I Own Nothing

All Rights Reserved

Due to some confusion that has come to my attention, I shall clarify my plans for this story: there are going to be 41 chapters. I write my chapters well in advance, and excluding revisions, I have just finished Chapter 39. I expect I will be done posting this story in October.

To 22ablanchard: your theory was based on a deliberate red herring. I inserted a few slight hints to intentionally give readers the wrong idea. However, your theory will be correct later on!

Chapter 25

Viggo's Progress

Hiccup had not been wrong about how Viggo and his people had escaped. They had received outside help, and once out of the prison they made at once for the docks under cover of darkness. To confuse their scents, they left behind Dragon Nip that had been provided from the outside and slipped into the cold water. From there they swam to a moored ship, where a hooded Viking was waiting to help them on board.

"I was promised a share of my own," he said.

"Once we're safe," Viggo replied in a whisper. They quickly went down to the cargo hold and there they took positions amidst barrels and nets. With the exception of Viggo, they were all visibly freezing and hungry. Dagur, who had been elated at their escape, now sat in his corner wondering if he had ever felt so miserable.

"I think I've jumped from one prison into another," Eret grumbled.

"Quiet," Viggo ordered. Everyone stayed as still and as silent as they could until at last they felt the boat drift free of the dock. Their only visitor the entire time had been the hooded Viking, who gave them a bit to eat and made certain nobody else entered the cargo hold, under the ruse that the Chief had entrusted him to guard a valuable item down there. Inevitably, the Chief found out about this and came in person to have a look at this valuable item he did not know he had placed there.

"Well, well, well," Mogadon said, "Look what we have here. Fish in a barrel."

"Let me do the talking," Viggo ordered his fellow stowaways, "Now listen, Mogadon, no doubt you are considering returning us to Berk. Well let me tell you now that would be a huge mistake. You are wise enough to know that Hiccup is becoming too powerful. He has made it his mission to ruin my honest business completely. To say nothing of your economic losses should he succeed, think about it: what will he go after next once my business is ruined forever? He talks about peace, but the truth is Hiccup has a very active mind, and he gets bored easily. When the challenge of ruining dragon hunting is gone, he will find new challenges—like how to conquer territory without provoking a war with everyone else. Yes, I can easily see his fertile imagination coming up with ways to do this."

Mogadon did not really buy this. "So you're saying once he finishes you off he'll come after the rest of us? Then wouldn't it be better to hand you over to him and establish an alliance between our tribes?"

"Oh, it may in the short term, but in the long run, be realistic, Mogadon, how many alliances last? People create 30 year truces that fall apart within 3. Hiccup will be grateful to you at first, yes, perhaps your tribe will be one of the last ones he goes after, but sooner or later he will decide all debts have been paid and all deals are too old to worry about, and he will come after you. Mark my words, the way things are moving now, in 5 years Hiccup will have control of half the Archipelago, in 10 years time he'll control all of it,"

"Unless we stop him first," Mogadon replied with a smirk.

"Hiccup is clever. He will pick off certain tribes that are not part of any alliances. Then he will sit back and watch as other tribes fight over the newly available territory, and when they are all exhausted and beaten—"

"'E'll swoop in like a vulture an' feed on the dead pieces," Hognose interrupted.

"I despise metaphors, but the boy has the gist of it correct. And once that is done, do you think the remaining tribes will stand a chance?"

Mogadon was not entirely convinced that this would happen, but Viggo's words had given him an idea to ensure it did not. Hiccup was after the Dragon hunters, and if Viggo was free it was very likely the Hunters would rise to become a threat once more. In that case, it was very possible both might destroy each other enough so that the Meatheads could swoop in and feed on the dead pieces. He would let Viggo loose so that Viggo would serve as a buffer zone. With Hiccup busy fighting the hunters he would not want to start a fight with the Meatheads, and then they would watch and see what happened. But that all depended upon Hiccup not knowing who was helping the Hunters escape.

