Traitor

A/N: SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 5! You have been warned. I am giving this a high T/low M rating for gore and violence. None of the high rating is due to language or sexual situations. (Though, there is a reference to our favorite couple heavily making out "off screen.") There is some mild torture in a few parts and implications of more. Trigger warnings for panic attacks, gruesome imagery, and nightmares. One section I have marked off as being M-rated for the reasons listed above. You can read it or just read the author's note preceding it for a summary. I repeat, you have been warned. However, I have sprinkled in some father/son stuff, some Hiccup/Gobber bonding, some Dragon Rider team support and solidarity, and, of course, some Hiccstrid fluff and support and all that goodness. It's long. So very long that I had to divide into a four parts. However, it is completely written and will not be abandoned. I do hope you enjoy it, though. Thanks for reading.

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Hiccup flailed his arms in exasperation. "Astrid, I'll be back by dinner. It's just two hours there, whatever amount of time it takes to get the package and away from Johann, and two hours back. There's nothing but ocean between here and there. No islands for the Dragon Fliers to be lying in wait for me, and I'm pretty sure I can handle Johann, on the off chance he has developed a new personality and tries to kidnap me or something."

Astrid crossed her arms and glared at him. "I don't like it. There's something fishy going on here. My instincts say so. We don't even know if this terror mail is from Johann!"

Hiccup sighed and rolled his eyes. "I've been helping my dad settle accounts with the traders since I was nine years old. I know the man's handwriting. This is from Johann. No one else in the Archipelago has that much flourish in their penmanship, except for when Snotlout is practicing his calligraphy or when Tuffnut is trying to copy Snotlout's calligraphy, but even they can't compete with the precision of Johann. His handwriting is as flamboyant as his stories."

Astrid's jaw dropped, and she blinked in confusion. "Wha-Why does Snotlout practice calligraphy?"

Hiccup shook his head and threw his hands into the air. "I don't know. Aunt Gerta has some crazy idea that since I'm left-handed my penmanship is terrible and that I'm going to need someone to write my correspondence when I become chief. I guess she thinks Snotlout is the right person for the job, but that's not the point."

"And why wouldn't your WIFE be right one for the job?" A look of fierce jealousy stole across her face.

A flash of heat rushed through Hiccup's body and settled somewhere deep in his gut. There was something intoxicatingly attractive about her jealously guarding her place in his life. A part of him that he would rather not mention wanted very much for him to end this discussion by using his mouth in a far more physical way than verbal way, but instead, he threw his head back and sighed at the ceiling, wordlessly asking the gods of Asgard for patience (and a slowdown on the hormone rush). "Of course, my wife would be the right person for the job, but my penmanship is fine so it's a moot point. What isn't a moot point, is that I need to go get that package that my dad sent, so I'm going to find Toothless and get going because I'd like to be back in time for a hot meal tonight."

"But that's what doesn't make sense! Hiccup, since when would your dad have Johann deliver a package to you here at the Edge?"

"Since when did a Viking hop on the back of a dragon and ride it? Only since five years ago. There's a first time for everything." Hiccup walked over to his girlfriend and took her hands in his own, squeezing them lightly. "I'll be fine. I promise," he finished gently.

She cast her gaze towards the floor beside them, something Hiccup knew she did when she was conflicted but about to give in to him. "I know I sound paranoid, but something just doesn't seem right about this. Just let me or someone go with you, please."

"Astrid," Hiccup sighed. "I need everyone to stay here. The Fireworm migration is due today or tomorrow, and we don't need any more fires here if we can help it. I wouldn't even leave if I could get away with it, but you read the note. Johann promised my dad he would get this package to me, but he got caught in a storm that damaged his ship. He's already behind on his route, and by the time he gets the ship repaired, he won't be able to spare the time to come this far off his course just to drop off the package. He can't afford it, even with my dad giving him a pass on tariffs on his next stop at Berk."

