tapping several stones on the wall next to him. Hiccup reached into his pocket to grab the parchment he received last week.

His acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

"Great! Now, first of all we should go to Gringotts. All these books aren't cheap, and it's time you get your own account as well. That way you can collect interest on your allowance, and use it for Hogsmeade trips and things like that," his father said, as the wall opened up to reveal Diagon Alley. It was filled with people.

The last time Hiccup had been there it had been nearly deserted.

"I don't want to go to Gringotts. That's where-" he started, unable to finish the sentence when his throat closed up. Just like with the apparition he couldn't breathe at the memory.

Stoick sighed loudly, the disappointment clear, but then he knelt so he was closer to Hiccup's eye level.

"That was seven years ago. Nothing will happen now. It's all safe. You're growing up! You're going to Hogwarts, and take your place in our world. And for that, you need a Gringotts account. Plus, it'll look bad if the son of the Head of the Department of Magical Creatures didn't get an account at the bank run by our biggest allies!" he said.

At that moment Hiccup couldn't care less about relations with goblins, but he still nodded slowly.

"Okay. I'll try," he whispered.

"Attaboy! Now let's go, we don't have all day!" Stoick shouted, getting up and turning to Diagon Alley, his long cloak flapping with the motion. Hiccup almost had to run to keep up with his huge steps. People parted at the sight of the 7-feet tall man wearing gilded ministry robes, so they got through the crowd easily.

The goblin guards at the enormous bank doors recognized Stoick, so they greeted him warmly, and he returned the greeting before briskly walking inside. Hiccup followed, unsure if the goblins had even noticed him at half his father's height.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light inside, with the white marble and shining gold all over the place.

"Wait here for a second," Stoick told him before walking right past the queue of wizards and witches and talking to the goblin teller. The people waiting in line shot him dirty looks, but the ministry robes stopped them from protesting.

"But…" Hiccup whispered, not wanting to be alone. Not here. The tiles were too clean and white. They had been stained red with blood. A mother and her young son pushed past him to join the queue. The boy was licking ice cream. Hiccup got a whiff of the scent of vanilla cream, and all of a sudden he was outside in Diagon Alley again, but it was much emptier.

Abandoned shops and boarded-up windows lined the street, but 4-year old Hiccup didn't care, because Mama just bought him ice cream from the new parlour. As they waited in line Hiccup heard adults talking about the old ice cream vendor having vanished, but he hadn't understood it, and it hadn't mattered. He got his vanilla ice cream, and then they all walked to the bank together, him between his parents. They had explained that they just had to check on something there real quick, and then they'd go back home.

The building had been chaotic when they entered. Dozens of goblin guards ran around, and a barricade was being set up at the gate to the tunnels. Stoick was pulled away by an anxious-looking goblin with grey hair, leaving Hiccup alone with his mom.

"Mama, what's happening?" he asked between licks of his ice cream.

"Nothing, it's fine. There's just something your father and I have to… make sure doesn't get out of hand," she said, before ruffling his hair. The sudden move made him smear some ice cream on the collar of his shirt. "Oh, you're so clumsy. Let's clean that up."

She had just taken her wand out of her pocket when the world turned upside down.

A massive shockwave knocked them off their feet. Hiccup saw the wand fly out of her hand as they fell. A roar echoed through the room, answered by screams and shouts.

His head pounded where it hit the marble floor, and when he turned to look at the source of the noise it felt like he was dreaming.

Large parts of the floor were missing, and more tiles crumbled into the dark hole that had been white marble moments ago. A desk covered with documents and coins slid over the edge, despite a goblin trying to hold onto it. Hiccup couldn't look away from the screaming creature falling in and disappearing from sight. But then his mama grabbed him and pulled him back, and he looked up.

There was an enormous dragon towering over them. It was thin and white, and its huge eyes were milky. On its back were three people, but they were too far away for him to make out.

"Hiccup, get back," Mama shouted, pulling him behind an overturned desk. His hands were shaking, and he realized there was ice cream all over them. The dragon roared, the sound making Hiccup's ears hurt. It was followed with a cacophony of shouts and screams, and he covered his ears with his sticky hands.

A burst of flame shot over their heads, hitting a group of people near the door who screamed in agony.

"Stay here," his mom said, making him look away from the man whose robes were on fire. She stood up and slowly walked towards the dragon, hands in the air.

"Mama!" he shouted, the word lost in the noise as the dragon's tail smashed through a pillar. It shattered into a hundred pieces that rained down on the people around it.

"It's okay. Just calm down. You're a good dragon. It's alright. No one will hurt you." Somehow Hiccup could hear his mother's soft words among the chaos. The dragon turned to her, growling aggressively despite the people on its back pulling at its horns. A puff of smoke escaped its nostrils.

"Mama! Mama no!" Hiccup screamed, climbing on top of the desk as the dragon put its nose right next to his mother, who looked so tiny compared to the enormous creature. It sniffed and growled more. Mama's arm trembled as she slowly raised it.

One of the people on the dragon's back, a man with red hair, cast some kind of spell at the creature, making it groan. Its jaws opened, revealing rows of enormous fangs. Despite the black soot covering them they looked razor-sharp, and Hiccup had never felt so scared in his life.

BANG!

A flash of light and a loud bang shook the hall. The goblins cowered as the dragon roared in pain and fury.

"No, no, it's okay, just calm down, NOOOO!"

Hiccup was frozen as the dragon charged forward blindly. It felt like time slowed down as Mama put her hands in front of her face in a futile attempt to block.

Her scream ended with a horrific crushing sound as the dragon's front paw came down on her.

