Berk
"He's dead."
"Who?"
"The spy."
"What? I thought 'e was locked up good! Ye don' think he coulda been killed by one o' the guards, do ye, Stoick?"
"No. This was suicide."
"What? You mean again?"
"Aye."
Gobber the Belch fingered his hook nervously with his good hand. This was getting worse by the day. A second spy, gone and committed murder on himself. Those people on Askr Ey were out of their minds, letting their men die so carelessly. How sure of themselves were they, if they thought they could spare their men just like that? They were planning to take on Berk, that much he was fully aware of. But when was this going to happen? The time was ticking down, and both he and the chief were still unsure of a decent defense plan. They had absolutely no idea how many men were on Askr Ey, or what kind of weapons and other artillery they could be hoarding over on that island. Berk was not safe.
"I'll be needing to write another letter to my son. You're sure that other letter was the only one we got back from him, right?"
"Aye. All he wrote was that 'e was goin' to Francium. And if tha' didn't work 'e'd be goin' to Normandy. But he never wrote back if 'e actually made it to the king of Western Francium or if 'e was able to get 'im to help. Ain't nowhere else we can get help now. Gildiland and that other island are sorting their own things out, Outcast Island is a big fat no, and we don' even know what other islands are out there, save the small ones populated with dragons and not a person in sight. By Odin's skivvies, the trouble that boy's gonna have to go through to get to Francium and back. I ain't too sure this is really gonna work, Stoick. You positive the lad can handle himself out there?"
"I've learned to trust Hiccup a little more." Stoick turned back to the detailed map of Berk behind him, scanning it for any possible weak points where an invasion was likely to take place.
"We need to give him a little more time. Sure's he's a bit of a scrawny thing still, but I think he can handle this trip. He's been riding that dragon for about three years now. I'm trying not to doubt him." He sighed heavily.
What are you doing, son? Time's running out.
The Askr Gotar could attack that very night. Or tomorrow. Or in a month. Or maybe even longer than that. But they just didn't know.
Normandy
Kollands showed the strange newcomer and (with a few more threats) his dragon into the manor. The doorway of the side entrance was just big enough for Toothless to fit through. They were led through a long stone corridor, past rooms with closed doors, weapons hanging on walls, and a stray guard or so. None of the guards made a move towards Hiccup or the terrifying dragon that passed them by. They had been trained well. Hiccup wondered if they'd been told to stay exactly as they were no matter what, as long as Kollands was involved. He turned the thought over in his mind as the short man in the long brown cloak and purple silk sash across the back led them through passageway after passageway.
"We are almost to his lordship, tamer."
"Please, call me Hoquet."
"I'm... afraid I can't do that. I would rather address you as tamer. Or perhaps boy, which I rather prefer."
"Why?"
Kollands gave an impatient sigh, and Hiccup noticed that he didn't seem to want to look directly at him. "I... I am unable to take you seriously when I call you by such a name. There. Let us continue on, please." He was biting his lip. Was... was this guy actually trying not to laugh? Kollands picked up the pace, and Hiccup quickened to keep up with the short little man. Toothless kept stride easily.
"Wait wait, hang on just a minute. Why can you not take my name seriously? Do your people not also have names such as mine? To frighten off the evil spirits?"
"No. We have normal names. For example, that man you saw outside in the courtyard there. His name is Bót. A good, simple name. Not laughable like Hoquet. Or your accent, which, I must admit, is quite laughable."
Hiccup couldn't care less about his accent at the moment. He only shrugged, although Kollands wouldn't be able to see as he was leading in the front now. He didn't want to act offended any more than he already had. "All right. So I'll try another name instead. What do you think I should call myself when I meet duke - erm, king Rollo?"
The little man's eyebrows furrowed. "Hmmm... an interesting question. I will tell you in a moment."
Hiccup walked behind the man with Toothless and patiently waited for him to speak again. Kollands snapped his fingers.
"Aha! It will be much more fitting. What do you think of... Hudde?"
"Uh... Hood?"
Kollands nodded. "Yes, Hudde! It means 'mind and spirit.' And you've obviously got half a mind and twice the spirit to come barging into Normandy like you own the forsaken place. We will stick with Hudde. And besides... it was the only good name I could think of that starts with 'H,' like Hoquet. Keep up now, we're just about there. And that thing had better not make a scene when we get there."
Toothless growled. Hiccup shushed him.