Astrid threw her arms around his middle, and Hiccup returned the hug. He couldn't understand why she was so adamantly against this quick trip, but he would never deny her comfort if he could give it. "Just promise me you'll turn around and come straight home if anything – ANYTHING – seems off when you get there. I don't know what it is, but I just don't like this. I need you, Hiccup," she whispered as she pressed her cheek to his chest.

Hiccup pulled her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "I promise I'll be careful, and if I'm not back by the sunrise, you're free to organize a search party for my sorry butt. But I promise I'll be back, even before Rooster calls the chicks in to roost." He pulled back a bit and smirked at her, trying to dispel some of the anxiety in the air. She gave him a weak smile, and he gave her a firm, real kiss. "Keep them in line, milady," he whispered. Then he swept away from the clubhouse, calling for Toothless before she could object again.

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Hiccup took in the scene below him. There was Johann and his ship, anchored as close to the natural harbor of the deserted island as the trader could get it. From his vantage point, however, Hiccup couldn't spot what was wrong with the ship. Astrid's warning reverberated through his head, but he pushed it away. He had known Johann since he was eight years old and the man had started trading with Berk. Johann had done plenty of favors for his dad, Hiccup himself, and other members of Berk and the surrounding islands over the years, and in turn, the various tribes and individuals of the Archipelago were always willing to go the extra mile for the imaginative trader, whether it was housing him for a night, feeding him an extra meal, or even rescuing him from freezing to death in the middle of a frozen sea. In short, Hiccup trusted Johann, and if Johann said the ship was damaged, Hiccup just assumed it was to something he couldn't see from the sky, such as the rudder, steering mechanism, or maybe a cracked mast or leak or something else entirely.

Johann waved from the deck of the ship and pointed to a bare area near the stern. Hiccup directed Toothless towards the spot. "Take us down, bud, but be gentle. We don't want to cause more damage."

Toothless warbled a response and drifted towards the deck in a wide corkscrew flying pattern. They landed as gently on the deck as a 700 pound dragon could manage, and Hiccup climbed off the saddle.

"Master Hiccup! I'm so glad you received my message," Johann called as he walked over to the Rider.

Hiccup straightened his riding vest, patted Toothless on the head, and greeted Johann with a handshake. "Yes, I left as soon as I could after the terror showed up this morning. What is that you have for me?"

The trader clapped his hands together. "Ah, yes, the package from your father." He began to walk to the trapdoor to the hold below deck, and Hiccup followed. "He was quite adamant that I get it to you. He said it wasn't urgent enough to warrant a special trip by dragon, but since I would be passing your direction, he did wish for you to have it sooner rather than later. It's right down here, if you please."

"Do you know what it is or what it's about?" Hiccup asked as he climbed the ladder into the shadowed hold.

"Something to do with your recent betrothal to Miss Astrid, I believe, but I can't be certain. It's just back this way in the corner." Johann continued further into the darkened corner of the hold.

Hiccup followed, his metal foot catching on a knothole in a board. He was barely able to catch himself before crashing onto the floor. "Uh, do you happen to have a torch, Johann? I can't hardly see a thing."

Johann steadied Hiccup with a hand on his shoulder. "Ah, sorry, Master Hiccup, I'm afraid I do quite forget sometimes that not everyone is as familiar with my vessel as I myself am. I don't have a torch handy, but I know exactly where the package is, just four more steps further and no more knotholes, I promise."

Hiccup squinted into the darkness. The room seemed more packed with items than normal, but maybe this was simply the way it looked at this point in Johann's trade season. "So what was the damage from to the ship from the storm? I may be able to help you repair it."

Johann was rummaging in the darkest corner, just a couple of feet from Hiccup. "Ah, the damage?" he called loudly, apparently unable to hear as well with his head stuck in a large crate.

"Yeah, you said your ship was damaged," Hiccup answered, louder than before.

