Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD

Chapter Six – State of Affairs

Norway, like Myrkr, was huge. At least it seemed that way, to the riders who had spent their whole lives on small islands. Even from the sky, the coastline and the interior stretched as far as the eye could see. There were fjords and farmlands, villages and valleys, mountains and mesas. It looked beautiful, in a rugged sort of way. It brought home to Hiccup how big the world really was.

Can we really change it? he wondered. The idea seemed daunting. Then he remembered that the world was changing. All of them being here, visiting a capital city at the invite of a king, was proof of that. He could not expect all of Norway, much less the whole world, to change overnight…but a little bit at a time? That was enough. It was more than he'd dreamed of, when it all began.

"There it is! Nidaros!" Hugo cried from where he was riding Sparkle nearby. A city began to emerge on the horizon, rapidly growing in size, or so it seemed from the air. It was the largest settlement any of them had ever seen. *That's a lot of houses* Toothless observed as they flew over. Hiccup almost swore he could hear people screaming from all the way up here, but it couldn't be so.

Hugo laughed. "This is nothing, Toothless! There are cities far larger than this" he revealed. Sparkle gave an uneasy growl; she did not like crowded places, her instincts were to be solitary. "Don't worry; I gave them explicit instructions to build you a nice, private den" Hugo reassured her, "and you're free to fly whenever or wherever you wish. I'm sure you'll turn up when I need you."

Mollified, she purred and promised, *I'll be there.* Sparkle felt she owed Scarred-Eye – no, wait, his human name was Viggo – for saving her from hunters all those years ago. She could not protect him, but she could protect his offspring. Anywho dared try to harm Hugo, her human, would be destroyed.

The herald led them towards the royal castle, a great fortress of stone rising up above the clustered houses of the city. Most of the dragons were waiting outside the borders, until they knew where everyone was going to be staying. This little entourage consisted of Jarl Hugo, Hiccup, Black Fire and Silver, the dragon diplomats, and of course all their flying, scaly, firebreathing friends.

They landed in the spacious, cobblestoned courtyard. A number of servants approached, in a manner of speaking; they came forwards a little ways and then hesitated. Hugo dismounted smoothly and strode forwards, pitching his voice to carry. "Do not be alarmed! They are all perfectly well behaved. Their dragons are quite tame, too." That joke had the dragons and their riders snickering a bit.

The most well-dressed servant gave a bow. "Welcome home, Jarl Hugo. And welcome to our guests. His majesty awaits your arrival in the throne room; I shall escort you there myself forthwith." He turned to the other staff and ordered "Bring fresh fish and clean stones for their dragon mounts, and barrels of water to drink. Make sure they are prepared for an audience with the king."

With a few reassuring pats, the riders left their dragons in the courtyard and were led into the castle. After the long journey they were taken to freshen up and dress in fine clothes. Very fine, but rather uncomfortable clothes; at least for the women in the party. Girdles and pantyhose and…they didn't even have pockets! Still, these were the most beautiful dresses they'd ever seen, or worn.

At last, the head servant – the steward, Theodore – deemed them acceptable. They were led to the doors of the throne room and arranged into a neat parade; Jarl Hugo stood at the front, then Hiccup besides Brenda, Braun and Otto, Margret and Ashildr. Theodore would announce their presence one at a time, and they would walk calmly, backs straight, to stand before the king and court.

*Remember, all of you; no funny business* he warned the other riders. *There's a lot at stake here, and we have to make a good first impression. Understand?* Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at them, and they gave subtle nods of acknowledgement. The doors were opened. Here we go he thought, putting his shoulders back and chin up, trying to look as formal as possible. It's showtime.

"Your royal majesty, presenting the herald Jarl Hugo of House Grimborn!"

Hugo strode confidently into the throne room. Hiccup and Brenda stepped forwards. "Presenting Lord Hiccup and Miss Brenda Ingerman of Berk!"

"Presenting Mister Braun Dufgallson and Mister Otto Roaldson!"

"Presenting Miss Margret Nefrsdoittor and Miss Ashildr Birgirsdoittor!"

