The Blacksmith's Apprentice

Twenty-Seven: A Different Solution

Gobber watched him closely as he hammered away at Mildew's plough and a handful of other swords and weapons, his motions mechanical and his face very thoughtful. The blacksmith wasn't a very empathetic man, but he could read his apprentice well enough-when he wasn't completely drunk-and he could see that Hiccup, far from being relieved at the exile of his principal tormentor, was more anxious. In fact, he was so distracted that he called Silent Sven 'Lars' and broke Mildew's plough again...not that Gobber really cared about the last one. But when Hiccup stopped, wiping his forehead with his hand and breathing hard, Gobber rested a hand on his shoulder and forced the young man to look at him.

"Spit it out, laddie," he said without preamble. "I'd ha' thought yer would be happy, what wi' yer lass safe and Snotlout sent tae Outcast Island!" Hiccup glanced up, his emerald eyes dark with concern.

"Is that what you think?" he asked sharply. "Snotlout and his friends attack Astrid, try to rape her, dishonour her in front of the village and eventually get exiled. But thanks to that idiot, Roar Arvidson, everyone imagines it happened and that Astrid wanted it. Or deserved it. Or whatever. And she wants to break off her Promise because she imagines that she isn't good enough for me!" His arms waved around frantically. "I mean, I'm Hiccup the Useless, the most despised dishonoured and ignored person on the island. And she thinks she isn't good enough for me? I mean, I will never be good enough for her...but the gossips are already out...and Mildew is due back in town later..."

"Ah-yer can't allow yerself tae be upset by that old goat..." Gobber said, trying to be helpful-but Hiccup shook him off angrily.

"Gobber-he said to my face that my father should have drowned me at birth! And if he starts on what happened to Astrid...Thor, I may end up being exiled for killing him!" He gestured across the Plaza. "They are already calling her a 'whore' just like Snotlout said. I mean-what is wrong with them? She was attacked, she fought for her life, they choked her and beat her and it took all of them to hold her down just so Snot could get near her and they are implying she wanted it?" Gobber shook his head, a mournful expression on his big face.

"Aye...we're not the biggest thinkers in this Tribe," he admitted. "But they are thinking now. And what they're thinking is that with Snotlout gone, they need a new Heir. The Elders are meeting tae discuss it...so I need tae leave you tae mind the store..." Emerald eyes widened in shock and dismay.

"Sorry-what are you telling me?" Hiccup asked him sarcastically. "That the same people who sneered at and abused me for years, who were cheering when I was removed as Heir and-and disowned by my own father and were cheering for Thuggory to kill me in the Arena-that those idiots want me to just become the Heir again?" Gobber scratched his chin with his hook, looking embarrassed.

"That's about the size o'it," he confessed, not able to meet the blazing emerald gaze. Suddenly Hiccup turned away.

"Just go," he sighed. "But Gobber-this isn't what I want. I gave up on being the Heir years ago-because why would I want to lead this Tribe when none of them like or trust me? Why would I give up my life and hopes and dreams for people who have shown me nothing but cruelty and dismissal? A Chief protects his own-but you have made me feel anything but a Hooligan. Have your meeting but I am not the answer."

Gobber watched him as he turned back to the next sword and sighed, then began to pound the hot metal once more. No, laddie-yer wrong, he thought. Yer the answer tae everything.

oOo

Hiccup found Astrid in the cove with the dragons, her posture defeated, She was standing quietly, stroking Stormfly's face and murmuring praise and compliments but her hair was windblown and cheeks red, showing she had already been for a flight. Toothless warbled a greeting and Hiccup felt his mouth stretch in a grin as he hugged and played with his excited dragon, all the while checking the girl. Finally, he turned to Astrid.