Exodus and Return-us
Chapter 20
Author's Note: Okay, so it has been a while since the last update. I have NOT vanished nor have I abandoned the series; school just started back and now I find myself with work to everyday whereas last year I was able to schedule two days off. I will try to keep the updates coming, but baseball is about to hit full swing and that will slow everything down tremendously…
Hiccup's POV
Toothless and I walked slowly around the village; the talk with Astrid earlier had gone well, and I was aimlessly looking for Thuggory. Toothless walked beside me, and we both just enjoyed the silence. For once, no one was judging me or coaxing answers out of me, I wasn't dealing with any problems or talking through difficult situations; just me and my buddy strolling along, savoring the silence. You know, I never quite understood why women are always talking. I quite enjoy silences like these and I don't get enough moments like these. Someone ALWAYS tries to ruin it with some sort of "problem" or, worse, "feelings" that need to be discussed.
*Hiccup, I think we should talk…*
Sigh.
^Really? NOW, when we finally have some peace?^
*Yes. What's your plan for the…meeting…tonight?*
^Tonight? I just sent out the messengers.^
Toothless altered his course slightly, and started leading me towards the town's version of the 'Great Hall.'
*There is NO way you forgot this…*
^Uh, hello? Forgot WHAT?!^
*How long has Astrid been a rider?*
^Six months, why?^
Toothless didn't answer, but just gave me a look.
*NOTHING?! Have you gone brain-dead?* Why would a meeting already be prepared?*
^Uhh…well, there's—OOH…^
Crap. Six months since Berk, which means that…the trial is soon.
^The TRIAL! When is it?!^
*About an hour, idiot.*
^Oh gosh, that soon?^
*Yes, so I need to know, what's the plan?*
Plan? He thinks I have a plan? That's cute…
^Uh, get them in trouble?^
Nothing. Just a blank stare.
*Hiccup, why did you forgive Astrid so easily?*
^What do you mean? I thought that all of you wanted that!^
*Yea, but you didn't. Why did you cave in so easily?*
^…I don't know…^
*That's NOT an answer. Why did you go against your gut?*
^I…it just…I think that she…^
Sigh, who am I kidding. It's obvious.
^I couldn't get over her, OKAY?! I couldn't find it in me to stay mad at her when some part of me still loves her…I TRIED to be mad, furious even, about everything that she put me through! Everything that she did back on Berk…I thought that would be the end of it. I thought that it would be enough to break this stupid crush…^
*But it wasn't?*
I paused a few moments, just starring at the dirt and avoiding Toothless' gaze.
^I guess not…^
Toothless seemed to ponder my answer, and I guess he eventually deemed it truthful. If it's not, then even I don't know the truth.
Then again, I have been wrong about this stuff before…
*But what about the trial, and the rest of them?*
^Who, Berk? Screw them, I'll still put them all through hell if I can!*
He just rolled his eyes and continued walking, leaving me behind as I stood with my hands on my hips, proud of my last statement.
^Uh, well, good talk, I guess…^
*So what's the plan? For the trial, that is?*
^I don't know, I'm just planning on putting the mask on and pressing every advantage that I have…^
*So you aren't going to reveal yourself to the court?*
^I hope not. That would be awkward, huh?^
Toothless gave me a funny look that displayed how unsure he was about my 'plan' but he continued walking anyways.
The hall had finally come into sight, when I noticed Toothless' ears (ear flaps? He still won't tell me which it is) perk up, as if picking up a distant sound. I spun around to find Nir swooping down, and Astrid dismounting into a roll…right. at. me.
"HICCUP!"
I sidestepped, but Astrid stopped her roll and stood up a few feet from where I was standing anyways.
"What's the meaning of all of this?! You're still going through with the trial! I thought we talked about this!"
Normally, I would make a few sarcastic remarks about being 'sorry' but I noticed Astrid had both of her hands clenched into fists (with white knuckles) and she seemed as if she was trying NOT to reach for her axe; due to these small facts, I decided NOT to take my life into my own hands, and instead gave her a calm and collected answer.
"Okay, to be fair, I completely forgot about the trial; I think Thug made sure it proceeded. But yes, I am going through with it; I'm not going to let everything they put me through go unanswered…they need to feel some of what I felt, and know exactly why they are feeling it."
Astrid simmered down a little bit, which was fortunate, and she was able to make a somewhat civilized reply.
"What, you want retribution? Why can't you forgive them or at least stay away from them?!"
"That's a great question. If you ever come up with an answer, I would love to hear it too…"
"…So you want to put all of Berk on trial for the vague things they did to make your life miserable, but I get a free pass?! Why!?"
