Fishy!

Hiccup strolled down the path to Gobber's workshop. Toothless padded beside him, giving gummy smiles to the passerby.

Hiccup walked through the wooden frame opening and scanned the shop, no Gobber. He then turned to his own little part of the place. Pulling back the curtain, he discovered Gobber sitting at Hiccup's desk.

"What are you doing in here?" Hiccup asked. "I thought you didn't like trying to fit through this door."

"Watch yer' mouth, lad. I was curious as to what makes this place so intrestin' to ya." Gobber waved his metal, prosthetic hand in the air.

"Well, it's more the things I do in here that make it interesting, Gobber." Hiccup walked to his desk and picked up his notebook. He flipped through the filled pages from end to beginning. Hiccup grinned at the first full, detailed drawing he had made of Toothless, after he defeated the Red Death. He dropped the notebook to the desk to let Gobber take a look.

Gobber reached his hand out to pick it up, but Hiccup smacked his hand away.

"No, my personal notebook. I'm just allowing you to look at this one drawing. Keep your hand and hook off." Hiccup said.

"Fine." Gobber leaned in to look at the drawing, but didn't touch it.

"Ya' drew that when ya' were fourteen?" Gobber asked.

"Yeah, so?" Hiccup traced the charcoal strokes with his eyes.

"Well, it's mighty gut. Can I see a newer drawin'?" Gobber looked up at Hiccup.

"I guess so." Hiccup picked up the notebook again and flipped through the more recent sketches and drawings. He showed Gobber a drawing of his mother, Valka that he drew last week.

"My goodness, lad! You've got a knack for this… this… drawing biz'ness." Gobber tapped the paper.

"Thank you, Gobber. But it isn't really something I can use to be helpful. Especially being Chief of Berk, and all now. It's only fun to do and look at." Hiccup shrugged. "Anyways, to get to the real reason why I'm here."

"An' what would 'at be?" Gobber said, standing up out of Hiccup's chair.

"It's almost winter time and the village needs firewood. It's time for our yearly logging. And since I have never gone on one of these projects, I am appointing you to be in charge of it this year. You know what to do more than anyone on Berk." Hiccup put a hand on Gobber's shoulder.

"Alrighty then! You got it!" Gobber shook hands with Hiccup. "When do we start?"

"Tomorrow, at sunrise. I'll be recruiting men tonight at The Great Hall." Hiccup said.

"Okie Dokie!" Gobber said.

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Toothless paraded around Hiccup as he tried to speak to the men at the Great Hall.

"Okay, Toothless. I know you want to play but I'm trying to instigate a logging crew right now. Serious stuff, you know, so the village won't freeze?" Hiccup face-palmed himself as the dragon flew out of the building, meanwhile knocking over two men.

Hiccup took in a deep breath and composed himself.

"Now, as I was saying. Tomorrow morning, at sunrise, we will meet at the forest line. We will then all follow Gobber, who is to be in charge of the logging project this year, on dragon back. If you do not have a dragon, let me know. I need at least three of you to volunteer. The four that were previously chosen are Eret, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Spitelout." Hiccup announced.

"Excuse me, Chief." Spitelout said from the crowd. "Snotlout will not be able to come."

"Why is that?" Hiccup asked curiously.

"He's s-" Spitelout mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that. Could you say it a bit louder?" Hiccup asked, amused at Spitelout's actions.

"Snotlout is… sick." Spitelout whispered the last word.

Hiccup tried his best to not laugh out loud.

The reason Hiccup had never been on one of the logging projects is because he never, well, he never had enough muscle! Last year though, when Stoick was still alive, his father told him he would join them for the project. Hiccup had been excited that he would finally be useful, but then the usual happened. The night before the project, just like tonight, Stoick had to announce that Hiccup would not be joining them. Hiccup was sick.

Now Snotlout, the haughty and competitive son of Spitelout, was sick this time.

"I- I'm sorry to hear that, Spitelout. We will miss his strength tomorrow, I'm sure." Hiccup cleared his throat. "So, if three of you could volunteer, then we will be set to go. Any questions?"

Hiccup saw Tuffnut raise his hand from the back of the crowd. He ignored it, knowing it wasn't worth the expense of time or someone's embarrassment.

"Good, for those of you who want to volunteer, raise your hand." Hiccup nodded at the four men who raised their hands. "Thank you, make sure you arrive at the forest line on time in the morning. Have a good night!"

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"Hiccup, look at this! I think don't think I've seen such a tall tree! Have you?" Fishlegs asked in wonder.

"Nope!" Hiccup said, not really knowing what he was answering. "Fishlegs, we need to be working not messing around."

"Sorry, Hiccup. It's just so interesting out here!" Fishlegs ambled slowly back over to help Hiccup pick up a large fallen tree limb.

"You come out here all the time with Meatlug. What is so different now?" Hiccup sputtered, the limb was heavier than it looked.

"I don't know." Fishlegs picked up his end of the limb. Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief as he easily lifted his own end as well.

"Oooh! Look!" Fishlegs exclaimed and he dropped his end. The whole weight of the limb came to Hiccup and pushed him to the ground. The limb landed on his stomach, causing all the air to "woosh" out of him.

