Chapter Five: One More Day

Dagur the Deranged was impatient. His Skrill couldn't seem to fly fast enough. Scanning the ground with his eyes, his gaze finally landed upon several ships outside of a small, rocky spit of land.

"That had better be good." he said, hopping off his dragon and strutting forward.

His most trusted soldier held up some black cloth. "We found this half buried in the sand. Is this what we're looking for?"

Dagur snatched the filthy cloth out of the man's hand and inspected it. A smile broke across his features. "Oh yes. This is exactly what we're looking for." he cackled in triumph. "It's true! Oh this is perfect!"

"And why did we spend the last year and a half looking for this?" another soldier asked, slightly irritated that what they had found had been so simple, so mundane and not at all what they had expected.

"Because it's proof that what that old Berk woman told us is true. And it's all the proof we need." Dagur was more delighted than he had ever been in his life. He tossed the cloth to his most trusted soldier. "Keep this under armed guard. We need a foolproof plan." he turned to walk away but then remembered something. "Also, get all the laws and maps from the record keeper. We need to make sure this really will hold up."

The soldiers nodded. Dagur mounted the Skrill once more, a gigantic smile on his face. He was impatient but he also wasn't going to take any chances. This was the best idea he'd ever had. Well, he mused, he mustn't take all the credit. The late Trista Haddock had been veryvaluable.

Xxx

Stoick's life was the best it had been in a long time. His relationship with his son was better than ever, his grandchildren made him smile on a daily basis, and the Berkians tended to be more at ease with him. He was happy most of the time, from the moment he awoke from the moment his head hit the pillow.

This morning was no exception. He had always been a morning person, even as a child, and he loved to rise just after the sun began its ascent. He knew that it would be a few hours before everyone was ready to enter the Whispering Death's new tunnel to plug up the well (very muddy work but it got done pretty quickly) so he decided to use this time to work on the new Dragon Book for Hiccup. He was on the last pages and if he took advantage of the extra time, he would have it finished.

The last pages were the trickiest of all. Stoick had spent five years wondering what he would write there because he wanted to leave Hiccup with something that lasted. He decided on writing a bit about each person who contributed to the more accurate information in the book. Hiccup and Fishlegs had the most contributions and drawings but a lot of Bork's notes were still quite relevant. Even the twins, both sets, had contributed a little bit.

He had lost himself in his work so that, by the time he finished the last line, the sun was shining through the windows, reminding him that he did have duties as chief and that he would be wise to get going. He shut the book with a smile, glad that this project was finally over, and wondered, as he got his things together, what his next project would be. If the next one took as long as this one did, he would be in his sixties when he finished. He shook his head as this thought entered his mind. He had no idea where the time had gone. One minute he was a young boy splitting rocks in two with his skull and the next he was a grandfather whose once deep red hair had lightened considerably.

Knowing his son, he thought that it might be a good idea to stop by the other Haddock home to find out if Hiccup had even gotten up yet. Astrid had probably already left for Svala's bridal shower and Adrianna was more likely than any of them to still be in bed.

The older Viking knocked on the door, more as a formality, and was almost surprised to see Hiccup pull it open, looking half asleep as he did so. Stoick was taken slightly aback by his son's appearance. The young man looked like he was about to pass out.

"Well I know you're not a morning person but this is ridiculous." Stoick quipped, stepping in as Hiccup opened the door farther.

"What? Oh... no, I just got up. Finn got sick last night; he seems to have gotten whatever Addie had a few months ago. I just got him down for a nap and I can't leave yet because Lotus isn't here." Hiccup said, collapsing on the couch and looking completely exhausted.

Stoick nodded sympathetically. "Oh. Well I can wait."

"Thanks, dad." Hiccup said with a small smile, stepping back to allow his father to enter.

