This is where I belong ||httyd fanfic||

30.A new light from now on

Harold stood on the small hill his house was situated upon, simply staring out at the horizon as his daughter had when waiting for Hiccup. A blank expression crossed his face entirely, the hairs on his beard and his tunic fluttering in the cold winter breeze, creating goose bumps on his thick skin. For all the cold temperature did, he just continued to stand like a statue. For the first time in his career as chief, no, for the first time in his life, he had never felt so... unsure.

Two weeks had passed since that fateful day when his daughter and her friends had brought Hiccup in, unconscious and injured. At first the villagers nearly had heart attacks when they saw the dragon fleet following them, and they instantly drew their weapons ready for the full-out assault their ancestors had prophesized would come. Syn, however, managed to reassure them that all the dragons were harmless, with Toothless running up out of nowhere and barking out in a full-blown panic. Once Syn brought up Hiccup's condition, he was brought to the healer's hut without a moment's delay.

The healer had to angrily chase all the humans and dragons crowded at the windows brawling to get the better view to get any work done. After 6 strenuous hours her work was done, much to everyone's relief: Hiccup's fever had broken and his injuries were treated, but unfortunately there was nothing that could be done to save his leg. The Vikings all had to corral the dragons away, terrified that they would burn the whole village in panic once they saw the huge blade Harold had cleave his leg from right below his knee. To have to remove the limb of someone so young – Harold swore he would never forget such a terrible feeling for as long as he lived.

Hiccup remained comatose for the whole time until just yesterday, when he finally woke up to see Toothless at his bedside. He came out of the hut leaning on the head of his dragon like a crutch, his face covered in happy Night Fury slobber. Most people rushed to him and insisted he rest further, but no one argued when he claimed he was fine as they were all dying to hear about what he had discovered on that island.

No one was prepared for the tale of the grandiose battle he and Toothless had fought, against an evil Queen Dragon, the Red Death as she came to be known, and her mind-controlled subjects. Hiccup had risked his very life to save them and put an end to the suffering of humans and dragons alike, so now, what was there for men like Harold, who had spent his entire life fighting dragons? He had said that he didn't expect Hiccup to change the world in a single night, he recalled; expectations like that were simply too much to place on a boy, and yet here he was having done just that and lived to tell the tale. Should Harold have been happy that this terrible battle was done, or mad that Hiccup robbed him of his purpose in life? Honestly, he just didn't know.

Asmund walked up behind Harold's still form and placed a hand on his shoulder, then man giving no reaction to the sudden contact. "Silver for yur thoughts, my old friend?"

"We have lived our lives, as our forefathers have..." Harold started after a short pause, looking down to where the teens and younger children were, playing with some Terrible Terrors, "... and expected out children to do the same. Through battle, inherited from one generation to the next..."

"Aye, that we have." Asmund agreed.

"Did any of us truly believe that it would be our age when it would all come to an end? Did anyone know beyond any doubt that the day when peace would finally come was within their own lifetime waiting?" He bowed his head continuing, scoffing at the ridiculousness of it all. "Those who had been raised as warriors – we resigned ourselves to death knowing that we'd laid down our lives defending what was ours, and aided in carryin' on what we figured a proud legacy. A sweet dream: that was all it truly was, the dream of a future where bloodshed was but a sour memory."