Chapter Text
When the chiefs son was born, everyone knew he would be fragile. He was born to early into the world, to small for a child, and even though it was custody to send the child into the sea, Stoick – their Chief – believed in his son to become a great chief.
The Chiefs words were final, and nothing else could be said.
Everyone knew that Hiccup was to small for a child and would still be when he would grows; but in this moment, Hiccup looked even smaller then he actually was.
“Wha- What happened?” The small boy asks the man that was holding the chief up from his right side. The man has blond hair, as well as a long blond beard - he is known as the Blacksmith Gobber, who´s the cheerfulness person everyone knew, as well as the best friend of said chief, and one who never looked down - His expression now could be described as something new. “We were attacked; Outcasted had landed on our island. Your father was alone, and when we finally got to him, he was already like this, and - and they escaped.” There were some gaps and some whispers around them but the boy ignored the crowd; his only focus was on his father and the said words from his fathers best friend. The boy shakes his head to clear his mind before gasping out: “Why, why wasn’t someone with him?” The man with the blond bear looks at the boy sadly, “you know your father, lass. When he has an idea in his head, he stuck with it.” The boy looks from the man to his father. He could count at least two broken ribs by the indication of his father's breathing, a dislocated knee from the strange angle of it, and a lot of cuts. “Lass,” Gobber calls. The boy shakes his head to get a clearer mind, again, and then notice the growing crowd - If it keeps growing and boiling, it could end badly. He takes a breath - He knows what he has to do; he turned to Gobber and commanded: “Get him inside” Then to the crowd “and someone gets Gothi to him” A man nodded before making his way to her. The boy turns to the last person he wants to command - His father right hand man and his uncle, “Spitelout can you and some other make a quick round and look out if there are still some outcast left.” Surprisingly, Spitelout did not comment on his command, instead did as he was told. Gobber and the other man on the left side picked up the injured man and made their way to the house on the hill, where the boy had come from, before he rushed to his father’s side. The small boy could only follow behind, worry about his father etches on his face. As they made their descends, the crowd could only watch them leave, frozen in shock at seeing their chief injured like that. How couldn’t they not? Their chief, Stoick the Vast, was the bravest, strongest, and most stubborn Viking of them all. To see him like this - so near death - was worrying some.
“You heard the boya, let’s make a round” Spitelout shouts to the crowd as he claps his hands to get their attention. “I want children and women inside the house. Some men should check our village, make sure there is nobody here. I want some to move south of the forest and another one to go north.” As he constructs people around him, his worries lay somewhere else. His chief, who was also his brother, is for the moment not living and would most likely be for a while or - and Thor forbids - make his way to Valhalla, and his nephew would mostly become acting chief. At such an age and with those worries lying on his nephews shoulders, only Thor knows what lies in the future.
Spitelout sighs before making his way to his men.
Stoick’s bed was taken from his room upstairs and put down on the first floor so that there was more room to walk around for the helpers as they cleaned his wounds and took off his armor. It hadn’t even passed that much time after they had put down the last piece of armor, that Gothi finally arrived. One look at her Chief and she began to attend to his injuries. So that he couldn’t interfere, the small boy stood there as he watched her put bandage after bandage and cream after cream on his father. It hadn’t been long before she starts to put her things back. “Wait!” The small boy cries as he tries to stop her from packing her things. Gobber stops him “Hiccup,” he puts his hand on the small boy's shoulder, stopping him from reaching Gothi, “Gothi said she had done what she could. Stoicsk fate lies in Thor's hands now” The boy - Hiccup - shakes his head. “There could be more done - There is still so mu-“ The hand tighten on his shoulders, “Hiccup, this is all she can do.” Gobber sighs. He knew how Hiccup feels right now. After all, this was his best friend - they had done a lot together, “Get some rest, I will see you tomorrow. I need to see the elders and talk with them about our …. Situation.” He pats Hiccups shoulder for comfort before making his way out of the house with Gothi in town.
