Hiccup's body felt heavy as he tried to recall what had just happened in the past few hours. He felt aches in all places as he woke up, slowly gaining consciousness. "What happened..." he murmured as he stirred. His vision started clearing up and looked around. After a few moments, after understanding what he saw, he was sure that he was no longer in Berk. He saw that he was in a windowless dark and damp place, with iron bars that closed the only way out. There was no source of light other than the torch lit outside of the bars, and so was the key slot. Hiccup tried walking but soon saw that his ankle had been chained to prevent any way of escaping. "W-what the... how did I... where am I..."
"Ah good, you're awake." He peeked from outside the metal bars of the cage the boy was in as he pushed his torch inside the bars to get a better look at its occupant. "Don't fret now boy, you'll know soon enough." He took a step back and squinted as he stared at the doors keyhole. Plucking the key ring from his belt, he looked at his keys one by one until he found the right key and pushed it in, turning it with a slight flick of his hand. "Now boy, I don't want no trouble. Do as you're told and it'll all be over with"
He scowled at the bigger Viking and slowly took a few steps back, "Listen, for the last time, I won't teach you how to train any dragon. I thought I've already established that. You're just wasting your time with me."
"Eh?" He scrunches up his brow at the boy's words, wondering if the boy had inhaled something bad or he got hit too hard on the head. "Maybe they hit your head a bit too hard. I'll have to tell them to take it easy on the people they get from those raids. Besides, men TRAINING dragons?" He laughed while pulling on the boy's leg chain, dragging him closer to him and the lock. "Now, I'm going to unlock this here thing on your leg and I'll have you follow me." He stared at the boy's eyes as he clasped the key in his hand while holding the iron cuff on the other. "You understand boy?"
As he was dragged by the chain, he had no choice but to follow the Berserker. He didn't know where Toothless was, but he feared that they caught him and even tied him up. He simply nodded at the last question as his jaw was too clenched to even speak. He could feel his anger boiling, but needed to control himself and think of a plan to escape and to find Toothless. He sighed and let the guard lead him.
"Good lad." He unclasped the iron on the boy's leg and helped him stand up giving the boy a little smile as for once someone did what they were told. "Come on then, its just down here so watch your step." He walked slower than usual, allowing the weaker boy to keep up with him through the dark stone corridor, occasionally glancing back to see if the boy could follow properly with just the torch he held as he walked before him. It was a fairly long walk before they had reached a bigger room. The torches clearly illuminated most of it, especially the furnace at the side. Paying no mind to the thick, caked and dried blood spattered on the walls, he turned to the boy. "So where'd they catch you boy?"
Still having doubts, Hiccup did not smile back but simply walked with him, trying not to get himself into further trouble. He walked slowly just to let him think that it was his metal leg giving him hard time in walking as he used the time to try and find a way out. He was surprised that they ended up in a bigger room where there were stains of blood on the walls. It made him more nervous, but he remained his composure. "Okay, this is not a very good guest room, is it?" he deadpanned, "Because really, blood on the walls? That's so two hundred years ago."
"I know that boy" He sighed as he gestured for the boy to sit, pointing at the blood soaked wooden chair in the front of the furnace. "I kept telling them to clean up here, but they're a lazy bunch and I'm too old to even bother." The chair was originally used by the doctors and shamans to operate on those that had minor injuries, the leather cuffs attached to the arm rests and legs were to restrain the patient from getting too rowdy during the operation. "Don't worry boy, do as I ask and it won't be too bad."
"Interrogated? HA!" He had to clap hiss hand at the mere thought of it, what would this mere boy know that he didn't? That he could train dragons? What a laugh! "Maybe they did hit you a bit too hard eh?" He finished his work with the lever, filling up the small tub beside the furnace with water, ready to cool whenever and whatever needs tempering. "You didn't answer me though boy." He shook his head as he turned around, tentatively waiting for the boy to sit down. "Where'd they pick you up boy?"
He gasped at the sudden clasp as he was forced to sit on the chair. He was getting scared of what may happen but he usually didn't show any signs of fear as this wasn't the first time he was captured for something. "I don't know," he replied blankly, "last time I was on Dragon Island and then I got knocked out by some of your fellow Berserkers." "Aaaand here I am, locked up, probably starved for days, but I somehow still live, because maybe you were nice enough to give me water, because I don't feel as weak as a starving prisoner, which I would like to thank you for," he added sarcastically, "Berserker hospitality has improved as compared to the Outcasts. At least you don't force-feed anyone."
