The problem with Viggo's breathing was indeed his lungs. Gothi found the injury surprisingly easily. She frowned at the boy, prodding his back where the arrows had impaled his adult version. Her staff sketched her findings, explaining that there may be guild on the child's lungs that would take time to heal, and that his internal injuries were far worse that those on the outside. Stoick watched in growing confusion, especially when the elder grabbed the child's face and looked deep into his eyes for several long seconds. When she let him go she look very confused and concern. What she scribbled next was confusing to all.

Thankfully Hiccup "stumbled" over the markings as he rushed into the clubhouse, smudging the markings so much even Gobber couldn't translate it. It earned Hiccup a thumb to the head by the elder.

"Hiccup!" Viggo called excitedly as the young man went to him. He bounded off the table and into Hiccup, throwing his small arms around the youth's waist, as if it had been days not minutes since last seeing him. "Make her stop poking me."

Hiccup placed his hands on Viggo's shoulders but looked to Gothi. "Is he Okay?"

"If you mean, is he dying?" Gobber countered with a small smile. "No. He has internal bruising. Looks like they took a hard beating. His right lung is the worse but it'll heal in time."

"Funny how the rest of him shows no sign of injury," Stoick mused, still trying to decipher what Gothi had been trying to tell them.

Hiccup gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, funny that. I was wondering if maybe he just has breathing issues like I did."

Gothi shook her head but Stoick hummed in thought. "Possible. The rattle is different though. Whoever had him didn't take very good care of him."

A sigh escaped Hiccup as he picked Viggo up. The boy was awfully clingy it seemed, a completely opposite of his grown up self. Hiccup didn't mind. A part of him still blamed himself for not realizing Viggo had been injured until it was too late, and for not simply having Toothless or the Skrill grab him and drag him to safety. But then he probably would have died of his injuries and not have been changed into a child. Would that have been better? To die with honor rather than be changed into a child? And when they restored him would he die then?

"Hiccup, who is this child?" Stoick asked as Hiccup cuddled the child a little closer.

Hiccup didn't answer, but it didn't stop someone else.

"Viggo," Tuffnut said cheerily as he and Ruffnut waltzed into the clubhouse with Smidvarge on his shoulder, chicken in his arms.

Fishlegs was right behind them with a big grin as he held a homemade wool sash. "I think we have everything we need for our new Dragon Explorer," he announced, before noticing everyone staring at them.

"Viggo?" Stoick asked, glancing back to his son.

Hiccup stood frozen for a moment, unsure what to say. Surprisingly it was Snotlout that came to their rescue.

"Viggo Jr. Johann was holding him hostage to keep the Hunters under control," Snotlout explained. He placed the morning's catch on the work bench and then strolled over to Hiccup and Viggo.

"That's why we call him V.J." Astrid explained. She gave Tuffnut a hard look, making sure he understood what was going now that the grown ups were there.

The male twin just grinned.

"Yeah, so that's why we're going with Fishlegs to do some dragon exploring with him. Wanna make sure he gets all his badges, don't we, bro," Ruffnut offered, elbowing her twin.

"Yeah, especially his Zippleback badge. Don't want him missing out on an important learning experience." He eyeballed Fishlegs, as if the larger male would skip over the mysterious class.

Fishlegs bit is lower lip as he neared Hiccup. "Viggo?" he said, addressing the child in his friend's arms. "Do you want to come with me and go exploring? Smidvarge is coming with us."

Viggo glanced toward the white Night Terror. "Can I hold him?"

A smile lit Fishlegs's face. "If he'll let you. He is kind of big."

Once Hiccup placed the boy back on the floor, Viggo hurried to Tuffnut and raised his arms for the small dragon. Smidvarge hesitated for a moment then climbed down Tuffnut's arm to sniff the child. A moment later he curled into Viggo's arms.

"There we go," Fishlegs's chirped. He gave Hiccup a thumbs up, then took Viggo's hand and led him outside, the twins not far behind.

Hiccup watched them go. He could feel his father's hard gaze on his back. He knew there were questions, he knew there would be the moment he sent for Gothi but he had no idea how to explain Viggo. He had to keep with the lie, even if he hated lying to his father. He squared his shoulders as he turned to his father.

"I know I should have told you exactly who he was but…" His words faltered at the look of pride his father gave him.

"I'm proud of you, son," Stoick said, placing both large hands on Hiccup's slim shoulders. "It takes a big man to not only save but care for an enemy's child."

"Uh…Thanks," Hiccup answered. He bit his lower lip and looked away. "It's the least I can do after Viggo gave his life for Toothless and me."

"Just keep an eye on him and don't let him over do it. His lungs are week and need time to heal. You're certain you don't know what happened to him?"

"Johann may have poisoned him. V.J. says he was forced to drink something before he managed to escape."

Stoick nodded, as if that explained everything. "The others know to keep a eye on him?"

"Yeah, It's the first thing we agreed on when we brought him here." He took a deep breath. "Dagur's gone to talk a relative of the Grimborns. We're hoping to set up with family, someone safe who won't hand him to Johann."