"Awwww." Hiccup moaned. "Why did you do that?"

"Oh! Sorry! I… just…" Fishlegs continued to ramble as he lifted the limb off of Hiccup. As he sat up he felt sharp pricking pains on his arm and back.

"Nice, I landed on a thorn bush! This just proves that I should use Toothless." Hiccup heard his shirt tearing as he stood up, knowing he now had a new rag for the shop.

"Ripped to shreds isn't it?" He asked.

"Yep. Sorry about that." Fishlegs said.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Hiccup said.

"Well that's a mighty big pricker, ain't it?" Gobber bellowed behind them.

"Yes, it is. And I want to use Toothless." Hiccup glared at Gobber.

"I can't tell you what to do. I just said you should try by yourself for a bit." Gobber said.

"Good. Toothless, come here. You are going to help me." Hiccup watched the dragon stretch from his lying position under a tree, and plod over to his rider.

Toothless and Hiccup worked together for several hours, and the got more done than anybody else. Once the others realized that the dragons would make everything faster, the ones who owned dragons worked together.

"Lunch time!" Gobber hollered.

Hiccup ate his lunch and decided to explore a bit while the others finished eating. Toothless and Tuffnut followed him as he tracked down the creek he could hear.

Eventually he found it, full and rushing over large rocks under the cover of the trees.

The three of them walked along beside it for a while, and Tuffnut was unusually quiet. Maybe when the twins were separated they weren't as crazy.

Hiccup just about ran into a tree that was in their path. He couldn't walk around it because thorn bushes grew all around it.

Hiccup, determined to continue his walk, held onto the small tree upside-down with his feet still tiptoeing on the little bit of ground between the creek water and the tree. Hiccup felt the tree creek under the pressure then… SNAP!

Hiccup fell into the creek on his back. Sharp rocks hit him on his side and arm. He turned over, soaking his side as he scrambled to his feet. His single boot filled with water.

"Ohhh, that's going to hurt in the morning." Hiccup groaned for the second time that day.

"Aw, dude! That was so hilarious! I-I can't be-believe you just fell- into th- the creek!" Tuffnut said between laughs. Toothless rolled around with his dragon like laugh.

"Well you're supportive." Hiccup glared at Toothless.

Mud caked Hiccup's clothing and hair, and water dripped from his gloves. He walked out of the creek, his sock made a squishing sound in his soggy boot.

"Yep, that really hurts." Hiccup winced. He squeezed his fingers into his palm to try to squish the water out of his glove. Dribbles of muddy water fell to the ground.

"To bad Snotlout wasn't here to see that!" Tuffnut held his side with one hand and pointed an accusing finger at him with other.

"And don't you go blabbing this to him either." Hiccup shook himself like a dog would, but it didn't do much improvement.

"Why not, fishy." Tuffnut sneered.

"Because, if you do, I'll put you on pooper-scooper duty in the dragon stables. For two weeks!" Hiccup was proud of himself for coming up with a punishment that would horrify anyone.

"All of them? Two weeks?" Tuffnut squeaked.

"Every single last one of them, for two whole weeks!" Hiccup smirked.

"Fine!" he sputtered.

"Good. Now let's go." Hiccup ambled slowly through the little forest.

"Where ya' been?" Gobber asked.

"Oh, you know, just exploring." Hiccup tried not to wince as his hip, which felt severely bruised, bumped Toothless.

"Well, get back to work." Gobber didn't notice that Hiccup was soaked, mainly on the right side.

Good, he didn't really want to Gobber to know. Hiccup squeezed some more water out of his glove when he thought Gobber wasn't looking.

"Hiccup, why is your glove wet?" He had been caught! Oh, well. He might as well tell him the truth now.

"You mean why is the rest of me all wet?" Hiccup gestured to his soaked, thin frame.

"Well, now that I look closer, yes. What happened?" Gobber walked up to Hiccup.

"I fell into the creek." Hiccup mumbled quietly.

"I see!" Gobber chuckled. "Well, you want to go back and change?"

"No, I plan on helping this time, the whole time." Hiccup meant it, he wanted to say he did his job to the best of his ability.

Hiccup continued to work, but he definitely felt his right leg growing colder by the minute. His right hand, the one that got wet, was numb and hard to work with. The nice sunny weather they had started out with was turning frigid.

"Hiccup, now I'm going to tell you to not use Toothless. The more you move around the warmer you'll be." Gobber said.

Hiccup wanted to argue with his logic. He honestly thought he would be warmer if he didn't have to walk around and make his leg continuously rub against his cold, wet pants.

Hiccup slid of Toothless and began working from the ground.

Soon it was growing dark; Hiccup could feel sprinkles of raindrops falling from the sky.

"It's sprinkling." He said.

"It is?" Fishlegs asked.

"Oh, yeah. That's right, you all have coats. I had to take mine off because it was soaked!" Hiccup stared glumly at his coat lying on the ground a ways away.

