But at least after Hiccup's secret visit to his prison last night, he took comfort in knowing that if he would never return from this expedition or survive his ordeal, his legacy will continue to live on within his mate, and that his mate will be from harm's way soon as he had promised.
Stoick crossed to the bow as the ship pushed off and joined the amassed armada of ships adrift in the harbor. Stoick's brow was furrowed, all warmth drained away. He turned west and glared at the horizon with cold determination.
"Set sail! We head for Helheim's Gate."
He then noticed Hiccup watching from his familiar cliff-side perch beyond the village. Their eyes met, full of hurt and regret. He noticed Hiccup looked a little pale and drained, but did not think much of it. Hiccup slowly shook his head in warning, biting his lip and his arms around himself as if in a hugging motion. Stoick then heard Toothless snort and grunt, as if feeling Hiccup's presence without even needing to see him up there, and it made the Chief of Tribe's blood boil. It reminded Stoick of his son—his only son—betraying everything he stood for and giving himself to the enemy he and his generations before him had sworn to fight to the death. He broke the stare and turned to Toothless, fuming.
"Lead us home, Devil."
Toothless gave Stoick one final defiant glare before the ship started leaving the docks. Hiccup continued watching as the ships set sail. He was powerless to stop what was happening, but won't leave. He was not about to let Toothless go alone in this journey of no return, and if it was only their bond to let him know that he was seeing his mate off, it was the least he could do. He continued to stand there for goodness knows how long, even after the ships have long since cleared the horizon. Astrid, who came to see how Hiccup and his baby were doing, was standing behind him. She approached cautiously and stood beside him in silence.
"It's a mess," Astrid slowly broke the ice.
Hiccup didn't respond.
"You must feel horrible. You've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend and mate…"
"Thank you for summing that up," Hiccup retorted. After another momentary silence, he sighed. "Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? It would have been better for everyone."
"Yep. The rest of us would have done it," Astrid agreed, then turned to him. "So why didn't you?"
Hiccup just shook his head. He really didn't know how to answer that. Astrid's eyes glimmered, as if not satisfied with that response.
"Why didn't you?"
"I don't know. I couldn't."
"That's not an answer."
"Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?" Hiccup asked, irritated at her probing.
"Because I want to remember what you say right now," Astrid said indignantly.
"Oh for the love of…" Hiccup turned to her, exasperated. "I was a coward! I was weak. I wouldn't kill a dragon."
"You said 'couldn't' that time," Astrid pointed out.
"Whatever! I wouldn't! Three hundred years and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon! Guess I'm really cursed now, am I? You happy now?"
Hiccup looked away, trying to hold back tears. He didn't want Astrid to see him cry, and he really felt like crying right now, thinking about all the mistakes he had done, all the wretched choices he made, and now left with the overwhelming responsibility of carrying the offspring of lightning and death within him and faced with future dangers of being prosecuted, always on the run and not knowing what a dragon's pregnancy would do to him…
"First to ride one, though. And to be bonded to one."
Hiccup blinked. He never looked at it that way before.
"So…?" Astrid probed some more. Hiccup put a hand onto his middle, his mind going back to the first day he met Toothless and that fateful decision that changed his life forever.
"…I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was," Hiccup said in realization, remembering the look Toothless gave him when he was about to kill him that seemed oddly familiar to him. "I looked at him…and I saw myself."
"I bet he's really frightened now," Astrid said as she turned to face the open sea. "What are you going to do about it?"
"Probably something stupid," Hiccup replied, an idea already cooking in his mind.
"Good. But you've already done that."
"Then something crazy."
"That's more like it."
-:-
"If you're planning on getting you and your child eaten, I'd definitely go with the Gronckle," Fishlegs noted.
"You were wise to seek help from the world's most deadly weapon," Tuffnut stepped forward with a scowl, then seeing Hiccup's confused face, he clarified, "It's me."
"I love this plan," Snotlout, the ever brown-noser butted in.
"I didn't…" Hiccup wanted to say that he hadn't yet told them about the plan, but Ruffnut pushed past Snotlout.
"You're crazy," Ruffnut admonished, but then looked at him sultry. "I like that."
"So? What is the plan?" Astrid asked as she pulled Ruffnut's braid and shoved her out of the way, reminding the blonde that Hiccup was already spoken for.
Hiccup smiled, glowing in the support of his friends. He opened the door of the Nightmare's pen and stepped into the darkness. Approaching the Nightmare, he had his hands outstretched as he did during the finals, showing it that he was not a threat. The dragon sniffed about him for a moment, catching the scent of the child within Hiccup and snorted in surprise. Hiccup smiled and nodded before he laid a gentle hand on the dragon's muzzle, slowly backing away.
He soon stepped back from the door, drawing the Monstrous Nightmare out of its cave. It snorted, stepping into the ring, calmed by Hiccup's outstretched hand and focused on him and his little baby bump. The teens were bewildered, in awe at what they were witnessing. Snotlout was still a little apprehensive and nervously reached for a spear lying near his foot, but was stopped by Astrid with a smack on his shoulder. Hiccup slowed to a stop in front of the teens, with the Nightmare inches from his outstretched hand. He reached over and grabbed Snotlout's trembling hand.
"Wait! What are you…!" Snotlout was horrified at what Hiccup was trying to do.
"Relax," Hiccup assured him. "It's okay…it's okay."
Hiccup carefully replaced his outstretched hand with Snotlout's, putting him in control of the massive beast. The Nightmare snorted, but remained calm. Snotlout, by contrast, chuckles nervously—it was both terrifying and amazing as the others watched, spellbound at how docile the fearsome dragon arsonist was before them. Hiccup turned and walked away, leaving Snotlout with the Nightmare.
"Where are you going?" Snotlout asked, still plenty terrified at being alone with the dragon.
"You're going to need something to help you hold on," Hiccup said as he pulled a bundle of rope from a supply box.
As the teens eye each other apprehensively, all the dragons that Hiccup had unleashed before the Monstrous Nightmare were standing in the ring, facing the teens expectantly.
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