*Ooh, she's got you there…and now, it looks as if our hero is backed into a corner with no way out but the truth!...but taking such a path could lead to two unknown extremes! CAN HE DO IT!*
^SOOOO not in the mood, Bud.^
"Well, uh, it helps that you are a Council rider now…?"
Astrid folded her arms, and her sass went through the roof; she clearly was not buying that.
"You would still hold a grudge. I did things that were worse AND more specifically designed to hurt you! Why did I get a pass!?"
Man, I wish I had my mask right about now. I just don't feel as strong without it, and I could use any help right about now…if only there was some big, black friend who could help me out here…
*Because he still loves you, DUH!*
Nope. Definitely no friends here.
^Shut the hell up Toothless!^
"oh. Oh….OOOH…" Astrid suddenly and absentmindedly exclaimed.
" 'Oh?' What do you mean 'oh?'"
Astrid looked as if she had just discovered the most painfully obvious thing ever, and it had stunned her for a moment.
*Wait. My bad…*
Oh no, don't tell me…
^What do YOU mean, 'my bad?'^
*That, uh, may have been transmitted…to everyone nearby…*
Well, there goes any chance of me finishing this conversation without blushing. Or awkwardness, because that's coming too.
"I-I didn't think that you'd still—I mean, I had forgotten about—that just…makes things clearer…"
"Toothless, I swear one of these days I'm going to mount your head on a wall and make eel-puppets out of your tail!"
*HEY! Let's not get rash here, I'm still the biggest guy here!*
"Yea, so uh, I, uh, gotta go, uh, put my dad on trial, so you, uh…"
Astrid recovered herself, and looked at me with somewhat timid eyes. Although I'm not entirely sure what she was scared of, she defiantely scared of something about me. But this was different from when 'Fin' could have killed her, this was a more…intimate (for lack of a better term) fear. Like the fear of doing something wrong, or…hurting me.
But that doesn't really sound like Astrid, now does it?
"Yea. I'll be there to, uh, what am I supposed to do to help?"
"Help who, exactly?"
Astrid almost gave me a sarcastic look that I am known for. But not quite…
"Just wear the mask and armor and stick with the other Council members. You should just be spectating, as far as I know…"
"Okay…"
^Come on, Traitor. Time to go inside…^
Toothless just bounded over with a super-smug look on his face, reveling in his job well done. We walked with Toothless grinning, and me entertaining thoughts of wiping that grin off.
POV BREAK (Gobber's POV)
Well, here goes nothing. Everyone is finally here, which is a lot to say. 'Fin' and his advisor (Cami, that little rascal) are both seated on the opposite side of a little wall of tables made to separate Berk from our accusers. I'm all set to defend Berk as our voice, seeing as Stoic agreed that he might be overcome with rage at the sight of Fin.
Boy, I just have a feeling in my skivvies that that relationship is going to end badly…
Let's see, we have a basic judge, the head of that neutral Blond clan, and a jury-type thing made of the other 10 tribe leaders. And there are a ton of people (all extremely and eerily silent) here to observe. By far the creepiest are the dragon riders in the corner, molding into the shadows and occasionally exposing their intricate masks and armors… no doubt Hiccup's work.
"Okay, let's settle this once and fer'all! We have Fin, a man of great power and considerable honor, against the Hairy Hooligans, a hardworking and traditional tribe! Fin: since you have the issue here, you shall go first!"
Fin slowly rose, walked forward until he was in the clearing designed for the speakers where everyone could see him, then looked around. I just kept waiting for whatever Hiccup had planned: I knew that lad was smart enough to choke us in our own words, and I was thankful we got to go second for that reason. I'm fairly certain that Hiccup would arrange a pass for me on whatever happens, but I can't really be certain of anything nowadays.
"Court…my issue with Berk is one of moral standing, which plagues Berk's foundation, beginning with its leadership! Not only did they refuse to see dragons for what they are, they chose to fight for Dagur, a madman that all other tribes had the wisdom to avoid! Worse still, and what repulses me to this day, is their treatment of their own kin, their own heir! Despite his bloodline, his right to rule, and his membership in his clan, Hiccup Haddock III was abused mentally and physically by the people that should have seen him rise to be their chief, and worse that their own chief would neglect his offspring in the worse manner possible! They forced their own heir the run away from home due to their cruelty, and I do not believe that should go unpunished!"
Well, he put it all on the table, but it sounded so…bad. That was literally the worst way he could have argued any of the points that he had us beat on. I'm not really certain that that is Hiccup underneath there. Everyone around the room seemed similarly confused (minus the knowing about Hiccup part, obviously).
"Is that all you have to say, Fin?"
"I rest for now, yes."
Oh, well, here goes nothing.
I pushed myself up from my seat, and hobbled up into the now-vacated speaking area.
