The Night Rider

Chapter 26: Dosen't Feel Good, Not Good At All

HICCUPS POV.

"Goathy why doesn't he remember?" Hiccup heard Astrid ask from outside the thin tent walls. Hiccup heard the sound of Goathy's staff being dragged through the dirt as she wrote a response to Astrid's question. "Head trauma, he was fighting after the crash why would the head trauma just be showing up?" Stoick asked and he heard the old healer start writing in the dirt again.

'Fighting, I wasn't fighting. I was knocked unconscious in the crash.' Thought Hiccup. 'Or at least that's what Astrid said.' Hiccup heard Goathy's staff stop moving in the dirt and he started to listen again to there faint conversation. Stoick sighed in response to what Goathy must have written. "Is it permanent?" Asked Astrid and Goathy's stick was back in the dirt.

"Well that's good at least." Astrid said. A faint voice of another Viking called for Goathy and Hiccup heard the shuffling of her small feet as she walked away. The flaps to the tent opened and the two re-entered. "Hey." Said Astrid. Hiccup gave her a small smile and turned his head to look at his father as best as he could but Stoick diverted his eyes away from his sons.

"What don't I remember?" Hiccup asked and the two exchanged a nervous look. "What do you mean?" The suddenly nervous teen sputtered out. Hiccup moved his index finger and tapped the thin cloth wall of the tent. "Thin walls." He said and Astrid gave Stoick another nervous look. "He deserves to know Astrid." Muttered Stoick looking towards his injured son but still not quite making eye contact with him.

"Hi- Hiccu-." Stoick tried to say his name but Hiccup could see the pain it was causing him on his face. "Hiccup." He said with an exhale and Hiccup saw his eye's begin to well up with small tears. "After Astrid returned to Berk we asked her where you were and she told us." Said his father and Hiccup let his head fall to the table feeling betrayed.

"I'm sorry Hiccup, I didn't think that they'd go after you." Astrid explained frantically guilt lacing her voice. "It's fine." Hiccup whispered not bothering to raise his head from the table. He had said it was fine but he and Astrid both new what he said were just empty words. "Me and a small gathering began to go to the cove." Continued Stoick. "And when we got there we saw you and the dragon sitting at the waterline and we seized the opportunity."

Stoick's voice was filled with sadness and regret as he said the next few sentences. "We attacked you... but you and the dragon were getting away but then a bola snagged you and you fell..." Hiccups fathers voice was know quivering and he was almost certain that he was crying or on the brink of it. "We went into the cove and then... then-."

Astrids voice broke into the conversation. "They started attacking, the other Vikings. You tried to hold them off but they overwhelmed you and one of them got through a damaged part in your armor and stabbed you." She explained and Hiccups hand went the new wound he had. "They were about to finish you when I showed up and told everyone who you were." Astrid voice grew small and trailed off. "I'm sorry I had to."

Hiccup cleared his throat. "It's fine, you did what you had to. So everyone knows I'm alive?" He asked. "No, only the people who attacked you. Most of the village knows that we just have the Night Rider in here." Astrid replied. Hiccup looked up at the two and directed his next question to Astrid. His father didn't seem like he'd be able to answer it in his saddened state. "Why can't I remember it?" He asked. "Goathy said that in the crash you may have received head trauma and it could have been worsened by the blood you lost."

A single tear rolled down Hiccups cheek. "Goathy said it might not be permanent though." Hiccup was silent and let his head fall back onto the table . "Astrid can you give us a moment." Stoick said. "Are you sure?" She replied and out of the corner of his eye he saw his father nod and Astrid left.

The following minutes were silent, neither Hiccup or his father said a word the only sounds came from people outside the tent and there steady breathing but eventually Stoick broke the silence. "Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat." Offered Stoick. "I'm not really hungry." Replied Hiccup and the silence between the two continued. "I'm glad your home." Said Stoick trying to continue the conversation through the awkward tension.

"Oh you are? I mean of course you are." Hiccup scolded himself in his head for what he had said. "Why wouldn't I be?" He asked confused.  Hiccup sighed and turned his head over so he could see his helmet resting on the table beside him. "I just wasn't sure if you'd welcome me because of my." Hiccup outstretched his hand and ran it down his helmet. "New way of life." He finished.

"I would be lying if I said it wasn't difficult for me to wrap my mind around this new you. But now that your back this whole Night Rider thing is over. Right?" Hiccup was silent. He hadn't really considered staying on Berk. He had been think that when he was better he'd leave with Toothless. "Hiccup?" Said his father and he responded. "Right, it's over now." He replied.

"Well I'm going to get going so you can rest." He said and walked to Hiccups side and for the first time the two made eye contact and in his eye's Hiccup could see that his father was regretting something. "I'm glad your home son." He gave him a smile and patted him on the shoulder and then left the tent. Hiccup let out a sigh. He forgot how much he hated lying to his father. It didn't feel good, not good at all...

(Authors Note)
A new chapter wooo. I've had some pretty bad writers block recently and I wasn't sure when I'd be able to get back to it but then last night I was watching Supernatural and I saw this scene and I just felt super inspired to keep writing. "Supernatural Season 15 episode 4. 23:45 - 24:30" - Samuel Scutter