"All right," Mogadon said eventually, "I will let you stay here, and when we reach safer waters I'll give you a ship, but no more. And in return…I noticed you did not offer anything for my silence,"

"I merely assumed a man of integrity such as you would be offended to receive bribe offers," Viggo said silkily.

"Please. I'm a Viking. Any Viking who thinks they're above bribes is a fool. So here's my price: you will not let anyone know who helped you, you are to not attack my tribe or harm it in any way, and I want a million in gold at the earliest possible opportunity. And it would be very bad business, Viggo, if you failed to deliver," he added dangerously.

"It will be done," Viggo said soothingly, "Do not fear, my friend. Once I have safely returned to my headquarters I will send the money at once. And I certainly have no intention of telling Hiccup how we escaped."

"I can't believe he went along with that," Dagur said once Mogadon left. "I mean, Hiccup's not really that dangerous, right?"

"Oh he did not believe me, Dagur," Viggo replied, "he merely saw his own interests would be better served by allowing us to go free. Every man acts in their own self interest, always remember that."

When Gustav came by, Mogadon's people had honestly said 'there was no one on board who shouldn't have been.' It was one of those technical and evasive loopholes. Nevertheless, Mogadon feared Hiccup would be suspicious and the next night he had his ships pull into a small port, supposedly for supplies and minor repairs. From there Viggo and his people were on their own.

Eret had made up his mind to slip away quietly and find work on an honest merchant ship, but once they were ashore Ryker kept close to him, reminding him that Viggo, in his own words, "truly disliked it when his dear friends became deserters. It would hurt Viggo so much that he would search the entire world to find friends who'd abandoned him in his time of need and give them a firm reprimand." Eret got the point, but the implied threat only served to make him less of a friend to Viggo than ever before.

"At least the Dragon King never acted this way to me." he thought.

From the port they stole a boat and sailed east.

"It was cheaper than buying one." Viggo remarked wistfully.

"Yeah, we're gonna have to cut down on expenses where we can," Ryker agreed, "with all these bribe offers and our business in shambles,"

"Oh I won't be paying any of the bribe offers," Viggo replied calmly. "And there's nothing our dear friends can do to make me."

"They could rat you out to Hiccup,"

"Of course they will. I rather hope they do. It will show him just how fickle his own people are. No, my money is staying where it is."

"An' what about our business?" Ryker asked, "We still don't have the Eye, and thanks to being locked up, I'll wager profits have reached an all time low,"

"You let me dwell on that," Viggo replied firmly, "do not worry yourself."

"But I do worry, brother! How can we maintain a business after such a failure? Who's gonna buy from us now? Who's gonna hunt for us now? Where are we going to catch dragons? How about the costs of equipment? What are we gonna do, Viggo?"

"As I said, you let me dwell on that. And I'd watch your words if I were you. You're starting to sound like Eret, and you would not want that at all."

"And what are we gonna do about Eret? Why not just execute him or let him go, if he wants to leave us so badly?"

"We will not let him go because he knows too much and it would look bad for us to lose our best hunter. As for executing him…" Viggo stroked his beard. "I will consider it. Losing his services would be a shame, of course, but if he continues to carry on this way…perhaps we should warn him that his life depends on his future conduct. But then again, we already have. Perhaps he needs reminding."

"You didn't mind me killing Draccus. Why worry about Eret's life so much?"

"Draccus was useless and was deliberately undermining me. Eret has not reached that point yet. But at the rate he's going he soon will be. See to it someone keeps an eye on him."

"What about Dagur? His sister's with the Defenders!"

"So what?"

"He might side with her against us!"

Viggo straightened up. "The way you talk, I am starting to wonder if you are secretly trying to divert attention from yourself."

Ryker paled. "Viggo, I swear, I am with you to the end! It's just…I'm concerned, all right! Look, I don't have your brains for big schemes and elaborate plans."

"But I do," Viggo replied, "and I assure you, Ryker, we will get through this and at the end, our enemies will all be gone and we will be richer than all the Kings put together."

