Chapter Text
The next few days Hiccup tried to stay in the nest as much as he could so that when he did want to go out he would have a bigger percentage of his mother letting him go since he’s been good for so long.
One of those days is today.
He’s planning to ask his mom if he could go for a quick outing to the nearby island - Ventu - that has a leatherworker that could improve his saddle since the one he uses currently is not good for his butt in the long run.
He found that out recently on his trip to the faraway land he theorises could be Berk. Well, he at least hopes it is.
Maybe he could ask the people from Ventu if that island is Berk, or if they know where Berk is. Or, third option, he could just ask his mom. After all she did say she would try and answer as many questions he had about Berk as she could. He’ll do that maybe if the villagers won’t answer him.
He went to his mother's room and knocked on the stone wall around the entrance.
His mother turned around from her makeshift vanity table where she was organizing something.
“Oh, Hiccup, do you want something?” She asked him with a slight smile on her face.
“Yeah, uh,” He scratched the back of his neck as he tended to do when nervous. “I was wondering if you would let me go to Ventu, so I could give them my saddle. It’s gotten a bit hard to sit on recently” He said and fidgeted with his sleeves.
Please say yes.
He pleaded in his head while trying to look natural in front of his mom who now turned around fully to face him.
“Your saddle isn’t that old, it should still be in a pretty good shape” she said and furrowed her brows slightly.
“Well, I was surprised too” He said “It was fine until recently” He shrugged and waited in anticipation for his mom’s answer.
“Well, I guess you can go” she stated simply after a beat “But you have to promise to come back on time this time” She looked at him seriously, leaving no room for any arguments. And he understood that.
Hiccup nodded eagerly and went away from her room, heading for his room to get some stuff he’ll need for his little trip. Like money, a little bit of food - berries in this case -, some water in a bottle, and his sketchbook so he could show the leatherworker what he wants. He’ll have to pay a bit more for the saddle if it’s after his wishes, but it’ll be worth it. For sure.
He takes all the things he took from his room and looks for Heckrazor.
He quickly spots the said dragon all the way down the nest in a pile of grass, laying peacefully with other dragons from his species.
Hiccup whistled their special whistle and soon watched as Heckrazor flew up to him with his big pair of green and yellow wings. Truly beautiful creatures dragons are. How could anyone hate them? Or worse, kill them.
Heckrazor landed on the cliffside and pulled up beside Hiccup with a croon. Clearly also having missed their flights together.
Heckrazor nuzzled his head into Hiccup's belly while Hiccup giggled and scratched the dragon's head.
“Come on buddy, we’re gonna get us a new saddle” He patted Heckrazors side “Better for me and you” He said happily and walked over to the saddle on Heckrazors back before hopping on it.
Soon enough they were both taking off and diving into one of the nests hundreds of tunnels that led to the outside world.
The tunnels were dark as always but easy to get through nonetheless since they both knew them by heart after flying through them so many times.
Their bond was one of a kind, really. Having both been around each other since they were small and stupid - not like anything changed much, really.
They were trained from very young ages to be around each other and how to coexist, just like his mother and cloudjumper did. Just on a more baby level.
He can still remember their first flight together. It had been a quick and safe one, but still a fun first one.
They were both around the age of five, old enough to fly.
That day they had flown right over the great bewilder beast's head and over the cliffs. So that if they fell they would be close to the ground or the safe and big body of the bewilder beast. It was fun, really. It’s not every day that you fly right over the bewilder beasts head right?
Or there was that one time when they wanted to sneak out and tried to get out through the tunnels and got lost. It had taken them hours to get out of them. But they had a blast about it afterward so it was all good and a very fond memory in Hiccup's mind.
And after all these years, 12 together. They had gotten so close that they knew each other in and out. Sometimes they can even communicate without words, by just a glance at each other they were able to tell what the other was thinking. Which sometimes came in handy if you didn’t want to say what you think out loud and let others hear except for someone trusted.
Their relationship was great really. And he would never wish that his best bud was someone else. He’s perfect as he is.
They exited the tunnels and flew right into the morning air that was still quite chilly, and the sun was still low on the horizon.
They flew past meadows and oceans before they finally spotted Ventu. A small island with a quite big population of people residing on it.
They had blacksmiths, leathermakers, brewers - the most important for many - butchers, seamstresses, bakers, herbalists, fishmongers and many more. Everything you would want. Everything hiccup would need. And they didn’t get dragon raids meaning they didn't slaughter dragons like some other villages around the archipelago. Which was just another thing Hiccup found great about the island.
The people from Ventu were also super kind and sometimes gave discounts. What more could you possibly want. It’s the perfect handle place. Hence why they also have so many merchants from other islands coming to them to trade stuff.
Hiccup and Heckrazor flew into the island's nearby forest and separated. Heckrazor staying hidden in the trees and Hiccup going into the village to buy a new, better saddle.
The village was quite big and had lots of houses. The main street was filled with shops, creating a market where a lot of people would come shop at, and making it easier for Hiccup to blend in.
He made his way over to the leathermaker he usually goes to and when he notices there’s no line, he quickens up his step.
As soon as he reaches the shop, he sets down the money sack he brought with him, sets it on the counter and rings the bell over his head to sound his arrival.
A beat later a man with a thick brown beard and long braided hair comes out from behind a curtain at the back of the shop and walks over to Hiccup.
“Ah, hello there lad” He says once he recognises hiccups face.
“Fancy seeing you here again, what’s it this time?” The man asks Hiccup and leans on one hand on the wooden counter.
“Nice seeing you again as well Ulf” he greets the man with a smile before scooting his sack of money closer to the said man.
“I would like you to make me a custom saddle, my previous one has gotten quite hard on long trips you see” He explains as best as he can without revealing that the saddle is used for a dragon.