"Well, yer honor, I just have to plain disagree on all of those points. You said it yerself, we are traditional Vikings; of course we denied the idea that dragons could be tame! It sounded like pure lunacy from a man who was so far gone he should be put down! And we didn't side with Dagur; we didn't even like the guy, but we were allied clans and we weren't about to tarnish our honor by sitting out a fight, especially when we was going to combine to fight dragons! We wouldn't be able to live with ourselves if we passed tha' up! And Fin is making up stories about Hiccup leaving due to 'abuse.' We've searched the Archipelago's ever since his disappearance, which was about the same time as Fin's emergence! We've been somewhat hostile to Fin because he led us to believe he was keeping Hiccup from us! Eventually, we assumed he had him kidnapped or killed, and we were NOT going to ally ourselves with the murderer of our own heir! Even now, Fin may know of Hiccup's whereabouts, but ye do nae see him talking!"
Cami had been whispering furiously (yes, that's possible and she did it well) in Fin's ear, likely disappointed with his speech.
"Well, I don't even think we need the jury to decide this one. Is there anything you want to try to add, Fin?"
Fin tried to shake his head no, but Cami stood up and took the floor…which probably isn't good.
"Now, I am just an advisor here, but I am here to present a testimony that will undoubtedly decide this case. However, I have been warned that Fin fears he may succumb to rage if he must listen to such a thing while in the same room as the Hooligans, so he requests leave during any moment which my witness Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is in the room! Is it granted, judge?"
Thor's beard, if that's not the smartest move I've ever seen. Excusing himself so he can come back as someone else to testify! Everyone around the room began to whisper, some excitedly and some nervously. I looked to my left to find Stoic blank faced, and couldn't tell if which part of the news was getting to him: that his son was about to be here, or that he was coming to Berk's trial to testify.
"Yes, granted. We wouldn't want to hold him down, that's for sure. Take your leave, Fin, and have Hiccup come in."
Fin walked out the exit, accompanied by Toothless, and they both took off once they were outside. Everyone assumed they would just stick close by, but I knew Hiccup was about to walk back in here without any sign that he had been flying Toothless at all.
I was right, as two minutes later the doors opened, and Hiccup was escorted in by an armed guard. He wasn't a prisoner, but was being protected by the guard, who all kept nervous eyes on us Hooligans. He walked forward to the speaking area, and was addressed by the judge.
"Now, I assume you know what is at stake and what has been said. Fin claims that you have been deeply wronged by Berk, and Berk claims you as a lost heir that is missed. What say you?"
Hiccup looked around the room, and finally stopped to stare down all of Berk. He had changed in the few years he had been gone; little bit taller, slightly more muscle (but defined muscle), and his hair seemed to have just started this 'messy' look. His jaw was beginning to set, too, and that's a feature he'd be wise not to hide around the ladies…
"Of all the stories you have heard today, none of Berk's are true. I do NOT fault Gobber for his efforts, because I know he is the only decent person there and do not wish any ill upon him. As for the rest of Berk, they put me through hell during my youth. 15 years where I was known widely as a failure who couldn't do anything right, and was written off. The other kids soon learned that since no one cared about me, I was easy prey for anything they wanted to do, which typically involved some sort of pain. As I got older, I tried to be useful in the ways that I could; it never worked, and only worsened how the village thought of me! I endured the worst mental tortures every day, only to come home to a colossally disappointed father who was ashamed of his embarrassment of a kid. You CAN'T have any clue what that's like for 15 years! And then the worst part, after a chance encounter with Fin, I learned things about dragons that no one else knew and they all thought I was some sort of hero! It sickened me to know that dragons were not evil, yet I was being hailed as some sort of dragon-murdering prodigy. That was what I wanted my whole life and couldn't achieve it, and once I learned the truth, once it repulsed me, I was suddenly being praised for that which they took for talent!? I had to leave as soon as possible, and Fin helped with that. Judge, if this case rests on my testimony, then I suggest all of Berk (EXCEPT for Gobber) be punished!"
Hiccup nodded to the judge, then walked out still escorted by his guard. He gave one glance to me (with a slight nod) that I acknowledged, then took one look at his father, who looked as if his resolve had just broken. Stoic sat down, completely defeated and frozen in his thoughts, but the trial went on without him.
Eventually, Fin returned and helped orchestrate 'generous' terms to help Berk regrow. It was decided that any member of 'Good Standing' tribes (not Berk or the Bersekers OR the Outcasts {who really haven't done much of anything recently}) could go take a decent position in the 'New Berk.' Half of the village would be Berk, and half would be upstanding members of other tribes with better privileges than Berk. Everyone would chose a Chief from one of the other tribes' members, and he would take over the new tribe. The tribe would have some military guards for a while, but eventually Berk would be allowed autonomy as long as Stoic wasn't Chief…and the news broke him even further.