Hiccup hasn’t move one bit as they went. Only once the door closed, did he make his way to his father's side and sat down at a chair next to his father's bed and took his hand in his.
He stayed the whole night next to him - with the fear of losing him, Hiccup didn’t really sleep and when he did, he woke up with a silent scream.
There was a knock on the door before the door was opened without permission - Gobber and Spitelout entered the house. They knew that no one would open the door for them because Stoick is bedridden for the time being, and Hiccup is not aware or awake enough to open the door for them. And to no one’s surprise, they found him next to his father's bed blunting his forehead. Gobber clears his throat to catch Hiccup's attention. The only indication was the slight motion of his head in their direction before moving back to his father's face. “Hiccup, we, ah, we had talked yesterday with the elders and… how should I say it, lass” Gobber begins before Spitelout took the lead to rip the band-aid off “the elders voted to make you acting chief.”
There - the chicken was put in the room. Hiccup freezes. In some way, he knew that he needs to step up. He is after all the next in line, but at this age and really him? He muses, maybe, they would vote for someone else. After all, he is declared the runt of the tribe and is called, in many ways, Useless.
He shakes his head at this, rasping: “no, no, I - I can’t. Wh-why me?” Finally, his head turns to them - but not really seeing them. His eyes weren’t focusing - his heart didn’t lie in the present, “Why not you, Spitelout?” He asks his uncle, who had been at his father's side for years. Spitelout would be acknowledged and he even knows how to run the village, too, he could do it. Spitelout sighs. “Boya I know this is hard for you, but you are next in line, so the elders decided to make you chief now instead of lat-“ “But I’m not chief” Hiccup interrupts him “My dad is.” “Lass” Gobber murmurs, but Hiccup shakes his head, “he is, so we just need to wait out and-“ “and what, Hiccup” Spitelout explodes “wait for the dragons to attack, or the village to protest, or the outcast to consume us.” Spitelout words hit like a maze, for Hiccup jerks with each word. Gobber puts a hand on Spitelouts shoulder, calming him down. They knew shouting wouldn’t get nowhere. “What he's trying to say, Hiccup, is that we need someone to lead, and your father can’t right now. The next best person is you” Hiccup opens his mouth to object but Gobber knew this and holds his hand up as to say: Don’t interrupt - and with an underlining you know it’s true “and we know it is hard for you with your father like this - but what does your father always say?” Gobber frowns as well as rubs his chin as he thinks of those words. “A chief p-pr- no puts? - doesn’t sound right”
“A chief protects his own.” Hiccups recites, as his eyes swept to his father's face and then back. “I- I always feared to become chief because,” Hiccup sighs in defeat as he hangs his head low, “ho-how do you become someone that brave, that great, that selfless as my father.” He lets the words hang in the air before turning his head to them, “I-I guess you can only try.” Spitelout and Gobber gave him an encouraged smile. “Good,” Spitelout encourages, as he puts his hands on his hips “What the first agenda then, chief?” he asks his nephew. Hiccup lets a breath lose, closes his eyes, and sorts his though out. “First,” he starts after a minute “you need to tell me what happened yesterday – and don’t let anything out”
And so they began to tell.