Stoick walked through the door and took a brief look around. The first thing that caught his eye was the small painted vase with purple flowers in it. As he took in the appearance of his son's home, he noticed dozens of drawings hanging on the walls, clay blobs that were supposed to be a variety of objects, and a second vase, this one with blue flowers. His grandchildren had brightened up the place and added their own style that perhaps he should have adopted way back when it was Hiccup making him little art projects he eventually put in storage.

"Hiccup, listen..." Stoick paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I always put work first when you were a kid and I'm sorry I did that. But looking around... I never noticed how much effort you put into being a father. So much more than I did." the older man smiled at his son. "You really are a great dad. And you'll be a great chief."

Hiccup breathed a laugh. "I won't have to worry about that for a while. One thing at a time."

Stoick chuckled. "Oh, that reminds me: come to the Great Hall this evening. I have something for you."

"If it's a new kind of wine, I'm not interested." Hiccup winked and Stoick, remembering the last time his son had a bit too much to drink, smiled appreciatively.

"You'll like this a lot better." Stoick said with a knowing grin. He faced his son, feeling an odd sensation that he needed to say something important. "I know I don't say this enough but... I'm proud of you, Hiccup. Really proud."

"Thanks, dad." Hiccup spotted Lotus walking up to the house through the window so he stood up and started to saunter to the door.

Father and son looked at each other for a few seconds. Stoick hoped that Hiccup really did believe that he was proud. Hiccup hoped that Stoick would know that he did. Just as Hiccup was about to make what would probably be a sarcastic comment about parenting or chiefing or... anything, really, Lotus turned up at the door.

"Hope I'm not too late." she said breathlessly. "Came as fast as I could. I remember how stressful it was to be stuck with a sick kid and you've got your work cut out for you today. Hello, chief."

"Nice to see you again, Lotus. I guess we can get going." Stoick nodded to Lotus as he and Hiccup walked through the door and into the sunny day outside.

The second the two Haddocks entered the village square, Astrid plowed into them, nearly bouncing off of them and falling backward. She hopped off the ground the moment she hit it but looked rather embarrassed.

"Slow down a bit, Astrid." Stoick guffawed, helping her balance herself.

"I left my gift at home." Astrid sighed. "Honestly, I'm as forgetful as Anna now."

"I wouldn't go that far." Stoick brushed some dirt of of her shoulder. "Are you sure it's a good idea to go to the shower after last night?"

"Yeah, Astrid, you were up a long time with Finn. Thanks, by the way." Hiccup kissed her cheek and she smiled appreciatively.

"You're probably right but I already promised Svala I would go."

"Ah. Well then we won't keep you waiting." Stoick patted her on the back. "I'll see you around."

Astrid waved as she tore off, immediately disappearing in the crowd. Stoick and Hiccup continued until they arrived at the tunnel, where several people were gathered. As simple as this operation was, an irate Whispering Death could be a lot of trouble if it decided to come through its old tunnel. This hadn't happened yet and, truth be told, no one really knew what they would do if it did, but a group of people on the lookout was a good idea nonetheless. Gobber was standing by the tunnel entrance but he looked rather bored without much to do at the moment. As Hiccup walked over to Olaf Larson and Spitelout Jorgenson, who would be going into the tunnel with him, Stoick sat down next to his old friend.

"It's finished." he said by way of a greeting.

"Oh good. So can I have my hammerhead yak attachment back?"

"Not that, the The Dragon Book." Stoick clapped his friend on the back. "Took me five years but it's complete. Everything we know about dragons now. All the drawings and sketches and speculations. We won't be needing a new one for generations."

"Hiccup will be deliriously excited. If only just to read it again." Gobber chortled. "Just in time for the kiddies to learn to read."

"So it is. Thor, how are they almost five already? I'm positive Hiccup didn't age this fast." Stoick leaned back on his hands. "Time flies now."