They each bowed or curtsied to the king, a tall and imposing blond man in his forties. King Harald looked them over, his eyes lingering ever so slightly on Hiccup's prosthetic. Hiccup was glad he'd thought to put strips of fabric beneath the metal 'foot' to keep it from tapping annoyingly on the marbled floor. All the same, he didn't like the slight curl of Harald's lips, as if the sight was irritating.

"Welcome to Nidaros. It is an honour to finally meet the famous Dragon Whisperer" the king declared, meeting Hiccup's eyes with a smile that did not reach his own. "Although I'm sure many tales were…exaggerated" he remarked. It wasn't hard to guess what sort of tales he'd heard; Hiccup wouldn't be surprised if there were rumours going around about him being Stoick's size.

With a small bow, he replied "The honour is all mine, your majesty. I look forward to forging an alliance between my tribe and your kingdom."

"Likewise. Allow me to introduce my Lady Consort, Tora Torbergsdatter, our eldest son Magnus and his brother Olav" the king announced, gesturing to a beautiful woman and two handsome young men standing beside the throne. Hiccup bowed to them respectfully; the other riders got the hint and bowed or curtsied as well. Tora smiled and nodded; her sons looked at them curiously.

King Harald turned to his herald and remarked, "You've done well, Jarl Hugo. I trust that the terms of our alliance with the dragon riders have all been met?"

With a deep bow, Hugo responded "Yes, my liege. With your majesty's leave, I would allow Lord Hiccup to speak on matters regarding the dragons, given that he is, after all, the foremost authority on them." In other words, Hugo wanted to let Hiccup answer the dragon-related questions, which was as they agreed.

"I grant you leave to do so, and you to speak, Lord Hiccup" replied King Harald, motioning for Hiccup to begin. His expression said impress me as clear as day.

Clearing his throat, Hiccup explained "With the exceptions of our own partners, there are sixty two dragons who wished to meet and bond with a human. I realise that you won't have the space or resources to accommodate so many; the surplus is merely to ensure that the right dragon bonds with the right human. Once they have chosen a rider, the remainder will return to our island."

Harald raised an eyebrow; or at least twitched it a little higher than normal. "I beg your pardon; chosen a rider? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"Ideally, the choice should be a mutual one. We chose our dragons, yes, but they also chose us. It's a partnership built on trust and respect, a give and take."

"I see. What sort of breeds have you brought?" King Harald inquired after that.

"Spike-Tails, Fire-Scales and Rock-Tails mainly, as well as a few Colour-Changers and Scamperers. There are also a couple of Swift-Wings, a drake and his mate."

"I've never heard of any of those breeds" the king remarked.

"I'm sure you'd recognise the dragons, your majesty. We've simply been using shorter, more respectful terms for the different species, that describe their most noticeable trait. Swift-Wings, for example, are so called because they are one of the fastest, if not the fastest species of dragon in the air. The more common name for them is…Night Fury." Harald's eyes widened ever so slightly.

The various courtiers muttered amongst themselves. "So you do have more Night Furies" Harald observed, "and you only brought two of them with you?"

"Well, three, but one of them is mine and the other can't be ridden. At least not for now. She's…well, she's pregnant. Night Furies give birth to live young."

"Surely not!" the younger prince, Olav, exclaimed. His mother gasped in shock.

Harald glared at his youngest son. "You don't interrupt, boy! Mind your manners before I tan your hide" he threatened. Olav cringed apologetically.

Before Hiccup could stop him, Braun protested "He was just surprised, you don't have to yell at him." The courtiers gasped and murmured, scandalised. Hugo winced. King Harald frowned at Braun, who squared his shoulders and stuck his chin out in defiance. Hiccup had to stop this before it got out of hand.

"Braun, that's enough" he declared, stepping between the belligerent young man and King Harald. "You swore to me that you'd behave, and you've spoken out of line. Do that again and I'll have to punish you" he insisted firmly.

"What? But sir, I just" –

"Do you think Alvin or Mogadon would tolerate you speaking to them like that?" Hiccup demanded. Braun hesitated, and gulped as he realised what he'd done. "Exactly. Now, apologise to the king for being disrespectful" said Hiccup.

