I don't know how long ago I got this idea, but it was inspired by a friend of mine while watching RttE during a stream. I'm pretty sure. Pretty sure.

Constructive criticism is highly appreciated.

Enjoy!

Harpoon

They needed help. That was the conclusion Hiccup came to as it became clear to him that he and Toothless were not winning this fight.

Despite the ships they'd sunk and the Singetails they'd freed, Krogan's men still managed to draw out the Titanwing Dramillion, the rumoured King of Dragons the two of them had come all this way to protect. Half the island was burning, too, and for every enemy they took down another was to take his place.

There seemed to be no end to them. In spite of the blows they'd dealt, Hiccup and Toothless were greatly outnumbered and they weren't holding out for as long as they'd hoped. That fact weighed heavily on them both.

They downed another Flyer through the use of the grappling hook stored in Hiccup's shield and Toothless roared.

"I know, Bud. I'm getting tired as well." He admitted, though. He briefly laid a hand on the Night Fury's head in solidarity. Dodging arrows, dragon fire, bolas, and ballistas on top of trying to dispose of all of their adversaries, they were tiring quickly.

Still, they weren't ready to give up just yet, stubborn as they were.

It shouldn't be much longer now. The rest of the Dragon Riders couldn't be that far behind. Though they had decided to go along with Spitelout after he had come to collect the young heir of Berk, Hiccup remained hopeful that they were on their way, that they had changed their minds about going home and were just moments away from entering the fray.

He didn't lose faith. He knew they were coming. After the year they'd spent together, fighting side by side, protecting each other, growing to be even closer, he knew he could count on them.

That trust was the biggest motive behind Hiccup's and Toothless' decision to keep fighting in the first place. Why they hadn't looked at the odds stacked against them and made the choice to opt for a tactical retreat.

It was the reason Hiccup decided to look towards his left, towards the ships Johann was commanding while Krogan commanded those in the air. He was simply curious to see what he was up to, make sure there weren't anymore attacks that they needed to look out for.

For only a split second he saw the glinting metal of an incoming harpoon he never expected to see.

It was right in front of him.

"Where Hiccup goes, we go."

That is what Astrid told them and those were the words the Dragon Riders decided to live by. They had been doing so for the bigger part of the past four years, whether they realized it or not.

Astrid spoke to them after they'd returned to Berk.

With Stoick taking a turn for the worst, the council had decided to summon their young heir back to temporarily, or maybe even permanently, succeed his father as Chief and Spitelout had been sent to go get him. The problem was, Hiccup had left them.

With all the Dragon Eye lenses gathered and the location of the Titanwing Dramilion now known to both friend and foe, Hiccup elected to ignore the decision of the council. Much like his father has done many times before, he had decided to make the Chief proud by ignoring them too.

Spitelout was supposed to make sure Hiccup wouldn't run and would go straight home. Gobber, though he had volunteered, had been deemed too soft-hearted for the job, so the Jorgenson patriarch was the council's chosen escort. Hiccup managed to slip through his fingers. As the rest of the Dragon Riders packed up their stuff, Hiccup and Toothless were already long gone.

Upon arriving at Berk and hearing Astrid's reminder that the group of eleven were a family and that Hiccup needed them, the Dragon Riders planned to leave Spitelout and turn right back around.

And they did it. They managed to ditch Spitelout on Berk, let him deal with the council's anger that he wasn't able to get Hiccup home. It took them long enough to catch up with their wayward members, but they hurried.

Now they just had to join Hiccup and Toothless on Dramillion Island to join the battle. Johann shouldn't have reached that island before they did, but the fighting must've already started. If all went right, the Dragon Riders could make a grand entrance as they joined their leader and the Night Fury just in time to save the day.

Except that wasn't quite what happened.

They arrived and they found fire, sunken ships, and plenty of freed Singetails either flying away or hanging around, but also something else that they didn't quite expect.

"Astrid, look!" Fishlegs pointed and she looked over, all the Dragon Riders did. What they saw were ships and the Flyers leaving.

Together with the Titanwing Dramillion they were hoping to keep safe.

They all halted to watch them go, overwhelmed by an unforeseen sense of defeat. They hadn't even made a move of their own yet.