"Ach, it all comes with getting old. You think you have all the time in the world and then one day you find gray hairs in your mustache." Gobber sighed deeply, thoughtfully stroking his own facial hair. "Some things never change though. Hiccup's still... Hiccup. You never could change a thing about that boy. And I'd be willing to bet Finn's always going to be loud and rambunctious; Thor help us all when he's a teenager. And Anna, well... she'll probably be the next Hiccup to replace him whenever he kicks the bucket."

"Too true. And you'll always find a way to awkwardly bring up skivvies in random conversations." Stoick nudged his friend, who chuckled appreciatively.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Gobber said. "I prefer to think of it as making things interesting."

"Well I can't fault you for that." Stoick replied. "Listen, I'm going to present the Dragon Book to Hiccup in the Great Hall this evening. After that, we should have a drink. We don't do that as often as we should."

"You're right. We've got to start turning it into a habit." Gobber tapped Stoick on the back with his hook. "Looks like they're ready for you. You show that Whispering Death who's boss!"

"Ahh, you just gotta be rough with them and they'll listen." Stoick got up and headed toward the tunnel.

It took only seconds to get the other men together and light the torches. Then it was time to take the slight descent into the depths of the tunnel. Stoick sighed deeply, looking around at his people, safe and sound and happy, thinking that life simply couldn't get any better than this.

"All right, we walk in slowly. If the dragon's still there, we don't want to startle it." Stoick said in a low voice to Hiccup, Spitelout, and Olaf. "Our objective is to plug up the hole in the well, nothing else."

"Got the tools right here." Olaf said helpfully, holding up a rather large toolbox.

"Good. Follow me and keep your torches high up. We need maximum visibility." Stoick instructed as they ventured farther into the tunnel.

There was a sudden rumbling sound from just above them, causing the four men to jump a bit and look up. None of the rocks shifted so Stoick beckoned them forward. As they walked, Hiccup began to feel a bit... off, for the lack of a better word. There was something different about this tunnel but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. Maybe it was the consistency of the rocks that surrounded them... no, it looked the same as any of the other tunnels they had explored. So what was it?

Mud. That was what was off. There was no mud in the tunnel. If the Whispering Death had punctured a hole in the well, wouldn't water have flown through it? The rocks and dirt around them were completely dry. Hiccup wasn't an expert but he didn't think that was a good sign.

"Dad," he whispered as he hurried up to his father, "maybe we should bring the dragons."

"If we brought the dragons, we'd plug up the tunnel and be unable to run out if something happens." Stoick hastily whispered back.

Hiccup looked around at the walls, which were far too narrow to allow anything wider than a Whispering Death to fly. Actually... if a Whispering Death had made these tunnels, they would be a lot wider and lower beneath the ground to prevent them from caving in. Something this small could only have been dug by a young Whispering Death who obviously hadn't learned that tunneling too close to the surface could cause the tunnels to collapse...

A second rumble above their heads soon backed up his theory.

"Dad, we should go. The Whispering Death is young and inexperienced and it sounds like it's coming back through." he said frantically, trying to keep his voice low.

Sure enough, they could hear something digging its way through the rocks and dirt. They soon realized that they had only seconds to act.

"Go back!" Stoick suddenly shouted just as several rocks fell from the ceiling of the tunnel.

Hiccup, Olaf, and Spitelout didn't have to be told twice. They ran forward at full speed as the sounds of the Whispering Death came closer and closer. Suddenly, Hiccup heard something burst through the tunnel's wall and slam into him.

"Hiccup!" Stoick voice echoed around him as razor sharp teeth came dangerously close to stabbing his son all the way though.

The Whispering Death's weight suddenly lifted as Stoick tackled it to the ground. Dragon and Viking wrestled fiercely.

"Dad!" Hiccup cried, trying to help him fight off the dragon.

"Get the others out of there!" Stoick commanded.

"But-"

"Go, Hiccup!"

Hiccup paused for a moment, watching his father wrestle with the hostile dragon. He briefly wondered if training it would be an option. And, in fact, it might have been if not for the boulder that fell dangerously close to his head.

"Go!" Stoick repeated.

