Riders of B E R K

Part 9: The Nadder X26

I found myself worrying about Hiccup in the infirmary as I ran through several simulations and passed them all. Major Gothi seemed satisfied with my performance though my appraisal feedback forms all have points for improvement. I won't be satisfied until there is nothing that can be improved upon. But they were generous with their time and seemed willing to put the time into my education before all Hell breaks loose. I should have be grateful but I really found myself wondering what happened.

Once I finished my shift, I hit the gym for my session and then I started worrying about Hiccup again. I knew it was stupid and he'd managed to survive here for five years without me but I felt...responsible for him. I didn't know what to do so I went in search of Gobber.

Colonel 'Gobber' Gordon, the General's oldest and most loyal friend was in charge of the base as head of operations and he also happened to be Hiccup's godfather. He was also one of only three people who Ozzie thought might be friends for the lad. I headed to his office and found Gobber wresting with some requisition orders, swearing softly in his Scottish brogue. I knocked and he immediately waved me in, his piercing blue eyes under a thick blond unibrow frustrated. He had a long blond moustache extravagantly braided, a bald head and he was a big man. Oh yes, and he was also missing his left hand and his right foot. He looked when I came in and threw a salute then laid down his pen and smiled at me.

"What canna do for ye, lassie?" he asked me warmly. I smiled back and sat in the chair he indicated with his hook.

"Where's Hiccup?" I asked him quietly. "I know that he went to talk to the General about his flight privileges..."

"Among other things," Gobber sighed. "Hiccup and his father have, ye may say, a...difficult relationship." I raised an eyebrow. Wasn't this a bit personal? But ever since I had arrived, Gobber had assumed I was Hiccup's friend because I had rescued him and helped him. In Gobber's world, that had translated into telling me everything I might ever want to know about Hiccup but would never even think to ask. To say he was indiscreet would be the world's biggest understatement-but what wasn't an understatement would be to say he loved the boy as a father. Almost certainly a million times more than his actual father. I guessed this was his way of trying to sell Hiccup to me as a friend and ensuring I would be there for him because it's pretty obvious even from my short time here, that almost no one else is.

"How so?" I asked. He sighed.

"Ye know his mother died when he was a wee bairn?" I nodded, remembering the image of that tiny boy, standing alone by his solid father with not even the comfort of having his hand held. "Stoick blamed the boy. It was a car accident, nothing tae do with wee Hiccup, o' course, but Valka died and the boy lived. In Stoick's mind, it should have been the other way round. So when he was landed with the boy after her death, he basically abandoned him." My eyes widened. "He was given a succession of nurses and housekeepers but he was basically sent away to school. Stoick only had interest in a son like hi'self-and Hiccup was not that boy."

"Hmm," I said softly. Hiccup had been really small as a kid, if that photo was anything to go by-and even as an adult, he's a scrawny, lanky toothpick. "Is Snotlout really his cousin?" Gobber nodded regretfully.

"Yeah," he said, his tone taking on a small growl. "Snotlout actually enjoys torturing the boy and always has. And of course, Snotlout is the paragon of virtue, as far as Stoick concerned."