They squeezed through a smaller corridor and passed through into a great open room. The floor was all stone. Everything was stone, actually. The room was circular, and four suits of armor stood gleaming and evenly spaced out against the walls. A tall door with a great iron knocker stood before the two men and the night fury. Two guards stood at attention on either side. They said nothing. Nor did they so much as blink in surprise. It was so, what was the word? Off.
"Here you are, Hudde. I will be going in with you. His highness awaits... and I would suggest you keep that dragon waiting out here. If it will wait." Kollands twitched his head to Toothless, then looked quickly away.
"Yes, he will stay put here. But if I need to call him in, I will. Right, Pas Dents?"
Hiccup had been showing Toothless the connection between his Norse name and the French version of it. Now, Toothless answered to both the French and the Norse. He grumbled in response from where he stood next to Hiccup. Kollands clasped his hands behind his back, then decided against it because his hands were too sweaty to hold together.
"Such odd names the both of you have." The man shook his head pityingly. "Very well... you may enter. Guards!"
The two guards raised their hands swiftly to their brows in salute.
"Open the doors."
They bowed their heads slightly, then grasped the iron handles jutting from each door. With a hollow creaking the doors were opened. A voice bellowed from somewhere inside the room.
"Who seeks meh at thess time, eh? Kollands! This 'ad bettah be important!" The guttural voice that echoed through the doors didn't sound like a native French speaker's...
"Well then, don't juss stand theyah! Enter!"
Hiccup's hopeful feelings about this visit were beginning to fade as he heard the ringing of the voice in his ears. He stepped into the spacious chamber which contained only one piece of furniture: a carved stone throne. In the throne was seated none other than Rollo. Three other men stood around him. They must have been having a meeting before they were interrupted. While Hiccup got his first look at the "king," Kollands turned and ordered the guards to keep an eye on Toothless. Hiccup crossed his fingers.
Please be a better bet than Charles please Thor please.
"Introduce yahself, stranger. Ey, you don't look like any a' the Frenchmen I seen. Wouldjoo happen to be a foreignah?" King Rollo's voice was very deep and very rough. He snapped his fingers, and in an instant the three other men he'd been talking with cleared the room. Hiccup eyed Kollands. The little man motioned for him to talk. He looked edgy, suspicious even.
"Uh... yes. Yes sir - uh, your highness, sir, I am a foreigner. I visit here from the Barbaric Archipelagos. I am a Norseman. A Viking." He flinched involuntarily, waiting for the angry tirade on barbarian Vikings that was sure to follow. But it never came. Instead, his ears were blessed with the sound of his native language.
"A Viking, eh?"
The king spoke Norse!
"Y-yes. Yes! I'm a Viking. I'm so glad you speak Norse, that makes everything so much easier!" Hiccup was so relieved to hear his own language again, he actually almost laughed. This made everything so much better! "I'm, erm, Hudde Horrendous Haddock the Third. I hail from the Isle of Berk, and my home is in trouble. Long story short, we might be going to war at any moment. I need an army. I know I sound rushed right now, but it's because I sort of am. I've already gone through the whole routine once and my request was denied the first time."
The king stared from where he was on his seat, his eyes narrowing at the young stranger.
"Haddock yeh say? Never heard of that clan. And where exahktlee did ye go before ya came here?"
"Western Francium, to King Charles, sir. But I was sent away."
"So ah've observed, seein' as you're here. And what makes you so important that I should listen ta you, eh?"
Time to pull the dragon-rider-and-future-chief card. Better start with the chief part.
"Well... I'm the heir to the chiefdom back on Berk. It's kind of an important position to be in." He puffed out his chest for good measure, hoping to add some bravado.
The king drummed his fingers on his lap before speaking. "Hmph, so I guess tha' makes yuh a prence then, eh?"
Hiccup was finding it a bit difficult to comprehend what Rollo was saying to him, his voice was so thick and his words were almost slurred. But his ears eventually adjusted.
"Oi, ye herr meh, boy?" Rollo was scowling down at Hiccup, who still hadn't answered him. "If yeh're the son uvva chief, the leader of an entire clan, I s'pose tha' mehks you a prence, hm?"
"I... oh um, yes, I suppose you could say that... in a way? Yeah, uh, s-sure. You can call it what you want, I guess." Hiccup stuttered. No one in his village ever really considered the title of "chief" as one of equal status to "king," let alone the title "heir to the chief" as "prince." This was new. This was very new. It definitely increased Hiccup's confidence, though. He stood up straighter. King Rollo eyed the boy subjectively, but grunted in what Hiccup decided was acknowledgment.
