This is probably the closest I can get to a true battle scene, they're just not my thing to write. This is also the closest I get to anything of the Dub/Con or assault type scenes. Fair warning, there is unpleasantness from about halfway through this chapter to the end. It's not graphic but some people may find it upsetting.
…..
Chapter 9
After the first week of working on the house, Othere had to break for storms. He's nearly a month behind where he wanted to be and pissed at the world by the time the gods deign to give him decent weather to work in again.
"I keep telling you, this is how weather works in Berk, Othere." Hiccup is acknowledged as an unparalleled smith, but few people know his carpentry is almost as good. Othere is willing to put up with his unceasing chatter today for the help he brings. "It's never good, but it sometimes isn't as bad as others."
The larger man drives another nail into the board he is using to frame a window and grunts, "I promised I would have this done by month's end and I'm already a week past that. Your father made the arrangement sound conditional on getting it done soonest so your fucking idiot cousin would give up on having my betrothed."
Hiccup nods solemnly, "I understand. He's said a few disturbing things when he's deep in his cups recently. She was never his, but he acts like she's a toy somebody took away from him."
"I know." The look he gives Hiccup is murderous. "You'll be short a cousin if he ever acts on any of those thoughts. It's bad enough that Ingmar and Edrea won't let her out of the house alone anymore. You can imagine the wonders that's done for her disposition."
That last part is said in an aggrieved tone of voice, and Hiccup hides a smile. Othere spends his evenings with the Hofferson family since the night in the Great Hall and he quickly went from formality to affection for his intended's parents. He's also developed quite the protective streak where Astrid is concerned. He punched Sven for calling her the She-demon, when a month ago he'd said it himself to her face. Hiccup doubts the quiet giant has even considered it, but it looks like there may be some genuine affection between the two before they marry. He and Cami discussed their friend and his impending marriage the night before and she was of the same opinion. She's been spending her days helping the other ladies sew much as she hates plying a needle, but trying to make a gown the likes of which she and Avita designed requires all hands on deck to get it done in time. She says Astrid has started blushing at mere mention of Othere, so of course the married ladies mention him (and his muscles) as often as possible to watch the poor girl's face go crimson.
"Othere!" Both men look up from their work, and see Ingmar and Stoick heading for them. "We've come to help, boys. The sooner we get this done, the better. Astrid is about to kill Stoick's nephew herself to escape having to be escorted at all times."
Hiccup can't help a smart-assed remark, "She'd be doing Berk a huge favor; I'll personally forge her a medal and we'd have an excuse to have a feast. Why are you stopping her again, Ingmar?"
Stoick glares at his friend, "Half nephew, don't try to relate the idiot to me any more than he already is. If Gerda'd give me a reason to, I'd ship the both of them off of Berk and right to Outcast Island."
"Sir, why hasn't your sister come to you about the treatment her husband puts her through?" Othere doesn't see Hiccup and Ingmar both frantically trying to head him off from asking that particular question until it's too late.
"She hated my father, lad. And that transferred to me when I was born." Stoick's face is calm but his voice is bitter. "We share a mother, but not a father. Her natural father died in a dragon raid when she was seven. She resented my father for marrying our mother, even though he loved her and always treated her as his own. When I was born she blamed me for taking our mother's attention from her."
Stoick walks over to grab a hammer and an uncomfortable silence settles over them as they give the large man time to gather himself. Hiccup walks past and claps a hand on his father's shoulder briefly, for once keeping his sarcasm to himself. Stoick doesn't talk about the animosity between himself and his sister often, or any of his emotions really. Levity won't help, and might damage the tenuous relationship finally starting to build between the Haddock men.
Othere goes back to framing the window and Ingmar takes up working wattling into the chinks between the logs of the wall around it. The older man clearly has something on his mind, but Othere holds his peace. He's learned that pushing Ingmar never works but silence usually gets him talking.
"Othere, Astrid is really suffering under these restrictions. I trust you to take care of her and I trust you to do right by her. Can you take her away for a few hours this evening? I don't want her out on Stormfly because that Nadder would lose your dragon in an instant and I don't think she could carry you both, but if Astrid rides with you I know she'll be safe."
"You know, of course that Astrid isn't the only one with a threat over her head." Othere looks meaningfully towards where Hiccup is hewing floorboards out of logs. "I don't want to double up on Slate, because strong and loyal as he is he's not made for a fast get away. If Dagur is out there watching for a chance to draw Hiccup out, two people on a Gronkle would be right out of his most twisted fantasies."
Ingmar nods slowly, "You're right of course. I was just hoping an evening out would cheer her up some."
Othere thinks for a second and then calls to his friend, "Hiccup, what are you and Cami doing tonight?"