Before Johann could answer, however, Toothless roared in anger and pain. Hiccup turned to run back to the deck. "Tooth-″

A heavy weight slammed into the back of Hiccup's head, cutting off his yell. He fell to the floor, spots dancing before his eyes. The room spun, and he tried to work out what had just happened. He blinked and shook his head, but before he could get his bearings, a swift punch to his gut had him balled-up, lying on the floor, gasping for air. He opened his eyes to be greeted by the sight of two men peering down at him. "Didn't I tell you that capturing this runt would be simple? And now that we have him, defeating Berk will be all too easy."

Hiccup blinked, again. His bludgeoned brain struggling to make sense of words he was hearing paired with the sight he was seeing. It was Johann, trader Johann, whom he had known for twelve years speaking, and of all people for him to be speaking to…

"Yes, Johann, I do believe you are right. With Hiccup Haddock in our clutches, Stoick and the Dragon Riders will pose no real threat. They won't wish to risk hurting their precious 'Dragon Master.'" Viggo's scarred face stared down at Hiccup. The sneer he wore froze Hiccup's bones.

Johann squatted down beside Hiccup. His usually open, cheerful face was a cold mask of hatred and disgust. "One last thing 'Master Hiccup,'" he spat. "I do have a special package for you." With that he uncorked a small bottle. Hiccup tried to bat the man away, but he was still too dazed to accomplish much, and immediately found himself restrained by a hunter guard anyhow. Johann squeezed Hiccup's nose shut, and while Hiccup tried to keep his mouth closed and jerk his head away from his captors' hands, he eventually could nothing to stop his body from taking a gasp of air. Johann didn't miss his chance, and forced the contents of the jar down Hiccup's throat, roughly closing his mouth and pinching his nose harder, giving Hiccup no choice except to swallow the foul concoction. "There, that will make you a much more pleasant passenger on our little voyage." He stood and waved a hand at the guard. "Take him to his cell. Restrain him well, and remove his leg. Come, Viggo. We need to check that Krogan has taken care of the night fury."

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Astrid paced the Clubhouse floor. A plate of food sat in Hiccup's usual spot around the fire pit. A cloth covered it to keep the flies from buzzing around it. The sun had long since sunk below the horizon. Tuffnut's chicken family had all gone to roost long ago, yet Hiccup had yet to return from his "quick trip."

"I don't like it," she exclaimed for about the tenth time that night.

Snotlout, who was reclined against Hookfang across the room, grunted. "Ugh…Here she goes again."

"Astrid, don't get yourself too worked up. You know how Hiccup is," Fishlegs soothed.

Astrid rounded on him. "What do you mean, 'how Hiccup is?'" she demanded. Fishlegs backed away wide-eyed and cringing.

"That he's easily distracted," Ruffnut shouted.

"Got a short attention span," Tuffnut added.

"Geeks out over everything," Ruff continued.

"Doesn't keep track of time," Tuff commented.

"Ugh! Okay! Fine!" Astrid yelled. "He gets sidetracked…some, but something still isn't right here. I know it. This whole thing has seemed strange from the start, and I just don't like it."

Snotlout stood up and crossed his arms. "Yes, we know. Astrid Hofferson doesn't like for her skinny, one-legged boyfriend to be out of her sight for more than an hour at a time. She must know exactly where he is and what he's doing at all times because she's a control freak who thinks Hiccup Haddock can do nothing for himself, which is partly true, even if he won't admit it."

"I do not think he is unable to do anything for himself," she hotly contested, glaring daggers at Snotlout. "Hiccup is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and I do not have to keep hourly tabs on him and his actions."

"Sure," Snotlout sing-songed. "That's why he's always giving you his itinerary for the day at breakfast and saying he needs to tell you what he's about to do before he does it. You've got him wrapped around your little finger so tight that the guy can't see straight, and he doesn't even know it."

"I do not! He's just letting me help him plan his day at breakfast…and being considerate the rest of the time."

Fishlegs squeaked. Astrid turned her glare on him. The twins laughed. "Snotlout's right, Astrid," Ruffnut called. "You've totally got Hiccup trained like a dog." She cackled some more.

