HTTYD: Forging a Different Path Chapter 1

This is a Hiccup and Astrid runaway AU. Also, some of the characters will seem a bit OOC, but considering how the background of this story is, it's to be expected that it's going to be different from the canon. What if Astrid stayed with Hiccup through the years instead of blocking everyone out and becoming what she is in the first movie. This chapter and the following chapter is going to be more or less like the movie up until Hiccup is ready to leave. So please bare with me as I develop the story.

And yes, I have redone this chapter.

Narrative Speech this chapter only

"This is normal speech"

'This is normal thoughts'

"This is dragon speech"

'This is dragon thoughts'

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Dreamworks or HTTYD characters. I do own any OC's that might appear in this story.

Narrative POV

This is Berk.

It's twelve days north of hopeless, and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It's located on the meridian of misery.

This place is like most other villages out here in the Archipelago, only there is one main difference…

Instead of having to deal with minor pests like mice or mosquitoes, we have… dragons.

Now most people would leave this place thinking that it's a lost cause, but not us, we're Vikings.

We have stubbornness issues.

Hiccup's POV

I rush towards the door to leave and as I open it, a Monstrous Nightmare flies in and hovers in front of my home. It then spots me and I'm forced to slam the door shut to avoid getting burned as it shoots fire towards me.

'My name is Hiccup, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Great name I know, but it's not the worst. Most parents believe a hideous name will frighten gnomes and trolls, like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that.'

I started going towards the forge and barely avoid getting hit in the head by a log carried by two Vikings when a Gronkle shot at the ground, aiming at a near by Viking. The blast knocks me to the ground, and the Viking that the Gronkle had aimed at flew into my face and shouted "Morning."

I'm about halfway to the forge when suddenly a Nadder fired a line of fire in front of me and before I run into the flames a large hand grabs me.

"What is he doing out/what are you doing out? Go get inside!" Stoick the Vast yells at me.

That's Stoick the Vast, Chief of the Tribe. There's a rumor to which he pulled a dragon's head clean off it's shoulder when he was a baby. Do I believe it? Not really.

I arrive at the forge to find that Gobber is working on some war hammers. Astrid is polishing some repaired swords before handing them to the people outside. I grab some tools from the window and get them heated up on the furnace to soften the metal to start repairs.

Normal POV

Gobber greets Hiccup "Ah! Nice for you to join the party. I thought you'd been carried off."

"Who? Me? Nah, I'm way too muscular for their tastes. Besides, if they did get to me they wouldn't know what to do with all, this." Hiccup gestures to himself striking a bodybuilder pose.

"They need toothpicks don't they?" Astrid asked after Hiccup's comment.

"Oh, not you too Astrid." Hiccup groans. Both Gobber and Astrid chuckle.

Now Hiccup and Astrid are Gobber's apprentices, they've been working in the forge since they were little, well littler…

Hiccup starts pumping the bellows to heat up the metal after picking up one of Gobber's hand attachments and puts it on the shelf where the other attachments are. Then he takes a sword off the furnace and starts repairing it while Astrid starts polishing another set of weapons.

Someone shouts "They've found the sheep!"

Stoick the Vast responds by shouting out some orders to counter attack using the catapults and send some reinforcements to the lower reaches of the village.

Yep, a typical day for Berk. This war has been going on for three centuries and there seems to be no end in sight.

Hiccup's POV

I go to look outside and notice a house catching on fire after a Nadder passed by and think, 'Old village, lots and lots of new houses. Why can't they just build them out of stone or something less flammable.' Than after someone shouted "Fire!" I notice the other teens of Berk, whose job is putting out fires, are rushing towards the burning house. As they start to put out the fire a Gronkle shots right behind them and pretty much finished off the house.

I laugh at them because my job is so much cooler than theirs.

Let me introduce the rest of the teens. First off there's Snotlout, my cousin and main bully.

Then there's the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut. They love to cause chaos and also help Snotlout bully me.

And last is Fishlegs, a husky boy who's an encyclopedia of facts and statistics about dragons. That might be annoying, but he's a good friend who helps where he can.

Oh, also there's Astrid. The next generation of shield maidens for Berk, or that's what everyone is suppose to think. Thing is, she's been my girlfriend since we were thirteen, and best friends before that. No one knows that besides Gobber, Gothi and Astrid's parents.

Oh, and if you're wondering why she's here in the forge instead of being part of the fire brigade, well… for one, she prefers it to running around and wasting time throwing water at buildings that are on fire, knowing full well that more than likely it couldn't be put out and a waste of time. For two, let's just say a certain someone, (Snotlout) thought that he would be a better captain and also wouldn't stop flirting with her, not focusing on the task at hand.

Besides, she likes staying close to me as much as possible.

Anyways, as I was lost in thought Gobber picks me up by my shirt and I say, "Ah come on, let me out please, I need to make my mark."

"You've made plenty of marks, all in the wrong places." As Gobber says this I make my way to my latest invention, the Mangler. Even though I can use a hammer, sword and axe, I can't throw a bola which is the reason for the Mangler. Astrid and I have worked on it for a month now and we've got it to work properly, though there is still a mild calibration issue.