Chastened, Braun gave an awkward bow to the king. "I'm sorry, your majesty."

Normally, Harald Hardrada would have responded to such insolence by ordering a whipping. The king could do nothing to this boy, as Braun was a guest, but the ridicule he'd face for being a pagan savage would dissuade him further. So Harald decided to be merciful. "Apology accepted" he said graciously, "and perhaps I, too, was a little hasty in my speech. My son is quite enthusiastic."

By now, Hiccup was eager to steer the conversation back to safer territory. "Your majesty?" he began, "there is one Night Fury who is willing to be your dragon partner. He is outside with his mate, if you would like to meet him."

"In the courtyard? Excellent. Yes, we shall go there at once" the king declared.


Emerging into the open air, they found the dragons waiting patiently. The diplomats went to stand besides their partners; Hugo went to stand beside Sparkle, and Hiccup stood beside the Night Furies. He turned back to face King Harald, who stepped forwards, flanked by two guards armed with spears. The weapons weren't being pointed at them, but the dragons eyed them warily.

"So, these are your famous Night Furies" the king observed, looking over them with interested desire in his gaze. "Which one of them is mine?" he demanded.

Hiccup knew he was on very thin ice. "It…I'm afraid it isn't quite that simple, your majesty. As I said, the choice needs to be mutual. You need to show Black Fire that he can trust you, and that you trust him, before he'll let you ride him." It occurred to Hiccup that he should probably introduce them. "This is Black Fire, by the way, and this is his mate, Silver" he added, gesturing to each in turn.

The king's eyes fell on Black Fire, who looked up at him with wary curiosity. The Swift-Wing slowly moved forwards; the guards on either side of King Harald tensed and held their spears defensively. Black Fire froze. Toothless growled. The king ordered them to stand down. He beckoned to the drake, who crept out into full view and spread his wings to show off the length and curve of them.

Harald stared at the Night Fury, inspecting him as he would a prized horse. "What a magnificent creature" he remarked at last, and Black Fire preened a little at the compliment. "His name is Black Fire, you say? Yes, it's a good, powerful name. Pity you didn't bring more of them. Still, if he has a mate then she can be Tora's dragon. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he asked his wife.

Tora calmly replied "I think I'd prefer to keep both feet on Gods green Earth, dear. If the Lord meant for us to fly he'd have given us wings from the start."

"Perhaps, unless he meant for the beasts that Satan corrupted, and Lord Hiccup has cleansed, to be the ones who carried us into the skies" Harald countered. He turned back to Hiccup and announced, "I'll have him. How do I ride him?"

"You have to earn his trust first" Hiccup insisted, trying not to lose patience. "Okay, let's start small. All you have to do is close your eyes and hold your palm out, like this" he explained, demonstrating the 'trusting hand' technique. Toothless helpfully pressed his snout against Hiccup's fingers to show Black Fire what he was supposed to do. "It will show him that you trust him as well."

King Harald gave a nod. "Simple enough" he commented, reaching out a hand towards Black Fire. He thrust it out a little too fast at first, and the dragon flinched back in surprise. Harald frowned a little, and then closed his eyes, keeping his hand steady. Everyone present in the yard watched with baited breath. Black Fire glanced at Hugo, who gave a subtle nod, unseen by Hiccup.

So the drake stepped forwards, pressed his nose to Harald's palm, and thus became the second Swift-Wing of the Myrkr nest to choose a human rider.


Adulfr had to give these insufferable Hooligans one thing; they were very punctual. His meals were always brought at the same time each day. He wasn't served gruel every time, either. It often seemed to be a smaller portion of whatever they had cooked in their Great Hall. Or perhaps they were just giving him the leftovers. Why would they waste good food on a prisoner, after all?

The person who brought his breakfast this time was that big husky Gronckle rider – Fisheggs, or whatever his name was. "Good morning" he smiled pleasantly, holding a bowl of porridge and – was that honey? – in one hand. In his other he held a book, a tome with creamy parchment and a leather cover.