And they all wondered, with the fighting already over, what had become of their friends?

They weren't in the sky, that was for sure.

"Dragon Riders! New mission. We find Hiccup and Toothless and make sure they're okay first." As Astrid addressed the others, she could see the alarm on all of their faces. They were looks worn by the Dragons too. Catching up with Johann and Krogan could wait.

Hiccup wasn't one to just give up on the Dramillion. Something must've happened that prevented him from protecting the Titanwing dragon. Nobody was quite ready to discover just what that was.

The Dragon Riders decided to split up. To the North, the South, the East and the West of the island. If their friends were still here, someone was bound to find them.

That someone ended up being Snotlout and Hookfang.

They were scouting their side of the island when they found their missing members. The sounds of screaming reached their ears. And like they stopped in mid-air, so did the beating of their hearts.

"Hiccup..." Snotlout spoke with a shaky voice, gazing into the direction the sounds were coming from. Hookfang grumbled in worry, sharing his Rider's fears.

"Hookfang!" Whatever Snotlout was trying to tell him, the Monstrous Nightmare already beat him to it. He send out a shot of fire, signalling that they'd found them and were in need of help.

They could see the others far away in the distance reacting to the SOS, tiny colourful specks that turned to face them from several different directions. Knowing they were coming, Snotlout and Hookfang already set down where they heard all that yelling coming from.

Toothless looked fine, well enough to watch the duo land and call them over, but the same couldn't be said for Hiccup.

It was from him that the screaming was coming from.

Hookfang set down quickly and Snotlout nearly ripped himself out of the saddle trying to dismount. Their eyes never left the two other Dragon Riders. Hiccup was writhing on the ground, there was barely a break in his yelling. Lungfulls left him and he barely breathed in at all.

Well, he wasn't really screaming. He was more crying, full-on bawling.

Toothless stood over him. He was desperate to calm his Viking down, but no amount of cooing or smushing their noses and cheeks together could get him to relax even a little bit.

As Snotlout reached them after a short sprint, he figured out why.

There was blood everywhere.

Snotlout briefly froze, it took every ounce of his will not to completely freak out at what he saw, but he got himself to move.

He kneeled down next to Hiccup, Toothless gave him room as he wasn't getting anywhere. Snot's knees became bloody.

It was covering Hiccup's everything. From his head, his hands, and tunic to the grass beneath him, it all ran red. He was holding onto the right side of his face, covering his eye with both hands and blood still came seeping out. He was bleeding profusely.

Where was Snotlout to begin?

"Hiccup-" He started by grabbing his cousin's shoulders, but that only resulted in Hiccup fighting him. Removing his hands from his injury, Snotlout could see how truly terrible the other's injury really was. What he saw turned his stomach inside-out. What he saw would be in his nightmares for months to come.

In his shock he let go and Hiccup struggled to get away. He got on all fours, moved to get up on his knees to then stand on his feet, but his wound started pounding like crazy and he became dizzy. His frantic want to apparently escape from Snotlout only got him to fall onto his side, holding his face again in an attempt to stop the agonizing throbbing.

"Stop! Stop it!" He shouted at his own pain, as if that could help.

Composing himself, Snotlout was right next to him again. Having learned nothing at all from a second or two earlier, he grabbed Hiccup's wrists this time.

"Hiccup, it's me. It's Snotlout! I'm here!" It vaguely occured to him that his cousin may not even realize who it was that grabbed him. Snotlout wanted to let Hiccup know that it was only him.

Once again Hiccup wrestled with him.

He almost seemed to be in complete hysterics. No matter what he did or said, Snotlout couldn't calm him down. What did those bastard Flyers do to him that caused him to act this way?

If Snotlout wasn't so busy trying to console Hiccup, he and Hookfang would've stormed right after Krogan and Johann and given them a piece of their fire.

Speaking of, Hookfang was near him and looking over his shoulder. He tried to rumble comfortingly, but Hiccup wasn't listening to him either. There wasn't much else a dragon of his size dared to do with a human so wounded.

"I don't know what to do either, Hookfang." Snotlout responded when his Nightmare nearly puffed his helmet off his head. All he was doing was keeping Hiccup's wrists captive and that certainly wasn't helping. Still, Snotlout wasn't letting go.