I continue, "Please two minutes, I kill a dragon and be worthy enough for Astrid and I can publicly show that we're a couple without her being ridiculed. Ow!" Astrid punches me in the shoulder as I finished and says, "You are more than worthy enough for me, remember that you're the only other teen that is equal to me in combat and even though you don't like to fight, you could beat up Snotlout easy." Gobber joins in, "That's true. I know you want out there, but the truth is, the village would treat you like one of them for a little while then go back to the way they're treating you now."

I then touch the Mangler and it shoots outside and hits a villager in the face and I call out, "Whoops, sorry. Mild calibration issue."

"See what I mean Hiccup, for you to be accepted you would have to stop all...this."Gobber gestures to me.

"You just gestured to all of me." I deadpan.

"And I'm sure that all that raw Vikingness of yours can't be contained to much longer or there will be consequences. Sword. Sharpen. Now." Gobber replies sarcastically, ending the conversation.

I pick up a sword and start to sharpen it and as I do that I start to think about the different dragons and what kind of reputation it would bring me. Even though what Gobber said is true, I still have to try.

A Nadder head would at least get me noticed.

Then there's the Gronkle, a tough dragon that would definitely get me the reputation I need to show that I am worthy of Astrid.

I'm glad she can't read my mind or that would get me another punch in the shoulder.

The Zippleback, two heads, twice the status. Also very tricky to take down, it's gas can make you light headed and the perfect smoke screen for it to escape.

Then there's the Monstrous Nightmare, only the best Vikings go after those. They are hard to kill, especially when it sets itself on fire.

I stand up hearing a building ballistic moaning sound. Only one dragon does that. The ultimate prize, the Night Fury. No one has seen this dragon, the only way you know it's coming is by the sound it makes when it's about to fire.

I rush to the window to see it shoot one of the catapults.

This thing never steals food, never shows itself and... never misses.

This was the main reason that I came up with the Mangler.

Oh look, it looks like Gobber is getting prepared to join the fighting, this might be my chance.

Normal POV

"Hold the fort Hiccup, they need me out there. Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean. Ahhh!" Gobber says as he leaves to join the fighting.

Of course Hiccup isn't one to listen and leaves with the Mangler with Astrid tailing him.

Hiccup runs up to the ledge near the forge and deploys the Mangler. Astrid stays in the shadows so that if something happens to Hiccup she can help him.

Once the Mangler deploys, Hiccup gets ready to shoot upon hearing the Night Fury starting its attack run.

All the while Stoick is taking down a group of Nadders that have surrounded some sheep with a large net down below.

Astrid POV

I watch Hiccup setting up the Mangler, which seems to be working properly at the moment. Then he says to himself, "Come on, give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at." Then we hear a roar and then the ballistic moaning sound builds, I think to myself, 'He built this for the Night Fury?! Wow, he wasn't kidding when he told me about going after the Night Fury. Let's hope this works.'

As the Night Fury fires, we see it's shadow and Hiccup fires the Mangler and we hear it scream as it falls down towards Raven's point. 'That's a little too close to our cove than I would like it to be.'

Hiccup shouts, "Yes I hit it! Did anyone see that?"

"I sure did babe." I reply somewhat startling him.

Then a Monstrous Nightmare came up and stepped on the Mangler. "Oh crap, you saw that too didn't you." Is Hiccup's sarcastic response and then we both start running. I managed to slip behind a house, but before I could grab Hiccup to follow me he runs towards one of the torches that are used for seeing the dragons at night.

Normal POV

As Hiccup runs he noticed the night torch and while dodging the Nightmare's fire he slips behind the torch hoping that it won't find him. He then goes to peak on the other side while the Nightmare is coming up from behind when Stoick runs into it and pushes out of the way. As the Nightmare tries to shoot fire at him and fails, so Stoick says, "You're all out." After a few heavy punches the Nightmare leaves and Stoick turns around looking at the torches pole as it collapses revealing Hiccup standing right behind it.

Hiccup watches the torch roll down the hill and cringes at the damage. Then he looks at Stoick saying, "Sorry Dad."

Hiccup's POV

I tried to tell him I shot down a Night Fury, but did he listen, nooo. And saying that every time I step outside disaster falls upon the village, that hurts… really hurts. He's more of a Chief than a father. Things use to be so much better when I was younger.

I think it's getting close for me to leave this place. And knowing Astrid, she would follow me no matter what I say.

After Gobber's pep talk I head inside to check on my banished, exile/escape bag. I then go out the back door to start my search of the Night Fury. 'If my dad says I'm not a dragon killer, what am I?'

Astrid's POV

'Really Chief? In front of the village? And saying that disaster falls the second he steps outside, that's harsh. I can see why Hiccup would feel like leaving and I would follow. It's as bad as when Uncle Finn was frozen and killed by the Flightmare, the village said that Hofferson's weren't so fearless after all. It basically ruined my family's honor, we were known for being fearless.'

As I approach Hiccup's house I hear him leave through the back door. That crazy boyfriend of mine is going to search for the Night Fury by himself, might as well join him.

That's it for chapter one. Thanks for reading!