Ryker nodded. "All right. So what do we do first?"

"First we put dear Hiccup on the defensive."

And they did. At the next port they stopped at, they put the word out that Hiccup now had a massive price on his head. From there they sailed on and made for Viggo's castle and headquarters, Grimmige Festung, the black castle overlooking a fjord.

When they arrived Viggo felt as safe as he ever did. The castle was built of marble, which was one of the few natural materials which could withstand dragon fire, and the position made it almost impossible to attack, for an army could only approach from one side and that side had the best defenses. Grimmige Festung was where all of his plans were laid, and it was here that he intended to finalize the plans to finish off Berk and the Dragon King once and for all. He already had ideas, but he had always found sitting in his private room provided the proper atmosphere for thinking decisively.

Nobody was allowed in this room but him and one slave, who cleaned it on certain days and attended Viggo. This was where Viggo stored his account books, which included detailed information on his deals, enemies and allies, and anything else he deemed important. Being a good business meant keeping records and being able to consult them, and Viggo did not trust anybody else to handle them or even see them. Once he was securely locked in his room, those records were the first thing he checked, and to his relief they were all intact and untouched. And with that he sat down to think about all that he had learned during his time on Berk and to decide what he was going to do with that place.

For the rest of the hunters, the main task was to get the castle back in order, and this did not please them, for they saw it as demeaning grunt work. This cleaning and reorganizing went on for several days, and only one thing happened to interrupt it.

Viggo was in his room pouring over a map, again, when someone knocked at the door. "Yes?"

"Viggo, it's me," Ryker yelled, "We've got a visitor, and you're not gonna believe who it is!"

"Oh? Did the Dragon King change sides or something? Or better still, has a mercenary brought me the Dragon King's head?" Viggo asked in exasperation. "I'll join you in a minute in the room below." The room below was where Viggo conducted business that could not be done by him alone. He locked away his charts and parchments and went downstairs, but first made certain to lock the door to his room, as was customary for him.

The first person he saw when he entered the room was Dagur's sister Heather. His face betrayed no visible reaction. Instead he sat down at a large table and said "Well, well, well. And what can we do for you today, my dear?"

"My sister's come to join us!" Dagur shouted happily, dancing a jig where he stood and earning dubious stares from Ryker and Windshear, who amazingly had gotten into the room. Heather and Viggo kept their faces clear of emotion. "Oh happy days! Happy, happy days! Now we'll be invincible! We'll bash those little dragon riders and smash their heads in and plant spoons on their graves! Pretty little spoons with oyster shell handles! I love oysters, you know! Soon the doom flower will be in bloom! Doom in Bloom!"

"Honestly, my dear Heather, I fail to see any family resemblance between the two of you," Viggo remarked silkily, "Now, Dagur, please be quiet and let us hear what your sister has to say for herself."

"Thank you," Heather said stiffly. She was holding a bag in one hand and carried her axe in the other. "I'll cut to the chase: I'm here to join up."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm here to join you," Heather said, "I'm here to offer my talents to you and your business."

"Why?" Ryker demanded roughly.

"Because she's a Berserker at heart and now she wants to be with her brother!" Dagur cheered.

"I must agree with Ryker," Viggo said, "you were instrumental in our capture earlier, and now you must excuse me if I wonder why you are suddenly switching sides,"

"I'll tell you why," Heather said. She was visibly seething with anger, "First, I left the Defenders because Mala, that self absorbed religious zealot, didn't want Windshear to be with us. She kept saying 'Heather, set the dragon free this instant.' Well Windshear's my friend, a very dear friend, and what's wrong with wanting to spend time with them? But no, Mala's so blinded she won't listen to a thing!"

"So you are joining dragon hunters?" Viggo said skeptically, "why not just return to Berk?"

"That's the other reason I'm here," Heather said darkly, "Snotlout. That dirty little rat tried to rape me!"