"You exaggerate boy." He continued his stare, somewhat annoyed at the boy's rudeness, something he was never accustomed to. He sighed and continued. "You've slept only for a day. Only two days have you been gone." He wanted to hit the boy at that sleight against him, his honor demanded it but he stayed calm. This boy was now his thrall after all. "Now boy, do you know what a thrall is?"
"You do realize that a prisoner can't exactly keep track of time, especially if they were locked up in a place where they can't see the sun?" he said, rolling his eyes. As he noticed the Berserker staring at him intently, his eyes widened at the question. "Yes, I know what that is, I wasn't born yesterday," he replied, "but if you are referring to me as your thrall, then-" he tittered and sighed, lowering his eyelids, "-this pretty much means, I'm screwed until further notice."
He smiled lightly and patted the boy's shoulders, glad that he didn't need to explain the meaning of the word and its implications. "Then you understand that you are my property boy? To do as I see fit and to dispose of should I choose?" He kept his stare as well as his hands on the boy, lightly pushing him down on the chair to prove his point. "Do as I say and perhaps I'll free you in time."
"Yes, as I said earlier, I'm pretty much doomed," he said, looking at him as he was pushed down on the chair, wincing at the force. "What am I supposed to do anyway?" he asked, still lowering his eyelids in annoyance, "I mean, you pretty much bound me to your chair, I can't do much in this state."
"You are right boy, yet this is not enough." He is old, by experience he could always see it in the eyes of thralls if they were feisty and wished to resist, many of them died, yet they are easily replaced. "You need only do one thing boy." He let go and started to strap the boy in, taking great care to make sure that the leather bands would only bind the boy, not mark him, that would always be for later. "Amuse me."
Hiccup didn't strain too much at the binding as he knew it would only make things worse. He tried to relax but as he was instructed to amuse him, he raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "You have to be more specific than that," he said nonchalantly, "Your definition of amusement is different from mine."
"You'll understand soon enough boy" He finished with the boy's arms and moved to his feet, having a hard time with the metal leg. "A dragon eat your leg boy?" Taking the time to laugh, he tightened it up and gave it a tap before standing up and turning around. He started sifting through the hot metal rods that were heating up in the furnace, looking at them one by one to see the insignia at its end. "When I said amuse me, you need only stifle your voice and not scream like a coward."
He rolled his eyes when the Berserker asked him if a dragon ate his leg and nodded, "Oh, yes. I was too slow that it caught my, uh, very delicious leg." When he was bound tight, he raised an eyebrow over the explanation. "Okaaay, not the answer I was hoping for, but pretty much very predictable," he said, trying not to shake.
He sniggered at the boy's attempts at hiding his fear, his body may not show it but his eyes do, they were skittish, almost wandering. "Worry not boy, I'm merely the blacksmith." He returned to his rods and found the right one, spitting on the red hot insignia and reveling as it sizzled and crackled. "Our leader wants you for himself, I just brand them." He turned back to the boy and sized him up, wondering where he should pierce the boy's skin. "I never got your name boy."
"Hiccup," he said blankly, "Just a plain ol' runt on the Isle of Berk." He sighed and prayed to the gods that he didn't know much about his status. The least he'd want to hear was that he was the son of the chief of Berk. However, his eyes widened at the mention of being branded. "B-brand?" he stammered, "No, no, don't tell me..." Hiccup felt beads of sweat trickle down his forehead as his hands began to feel cold. He glared at him as the Berserker was looking at his limbs, probably checking where to be branded.
"Berk eh? I know Berk." He was still busy looking at the boy he now knew was called *Hiccup*, still looking for a good place to put the brand. "How's Stoick these days?" He resigned himself to finding a less obvious spot to mark the boy, agreeing with himself that he had to take the boy's tunic off. "Would you mind if I took your clothes off?"
He blinked and mentally sighed in relief as he wasn't mentioned being the son of the chief and composed himself as he answered. "Ah, well, being the chief as always, handling Berk as it should be. Uneventful days, I should say." Hiccup, however, sighed at the next question. /I'm done for/, he thought, still trying to maintain his composure. "It looks like I have no choice whether I mind or not, do I?"
