Hey guys. My second fanfic, ever. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my first! I hope to update every few days, maybe twice a week? Tell me what you think. -bananablight
All was cheery on Dragon's Edge. The twins were fighting, as usual, and Snotlout was showing off. Fishlegs was making the team lunch in the Clubhouse. Astrid was feeding Stormfly after their morning training session.
The sun was bright in the sky, the dragons seemed greatly pleased with their success in the training arena that morning, and the riders even more so. So, Astrid reflected, everything had a happy mood to it.
She saw Hiccup walk into the Clubhouse, looking tired and frustrated.
Well, Astrid amended, almost everything was cheerful.
"Hiccup?" she asked, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "What's wrong?"
Her almost-but-not-quite-boyfriend shrugged, looking down at the Maces and Talons board Viggo had left them to find. "You tell me."
"Do you want to talk about it?" she pressed.
Hiccup shook his head. "No, not now." He sat down at the table next to Astrid, hard, and reached for the food Fishlegs had placed on the table. She studied him warily. There were large circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept at all the last night. And seeing as he didn't want to talk to her about what was wrong, he probably hadn't.
"You sure? You weren't at training yesterday or this morning, and you only skip training when something big is on your mind," Astrid pressed.
"I was just thinking about Viggo," came Hiccup's response.
"Oh." Astrid knew Hiccup thought of the man who had outsmarted him and stolen the Dragoneye a lot, analyzing every moment he had been with Viggo. Searching for a weakness, a mistake, a way to defeat the older man. But, as Hiccup had so often told Astrid, he could never find one. Hiccup usually pushed his thoughts aside, however, to make time for the other teens and flights with Toothless. He must not have been able to distract himself this past day, however.
"It's fine," Hiccup sighed. "I'll figure something out. Eventually."
Just then, a Night Terror flew into the Clubhouse. It landed and squawked loudly at Hiccup.
"Is that Flameclaw?" Snotlout asked. "Shouldn't he be on the watchtower?"
"Yeah." Hiccup leaned down and held his hands out to the small dragon. The Night Terror jumped into his arms and roared. "But, if he came here… That means he saw something."
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound good. We'd better check it out."
"I agree," replied Hiccup. "Let's go, guys."
"What tower was Flameclaw on?" asked Tuffnut.
"The Eastwest one or the Northsouth one?" finished Ruffnut.
Hiccup merely facepalmed and mounted Toothless without answering.
"Really, guys?" asked Snotlout. "Do even know cardinal directions?"
"Uh, no," responded Tuffnut. " Do you?"
"Um, of course I do. There's up, down, left, and right. What else is there?" Snotlout said.
Hiccup sighed. "Why am I surrounded by imbeciles?"
Astrid shook her head. "That's what I've been wondering for years."
But as the riders flew off, they didn't see the Dragon Hunter ship on the other side of the island. They didn't see the other Night Terror on duty fall to the forest floor after being hit by an arrow mid-flight. And they certainly didn't see Viggo sneaking across the island.
Viggo gradually made his way across Dragon's Edge. That was such a Hiccup name for the rider's special base, he thought, as he passed the young boy's hut. Just like the Dragoneye and the Dragon Academy. Hiccup's one true advantage over Viggo—dragon knowledge—was the one thing Hiccup loved the most. But, Viggo thought, that wasn't an advantage anymore… Because Viggo and only Viggo had the Dragoneye. Without that advantage, Hiccup was as good as dead.
As Viggo snuck into the Clubhouse, he marveled at the irony. Hiccup was as good as dead either way, Dragoneye or not.
He pulled a small vial out of his pocket. Viggo looked at the unfinished meal on the table, striding to the seat that had the best view of both the entrance to the Clubhouse and the gameboard. It was where Hiccup's plate was, he knew. He would have picked it for the strategic positioning and the view of the most important parts of the room. That boy really was brilliant, he thought. It was too bad he had to die. Viggo had enjoyed playing Maces and Talons with Hiccup. There had never been an opponent Viggo had faced that had lasted so long. He poured the vial's contents into the goblet.
Viggo hid just outside the Clubhouse. He wanted to talk to Hiccup one more time before the heir of Berk met his end.
And the heir of Berk would meet his end, whether it be by poison or blade.