úlfheðnar, httyd

xvi. The Useless II

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter sixteen; hiccup
❝ the useless, part two! ❞

    THE door slammed behind Hiccup. He scrambled into the dark Great Hall, almost tripping over his own feet. Statues of his ancestors gazed down at him, leering━as if their faces were alive right now and glaring at him for what he had done. How he had completely disrespected his entire heritage; their work. And he had done willingly, and wantingly. 

    And in the shadow of his father storming in through, slamming the door so hard behind them it swung back open, Hiccup has never felt so small. 

    "I should have known," he growled, storming so loud his feet pounded on the stone of the Great Hall floor. "I should have seen the signs!"

     Part of Hiccup felt stupid that through all of this, he never actually thought his father would find out. He always thought he could hide it from him. He thought he could just avoid this conversation forever. It was ignorant and naive of him. And now, Hiccup truly has put himself in a compromising situation. "Dad?"

    "We had a deal!"

    "I━I know we did!" Hiccup chased after him past the statues, feeling a lump grow in his throat. "But that━that was before ... Aw," he tugged at his hair, "it's all so messed up..."

    His father grumbled, furious, "So, everything in the ring━a trick? A lie?!"

    "I screwed up," Hiccup pleaded. "I━I━I should have told you before now. I just━you━" he continued to stagger after his dad, the lump stopping his words from coming out like he wanted them to. "Please, take this out on me, be mad at me, but please━just don't hurt Toothless!"

     Stoick the Vast froze in his step. Hiccup jumped when he spun in his big boots and rounded on him with a shout of, "The dragon?!" he exploded. "That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost killed?!"

     "He━he━he was just protecting me!" cried Hiccup, desperate in the steam of light from the ajar door. "He's not dangerous!"

     "THEY'VE KILLED HUNDREDS OF US!"

     "AND WE'VE KILLED THOUSANDS OF THEM!"

     Hiccup's voice rang out into the Great Hall, echoing across the walls with the words no Viking has ever thought about. He watched his father pace angrily, lips sealed shut at what his son said. Hiccup took this chance to continue, holding his hands out in prayer for his father to finally listen to him. "They defend themselves, that's all! They raid us because they have to. If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves. There's ... something else on their island, Dad. It's a dragon like━"

     He faltered as he realised what he said. His father stopped pacing, eyes widening as he finally turned to his son. He had his full attention, but not in the way he wanted. "Their island?" he echoed, stepping closer. He towered over Hiccup, and his shoulders hunched, oh, what has he done? This just keeps getting worse and worse... "So, you've been to the nest?" his words were a whisper; bated with horrid excitement.

    Hiccup stammered, wanting to take back what he just told him, "D━D━Did I say nest?"

    "How did you find it?" his father asked, rushed. 

    "W━what? No! I━I didn't," Hiccup gestured widly, his heart beat rising by the second. "Toothless did. O━Only a dragon can find the island."