Suddenly there were more flashes of all colors, more shouts, more magic, but none of it existed. The dragon screamed, thrashing around wildly as spells hit it. More pillars crumbled and collapsed, and parts of the ceiling fell around him. None of it was real. None of this could be real.

"Mama! Mama! MAMA!" Hiccup screamed, frozen in place on top of the overturned desk.

"Hiccup, get away from there!" someone shouted, but he couldn't understand it. Why wasn't Mama getting up?

The dragon charged forward, straight into the wall of the building, opening it up to bright beams of sunlight that reflected on blue gems and white debris and pools of blood. With a final roar, it opened its wings and took flight with a single flap that drove a cloud of dust through the hall. It made Hiccup cough, and he didn't see the ceiling above him crack.

"Hiccup!" his father's voice shouted. It seemed so far away. The ceiling came down, on his Mama, on the goblins, on him. Brutal pain raced through his arm and back.

"Hiccup! Hiccup!" He blinked, and suddenly he was back in a clean and calm room. There was a ceiling and four walls and no screaming. His father was kneeling in front of him.

"Are you there? Come on, stop daydreaming. It's time to visit the vaults. I'm sure you'll like the cart ride!" he said, and Hiccup shook his head. His arm ached, despite the fracture having healed seven years ago. He didn't remember much of it. Being trapped under the stone, unable to breathe, for a minute until his father and other wizards could dig him out. A hospital bed. Left alone as his dad suddenly had to do a million things.

The next day the war was over. Ended by the three people he had seen riding the dragon.

"I… I'm fine," he whispered, trying to look strong in front of the old goblin standing next to Stoick.

"That's my boy! You see, Gringotts ain't so bad. You know what, if you're good during the cart ride, I'll get you an owl!"

Hiccup managed not to throw up during the cart ride. In fact it was quite exhilarating, like flying his broomstick back at the mansion. He rarely got the opportunity to do that, since his father was always nervous about dragons hiding in the clouds, waiting to strike.

The ride was over far too quickly, and then it was just a matter of moving coins around. Hiccup received a key to an empty vault, with promises it would fill up while he was at Hogwarts.

The ride back to the surface was even faster than the first cart, though Hiccup found it harder to enjoy, his stomach sinking when he caught a glimpse of the large doors leading back to the main hall. His dad seemed to sense his mood, and simply ushered them through the room quickly without stopping to speak to passersby like he normally did.

It wasn't until they stood outside in the bright midday sun that Hiccup felt like he could breathe again.

"Alright, let's get your school supplies first, it'll be much easier if we don't have to carry an owl around all day. What do you wanna get first? How about the books, you're always buried in those," Stoick asked. Hiccup resisted the urge to snark about how there was nothing else to do at the mansion but read, and instead focused on happier things.

"Can we get my wand?" he asked, already walking towards the shops and away from the bank.

A minute later they entered a tiny shop called Ollivander's, and the oldest man Hiccup had ever seen greeted them. He was almost completely bald, the few strands of hair that remained were wispy and white. His face and neck bore many scars, and his eyes felt like they looked straight into Hiccup's soul.

"Oh, Mr. Haddock! It feels like yesterday that I sold you your wand. 11 and a quarter inches, holly wood, with a dragon heartstring core, is that correct? I hope it's still working well for you," the man said with a croaky voice.

"Yes, it is," Stoick said, frowning at the mention of the dragon heartstring core. "But we're not here for me. My son is going to Hogwarts and he needs a wand."

Hiccup tried to smile, despite feeling very uncomfortable around the old man he assumed was Ollivander. The wand would be worth it. He'd be able to do magic!

"Ah, of course. Let's see… How about 9 and three quarter inches, yew, unicorn hair? Nice and straightforward," Ollivander said, opening a narrow box on the counter and handing it to Hiccup. "Go on, give it a swing!"

His hand trembled slightly when he took the wand. This would allow him to do magic! He'd only have to swing it! So he took a deep breath and gently swung the wand.

Nothing happened.

Ollivander ignored his surprise at the lack of sparks, snatching the wand from his hand and giving him another. "Pear, 10 and a half inches, dragon heartstring!"

"Wait a minute, you still use dragon heartstring? I banned all dragon products years ago," Stoick said as Hiccup swung a few times, still with no result.

"Eh, that just banned me from buying more. I have a huge stock of heartstring, Mr. Haddock. And there's absolutely nothing evil about it, no matter what you might believe. Now, try this one: Blackthorn, 12 inches, unicorn hair," the old man said, giving Hiccup another wand and grabbing more boxes from a shelf.

Stoick scoffed at that, but didn't push further. Instead he sat down in the small chair in the corner. The wood creaked under his weight. Hiccup tried to cast a hovering spell with the long wand, copying the movement he saw Mrs. Beakley, their housekeeper, use whenever she used Wingardium Leviosa.

Absolutely nothing happened. Of course he hadn't said the words, but still, it felt like he was failing at this.

"There's nothing to worry about. This happens to a lot of people. Your mother tried 23 wands before one chose her. Your father needed a dozen tries too," Ollivander said, piling up boxes on the counter and handing another one over. "Rosewood, 11 inches, phoenix feather, great for charms."

"Shouldn't something be coming out anyway? I remember producing fire and smoke with all the wands I tried," Stoick said, shifting in the chair.

"Indeed, wizards can produce intuitive magic even with wands that haven't chosen them, but it's much harder. There's degrees in this, some wands make it harder, some easier. In fact, let's try… Larch, 10 and a quarter inch, unicorn hair," Ollivander said as another wand was pushed into Hiccup's hands.

Another swing, and still nothing.

