Searching For You

Chapter 26: A Father's Guilt

Back down in the dungeons Stoick continuously threw himself at the cell door in hopes that it would open and he could end all this. But alas, it would not budge. He couldn't help but curse himself for having them so well-built. To be fair he never quite expected that he would be the one rotting away behind the rusted bars.

But he wasn't too concerned with that right now. He just prayed to the gods that Annie would be okay. He had no clue what they had taken him up there for but it couldn't have been good.

"Stoick, I know tha' look on yer' face. You've got ta' calm down and think of a proper plan." Gobber said, looking at his best friend from his cell just across from the other.

"I know, I know. But this is serious. If we don't think a' something quick it could put Annie and any Hybrids in danger. And I can't let that happen." He stared at the ground. Stoick was not the kind of person to be very revealing about his feelings, as implied by his name. But deep down he carried some guilt. Perhaps he was so protective over Annie - a girl he had just met - because he felt like he had to make up for what happened with his own son. He felt like he had let Hiccup down in some way. He couldn't protect him when he needed it most. Now he was trying to make up for it through Annie, if that was even possible. But right now he was failing.

He was lucky last time that all the events didn't cost Hiccup his life. This time appeared to be headed in a different direction.

"Ya' know it wasn't yer fault." His friend's voice broke through his thoughts.

Gobber was more aware than everyone else about the weight Stoick carried on his shoulders. But Stoick didn't want to hear this lecture again. "It doesn't matter let's just figure out how to get outta here and set everything straight. Still can't believe my own people would turn against me like this."

"Eh' don't think too much about it. People will do crazy things to get what they want." Gobber grumbled.

While the Gobber tried to think of a way to bust them both out of their current situation, Stoick was focused on what they would do once they were out. Just rushing in and trying to take everything back by force was not a smart idea. There were too many well-trained soldiers up there and as far as they were aware it was just the two of them. Doesn't seem like a happy ending.

However, if there was a slim chance there were others who believed the same thing they did it could tip a little bit more in their favor. But the odds of that happening were slim and they both knew that.

But Stoick also had his mind on another thing that was very important to him. He kept whispering and praying to himself.

"Please, Hiccup, don't come back now."