Bond Between

Chapter 4

Hiccup and Nina arrived at the village about four hours later. They were both floored that people were actually being more polite. Splitting off from each other, Hiccup headed home, meeting up with his dad while she walked right into her parents' open arms. He watched as they went into their home, laughing and chattering happily with each other. Stoick put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Let's go inside," he said after a moment. They both did so and sat down to enjoy a quick supper. "So what did you and Nina do today?"

"We just sat around and talked through some stuff." The conversation faltered there as Hiccup kept his eyes on his food. He sighed and looked up at his father. "Dad, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?" 

"When did you decide that Mom was the one for you?" A painful knife plunged itself into Stoick's heart. His wife was a sensitive spot, but he had known it was inevitable that Hiccup would ask about her.

He chose his words carefully. "Something you should know, son, is that your mother had a gentle, yet fiery strength about her, something that only came out when she felt someone she cared about was in danger, or when she was defending something she strongly believed. I loved that about her."

Hiccup sat quietly, letting his father deal with his emotions and thoughts. 

"I guess I decided that I wanted to be with her forever when I saw her one morning about a month after I became chief. She spent a lot of time with me, and I truly enjoyed it. I never wanted to be apart from her, and I wish she were here with us so you could know her," he said his voice going a little hoarse at the end. He fell silent and pulled a heavy drink from his mug. He swallowed hard behind the cup, hiding his face so his son wouldn't see the tears just behind his eyes. Once he regained control of his emotions, Stoick set the mug down. "Now what makes you want to know about that at your age? Are you taking a fancy to Nina?"

"Huh? No! Ew, she's my best friend, Dad!" laughed Hiccup. "No, I think I feel the same way you felt about Mom, but toward Astrid instead."

Stoick's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Astrid? Wasn't she one of the kids who relentlessly tormented him? He decided to bring that fact up. "Isn't she one of the kids who makes fun of you?"

"Yeah, but even when she pushes me around I can tell she doesn't mean it," he said, leaning against his hand, sighing happily as he stared off into the distance. He put another spoonful of soup in his mouth, which was basically just hot water. He closed his eyes and smiled.

Thor's thunder, he's gonna wind up with someone who doesn't care about him, Stoick thought as he watched his son. Dread began welling up a little. Something had to be done. 

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A couple days later, Hiccup and Nina pulled even at the age of ten. They'd been friends for years, so it was surprising when Hiccup didn't hang out with her that day. It kind of hurt her feelings, especially when she saw him fawning over Astrid. Stoick had called a village meeting with the adults. They were going on a raid, trying to find the Dragon's Nest. When her parents came back, they gave Nina a big hug, told her they loved her and would be back as soon as possible.

Something felt sickeningly off about the trip to Nina and she didn't know why. She grabbed their hands as they prepared to leave. "Do you guys have to go?" she whined. "Something's different this time, I know it."

Her father, Rae, knelt down and hugged her close. She squeezed him tightly. "I promise, we'll be back. Trust your heart, and let it guide you."

"It whispers," her mother, Rieta, continued. "It whispers, so you have to listen close to hear it."

After a few moments, Nina nodded into her father's shoulder. "I still don't want you guys to go," she said with a pout. Her mother stroked her cheek and then petted her hair. 

"No matter what happens, we'll be with you, dear," she said. "Always." Eventually, her parents managed to calm her down enough for them to be able to leave. She raced to the edge of a cliff that had the best view of the receding ships. She watched the boats go and felt a strange sense of grief, fear, and longing fill her heart. She wished she could believe her parents when they told her that they'd be back, but something just didn't feel right.