Tuffnut snorted. "Yeah, like a dog because dogs can be trained to do tricks – and obey commands…" he trailed off when Astrid's icy gaze landed on him and his sister. "Uh, sis, she's giving us that look."

Ruffnut quit laughing and looked at her brother. "Which look?"

Tuffnut kept his attention on Astrid, watching her warily. "The 'I'm going to chop your toes off with my super-sharp axe then strangle you with my braid' look."

Astrid growled. "You guys are insufferable! We should go look for him."

Fishlegs bravely stepped towards her again and set a broad hand one her shoulder. "Look, Astrid. We all know that Hiccup attracts trouble like a yak herd attracts flies, but you did promise to give him until morning to return, at the latest. He probably just decided to help Johann repair the ship and lost track of time. You know how Johann is, too. He likes company, and they're probably swapping stories on a beach out there. Hiccup will be back, and if he's not here by breakfast, then we'll all ride out to find him. Deal?"

Astrid's slumped where she stood, her arms crossed, a scowl marring her face, but she met Fishlegs's gaze and nodded shortly. "Fine, but if he's not here in the morning, I better not hear one word of complaint about going after him. If I do, you'll be on dragon dung duty for a month," she promised. With that she marched out of the clubhouse doors to keep vigil through the night.

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Consciousness came back to Hiccup slowly. His head pounded. His tongue felt thick and heavy, and his limbs were uncooperative. He groaned as a wave of nausea washed over him. His skin was cold and clammy. Somewhere in his fogged mind, he was reminded of his nineteenth birthday celebration several months back when he had been goaded into a drinking contest against Snotlout. Hiccup had not only lost the contest, but he had also spent the whole of the following day fighting the worst hang-over of his life to date. That included the time about two weeks after he woke up from the Red Death coma and had drunk himself into a stupor in a foolish attempt to numb the phantom pain of his lost leg.

This, though, was worse than either of those. He opened his eyes and squinted at the dimly lit room he was in. He shivered and glanced down at himself. His leather riding vest was gone, as were his tunic and foot. His wrists were restrained to the wall behind him that he had been slumped against, and the bars of the grate he was sitting on were pressing painfully into his legs. He shifted in an attempt to ease the ache, but that only made the nausea come on again, stronger than before. His discomfort was pushed aside by his mounting terror and alarm, and Hiccup forced himself to push past the brain fog to try to remember what had happened to him.

"Gods," he moaned. "What happened to me?" He shifted again, ignoring the turning of his stomach, the migraine in his head, and the general stiff ache of his body. All at once he remembered the note from trader Johann and the argument with Astrid. He gasped and straightened his posture as he began to recall what all had happened. "We found the ship…" he murmured to himself. "And Johann was there, but then – Oh gods! Toothless! Johann! He kidnapped me – with Viggo's help!"

Hiccup forgot his fear. He jerked on the chains of the wrist restraints. He only had about a foot of slack on the chains and could see no easy way to pick the locks in his current dilemma, and the chains were newly forged and crafted by a master. Gobber himself couldn't have done a better job. He looked towards the barred wall of the cell. He couldn't see anything or anyone in the darkness of the corridor. "TOOTHLESS?" he called out, but for all his straining to hear a response, there wasn't one. He tilted his head back onto the damp wall behind him. "Think, Hiccup. Think. I need to get out of here, find something for a foot, find Toothless, and get back to some place I know."

Hiccup looked around his cell. He was seated on a grate that was laid across the top of a one-foot deep pit that was about two feet wide by two feet long. About two and a half feet past the end of the pit were another pair of shackles set into the dirt floor. The wall directly in front of him was made of thick metal bars riveted into a grid pattern, secure, sturdy, professional, expensive work. There was a chamber pot across the cell, but with his restraints and lack of a left foot, getting to the thing would be impossible. (That thought made him realize just how full his bladder was starting to feel, but he pushed the desire to relieve himself to the side in the hopes that he would soon be given outhouse privileges by his captors or find a way to get to the pot himself.) Directly above his head was a small window, high on the rough stone wall, just enough to ventilate the space and let the cold night air drift into the cell, chilling his half-clad self.

