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Forced Return

Chapter 1

Stranger

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"Stoick, you have to choose!"

"I keep telling you Spitelout, it wouldn't be fair! What if he comes back?"

The raised voices of Berk's Chief and one of the councilmen echoed throughout the Great Hall. The meeting hadn't meant to escalate this far, but, yet again, Spitelout brought up a subject everyone knew Stoick was touchy about.

It was a curse from the Gods that only the council and Berk's famed Dragon Rider's where present at this time. This argument wouldn't be occurring if other townsfolk were present. Stoick wouldn't let anyone else see him in his current state. He was well aware that most self-control diminished when he was this angry.

Astrid sat cross-legged on one of the century-old benches as she listened to the heated conversation. Fishlegs sat with the other council members and half-heartedly listened as they commentated the fight in hushed voices. The Twin's where placing bets on who would through the first punch while Gobber and Snotlout prepared themselves in case they needed to intervene. They were both up for a good fight, but the Chief and the House Jorgenson representative needed to stay focused on the matter at hand.

A war was on the rise and two of Berk's best military fighters and strategists needed not to start bickering like children.

Astrid started to contemplate what would happen if Hiccup was to walk in the door. She clenched her fists and tears threatened to brim at the thought.

Hiccup.

"It's been six years. You have to accept that he's probably dead!"

An eerie silence followed Spitelout's comments. It was true that Hiccup had been missing for six years, but Stoick, Gobber and most of the Dragon Rider's refused to believe that he was truly dead. This showed in Stoick's composure. He shot daggers with his eyes and his fists was clenched so tight they turned white.

Stoick answered in a low voice. "We don't know that."

"You're right." Spitelout, after noticing Stoick's expression, answered in a calmer tone. "We don't know. But a war is on the rise. If something happens to you we need to choose who is next in line for chief."

Stoick raised his voice again. "As I've told you hundreds of times over, Hiccup is next in line for chief!"

Hostility returned and something in Astrid snapped.

She stood abruptly and gained the everyone's attention as she strode towards the two older men.

"You two need to stop this now!" Her tone demanding. "We have more important things to worry about than who is to be next in line for chief."

A moment of silence followed before Spitelout looked away and Stoick sighed.

"You're right Astrid." Stoick began clenching the bridge of his nose. "We do have more important things to worry about."

Just two days earlier the Rider's had been out on a patrol when a fleet of Dragon Hunter ships attacked them. Each ship was armed with several strange weapons that could injure or even kill a dragon in a matter of seconds. Some of them shoot nets made of small Gronkle Iron clasps, while others released a quiver of arrows in under a minute.

They had barely escaped with their lives. However, just as they were about to leave there was a ceasefire and Viggo Grimborn revealed himself on one of the ship's decks. Astrid despised the man, she knew he had something to do with Hiccup's disappearance. Viggo's story of Hiccup escaping from a Hunter camp and then disappearing didn't agree with her.

In short, Viggo distracted them. He talked and as he did a Hunter shot a Dragon Root arrow. It hit Stormfly's underbelly. As Astrid and the Nadder fell, Snotlout and Hookfang dove for the duo.

The ceasefire ended.

When they were finally out of range and landed on a nearby island, they found a piece of parchment attached to the arrow. On it where three simple demands:

Berk reveals all of their defences.

Berk surrenders all their dragons.

Berk reveals the whereabouts of the Dragon Eye.

And to top it all off was what would happen if they refused:

War will be declared on Berk.

Of course, the terms where denied. It simply took Gobber to read the parchment for the village to agree to fight. And now they were here, discussing their next move.

"So, now that all that's sorted." Gobber took advantage of the silence that had enveloped the room. "What are we going to do?"

"We could always go and attack their base." Suggested Snotlout. "Take them out before they can do that to us."

Astrid shook her head. "It would be too risky. You saw those arrow and net launchers."

"Our main offence is our Dragons." Chipped in Fishlegs. "An attack would be useless. We would need to bring the Hunter's onto our territory, away from their ships and weird launcher-things."

"Well, I say we blast 'em." Started Tuffnut.

Ruff continued. "Then we smash em'."

"And then blast 'em again." The Twins finished in synch.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Where being serious guys."

"We are bein-" Ruff was interrupted by the sound of the Great Hall door opening.

All eyes turned towards the person who had intruded their conversation.

They wore a thick fur attire and a mask that covered the bottom of their face. A black hood covered the top half leaving only their void-black eyes and the obviously white-painted skin that surround visible.

"Who are you?" Demanded Stoick as he realised this wasn't one of his villagers.

A feminine voice laced heavily with foreign accent replied. "I am looking for help."

"Help with what?" Asked Astrid, distrust evident in her voice.

"Rescue my brother from Viggo Grimborn. He is captured several days ago." The strange tense confirmed Astrid's belief that Norse was not this strangers mother tongue.

"And who exactly is your brother?" Asked Gobber, equally suspicious as the others at the mention of Viggo's name.

The stranger once again replied. "I know his name as Xe'un. Berk knows as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III."