"Oh, that's a little strange. Still, I'm sure there's a wand for you. I do love a difficult customer!" Ollivander exclaimed, flicking his own wand to make entire stacks of boxes float towards the counter.

Hiccup had tried 51 wands with no result when his father stood up, the chair squeaking loudly in relief.

"Well, this looks like it's going to… take a while. How about I buy the rest of your supplies while you keep trying," he said, wrapping his cloak tighter around himself. Hiccup sighed, giving him the list.

Ollivander wasn't deterred by the ever growing pile of tried wands, marking their boxes with a small H and putting them back on the shelves while grabbing new ones. Meanwhile Hiccup swung and swung and swung some more.

A while later, long after Hiccup lost count, the door opened again. A blonde girl ran in, followed by a blond man with a long beard and auror robes.

"Astrid, no need to run. We have plenty of time," the man said as the girl ran right next to Hiccup, stopping him mid-swing. She was pretty, despite her scowl and narrowed eyes.

"Ah, Mr. Finn Hofferson! Is that blackthorn wand still working for you? And who is this? I didn't know you had children," Ollivander said, dumping another armful of wands on Hiccup's end of the counter. Hiccup took one, swung it, and slid it to the other end when it didn't work. As he pushed it, he noticed the girl looking at him and the pile of wands strangely.

"This is Astrid, my niece on my brother's side. I took her in after…" the auror said, putting his hand on Astrid's shoulder when her head dropped.

"Ah, of course. It's very nice to meet you, young witch. I sold your brother and sister their wands, you know. Though that was over a decade ago. They must have left Hogwarts around the… oh, right," Ollivander said, Astrid immediately snapping her head up to look at him with piercing eyes.

"Can we just get her wand? She's feisty, maybe a blackthorn one like mine?" Finn said, obviously eager to change the subject that Hiccup didn't really understand.

"Of course, of course. How about you try this one. Just swing it, like Hiccup over here does," Ollivander said. Hiccup, startled by her bright blue eyes, dropped the wand he was swinging, making it clatter loudly.

"Try not to drop it, though. Blackthorn, 11 inches, dragon heartstring," Ollivander said, grabbing a wand from the used pile and handing it to the girl. Frowning, she swung it once, and immediately sparks exploded from the tip. Her frown turned into a smile instantly.

"Not quite right. How about holly, 12 and a quarter inch, phoenix feather," Ollivander said as Hiccup swung another wand, trying not to look too disappointed when nothing happened.

Astrid swung the wand, and a moment later a vase exploded.

"Ooh, a little too temperamental. Ah, I know. Red oak, dragon heartstring, 9 and a half inches. A perfect wand for dueling and combat!" The wandmaker dug in the pile, finding a thin reddish wand and handing it over.

The moment Astrid touched it, her jaw dropped. With a firm hand, she swung it, and a soft glow emitted from the wand. She smiled brightly, and Hiccup couldn't help but smile as well.

"Perfect, perfect! It has chosen you! Congratulations, Ms. Hofferson. I'm sure you'll overcome great foes with this wand. Perhaps your biggest challenge will be deciding who those foes shall be," Ollivander told a brightly smiling Astrid. But then she glanced at Hiccup swinging another unresponsive wand and her smile dropped a bit. He couldn't help but wonder if she considered him a potential foe.

After another round of congratulations from Finn, payment was exchanged and the Hoffersons left the store, leaving behind an empty silence with no crackling sparks or exploding chinaware.

"Is that what's supposed to happen? What happens to everybody else?" he eventually asked, tossing another wand on the counter a little harder than he needed to.

Ollivander sighed deeply.

"Usually, yes. Untrained witches and wizards tend to send uncontrolled magic through every object they touch, and wands react to that magic, even if they didn't choose the wizard. It's almost like you're already trained. Did your father get you private tutoring?" the old man asked, sorting out the wands Astrid had tried and marking more boxes with an H.

"Yes, but not for this. I haven't learned any magic or spells. They just teach me history or Latin," Hiccup said, swinging again. He could feel something whenever he swung, a brief spark of burning heat in his fingertips like he grasped a candle flame. But it wasn't a good feeling like he always imagined magic would feel.

"Strange. But that just makes it more interesting! Come on, keep trying!" Ollivander said, and Hiccup did. His arm ached from the motion by the time his father returned with a bag full of books and potion supplies.

"You're still going?! Come on, Hiccup! I have more things to do today, you know," Stoick said, putting the bag down and gesturing at the piles of wands.

"I can't help it. They won't work!" Hiccup said, grabbing another one, swinging it with no effect, and tossing it on the used pile.

"You just have to do some magic! I know you can do it, you're not a damn squib!" his father shouted, sitting down heavily in the chair. Hiccup saw a crack run down one of its legs.

"I'm trying! Do you think I don't want this to work?" he said, grabbing a random wand from the pile.

"Well, try harder! You've been in here for hours! People are gonna notice," Stoick said, glancing out the window, and all the frustration Hiccup had been building up exploded.

"Is that all you care about? That random people will notice I'm having trouble finding a wand!" he screamed, raising the wand to point at his father.

Heat raced down his arms, burning his veins. The wand trembled in his shaking hand, and then the heat focused in his fingertips. It became too much, the fire scorching him from within.

But then suddenly the heat disappeared, replaced with a red flame bursting from the wand's tip. Hiccup yelped, dropping it from his tingling fingers. As quick as it had appeared, the fire vanished.

The only sound in the room was the wand clattering on the floorboards.

"See, you can do magic! That wand worked, right? Mr. Ollivander! What do you think?" Stoick said, smiling brightly despite soot darkening his beard.