Adulfr glowered sullenly at him. "Is it? I wouldn't know, given there aren't any windows in here" he retorted, gesturing around the dark and gloomy cell.

"Good point" Fishlegs agreed. He reached through the hatch and placed the bowl of porridge on a small table that Adulfr had been allowed to use. He almost didn't want to, because it had been a 'gift' from Haddock, but he couldn't deny it came in useful. Especially since he could only hold things with one hand, ever since that wretched dragon-lover hacked off half his arm…

Adulfr waited for the other man to go away, and then realised he probably wouldn't until he'd gotten a… "Thank you" Adulfr bit out impatiently.

"You're welcome. Oh, here; this is for you as well" he added, placing the book on the table next to the bowl. ". Did you like the other books I gave you?" he inquired. "We could talk about them if you want. I know you're feeling"-

"Hungry" Adulfr cut in. "I'm hungry and I want to eat in peace. But…thank you. For the book" he added reluctantly, vaguely gesturing to it without looking.

"Oh, right, sorry. You're welcome. For the book, I mean. And the porridge. Uh, goodbye" Fishlegs said hurriedly, turning and walking out. Once he was gone, Adulfr dragged a stool over and sat down to eat. As he swallowed a mouthful of porridge – it was mixed with honey, which made a nice change – he thought to read the title. The cover was embossed with the words The Book of Dragons.


Hiccup entrusted the responsibility of introducing King Harald's selected new riders to the dragons. He would have to teach the king how to ride, and hope that Hugo could continue the lessons somewhat after he'd gone home. King Harald seemed impressed that Hugo had bonded with a Skrill, but in a way that suggested that the herald should be glad that Black Fire had come to Norway.

To this end, he suggested that they travel to Borgund so he could visit Klaus. The king didn't seem to understand why he wanted to fly all the way to some market town to meet a peasant boy, but liked the appeal of having his subjects see him riding atop a Night Fury. King Harald never went anywhere without an entourage, so they harnessed up some dragons to a cart to make a sky chariot.

King Harald proved to be a decent rider, although he did try to control Black Fire too much. Hiccup reminded him – repeatedly – that his dragon knew what to do, and that if Black Fire didn't want to go a certain way there was probably a good reason for it. They reached Borgund in just a couple of hours, far faster than a mere horse-drawn coach could have travelled the same distance.

When they came to land, there was the usual screaming, running…once the jarl and the town guards of Borgund realised that the king was present, they became obsequious. "Welcome, your majesty, to my humble town" said Jarl Laurence. "Please, forgive me; if I had known you were coming, I would have prepared a feast, and…uh…gathered food for the – the dragons, your highness."

"I will overlook it" King Harald replied, with uncharacteristic benevolence. "You could not have known, after all. Besides, it is not I who truly wished to come here; the idea was Lord Hiccup's" he explained, gesturing to the auburn haired rider. "I am forging an alliance with the dragon riders of Berk, good jarl. I might even take a goodwill tour of my country, and visit all of my loyal vassals."

Jarl Laurence swallowed and nodded, trying and failing to hide how nervous he was. "Excellent idea, your majesty" he responded with a deep bow. Turning to Hiccup, he gave a smaller bow and declared, "The welcome extends to yourself, of course, milord. You are, ah, the master of these dragons, yes?" he inquired.

"I don't really like to call myself that; but you have my word, the dragons won't come into your town. A young boy I've befriended lives here, you see, and I promised I'd stop by whilst I was in Norway. His name is Klaus. Klaus Karlsson?"

"I'm afraid the name is unfamiliar, but then I am a busy man. I'm sure we can find him, though, if you will please follow me?" Laurence gestured to him.

Toothless made to follow Hiccup, but his other half stopped and said firmly, "Not here, bud. I promised the jarl the dragons wouldn't come into his town, and you are a dragon." He gave Hiccup a deadpan stare at the obviousness of this. "Stay here and keep an eye on the others. Please" Hiccup said meaningfully. Toothless really hated this 'willing separation' business.