"No, not really Hiccup." He was testing the weight of the brander in his hand, still thinking about where to place it exactly on the boy. "You not struggling would make it easier for both of us though, a lot less blood involved as well." He leaned forward and touched the boy's chest, waiting for a sign that he wouldn't resist.
His hand felt hot against Hiccup's chest, most likely from the heat of the furnace. Hiccup shut his eyes tight, anticipating something worse. He did not say a word and just remained silent.
He sighed and removed his hand, turning away, back to face the fires as he thought about the boy's reactions. He truly did not wish this but the Gods decided it be so. "I asked you nicely boy, I have no wish to truly harm you." He tossed back the brander into the fire, watching it break the coals under it. His hands used the bellows, making the flames dance as it got hotter. "Understand this Hiccup, had I been chief I would do something else that this, but this is my duty." He checked the brander's heat, lightly tapping it against the stone furnace. "You can help me and save yourself the trouble, or you can resist, either way, I'm only here to brand you and send you on your way."
"And I answered as honestly as I can be," he replied, lowering his voice. He was getting more scared each minute." He watched as the brander reddened from the flames surrounding it. He swallowed hard, shutting his eyes tighter. "I'm ready…" "Good lad." He grabbed a short dagger from his leg, pulling it out of his sock. He surveyed his work, marveling at the shine it gave off before looking back at the boy. "Now relax and don't move too much" He softly pulled the boy's head forward, the brown hair brushing his tunic. as he leaned over and cut the boy's shirt from the back, taking great care not to cut the freckled skin. "Your back would make a good place to mark you, I'll release your binds so you can turn around." He threw away the torn clothing and clasped his hand around one of the boy's shackles and waited for him to agree to it.
He clenched his jaw, but he knew this was done on orders. He nodded and closed his eyes, ready for what would happen. He did not dare put up a fight; knowing his situation, it wouldn't exactly have made much difference.
He nodded when he felt the boy tense up and started to unlatch the leather straps, going at it one by one until the last leg strap was free. "On your back now then boy, hands on the backrest." He had the brander in one of his hands as he caressed the boy's back, sighing when he thought about how regrettable it is to scar such a nice thrall. "Hold your breath, it'll be over soon."
Hiccup hesitated on the instructions. He tensed up, holding tightly on the arm rests. His eyes were still shut tight and he refused to open them. He was shaking hard that even the chair shook.
"Relax boy, but breathe in." He slowly aligned the red hot iron behind the boy's right shoulder blade, taking his time to properly match the mark to the skin as he softly pressed it in. "A bit more boy."
Hiccup held his breath, and felt a tear trickle down his cheek, bending as he exposed his back.
He counted the seconds as he pressed harder, the sound and smell of searing skin starting to overflow from the room. After a brief wait, he started slowly puling the brander away, squinting as he tried to see if the iron did its job.
Hiccup was fighting the pain. He clenched his jaw, but ended up yelling as the brander dug deeper into his skin, feeling more tears fall. As it was pulled away, he breathed heavily, but didn't faint. He lowered his head, not looking at the blacksmith.
He nodded in approval and respect that the puny boy could withstand that much pain without much fuss where others would curse and kick him before he knocked them out. "You're a strong one boy, Hiccup wasn't it?" He walked over to a wooden door on the other side of the room, its existence practically invisible in the dark and bloodstained room, unless someone knew where to look. He rapped at it a few times before a grunt replied and he walked back to the boy. "You'll be delivered to the chief now Hiccup, he's a moody one so watch your mouth and you might live till tomorrow." He patted the boy's left shoulder and gave him a tattered cloak, which was better than being without one in the cold night air. Two men promptly entered the room, their big, burly and gruff expressions imply their status as some of Dagur's personal housecarls. "Be good boy and we might yet see each other again."
He listened to the instructions but didn't move a muscle. Although strong as he was described, it sent his mind through breaking point and he himself was unsure on how he will be able to handle the next few moments. His hand moved at its own accord as he was handed the cloak and slowly stood up as the two men accompanied him into the next room. His eyes looked blank and swollen from the tears that dried up all over his face.
They said nothing as the pushed the boy down another corridor. Slowly though, the air was getting colder and there was more light that didn't come from the torches that lined the cold stone walls. Eventually, the tight space opened up to a room with counters and drawers displaying swords, shields, armour and the like. The front of the smith's shop where he did his trade. "So you're the boy they got from Berk eh?" The other one chirped in as he opened the wooden door to the outside, pushing the boy into the threshold. "The one who trains dragons they said?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Hiccup deadpanned, although his voice was still weak and his eyes still had the blank look as he followed them into a corridor leading to a room with weapons. As he was pushed into the threshold, he stayed silent once more, proceeding to walk outside.
