The cape was neatly folded on the table when he came home. His breath had caught in his throat as soon as he laid eyes on it and now he didn't know how long he had been staring at that last reminder. No note, no one to ask where it came from, though he had a feeling he knew who brought it, who would think of salvaging the cape and keeping it, who had been friends with the owner of the large fur cape to know that this is what he would have wanted.

Hiccup had managed to close the door as soon as he saw it, separating himself from the work outside and the ice that was left from the battle. The large metal disks were neatly stacked on top, those large brooches that he'd seen all his life. They now reflected the flickering firelight, sending a shimmer every now and again.

It felt like hours he stood there, his feet stuck to the floor, holding his breath and trying to work up the courage to walk over to it. Hiccup sucked in a deep breath, trying to get his mind to work again and managed to take a step forward, and then another, and soon he was standing over the object.

The brooches were big enough to see the reflection of his face, to see the fight against tears and the memories that the cape brought. From being bundled in it when he was a child to tugging on it to get his fathers attention, the cape had always been there, always signified the importance of the wearer.

Hiccup ran a hand over the polished surface, wondering if Gobber had done that as soon as they won the battle, making sure the cape was in it's rightful condition. But it felt strange. The cape and brooches were for a much larger man, someone who had shoulders strong enough and large enough to do them well, to carry them, to make them look as important as they are.

His shaking hands managed to remove the brooches, carefully setting them on the table, so gently that it wouldn't disturb the monstrous pieces of metal. The cape was a little worse for wear. It had been washed, but that was not enough to rid it off his scent. Hiccups hands grasped the fur, bringing it up to his chest and he could smell all of Berk, the scent of Meade Hall mixed with the ocean and the bitter wind that whipped around outside. It smelled of fish and the dragon stables and sheep. It smelled of the man that comforted and consoled and protected, not only everyone, but Hiccup. It was the smell that made him feel better after having nightmares. The smell that smiled at him when he had woken up and realized dragons were now a part of Berk.

The fur was warm and worn, even matted from years of wear and Hiccup pulled it away just in time for it to escape the tears that fell from his face, but that would have only added to the collection of tears this cape had seen.

He carefully unfolded it, making sure it did not touch the unworthy ground and ran a hand through the dark hair only to sharply inhale as his hand found a rough patch. Blackened spots littered the inside of the cape, giving it the faint smell of burnt hair. Burned fur was the end of the previous wearer and the new flood of emotions. His body had taken most of the blast, most of the life taking heat but the plasma blast had managed to wrap around him, to go through him. Hiccup had watched the purple light lick his fathers figure, curl around his large chest like a wave and he almost dropped the fur at the memory.

These black spots had been scrubbed, for they would have looked and smelled worse if they hadn't. Hiccup could see Gobber gently trying to rid the cape of the horrid imperfections; his face falling when he realized it was fruitless, that burns could never truly be undone.

The cape was meant for someone greater, meant for someone who could wear it, someone who could be worthy of it. But he knew that this was what his father would have wanted, this is what his people would have wanted. He pinned the cape with the large brooches just like his father had taught him, he could hear his voice now, saying you needed enough fur on the needle to avoid ripping it, but not too much that it wouldn't sit right.

Hiccup's nimble fingers did as his father had told him and soon he was pinning the brooches and cape onto his shoulders, feeling the weight of the metal and fur. The weight of the memories these objects held. The weight of responsibility that the cape signified. The weight of his people, his home, his family. But more importantly, the weight of his father, and the feeling of his hands on his shoulders as he watched his son lead Berk. The proud smile, the slight squeeze of his large hands that told Hiccup everything would be all right.

Hiccup even began to think that it was his father, that those brooches that weighed down his shoulders were his father's tough, strong yet so gentle hands. The cape felt like Stoick was standing right behind him, that he would be laughing and clapping him on the back and showing his son, the chief, to his people and for a second, that's how it was. He knew if he were to look, only metal, only fur would meet his gaze, so he closed his eyes and took a breathe, breathing in what was left of his fathers presence before letting it out, letting his father walk on ahead of him before opening the door and joining the others, helping rebuild Berk.

The chief had truly come home.

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it's been a long time since i've written anything... mostly because i was busy, second because i had to get over my embarrassment of other writings

anyway, i wrote this after seeing httyd 2, so i thought i'd begin with this because these drabbles are for the most part (there may be a few exceptions) be after httyd2