"Sorry, but you're the one that fell in." Fishlegs pointed out.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, Fishlegs was right. He should have tested the tree before he put all his weight on it. But it didn't make sense that the tree would break under his light frame. Of course, he had finally gained a bit of weight and muscle over the years. Oh, well.

"All right! Were done men! The nets are loaded and attached to the dragons! Let's go home!" Gobber shouted.

Hoots and hollers came out of the small crew in the forest. Hiccup slowly made his way to Toothless. Tuffnut walked ahead of him chanting, "Hiccup the fish! Hiccup the fish! Hiccup the fish!"

Right, since Barf and Belch need two people and Ruffnut was not part of the crew, Tuffnut had to ride with Hiccup.

The ride home wasn't as bad as Hiccup had anticipated. Well, except for the cold, stinging feeling he felt in his right leg and arm. His foot was still a little warm though.

"Hiccup!" Gobber waved to him from his dragon, Grumpy. "You go to your house and get warm. We'll handle the un-loading."

Hiccup was too cold to argue.

Once they landed, Hiccup jump off Toothless and went as fast as his wet foot and prosthetic could go. He burst through his door and peeled off his soggy boot and rushed up the stairs to his room. Valka wasn't home, she had gone on a trip for a couple of days to visit the old dragon nest.

Hiccup pushed through his bedroom door and stood there. He took off his wet, shredded shirt and threw it in the corner. It made slapping sound on the ground and a shriek and a crash were heard behind him. He whipped around to see Astrid's surprised face. Glass shards scattered around her.

"Hiccup, what are you doing back already?" She asked.

"I had to skip out on un-loading." He shrugged.

"Why- …. Hiccup! Did you get beat up or something?" Astrid's face clouded with concern.

"No, I didn't. I'm fine. I'm just cold, wet, and in need of a warm bath." Hiccup reached out his hand so she could jump over the glass.

"Thanks." Astrid smiled.

"You're welcome. Now, what are you doing here?" Hiccup gave her a speculative glance

"Well, I know that since you became Chief you don't even get enough sleep, you're so busy. So I guessed that your room would be a wreck, so I came to be nice and clean it for you. I was going to leave a note on your desk or something. It was supposed to be a surprise." Astrid pouted.

"It's still a surprise, even if I found out early. And even though you broke…. whatever that was. Thank you." Hiccup smiled warmly.

"Okay." Astrid paused. "Turn around."

"Why?" Hiccup asked.

"Just do it!" Astrid snapped.

Hiccup turned around and heard her gasp.

"Hiccup, what did you do to yourself? Your back is cut up everywhere and there's bruises too!" Hiccup couldn't see her face, but he knew she was frowning.

"I'll tell you later. But right now I would really like to get warm." Hiccup turned around to face her.

"Fine. I'll get the water." Astrid said.

Hiccup glared at her. "All right." He said, knowing that he wouldn't win this argument.

After she left, Hiccup found some fresh clothes and a towel. Walked to the bath room and found that the water was warm. Astrid must have had Toothless heat it.

After Hiccup slid in, he looked at his foot sticking out of edge. It looked funny, part of it was discolored. He leaned forward to look at it better. Hiccup laughed, his over active imagination had thought he had frost bite or something. His foot was only red and wrinkly from his soggy sock.

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Astrid sat on the couch reading something when Hiccup walked down the stairs. Astrid motioned for him to come sit by her.

After he sat down she reached for a small container sitting on a nearby table.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Wound salve. I made it myself, now let me see your back." Astrid said.

Hiccup gave her a worried look.

"Don't worry!" Astrid laughed. "Gothi helped me make it!"

Hiccup relaxed and exposed his back. Astrid rubbed the salve on his cuts, he tried not to yelp once or twice actually. When she was done with the back of him she told him to turn around again, and she rubbed the salve on the few cuts on his face and a gash on his arm.

After Astrid was completely done she screwed the lid back on the container. Hiccup threw his shirt back on, it felt funny because it stuck to the salve a little.

"Now, tell me what happened." Astrid ordered. She wasn't at all patient.

Hiccup explained to her what had happened, even about the threat to Tuffnut.

Astrid laughed. "Oh, Hiccup. You're such a klutz!"

"Thank you, that really helps." Hiccup said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, but yesterday you did something too. You leaned over and knocked some paper into a candle! You almost burned the Great Hall to the ground!" Astrid continued laughing.

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The next morning, Hiccup and Astrid had just gotten back from an early flight on Stormfly and Toothless.

They walked to the Great Hall together for some breakfast. On their way they passed Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

"Hey fishy!" they both shouted.

"Shut up!" Astrid said.

"Calm down." Hiccup raised his voice so the twins could hear loud and clear. "They know that if anybody finds out that they're on pooper-scooper duty, for two weeks."

The twins nervously nodded their heads and then ran away.

"Well, that seems to work well." Astrid shrugged.

"Yep! I'm a genius!" Hiccup smiled.

Astrid poked his arm. "Whatever you say, fishy!"

Author's Note

You can check out the true story behind "Fishy" on my profile! :) This was my first HTTYD fanfic. I hope I did well! Please review! I think I enjoy those better than favoriters and followers! :)