"Accidental magic, yes, but still magic. No doubt. So there must be a wand for you. That one wasn't it, though. Let's keep going. There's still plenty of wands left," the old man slowly said.

No one seemed to care about Hiccup's pained sigh as he picked up another wand and gave it a swing. It did nothing. Just the same flash of painful heat in his fingertips as before. Nothing like the burst of actual magic he had just felt.

An hour later, after a boy by the name of Hiro came in and got his wand on the first try, Stoick stood up and grabbed the bag of supplies.

"That's enough. This is going nowhere. Clearly there's something very wrong with these wands. We'll go see better wandmakers tomorrow. I hear there's a good one in New York. One who doesn't use dragon products either," he said, putting his hand on Hiccup's shoulder and pulling him away from the counter.

"Very well. Every wandmaker will tell you there's nothing wrong with dragon heartstring cores, but clearly you've made up your mind based on a completely unrelated event, Department Head Haddock," Ollivander said in an icy tone. Stoick huffed, but didn't respond. He just stomped out the shop dragging Hiccup along with him.

He gave Mr. Ollivander an apologetic smile as his father slammed the door shut.

"That impudent- No matter. There's plenty of other wandmakers," Stoick said, moving towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"But Dad… You said I was gonna get an owl," Hiccup asked, not as excited as he had been before they went into the wand shop.

"Ugh… Fine. We'll get that owl, then we go home," Stoick said, turning around with heavy footsteps. The street was much emptier now that the sun was setting.

The cacophony of roars and meows and squawks in the pet store was the complete opposite of the silence of Ollivander's. And yet Hiccup felt much more at ease around the animals. There were no other customers inside.

"Hey, you! I'm looking for an owl for my son," Stoick shouted at a young woman standing behind the counter. Hiccup walked to a wall filled with bird cages. The owls were fairly quiet compared to the other creatures. He reached out his finger to a yellow-blueish owl with bright blue eyes.

Hiccup gently scratched the bird, and it opened its beak wide. A puff of smoke came out.

"Of course! What kind of personality would you like? We have several: playful, obedient, intel-"

The clerk's words were cut off by Hiccup's scream when the bird breathed fire. It was just a tiny flame, hardly bigger than a torch, but it conjured images of crumbling masonry and blood. The scream emptied his lungs, and he couldn't breathe to fill them again. He stumbled and fell, coughing at the musky air.

"What in Merlin's name is that! I demand answers!" Stoick shouted as he drew his wand, pointing it at the bird.

"It's a magical fusion! An owl with the magical abilities of a Blast-ended Skrewt! We got it from a wizard who experiments with transferring abilities between creatures!" she said quickly, running over and petting the fire-breathing bird.

"How do I know it's not some dragon monstrosity? Do you know who I am? I am Stoick Haddock, head of the Department of Magical Creatures. I introduced the laws against draconic experimentation, and if I suspect any violation of that law I could shut this place down right now!"

Hiccup finally managed to catch his breath, raising his head to see all the blood drain from the clerk's face.

"No, I swear it's nothing draconic! Please, sir! Have a free owl, any one you want!" she said, hands trembling.

"I don't trust anything you sell!" Stoick said, tone icy as he kept his wand raised. The woman's eyes flickered between the wand and the ministry badge on his robes.

"Then let me compensate you. For the… emotional damages!," she shouted, before running to the till. "Here, this is more than enough to buy an owl at any other pet store!" she said, holding up several gold coins. Stoick was silent for a few seconds, until he slowly lowered his wand.

"Fine, I'll take that. And you better hope I never hear of any kind of creature experimentation again."

It wasn't until they were standing outside again that Hiccup had calmed down enough to speak.

"I wanted an owl. Not that one, but a normal one," he said, glaring at his fuming father.

"Maybe we'll get one in New York tomorrow. At least in America they protect well against these… abominations. I'm trying to get those laws here as well, but no one wants to cooperate!" Stoick said as they made it back to the courtyard of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Now grab on. We're going home," he said, gesturing at his arm. Hiccup shook his head violently.

"No, I can't do apparition again! Please, Dad!" he begged, breath speeding up at the very thought of that narrow tube. The anger he had felt over the owl vanished, frozen by the memory.

"Come on, Hiccup! It's better than floo powder. You can't handle that at all! Just swallow your fears already so we can go home," Stoick said, shaking his head in disappointment. Hiccup just jumped back.

"I can't!" he shouted, tears pricking at his eyes.

Stoick was quiet for a long time, staring at him with furrowed brow, until his face softened.

"Fine. We'll take the Knight's Bus, even if it is dreadfully uncomfortable. And we can take a portkey to New York tomorrow, you're okay with those, right?" he said, leading them through the Leaky Cauldron to the muggle street outside. An old witch tried to talk to Stoick, but he waved her away. The other people in the bar just looked at him darkly.

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks, Dad," Hiccup whispered, thinking back to the girl at Ollivander's and wondering if she was scared of anything.

#grey stains #httyd #fanfic #hiccup #astrid #hogwarts #first chapter #trauma #tw: graphic violence

6 notes · View notes

loveatfirstflight · 1 year

Note

Hi 🌸 May I interview you? What brought you in httyd? What do you love the most in httyd/rtte? Do you have any favorite dragons?? Maybe oc dragons?