They tell him about the planned scout-out because someone confessed to his father that they had heard and seen some new dragon on the island – on Hiccups question who gave the tip, they answered that they have no idea; his father didn’t tell. On the meeting, where they divided the troops, Mildrew advised – or more like declared – to have more troops by his side. Stoick having enough of his comments gave him all of his, making him move around alone. Which wasn’t new nor old since Stoick could survive alone. On the day they moved out to search, they spent a lot of time searching without finding anything. A lot of troops retreated after some time. They had searched their area for enough times to be allowed to leave – “Your father didn’t,” Gobber confesses and Hiccup swears at his father's stubbornness. “He wasn’t alone,” Spitelout tells him “But he wasn’t with anyone else too” He went alone, they had told him, but some troops stayed like him. After some time, one Troup – “Mine,” confesses Gobber – heard some noises; like metal hitting on metal, some grunts, and then a bloody scream. They had rushed to it, finding seven Outcasts hitting, cutting, and maiming Stoick. It was an unfair fight “Fit for the outcast,” Spitelout spats “When they realized that we arrived, they flew,” admits Gober, “Some men followed them, some stayed to help Stoick. Later when they met us again, they confessed that the outcast had a boat ready and with it they had manage to escape from our island”
Hiccups brow furrowed. “This – The story doesn’t add up” he concludes “Who gave the tip? Why were Outcast here? Why had they their ship ready? And so many more…” towards the end, his voice went quieter till he was only whispering to himself – or so he thought became in a quiet house, the two other men could hear him clearly. Gobber sighs as he crossed his arms “Lass, this could all be a coincidence.” But Hiccup only shakes his head at this. “I know this sound crazy but… a – I – I have this, uh, Hunch” Spitelout and Gobber share a look “I know, I know,” Hiccup holds his hand up “Sounds crazy but believe me, there's just something that,…. That just doesn’t add up” He lets a breath out as one of his hands went through his hair.
“Show me where the ship was.” He decides to say to them. “I want to know if I am right or not”
“And, this is where the warriors found the ship,” Gobber says as he points down below to the ocean.
Hiccup leans over the edge to have a closer look. The outcast had the perfect hideout for the boat. The cliff hides the ship, only if you are looking for it would you find it. A few meters away, on the left, there is a kind of unstable staircase that would still serve the purpose of getting up or below. It was the perfect place to dock on the island without getting any attention to you - it would have taken time and exploration to find this place. Hiccup furrows his brows. His theory suddenly starts to add up. He looks over his shoulder and asks “Where did you find my father?”. Gobber points somewhere to Hiccup's right. “Around there” Hiccups made his way to the place while looking for something. About halfway he finally saw it.
He went over it and then looks to the next place where he found the next one. Spitelout and Gobber could only watch him as he found evidence after evidence to prove his claim.
Finally, they had reached the area of his father and with that the last mark on any tree. “Well,” Hiccup starts as he traces the cut in the tree with his fingers. “It fresh, but not fresh enough to be from yesterday” he concludes. Gobber went behind him to have a closer look a the mark – Hiccup was right, it wasn’t made yesterday but couldn’t be older than a week. “Lass, do you mean…” he didn’t finish his sentences because he hadn’t need to.
Hiccup nods “Someone sold us out to the Outcast – We have a traitor among us.”
“Isn’t it strange?” Fishleg asks the other teenagers, as they sat around their table in the Great Hall. “To see Hiccup stepping up to being chief”. The teens turn to Fishleg after his examination. Fishleg flinches from their stares, so he tries to explain further “I mean - Hiccup being chief - and Stoick out of commission and- and” Astrid rolls her eyes at his stuttering and low self-esteem “Well he is next in line, so it would have happened” and he’s not stupid at least, she thinks as she remembers his room in the forge, where she went when she couldn’t find him anywhere else. There was a snore, then a “please” being exaggerated some places next to her. She turned her head and saw Snotlout flexing himself. “We all know that this” he gestures to himself and his muscles “would be chief because Hiccup is useless” Snotlout expects some affirmation, but only get an eye roll from Astrid, avert eye contact from Fishleg and two snort from the twins. “Hey!” he shouts at them “I could be Chief.” He defends himself. Astrid rolls her eyes again, “If you become chief, then that means the world would end.” Snontlout saw an opportunity and slid next to her “If I become chief that means you would be my chieftess, babe” His face met the end of her axe.
Welling about his injured, the twins only laughed harder. “Do it again, Astrid” Tuffnet encourages her. She shakes her head at them and turns back to her stew.
It wasn’t long before Astrid notices three people walking to the head table - Spitelout, Gobber, and Hiccup. Both adults were having a deep conversation in a hushed voice with Hiccup as they made their way to their place.