"What?" Dagur exclaimed.

"Yes! And when I dragged him to Hiccup, that perverted pig swore it was all lies, and Hiccup believed him! You know what Hiccup said to me? He said 'Snotlout doesn't have the nerve or brains to rape anyone.' He said that! That creep tried to rape me—I was violated!—and Hiccup treated it like it was all some joke!" She slammed her fist into the table. "I want them to pay, Viggo. Hiccup, Snotlout, Mala, and I don't care about the rest of Berk or any other dragon. Let me have my revenge and I'll be eternally grateful."

"So why did you not help us escape?"

"Yeah, why didn't you help your big brother?" Dagur demanded.

"I didn't help you because I wasn't there. My ship left before you guys escaped, and it was only once I was at sea that the last straw was broken."

Viggo nodded slowly. "And how did you know where to find us?"

"Oh the Defenders are useful for a few things, I'll give them that. Their last prisoner told them about Grimmige Festung. I knew you escaped because we received messages from Berk about it. It took some time to find, but I succeeded. And don't worry, as far as I know, Hiccup doesn't know about this place."

"And what do you want from me in return for your services? What is your full price?" Viggo asked.

"Nothing you can't afford. I want my revenge, as you know, and I want your solemn word that no matter what you do to dragons from this day on, Windshear is exempted from it."

Viggo understood. "You want my assurances that we will not kill Windshear and sell her like any other dragon,"

"Exactly,"

"Well you have it, my dear. A Razorwhip alive would be a valuable asset to us. But what proof do we have of your loyalty?"

"Yeah, how do we know you aren't some spy or something?" Ryker demanded.

"If I was a spy, would I bring you this?" Heather raised the bag she was holding and handed it to Viggo, who handed it to Ryker. Ryker opened it and gasped. Inside was the Dragon Eye.

"With 6 lenses," Heather announced, "that was all I could recover. Mala threw the rest into the ocean."

"Give it to me right now, Ryker" Viggo ordered, and he did not relax until the Eye and the lenses were securely in his hand. "Well, Heather, I reward those who bring me what I want. We will find a place for you, do not worry. Dagur, why don't you go show her around and help her find a place to stay? A little family bonding time," he added with a slight smirk, "Ryker, wait here." He returned to his room and securely locked away the Dragon Eye. When he returned to the room below Ryker was the only occupant.

"Well, what do you think of this?"

"I don't trust her," Ryker growled. "She's a spy!"

"I imagine she is," Viggo replied, "On the other hand, she brought us the Eye and she could be useful as a double agent. So let us wait and watch. If she is truly on our side, we shall let her prove it and be better off. And if she is a spy, we will use her to our advantage and watch her stick her head into her own noose,"

"And how do we get her to do that?" Ryker asked eagerly, "Ask her to bring us Hiccup's head? She did say she wanted revenge against him,"

"A charming notion and a futile one. Now that the bounty has been placed, Stoick will try to protect his son at all costs. Heather will never get a chance to behead him, much less get away with it,"

"So what do you plan to do?"

"You will know when the time is right. For now, ready the ships. All of them. I want them disguised so they will not be identified as ours. And prepare them to take on a lot of live cargo."

Ryker nodded but paused. "You said Heather will never get a chance. Why put a bounty on his head then?"

"That is my business. I did have hopes someone might have succeeded already, but it seems mercenaries these days are pathetic weaklings. No wonder business is flagging with such people."

"Still, if nothin' else, Hiccup's probably not very happy right now." Ryker grinned. "You've given him a few sleepless nights as likely as not. Right, we'll get the ships outfitted. But will it be a long voyage? Because if it is, we might wanna postpone it a bit—just hear me out, all right?—it's just that winter's here and our ships might not be able to handle the bad weather over a long distance!"

"They are built to cope with dragons, are they not?" Viggo growled. "Then a little wind and snow ought not to be a problem, and you will ensure they are not. It will be a long voyage and we are making it. I will not delay for something as trivial as bad weather."