Hiccup sat in silence for the next few minutes trying to let the worst of the hang over from the sedative wear off while he contemplated how he might escape his predicament. Nothing came to mind. He drew his right leg up and curled his left underneath his bent knee, attempting to conserve some of his body heat. The open pit beneath him and the stone wall behind did not help matters. He wondered what Viggo, Krogan, and apparently Johann had planned for him. Nothing good he suspected. The pit had two shovel-sized "wings" that stuck out on either side beyond the grate that he was seated on. His short shackles, bare torso, and general lack of available creature comforts only reinforced his idea that he was in for a rough stay.

The cold draft and lack of light from the window made him think it was night. He hoped that there was some kind of trail or clue for the Riders to follow when they set out at first light. He harbored no illusions that Astrid wasn't waiting up for him, not with how upset she had been at his going to meet Johann.

His thoughts were interrupted by the creak of a heavy door somewhere beyond his sight. He stiffened, listening to the firm gait of the approaching people because there was definitely more than one set of footsteps. "Sucky time to be captured, restrained, and dragon-less," he murmured to himself. He straightened, determined to not appear weak to his captors in spite of his freckly bare skinny torso. He had none of Stoick's stature, but he had all of his determination and stubbornness.

Three imposing silhouettes came to a stop in front of his cell. "Ah, I see our guest has awakened. Do you like your accommodations, Hiccup?" Viggo asked.

"It's not up to snuff with Berk's guest hut, Viggo, I'll say that, but then, traitor Johann there can tell you all about that. Can't you, Johann?" Hiccup shot back, directing a fierce glare at Johann.

"No need to be snarky, Hiccup," Johann replied. "We were kind enough to leave you with your pants."

"Yeah? Well, I should have left you with your frozen ship a few years ago. Would have saved my people and me some trouble, it would seem. What are they offering you for your loyalty, Johann: gold, glory, both?"

The man sneered for a moment, but then a sadistic smile spread across his face. He calmly replied, "It was always a ruse, little Hiccup. The plan has always been to gain your father's trust, and when he least expected it, to take everything from under him. My boss has been paying me well these past twelve odious years to get close to Stoick and you so that we can destroy Berk and conquer the Archipelago."

Hiccup listened with growing hatred and growled at the man he had considered a close ally and friend. "You're a wolf in sheep's clothing, a snake! May Odin have mercy on your black soul because I can promise you that neither Stoick the Vast, the Hooligans of Berk, nor I will! You'll regret this, traitor! As will your boss! And where is my dragon? Where is Toothless?" He jerked at the chains and pushed up onto one knee, straining towards the villains on the other side of the cell. A rage he had rarely experienced filled him, and he had the stray thought that if he were a dragon, he would roast them all three where they stood.

Krogan slammed his spear against the cell bars, and the clang reverberated on the stone walls, making Hiccup's migraine pound with extra force. He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced against the pain. "Enough of this! Where the night fury is, is none of your concern, runt!" the dark man roared. "We came to get answers, not listen to him rant and rave."

"Precisely," agreed Viggo. He produced a key and unlocked the cell to step inside. Hiccup stood as straight as he could while on his knees and chained to the wall. Viggo came closer and leaned over Hiccup's small frame. "Your attempt to be imposing is as successful as a toddling child's. A commendable effort, I suppose, but you, my dear Hiccup, are in no position to intimidate anyone, especially with that pale, weak chest on full view." Hiccup didn't back down, his glare never wavering from the scarred man's amused expression. Viggo pressed a finger against Hiccup's clavicle and chuckled. "It would seem that a certain blonde warrior enjoys the scrawny look, however." A flush filled Hiccup's cheeks against his will as a quick memory of the heated make-out session he and Astrid had shared the night before he received Johann's missive flitted across his mind. They had gotten carried away and joked afterwards about leaving their marks on one another. Astrid was particularly fond of his shoulders and often did leave marks there during their more intimate moments. Viggo leaned close to Hiccup's ear and whispered. "You had better hold dear to that memory, Hiccup Haddock. It will be the last good one you ever have." A hard punch to the gut punctuated the statement, and Hiccup fell forward, gasping for air, only the restraints on his wrists kept him from faceplanting the grate beneath him.