It took Astrid some time to realizes that the place at the head table between Gobber and Spitelout was now Hiccup’s for the time being. After all, Hiccup is chief now - he is the one in charge.
Yes, Fishleg is right, she concludes, it’s strange for Hiccup to be Chief. Hiccup walks between two tall and big guys and all she could do was compare it to a talking Fishbone between two Vikings - but his statue was above them. He was chief and they were his right-hand-men for now.
“Hey, Dad!” Snotlout greets his father as they neared the table of the teenagers. By the indication of their reaction, Astrid consults that they hadn’t even realized that there were others – that they were in the Great Hall. “Son” Spitelout greets him shortly before turning back on Hiccup - in Astrid peripheral view, she saw how Spitelouts action hurt his son before Snotloud began to hide behind his ego and pride - she kind of felt sorry for him. “You should confirm it with the others, Hiccup” Spitelout advises Hiccup as they kept on going. Hiccup shakes his head at this, and tells them: “It wouldn’t be wise”. His Statement made Gobber and Spitelout stop in their track and frown at him. “Why, Lass?” Gobber asks Hiccup after some time. Hiccup looks from Gobber to Spitelout, to full Great Hall, and then for a split second at them - or was he only looking at her? - before turning to Gobber. “Who has the knowledge to do it?” He asks them. It? Astrid asks herself. Gobber and Spitelout share a look before looking at Hiccup again “You don’t mea-?” “I don’t know, but for now it needs to be between us” He orders them before making his way to his place. Spitelout and Gobber share a look again, before following Hiccup's example. As they passe, Astrid could have sworn she heard Gobber whisper: “Just like his father…”
Jup, Fishleg was right, she concludes as she and the rest watch Hiccup take the seat of the Chief up ahead – Surrounded by the elders and between the right hands of Stoick the Vast.
It’s strange indeed to see the boy behind the counter - who sharpened her axe, created strange, fascinating things, and stuttered around her - sit in the seat of the Chief – for a boy her age to take the mantel of Chiefdom.
She fells a tightness in her chest for the boy with an injured father, a load on his shoulders, and for needing - being forced - to grow up too fast.
As Hiccups sets down in his father's chair, he tries not to think. It was better that way. If Hiccups loses himself in his mind, he couldn’t find any rest - he would fidget and people would notice. He shouldn’t think about the space his father would have taken, about how wrong it felt to sit there, how people watched his every move with distance and how he wants to flee and never look back - and also how there’s a traitor sitting in the hall, here on this table.
He didn’t though of this, he only set down and waited for Gobber and Spitelour to take the seat next to him before starting to dig in his food.
He hears a growl coming somewhere from the right side of the table, and to no one surprise, it was Mildew. “Your father should have listened to me when I said to let you float in the ocean when you were a babe” were his first words dedicated to Hiccup. The people around him stiffen up - and no kidding there since - “You do realize, you are talking to the chief?” Mulch provides there. Mildews scows grew more, if it was even possible. “Him, Chief?!” Mildew's fists hit the table. “I voted for him to not be, and you all didn’t listen.” He looks around the table, from person to person, ignoring Hiccup presents fully - and so did Hiccup to his “Look what it gave us” he says to them as he points to Hiccup. Hiccup looks confused “You just pointed to all of me,” he notices and Mildew drew a laugh at this “Because you wholly are the problem” Hiccup scolds his face so that they don’t know how hurt he is with that statement - Don’t let them see your frailty, son his father once advised him - “You are the reason for this situation. The reason why your father is in his bed.” Mildew declares and Hiccup had enough. “Me?!” The sound of his fallen chair grabbed everyone’s attention. “I’m the reason why my father is in bed -” The laugh that came from Hiccup was new. It was scary, hollow, and dark. It send shivers down everyone’s spine. They didn’t know Hiccup could laugh like this instead of his awkward or cheerful one. When Hiccup stops laughing, he points a finger at Mildew “wasn’t it your fault and your decision that my father went alone? If you weren’t such a crybaby and maned up he wouldn’t be in this condition” “Hiccup-“ Gobber tries to meddle, but Hiccup isn’t finished “You are the reason, why the Chiefs lies in his bed and for me being here, in his chair. So really thanks for that - put the best leader out and get his son - who you hate with every fibber - as the next in” “Now listen,” Mildew outranks him with his height - everyone does- but Hiccup didn’t back down from him or his stare. Hiccup stares directly at Mildew. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We were meant to vote for someone else, but of course," Mildew sends Spitelout and Gobber a glare, "everyone listens to them." He spat the word out if it has personally hurt him, and in a way it had - they had, "If I had known I wouldn’t have given the Tip! I would have-” Mildew slips there, no - he screwed up. Hiccup stiffs, and so did Gobber and Spitelout.