*Fine. I'll stay, but doesn't that mean Black Fire has to stay as well?* he asked, nodding towards where Laurence was caving to the king's desire to have his dragon accompany him. Hiccup acknowledged the point, and suggested it to King Harald. He was adamant, however; but Hiccup wanted to prove he was a man of his word, so he reluctantly left Toothless behind with the other dragons.

The town of Borgund was like most medieval settlements – crowded and squalid. As they picked their way through the narrow streets, locals fell silent. "Make way! Make way for his majesty the king!" shouted the town crier. Grimy children playing on doorsteps were yanked back inside by their parents. Then they reached the marketplace, and the merchants kept hawking their wares.

"Good day, your majesty! I have silks? The finest silks from distant Asia!"

"My lord, my king, care for spices to liven your feasts? Cinnamon, pepper…"

"His highness would look glorious in a dragonskin cloak!" one merchant cried.

Hiccup immediately darted over to that stall. "Where did you get these?" he demanded angrily, blood boiling at the sight of the skins. "Answer me!"

"These? Oh, I brought them from a hunter down in Denmark. I have just the thing to go with your armour, my friend" the merchant declared, pulling out a black dragonskin cloak. Black Fire hackled and growled menacingly at the sight. Hiccup glared at him fiercely, coldly, dangerously. The merchant finally realised that perhaps he'd misjudged the situation, and swallowed nervously.

"Listen very closely. You're going to tell me exactly who you brought these skins from, and where, and then you're going to take all of this out of town to the dragons waiting at the northern wall, and you're going to beg forgiveness, and they are going to set fire to the corpses you've been selling – but not to you. Oh, and for the record - my armour is covered in shed scales, not dead skin. Got it?"

The merchant gulped. "Y-Yes, sir" he nodded hastily, "I'm sorry, please – please don't let your dragons eat me" he begged, having finally realised who he was talking to. "I – I bought the skins from a, h-his name is Dagfin Henrikson, sir, sold them to me back last December, but he might have brought them from someone else, I don't know. I swear, that's all I know, please, have mercy!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "What do you take me for? Dragons don't even eat humans" he declared, "we're too stringy. But I strongly suggest you find something else to sell. If I have my way, dragon poaching will be outlawed."

The hapless merchant nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir. Milord. I will. I'm sorry" he babbled, hastily packing up his goods. Everyone else stared in dead silence. Turning back towards the jarl and king, Hiccup saw that Laurence looked even more ill-at-ease, whilst King Harald seemed rather impressed. Because I used my reputation to threaten someone he realised, his skin crawling at the thought.

"I'm sorry, Jarl Laurence" Hiccup said apologetically. "It's just…there are some things I can't let slide." He hoped the man understood there was no malice in his actions. Only righteous anger, on behalf of dragons, and a need for justice.

"Oh, of course, naturally you'd object to…" Laurence cleared his throat. "I've sent the watch to search out this young acquaintance of yours. They have orders to escort him to my holdings to meet us – you – when they find him" he explained. Hiccup nodded in understanding. As they continued on to Laurence's fort, he told Toothless what had happened. *Just don't let them hurt him.*

On the way there, Hiccup explained to Jarl Laurence all the ways dragons could be helpful. "Biters can carry messages and hunt vermin…Rock-Tails can help quarry stone…Spike-Tails can help defend you…Fire-Scale gel burns longer than oil, and it's cleaner…Twin-Heads can help with construction – and demolition." Laurence slowly went from forced to genuine interest, asking many questions.

They were served the best food Jarl Laurence could provide at such short notice. The poor man looked as if he expected King Harald to order him and all his servants arrested for the meagre hospitality. Hiccup explained some of the measures his people had put in place to ensure the dragons wouldn't be abused (1), hoping to put the jarls mind at ease. It seemed to work, at least a little.

At last, a servant came to announce that Hiccup's acquaintance with family had been escorted to the fort. When he emerged into the small courtyard, Klaus was standing there with an older woman and two young children. "Hiccup!" he whooped, forgetting himself and running forwards. Hiccup grinned and broke into a run, peg leg clattering against the stone, to embrace the young teen.