Thank you for the interview ^^

P.s. Love your art, it's so pretty!! 🌸🌸🌸

hehehe

i watched the first movie in theaters when it came out and it was kinda always in the back of my mind, but what shot me back into it big time was audrie greywinds first video about the nine realms :>

i don't know if i could pin down what exactly i love the most about httyd! theres alot <:]

i have quite a few favorite dragons! sand/desert wraiths, eggbiters, stormcutters are a few! triple strykes have been worming their way into my heart lately too

as for dragon ocs, theres a few! bunny is the only one ive shown on here so far, but the night fury in my icon (and the above pic) is named Sparks! he was born unable to use fire :]

#thank you!! this was fun #questions and answers

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silosene · 5 years

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If you’ve seen this post, you’ll know that a friend and I are working on a post-HTTYD3 roleplay with a few tweaks to the plot to make it more open and cohesive! The abridged summary of differences is as follows: 1. The movie’s plot progressed differently - Grimmel was still found and his armada defeated, and Toothless took the dragons to the Hidden World. The Light Fury has shown up, but she did not play nearly as large a role in the plot, the humans have only gotten vague glimpses of her, and she and Toothless are not mates. 2. The forum is set in an alt-earth with completely different continents, cultures, and people. Most of the forum will involve exploration of these never-before-seen places. 3. Berk still has limited contact with the dragons of the Hidden World, though only a few select people can visit them due to the wild aggressiveness of the Hidden World’s dragons. 4. All canon romantic relationships, including Hiccstrid, are null. They never happened, and will not happen unless agreed-upon by the players. 5. The Light Fury’s appearance and species as a whole is getting a major revamp to feel more unique and specialized. I’ll post it tomorrow!

One of the other things we decided, though, was that the biggest plot hook in the HTTYD series is, “Where did the Night Furies go?” We wanted to keep Toothless unique as the last of his kind, but also add other Furies for plot reasons and to scratch that particular itch, so this is the compromise: meet the Southern Night Fury! A distant relative to the Northern Night Fury - Toothless’s kind - Southerns split from their common ancestors a long time ago, migrating south and adapting to a harsh desert climate.

SPECIES NAME: Southern Night Fury

CLASS: Strike

FIRE TYPE: Plasma blasts, redirected electricity

FEATURES: Thin body; large wings, hip fins, tailfins, and ear nubs; angular features; rough scales and spines; thick serrated claws; retractable teeth

HABITAT: Arid areas, especially desert, scrubland, and forests

COLORS: Black, occasionally lightening into a deep brown. Eyes are in the brown-yellow range, from deep ebony to light dust, occasionally with smatterings of gold; may rarely be orange or even red

SIZE: Medium, around the size of a very large tiger. Slightly smaller than their Northern cousins and with more spines, making riding uncomfortable

TRAINABLE: Yes, with effort

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STATISTICS

Attack: 14

Speed: 20

Armor: 18

Firepower: 11

Shot Limit: 8

Venom: 0

Jaw Strength: 5

Stealth: 19

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ABILITIES

Electrical Redirection: Southern Night Furies have a propensity for accumulating static charge and firing it off at will. Unlike Northern Night Furies, who must enter their ‘alpha mode’ to properly redirect electricity, and whom are often very exhausted by the endeavor, Southerns are capable of utilizing electricity extensively without tiring themselves out.

Static electricity forms best in hot, dry air - yet another reason for the Southern’s chosen habitat of the desert. Southerns tend to naturally accumulate some electrical charge, though getting enough of it to cause sparks or use it as a weapon takes conscious effort. When they do so, they can conduct enough electricity that it begins to spark all across their hide and snap menacingly like a Jacob’s Ladder. Eventually, they can let the charge loose, firing it out of their mouth in a general direction. Unlike plasma blasts, it’s a little trickier to aim, and can sometimes misfire by striking nearby metal objects or other highly conductive objects in the nearby vicinity.

Heat Regulation: Southerns live in a difficult environment, where overheating can easily become deadly. To combat this, their wings, fins, and ears are far larger than Northern’s to serve as heat sinks, but there’s more. Like Northerns, they can use electricity to briefly heat up their scales to the point of making them mirror-like; as the sun in the desert is harsh and bright, this does not serve as camouflage, but instead as a method of reflecting light and heat off their bodies. When under this effect, their glittering scales can be seen for miles, twinkling against the shifting sands like a spotlight.

Because it is so easy for them to siphon electricity from their surroundings, they can keep feeding electrical charge into the effect, maintaining it so long as they have a constant supply of static electricity. This is different from how Northerns cloak themselves: for the Northern, it involves combining electricity and plasma into a single hot blast to cloak themselves, but for Southerns, it is a passive effect that results from a constant charge throughout their hide. The Southern’s mirrorlike scales can pass as camouflage in the right lighting conditions, such as the dark of night, but the ability is not often utilized for this effect, as their dark coloration is usually camouflage aplenty.

Weather Sensitivity: The Southern’s main ear nubs have a very distinct fork at the end, with the two tips growing long and whiskery. They flow beautifully in the wind and are capable of picking up the slightest dip in pressure, allowing Southerns to detect storms long before they arrive. They tend to use this to follow rainstorms, cooling themselves off in the water and drinking from the puddles left behind. This has spawned many local legends about their weather-detecting abilities, such that it is considered good portent if a coven of them is seen dancing in the sky.

Firepower: Though Southerns retain the ability to fire plasma blasts, their fire is notably weaker than a Northern’s. For starters, they have a very clear shot limit (eight) that takes several minutes to recharge when wasted, unlike the Northern’s seemingly indefinite shots. Secondly, their plasma blasts tend to be smaller, weaker, and have less range than a Northern’s. To make up for this, they are incredibly accurate with their shots and capable of firing them in rapid succession.

Agility and Speed: Like their cousins, Southerns are among the fastest of known dragon species, capable of reaching speeds akin to a peregrine falcon when in a dive. Their small, angular bodies are streamlined for flight, and their large wings gives them a low wing load, allowing for tight turns and easy flying.