Dagur was thrilled to be walking down the cold stone corridor with Heather. Windshear followed behind them warily. "It's great to finally get to talk to you again—without swinging swords and bars in the way, you know!"

"And whose fault was it for those?"

"Hiccup's, of course! You see, Heather, I am a misunderstood man! I try to play nice but all the kids wanna play dirty," He puffed out his chest proudly, making him look a bit like a rooster.

"Like your own tribe?" Heather hinted, "From what I've heard, Berk sent you and what was remained your tribe back home after you paid a ransom. Less than a week later it was unanimously decided by the Berserkers that you were unfit to be Chief and you were exiled. And Hiccup mentioned you'd gone to live with what was left of the Outcasts afterwards,"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened. But I only went to the Outcasts because I was looking for you!" Dagur replied proudly. "I thought for years you were dead, but then I learned you were still alive! I should tell the world about it! My sister's alive!" he started shouting to everything they passed, namely stone blocks and torch holders. "My Sister's alive! Oh yes, happy days at last! I've earned them, I can tell you that!"

"How'd you find out anyway?" Heather asked. She was curious despite herself.

"Oh right, yes—well, mom had some relatives somewhere, so she sailed to visit them and took you with her. You know how it is, long voyage, bad weather, all we know is the ship never made it to our relatives. Old Oswald assumed it went down with everybody on board,"

Heather stopped where she was. So that was why she had been on that ship and why nobody from her original family had found her until now.

"But then, last year, shortly before Alvin joined us, the Outcasts raided some islands and took prisoners. I heard them boasting about it, and I realized they were talking about you! See, Alvin liked how Drago had used Adoncia to spy on Berk by seducing someone and he suggested we take it one step further by planting another spy there. He said he had a girl who would be perfect—they had learned that she had been found in a shipwreck and a kindly couple had taken her in. It was just the kind of story to win Berk's sympathy. The more I listened the more the similarities lined up. But, as you know, we lost the battle and the plan was never put into action. So when I was banished from home, I decided to go to the Outcasts and find you. But—"

"We'd already escaped," Heather finished.

"Right! Nearly every Outcast joined in that battle on Berk. When the survivors returned to Outcast Island they found every prisoner had escaped! Escaped! Flew the coup! Free as little birdies flying over the treetops! I only learned this when I went there myself. Without Alvin or any of the leaders left alive the Outcasts weren't in any condition or mood to pursue their prisoners, so that was that. I stayed there a while, learned what more I could, and then sailed off on my own. Then, mostly by accident, I ran into Viggo. And I joined him, because I knew Viggo was bound to come into conflict with Berk sooner or later, and I wanted to be there!"

"For revenge?"

"Why not? You want revenge on Snotlout, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Heather hastily assured him.

"And our little brother needs a lesson! We've gotta teach him what happens when he breaks the hearts of his family!"

Heather eyed Dagur nervously. "Dagur…is Hiccup really our younger brother?"

Dagur suddenly sniffed. A tear was in his eye. "I certainly like to think of him that way,"

"And what about our father Oswald? What happened to him?" She knew the rumors said Dagur had killed Oswald himself.

Dagur looked around. "Don't go shouting this to anyone, promise? I can see you think I killed him, but I didn't. Oh sure, I've hinted about it all the time and let the rumors run everywhere, but that was for show." His voice lowered, "See, I became Chief after Dad had a small illness and disappeared. I wanted everyone to be afraid of me and to respect me. So I started hinting I'd killed him. I'd imply his dinner had been poisoned and his body was at the bottom of the sea. Given how I love throwing people over the sides of ships, nobody doubted it" He suddenly laughed, "I always wondered how I'd explain everything when he came back, but he never did."

"Never?"

"Never. Maybe he moved into a dragon's nest. It seems to be the standard for runaways these days. Hey, I just rhymed! Say, did you know our cousin Gornge's name rhymes with orange? Kidding! We don't have a cousin Gornge! Or do we? I forget."