Hiccup flushes and growls at the larger man, "I am not playing your game in front of my father and your future father in law!"
Othere stares blankly for a moment before he catches Hiccups' meaning and chokes on laughter. "No, you randy bastard… I was wondering if you and Cami wanted some company this evening. Astrid needs to get out and about for a while."
Hiccup's face is too red for his expression to be effective, but he's glaring at the other men anyways. Stoick and Ingmar are both trying valiantly not to laugh at him, but it's a fight they're losing. Othere doesn't bother to hide his own laughter.
"I swear, Hiccup… you've been together for years, you're almost eight months married, and you're in that poor girls' skirts every time I turn around. How is she not pregnant yet?"
"I married Bog, my friend." The smirk on Hiccup's face is truly impressive. "She has her ways and she wants to enjoy being married for a while more before we get saddled with babes."
Othere looks thoughtful, "Do you think she would tell Astrid?"
"Pffft. As much grief as you've given us for close to three years, you think we'd help you? I'll enjoy tormenting you about not getting any because your wife is constantly exhausted from chasing your brats around. Berk women tend to be really good breeders, have fun with that."
Both of the older men take exception to the topic at hand, but for different reasons. Ingmar can't help the queasy feeling churning his belly because, damn it all to Hel that is his daughter those two diseased sons of Loki are discussing like that!
Stoick is still annoyed that his son has been having a relationship, a physical relationship, for a lot longer than his betrothal has been broken. To his mind it's as good as adultery, and that's just something that a future Chief doesn't do He knows most men wouldn't care about it, but he's still not happy that Hiccup married without his permission and didn't even bother to invite him. He knows it's a pointless thing to be upset over since it's over and done with, but he still is.
He won't say a word though. The argument they had Hiccup's first night back rings in Stoick's ears when he thinks about it overlong. He knows his feelings about this are all mixed up with his quilt over his treatment of his son in the past and his anger that the boy left all those years ago. He won't argue about old discords again. Hiccup will leave, without a backward glance and probably with his dead body lying in the forest. And now that would take Ingmar's daughter away from Berk as well, because the giant will pack up and follow his son at the earliest opportunity after the wedding.
He's still not ready to completely forgive Dovon and Bertha though. Allies don't marry off each other's children without sending a note! They could have let him know after the fact at the very least.
But it's not worth another fight with his son. He wants a good relationship with Hiccup and Cami, because one day they will have kids and he wants to be a grandpa. He knows it won't make up for the years he wasn't a good father, but he wants to try and they're willing so far to let him be part of their lives. It's a good start.
He starts laying the floorboards Hiccup has been cutting and smoothing. The swing of the hammer soothing him as it always does whether it's in battle or for building. If Stoick hadn't become Chief he would have gone into carpentry himself.
"So, Hiccup… tonight? Dinner and dice?" Othere finds himself actually hopeful of what could be construed as a date.
Hiccup and Cami are married so they technically count as chaperones, and Ingmar has stated his trust in Othere to take care of his daughter. They can have an evening of fun with people their own age and not have to worry about ruining Astrid's reputation.
Hiccup gauges the position of the sun, "I'll have to bow out of helping in about an hour if you guys want edible food. If I finishing splitting the log and hewing boards will you be alright without me?"
Othere nods and moves on to helping Stoick lay the floor while Ingmar goes back to filling in the chinks and Hiccup keeps working on the floorboards.
The men jest back and forth, never suspecting any danger this close to Berk Village. But danger is watching them work, plotting.
**That evening**
Astrid still can't believe that after all the animosity and hurt between her and Hiccup that he can just welcome her into his home like an old friend, but that's exactly what he did. He and Cami invited her and Othere over for the evening, and for her it was a gods-sent chance to escape for a while.
She thinks her father and Othere are overreacting to the idiot and his drunken stupidity. She doesn't need to stay in the house unless one of them is free to go with her. Especially since they never are! This is the yaks' calving season, so her dad is constantly getting called out to help save a calf or monitor a first time mother to make sure things go smoothly. And Othere is working night and day on their house, trying to get it finished as quickly as possible after the rains slowed him down.
According to Cami, he's been dragging Hiccup out with him every day. The other blonde is snippy about it because it's cutting in to her time with her husband, but he's been so busy that despite her normal dislike of sewing Cami has been at the Hofferson house every day to help.
She's no longer concerned about finishing a trousseau, because when Cami comes to sew, she brings Kairi with her. Avita and her mother became fast friends; since Koen and Sven left to make a final trip to the market towns before winter the Roman woman is at their house more often than not as well. Between the five of them working long hours, her beautiful gown is done and sewn into a linen shroud to keep it perfect for her wedding. Then they moved on to linens for the bed, drying linens, table cloths, several new sets of undergarments, day dresses, warm cloaks for winter, and even curtains for her windows.