“You gave him the tip” Gobber whispers. Mildew looks like a ghost, white and floating, “Did I say that what I ah- I meant wa-“. However, Hiccup is already replicating his words in his head as he looks unfocused at the table “You said it wasn’t supposed to be like this - with me being chief, so - so the attack on my father” his head snaps to Mildew “You knew” he acknowledges. “Now listen to me, boy-“ Mildew tries to save himself, but it was too late. “And-“ Hiccup keeps going as everyone kept from deterring - not knowing what was going on but seeing Hiccup, Gobber, and Spitelout cornering Mildew for something “And the Tip - i - it was a trap. I - Instead of a dragon, the outcast were there. And - oh - on the meeting, you lured my father into giving his group to you, so that he was alone.” Hiccup’s fist clenched at his side, his eyes burning daggers at Mildew, “You sent my father in a dishonest battle. You almost killed him!” Hiccup’s voice echoed in the quiet hall as everyone kept on holding their breath, not believing what they’re hearing. “No, I didn’t-“ Mildew tries to defend himself, but nobody could believe him anymore, for he looks frightened around as well as moving towards the doors. Hiccup growls, “I found marks at some trees, leading all the way to the area where my father was making his round. You guided the Outcast there.” Hiccup snaps his thump and middle finger together as he keeps ongoing, “An-and that place where we found the ship. It was so well hidden. Only if you had scouted out the island, you would have found it. But if the Outcast did, the - they would have been spotted” His eyes met Mildews again and this time, Mildew knew he couldn’t save himself anymore “Or if someone knew Berk as the Berkians do - as you do - it would be easy for them” Hiccups face turns from struck by comprehending to stone-cold. At that moment he started to resemble his father, at times when his father leads and rules - stoic and cold. “You’ve thrown your lot in with them. You're not a Viking. You're a traitor and, from this day onward, not one of our tribe.” Hiccup made a signal, and Gobber and Spitelout followed his command. They went to Mildew as Mildew starts to flee, and caught him before he could make half the way through the door. “Lock him in a cell. Maybe he could be of use for the time being,” Hiccup tells Spitelout, who nods and starts to drag Mildew out of the Great Hall. To Gobber, Hiccup commands, “you, I, and some others are searching his house. Maybe we will find something.” Gobber nods before starting to pick his people out. Hiccup's eyes went up ahead again and found his eyes clashing for the last time with Mildew's one. Mildew's eyes tries to transmit what he wanted to happen; that he is sorry it occurred the way it did. Hiccup averts his eyes from his - Sorry doesn't cut it. It doesn’t turn back time, and it doesn’t fix it; to act does, and Mildew choose to act the wrong way.
