Author's Note:
Hello everyone and welcome to the next chapter. This one mentions a bit more about what happened in the past as the cousins start considering the adjustment to living back at Berk. Thank you all for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.
I own nothing.
Chapter 8
Isle of Berk-Present
Berk partied like it never had before.
The completely unexpected return of Hiccup and Snotlout had sparked overwhelming joy among two of the tribe's major clans, Stoick and Spitelout were smiling and laughing like they never had before and when Valka and Helga found out, well, the tears just didn't stop.
The two women had stood in shock for ages before finally hugging their sons so hard they nearly throttled them. Stoick had declared a feast right there and then and no one was going to object, the excitement was such that everyone was even willing to give the two dragons a chance and all and sundry piled into the Great Hall.
Hiccup and Snotlout sat side by side, with their families around them, and Wolflout had installed himself in Snotlout's lap. The boy was over the moon at the fact he now had a big brother and Snotlout himself loved having a younger brother, he'd always hoped that his parents would've had more children despite his absence and coming to find that they had pleased him no end. Hookfang and Toothless lingered behind them and while many Vikings gave them suspicious looks, it soon became clear to everyone that the dragons really had no interest in attacking people. They happily munched their way through barrels of fish as the party ran on and on, well into the night and into the early hours.
Stoick managed to fend off people questioning the boys on where they'd been and what had happened, despite wanting to know himself, he believed that it was best to ask them in less public circumstances and let them get used to being back on Berk first. He didn't know for sure what they'd been through but the scars all over the dragons and what ones he could see on the boys gave him hints, finding out what had happened could be painful for both sides.
Eventually, the celebration wound down and the two teens, reluctantly, separated and went with their respective parents.
Estate of Lord Barri-Years Ago
Snotlout whimpered slightly.
His and Hiccup's fairly easy slavery had gotten worse in the last couple of weeks ever since Lord Barri had left on official business, leaving his son in charge of the estate. Eurion was not unlike his father but he did not care much for the exclusiveness of the two Vikings, he expected slaves to work and not simply be used as living decorations. This on its own was hardly an issue, the serving work he got them to do was far from taxing and they were well aware that they could be doing far worse jobs. However, Eurion believed that slaves should be kept separate as much as possible, allowing them to speak and spend time together opened up the possibility of ideas being shared, ideas of a joint escape attempt. Because of this, he'd placed the boys in separate, smaller cells at different ends of the house and didn't allow them to work together.
This was the first time the boys had been truly separated since they'd been kidnapped and it was proving incredibly hard for them.
Snotlout shuffled unhappily on the cold, stone floor, unable to sleep. His cell was pretty much the same as his last one, just smaller, but it was the fact that he was alone that made it far less comfortable. His back felt vulnerable without Hiccup's touching it and several times he'd been about to speak to his cousin, just to remember that he wasn't there. It had been several days since he'd seen the other boy and the longer they stayed separate, the unhappier he became.
He hadn't realised that the constant separation was affecting him physically, though he was still eating, he was getting thinner and paler and the nights of little to no sleep were beginning to show. He was working slower and he did little but sit in his cell in silence when he wasn't serving his owners.
Voices dimly filtered through and he half listened as they got louder.
"Milord, the signs are all there and since they are Lord Barri's most valuable slaves, it may be prudent to respond to them."
It was the Housemaster who'd spoken and it was Eurion who answered, "I fail to see why it is an issue, they are slaves and as such will do as required. Their psychological quirks are of little consequence, especially since we are talking about barbaric Vikings."
They were now right outside his cell and the Housemaster replied, "Over the weeks you've kept them separate, they've both become paler, thinner and weaker, they're not starving themselves but they're clearly not maintaining their health either. They also aren't showing any signs of interest in their surroundings or even in moving, the only time they actually look vaguely animated is when they are working. It is clear that they are pining for each other."
The lock rattled and the door creaked open, automatically, Snotlout stood and bowed as he was expected to do. He kept his head lowered as Eurion entered and stared at him thoughtfully, the man spoke to the Housemaster, "You're saying that these creatures actually form close connections?"
The Housemaster nodded, "Yes Milord, we know that they were captured together and spent the whole journey down from the north in near constant physical contact. With that in mind, it's no surprise that they ended up closely bonded, its happened between slaves before and it was for this reason Lord Barri kept them together."
Eurion paced around Snotlout silently and the boy remained docile and submissive, eventually the man nodded decisively, "I believe you are correct, we should indeed do something about this." He looked to the Housemaster, "This is the younger of the two, correct?"