Strength and Combat: This is a tricky one. Southerns have very powerful legs and thick, serrated claws for digging through soft rock, but they easily come in handy in a scuffle. Though physically smaller than Northerns, most Southerns are stronger than their cousins on the ground, and often use their musculature to their advantage. They are, however, the most lethal in the air, especially when utilizing their plasma blasts or electricity. They prefer to avoid fights when possible.

Stamina and Endurance: As desert-dwellers, endurance is an absolute must. They have thick, pebbly hides and nictitating membranes to protect from harsh dust storms, can survive for weeks without water and months without food, and can withstand a number of blows. Thanks to their yearly migration cycle, they are also built for long-distance flights and are capable of riding air currents for days at a time, even falling asleep mid-flight without falling. Endurance and stamina are their forte.

Senses: Southerns rely primarily on sight and sound. Their eyes are incredibly keen, like a hawk’s, and can spot movement along the sand from miles away. They have reflective eyes, similar to a cat, which allow them to see well in near-darkness. Their massive ears and sensitive eartips are excellent for listening to their surroundings. The rest of their senses are lacking, however. Their sense of touch is immensely poor. Their ability to smell leaves something wanting, as their nose is so often filled with dry air and dirt that scent doesn’t tend to carry well. Their ability to taste has not been recorded.

Intelligence: Like Northern Night Furies, Southerns are incredibly intelligent, capable of understanding basic commands in other languages, comprehending body language, and working together to form strategies. They are a somewhat social species, flocking together in groups called covens that requires them to be able to work together and strategize to take down their prey. Each individual has a distinct personality and tends to make decisions for themselves, making them one of the most human-like dragons in terms of intelligence and capability for anthropomorphization.

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BEHAVIOR AND PERSONALITY

Southern Night Furies are incredibly elusive. Strictly nocturnal and migratory, they never linger in one area for too long, and they cluster in family-based covens; each coven is headed by a mated pair, and the rest of the coven’s members are typically their offspring, with a coven’s size ranging from three to twenty members on average. Sometimes, unrelated Southerns may group together to form a new coven despite having no familial relations. In such cases, dominance battles may occur for who gets the title of leader, following a classic alpha-beta-omega ranking scheme. Non-familial covens are typically chaotic affairs that rarely last long.

Covens can dig very elaborate burrows, called warrens, in soft rock, frequently near rivers and oases. Warrens typically follow a spider-like pattern in shape, with a large central chamber and small branching chambers for individual members to sleep. The most elaborate warrens are often found as extensions of natural caverns, especially caverns with water sources, as covens migrate through the area and add their own touches to the warrens each time.

Thanks to their desert-dwelling nature, Southerns are rarely seen in the open. During the day, they hide in warrens or submerge themselves in sand with only their eyes and ears visible. They tend to sleep during the day, coming out at night to play and hunt. Covens migrate yearly in their natural habitat, going north when the summer heat washes over the desert and coming south when chilly arctic winds strike the coastal forests in the winter.

Among their own kind or others of a similar level of intelligence, Southerns each have very distinct personalities, which vary highly from individual to individual. Some are cautious and reserved, while others are rambunctious and sociable; some are aggressive while others lax, some love the sun while others flee from it. On the whole, however, Southerns tend to be cautious, capricious, and lazy, preferring to conserve energy when possible and avoid humans at all costs.

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WEAKNESSES

The perennial flaw of all Furies is their tailfins, which provide crucial support in flight. Without their tails or wings, they’re downed - and, as Gobber once said, a downed dragon is a dead dragon. Aside from this, the Southern’s biggest flaw would likely be their situational firepower. Once out of plasma, a Southern must rely on electricity as use as a weapon, and while it is capable of killing when used in great amounts, it is difficult to accumulate any sort of meaningful charge if not in ideal conditions. Thus, the best place to keep a Southern would be in a cold, humid environment, such as a foggy bay or rainforest, so as to stunt their electrical buildup.

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TRAINING

Despite being a social breed, a wild Southern is hard to come by, much less tame. They tend to be fickle about their relations to humans, and many dislike being shaken from their natural way of life. They are, however, intelligent enough to recognize when somebody is helping them or doesn’t mean them any harm, and they may choose to pay back debts if they are rescued. Still, they are detached - a Southern, like a Northern, is best bonded with if they are injured or grounded in a way that prevents them from escaping.

The best way to train a Southern is to raise it from the egg. As a part of their evolutionary adaptations, Southerns tend to imprint on the first creature they see when they come out of the egg. In the wild, this is typically their parents, which opens the gateway to their integration into a coven. In captivity, this would be their trainer, of whom they will eventually develop a deep bond with so long as they are treated right.

Hatching a Southern’s egg without the present of a Southern adult is no small task, though. Eggs are laid rarely, in clutches of one to three, and require a significant electrical charge to hatch. Southern’s eggs are typically laid upon high peaks where electrical storms are frequent, allowing for lightning to strike the egg naturally. This, of course, is difficult to do if you’re human and don’t want to be electrocuted, doubly so because in the absence of anybody nearby, a Southern hatchling will often pass through the imprinting phase without imprinting, leading to stunted social growth and creating an individual who will likely grow to become highly suspicious, aggressive, and isolated.

In the absence of a storm, a Southern will often use their own electrical abilities to hatch eggs. This is why it is doubly important to have an adult present. Eggs can go into a stasis-like period for months while awaiting the right conditions, but after about four months of hibernation, the dragon inside dies, rendering the egg useless.