"You came! I knew you would" Klaus beamed at him. "Oh, hello Tooth-huh?" he trailed off in confusion when he saw that the Night Fury behind Hiccup had orange eyes, not green. Then he noticed who was standing beside the dragon…

King Harald declared "This is my Night Fury, young man. His name is Black Fire."

Klaus' eyes widened, and he dropped into a deep bow. "He's a very fine dragon indeed, your majesty" he complimented. Black Fire preened at the praise. The king gave a curt nod of thanks, or perhaps acknowledgement, then turned to speak with Jarl Laurence. Klaus looked up at Hiccup and inquired, "Where is Toothless? You and he are usually inseparable. He isn't sick, is he?"

"No, no. He's waiting outside the city with the other dragons. Brannild is here too" Hiccup revealed, smiling at how Klaus' eyes lit up. "He wanted to see you."

"Oh, me too. See him, I mean. But first, come, meet my family" the boy said eagerly, tugging Hiccup over to the plainly dressed trio standing in the courtyard as if they weren't sure what they were doing there or if they really should be. "Mama, see, I told you he was real! This is Lord Hiccup, the Dragon Whisperer!"

Hiccup smiled politely at the plump, matronly brunette. "It's very nice to meet you, Mrs Karlson. Your son Klaus speaks very highly of you" he commented.

She looked him up and down with a dubious expression. "Does he, now? My son was a good Christian before he started going off with that ungodly trader, and then he met you, a pagan who lives with demons. I don't want you near him."

"Mother! Lord Hiccup is a good man, even if he is pagan, you can trust him!"

"That's what you say about that merchant, Johann, and you know what sort of man he is! If we didn't need the money you earn I'd forbid you from stepping foot on that boat" Rebecca declared. "Lord knows I pray for your soul! The last time a man with trained dragons came to Borgund, we lost your father!"

"But this is different!" Klaus protested. "I told you, Hiccup defeated Drago!"

"I did" Hiccup agreed. "And I won't let a monster like him terrorise anyone again. Mrs Karlson, I don't know what you've heard, but I swear I am nothing like Drago. The dragons aren't demons and all I want is peace. I won't ask you to trust me, you don't even know me, but surely you can trust your own son."

Rebecca looked between them, and they both looked so earnest that she threw up her hands and cried exasperatedly, "On your own head be it, and may God have mercy on your souls. You can stay to talk with your…friend" she told Klaus, "but I have chores to finish, so I'm taking your brother and sister back…where are they? Edmund! Georgia! Come here this instant!" she cried shrilly, panicked.

Klaus' siblings had boldly snuck past and tried to get the king's guards to let them pet his dragon. Black Fire, who had a soft spot for younglings, simply nudged the thanes aside and was now happily purring as the thirteen year old boy and ten year old girl stroked his head. King Harald had been talking to the jarl, but now he finally noticed what was going on, and did not look pleased.

"Get those two grubby handed whelps away from my dragon!" he demanded, striding forwards. His guards moved to grab the children and pull them away; Black Fire growled, putting himself in the way. "Stand down, Black Fire" Harald ordered firmly. Edmund and Georgia were frightened, and ran back to their mother, hiding behind her skirts. The dragon hadn't scared them; the king did.

"Forgive them, your majesty" Rebecca beseeched him, "They meant no harm, I'm sure. Shame on you both!" she snapped, "I ought to paddle your rears!"

"There's no need for that" Hiccup said firmly. He met King Harald's gaze levelly. "With all due respect, your majesty, the children have done nothing wrong. Black Fire was allowing them to pet him. You can't punish them for that."

The king glared. "Black Fire is my dragon and I don't want peasants near him!"

"He has a mind of his own! He can go near whomever he likes and you can't stop him" Hiccup insisted. "Why don't you ask him if he'd mind being petted?"

"He's not being petted like a dog by grimy children and that's final" Harald declared, "You're the one who speaks of not treating them like mere animals."

*It's fine, Hiccup* Black Fire cut in, *Harald is right. I shouldn't be petted.*

Hiccup set his jaw and bit out, "Very well, your majesty." He turned back to the family and forced a smile. "Don't worry. You can come and pet my Night Fury" he told the children, peering at him with wide eyes. "He loves belly rubs."