The man nodded, slight relief in his eyes, "Apparently so, though probably only by a few months or so."
Eurion looked back at the boy, "Then we shall start with him." He spoke commandingly, "Take this one and put him in isolation in the lower cells."
The Housemaster's face became a picture of shock, "Milord?"
"Slaves are property and require emotional attachments no more than a vase does." Eurion's voice carried a note of finality, "Several days in complete isolation should stop this pining, give the older one the same treatment and show no special treatment. The full works should quickly sort this out."
He swept past the Housemaster who could only stare as his superior walked away, he looked at Snotlout who now wore an expression of terror.
The full works was a punishment reserved for particularly unruly slaves, usually ones who'd just arrived and were still defiant. It involved being tightly bound and gagged and left in the pitch black lower cells for several days, the only contact you got with someone else was when a guard delivered water once a day, other than that you were totally alone in darkness and silence. He and Hiccup had only ever heard about it since they'd always been well-behaved and had never thought they'd experience it for themselves.
Terror clenched in his gut, only enhanced by the fact that he was facing this entirely alone, he desperately wanted to cry but he somehow couldn't do so. The Housemaster could only give him an apologetic look before signalling two men who came and took him away.
Isle of Berk-Present
Snotlout snapped awake and then sighed, yet another one of his memory dreams.
Hookfang rumbled and the teen patted the dragon's head, "Just another one of my dreams Hookfang."
The Nightmare nuzzled him comfortingly and curled around him slightly tighter, Snotlout smiled and gently massaged Hookfang's usual spot causing him to rumble contentedly.
They were both in Snotlout's parent's hut, down on the ground floor which was about the only place Hookfang could fit. They'd come there after the party and his dad had offered to make up a proper bed for him but Snotlout had simply smiled and said he hadn't slept in a bed for years so he'd be fine. His parents had fussed and worried around him for ages, wanting to pour as much love and attention onto him as possible but he eventually convinced them that he would be fine. He'd felt so warmed by it all, he'd drifted off to sleep with ease but then the memory had surfaced to disturbed his rest.
As always, he felt the need to find Hiccup right away, until now, that had been easy to do, they'd always slept back to back and often both woke when one of them had disturbed slumber. However, Hiccup was with his own parents right now and Snotlout didn't want to disturb them.
A light tapping came from the door and the teen smiled as he recognised the rhythm, he padded over and gently opened it to reveal the expected sight of Hiccup and Toothless. The older cousin immediately entered, "I knew something was wrong."
Many would've been slightly creeped out by such a statement but Snotlout simply nodded, they'd always known when something was bothering the other. They walked over to Hookfang together and Toothless went straight to the Nightmare and nuzzled him, the two dragons had a relationship that was very similar to the cousins' own, likely another reason they'd bonded so well with them. The two boys sat back to back and Snotlout spoke first, "Do your parents know you're here? They might freak out if they wake up and find you're gone."
He could sense Hiccup's smile as he answered, "We were actually still awake, I just told them I needed to see you and that I'd maybe be gone until morning. Dad seemed confused but Mom said it was fine."
They sat in silence for a bit, feeling happier now that the other boy was there, until Snotlout spoke quietly, "I thought that being with my family would make it easier to be separated, I mean, I know how much they love me and that their so happy I'm back and so am I, but I still don't like it when we're not together."
"We've spent years in each other's constant company." Hiccup answered, "We both knew that we wouldn't simply shed our co-dependency, even when we were back home. In time, I'm sure we'll form similar bonds with our families again so that it will be easier. I don't think we're ever going to completely shed it but I don't really want to."
Snotlout grinned at that, "I don't want to either." He then frowned, "But what is the rest of the village going to think?"
It was a worry that had crossed both their minds, their relationship was very close because of what they'd been through. It was hardly a conventional friendship and it was far more intimate than some family relationships were, it was built on deep trust and dependency fostered over years and while not romantic in the slightest, it was that level of care. How Berk would react to it was unknown and it wouldn't be long before they noticed it, they feared the villages reaction.
Hiccup placed his hand on Snotlout's and answered, "They'll think what they'll think, we'll just get through it together the way we've always done. Though this time, I think we have our parents on our side as well."
The younger cousin grinned, remembering how lovingly his family had treated him since his return, "You're right, it'll be a breeze compared with what we've already handled."
Tiredness began to make itself known once again and Snotlout lay down on the floor, Hiccup doing likewise behind him. The dragons curled round them and soon, the cousins drifted into sleep, unworried about the coming days.
PS-Next time, we may see a bit more of what the village thinks as the cousins adjust to being back home. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.