"Astrid?" Othere nudges her gently, "Are you alright, Little one?"
She smiles up at him and nods, not minding that he's developed a pet name for her.
"Thank you for doing this for me, Othere. Tonight was really fun, and even though I apologized to Hiccup and he said he accepted, I was glad to see he really doesn't hate me."
"He never hated you, Astrid. He was hurt that you could treat him so badly without ever giving him a chance."
She shivers a bit in the chilly evening air, so he wraps an arm around her shoulder to tuck her into his side. He'll never admit it out loud, but he likes the feel of her pulled up snugly to him.
Othere wishes Slate hadn't picked this evening to start his shed, because he would feel a lot better if he could just fly Astrid back into Berk Village instead of walking her home in the dark. He knows it's ridiculous, but he's been uneasy ever since Snotlout started making his drunken threats against Astrid.
Hiccup offered to take her on Toothless, but nobody really felt there was sufficient threat to warrant such drastic action. The last thing either couple needs is more gossip, and Hiccup being seen alone with Astrid would definitely start tongues wagging.
Toothless was willing to take them but he can't carry anybody else if Othere rides him, the man is almost too large for the Night Fury. Astrid can't yet ride Toothless alone as she doesn't know how to control his prosthetic fin, although Hiccup insists that anybody who travels with them learns in case of emergencies.
Othere tries to shake off his misgivings. Snotlout is a woman-beater like his father and might do harm to Astrid if he caught her alone and unaware, but the craven little coward would never try to take on a man he couldn't hope to win against. It was in that logic Othere made his gravest miscalculation. He was assuming that Snotlout was rational enough to think things through, and that he would be alone so nobody else could bear witness to any crime he would commit.
Othere hears a branch snapping and turns, but before he can see what is behind him he takes a blow to the head that drops him. Astrid's scream cuts off abruptly at the same time he hears a voice he'd hoped to never hear again.
"Well, well, well… looks like my long lost slave has found me again after all these years. SO disloyal, running off like that. I hate disloyalty."
The blow to his head still has him disoriented, so he can't defend when another blow catches him in the ribs, cracking a few. Dagur's manic face is gloating above him.
"Call him out for me, slave. Call for the Dragon Master and MY Night Fury. Let them try to save your pathetic life again!" He grunts as a blade is rammed into his abdomen, but he doesn't cry out. It's not a fatal blow since it missed all of his organs, it's meant to weaken him, to cause pain. Dagur knows exactly how to keep people alive when he wants to inflict pain.
His frantic eyes sweep around the clearing until they find Astrid. She's doing her damnedest to fight off Hiccups' soon to be VERY dead cousin, but it's a fight she's not going to win. He starts trying to crawl toward her, but another kick to his ribs flips him onto his back and cracks a few more bones causing him to have to bite his lip to keep from yelling.
Dagur is laughing that crazed giggle of his that always made Othere's blood run cold as he watches Snotlout finally overpower Astrid and force her down. He rolls and tries to crawl toward her again, he's going to die trying before he lets those vile bastards hurt her.
"Awwwww! How CUTE!" Dagur's mocking voice is loud in the quiet of the night, "My slave is trying to save the damsel in distress. I guess he hasn't lost enough blood yet if he's got the strength for that!"
Another vicious kick to his battered ribs flips him onto his back again and a spear is driven through his shoulder into the ground, effectively pinning him down.
The crazed Berserker Chief squats down beside him and twists his head by the hair to force him to watch as Snotlout starts cutting through Astrid's clothing. He's had to tie her hands to a tree to keep her from fighting, but she's still struggling, refusing to go down without a fight. Her shoulder is at an odd angle and it might be dislocated, but she's not begging or crying.
"You know, slave… your little girlfriend was his price. Even I thought that was a bit much, to hurt an innocent girl over refusing to marry him, and we both know how much I like hurting people… but I needed an insider on Berk. He helps me get to Hiccup, and he gets her. You were just a bit of unfinished business I get to wrap up as an added bonus."
Othere's voice is raspy, the blood loss starting to affect him, "But you don't have Hiccup. He's getting paid for nothing and once he's had her he can turn you over to Stoick the Vast without you ever even seeing Hiccup."
That demented light is back in Dagur's eyes, "You're right! You always were a clever boy, slave."
The Berserker rises and walks across to where Snotlout is struggling to contain Astrid's legs. She's managed to land several good kicks on him, one to the groin. Dagur grabs the shorter man from behind by the hair and wrests him off of Astrid.
"Ah, ah, ah! You haven't earned your payment yet, Berkian. Where is Hiccup? Where is my Night Fury?"