"Yes, let's" Klaus agreed, "Oh, but before that – our church is not far from here. Can we…? I mean, will you come and see it? There won't be a service on now."

Hiccup nodded, smiling more genuinely. It meant a lot to Klaus. "Lead the way."


Adulfr didn't bother sitting up at the sound of footsteps. He kept feigning sleep until a familiar voice said "You haven't read the book, then." Adulfr looked over to see the husky dragon rider who'd brought his porridge, gesturing to the tome that lay untouched upon the table. He'd been half-tempted to tear it up in contempt, but Adulfr wanted to try and hold on to at least some of his dignity.

Instead he merely retorted, "No, and I don't plan to. It has no interest to me."

"Right" Fishlegs drawled, "Listen, uh…I sort of need you to come with me" he revealed. Adulfr's head snapped up to stare at him, frowning. "It's nothing bad" he said hastily, "honest. I just, err, figured you might want to stretch your legs, get some fresh air. It's awfully stuffy in here."

The thought was tempting, but Adulfr was suspicious. "This isn't a prank, is it?" he demanded, "because I'm warning you, if it is, you will regret it" he warned.

Fishlegs gave him a flat look. "No, it isn't. Don't worry; Meatlug and I will keep Tuffnut far away from you" he insisted. Adulfr could only assume that 'Meatlug' was the name of his dragon. Of course, it could be the name of the man's lover for all he knew, what with the bizarre names these Berkians gave themselves.

Speaking of which… "What was your name, again? Fisheggs, or something?"

"Fishlegs. Fishlegs Ingerman" the man replied. He unlocked the cell door and Adulfr warily stepped out, clutching the book. Fishlegs closed the door again.

"You're not going to put me in shackles?" Adulfr demanded, still suspicious.

"What's the point?" Fishlegs shrugged, "It's not like you'd get very far."

This was true, as galling as that was. Adulfr followed the man out of the jailhouse, cringing in expectation of being snatched up by a dragon or having filth dumped on him. But the only dragon outside was a brown Gronckle, that panted and wagged its tail happily at the sight of Fishlegs, who went to pet it. "Good girl, Meatlug" he cooed, picking up a basket the dragon was guarding.

Another Viking wandered past and spotted them. "Look out! The prisoner, he"-

"It's fine, Ack" Fishlegs waved the older man off. "Everything's under control."

He and Meatlug led Adulfr around the village. Everyone stared at them, and the dragons growled. Adulfr kept his head up; even bad attention was better than no attention at all, right? Still, he felt…exposed, as they glared at him like they wished he'd just drop dead. "Where exactly are we going?" he finally thought to ask. For all he knew, the other man was leading him straight into a horrible trap.

"Oh, just – somewhere quiet. Private. There won't even be any dragons there."

They reached a bluff overlooking the village and the ocean. Fishlegs set down the basket and pulled out some sandwiches, offering one to Adulfr. He was starving, he realised, and grabbed it eagerly. He'd already devoured several bites before he realised that Fishlegs had just spoken. "What?" he asked, voice muffled. Don't speak with your mouth full, his mother's voice admonished him.

"I said, you're welcome" Fishlegs repeated sarcastically, giving him a dry stare.

Oh, right. He was supposed to say - "Thank you. For…the food" Adulfr muttered.

Fishlegs smiled, and again said, "You're welcome", this time more genuinely. They ate in silence, awkwardly, but Adulfr was secretly glad of the chance to look at something besides a stone wall or metal bars. He looked to the west, towards Myrkr, and wondered when he'd return there to rule over his tribe, or even the whole country. After he'd gotten his revenge on Haddock, of course.

He was so lost in that fantasy, he didn't realise that Fishlegs had spoken until a finger poked him in the arm. Adulfr jumped, and twisted round to scowl at the man. Fishlegs did not look impressed. "I was just getting your attention, you don't have to look at me like that" he said primly. "You were miles away. Are you…do you miss your home?" Fishlegs asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

It had to be a lie. Adulfr was still a prisoner, and Fishlegs had no reason to care how he felt. "No, I don't" he replied tartly. That was a lie, too. Well, he didn't miss Raudabein so much…but he did miss Skadi. Losing patience, he demanded "Why are you doing this? What's your plan?" All of this – giving him a new book, taking him out of the cell on a picnic, of all things – it made no sense at all.