Absentmindedly, as he attempted to search for any way to help, Snotlout noticed Hiccup's leather chest piece was missing. Where had it gone? His tunic and leggings were torn in some places as well. At least his prosthetic was still there.

"Oh Gods!"

Finally, the other Dragon Riders joined them. Jumping off their dragons, the Viking halves quickly made their way over to Hiccup and Snotlout.

They should've left sooner. They should've just ditched Spitelout somewhere along the way instead of waiting until they got to Berk. They all had a hard time comprehending what was happening. Snotlout's hold on the other's wrists showed them exactly where all of that blood was coming from and it made them nauseous.

"Hiccup, it's me! It's me! It's your cousin!" It was no use. No matter how many times Snotlout tried to convince him he was friend and not foe, Hiccup continued to struggle. He grew more desperate every passing second.

"Snotlout." Astrid placed her hands on his shoulders. This wasn't going to help anyone.

Eventually, he had to let Toothless push him away and allow the Night Fury room to attempt to comfort his Rider again. Hiccup didn't recognize him, but he did at least know when his own dragon was near him. After the "hostile" persons trying to get to him, Hiccup clung to Toothless' presence.

For all they knew, he might not even be aware that Krogan, Johann, and the Flyers left already.

As Snotlout and Astrid took a step back, Hiccup quieted down just a tad. Toothless was wrapped around him.

"What is this? What happened?!" Tuffnut was the first to ask, he looked as horrified at their current predicament as they all felt. Fishlegs stood near him and trembled.

"I don't know! I just found him like this! I was trying to calm him down, but nothing I say works!" Snotlout responded. Nobody could blame him for simply trying.

"What did you really do, Snotlout?!" Ruffnut was ready to accuse him, pointing threateningly towards him.

"I told you-"

"Guys! Fighting isn't going to help Hiccup at all!" Astrid scolded the two Riders for their behaviour before addressing Fishlegs.

"Fishlegs, what do you think we should do?"

"To try to calm him down? It's pretty clear he recognizes Toothless, but has no idea who we even are! For all we know the battle isn't over yet for Hiccup." Fishlegs answered to her. Their gazes were stuck on Toothless as he hid his Rider from view. It wasn't that he no longer trusted the other Dragon Riders, it was purely to make Hiccup feel safe.

Being cocooned, for the time being, soothed him.

"We need to pin him down." Fishlegs made his suggestion after a few short seconds of silence. The response was instant protest.

"Excuse you? Did you not see what I was doing Fishlegs? Pinning him down only makes it worse!" Snotlout shouted, throwing his hands up.

"Yeah, Fishlegs, I don't think-" Tuffnut wasn't so wild about the idea of pinning Hiccup down either. Any other day? Sure! But not with the state he was in. Both mentally and physically.

"Hiccup's… Hiccup's blood is blinding him and he's not thinking clearly. If we want him to know he's safe, we have to wash it off and he's not gonna let us do that without a fight. It's the only way to get him to calm down enough to treat him." Nobody liked the plan that Fishlegs was suggesting, but nobody could quite think of a better one either.

Looking over to the two, they noticed Toothless gazing back at them. He didn't like it, but agreed that it was the only way.

Hiccup was wrapped within his forelegs. He wasn't as hysterical for now, he was as relaxed as one could be in his situation, but he shook and his breathing was both rapid and laboured. He was holding a balled-up corner of a blanket to his injury after the Night Fury had pulled it out of the saddlebag for him.

He was still crying. It took him everything to try and keep as quiet as he could possibly be. As if afraid enemies would hear him. Fishlegs may have been right about Hiccup believing the battle wasn't over yet.

A low growl left the Night Fury as he reluctantly moved away from his Rider.

"Toothless?!" He hated the immediate panic in Hiccup's voice, made even worse by the following despairing demands to be let go off when the other Riders enacted Fishlegs' plan.

After he and Hiccup had been downed, it didn't take long for Krogan and the rest of the Flyers to follow suit.