Hiccup turned to run just as another boulder knocked Olaf Larson to the ground. Before they could help him up, a second and much larger one fell on his legs. Olaf let out a cry of pain as more rocks and boulders fell from the ceiling. Spitelout and Hiccup grabbed him and dragged him out of the mouth of the tunnel just as it completely collapsed on itself.

"DAD!" Hiccup shouted in horror, racing forward and trying to move the rocks out of the way of the entrance.

A hand rested on his shoulder. "Hiccup-"

"We have to go back for him!" Hiccup interrupted. "Dad!"

Aside from Hiccup's desperate cries and the sounds of the rocks he was shifting, there was an agonizing silence. No movement came from the inside of the collapsed tunnel. No voice called for help.

"Come on, help me!" Hiccup yelled to the others, who were standing back in stunned silence. "We've got to get him out of there!"

Gobber removed his hand from Hiccup's shoulder and used it to grab his arm. "Hiccup, stop."

"No!" Hiccup cried. "No, we have to help him!"

"Hiccup-"

"DAD!"

Thornado flew over their heads and landed around where Stoick had been fighting the Whispering Death. After sniffing it, he began to frantically dig. Hiccup continued to try to move rocks out of the way, completely ignoring the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spitelout help Olaf sit on a small hill before racing up.

"Hiccup, stop." he said in a gruff voice.

"No!" Hiccup tried to push him away but he stood firm. "Dad! Can you hear me? Say something!"

This couldn't be happening. Not when things were going so well! Not when Stoick hadn't even started training Hiccup in how to be chief! Hiccup's heart pounded in his head as he dug through the rocks, his hands scraped and bleeding before he felt strong arms around his waist and his body physically yanked from the caved-in tunnel.

"NO!" he bellowed. "LET ME GO! DAD!"

A loud cry interrupted Hiccup's shouts. Thornado's tail was all that was visible from Hiccup's point of view but the massive blue dragon soon flew to the top of the tunnel and let out an earsplitting, heartbroken howl. The men at the cave entrance looked at each other before Spitelout hopped on his dragon and flew to where Thornado had been just seconds ago. The others watched with bated breath.

"Come on, dad." Hiccup muttered, his heart feeling constricted in his chest. "You've got to be okay."

Spitelout went out of sight for only a few seconds but they seemed like an eternity. When he emerged from the collapsed tunnel, he looked at the hopeful faces of the man at its entrance and shook his head.

Hiccup's heart plummeted and everything began to spin in front of his eyes. His knees weakened.

"No..." he muttered, his voice feeling constricted.

It was like a knife had pierced Hiccup's heart. This... this wasn't happening. This couldn't happen...

Gobber, who had been holding him back, gently let him go. Hiccup began to slowly walk backwards, away from the collapsed tunnel, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. Stoick the Vast was one of the strongest Vikings Berk had ever seen. The man who had raised him, who had been there for him when no one else had... that man could not be dead. He wasn't supposed to be dead. He was supposed to die of old age in twenty or thirty years surrounded by his great-grandchildren, not now... not now...

Suddenly the full weight of what he had heard crashed onto him so hard, his knees buckled slightly. He was going to have to be chief. He was going to have to break the news to his children... to his daughter whose nightmares had just gone away, who had recently wept at the funeral of a woman she didn't even know... no, he couldn't do this.

He suddenly felt his hip ram into his dragon's scaly head. Toothless made a mournful sound and gently rubbed his upper leg in a comforting manner. Before Hiccup knew what he was doing, he mounted his Night Fury and looked skyward. Toothless kicked off the ground and both felt the wind in their faces as the scene fell away. They could hear garbled shouting, probably for them to come back down, but they ignored it. Toothless knew his human needed to escape.

As for Hiccup, he needed to get as far away from what had just happened as possible. He clutched the metal bar in front of him and urged his dragon farther upward until the two of them were a mere speck in the vast expanse of the cloudy sky.