"Hmm... Don't think tha' means I'm gonna be callin' yuh a prence, ye herr me, boy?"
Hiccup nodded to the hulking man on the stone chair to reassure him that he did, in fact, hear him. It was just the matter of keeping up with what he was actually saying that threw Hiccup off. The Norse accent had a different-sounding dialect.
"So... like I said before... Berk's kind of in a bad situation. Would you..."
"Speak up, boy!" spat the king. Hiccup projected louder.
"Would you help my village?" he asked. The question bounced off the stone walls and were made clear to the king. Hiccup wanted to get out of there more than anything. Rollo drummed his fingers faster on his knee and looked to his advisor. Kollands, getting the message, hurried on his short legs up to the throne. Hiccup watched as Rollo whispered something to the advisor, who whispered something back. They both sounded very serious, and the king kept shooting Hiccup with suspicious looks. Then, without reason or rhyme, Rollo looked straight at Hiccup as his face broke out in a welcoming grin. At least, he must have thought that was how it looked. Rollo had probably never looked in a mirror for the entirety of his life. In reality, his grin was vile and full of brownish-yellow teeth. If Hiccup had been any closer, which would have been very uncomfortable, he probably would have found that the revolting set of teeth was appropriately coupled with a bad case of halitosis. But since he was standing a good distance away from the grinning man, Hiccup, bewildered, only raised his eyebrows in expectation. Was the king going to say yes to his request?
"Well, m'boy," Rollo said, "it seems yeh've been keepin' secrets! My advisor tells me there be a dragon standin' right outside me door! A trained dragon. Tha' true, Hudde of the Haddocks?"
Hiccup stared. What in Odin's name had Kollands told him? The king was waiting for an answer.
"Er... yes? But I - "
But Rollo interjected.
"No, say no more! You are welcome here, and I will see what I can do. Yeh'll have your answer by the end o' the day!"
"But... it's still night time?"
"Bah! It's early morning. By the end of this coming night, I'll give you yer answer. We'll 'ave a grand feast, while we're at it! A good excuse for a feast, eh Kollands?" He spoke his last sentence in French.
At this the man next to him bowed. "Yes m'Lord."
Then the king switched back to Norse. "Yes, I think so too. Meanwhile, I'd like to have a look at tha' dragon o' yours. I've killed many of the things before, but I've gotta admit, I never seen a trained dragon in all me life! If I do decide to help yeh, I may jest hafta take you up on a offer to train meself one o' the bloody beasts! Haha!"
Hiccup watched uncomfortably as the hefty man beat a massive fist down on the arm of his chair.
Well, it's a start. At least it looks as though I've got a better chance with this guy than with King Charles the Stupid. I just hope one more day isn't too long a wait for everyone back home.
Rollo signaled for Kollands to leave his side.
"Kollands! Show the guest to one of our finest rooms. Let the dragon go with 'im if he pleases. I'll look it over and ask questions about the creature tonight at the feast. And get the lad changed outta tha' filthy tunic and those muddy boots! Can't have 'im at a royal dinner with 'is clothes all soiled, eh?"
Nodding nervously the advisor walked up to Hiccup and took him roughly by the shoulder, steering him out of the throne room without so much as another word from the duke. King. Whatever.
Both friends were dead asleep when a knock echoed from the door of their huge bechamber. Their room was gloriously decorated and furnished with a bed, seats, and rugs even more excellent than anything they had seen at King Charles's castle. Hiccup yawned and stretched. The light from outside told him that it was just after dawn. Being careful to step around Toothless (who was, not surprisingly, still sleeping) Hiccup tread quietly to the door, expecting to find Jean-Marc sprightly and eager to talk to him again. But...
Oh, yeah. I'm in Normandy now. Jean-Marc's not here.
He opened the door tiredly.
It was a young woman. She was dressed simply in a brown frock and a thick piece of red fabric wound about her waist. Attached to the strip of fabric was an assortment of small pouches. The woman, curtsying, introduced herself in French.
"Good morning," Hiccup noticed she had a very kind face, especially when she spoke. "I am Akkeri, Head Maid and Head Healer." And she also had an accent, one which differed from French. Was everyone a foreigner here besides Kollands? "I haff been sent to take you and your friend outside to zen courtyard. Are you and zen dragon ready to go?"
Hiccup was still half-asleep. He felt a little embarrassed, his hair must have been a mess, and he was wearing an oversized (but clean) tunic while he was waiting for some new clothes to be delivered. Rollo's orders.