Those bloodcurdling screams Toothless won't be forgetting anytime soon. The way Hiccup acted out now was mild compared to right after the harpoon had hit its unintended target on its way to the Titanwing Dramillion. And those Flyers, Toothless promised to rip them apart for their taunting, for the way they tormented Hiccup when he was in excruciating pain, blind, and vulnerable.

That's why his chest piece was missing. Why there were burns and bruises on top of the gaping wound where his eye should've been. They'd taken advantage of the, for them, fortunate situation. Toothless was pretty sure that Hiccup had a broken wrist too, judging by how useless that hand appeared to be and how dark the bruising was becoming. Though, whether that was because of his assailants or because of their hard landing was unknown.

They had been wary of Krogan's sadistic nature from the moment they found Garf, a juvenile Death Song, nearly tortured to death, but this? Hiccup was out of his mind with fear and pain.

It wasn't easy for the Riders to pin Hiccup down. Though incredibly weakened, he fought with everything he had. Like a cornered animal with little else to lose. It was even harder on Toothless. He shrunk in on himself with every protest. He tried so hard not to interfere and just take his Rider within the safety of his wings, where he couldn't be hurt anymore.

Stormfly came over as she noticed. She gave the Night Fury a reassuring headbutt to show her support. While Hookfang and Meatlug stayed by their humans, Barf and Belch joined the other two dragons.

"No! I won't... I won't let you! Toothless!"

Astrid didn't like restraining Hiccup. She didn't like putting her full weight on his shoulders, pinning an, obviously injured, arm to the ground, and grabbing him by the chin to keep his head cocked to one side. He was blinded by pain and blood, he may not even know it was them! That is what Fishlegs said. The thought, as it kept mulling around in her mind, made guilt well up in her gut, but she knew it was necessary.

Snotlout was opposite to her, using his own weight on Hiccup's torso and keeping his other arm down. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were each in charge of one of his legs. They were forced to remove the prosthetic or otherwise risk getting hard metal to the face. On any other day, they'd be amused with the kind of strength this thin tree of a man possessed, but if Astrid had the luxury to look, she would've seen they were both in distress.

Not one of them liked doing this to him. Hiccup was still incoherently yelling at them to let go.

Once he could fight them no longer, Fishlegs gently poured the water over the left side of his face. He used both the water and a cloth to wash away the blood that blinded his remaining eye. It wasn't the most easiest feat to accomplish. The sight of his injury made him want to throw up his lunch. It was a sentiment they all shared. So did the Dragons, who have seen some things in life themselves.

As Hiccup wasn't completely blind anymore, Astrid could let him go and it allowed him to see it truly was them. It wasn't Krogan, or Johann, or any of the Flyers.

Eye still wide, he shook terribly in their grip. His fighting and yelling already ceased.

"Hiccup, it's us. You see? It's us!" There was a break in Astrid's voice as she spoke to him and cupped his face with her hands. She minded the horrific injury. He stared up at her, scanning her face.

"Do you know who we are?" Astrid asked and finally Hiccup nodded. She gave him a tearful smile. Next to her, Snotlout took a sniff and breathed in and out deeply, attempting to keep control over his emotions. This would make treating him slightly easier.

They didn't have much to treat an injury such as this, but they could at least do some first aid here and get him to Berk later.

"They're gone? They're- they're gone?" Hiccup's voice was hoarse by now, but he needed to know.

"Yeah, they are, H." Tuffnut was wiping at his eyes, sitting up straight.

"They took the Dramillion, but don't worry about that right now, okay? We're gonna get it back." It wasn't often that Ruff could be as sensitive as her brother and she was even less easy to faze, but this experience rattled her to her core as well. She wanted to reassure him.

"After we get you some help." Snotlout was desicive. He thought it necessary to put his foot down.

Fishlegs approached, holding an armful of the only on the go supplies they carried with them.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup." There was only so much he could do with them. He already apologized before he even attempted to treat the injury. It needed to be done quickly or their friend would bleed out completely.

Hiccup didn't remember much of it. He definitely remembered the hurt, the agony as his wounds were being worked on, but what actually happened was a fuzzy blur to him and nothing more.

Fishlegs' delicate, but still on the field, emergency surgery was only a hazy hole of pain in his memory. He was pretty sure he was knocked out completely when the Dragon Riders found the Titanwing Dramillion on their way to Berk and decided to make way for the Defenders of the Wing instead. They had to tell him about that later.

