Author's notes: This is my fist story ever so
please be nice with the reviews should anyone choose to write one.

bold: flashback

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is 14 years old and the son of Stoick the Vast, and heir to the Viking village of Berk. Berk is a typical Viking village, minus the occasional dragon raid. The only problem is that Hiccup is well a hiccup and can't seem to do anything right when he tries to help during dragon raids. He is considered a "pest" by nearly the entire village, the exception being Gobber. Gobber is the village blacksmith, Stoick's closest friend/ battle-brother, and has been teaching Hiccup the trade since the lad was five years old. Stoick and Gobber agreed that Hiccup was safest in the forge since neither of them could keep him inside the house aside from tying him up. So Hiccup was made an apprentice. They later found out that Hiccup had a natural gift for working steel and iron, much to their surprise. This lead to Hiccup doing more work than was expected after only a month in the forge, such as working the forge and making/repairing weapons and armor. Sadly this did nothing to help rid him of the title of "Useless" which he was given by his cousin Snotlout. Of all the people in the village, none were harder on Hiccup than the kids his age. Snotlout, the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and Astrid. Snotlout and the twins would always pick on him and beat him up, Fishlegs was just there, and Astrid would ignore him. Astrid was sort of the leader of their little group because she was the best fighter of the five and she was the most attractive, many boys liked her but Hiccup has always had strong feelings for the girl, even before she matured more physically. She was never without her axe however. Fishlegs was a bookworm who was just barely better at fighting than Hiccup, and if not for his size and strength would probably be treated the same way. Snotlout thought he was the best at anything and everything, were as in reality he was an idiot who was only slightly better at fighting than Fishlegs. The twins were very mischievous and loved fights, if they weren't fighting each other then they were teaming up on Hiccup to beat or prank him. Ruffnut was a slightly better fighter than her brother putting her at second best in the group. While Tuffnut was a better fighter than Snotlout, he wasn't quite as strong and often fallowed his lead. But no matter how much Hiccup was beaten and belittled he never stopped trying to help and impress them, because more than anything he wanted to feel accepted by his peers. While Hiccup was growing up he never had a "mother figure" and Gobber was more of a father to Hiccup then Stoick ever was. After Hiccup's mother, Vallhalaramma, Val for short, died he and his father never really spoke to each other, aside from the shouting and scowling Stoick never showed much of anything except contempt for Hiccup.

One day Hiccup walked into the forge, and finds a gift on his desk in the back room that was converted into an office for him. "Huh? What's this for…oh yea it's also my birthday today isn't it." Hiccup said sadly. Hiccup opened the package to find a beautiful dagger. He expected it to be from Gobber seeing as he was the only person who remembered his birthday. Hiccup placed the dagger on his belt hiding beneath his bearskin vest, because if Snotlout or the twins saw the dagger they would surly try to take it. Hiccup walked out of his office, put on his apron, and began working on the weapons in the repair pile. After about an hour of work Gobber walked in saying, "Hiccup what are ya do'in her' lad, I'd figure you'd be tak'en the day off." Hiccup said, "Why would I do that? It's not like I have anything better to do today. Besides I've already been everywhere I needed to be." Gobber began fixing weapons himself slowly shaking his head side to side, because he knew that Hiccup was talking about visiting his mother's grave. Not many people remembered that Val died on Hiccup's birthday right in front of him. Gobber spoke, "I see so ya already wen' ta Val's grav' th'n?" Hiccup nodded remembering the night she died all too well.

Hiccup watched as his mother fight the dragons. The nightmares surrounded Val while she killed a gronkle, Val drew her axe and long sword while dove out of the way of a fireball. She brought her axe down on the closest nightmare to her taking its head clean off, the next was stabbed in the heart by her sword. One nightmare charged her while setting itself aflame, Val jumped to the side dodging the raging dragon, she then threw her axe as the dragon turned catching it in the face, the third nightmare falls dead. Val retrieves her axe after dodging another fireball, she charges forward slashing at the dragon's throat hitting it on her second swing. Val looks around and sees all the dragons dead or retreating; she turns when she hears Hiccup and sees Stoick on his heels. "Mommy mommy are you ok? Are all the dragons dead?", cries Hiccup. "Yes I'm fine, what about you and your father are you two ok?", asks Val. "We're fine Val, just a few nadders and gronkles to take care of on my end", Stoick says, while hugging Val. Hiccup walks among the dead dragons sees one move, he quickly runs to his parents to tell yelling that one was still alive. Stoick ran forward towards the dragon, while Val picks Hiccup up and runs to the forge. After putting Hiccup down she turns to see a large nightmare standing in front of her, before she could do anything the nightmare blasted her with its fire. Hiccup watched in horror as his mother went up in flames, hearing her skin sizzle along with her cries of pain and anguish. Hiccup stares at the smoldering corpse that is his mother, silently crying as he slowly steps forward. Hiccup hears his father's pain and rage induced battle cry, only to see the dragon be tackled and have its hear ripped off of its body. Hiccup fainted but when he awoke he saw his father crying next to his bed. Hiccup reached forward touching Stoick's arm, the large man jumped at his son's touch and after a second scooped him up into a massive hug. Stoick sobbed, "Hiccup! I thought I lost you along with your mother; thank the gods you're alright!" Hiccup cried into his father's shoulder remembering the dying screams of his mother until he fell asleep.