Hiccup lifted his eyes in defiance. "What have you done with Toothless?" he demanded.

Krogan stepped forward and pushed Hiccup back against the wall with the butt of his spear. "None. Of. Your. Concern." He jabbed Hiccup's chest with each word. "We want answers, boy, and you will give them or face the consequences. I am not a patient man. Don't test me, if you know what's good for you."

Johann approached. He unrolled a piece of parchment in Hiccup's face. "Tell us what you know of this dragon," he demanded.

Hiccup studied the sketch of the dragon on the paper. It looked similar to the skeleton that he, Dagur, and Fishlegs had discovered on Vanahiem, but he would never tell these three about that place. "Don't know it," he lied.

"You're lying," Viggo stated. Krogan pressed the spear butt harder into Hiccup's sternum. "My friend there is quite eager to spill some blood – your blood, in fact. Maybe you would like to rethink your answer."

"Even if I knew anything about that dragon, I would never tell the likes of you three!" The words had barely escaped Hiccup's mouth before Krogan slammed the butt of the spear against the love bite that Viggo had pointed out earlier. Something snapped under the force of the blow, and Hiccup's vision went black. A scream ripped from his throat, and he rolled his head back against the wall, closing his eyes to get his bearings. Before he could, however, a strong hand gripped his chin with bruising force and twisted his head to face his captors. Hiccup panted through the white-hot pain in his shoulder and shot a look of daggers at the trio.

Viggo was squatted in front of him, holding his face in place. "I warned you to hold tight to that memory, did I not? Now, we shall try again. Tell us what you know of this dragon."

Hiccup knew nothing of the dragon in question except the skeleton on Vanahiem, and they would never know about that sacred place. "Go suck a gronkle egg, Viggo," he hissed.

Viggo's fist smashed into Hiccup's cheekbone, and the back of Hiccup's head collided violently against the stone wall. Hiccup saw stars, and his stomach roiled from pain. He blinked and shook his head weakly. When he was able to focus again, Johann had joined Viggo in front of him, and he had another small bottle. "He's been trained by Stoick," Johann informed the men. "We won't get anywhere with him by beating him. Open his mouth, Viggo. I have a more exotic idea for loosening his tongue."

Hiccup pressed his mouth closed and tried to turn his head away. He pulled at his restraints. Viggo grasped his chin, again, forcing Hiccup's head forward. The man then pried Hiccup's mouth open, but just before Johann could pour the contents of the bottle down Hiccup's throat, Hiccup jerked his knee upwards and caught Viggo hard between the legs. The man fell back with a high-pitched whine, his eyes bugged and watering. Hiccup clamped his mouth shut and kicked with both legs at Johann. He twisted and pulled at his restraints. His right shoulder was in agony from the movement, and within seconds, the three men were on him. They had him stretched out on his back on the grate, his arms above his head. His right ankle was in a shackle, and his left leg was tied at the knee to his right leg.

Viggo used the butt of Krogan's spear to thump Hiccup's crotch. Hiccup cried out. His legs trembled, and something deep in his gut cramped and convulsed. Hiccup rolled his head to the side and retched. Having not eaten anything since a piece of jerky he had while flying to the island, only bile made an appearance. He panted and narrowed his eyes at the men standing above him.

Viggo sneered at him. "Retribution, Hiccup. You will learn to not throw tantrums such as that again."

Hiccup huffed through his nose but said nothing. Krogan squatted back down and held a knife to his throat, while Viggo once again forced his mouth open, and Johann poured in the elixir. He was forced to swallow, and the men stood up again. Hiccup coughed and sputtered as they backed away from him.

