The End of the Beginning (Hiccup x OC) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 2

The next day I woke up with Wooly lying on top of me, his quiet snores the only sound in the silent room. I gently picked him up and set him down on the floor, changing my clothes. Wooly plopped down on the floor again as if it didn't matter where he was; nothing was going to interrupt his beauty sleep. How else would his wool become so perfectly fluffy?

Once I had finished changing, I picked him up again and ran down the stairs. It was a new day and I intended to make the best of it. My feet reached the main floor and I slid across the floor to the table and into a chair. Mother's back was turned as she made breakfast. "So, Mom, what's for breakfast?" I set Wooly in my lap.

"Eggs and no sheep at the table."

I smiled and set the lamb on the floor. He looked at the open door and then up at me. "Go ahead." The lamb bleated joyfully and took off at a run out the door, overjoyed at his newfound freedom. I shook my head and laughed.

"You really spoil that lamb," Mother said, placing a plate of eggs in front of me and a wooden fork.

"I can't help it. He's the runt of the litter, but just because he's the runt doesn't mean he can't do great things even if he is only a sheep."

"Is that why you didn't name him Hiccup?" She sat down in the chair across from me with her own plate of eggs and fork.

My mind shifted to the chief's son. "Well, I know he's an animal but I think that giving a name to an animal or a person just because of their size isn't right." I took a forkful of eggs and popped it into my mouth. I chewed and swallowed. "They just need some extra loving."

She smiled and ate some of her eggs.

"So, Mom, dragon training is going on again today..." I cautiously looked up from my plate to see her facial expression.

She set down her fork and looked sternly at me. "Marish, you know well why you are never joining the recruits."

I sighed. "But, Mom-"

"No buts!" Mother stood up, her hands on the table and her authority over me becoming fearful. "I am tired of hearing this talk of dragon training, dragon recruits or whatever you call them. Your father died because of dragons, but I am not going to let you die because of one!"

I shrunk back into my chair, tears forming slowly in my eyes. My mother had never shown her thoughts in this way and it quite terrified me. She sat back down and stared at her plate. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off so harsh." She paused as her own tears formed. "I loved your father very much and I love you very much. I just don't want what happened to him to happen to you..." A tear slipped down her cheek and she looked up at me. "You understand that, don't you?"

I nodded timidly, getting up and slowly walking outside, leaving my half-finished plate of eggs on the table. "I'm just gonna get some air." As soon as both my feet were out the door and I was out of my mother's sight, I ran. I ran as far away as I could. Away from my mother, away from my house, away from my life.

I ran deep into the woods until I was out of breath and climbed a tree. I liked the feel of wind blowing my hair and looking down to see how high I was from the ground. I looked up at the sky and thought how it would feel to touch a cloud and fly to the sun. But of course those were childlike thoughts. I scolded myself for thinking in such a way. After all, I was growing older and thoughts like those do not teach a woman how to clean the house or make a good wife.

Now, I'm beginning to sound like Mother.

I sat, enjoying the silence when a thought entered my mind. Mother said I couldn't become a recruit, but she never said I had to stop watching them. In fact, I had gone to watch them often, learning many facts about the dragons as they practiced and tactics on how to fight them. Of course, Mother didn't know of those excursions or I would be grounded for life, never to see the shining sun again.

I climbed down the tree nimbly and dropped to the ground. The plan was simple: sneak back into my room unseen by my mother, grab my dragon journal and sneak back out to watch the training session.