His father nodded approvingly. "Very wise, son." But there was a glimmer of a secretive smile in his eyes. It was a little unnerving and Hiccup felt his ears warming up. "You'll make a wonder chief and father one day."

"And there it is," Hiccup breathed to himself. He winced at the slap on his back.

Laughing, Stoick wrapped an arm around his son and decided it was a good time to have a little heart to heart about Hiccup's future.

. . .

"There's the boy," a Flier reported to Krogan from their perch on a high sea stack west of Dragons Edge. He pointed to the small group of riders walking along the buff with their dragons following close behind.

Krogan held up his spy glass and looked in the direction the other man pointed. "Haddock isn't with him," he noted with a frown. He lowered the spy glass. "Johann wants them both."

"If we attack now He's sure to come," the flier suggested.

"Yes, and we'll have to battle the six riders as well as their guests. We'll wait." He brought the spy glass back to his eye, unable to believe what he was witnessing. It would appear the riders had no clue who the child was or they would never have taken Viggo under their wing, as if he was one of them. This was something Krogan could use to his benefit. He would have to wait though. Either way, Viggo was not escaping again.

. . .

"Alright, explain this to me one more time," Ryker told Dagur, certain the Berserker had lost his mind. Okay, that was old news but this went far beyond the normal amount of craziness he had come to associate with Dagur.

"I told you, Viggo died saving Hiccup and Toothless then was somehow turned into a kid version of himself and attached himself to Hiccup's hip," Dagur told him, switching up the story a little due to boredom. He must have told Ryker a dozen times since being allowed in the Hunter's hut and finally convincing Ryker to come with him to the Edge. "Cute kid but I don't think Hiccup's ready to be a dad just yet. Although a kid would be much easier to handle than Snotlout and the Twins."

"Dagur, focus. Are you certain this boy is Viggo?" Ryker demanded. He sucked in a sudden breath as Sluether dipped toward the sea.

Dagur's head bobbed up and down. "Hiccup seems to think so. And let's face it, the kid is a spitting image of Viggo so unless your brother has a son out there no one knows about…"

Ryker sighed. "No," he said simply.

Viggo should have settled down years ago but never did. His mind was always too busy to focus on finding a mate, and when he did consider it no one could meet his standards. He wanted someone like himself, someone who could hold up to him intellectually. He had met plenty of brilliant young women but none were good enough, none held his interest long enough. Of course that didn't mean he couldn't have fathered a child at some point. The question would be why the mother would not step forward to claim Viggo as the child's father. It meant power and status. Viggo's child would be the heir to the Hunters. Unless that was what this was, not Viggo but a child he spawn that was now trying to lay claim to the Hunters. That would make far more sense than his brother somehow being reverted to child. The only reason Ryker agreed to go with Dagur was to ensure this child was returned to his people where he belonged.

"You okay?" Dagur asked when Ryker had been quiet far too long.

"Just thinking," Ryker answered.

The Berserker gave a small laugh. "Viggo used to tell me not to think. If only he knew how much his insults made me think more."

Ryker couldn't help but laugh. "Yes. We'll my brother lacked tack when it came to dealing with other people. He was always better with his head stuck in a book."

"Like Hiccup," Dagur agreed.

"I suppose." Ryker fell silent again. He hadn't really thought of that. Viggo hadn't really cared about other people until he encountered Hiccup. At first it had been a mere fascination, meeting another intellect like himself, but the boy had been merely another game piece. Then when Hiccup began to outsmart him that fascination became similar to Dagur's obsession as he challenged Hiccup more and more. Obsession turned to hate and led to the death of many Hunters. Ryker had survived by the grace of the riders, Dagur in particular. He had pulled him out of the sea along with several other Hunters that managed not to drawn with the Shellshocker took them deep under the water. Hiccup and his friends had nursed who they could back to health on the condition that when they left they would return to their own island and never hunt dragons or bother the riders again. Thinking Viggo had betrayed and abandoned them, Ryker had agreed. He no longer served Viggo.

Of course he didn't learn about Viggo falling into the volcano or losing half his face until Dagur told him. No one knew what happened to him until rumor spread that he was working with Krogan to end the Dragon Riders. All that did was fuel Ryker's hatred for his brother. Not only had he betrayed his people but he had teamed up with that bounty hunter of all people. It was the last nail in the coffin. Ryker no longer cared what happened to his brother.

"Oh gods!" Dagur breathed as they neared the Edge.

Singetails were sweeping through the sky, attacking and blasting at a forested area just west of the fort. There were dozens of Fliers and they seemed to be in formation, apparently attempting to separate the riders. It was impossible to make out which rider was where. There were more fliers than riders. In the distance he could hear the unmistakable bellow of Stoick the Vast. There were explosions and shouts and then a huge red Singetail broke from the group and shot off to the east.

"Krogan," Dagur breathed, his gaze following the red Singetail. His eyes widened when he saw the child seated in front of the bounty hunter.

Ryker stared at the child in disbelief, unable to believe his eyes. The boy saw him as well. His eyes were large brown pools of fear. He opened his mouth to say something but then the Singetail shot forward and disappeared in the clouds.

"Viggo…" Ryker whispered in shock.