As for myself, Fin negotiated (on Hiccup's behalf) that I be granted work as an independent traveling trader working for Fin. Basically, I would go sell Fin's stuff and he would pay me pretty well. It kinda sucked that it would take me away from Berk, but they convinced me that for the time being, it would be best for Berk to try to move on.
Whatever the reason, I ended up at this pretty awesome island with a nice set-up and a chance to see what Hiccup's been up to, and hopefully, a chance to talk to the lad.
(Nir the Skrill's POV)
"Guys, tell me again what we are doing?"
"Hiccu', you refused to tell me what these 'powers' were because you apparently DIDN'T KNOW WHAT POWERS YOU HAD. So we are going to find out, before you leave for Rome or wherever…"
"Fine, then why are they here?" Hiccup replied, gesturing to Astrid and myself. Currently, Astrid was leaning against my side with her arms folded, waiting for Hiccup and Gobber to settle down.
"Well I can't very well know what you can do if I don' have a reference, now can I?"
Hiccup let out a frustrated sigh (and Toothless chuckled at him) before apparently relenting. He finally saw what's been pretty obvious for a while now: Gobber wasn't going to take no for an answer. To be honest, I am surprised that Hiccup hadn't already charted and mapped out his own progress; he seems like the guy to do something like that.
"Fine, what are we going to do first?"
"Well, since I've only heard stories of how you fought off half of Berk, I think it's safe to say that you're a great fighter with unnatural speed, so I want to know more about the finer parts of your abilities."
"Like what?"
"Oh, you know, just the part where you live forever. That's a good place as any to start…" Gobber gave him a piercing gaze that implied that Gobber was a little insulted he wasn't told about the subject sooner.
Hiccup shot Astrid a glare, but she didn't seem to care.
"Uh, right…that's not exactly one I'm sure about myself."
"….well, what do you know about it fer cryin' out loud?!"
"I don't know, he just said that I'm forced to live on Midgard until Ragnarok. I sure hope that means I can't die, because it would suck to be stuck as a corpse until the world ended…"
*I'm sure I can arrange that if I don't get fed ON TIME.*
"What's wrong with him?" Astrid interjected, breaking the flow of the conversation.
"Oh, he just has this delusion of grandeur where I have to feed him all meals, despite the fact that he gets more food whenever he feeds himself…"
*That's not the point, it's a matter of dignity. You peasants wouldn't understand…*
^*Watch it there half-Fin, some of us prefer to be independent of their human…*^
There, if that doesn't ruffle his feathers, I don't know what will. It's even a double insult, as he has half a fin and it implies that he is only worth half of "Fin." Yup, I can hang with these guys, no problem. I'm just not sure if I should stoop that low...
"Ooooh snap, he told you Bud!"
"ANYWAYS…" Gobber intervened, annoyed that yet one more conversation had gone by without including him.
"Oh, yea, so I guess that as long as no one kills me, I get to live forever. Which, by the way, does kinda suck in its own way."
"Yes, ye poor soul. Good news is, you've got FRICKIN ETERNITY to get over it…"
Hiccup put his hands up in a mock-mea culpa gesture, and replied to Gobber's annoyed jab.
"Sorry, forgot I was speaking with mere mortals…"
"I'm gonna give you to the count of three to stop that before my hook meets your rear end!"
*Nah, that won't do. He'll probably like it too much!*
^HEY!^
Okay, I'll admit that I found that funny, despite the repulsing factor. Astrid must have agreed, because she softly chuckled also.
"Okay now, I WAS going to have you fight Astrid to show me what you've got, but I'm going to postpone that for later since I can't get anyone to take this seriously. Hiccup, would you mind showing me around the forge?"
Gobber had a look like a man who knew he was playing the ultimate trump-card, kinda because he was. There was no WAY Hiccup was going to turn down a chance to show off his forge, forged weapons, gadgets, or armors, and especially not to his old master.
"Sure! It's right over there. I've even had some ideas to help with your pegs. You see, if you use Gronkle Iron, naturally it will make things lighter, but…" I began to ignore Hiccup's spurt into the technological aspects of, well, anything he was interested in.
Hiccup and Gobber walked and hobbled off respectively towards the forge, leaving me with Astrid and Toothless. Toothless decided to start walking after Hiccup, but I had one thing to say to him privately (so, just no Astrid listening).
^*You and I both know that Hiccup lied.*^
*Do we now? About what?*
^*Living forever unless killed by someone. Don't deny it, we both know that's a lie…*^
*…Perhaps…*
^*Does Hiccup know that he can't be permanently killed?*^
No reply. Toothless walked off without another word.
But he looked back, and gave me a small, curt nod.
*You'd be surprised who told him about it. Can't believe it myself that he got to meet the God of Thunder…*