"I don't know," Heather said carefully.

"And just wait! Once we get things organized, we'll go to Berk and pay those people back for what they've done to us! My blades long for blood! They're so lonely. They need blood to keep them company. Blood and steel go so well together, don't you agree?"

"But Dagur, have you ever thought about why Hiccup seems to always win?"

"Beginner's luck. And from what I've heard, he won't be winning for much longer. Isn't it true he ran away a week ago?"

"So I've heard," Heather said, "Still, you sided with Drago and lost everything except your life. Then you sided with Viggo and, aside from escaping from jail, are you really any better off?"

"Are you talking treason?" Dagur suddenly exclaimed.

"Not at all. I'm just wondering why Hiccup seems to be coming out on top and we're not."

"Well just you wait! His coming out on top won't last forever! And here's your room! I'll leave you to get settled, if you like!"

The room was about as bare of luxury as expected. It was nothing but four walls, a floor, ceiling, and a crude bed that was probably full of fleas and bedbugs.

"Charming," Heather said dryly.

"It's better than a cell or nothing," Dagur remarked, "Oh, and one more thing," his voice lowered again, "Heather, you should know, if you turn out treacherous, it's very likely Viggo will make me kill you myself, and kill us both if I refuse to."

Heather looked horrified. "Are you saying—?"

"What I'm saying is watch it, or else our family goes extinct," Dagur said, and for a change he looked serious. Heather nodded warily. "Oh, and one more thing again. Keep in mind, what a person says and what a person really thinks are two different things," With that he grinned at her and slipped away.

"Whose side is he on?" Windshear exclaimed. Heather did not know what the Razorwhip had said, but she was thinking the same thing. She just could not tell what Dagur was doing. Was he firmly with Viggo, a double agent, a spy, was he testing her to determine her own loyalties? At any rate, the fleeting sense of kinship had passed and she resolved to be as wary of him as she was of everyone else.

There was a knock at the door.

"So it's true," Eret son of Eret said, "You've betrayed your friends and tribe,"

"I have my reasons," Heather said stiffly. Eret nodded. He looked disappointed.

"Doubtless. I just have a quick question for you. Is it true Hiccup left Berk about week ago?"

"Yes?"

"And that Snotlout went with him?"

Heather's brow furrowed. "I thought it was Astrid who went with him."

"Oh right. Yes, she did, but I heard Snotlout has also left Berk."

"News to me," and she was telling the absolute truth here.

"Hmm…"

"What?"

"Oh, I'm just wondering why the Dragon King would just abandon Berk so suddenly unless he's up to something. I wonder if anybody else knows what he's doing."

"Don't look at me," Heather said sharply, "I'm in the dark as much as you are."

Eret left and she thought about this new information. She had a few guesses about why Hiccup and Astrid had vanished, but what on earth was Snotlout doing? Was it all part of some elaborate plan or was he just being Snotlout? She hoped Fishlegs might explain this in his next letter, assuming it ever reached her.

She set about organizing the room with the few things she had. There was nowhere for Windshear to sleep, but she hoped the dragon did not care about bedding. Then she heard a noise yet again and whipped around. Hognose was standing behind her.

"Forget where your own quarters are?" she asked scornfully.

"They're right 'ere," Hognose grinned, "Anywhere yer sleepin' works jest fine fer me!"

Windshear growled loudly. Heather readied herself for a fight. "Now look, Hognose, I'm going to make this very clear: touch my body once and it will be the last thing you ever do."

"Can't I at least have a look?"

Heather whipped out a knife and threw it at him. She missed on purpose, but only by a few centimeters. Hognose shrieked and ran for it. "That was your last warning!" Heather shouted after him, "The next time I throw something at you it'll go right through your heart—assuming you actually have one!" She retrieved the knife from the wall, then reentered the room and slammed the door shut.

"We'll get through this, Windshear," she said through clenched teeth, "We'll get through this,"