“Already?” Ulf furrows his brows “I could’a sworn I just did that one for ya recently, no?”
“Yeah, but it’s hard to sit on after some time, so…” Hiccup pulls out his notebook and turns to the page with the new saddle model on it quickly so one one sees the dragon sketches he has in it “I drew how I would want the new saddle to preferably look like”
“Really? let me see it” Ulf said and inclined closer to get a batter look at Hiccup's sketch.
“Well, I gotta say you’ve got a talent for drawing lad” Ulf turned to Hiccup.
“I’ve never seen anyone come to my shop with a more detailed sketch before!” Ulf exclaimed and took the sketch in his hand to get all the details.
“Truly impressive!”
Hiccup just scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. He’s not really used to getting compliments like this from people. And will probably never be.
“Thank you very much. I’ve still got a long way to go” Hiccup said. Because it was the truth.
He’s seen how professional paintings and sketches look, and it’s nowhere near his drawings. But he’s determined to try and improve to even get a tad closer to the professional level.
“Well, either way, can you do it?” He asks Ulf. He doesn’t need compliments about his drawing right now. He needs to do the business he’s come for. And also because if he stays for too long heckrazor might get suspicious and head out to find Hiccup and see if he’s alright. After all, he is trained to keep Hiccup safe at all times.
It has happened before that Heckrazor went out to see if Hiccup was alright when he didn’t come back to him after a long while. And that had been because an old lady had stopped him to ask if he could help her with taking some things because they were too heavy for her to take them all by herself. And because there was no one else around he could put the burden on, he had no choice but to help her. And that had taken a lot more time than he wished it did because she was a slow walker.
That had made Heckrazor vary and he got out of his hiding in the forest to look for Hiccup.
Luckily the dragon was as said before trained very well and so he flew around the village so that no one would spot him easily.
Once he spotted Hiccup he just followed the boy from the air until he he entered the forest where he could land and show himself.
Hopefully today Ulf will be quick and no old lady will try and snatch him on any unnecessary side quest.
Ulf luckily agreed to do the saddle that Hiccup had drawn and just like that Hiccup had some time to look around the market at the other stalls and shops.
The road was broad and full of people so it wasn’t hard to pretend you were from here, since many of the people that walked the streets around the markets didn’t live here either. This was a popular handle plaza after all.
Hiccup decided to go to the herbalist first to check out if they have anything for his mother.
Lately she’s been coughing a bit so maybe he could get something like tea for her. That should help right?
He walked up to the stall and stood in line behind a girl with a thick black braid.
As he stood in the line he realised he'd gotten a little hungry so he took out his sack with blueberries and picked one up before tossing it into the air and catching it in his mouth. Unfortunately the blueberry flew straight into his throat, making him cough until it flew out.
When it finally did he gasped and shook his head. Never again.
He looked up to see that the girl in front of him had turned around and was now looking at him with slight concern.
“You okay?” She asked and raised an eyebrow, a small unsure smile playing on her face.
“Oh, yeah, sorry” Hiccup answered and looked away from her mossy green eyes. Too embarrassed to do so after making himself look like an idiot. Well when did he not make himself look like an idiot?
He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the girl was now looking down at his hands where the rest of his blueberries were placed.
“Can I have some?” She asked out of the blue and pointed at the berries in his hand with one finger.
Hiccup looked back at her and then at the berries in his hand. He had lots of them. Obviously because if Heckrazor wanted some he would not get by on one berry like humans but would need at least 10. But no one here knows that so it looks like he absolutely loves blueberries and needs a whole sack of them. Not his best first impression, but is there really a good one? A 15 year old boy living with his mom in an ice mountain and hanging out with beasts doesn’t sound any better for a first impression.
“Sure?” he says and extends his arm so that she can get some of his blueberries without problem.
She takes a few into her palm and throws one of them up into the air and tries to catch it into her mouth like Hiccup had seconds before but the berry misses her mouth and hits her eye, making her close her eyes shut and then stare at the berry on the ground before looking back at Hiccup with a bewildered look.
After a beat of looking at each other, they both burst out laughing.
How much worse could you get at this? Probably only by getting one stuck in your nostril or missing the berry completely.
When they’re done and the laughing dies a bit down she takes one berry into her mouth normally and her eyes widen.
“Oh, gosh, these are delicious!” She exclaims as she eats another one.
“Where did you get these!?” She asks.
“Hm? Oh, from an island nearby from where I come from. They're the best I’ve had so I just keep coming back there for more” he answers her truthfully.
“Though it's quite far away” he adds.
If not for the fact that he gets from place to place on dragon back, he would need a few days to get here and a few hours to get to the berries.
“Awh, sucks” She says before adding “Names Heather by the way, nice to meet you” She extends her hand to do a hand shake which Hiccup accepts and says “I’m Hiccup”
“Hiccup?” She raises an eyebrow in amusement “What an odd name”
“Parents believe it will fight off gnomes and trolls if you have a frightening name” He shrugs. That’s what his mother tells him at least.
“Ah, right, viking names, should've figured”
They chit chat a bit as the line gets smaller and agree to meet up again sometime in the same spot. Hiccup gets some meds for his mother and her coughing with the money he has left and heads out to check how his saddle is looking.
Luckily by the time he gets back to Ulf the saddle is almost done and ready to use.
He hangs out a bit around and when the saddle is finally ready, he runs back to the first and to Heckrazor who is impatiently waiting for hiccup to come back.
Hiccup sets the new saddle into the bag on Heckrazors belly, not wanting to waste time here trying to put it on, and flies straight home to the nest, having in the end completely forgotten to ask the villagers about his past home, Berk.