The started walking, following a rough path of laid stone towards what appeared from their distance, a large hall. "We would boy, we would. Right Knut?" The blond viking, who looked older than the other, turned to his brother while still pushing the boy forward in the deep snow, his axe menacingly in his hand. "Right brother Finn" Responded the red haired viking behind the boy's left who was nervously looking around, alert for anything that moved around them. "You know boy, you could teach us this *Dragon Training* and we may just tell the Chief that you got away, right Knut?" "Whatever you say Brother."
He didn't speak. He continued walking with them as he sighed at the deep snow. He shook his head at the offer and wondered where Toothless was. He assumed that by now the Night Fury would have looked for him and helped him escape as he was already outside. He was worried that they caught his best friend and it would break him even more if anything terrible had happened to him. The cold air felt somewhat soothing on his mark, but it didn't take away the experience he went through.
"Oi boy, I'm talking to you." Finn was easily annoyed by the boy's silence. He had asked him a question and as a thrall he was bound to answer the question. "Answer me boy." In anger at the insult against him and his honor, Finn pulled on the boy's hair, dragging him backwards as he placed the end of his axe on the boy's throat. "Remember boy, you are nothing but property. I could kill you right now and suffer only to pay wergeld." "Stop there brother." Knut had intervened, laying a hand on his older brother's shoulder and gently nudging his armed hand away from the boy. "The chief trusts us. Do not harm him."
Hiccup choked as the axe almost touched his skin, but stopped feeling frightened. He looked at the both of them with his blank eyes and back on the horizon. He lowered his head and continued walking, assuming that the way was straight ahead.
The walk to the town's great hall was done in silence as the trudged through the snow. The brothers remained behind the boy, only this time it was Knut prodding him softly forward, letting him keep his distance from a grim looking Finn. In a few minutes the large metal doors loomed in front of them as the brothers slowly pushed them open, the howling wind pushing them to come inside. "The chief will be here, give him respect he's due and your head will remain on your shoulders." Finn went before them and entered the room behind the throne of dragon skulls and hide at the center. After awhile demon-like laughter comes out of the room and fills the hall.
Hiccup remained silent at the rest of the tread to the great hall. He was starting to feel weak from the cold and the fact that he hadn't eaten or drank for a day. As the doors were opened, he heard a laughter echoing the hall. He couldn't recognize the voice as his mind was foggy, but nonetheless he followed the trail of the sound.
The laughter gets louder as its source nears the hall, the crackling echoing in the empty space. "Go on boy, don't make him wait." Finn goes before the throne, his face serious and unmoving. Taking his place to the left of the seat, he starts to announce his leader's arrival. "Cower and fear before the eyes of Dagur the Deranged, leader and chief of the Berserker Clan" Slowly a figure appears from behind the throne, clad in dragon hide armor with his longsword slung over his back. Dagur walks forward, his gait a bit off as he had just woken up. He sat on the dragon bone throne and stared at the boy approaching him. "I finally have you Hiccup"
Hiccup stopped in his tracks as he reached the end of the hall, leading to the throne. He looked up to see Dagur sitting and staring at him. His expression remained blank, but his skin looked pale from lack of sustenance and harsh weather conditions. He dared not speak and lowered his head again after the Berserker chief has claimed ownership of him.
Dagur stared at Hiccup from his throne, his head tilted a ways with a grin plastered to his face. "What? Nothing to say Hiccup?" He laughed again and closed his eyes as he savored its echoes from the walls. He leaned forward, using the momentum to stand and walk to his thrall. "You're mine now Hiccup, along with your dragon."
Hiccup's eye widened at the mention of Toothless' capture despite his broken state. He looked at Dagur again but as he spoke, no sound came out of his lips. "Where..." he mouthed, weakening by the minute. His legs were having a hard time supporting him.
"Aw, powr Hiccup, his dwagon's gown." Dagur laughed as he taunted the boy. He reached for Hiccup's chin and nudged it to face him, his hands tightly squeezing Hiccup's cheeks. He noticed tired expression Hiccup had and inched his head forward to look at the boy's pale skin before retching backwards and throwing his sword at Finn who was beside the throne. "I thought I told you not to hurt him." he shouted as he stormed the bigger man, clutching his sword beneath Finn's neck.