What a surprise it must've been for Mala and Throk. To be awoken in the middle of the night to help save the lives of a Dramilion and a Dragon Rider.

When the Defenders' healer started cleaning and treating him, though, Hiccup was certain he was awake to experience every minute of that.

His face was throbbing. Brows knitted together, Hiccup sat at the edge of his temporary bed in the healer's hut. Clutching the wood, he tried to get used to the feeling of sitting up.

A worried croon drew his attention and Hiccup looked down at the Night Fury taking up most of the space, his head on his Rider's lap.

Toothless hadn't left his side at all. Even when the healer insisted on having the Night Fury wait outside, the Night Fury insisted a little harder on staying. In the end, Toothless was as stubborn as any Haddock.

He'd watched over Hiccup as he slept after he'd fallen unconscious.

"Yeah- yeah, Bud. I'm fine now." He told him and patted him on the head. It couldn't be farther from the truth, but he had put his dragon through enough trauma.

The burns littering his body were bandaged and pulled underneath the tunic and pants he'd been given to wear, provided by Mala. They were somewhat loose on him, which Hiccup saw as a mercy on his body. His wrist had been splinted and would heal quickly. As for his right eye...

Gods, he couldn't get that one tiny glimpse of metal out of his mind. That one life-changing second.

"You shouldn't even be sitting up yet. You know that, right?" Snotlout asked when he entered and caught sight of Hiccup sitting on the edge of the cot. By the way he sat there, he looked nauseous.

His arrival startled Hiccup, his nerves were frayed, but he didn't respond. Though he did look up from Toothless to face the other.

He was tired. He needed to rest. This wasn't lost on Snotlout as he pulled up a stool and sat down opposite to him. Toothless drew his head back.

"How're you feeling?" Hiccup was asked. There was genuine concern on Snotlout's face. An odd sight unless you knew him personally.

"For someone who just lost his eye, part of his orbital socket, and therefore part of his face? Pretty good!" The look on Snotlout's face was worth it to Hiccup. Seeing him annoyed was better than seeing him worried.

Knowing that Hiccup wasn't about to give him a straightforward answer, Snotlout instead let his attention be taken by what was standing on a little table next to the bed.

"Aren't you supposed to take that?" He asked, referring to the little cup with a broth made from herbs.

"They're painkillers. It's fine if I don't take them." Hiccup felt the familiar urge to fumble with something, keep his fingers busy.

"It's fine? You look like you're ready to fall over!" Snotlout stated, taking the cup from the table.

"Hmm... I feel like I'm ready to fall over. If I take the painkillers, I'm not gonna be able to think clearly. And I'll sleep." As if reminded, Hiccup needed to steady himself.

A shiver visibly ran down Snotlout's spine after he took a sniff from the broth the healer had left his cousin.

"Well, maybe you should sleep." He told him, cup still in hand.

"I'll sleep after we have defeated Johann and Krogan." Hiccup eyed it, but was adamant in his decision.

"Hiccup-"

"Snotlout." Hiccup cut him off before he could even begin.

"I know you're worried about me, but I'll be fine. After we make sure the King of Dragons is safe and Krogan, Johann, and their Flyers get what's coming to them." There was anger in his voice. Snotlout was certain it wasn't just because of what was done to him after he and Toothless had been downed.

Hiccup hasn't given them the story thus far, but Fishlegs had mentioned on the way to Caldera Cay how Hiccup's hysteria must've been caused by something. They all had their own guesses.

Snotlout stared at his cousin. The haunting image of Hiccup missing a part of his face bled through this cleaner look of him and the sight of the bandages he wore.

"Snotlout? Are you okay?" The sad look in his gaze wasn't missed by Hiccup.

"Do I still have blood on me? In my teeth?" He asked the Night Fury, who gave a "no" in his own way. Hiccup gave a breathy laugh. Though he attempted to be funny, there was no humour behind it.

"We should've been there." Snotlout's words were almost too soft to hear.

"You were there." Head cocked slightly to the side, Hiccup replied.