#my writing #dragons: exodus #httyd #httyd 3 spoilers #spoilers #httyd thw spoilers #how to train your dragon #roleplay #night fury #southern night fury #dragon #my art #apologies for the long-ass post #also apologies if the html is broken #i've never used html in my life #httyd roleplay

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thanksfornothinguselessreptile · 6 years

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I really, really hope that it’s just the marketing that’s focusing on the whole best friend vs prospective lover conflict and not, you know, the entire movie. I know quite a few of you might not be interested in what criticisms I currently have about the movie, so I’m putting the rest under a Read More and tagged this “httyd criticism” in case you wanted to avoid it.

The first movie’s teaser trailer focused on the nature of the relationship between Vikings and dragons, and played up how forbidden Hiccup and Toothless’s friendship was meant to be. While there were subplots with Hiccup and Stoick struggling to understand each other, Hiccup’s desire for acceptance, and his crush on Astrid, the backbone of the movie was his friendship with Toothless.

The second movie focused a lot on this, too. The first teaser showed the two flying together with such ease it made it look like they were struggling to work together at the end of the last movie. They shared excited glances as they flew, enjoyed themselves, just existed like people who were best friends for a long time and were completely comfortable teasing and bickering with each other. The promotional images for the film included a series of posters featuring each rider with their dragon, emphasizing the bonds between them.

But now, it feels like everything’s about the love interest. One of the first blurbs about the movie? Toothless finds a prospective mate that pulls him between the worlds of humans and dragons. The whole trailer everyone was talking about a while back? A Forbidden Friendship scene, but with the love interest. The first poster? Toothless and the love interest staring into each other’s eyes, with Hiccup standing awkwardly in the background, kind of looking like he’d been cut and pasted in from somewhere else once the designers remembered that he was kind of an important character, too.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the Light Fury. I would’ve designed her a bit differently, yes. But if she’s well characterized beyond “wild dragon to tempt Toothless into deserting humanity” I’m sure I’ll grow to like her like the other dragons.

But right now it feels like this is one of the Disney sequels specifically to set the hero up with a love interest, should they not already have found one by the end of their first movie.

I personally would have preferred to see Toothless having to choose between Hiccup, who is like a brother to him, and relatives he’d gotten separated from years ago and who are delighted to see him again. Hiccup can’t leave Berk, as he has responsibilities there, as well as friends he also considers family, but likewise Toothless’s family have something tying them to the hidden world. Maybe they’re the protectors, or leaders, or maybe if they leave they’ll have Grimmel or Drago hunting them down.

Either way, Toothless’s family can’t leave, and Hiccup can’t go live with them without feeling crushing guilt over leaving his village while threats like Drago and Grimmel are loose. I feel it would be more sympathetic a problem than “dragon considers whether or not to dump best friend like a sack of rotten potatoes for a love interest.”

#httyd 3 #httyd3 #httyd the hidden world #httyd the hidden world spoilers #httyd3 spoilers #httyd 3 spoilers #httyd spoilers #spoilers #httyd criticism #food mention cw

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cleverdreamcatcher · 2 years

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March 5th, 2022

Last night I dreamed in a cave-like place. I think it bordered the ocean, but at the same time it didn't. I think I dreamed I was hiccup from HTTYD. There were baby night furies everywhere along with light furies too. One baby fury was curled up against the wall. I do not know if it was asleep or captured, tied down to use as bait. We had to help it because the rocks were in danger of falling. A large rock did fall, but it missed the fury and voiced harmlessly around because it was inflatable and made of rubber. There was a "stone fury" hatchling too, with skin brown and pebbly like a sunbaked desert with cracked mud on the surface. He didnt have a tail. Suddenly, toothless let out an alarm call. The baby fury had been a diversion. While we had all focused on saving it, all the other night furies had been abducted. Toothless raced ahead to save them because he needed to help his fellow kind as a fury and alpha. I raced to catch up.

The dream opened into a wide, flat plains like environment, like you'd see on farmland. It reminded me of a nature reserve crossed with a zoo, but felt like a theme park/auction house. I could fly now because I was part dragon myself, though I was not very fast ir strong and could not accend well because I had not tail. (Nightfall rules. I was basically feral hiccup) I was flying around the pens, looking for toothless. Every pen had an adult/adolescent fury or nighlight in it, but more than half were wrapped tightly in restraints and sedated. Each pen had a lot number and bid history. People were buying furies like livestock, but would treat them like pets or transportation. Nearly every fury was injured or damaged in some way, torn tail and hip fins. Missing feet and whole legs, A completely severed wing replaced with a prosthetic. All the injuries seemed intentionally inflicted to break the furies' spirits and make them more docile. A few friendly nightlights were allowed to roam their pens without drugs or binds because they were too tame to hurt people. I felt I had to find toothless fadt, fearing he as an alpha dragon would be harmed too, and sold for exorbitant amounts of money.

A part of me knew this was a dream, because of my pour flying, and because I noticed how clean all the walkways were. An announcer commented that most people would throw their trash straight upwards since there was no bins, but there was still no litter on tje ground. I think he might have been a dreamwalker.

It hurt my heart seeing furies treated this way. My dream morphed into some sort of cylindrical movie theatre? I found toothless fighting for his life not to get captured by the auctioneers, but just as I swooped in to assist him, the movie reached its climax and I woke up.

#Httyd #dream journal

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coneygoil · 6 years

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“Gracefully Broken”, part 2

Summary: HTTYD | 3 years ago, Hiccup Haddock vanished with only a hastily scribbled note left behind. It isn’t until Astrid is swept off her feet by a dragon and it’s mysterious rider that the mystery is finally solved.

Part 1

The warm mead drove the chill from Astrid’s fingers. Hiccup had offered her food and drink and tried to offer her his desk chair, but Astrid chose to sit cross-legged on the trunk at the end of his bed.