Hiccup collapsed on his knees and shivered. His hands clutched his forearms tightly and he leaned on the wall, coughing. He didn't look at Dagur, or to anyone else in the hall and remained silent after the cough.
Dagur roared and shoved Finn aside as he started his tantrum. The force Dagur pushed him made him fall and destroy part of the throne. "Why can't anyone ever do what I ask properly" He walked over to Hiccup and looked at him from above. It was a pitiful sight, the once proud and haughty *dragon rider* was now at his feet, weak and sick. It was something that normally didn't even illicit his pity, but this was a special case. "Stand up."
Dagur's anger got even worse when he saw Hiccup try to himself up with shaking legs. This thing in front of him was nothing like the Hiccup he knew who had dared to attack him. "Useless" He sighed and grabbed Hiccup's neck, pulling him upright. He dragged the tired body before jutting his body under Hiccup's shoulders, supporting him until they neared the throne. "Knut, get him away from my sight" Knut was poring over his brother, unconscious on the throne but seemingly alright aside from what was going to be a stiff neck. Knut nodded and grabbed Hiccup, putting him over his back and started to walk to one of the halls corridors. Dagur pushed Finn off his chair and took a seat, sighing as he held his face in his hands.
Hiccup lost consciousness. He closed his eyes as his surroundings spun around, his vision fading to black. He didn't exactly feel like he was dying; he only felt weak over the exhaustion, the searing pain, and the starvation and dehydration he had gone through. Although he was a Viking, his build was scrawny, which gave him the disadvantage of vulnerability. He hoped to the gods that if he's still strong enough to live, he would be at least fed or treated for his current undernourishment.
Knut rounded the corner to one of the smaller rooms in the hall, the ones given only to the chief's thralls and honorable hostages. "Rest boy, later our sages will come to you" He carefully laid the sleeping boy on the small hay bed, making sure that he was more or less comfortable in his rest before exiting the roo
Hiccup rested. Time felt so quick on him that even his dream was a blank. After what seemed like hours, he stirred from the bed from where he rested, feeling a little stronger than his previous state. He looked around to see that the room was dim. He sighed as he waited for anyone to come in and talk to him.
It was near morning the day after that Knut decided to check on the boy entrusted to him by his chief. He left the hall's rowdy drunken cheering to return to the dank small room where he had left him. He made sure the day before that the sages treated the boy, he was there when they did, going out of his way to ask them to soothe the boy's new brand. He arrived at the room's door and opened it slowly, still cautious that he might wake up the boy and disturb his rest.
Hiccup heard the door creak and backed away a bit as he anticipated a beating for later. Right now he wished that they would just leave him alone for a while, because even if he felt better from being fed, he didn't exactly want to be berated, and he couldn't take down a group of Berserkers, either way. He slightly loosened the rope on his prosthetic leg in case he needed to use it to strike.
Knut entered the room fully and shut the door, raising his hands as a sign of being unarmed, though the horn in his hand swilled its beer. He walked slowly forward, just enough to be near the boy's bed and the seat beside it. "I've brought you some beer." He sat down and offered the black horn to the boy, deftly noticing that the boy's metal leg was loose. "If you plan to hit the person who cared for you then that's very rude."
"I only wanted to defend myself," he said, tying back the rope and taking the horn. "Thanks," he added and took a few sips then looked away. "What does he want from me and why did he have me branded..."
"No harm boy, no harm" Knut sighed and looked at the boy, his skin was more colored, he had an appetite and he was starting to look a bit more alive. It would be another week or so before this boy was back to normal, but he'd live. He stopped his thinking then the boy asked his question and answered it brashly. "No."
Hiccup raised an eyebrow over the sentence. "I don't exactly expect a trust built here, especially on the fact that I was actually harmed prior to what you said," he said sarcastically.
Knut didn't notice the sarcasm and answered blankly. "I cannot tell what the chief is thinking. Even if I did I cannot tell you."
"He has tasked me with getting you healthy and that is all I know." He sat patiently as he waited for the boy to finish his drink before trying to stand up, his eyes blankly staring at the boy's horn. "The chief told me to bring you any food that you would want to eat." He quieted himself, hoping the boy understood that he was asking what he should bring for him and wondered to himself why he should do this things for a mere thrall.