Johann crossed his arms. "You'll talk, once the visions start," he promised Hiccup. "I am a trader, after all, and that particular elixir is from the Celtic tribes. You'll find that your precious Gothi has nothing on the potion-makers of the Celts. Your deepest, darkest nightmares will soon become realities to your eyes." He leaned down, again, and spoke low in Hiccup's ear. "You worst fears will come true. The darkest corner of your mind will unleash a waking nightmare before your eyes, and you'll be begging to tell us anything we want to know if only to ensure that we do not give you more potion."

Hiccup pressed his mouth into a thin line. He could already feel the paranoia beginning to creep into his brain, the fight-or-flight adrenaline starting to course through his veins, but he was determined to not give anything away. He concentrated on breathing slow and steady as he eyed the man from the corner of his eyes.

Krogan's spear tip pressed against Hiccup's belly, and he cut his eyes to the Dragon Flier. "And if you still don't cooperate, then we'll add some fuel to the fire." The man smirked, and Hiccup started to get a really bad feeling about the purpose of the pit below him.

Hiccup clenched his fists. "My name is Hiccup Haddock. I am from Berk. I know nothing of the dragons or their riders," he quoted.

The men did not look amused. "We are not Alvin the Treacherous, boy," Johann spat. "Your pubescent antics won't be of any help to you here." Johann stood up and turned to the other two men. "Come. Let's leave him. The potion will be coursing through his system within the hour, and then we can question him."

Krogan and Viggo nodded, and a minute later, Hiccup was left with only his pain and mounting fear for company.

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The rising sun illuminated Astrid standing at attention on the northern edge of the clubhouse platform. She grasped her axe in her hands and stared defiantly in the direction she had last seen her beloved flying.

The other four Dragon Riders walked in silence up to the Clubhouse and stopped at the sight. "He didn't come back," Snotlout commented in a flat voice.

The twins exchanged glances. "This won't be good," stated Tuffnut. Ruffnut nodded in agreement.

Fishlegs stepped out in front and faced them. "There's plenty of perfectly good reasons for Hiccup not returning yet, so let's not jump to the worst case scenario."

Astrid stepped up beside Fishlegs, startling the stocky man. "That's right, Fishlegs. Although, there aren't any perfectly good reasons for a person to not send a terror mail to his worried girlfriend to let her know that he's been held up for some geeky reason. Grab some water and jerky, gang. We've got a Rider to find."

Within fifteen minutes the Riders were soaring away from Dragon's Edge. "Keep an eye on the water, people! If something went wrong with Toothless's rigging, they could have crashed. Neither of them are the best swimmers and will need to be rescued," Astrid called to the others.

"Don't you think we should send a note to Stoick?" Fishlegs asked.

Astrid turned and glanced at him. "No, not unless we can't find Hiccup. Until we have more information, we keep this to ourselves."

"Fine, but if we can't find his scrawny butt, then I'm not going to be the messenger," Snotlout announced, crossing his arms and staring forward.

"If we can't find him, then I'm telling Stoick," Astrid declared. "Now let's go!" She urged Stormfly forward, and the others had no recourse except to follow her lead.

It was a tense two hours. There was no sign of Hiccup or Toothless on the flight to the island. Even the twins kept their joking and half-baked comments between the two of them. When they at last flew over the island Hiccup had been told to meet Johann at, they found nothing. It was a tiny piece of land, only about a mile wide. There was a small lake in the middle of it, surrounded by a sparse forest of short, thin trees. The grass was tough. The ground was rocky, and the wildlife was basically limited to a few small rodents and birds.

"Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, you three check the forest for any sign of a camp or anything. Fishlegs, you and I will check out the beach," Astrid instructed.

Snotlout and the twins headed for the trees. Fishlegs was inspecting a map on Meatlug's back. "According to this map that Hiccup made, this island has a natural harbor on the west shore. We should probably start our search there."

Astrid nodded. "Stormfly, come here girl! I need you take me to the other side of the island."

Meatlug and Stormfly landed on the sand of the western beach, and just as Hiccup's map had shown, there was perfect place for anchoring a ship. "Is there nothing that man can't do?" Fishlegs marveled as he compared the land to the drawing.