"I told you, I thought you could do with some fresh air. Why do you assume everyone's out to get you?" Fishlegs questioned, looking exasperated by him.

"Why would I not? I'm a prisoner. Nobody treats prisoners like this" said Adulfr.

"What, with respect? Like they're a human being?" Fishlegs asked incredulously. "I don't want to know what the jail is like where you come from, but here on Berk we don't treat people badly just because we can. Most other tribes would have had you put to death for what you did" he reminded Adulfr. "You're lucky that Hiccup stood up for you and wouldn't let them kill you, or do it himself."

Thus, all became clear. "So that's why you're doing this. He put you up to it!"

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "Fine. Yes, Hiccup asked me to try and get through to you whilst he's in Norway. Happy now? Why do you hate him so much?"

In reply, Adulfr wordlessly held up the stump of his left arm, glowering fiercely.

"That was an accident. Besides, you hated him way before that happened."

"He let his dragon murder my father!"

"Hauke tried to kill him first. And he didn't even know you existed" Fishlegs countered. "It's like you think it's not you with the problem, it's everyone else."

"Classic projection" remarked a voice behind them; they both jumped. "It's a very common defence mechanism of the mind. You don't want to acknowledge your own flaws so you attribute them to other people" Tuffnut explained. (2)

Fishlegs demanded "What are you doing here? Meatlug, hug!" The Gronckle flew at Tuffnut, forelimbs outstretched, but he tossed a hunk of rock to the side and she dived after that instead. "Bribery? That's low, even for you" Fishlegs scoffed. "Also, I'm pretty sure Astrid said you weren't to go near Adulfr."

"I'm a whole five feet away!" Tuffnut insisted. "Besides, I'm here for you."

"For me? Why?"

"I have a message from Snotlout. He wants to know what you're doing with Jerk Junior, his words not mine, and if he needs to come over and crack a skull."

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "I'm his warden for the day and he's getting some fresh air. And tell Snotlout I can take care of myself, thanks very much."

Tuffnut saluted exaggeratedly and turned to leave. Then he spun back around and called back "Oh hey, sorry about that prank. I mean you kinda deserved it, but it was still mean of me. Next time I prank you it won't be so cruel, promise!" With that, he was gone. Fishlegs sighed in exasperated relief and sipped from his waterskin. Adulfr just sat there, confused and frustrated because of that.

"What's the matter?" Fishlegs asked, seeing his scowl. Then again, Adulfr was always scowling. So maybe this was just another of his ridiculous tantrums.

"Didn't you hear what he said? He's going to play another stupid prank on me!"

"The twins prank everyone" Fishlegs shrugged. "Welcome to Berk, Adulfr."

There's another one? Adulfr grimaced at the thought. "How does he even know about that – that projection thing, or whatever it is he said. I don't do that!"

"Sure you don't" Fishlegs replied sarcastically. "Tuffnut probably has a cousin or an uncle who does it too. That's his and Ruffnut's kind of smart. I'm book smart, Astrid and Snotlout are weapons-smart, and Hiccup is a bit of both" he explained. "People aren't just one thing, you know. I bet there's more to you than 'grumpy wannabe ruler-of-the-world', deep down. Really, really deep."

Adulfr was indignant. Fishlegs was unfazed. "If you don't wanna talk, then fine. But if you cause any trouble, Meatlug will sit on you and you're going right back into your cell" he declared firmly. The Gronckle gave an affirmative grunt. Adulfr hmphed and went back to staring out at the horizon. Inside, however, he was grateful for the reprieve. So he supposed he'd behave himself, at least for now.

It made no sense to look a gift horse in the mouth, after all.


(1) Dragon abuse includes both abusing the dragon itself (beating, starving etc.) and also using the dragon to abuse others (extortion, threats etc.)

(2) Yes, I know this is an anachronism – but c'mon, it's Tuffnut.