"We were too late!" The other retorted sharply. If they had just kicked Spitelout off the Edge and went with Hiccup in the first place, none of it would have ever happened. Hiccup wouldn't need to adjust to a life with another part of him missing.

He'd made fun of his missing leg so many times. The truth was, Snotlout has seen him suffer. What Hiccup could keep secret on Berk, he couldn't hide as easily on Dragon's Edge.

It was quiet for a moment. Snotlout sat on his stool and glared down at the cup in his hands. He was seething.

And then.

"Snotlout, you and the Gang arrived just in time to save my life. You have no idea how grateful I am for that."

A deep sigh and a shake of Snotlout's head. That was such a Hiccup-y thing to say.

"How're you gonna make it as Chief with an attitude like that?" Hiccup's undying light never failed to warm him on even the coldest of nights. Snotlout was sure to never let him know.

"I hope I won't have to find out for another couple of years." Hiccup shrugged. It was nice to have a talk with one of his friends. It distracted him just enough to make his suffering just a tad bit less unbearable.

He blinked. Gods, he was tired. That painkilling broth sounded slightly more appealing.

Maybe he will take it and get some rest.

But first...

"Hiccup, we're having a whole conversation about how you need to sleep, not get up." Snotlout mentioned when the other pushed himself up with a suppressed groan. Toothless gave a quizzical sound as well.

"Come on, Bud, Snotlout. Let's see the Titanwing Dramillion and find out why the Flyers abandoned him." Hiccup left for the front entrance of the healer's hut, who would without a doubt not be pleased to see him out of bed. The rest of the Dragon Riders and Mala wouldn't be either.

The Night Fury was quick to follow. After releasing a groan of his own, Snotlout did too. Joining him by his side, Hiccup was much too quick to wrap an arm around his shoulder.

"Need me to support you all the way there?" Snotlout asked and Hiccup nodded.

"Nodding was a mistake." Hiccup casually stated and Snotlout sighed.

"Muttonhead."

It was over. The battle for the true King of Dragons was over.

Johann was dead, frozen solid like a block of ice thanks to the very dragon he'd been looking to capture. Krogan was missing because he'd fled and left his Flyers behind to either perish or be captured by the Berserkers. As for the King's offspring, it had been handed over to the Wingmaidens, who seemed to know someone they could go to for help to keep the egg safe until its parents could come for it.

Hiccup was okay with not knowing who they were. Should anybody come to him for information and with ill intentions, he could confidently tell them he had no idea.

Heather and Dagur had insisted on letting the Dragon Riders stay and rest up after the battle, but Berk wasn't too far away on dragonback and they wanted to go home. Hiccup, for as excited as he had been to leave a year ago, was itching to see Gobber and his dad.

As soon as they arrived far into the night, Toothless brought him home.

"Gods... Hiccup." It's been a long time since anybody made Hiccup feel like a little boy again, but the way Gobber looked at him certainly did it.

They were sitting at Stoick's bedside. He had yet to fully awaken from his slumber.

Gothi had yet to take a look at Hiccup's injury, Fishlegs and Astrid were off to get her. His bandage was still dirty, grimy and bloody. The Defenders of the Wing had taken good care of him, but Johann had also made sure to use his wound to his advantage while he was pinning him down in the true King of Dragon's lair.

So while it had been professionally tended to, it was a mess all over again.

As they waited, Hiccup had told his mentor blacksmithing the whole story.

Gobber only saw what little the bandages allowed him to see, but it was enough to send him reeling. And now he sat there, staring at his apprentice. With his remaining hand, he'd taken Hiccup's chin to turn his head and have a better look in the dim light of the fire in the pit.

He wore the expression of a man who's heart was broken.

"Gods, a harpoon?" Gobber asked, sitting back in his stool and letting go of Hiccup.

"Never saw it coming. I just happen to look over to Johann's ships and there it was." If he hadn't looked, it could've taken his head off. The experience left him strangely wary of more sudden surprises.

"And it's gone? You're sure there's no way to save it?" Gobber was usually a man filled with sunshine and sass. The Riders were certain Hiccup got it from him. This was as serious as Hiccup had ever seen him be.

"Well, there's a gaping hole in my face, so…" Hiccup quickly grew silent. His attempt at lightening the mood wasn't appreciated.