"He can't keep himself out of trouble," Astrid responded, hopping off Stormfly and beginning to search the area for any sign of Hiccup and Toothless.

"That's true," Fishlegs agreed. The pair worked in silence for a few minutes. Astrid couldn't shake the feeling that they should have come looking for Hiccup when he didn't show for dinner. She knew in her gut that something was amiss, but she desperately hoped that her gut was wrong, that they or the others would find something that proved that Hiccup had just overslept or gotten sidetracked. Hearing Fishlegs gasp several yards away made her heart sink. "Oh Thor! Astrid, you need to see this!"

Astrid hurried over to where Fishlegs was standing. He had his boots off and had waded into ankle deep water. He looked at her, eyes wide and concerned, and held up Hiccup's false foot. Astrid sucked in a breath. "Is it broken? You know he keeps spares, maybe this one just-″

Fishlegs stepped back onto the shore. "Astrid, this one is in perfect shape," he answered gently, placing the metal and wood limb in her hand.

Her fingers shook as she grasped it, but she had no more time to react before hearing a crashing from the trees. She and Fishlegs turned to the noise just as Tuffnut stumbled onto the beach. "Guys! Come on! We've found something!" Without waiting, he turned and headed back into the woods.

Fishlegs shoved his feet into his boots, squashing the tops down in the process. Astrid wasted no time in following after Tuffnut, leaving her blond companion to hobble after her. She clutched Hiccup's foot in her hand and thanked the gods that the trees were sparse on this little island as she pushed through the brambles in Tuffnut's wake. It only took a few minutes for her to spot Ruffnut and Snotlout ahead of her, but she stopped short when she entered the small clearing and saw what their group had found. Fishlegs stumbled in and bumped into her, huffing from the fast pace. Snotlout stepped towards her, a glint of sympathy shone in his eyes. "Astrid, I'm-″

"No!" she burst out, rushing past Snotlout. She tripped trying to get to a smoldering pile. Tuffnut caught and steadied her before she could land headlong in the glowing embers. The sharp tang of burnt leather and metal hung in the air, and her vision blurred with tears as she took in what was clearly the incinerated remains of Toothless's saddle and rigging. A six-inch wide piece of the bright red tailfin lay at her feet in the grass just beyond the charred earth. Astrid reached down with a visibly trembling hand and picked up the thick fabric. She rubbed it between her fingers and tried to wrap the foot in the fabric, but her hands shook to the point that she dropped them both. She choked on a sob.

Ruffnut gathered the precious pieces, wrapped them together with a gentleness that the crew had rarely witnessed, and handed them back to Astrid. "We'll get them back, Astrid. We will," she vowed, squeezing Astrid's wrist.

Astrid's chin trembled. Fishlegs, the big, burly man that he was, pulled her into a hug. There was such care and concern in it, that she was reminded of the last hug she had shared with Hiccup when he was comforting her and soothing her fears, and she buried her face in the broad chest of her friend and wept. She felt hands rubbing her back, squeezing her shoulders, and stroking her hair. There were arms holding her tight as her world tumbled down around her. There were words, vows, promises being spoken. There were sobs other than her own. There were dragon croons of sadness, squawks of anger, and fluttering of impatient wings.

"You're free to organize a search party for my sorry butt."

"Keep them in line, milady."

"I'll be fine. I promise."

Hiccup's words echoed through her mind. She had told him that she needed him, and she did. However, right now, he needed her. Someone had ambushed him. Someone had taken his ability to walk from him. Someone had taken Toothless's ability to fly from him. Someone had simply taken them both.

Astrid took a shuddering breath, pulled back from the massive group embrace she had become ensconced in, and wiped her eyes. She met each pair of eyes individually. One by one every Rider straightened their postures, squared their shoulders, and wiped dry their faces. "We're getting them back. We will find out what happened and get them back." The response was palpable fierce solidarity.

HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

A/N: Part 2 coming soon!