“Where to begin?” Hiccup asked, the reluctance to share his story obvious in his voice.

“A good place to start is to tell me why you ran off in the first place.” Astrid looked at Toothless, who was curled up by Hiccup’s chair. “Was it because of him?”

“Well, you could say that.” Hiccup reached over to scratch his dragon’s head. He seemed lost in thought. “Remember the dragon attack on Berk right before we started our dragon-killing training?”

Astrid nodded. Of course, she did. How could anyone forget Hiccup’s epic disaster of having a Monstrous Nightmare chase him down nearly burning half the village in the process? She laughed softly. “Your dad was flaming hot mad that night.”

Hiccup’s shoulders droop. “You just had to bring up that up. That’s one of the reasons he tossed me into the ring to get trained.”

“You went from epic disaster to epic dragon conquer after that. Then I was flaming hot mad because you were showing me up.” Astrid could find the humor in it now where her 15-year old self could only find raging frustration. The way Hiccup’s absence affected the Chief, along with her resentment at his reckless abandon, had eaten at her for months. But once her anger cooled, it left a hole inside her that Astrid never thought Hiccup Haddock was capable of creating.

“That night,” Hiccup went on, “during the dragon attack, I happened to shoot down a Night Fury.” He theatrically gestured to Toothless. “When I found him in the woods, I tried to kill him like any good Viking would, but apparently, I’m not that good at being a Viking.” He paused, absently scratching Toothless more. “He was injured and couldn’t escape the cove. I tried, but I just couldn’t kill him. When I looked at him, it was like I saw myself in Toothless. Instead, I observed him and learned how to handle him and eventually I gained his trust.”

Astrid gasped softly at the realization that hit her. “That’s how you were able to handle the dragons without using force.” She launched forward taking a swing at Hiccup’s shoulder.

Hiccup gaped at her. Toothless surveyed the situation calmly, unconcerned. His master did assure him early that it was okay for this new human to be aggressive. “What did I do now?”

“That was for cheating.”

“I didn’t cheat. I just used a different approach.”

Astrid sat back on the trunk, awaiting Hiccup to continue.

“When my dad wanted me in the kill ring, I knew it wouldn’t end well. And if Toothless had been found, they would have killed him on sight. Because of his injury, which I caused, he couldn’t leave the cove. I did the one thing I thought was right.” Hiccup heaved a deep sigh, meeting Astrid’s gaze. “I ran away with Toothless.”

The memory hit her like a punch to the gut.

I’m sorry I can’t be who you want me to be, dad. I need to find my own path.

She would never forget those words she read 3 years prior. At first, she’d thought him a deserter. But the older she grew, the more Astrid understood Hiccup’s decision. “Looks like you found your own path.”

“I did. Wait-“ Hiccup’s brow knitted together. “How did you-“

“It was only by chance I read your note. Stoick dropped it on the steps of the Great Hall in his haste to search for you. I picked it up and brought it back to your hut.”

Hiccup bowed his head, resting elbows on his knees. “I wish there could have been another way.”

Quiet hung in the space between them. Astrid’s gaze wandered to the metal foot attached to Hiccup where flesh and bone once was. Many Vikings sported peg legs, but she’d never imagined Hiccup with one. He used it with ease as if the faux limb was apart of him.

“How’d you lose your foot?”

A smile returned, and Hiccup wagged a finger at her. “That’s a story you’ll have to earn out of me.”

Astrid released a frustrated hmph, but figured he’d tell her when he was ready. She turned her attention to the dragon curled up on the floor, surprised at the question coming out of her mouth. “Can I pet him?”

Hiccup’s eyes widened in delighted surprise. “What’dya say, bud?” Toothless raised his head, crooning. Hiccup waved her over. “Slowly bring the palm of your hand to his nose. Don’t worry, he won’t bite.”

Astrid knelt on the floor, doing as Hiccup instructed. “I guess not, since you did name him Toothless,” she commented at the lack of teeth in the dragon’s mouth.

She yelped, falling backwards on her bottom as a top and bottom row of sharp teeth suddenly appeared.

“Toothless! We want her to like us!” Hiccup reprimanded, but the dragon just chortled to himself. “I’m sorry,” he grabbed Astrid’s hand to help her up, “he can be a bit of a jokester sometimes.” He glared at Toothless. “Useless dragon you,” there was a playfully note behind his words, and Astrid could tell the name calling was in jest.

The short time Astrid had spent with this trained dragon, she’d picked up on the personality he had. It was as if he had a little bit of human in him. She fixed Toothless with a firm gaze, fearlessly offering the palm of her hand. He calmly eyed her hand before closing his eyes and gently pressing his nose to her palm. A relieved smile crossed Astrid’s lips. She met Hiccup’s gaze, the dragon rider beaming back at her.

“Hiccup?”

Astrid nearly startled out her skin at the new voice that echoed onto the room. Hiccup popped up, knocking his chair into the desk in his haste. He hurried to the entrance that led to another corridor from his room.

A tall woman walked in before he could block the path. Her steps halted at the sight of Astrid, bewilderment etched on her features. She was an older woman. Her alarmed eyes fixed on Astrid.

“Hey, Mo-“

“Hiccup, who is this?” Before he could answer, the woman stalked up to Astrid, seizing the younger woman’s arm and examining it. She spat out her words. “She bears the mark of a dragon trapper.”

@ashleybenlove, @howtodrawyourdragon

#httyd #astrid hofferson #hiccup haddock #httyd fanfiction #hiccstrid #hiccstrid fanfiction #gracefully broken

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