The Lost Boy V - Short stories

Betrothal gift

(set between Books 3 & 4)

Hiccup turned the medal between his fingers, scrutinizing each curve, carving and highlight. He rose an eyebrow to the black-smith who was standing a few steps from him, blue eyes darting between the young chief and the piece of metal.

''Are you sure ?'' Hiccup inquired.

''Ya bet I am.'' Gobber replied, waving his wooden hand to the younger viking. ''This is the betrothal gift yer father gave yer mother. And if I remember correctly, she offered him a homemade pint, but it has been broken a few years ago...''

Hiccup didn't listened to the blond's rambling as he focused back on the pendant. It was not big, it didn't have lace anymore, it was pretty old and dulled by dust, but still he found it beautiful. The carving was complex and detailed. Among a few figures and celtic knots, Hiccup recognized a viking and a dragon placed like mirrors. Both had the same shape of horns intertwined together, either from helmet of natural horns, and the waving beard of the viking matched the fire the dragon breathed.

It would certainly need some work to clean and shine the pendant, still Hiccup was confident. Not only the necklace was pretty, but he also knew Joke was fond of memories. A broad smile crept on the freckled face just by picturing his fiancé's reaction to the gift.

''It's perfect.'' He said, cutting Gobber's tale.

The black-smith was a bit irritated by that, but he dismissed it as he saw the adorating look Hiccup was giving the pendant.

''If ya need a hand, I can help ya cleaning it.''

''Thanks, Gobber.''

''Luckily there's still a few days, heh ?'' The black-smith chuckled.

He elbowed the young chief to tease him, then his smile grew somewhat nostalgic.

''Stoick would be proud of ya, lad, and he'd want ya ta have it.''

Hiccup smiled too, even if his heart ached a bit at the mention of his father.

Traditions wanted betrothal gifts to be exchanged six moons after the first anouncement of said betrothal. Vikings had always been attached to traditions, and despite Stoick's death having been a shock for everyone, it had not cast shadow on Hiccup and Joke's betrothal. The young chef knew his father would have never wanted anything to ruin this happy event.

Still he had taken time to mourn his loss, and even after six moons it was still difficult to get on with the red-head's absence. The village had lost an important figure of their community, Hiccup had lost his father, and the man's absence was mostly felt in the Haddocks' hutt and the smithy. The deepest regret Hiccup had concerning his father was not really all he had lost with him, but everything his father would not share with him in the future. Stoick had missed his son's coronation as chief, and was going to miss his wedding.

So, more than ever, Hiccup understood why Joke was so attached to memories and the slightest thing one could have of dear ones who were gone. The white-haired young man had spent most of his life wondering about his origins, without any memory to answer his questions. And now he had found these answers, the only link he had with this lost past was his mother Elska. All Joke had from his father was stories and a portrait, that is to say less things than Hiccup had from his mother.

So the young chief of Berk was determined to keep his father's memory as alive as possible, and it started with turning Stoick's betrothal gift for Valka into the one he was going to give his own fiancé. While Gobber walked with him towards the smithy to start their work on the old pendant, he couldn't help but wonder what Joke was going to give him in return.