Oh, and it seemed he was only just becoming aware of his lack of leggings under his tunic, which was a bit embarrassing in of itself, seeing as he was standing in front of someone he hardly knew.
"Uhh, go?" he asked groggily. "Go where? Sorry, I uh, didn't know they gave wakeup calls here."
The mousy-brown-haired lady put a hand to her lips and giggled. Hiccup blushed. But the woman stopped almost immediately and told him again. "Apologies for mine accent, I am not from here. My home is Bulgaria. I said we are going to zen courtyard. Zen Royal Advisor specifically told me you should go outside and enjoy zen air and sights. You vill come, yes? You and your friend?" She smiled kindly in Toothless's direction, entirely at ease with a night fury sleeping on a fur rug right inside the room. Hiccup, half-asleep, was just admiring the way the woman with the accent lightly rolled her 'R's. He blinked rapidly to wake himself up.
"Ahh... Yes, that is fine. May I take a little time to, uh, get ready and wake my friend?"
"Of course, Sir Hudde."
When Hiccup showed no reaction, the woman tried again.
"It is Sir Hudde, is not?"
"Huh? Oh! Yes yes, my name is Hudde. Yes, thank you very much. We should... be ready very soon."
The lady smiled again. "Dis is fine. I vill be meeting you down zen stairs, out there." She pointed out the window behind her to a far corner of the courtyard. Hiccup nodded.
"We will be there. Thank you very much again..." his words were lost as he realized that he didn't know the woman's name. "Thank you, erm..."
"Akkeri."
"Thank you, Akkeri."
The woman curtsied again and left the hall, leaving Hiccup standing there awkwardly in his oversized tunic, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. He was glad the woman hadn't looked down at his leg, he didn't really feel like talking more to anyone else at the moment besides Toothless. He turned to go back into the bedchamber and touched the dragon lightly on his nose. Snuffling, Toothless blinked once, then twice, and fully opened his bright green-ish yellow eyes to look at his friend.
"Hey buddy. You up for a look around?"
After much fiddling, arguing, and attempting to keep up with the quick stream of French coming from Rollo's Head Seamster, Hiccup found himself with a brand new set of clothes. There was a green tunic, similar to his old one but much sturdier and better sized. There were also dark brown leggings (the left pant was specially cut for his leg), a thick leather belt with a scabbard for his dagger, and new boots, thick and warm. They had even made a vest for him, something lighter than leather but nice all the same. A deep green cloak sat folded at the foot of his bed. Toothless, being a dragon and therefore having no use for clothes or a nice pair of boots, was content with the pile of fish he was gifted with when Hiccup's own breakfast was brought to him. Hiccup was in a very good mood, but then he thought about why he was there, and the feeling faded again. It was a grey, muddy day outside the manor. After observing this from his bedroom window, he sighed and threw on the new cloak, then headed out of the bedchamber with Toothless close behind.
Hiccup and Toothless met the Bulgarian woman, Akkeri, in the corner of the manor courtyard, just where she'd told them to. The young woman was sitting on a wooden bench, patiently nadelbinding with a flat-needle and yarn. She smiled brightly when she spotted the two guests coming towards her. No one else was in the courtyard other than a few sparring soldiers. They took no notice of the dragon yet again, and Hiccup was still finding it weird that no one was troubled by the presence of Toothless.
"Vell, don't you look all fresh and new!" Akkeri waved at Toothless, who responded as politely as he could with a signature toothless grin. The woman gawked at the absence of teeth in the night fury's mouth.
"Where are...?" she pointed at the dragon with a questioning stare. Hiccup laughed.
"He has teeth. He can push them down when he wants, and keep them in when he doesn't."
"Ah. I see... well, shall ve begin walking den? There is someone I vould like to introdyooce to you. If you vill follow me, please." She stood up and began to walk, obviously expecting the other two to follow behind, which they did.
In minutes, the three were across the courtyard and close to a worn down hut. A small building of wood, stone, and metal sat there in front of the outer wall. Thick black smoke chugged out of the chimney, and Hiccup realized from the signs that it was a forge. Finally, something really familar.
Well, I guess this place isn't too bad after all.
"Follow me. Ve are going inside." The lady beckoned for Hiccup to follow with a hand.
"What? In there? Toothless can't fit through that doorway!" Hiccup motioned to the little opening in the wooden front of the hut.
"Yes... would he be all right vith waiting outside?"
