A/N: So, since this is the second time I've had to type this up (for reasons I only wish I knew), I'm going to make the author's note a heck of a lot shorter than last time. In short, the chapters are a lot better than the prologue, so hang in there. So that's that. And I don't own HTTYD...yada yada yada.
*As a note, I will let you know two things, just because I'm being nice. #1: This takes place during RTTE time frame. That leads to #2: This means that yes, there's gonna be spoilers.
Prologue: Revelations
Hiccup lied back against Toothless and was trying to relax for just a few more minutes with a journal that Fishlegs had found on the dragon hunters' ship a good while ago. It had been taking him more time than he would have liked, sure, but that's what happens when you are constantly dealing with dragons, the twins and even his cousin...daily. Today seemed quiet, which was good for reading but he found it disconcerting. It was like the calm before the storm, or the explosion more like. Looking at Toothless, he could tell that the dragon was just as wary as he was.
"This is just hopeless! When I want nothing but peace and quiet I can never get it, but when I do I'm here waiting for Ragnarok. Something is going on here, Toothless."
As if someone had actually heard him, he found himself suddenly facing a sympathetic looking Astrid just as he got up to put the journal away. Looking at Toothless, he resigned himself to yet another day full of chaos. Astrid's appearance had him slightly worried, though.
"Astrid? What's going on? Which of them did something and what did they do?" he asked her, almost regretting it immediately.
"Well, it was the twins initially and then I can't say that Snotlout helped." she told him, not looking directly at his eyes. Why? It wasn't her fault, was it? "Come on. I'll just...show you."
The closer they got to clubhouse, the more Hiccup wished he could just go back to his place and make more futile attempts and reading that journal. He knew that he'd get next to nothing done, but he also knew that nothing good could be waiting for him behind these doors. He hated it when he was right in things like this. As she led him inside, Hiccup froze. He tried to convince himself that he was still asleep and that there wasn't all of this...chaotic mess around him. All of his research and his tools and their supplies...it was all over the room. His anger and frustration that had been lurking just beneath the surface for the past few days was begging to be let out. He had been up at the crack of dawn several days in a row, due to explosions and dragon issues and he was just tired. He was sure it was at least somewhat noticeable, but he wasn't going to let the exhaustion show. He was their leader and he couldn't afford to be weak. After taking a calming breath, he turned around and flew away from Dragon's Edge. He wasn't sure if anyone was calling him, and he didn't care. He just needed to calm down and get away from everyone for at least a while.
Toothless grumbled after a few minutes in concern, undoubtedly noticing Hiccup's mood. Just when he was about to reply, he saw a ship a little ways off.
"Hey, bud? Is it just me or does that ship look awfully familiar?" Hiccup muttered, almost to himself. "Let's fly low and try and get a good look at it."
Toothless flew lower like he was asked, but slapped Hiccup with his ear showing his disapproval. They both knew who that was, and the last time they almost didn't escape. That was a Beserker ship. That was Dagur.
Approaching low from the South, Dagur saw Hiccup and his Night Fury coming in cautiously.
'He's trying to be careful, obviously. I suppose I can't blame him, seeing as I did shoot arrows at him the last time I saw him. To be fair he did steal my beautiful Dragon Eye that I wanted so badly.' Dagur thought. 'However, with this new information I have come across, I wonder if he'll still stay with that...father of his.'
Toothless came closer and closer towards the stern and narrowed his eyes as Dagur told his men to hold their fire. It was a trick. It had to be. Glancing up at Hiccup, he was relieved to see that he had noticed it, too. It didn't make sense and he definitely wasn't sure what this Dagur had planned. He was as smart as he was devious, and it would be unwise to underestimate him. Hiccup leaned down a bit and made a final pass, just to make sure that they truly wouldn't fire their weapons. This time Hiccup was the one narrowing his eyes. He was obviously thinking just like Toothless.
"What is it that you're planning, Dagur?" Hiccup yelled down, keeping a safe distance just in case. Dagur always had been a wild card and spontaneous to be sure. They didn't call him Dagur the Deranged for nothing, after all. "What is it you're after this time? Is it the Dragon Eye or maybe my dragon knowledge?"
Dagur laughed with an almost genuine sound, which made all of the men shiver. Hiccup quirked an eyebrow, having not heard him laugh like that before either.
"No, no, no. It's nothing so...deranged as that, Hiccup." Dagur answered, struggling to keep a straight face. Odd as the sight was, Hiccup found it almost...nice? He shook his head vehemently.
"Forgive me for being so suspicious." Hiccup said flatly. "So, tell me then. Why are you here then? Are you just...you were looking for me?" he finished, both confused and shocked at his conclusion.
"Ahh, Hiccup. See, it's because I know that you're so smart that you'll figure out why it is exactly that I came out here to find you."
"Well, you're not here to fight?" HIccup guessed.
Dagur shook his head, smirking at playing with Hiccup's head.
"If it's not to fight, steal the Dragon Eye, or steal my...oh, come on! You can't be serious!" Toothless glanced at Hiccup curiously, so he explained somewhat confused himself. "He's hoping to make an alliance."
"Well, not when you're up there. Look, no one even has a weapon on them except for maybe you."