Mildew lowers his head as he and Spitelout were finally out of the Great Hall and out of sign. In these instants the people of Berk began to live again - they shouted, screamed, and even accused others. Hiccup couldn't take it - he had enough. “Enough!” He hollers out, the sound of his voice - unheard like this -, gaining the attention of the tribe. “All of you, enough! This is all pointless” he starts to point to his surrounding and so to their actions, “It doesn’t matter if we could have made a difference or not - It doesn’t bring us anything if we start to blame each other. It doesn’t fix our issues; It doesn’t help to prepare for an invasion or raid, it doesn’t do anything!” He bellowed at them, his right arm making a vertical cutting through air. The Vikings began to let loose while looking bashful. Hiccup sighs as he pinches himself between his eyes. “For the time being, unwind. After sorting everything out, there will be more information on our next steps. For the time being, be precautioned against Dragon raids and Outcast attacks. It wouldn’t do any good if we are attacked by dragons and in the next instants defenceless against Outcast” Hiccup's eyes move over everyone’s in the Great Hall, trying to get them to understand his point before finally making his department with Gobber and his chosen other Vikings in town.
The teens could only gap at Hiccups retreating form. “Do you still want to be Chief?” Fishleg rasps out to Snotlout after watching - living - that scene, and as much as it hurts Snoutlot's ego, he shakes his head. They, like the others in the Great Hall, could only watch. It took some time, but when Hiccup finally left, the Berkians start to talk again, but this time about Hiccup and how him being acting Chief did him good. How he would save them and how he finally became someone reliable.
It hurt Astrid to hear everyone talk like this about him. Wasn't he good enough already? But she didn't say it; She only could listen to them and all their comments on him - About how they portrayed him as a second Stoick, how cool his conclusion and action were (Ruffnut and Tuffnut), and how good he would lead them in time being. She listens to all this and more and thought that Hiccup didn't deserve this; that this wasn’t her Hiccup - The most sensitive, kindest, and selfless person she knew.
Even if she would had protested about their claims, no one would listen – and she finally realized, how Hiccups had felt like this his whole live: unheard and ignored.
They had made their way to the house on the mountain - Mildew was the second least favoured person on Berk and someone nobody likes to listen to. So to get him as far away as possible, Stoick presents him with a house up there.
Gobber and the men he picked, cursed Stoick for it as they made their way up. However, Hiccup couldn’t fault his father - he would have done the same and maybe even more.
Hiccup walks in the front, as the rest walk behind him. He knows that they are talking about him and with Gobber rushing to his side, his confirmation was made. “I am proud of you for taking action at that moment” Gobber starts, “the others are astonished by your dissolution of the traitor and leadership.” He claps his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. Hiccup sighs, “Don’t be. This isn’t over.” His hand went through his hair - a tick he had when he was nervous or tensed, “the - there’s still so much. A-and ma-maybe we could have found out much earlier if-“ the hand on his shoulder tighten. “Lass-“ “I know” Hiccup lets a breath out “I don’t like to play with Ifs, but they are still there.” His eyes meet Gobbers for a second before focusing on the way again. “Let’s just hope we find something up there” he declares as his view shifted up to the oncoming house.
They didn’t find anything. No hidden loft, no treasure, no letters, no mark, no nothing. They had been searching the house three times and found nothing.
“The men are starting to doubt” Gobber comments as his eyes stayed on the boiling-up men behind them. “They went up here to find something and didn’t.” Hiccup knows this. He had thought of the outcome the moment they went up, but still…. He believes there is something - call it a hunch. “Make them search again. Tell them to watch out for loose wooden benches.” Gobbers eyes held the same doubt that Hiccup feels. If Mildew did hide something, it would have been found a long time ago. However this is Gobber, and he believes in Hiccup “Okey” he says before making his way to them. Hiccup turns to the field before him. He doesn’t need to turn around to see their glares - he feels them. He closes his eyes as he sighs out before opening them again. Before him is Mildews Cabbage Farm. Rows after rows of Cabbage were blooming. Well, Mildew can’t take care of them anymore, Hiccup thinks as kept on staring. The dirt was still wet, which meant Mildew had poured some water before making his way to the village.
Hiccup moves to the field – he doesn’t know which god possessed him to make him move over there, but he still did.