Hiccup thought, "That was the happiest and saddest I've seem dad in years…maybe I can make him a new hammer using my new forging method." Hiccup worked in silence. After Hiccup finished sharpening and polishing the last sword in his pile Astrid walked in. She looked at Hiccup then slammed her axe on the table, then spoke "I need my axe sharpened and if you damage it, I swear I'll skin you alive." Hiccup gulped and began working on the axe, while Astrid was looking around the forge Hiccup gave her axe a new handle and rebalanced it for her after a quick sharpening. Hiccup handed the axe to her while giving her a little half smile, Astrid only looked at him for a second before grabbing her axe and inspecting it herself. She didn't say a word as she walked out of the forge, but once she was back outside she couldn't help but wonder "How did he do so much to it in that short of time, and how did I not notice him do it. I mean he's a decent smith but to fix the handle and rebalance it without me telling him…how did he even know I needed that done?" Astrid shook the thoughts from her mind as she resumed her training, throwing her newly balanced axe with ease into the tree. Hiccup sighed heavily knowing that the girl of his dreams only notices him when she needs her axe fixed, Hiccup returned to his work without a word. That night there was another dragon raid, and the teens were on bucket brigade while Hiccup was in the forge with Gobber. Hiccup was left alone in the forge and told to "stay put" by Gobber, instead Hiccup went out into the fray running past, around, and even underneath a few Vikings. Hiccup set up his newest invention, the bolo launcher. He then heard the deafening screech of the offspring of lightning and death itself, the night furry. Hiccup took aim at the black dragon as it streaked across the night sky, seeing it only as it blocked out stars. Hiccup fired but saw and heard nothing, he could have sworn that he had hit the dragon. Hiccup turned and ran back to the forge, he got in just before Gobber came back and was working as fast as he could. Hiccup didn't know what to think, he could have sworn he saw it but then it vanished. This could only mean that he hit his mark, but he didn't dare tell anyone just in case he was wrong again. Last time he thought he shot a dragon down he spent a week looking for it and had to clean the stables for a month for also shooting a hole in the Mead Hall. After helping with the clean up that night and fixing the remaining weapons early the next morning Hiccup went to the forest. He figured if anything he could at least take a look around to see if there was any evidence that he downed the night furry. It was a little after noon when Hiccup found a tree that had been knocked over, he fallowed the trail of wreckage until he came upon the dragon. Hiccup was both terrified and ecstatic that he had downed the legendary night furry. He walked forward slowly and nudged it with his foot, when it didn't move he put his foot on the beast holding the victory pose for about three seconds before the dragon stirred and knock him on his backside. Hiccup looked into the acid green eyes of the night furry and pulled his dagger before speaking. "I'm going to kill you dragon…an-and then my fa-father will be proud of me. I wo-won't be called "Useless" any more. And As-Astrid will finally notice me." As Hiccup looked at the dragon he felt guilty, he groaned and dropped the dagger. The night furry looked at him with confusion on its face. "Don't look at me like that "sigh" I can't kill unless I need to eat or defend myself…DAMMIT!" Hiccup shouted. "Ok, if I cut you lose will you attack me?" Hiccup asked. The night furry shook its head. Hiccup stared at it for a minute before asking, "Did you just understand me?" The dragon nodded slowly to Hiccup, Hiccup then picked up his dagger and cut the dragon lose still in shock that the it understands him. Once the dragon was free it pounced on Hiccup and roared in his face, the two stared at each other for a few second before the dragon tried to fly away only to fall into a cove. Hiccup watched as the dragon tried to climb out of the cove all the while looking at its tail, Hiccup then realized that half of the tail fin was missing. Hiccup left the area and returned to the forge to grab an empty notebook, he then returned to the cove and began sketching and observing the legendary dragon.