Hiccup looked at Toothless. Toothless looked back. He knew what was going on. Yet again, he was going to be left outside while his rider went into the forge. Hiccup hated it, too.
"No, I'm really sorry, but I don't want to leave Toothless out of the loop. Isn't there a way we can get him in? Maybe another entrance?"
"Let me think..."
In the end, Hiccup and Akkeri ended up entering the forge, followed by Toothless's head, which he popped through the doorway while the rest of him sat on the ground on the other side. He looked ridiculous, but at least he was in.
"Bót! Come here! Ve have a visitor to zen king! Bót." Akkeri shouted through the forge. A couple thunks followed in answer, then Toothless's ears perked up as they all heard the sounds of footsteps clunking down a set of stairs.
"Vat vat, vat ees et? Can you not realize I am extremely bissy vith somesing at zen moment, voman?!" Clatter! Clank! Hiccup could hear metal hitting the floor from above. In an instant all three of them looked on as the tall man from last night came clunking down the steps. He got to the bottom and faced Hiccup and Akkeri, taking a good long look at Hiccup.
"Bót, this is Hudde, he is visiting from other country. Velcome him."
The light-haired man with a thin mustache and light stubble grumbled and wiped his hands on a greasy cloth.
"Yes, ve heff met before. He ess zen demon rider. I do not like him."
Oh good. He's polite, too.
"Oh, come now Bót. He ess just a boy. Not much younger zan I am, I think. Be nice!"
The man grumbled some more and took a deep breath in, shutting his eyes for a moment.
"That's right, just calm yourself, you've been vorking hard today is all" cooed Akkeri. Bót looked significantly more relaxed now. He lowered his eyes and spoke to Hiccup.
"I'm, ehm... sorry. You are velcome here. I am sure you've gathered by now zet my vife ess the more clear-headed von of the two of us."
"Your wife?"
Bót nodded. Akkeri smiled at her husband.
"Yes. My vife. My... anchor. Vhenever I am in tight spot, or I get angry or nervous, dis voman here, she keeps me grounded." A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. Hiccup noticed the amount of pure love in Akkeri's eyes as she looked at her husband. It made Hiccup miss everyone back home. If one person from the couple standing in front of him was ever in the position Hiccup was facing now, to what lengths would they go to keep eachother safe?
"Bót, I vant you to show Hiccup zen swords. I think you see zen problem vith ze von he has?"
Bót looked Hiccup up and down. "He has no sword."
"You see zen problem, den."
"Hmph."
Hiccup interrupted the conversation. "Sssorry, what do you mean by that? I don't need a sword if that's what you're saying. I've got a perfectly good dagger right here in my belt." He pulled out the dagger from its scabbard. The blacksmith only hmphed again.
"I find you sword. A moment." Bót clunked across the room a little ways and slipped through a small door. A few moments later he emerged with an older-looking but well-sharpened sword. It was single-handed. "You know how fight vith sword?"
"Uhh, I think I'm a pretty decent swordsman. But I prefer my dagger."
"Hmph! Here, you learn sword. No this dagger thing. No help. Never know vhat goes on here in zen manor. There is alvays zen fear of spies. Alvays vatching out vhen new person comes here. You use dagger here, you die. Use sword, the other man die. Normandy is bad place to get took by sorprise. Even vith helf-decent sword, is better than noffing. Here, ketch." He tossed the sword, hilt first to Hiccup. Hiccup caught it with his left hand. Bót gave a look of mild surprise. "So, you use bad hend then?"
Hiccup looked slightly affronted. Bòt paid no mind.
"It vill vork, I think. Just make sure ze nobles do not see you ven you use zet hend. Da?"
"Sure - er- da."
The smith nodded. "Zen ve begin."
"What, now?" Hiccup looked from Bót to Akkeri. Akkeri only nodded encouragingly.
"Do not vorry, Hudde. You have many hours before feast of zen king begins. Bót is a master. He vill teach you. I know right avay ven I am seeing you this morning, you do not fight vith sword. This is dangerous, to not have a good veapon vith you vhen zen manor is filled vith so much suspicion. Is for your own good. And besides, I am not allowed to let you back inside until zen feast anyvays. Dis here vill keep you occupied for ze next few hours, I think." And with that, the woman waggled her fingers goodbye to her husband, then left, squeezing her slight frame past Toothless to get through the doorway.
Hiccup got a firmer grip of the sword's hilt. Bót took another, much nicer sword that was hanging off the wall nearby, and examined it with ready eagerness.
"So ve begin."
