Run Away (HTTYD)

The Story

Chapter 9

Hiccup guided them through a quick lesson as they flew, and before they knew it they were touching down beyond a small rise just out of sight of the village.

"I can do this... I can... I don't want to do this..." Hiccup chanted miserably to himself. He sounded like he was whimpering to the others, but they didn't need him to translate his words for them to understand his meaning.

"Calm down, Hiccup, it's not like you have to do this alone." Astrid said confidently, leaning over to punch his shoulder.

He stared at her as he rubbed his arm. "Astrid, have you... Ever had the entire village... Laugh at you? It's not fun."

"Of course she hasn't!" Snotlout snorted. "She came out of training with the highest score! People respect her."

"Snotlout, shut up." Astrid glared at him. "Let's get this over with."

Hiccup took a deep breath as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. "Let's move," He said, urging the dragons forward.

Stoick and Gobber walked behind the dragons.

"He's grown so much..." Stoick said wistfully.

"Yes, he 'as. Ye should see the place he's been livin', these past three years. Built 'imself a cozy little cabin." Gobber told him.

"He did?" Stoick wasn't sure whether to be pleased with the boy's accomplishment, or saddened because his son had grown up without him.

"Aye, an' he camoflauged it so well I couldn' see it till 'e went inside."

Stoick sighed. "He's going to want to go back there when this is over, isn't he?"

Gobber nodded. "Lad was fairly against leavin' in th' first place."

There wasn't much more room for talk, because then they reached the crest of a hill and the village came into sight.

Hiccup whimpered, fighting the urge to tell Toothless to turn around and take off into the sky. He really didn't want to do this. He was really, very, very, extra sure that nothing good would come of this.

The alarm signaling dragon raids went off and then there was a horde of Viking warriors running towards them. The dragons and their riders stood their ground and the Vikings slowed to a halt about ten feet away, gawking.

They stood there, staring at each other until a shieldmaiden pushed her way to the front and spotted her daughter sitting on a Deadly Nadder.

"Astrid Hofferson, WHAT do you think you're doing? Get off that dragon RIGHT NOW!" shouted Ingrid Hofferson. Her command was soon shadowed by the orders of the other teens' parents.

"No, mum, I won't. Stormfly is my dragon, and I won't let you hurt her." Astrid replied calmly. Ingrid had by then spotted the Chief standing behind the dragons.

"Stoick! What is this madness, what's going on?" She shouted, hefting her battle axe.

The Nadder squawked nervously at the weapon, opening her wings halfway in an attempt to appear larger than she was.

"Drop your weapons." Stoick ordered. "It's safe, don't worry. I'll explain everything in the Great Hall." Muttering nervously, but trusting their Chief, the warriors did as they were told, and dropped their blades before trudging to the Great Hall.

Everybody was intensely curious as to who could be sitting on the black dragon that could be nothing less than a Night Fury, but no one would hazard a guess. Nobody had a cloak like that.