Cressida Cowell

Who says stories cannot bring things to life?

 'I wish I could offer you a King who is greater than I am. I can't turn into someone else, I can only be me. But I have discovered that I too, am stronger than I thought I was. I think I can do this. I think I can be this King that the Dragonmarkers want me to be.'

"[...] And even though I am a Viking...

"I confess, I am afraid

 "Are dragons never to sail through the skies again, on jewel-colored, airy wings, or light up world once more with the glory of their fiery breath?

"Are we to say good-bye forever to the magic, and the dreaming and the flying of our childhoods?

"I say NO!" cried Hiccup.

"There are some dragons that are monsters," admitted Valhallarama.

"But then there are also some humans who are monsters." (And at this point she paused and looked significantly at Alvin the Treacherous and the witch.)

Sometimes it is only a true friend who knows what we mean when we try to speak.

"Do not think that just because I have the soul of a soldier and cannot speak soft words that it was not hard for me or that because I left, I did not love." said Valhallarama.

This is the story of becoming a Hero the Hard way.

Although this is the part of the story that the bards tend to focus on as the bit where Hiccup was particularly heroic, I do not agree. It is a lot easier to be brave when you know you have no alternative. Hiccup knew in his heart of hearts that the Monster intended to kill them all anyway. So he didn't have a lot to lose.