Home-Bound: Broken Ties

17 - Baby Steps

I might be a little late with next week's update... I haven't even started planning it!

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Adjusting to life with a prosthetic limb was much more difficult than Hiccup thought it would be. There were times when the ache on his stump became so great that he would need to sit down for an hour straight. Other instances, the phantom pains would incapacitate him. The fire-like tendrils would originate where his left ankle would be and slowly flow up his leg, surrounding his chest in poison. Those episodes were the worst.

Hiccup's recovery took place on Berk. He wasn't able to fly Toothless—or any dragons for that matter—back to Isunder, and the flagship was too damaged to carry all of the Royal Guard back to the Mediterranean. Until Hiccup could heal enough to fly back or the flagship could be repaired, Hiccup and the Royal Guard were stuck on Berk.

Allen tried to take Toothless out on flights but he was much too busy keeping track of the Guard in the absence of Luneah and Hiccup. Toothless had his semi-automatic tailfin (courtesy of Hiccup's blueprints and Jeysannia's master blacksmithing skills) but the tailfin was much too fragile to go top speed and around sharp turns—something which Toothless enjoyed all too much. Besides, Allen didn't have enough experience using Toothless' foot pedals to challenge the Night Fury in the way Hiccup and Luneah knew how to. It just wasn't the same.

Toothless stuck by Hiccup's side even though the Chief stayed in bed for the majority of the days. He probably would have tried to walk within the first week of regaining consciousness if it weren't for Valka and Allen physically restraining him to the bed and Elise slipping a sleeping herb into Hiccup's tea. But here he was, two weeks later. Allen and Jeysannia were sent back to Isunder to try and deal with the chaos of winter preparations. Valka and Elise stayed behind to care for Hiccup. Luneah wasn't allowed to fly at all (Elise's orders) until she gave birth. The heirs to Isunder would be born on Berk unless the flagship could be repaired in time.

Which, in fact, was not going all too well. The lumber used for the flagship was made out of the great red pine from Isunder's forests. The trees only grew on Isunder and the planks needed to repair the massive ship were too large for any dragon to carry such a long distance. A new flagship would need to be rebuilt on Isunder and sent to Berk (which would most likely take all winter due to the approaching stormy season).

Hiccup and Luneah were both grounded. Literally.

Luneah tried to go on walks about the village, usually accompanied by Saphira (who had made it her personal goal to get to know every single freed dragon that had taken refuge on Berk) or a small team of Royal Guards. When she wasn't out and about, she was drawing or writing in one of her journals, shooting arrows in the arena, or just simply enjoying Hiccup's presence. Or at least she tried to...

"You're really going to do it this time, huh?"

"Nothing can stop me."

"Literally everything can stop you right now. A pebble on the road could incapacitate you."

"Nothing's going to happen, Luneah!"

"I have an alphabetized list of things that could possibly go wrong."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, testing his balance on the new prosthetic Gobber made for him. It was an ingenious design, one made entirely by Gobber (although Jeysannia did have a bit of adjustments and suggestions). Not too bad... I might adjust the spring just a little bit. And the fit is a little loose."

"How are you so nonchalant about this?!" Luneah exclaimed. "You're talking about your missing leg like it's the damn weather."

"Y'know, the clouds did seem a bit thick when I looked out the window this morning. I think it might be a storm—"