Half the way, Hiccup stops. Every meter of dirt was wet except for this one tiny spot. Why? He made his way there. The spot himself didn’t even have a cabbage, even though there was enough space to plant one.
He lowers his hands there and starts to shove dirt aside.
Gobber and the others had completed the last loop and were about to tell Hiccup, so they could leave. After exiting the house, the view of Hiccup crouching down on one spot in the field greeted them. Too confused about why Hiccup was crounching there, they only watch, even as he started to dig in the dirt. Finally, they made their way, one by one to him, starting with Gobber. “What are y-“ he starts to question him before halting next to Hiccup. On the spot where Hiccup had dug, was a chest - under all the dirt there was the item they were searching for. Gobber gapes, and so did the others. “How did you…” he whispers in the space between them. Hiccup shrugs his shoulder, “every spot on the field was wet except this one. It was the only logical conclusion that there was something hidden under the dirt.” Hiccup summarise as he grabs the chest out of hole and then stood up. Turning to the awestruck men, he said “let’s go back, shall we?”
It was the next talk after they arrived in the village with a chest full of letters - correspondent with the Outcast. How after searching and searching the house they hadn’t found something. How Hiccup looked at the field of cabbage and found something odd. How he dug in the dirt and found the chest and with this the proof for everything.
The last things Hiccup command for the day, was diving groups of Vikings for outlooks and insisting that every weapon that needed some fixing, be handed over to the forge.
With that, the day had ended for Hiccupiccup by working full time at the forge then finally making his way back home - a chest under his arm, and letters to read through for the night. Gobber and Spitelout volunteer to read them with him, but Hiccup knew it was best if he did it alone, so he declines.
Arriving at his house, he is met with Mrs. Hofferson, who Gobber had asked to watch over his father and aid him if he suddenly started to have a fever.
“Good evening, Mrs. Hofferson” Hiccup greets the tall, buffy, blonde woman who awaits him inside his house. “Hello, Hiccup” she greets back as she makes the last assignment for the day. “I have heard what you did,” she tells him as Hiccpus puts the chest down and open it to pick the first letter up. “And I need to say, You have done enough for the day.” She packs her things up, went to him, and pad his shoulder. His eyes met hers and as much as Astrid looked like her mom, her eyes were most likely from her dad because Mrs. Hoffersons eyes were a dark blue kind - like the twilight night sky “get some rest” she advises before leaving his house.
Finally, Hiccup is alone. No village to direct, no people who need guidance, and no one to see him. All alone in his home, with an injured father lying in his bed and letters to read through the night - and all Hiccups wants to do was break down. He wants to fall on his knees, wail, weep, and even shed tears till there is no tear left to cry. He wants to beg to the gods - Oden, Thor, or even Loki - to take his burden, to lighten his shoulder („I’m begging you - take it, make it go away - I will do whatever it takes“). Furthermore, he wants to still his anger - destroy the table, the chair, the plates, anything, just to let loose, to take his anger out, - and at the same time he wants to feel. A cut, a tear, a stab - an emotion - anything except for this hole, that emptiness inside him.
He feels like floating in the ocean, except there's no surrounding beach and no hand to take to be free – to guid him to an island - or even a boat to use. Just him and all that water and no anchor to hold him in place – drifting in the unknown.
The only reason he couldn’t, was his injured father, whom he had promised to protect his people; his tribe. Even if a lot of people don’t like him - Hiccup gave a promise to his father, so that his father should only need to take care of himself.
Hiccup makes his way to his father's side and so to his bed. Standing there before him, he sees his father's chest fall and puffs up - a sign of breathing. Hiccup reaches a hand up to feel his father's forehead. No burning, no fever. He signs out.
And so Hiccup found himself again at his father's side, this time telling him about the day - only the good aspect, for example the preparation for the attack, his job at the fork, and how people listen to him and seek guidance - while also starting to read through letter to letter.
And when he finally fell asleep, Hiccup finally got more hours than last time - it was a start. A sign of recovery or a blessing from the gods? He has no idea.