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Fishlegs squinted his eyes at the midday sun. The bright spring day was still biting cold and his knuckles were numb against the package in his right hand. He waded his way through the long, thick grasses of Huge Hill occasionally losing his balance as his body fought against the sea gale and bumpy ground.
He made his way upwards. The craggy rocks of the peak of Huge Hill were slowly emerging, reaching upwards to the wisps of cloud overhead. Hiccup’s figure was visible on the rocks, the horns on his helmet sticking out above the outline of the peak. When Fishlegs reached him, he lay out the package beside his friend, unfurling the cloth to reveal a large hunk of bread with a pot of honey.
‘I noticed you weren’t at lunch’.
Hiccup said nothing, he only gazed out onto the open ocean.
They sat in silence for a while and watched the gannets and gulls, little white specks against the blinding expanse of blue.
‘What if I just don’t do it.’
He glanced over at Hiccup who was staring determinedly at the horizon.
‘What if I just give it all to Snotlout,’ Hiccup said, his voice cold. ‘I tell my father I’m not going to do it and I give Snotlout everything. He can even have my sword if he wants. I mean my father would hate me for it but what’s the change there? And I doubt my mother would notice.’
Hiccup’s eyes were ablaze with the shine of the sea. His features, usually fair, were hardened in the face of the wind. Crimson flowered from his jaw up across his cheeks.
‘He’d make a far better chief than me,’ Hiccup continued. ‘He’s charismatic, violent, an extraordinary fighter. Look at his dragon, for Thor’s sake! It’s a sign, Fishlegs, it’s a sign from the Gods that I should have given up the moment we left that Wild Dragon Cliff. I should have stolen a ship from the southern harbour and just kept going.’
‘That’s not true, Hiccup -’
‘How in Valhalla am I supposed to be in charge of this lot? My own father doesn’t even listen to me. I don’t have the air of leadership that Snotlout has, I will never be able to command an army the way he could.’ Hiccup angrily threw a stone into the thrift. ‘Face it, Fishlegs, I am useless.’
It was true that Fishlegs often buckled under the weight of the Pirate Training Programme. He knew he wasn’t cut out to be a hero, but he never wanted to be one. Hiccup didn’t have that choice. He didn’t fit in the traditional mould of the son of the chief, but Fishlegs knew that it was Hiccup’s difference that would make him such a great leader. He sighed and looked at Hiccup, trying to reach him.
‘Your Father is proud of you, Hiccup. I know he is. Look at how you defeated the Green Death. You were a hero!’ Fishlegs swayed to nudge Hiccup affectionately. ‘You used your brain and not just muscles! Nobody else in the tribe could have pulled that off, if you weren’t there we would have all been eaten, I’m sure of it.’
Hiccup shook his head. ‘It’s no good. Either people will hate the leader that I will become, or I will have to become an entirely different person.’ His voice quivered and finally broke as he tore his eyes from the horizon. He hung his head, tears running down his cheeks.
They have had many conversations like this one over the years. All his life Hiccup has been expected to grow into what a chief should be; a barbarian with big muscles and an even bigger appetite. Fishlegs knew that it was his gentle nature that would make him the best chief the tribe could have. He wished Hiccup could see himself the way he did.
‘You’re kind, Hiccup. That’s more valuable in a leader than anything. More valuable in a person. Besides,’ Fishlegs continued, ‘you’ve got more military tactics in your little finger than Snotlout has in his whole fat head.’
Hiccup let out a teary laugh and laid his head on Fishlegs’ shoulder.
‘You’ve always looked after me. You’ve been there for me all my life. If you can take care of me like you have, you can certainly look after the tribe. So what if you’re not naturally violent? Aggression is overrated.’
There was quiet for a while as Fishlegs held Hiccup, both boys watching Toothless as he scampered around the hilltop, chasing after rabbits and screeching at the entrances of their burrows.
‘Ow!’ Hiccup flinched as something fell on him. They both blinked upwards, Hiccup rubbing his head, to see Horrorcow flapping above them. ‘Carrot? ’ she offered in a motherly way. Hiccup hastily wiped his face and reached forward to pick up the large vegetable. ‘Thank you Horrorcow, that’s very kind of you.’ Horrorcow smiled and flapped off to chew at the grasses. Hiccup discarded the vegetable and turned to the package that Fishlegs had brought him and tore off a chunk of the bread, dipping it in the honey.
‘Thank you for coming to find me, Fishlegs.’
Their eyes met and the two boys smiled at each other.
‘Don’t mention it.’