The Night Rider

Chapter 27: Confession

HICCUPS POV.

Hiccup laid onto the hard wooden boards of the bed with a loud thud that forced most of the air out of his lungs. Hiccup shifted in the bed as he tried to find a comfortable position but with the pain from his wound and his feet needing to be propped up onto the footboard for him to even fit in the bed he just couldn't.

"Are you comfortable?" Asked his father as he clapped his hands together to rid them of dust. It was night and most of the village had gone to sleep and his father had seen it wise to move him to a safer location under the cloak of the darkness where there was something other than a thin sheet of cloth between him and the villagers of Berk. And of course his father had to chose his old room.

It was a lot smaller than Hiccup remembered, especially the bed. The chair that accompanied the table in the right corner of the room looked like it would barely hold up the weight of a large child. Of course when he has used the chair all those years ago he had been about the weight of one. "I'm fine." He said with a grin adjusting his body again.

"We'll build you a new bed some other time son." Said his father after he noticed the size difference between his son and the bed. "I'm looking forward to it." Hiccup replied pulling his helmet off his head and placing it on a side table. He had worn it during the transfer to the tent to his old room so if any Vikings were to see him they would just see the Night Rider but luckily there hadn't been any wandering the village although they had heard a few.

The move from the tent to his old room had been excruciating. At first Hiccup had insisted that he could walk the way with his fathers support but he had almost fainted with his first few steps so his father had to carry him. Of course since Astrid was the only trustworthy one that new his true identity she came along as lookout and in a last resort to stall anyone that was coming to close to them but luckily it hadn't come to that.

"How did you live in here?" Astrid asked as she entered the room from out in the hall. "It looks like a baby couldn't even fit in here." She joked making her and his father laugh but Hiccup simply rolled his eyes and looked in the opposite direction of the two. Nothing like reminding him of one of the reasons he left than a good old mocking of his old stature.

"It sure is dusty." Hiccup commented as he ran his finger along the side tables top. "I'm sorry, after you were taken I closed the door to this place and never opened it." He said also running his finger along a dusty surface. Astrid looked at Hiccup guiltily and Hiccup returned the same expression. "Astrid, can we have a moment alone?" He asked and Astrid left the room quickly closing the door behind her.

Hiccup scooted himself back up against the headboard so he could look his father more directly in the eyes. "Dad I need to talk to you about something." Hiccup said in a choked voice to which his father replied. "What's the matter son?" His father said with a soft smile. He couldn't tell him, the news would crush him. He was so happy to have Hiccup back and alive what he had to say would destroy him.

"What's wrong?" Asked his father noticing the troubled expression on his face. "Dad, what you said earlier. About me being taken by dragons." Hiccup paused. Could he really tell his father this? "Your worrying me son?" Said his father coming closer. His father was being so kind to him, the kindest he had been in years even before he had left Berk three years ago.

"That's not what happened." He said and he could see the confusion on his fathers face. "I went willingly." He finished and his fathers expression went blank. "That night of the raid when I said I hit a Night Fury I wasn't lying I did hit one. And I tracked him down and trained him and he became my best friend." Hiccup saw his father flinch as he said he was best friends with a dragon.

"And then I won dragon training and I was supposed to kill that Monstrous Nightmare I just couldn't bring myself to do it so I was going to leave." Hiccup saw several emotions go across his fathers face as he told his story. "But then Astrid saw me and she attacked and Toothless retaliated and everything was happening so fast an I... left." Hiccup felt the weight of his confession lifted off his chest as the last words left his mouth.

"And I'm so-." His father put up his had to signal him to stop speaking. "Stop, just don't." He rose from his side and made his way to the door. "Dad I'm so sorry." He said emotion filling his voice but his dad didn't stop. His father opened the door and stormed out and into his own room slamming the door behind him. Hiccup buried his face into the palms of his hands just wanting to disappear but none of the God's would offer him that release.

"Hey." Astrid said entering the room and taking a seat of the foot of the bed. "How are you doing? That looked pretty ruff." Hiccup pulled his head from his hands and looked up at her. "Me I'm doing great." He said in a sarcastic tone. "I mean it's not just like I lost my father again is it?" Astrid reached across the bed and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry Hiccup, your father lost you once. He won't let a single fight make him loose you again."

Hiccup gave her a nod and the two sat in silence until an ear shattering roar echoed throughout the village. "AARRRGGH!" Called the dragon startling the both of them. "It's Toothless!" Exclaimed Hiccup trying to get up from the bed but the pain from his wound stopped him. "You can't be moving around Hiccup or else you'll open your wound." Said Astrid who tried to hold Hiccup still as he slightly writhed in pain on the bed.

"It doesn't matter." Said Hiccup through his teeth. "I need to see Toothless." He said with new determination as from the prone position he swung his legs off his bed and onto the floor. "No Hiccup I wouldn't-." Astrid said trying to stop the dragon rider but to no avail as Hiccup collapsed onto the floor. "Hiccup!" She said rushing to his side. "Stoi-!" Astrid began to yell but Hiccup stopped her.

"Shhhh Astrid." He said quietly under his heavy breaths. "He'll only try and stop me." Hiccup explained as he leaned himself up against a wall trying to stand. "Stop you from what?" Asked Astrid swinging one of his arms around her neck to help him to his feet. "From going to see Toothless." He explained grabbing his helmet off the side table and slipping it over his face. "Hiccup you can't even walk on your own how do you plan to get across Berk to the arena?" She said in a hushed voice.

"Astrid, we could argue all night but it wouldn't help you to convince me to stay. I'm going, with or without your help." Astrid rolled her eyes in annoyance and began to help him out of the room and towards the stairs. "This is very dangerous Hiccup." She whispered as they entered the hall and continued towards the stairs. Hiccup looked over at Astrid. "Were Vikings, it's an occupational hazard." He said giving her a small smirk from under his helmet.

(Authors Note)
Hello everyone I hope you enjoyed the chapter and like always if there were any parts that didn't make sense or had spelling mistakes please tell me and I'll fix them. Also this entire chapter is actually only half of a longer chapter I wrote and I was planning to publish the other half  in a few days but if you want to sooner comment next chapter" and I'll edit and post it. Well that's all from me I hope you enjoyed. -Samuel Scutter