"The Defenders took good care of it. Their healer told me that it might actually not look that bad once it's healed a little and the bruising goes away." Hiccup hoped Gothi could still tell him the same thing after what Johann had done.

Gobber nodded. If anything, this information helped ease his mind.

"You're gonna have a hard time beating the kids off you now, Hiccup. A metal leg and an eyepatch?" Hiccup chuckled at his comment. It was good to see him in higher spirits again.

It was good for own well-being too. He hadn't lost it all that long ago and already he experienced the consequences of having only one remaining eye.

It was through pure, pure luck alone that the King's egg hadn't fallen and smashed to bits in the ice cavern's abyss.

Riding Toothless proved to be troublesome too. Hiccup had adjusted by trusting his dragon completely and changing the tailfin's position by feeling how the Night Fury moved beneath him as opposed to judging purely on sight alone. Though a familiar thing, Hiccup had never been more accutely aware of all the muscle work that flying required.

"What're you thinking?" Gobber asked as he noticed Hiccup gazing at his father whilst he slept. He held the Chief's hand.

"Just that I don't even know how I'm going to tell my dad. He's going to be furious." Hiccup admitted, his gaze never leaving the man on the bed. According to what he had been told, Stoick didn't wake much, but he was at least doing better.

"Oh, he'll be furious, but not at you, Hiccup. So don't worry about it. If anything, Stoick's gonna regret not getting the chance to lop Johann's head off himself." Gobber reassured him with a laugh.

Though Hiccup appreciated it, giving him a smile, he couldn't see himself not stressing out about it until the moment would inevitably arrive that his father learned of what fate had befallen his son.

His gaze downcast, Hiccup caught sight of the Night Fury as he slumbered on the floor near his feet. His sleep was a deep one. Toothless was exhausted too. In every conceivable way.

His Rider could only imagine how hard this must have been on him. Hiccup knew he already felt like he couldn't breathe at the mere thought of it happening to any of his friends, to the Night Fury especially.

He remembered the days Astrid had spend in utter darkness after being blinded by lightning. He had seemed put together and levelheaded, but the truth was that discovering her loss of sight had left him devastated, hurting, worried.

So in a strange way, he was grateful it had happened to him and not one of them.

And now that he thought about it, Gods, he craved some proper sleep.

It was as he tried to decide between getting up and heading for bed or simply falling asleep right here in this chair that he felt his hand being squeezed.

The instant Hiccup realized what he felt, his head turned with nauseating speed to look at his father.

Stoick still appeared to be unconscious, but the grip on his son's hand remained strong.

It wasn't angry, it wasn't even strict. In a way, Hiccup could call it comforting. Warm.

As if Stoick had been listening in on their conversation and let his son know there was no reason to worry.

"Dad?" Hiccup called for his father, his free, bandaged, hand reluctantly joining his other as he held Stoick's. Gobber watched expectantly.

There was no reply, no further signs that the man was awake or could've heard a single word said in the room that evening, but Hiccup found that he was perfectly okay with not having a clear answer. He allowed himself to smile.

"I'm gonna go to bed, if you don't mind, Gobber." He told. Toothless' earfins perked immediately upon hearing the word "bed".

"Not at all, lad! Go get some sleep!" Despite the man sleeping in this very room, Gobber wasn't quiet as he bid his son a good night.

Hiccup got up, showing him an appreciative smile, and moved to the stairs. He'd needed to take a moment to adjust after he stood up, but he was yearning for sleep.

Toothless stretched and followed him up, joining his Rider in bed.

The moment Hiccup lied down, he wondered how he even made it here in the first place. He'd never been this exhausted before. The weight of the new challenge awaiting him tomorrow weighing him down, he felt like he could drift off immediately.

Turning onto his side, Hiccup figured a nap wouldn't be a bad way to wait for Astrid and Fishlegs to come with Gothi.

Recovery would be hard. He would need to adapt to a life with only one eye and he would need to do it while leading Berk in his father's stead. At least for another moment, he desired to rest.

Using his Bud's presence to keep him grounded, he didn't want his nightmares to return to Dramilion Island and deliver him back into the hands of Krogan and the Flyers, he fell into a slumber within seconds.