"What do you mean? I almost never carry a weapon with me..." Hiccup said, more confused than ever. Of course, Snotlout's remark about dragons being effective war machines that could blast people came to mind. "Oh, well I guess I can see your point somewhat." He knew it was coming, but the the third ear slap probably left a huge bruise. Toothless was going to be unbearable after this. "Let's go, bud."
Hiccup and Dagur were once again standing across from each other, with the tension being ten times thicker than it had been before. He didn't exactly know why, but it just felt different. Maybe it was because there were no rescue attempts involved or maybe it was because of all of the men waiting for him to do something wrong...
Dagur must have seen how tense Hiccup felt, because he dismissed all of the men in the immediate vicinity. Hiccup knew that he was banking on his personality and his inability to just take someone down who has no weapons whatsoever. The tense feeling had gone away a little bit, but it hadn't disappeared altogether. Dagur had watched Hiccup's inner turmoil and decided that he should just make the first move.
"You are right, Hiccup. I did come looking for you specifically. Of course, I do want an alliance with you, if not your little training club."
Hiccup looked at him confused, trying to put things together. Why would Dagur want him specifically?
'Is it because I am the heir of the Hairy Hooligans? No, that can't be it. He already said that he doesn't necessarily want my dragon knowledge, and he seems to be truthful about that part at least. So, why just me?'
"I can tell by the look on your face that you're trying to figure it out, so I guess I'll have to be a little more...detailed about certain things. I know about your ugly past, Hiccup, before you met Toothless. As much as I would like to say that we were actually friends, I know that I created much of that darkness." Dagur more or less whispered, turning around to try and look away from the pathetic look in Hiccup's eyes. They were quickly replaced by a look of...calm, which bordered on apathy. Dagur cleared his throat and turned back around, facing the apathy head on. "There is something you should know, which is something you should have been told when you were fifteen or so. However..."
"That was a time when everyone basically kicked me around?" Hiccup said flatly, all but reverting to his sarcasm. "Yeah, we've established that. Get to the point already."
"Geez, Hiccup. Here I was trying to soften the blow. Well, I suppose there's really no way around it since you're being so nice about things. Here it is: You're my brother and so I'd like to be allies instead."
Hiccup decided that if he'd actually been standing up that he would have collapsed then and there. There were plenty of responses on the tip of his tongue...angry ones, sarcastic ones, angsty ones. But all that came out was a barely whispered and oh so elequent
"Huh?"
"You said just spit it out, so that's what I did. You got what you wanted, Hiccup, yes?" Dagur asked patiently, which was...weird.
"Well, I just..." Hiccup muttered, confused at the turn of recent events. An alliance he could maybe handle, but how are they suddenly related?! "That's...No, just...I know it's not right! I may not know my mother, but I know my father! He'd never-"
"Why are you so angry, Hiccup? Is it that he never told you?"
"I'm not angry!"
"Oh, really? So, you aren't mad that Stoic the Vast just happened to not mention your mother isn't from Berk and that she was never supposed to be there?"
"He wouldn't lie about that!"
"Why not ask him the next time? Ask if you have a half brother? Look into his eyes and listen to what he says. His mouth might spout lies, but his eyes sure can't. Next time you go to Berk, ask where your mother is from. That is, if you're brave enough to face the truth...brother."
"Why? Why tell me this now?" Hiccup asked quietly, trying to get his mind off of things to no avail.
"Well, let's just say that allies are going to be a good thing to have when certain people come sailing this way."
"What are you talking about, Dagur?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure that you already have a good idea, seeing as you stole some things from their ship and all. They might not be too pleased with you specifically. You probably want to go prepare, seeing as you're the whole peacemaking type."
Hiccup's eyes widened drastically at the thought of his friends and Toothless in those cages, being tortured or even worse. Come to think of it, how many people knew about his mother's orgin's? Then again, it might just be a trick to lure him in. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to ask his father. Getting on Toothless, he glanced at his supposed half brother. He supposed that he should say something.
"Thanks, Dagur. I will be visiting Berk very soon and I'll find my answers, good or bad." he all but whispered, taking off. They flew at a slow pace back to Dragon's Edge, very aware of the fact that Astrid had tailed them some time ago. He wasn't really in the mood to race her or to answer questions about what she may or may not have heard. "Toothless, we're gonna have to lose her. You know what to do."
Finding a nearby cave, Toothless shot towards it, luring Astrid and Stormfly through the entrance. They always fell for that trick. They hid in the shadows until they were gone and stayed until well after the sun had set. Once they got back, there was packing to do anyway. Might as well rest in the meantime. Hiccup laid back against Toothless, as the dragon wrapped his wings around him for the night. Hiccup relaxed in the darkness and tried to forget about it all, at least for tonight.
"Goodnight Toothless" he mumbled, tiredly. Oh, Thor it had been an awfully long day and it was only going to get worse.
Toothless growled goodnight and curled up with him tucked safely inside. They'd worry about all of it tomorrow.
A/N: Wow. That turned out quite a bit longer than I thought it would. o_O Well, that's what happens when you write things on the fly. Granted, that's what most of my fics are- something I came up with and just immediately wrote down. Okeday, I'll see ya next chappie. Hopefully, that'll be soon. ;)