As usual, I don't own How to Train your Dragon. I just own this story and anything else I write.

Please let me know what you make of the story.

The Thoughtlessness of Vikings.

Well, that could have gone better, Hiccup thought to himself as he opened the door of the house he shared with his father and he stepped out while Gobber the blacksmith limped all the way down to the village, irritated and annoyed that his plan to kill a dragon had gone unbelieved; no, all that had happened was a Monstrous Nightmare had come after him, and chased him back into the village, where his father had then beaten the dragon until it had a concussion.

While Hiccup was grateful of course, he just wished his father was more fair-minded, but unfortunately, that type of mindset did not exist in Viking culture, and it never would. To a Viking, only the strongest survived.

I just want to be like the other kids, the other Vikings, Hiccup thought to himself despairingly as he headed out of the house and walked to the edge of the forest. I told Gobber that, but he said dad can't stand what's inside me. Trouble is I dunno what I can do about that; I can't change who I am, no more can I change what I look like.

Anyway Hiccup was preparing to go after the dragon, to prove to himself once and for all he could actually kill a dragon instead of being relegated to the sidelines because of his size and lack of physical strength whereas all the other kids could do the simplest of tasks like picking up a sword and actually fight with the damn thing.

Hiccup grimaced at the thought of the other teens, knowing they were going to be unbearable when dragon training was on them since there was no doubt in his mind he wouldn't be admitted, especially since his father didn't think he was able.

It was bad enough, embarrassing enough, his father and the other Vikings treated him as a pariah and wanted to keep him shoved in the damn house all hours of the day but he knew if he didn't get into dragon training, his stock in the village would plummet faster.

Dad…

Hiccup stopped as he raced his way towards the forest and he turned back to the village thoughtfully. There was little doubt at all in Hiccup's mind his father was already preparing to mount another attack on the dragon nest. Hiccup wasn't sure how his father managed to do it, especially since all of Berk's ancestors had gone out to the nest, and they had all come back bruised, burnt, or so many had died before their time it wasn't funny.

How does he do it?

Hiccup glanced back at the forest. He wanted to find that dragon, the Night Fury, but it was still dark out there, and while Hiccup wasn't afraid of the dark like so many people on Berk thought he was, he felt he could spare a few minutes of the search.

Turning around completely, Hiccup trudged down to the Great Hall.

XXX

Getting to the hall proved to be relatively straightforward; with so many of the Vikings in the hall now the raid was off, and only a few out and about to assess the damage to the village and the teens themselves had gone home or were helping with the work, it was easy for Hiccup to sneak over to the Great Hall without being noticed or seen, and it was just as simple for him to listen in.

"…ships never come back," Hiccup heard one of the Vikings inside the hall protest, and the teenager realised the meeting had already been underway for some time, and his father had likely already told them what he had in mind.

"We're Vikings," Hiccup heard his father state in a matter of fact manner, "It's an occupational hazard. Now, who's with me?"

Hiccup watched in astonishment as the crowd shifted uneasily. His confusion deepened when he heard what a few of them said next.

"Today's not a good day for me," someone said in a feeble voice.

Interesting, Hiccup thought to himself as he listened in, I thought, since the ships usually always fall, especially with warriors not just close to my own age but older wanting to have a taste at the glory of ending this war which has gone on for three centuries around, everyone jumped at the chance to track down the nest and end it all, Viking glory and all that. And yet everyone doesn't seem to want to go.

How does my father get so many volunteers?

Another Viking said in an equally feeble voice, "I've gotta do my axe returns."

I don't understand, Hiccup thought to himself, listening with increasing confusion to the whole meeting. I thought Vikings were supposed to be jumping into the sea, willing to swim out to the nest itself. But they don't seem to wanna try. Granted, it could just be because they're simply exhausted by the recent raid, but the question still stands…How does my father persuade them to come with him on the endless hunts to destroy the nest?

A sly tone crept into Stoick's voice as he spoke again. "Alright. Those who stay will look after Hiccup."

WHAT?!

"To the ships!" Hiccup heard Phlegma the Fierce shout.

"I'm with you, Stoick," Hiccup heard Spitelout, Snotlout's father shout while Hiccup watched in shock as he watched through the narrow opening in the wall which acted as a window, hands shoot up while there were enthusiastic cheers for volunteers to go on the hunt.

But Hiccup didn't hear them. He was too numb with shock after what he had heard. He had known for a long time the rest of the Viking villagers despised him for his weakness, his inability to fight, and just generally everything about him….but he had never connected the dots that the reason his father got so many volunteers to go out onto the hunts with him had been because his father had given them a simple choice; face the dragons or deal with him!

What makes it worse is I never realised what my father was doing, Hiccup thought to himself, furious about this latest but far more painful blow that his father had delivered.

How long has this been going on for? Hiccup asked himself as the question occurred to him. After a moments thought Hiccup decided it didn't matter; all that did matter was his father had been using him for years and years to launch his war against the dragons. And it was his war. Hiccup had overheard his father, many times over the years. Stoick had always tried to hide it, tried to hide everything about Valka, Hiccup's mother, who had died when Hiccup had been a baby, during a dragon raid. Hiccup had known for a long time after figuring it out that one of the biggest reasons why his father had always tried to go to the nest and destroy it once and for all, was all because he wanted to get revenge over what had happened to mum.

Is that another reason why he resents me, that I wasn't taken and his wife was? Hiccup thought to himself. It was a horrible thought, but it was one he'd had more than once before over the years ever since the day he had finally discovered what had happened to his mother. He had always tried to tell himself that his father didn't hate him, not to that degree, but now Hiccup wasn't so sure about that.

It was always painful whenever your world caved in on you, and Hiccup definitely felt that was true.

Hiccup pushed aside the thoughts he had his father was doing this simply as a kind of really nasty revenge over what had happened with Valka, a mother he could not even remember. It was heading into territory he didn't want to get into, especially right now.

But one thing was sure, and it made Hiccup lower his head in sadness as his mind reached the logical conclusion.

Hiccup was not stupid. He knew his father and the villagers needed to defend their village against the dragon raids. The sad truth was the nest had never been penetrated, not with the thick mists which surrounded the nest as though the Gods themselves had quarantined the whole place like they didn't want any Viking to reach it. The other sad truth was so many died, and some of the ships did not return. Or they did only they were in a dilapidated state.

He had known for years the hunts were wasteful but he had never once imagined his father used him as a choice for volunteers. He had never imagined the other villagers had known about the dangers and wanted to avoid them at all costs, but they had gone because the alternative was looking after him.

The other Vikings in the village…they would prefer to risk their lives rather than spend just a few minutes looking after him.

He came to terms with the truth, and it was the saddest truth ever.

Hiccup had no place on Berk.

He had no place in this village, or with any of these people.

He had no place in the Hairy Hooligan tribe.

Even worse, Hiccup would never make his father proud of him, not now or ever.

Hiccup lifted his head with a sigh, and his eyes caught sight of the forest. The sight of the familiar tree-line reminded him of the dragon he had been positive he had downed. Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he took in the dark forest. He had no idea if the dragon was in there or if it had flown away, but he hoped it hadn't because he was going to kill it.

But he wasn't going to do it for the tribe.

He didn't care about them anymore, and he wasn't going to waste his time with them anymore. No, he was going to do this for himself.

With that in mind, Hiccup walked to the forest and disappeared inside the woods. He had a dragon to find.