"Anything that's cooked and isn't exactly disgusting would do," he said, still looking away. "Will I get the chance to talk to him?"
"You will." Having his answer, Knut started to stand, taking one long pitiful look at the boy before heading out the door. What Dagur had in mind for him was worse than death or torture.
Hiccup sighed and waited. He assumed that whatever Dagur would do to him, he prayed to the gods that it would be over soon. "Why couldn't I have just died..." he whispered, still dreading the fact that Toothless wasn't there to at least be with him. He didn't know how his friend was doing and it felt like a part of him died, from the thought alone.
A few hours after his brother had gone to see the Chief's new boy, Finn went to the room to visit himself, but this time it was for business as the Chief had ordered him to. Kicking open the door with disregard, he went into the room and shouted for the boy. "Oi boy, the chief wants you." He roughly grabbed the Hiccup's arm and dragged him off the bed as forcibly as he could, his anger still apparent.
Hiccup felt the other Berserker drag him off the room. He tried his best to fight back, even using his metal leg to anchor himself, but the metal simply scratched the stone floor as he was pulled out and was dragged off until they arrived at the main hall.
Dagur was already there and waiting for him, sitting on his throne and looking down at the new arrivals. Finn, who was dragging Hiccup behind him, tossed the boy at Dagur's feet. "Here he is chief." Dagur snorted before he gave Hiccup a small kick to his stomach before addressing Finn and standing up. "Is the oubliette ready?" Finn nodded and walked to the side of the hall to pull a lever. The ground in from of the stone steps leading to the throne slowly opened up, showing a deep and dark hole with a torch lighting its very bottom. "Its deeper than you wanted it chief but we also made metal bars to cover it up." Dagur picked up Hiccup by his arm once again and dangled him over the hole, laughing with delight as he saw the boy struggle. "See Hiccup? This'll be your new home."
Hiccup rubbed the affected area and raised his eyebrow as Dagur showed him the oubliette as his leg held on to the mouth of the hole. "Oh, great," he said, rolling his eyes, "Just when I needed. A place to get trapped on, be humiliated, and just pretty much berate me in any other way. Uh, thank you, I guess. But no thanks."
"Aw, don't worry Hiccup, we'll give you a bucket." Dagur dropped Hiccup in with a soft chuckle and looked down at his captive. "We'll have guests from clans all around of how we'll destroy that beloved Berk of yours, you're just here to show them that we can take that rock dragons or not." He grinned as he thought of another taunt, "I may even let you have that girlfriend of yours" he laughed again and added "maybe after we've finished with her."
Hiccup held on to the mouth of the hole and used his leg to anchor him before he could even fall. As he heard Dagur mention harming Astrid, he felt anger bubble up inside him and managed to climb back up, shutting the oubliette with the metal bars. He glared at Dagur and used the sharp areas of his prosthetic leg to puncture his arm, then his eye, letting it bleed. "You," he whispered, "Do nothing. To Astrid." He grabbed Dagur by his hair as he smashed his skull on the bars.
Dagur wailed as he was assaulted by Hiccup's blows. He was a warrior, accustomed to pain but even a warrior such as himself isn't immune to surprise. "Damn you" Dagur roared when his face hit the bars, he knew that he would be in trouble from the attack as his instincts settled in. He roughly gave Hiccup a half blind kick as he pushed himself up, watching in satisfaction as his opponent fell into the oubliette. "Finn! Help me you idiot" He couldn't take the time to gloat as the feeling of life left him and collapsed on the floor.
Hiccup still tried to hold on to the edge of the hole, refusing to fall completely. He didn't want to get locked up for days, knowing that Berk won't be safe with Dagur trying to invade his home. He used his metal leg to grip on the edges of the hole before it was shut by the bars. He was worried that the other two would overpower him but he needed to think about that later. He managed to hold on and climbed up as he tried to run, exiting the hall.
Finn was preoccupied with his chief who was now bleeding to death on the stone steps. He tried to bandage him as best he could before he carried him out to the far side of the great hall to the partying Vikings. It took some time before the warriors were ready to foray back into the snowy night to find their escaped thrall, the traditions of their clan demanding blood as payment for such an insult. Paying their respects to their now incapacitated chief, Finn and Knut divided the warriors between themselves. With Knut going out to look for Hiccup and Finn and his troops heading for the port to demand recompense for the thralls actions, either through gold or through blood.