Othere never thought he could feel gratitude towards Dagur in his life, but at the moment, the mad Chieftain and his paranoia are quite literally saving Astrid from being violated. He knows this momentary distraction will only buy him so much time and he doesn't intend to waste it. He starts trying to yank the spear out of his shoulder, and he can see Astrid is working the bindings on her wrists against the rough bark hoping to fray the linen.
He just doesn't have the strength or leverage to free himself, he's lost too much blood and Dagur drove the spear a good six inches into the ground beneath him. He starts trying to break the shaft, hoping he can get it close enough to his shoulder that he can just sit up and let it run through. He sees the bindings on Astrid's hands break free and she's off like a shot through the woods. Snotlout immediately gives chase, but he likes her chances. She's fast and agile, and she knows these woods like the back of her hand.
Dagur turns back to him and sees his hands working desperately to break the spear. That crazed smile is twisting his face and a chilling giggle rings through the clearing again.
"I can just kill you. He'll come for me if I do it right. I can't offer you the chance to die in battle, obviously. And I can't just cut your throat. No, sadly for you, your death will have to make a statement, slave. You won't enjoy this, but I promise you I will."
The first kick catches him in the side of the head, but doesn't disorient him as much as Dagur was hoping for. When the Berserker hovers over him, putting a blade to his eyes as if deciding which one to cut out first Othere strikes like lighting, driving his free hand up into the unprotected face above him and breaking the other man's nose.
"You lied to me, Dagur. I might die, but now I can promise you I'll enjoy it!"
He's hoping he enraged the madman enough to strike a quick killing blow, he's seen what Dagur does to people when he wants to take his time.
Dagur is about to drive the blade into his throat when they hear a dragon roar and he jumps to his feet with that maniacal grin once again on his face, "My Night Fury! Perhaps that worthless Berkian delivered after all!"
But the dragon that's screaming isn't Toothless, Othere can tell Mango is on her way. Hopefully with reinforcements, and that it means Astrid is safe.
Dagur has forgotten about the wounded man at his feet as he whips around trying to watch all directions at once, knowing if that Night Fury can get behind him he'll be dead. Othere sees his chance and takes it, grabbing Dagur's ankle and yanking, pulling the smaller man off balance and causing him to lose his knife as he falls. He brings his free hand down as if he's swinging a hammer and smashes Dagur in the face again. He feels the cuts on his hand from the other man's teeth shattering and swings once more, hoping to knock the madman out. He doesn't get that lucky, but he demolishes the Berserker's already broken nose, the other man is writhing in agony instead of going for his knife again.
Mango drops into the clearing and Cami is off her back in an instant. She takes in the scene and scowls before she uses one of her swords to pin Dagur. If he's stupid enough to try to free himself, he'll slice his hands to ribbons in the process.
She places a foot on Othere's injured shoulder, "Hold still a minute, my friend. This is going to hurt." She starts hacking at the shaft with her other sword, every vibration from the wood causing his wound to scream in protest. He knows this is best though. If she pulls the head of the spear backwards through the injury, his shoulder will never heal correctly.
She finally cuts the shaft short enough, and helps him to sit up. She starts checking immediately to make sure there are no splinters imbedded in the hole before she reaches into one of Mango's saddle bags for a poultice Avita makes that heads off infections and linens to bind him with.
"Astrid?"
She glares at him, "Don't speak, and concentrate on staying awake. Astrid is fine. She's with Luka and Kairi at my house, and they sent Toothless to find Stoick and Ingmar. Hiccup took Ocean and went after Snotlout."
She finishes with his shoulder and starts cleaning and bandaging the gash in his belly before moving on to wrap his ribs tightly. When she's finally done, He lurches to his feet unsteadily.
"Give me your sword, Cami."
She hands it over wordlessly, knowing exactly what he plans to do. She has her back to him putting her medical supplies into Mango's saddlebag when she hears the telltale whoosh and thunk, and the Berserker's muffled groans and cries of pain go silent.
She walks over and cuts a strip of leather out of the man's pants, dipping it into the blood pooled under his severed neck. They wait in silence several minutes as she works the blood into the soft leather and rubs it until it's dried. When she's satisfied, she plaits a braid into his hair behind his right ear and ties it off.
"The Deranged one will plague the allied tribes no more, thanks to you. Justice has been done on your behalf, and soon it will be done on your betrothed's behalf."
He cleans the blade of the short sword on Dagur's tunic and hands it back to her before grasping her other sword and yanking it out of the body for the same treatment. His knees are starting to shake and his vision is annoyingly blurry. Cami sees he's fading fast and calls for Mango, helping the large man to position himself across the shoulders of her Skrill before mounting up and taking off towards the healer in Berk Village.
