Author Note: A thanks to ginooki21 for poking at my brain and helping me put some of the pieces for Astrid's story together. This chapter will have half Hiccup and half Astrid. Hope you enjoy.

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Stoick checked every corner of the boat Alvin had taken looking for some sort of clue of where they had gone. Sunset was not far, and he feared his son would be caught in that island at night.

"Stoick look," called Gobber before he pointed to some cut ropes "maybe he tied him up and Hiccup got away"

Stoick shook his head. His son would have waited nearby waiting for them to arrive.

"Toothless was here!" shouted Fishlegs before he brought them one of the dragon's black scales.

Relief and dread washed over Stoick. The dragon was looking after his son the best he could, but it also meant that he had failed to stop Alvin even though he brought his son his weapons. Still, the beast did not give up and had gone after them.

"Sting, follow" he told the Terrible Terror before she took off towards the woods.

The rain had washed away Hiccup's scent, but Toothless' was still there. She stopped on a clearing; the Vikings following her puffing at having to keep at her pace.

"What is it girl?" asked Gobber as the little dragon hissed. They were by no means unprotected. Some of them had brought their dragons. Stoick himself had brought Thornado, so they had nothing to be afraid of, still the little Terror continued to hiss.

"Changewings," she hissed again, wishing Hiccup was there to tell them. Sting caught scent of three, all of them females and very vicious.

"Be prepared" called Stoick before they all drew their weapons and continued forwards at a more careful pace, listening for any threat that might be watching them unseen.

Unaware to them, just about every Changewing in the island was panicking over their nests as they tried to trace the scent of humans who had been there not long ago. Because the damn rain, they were unable to follow the scent, but it was in every single one of the nests and this made them very upset. None of the eggs were missing, which was one of the first things they had gone to check, nonetheless they couldn't let this go in case they returned.

So, for the first time in countless years they decided to end their hunt early and guard their nests.

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My venom poisons the sea and the sky

My father's middle child

My skin impassable

My length immeasurable

My jaws can swallow the world

But among my fangs

You will sight what you want

"Don't look so shaken boy; even I could solve that one" Alvin said pushing Hiccup forwards.

"But it's talking about Midgard Serpent" Hiccup protested, "Jormungand"

"So?" asked Alvin not seeing the issue.

"You do know about Ragnarok, right?" he asked incredulously.

"You are still a prisoner, don't forget that" Alvin replied placing the tip of his sword on Hiccup's cheek.

"But…"

"Don't be such a coward" sneered Alvin, "Everyone dies eventually and if it is searching for the greatest treasure at the jaws of the most terrifying creature ever, then I am fine with that"

But I am not! Hiccup wanted to shout. He wanted to at least reach adulthood. He begged at whichever god could help to get him out of this mess.

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Toothless flew around the nests of the Changewings looking for some clue of where Hiccup could have been taken. Then a scent caught his nose as he flew around the bottom nests. As he followed, he realized it was blood. He flew almost touching the waters below before he spotted the cave covered in ice. Hiccup had been there. His scent was now strong and mixed with that of dragon blood. He released a high growl and allowed himself to be embraced by the darkness of the tunnel. It took him no time to stumble across the body of the dead Skullion. He could smell the man that took Hiccup.

He caught himself being happy that Hiccup was not hurt as far as he could tell. Happy that the stupid boy was okay? He shook his head and growled to himself. He was not going soft. He growled at himself again. It was the boy's entire fault, for not letting that man kill the pig faced kid. Had he listened to him, they wouldn't be in this situation. He had well in mind on putting a hole through the kids bed when they were back home and a very big chomp on his leg when he least expected it.

"Stupid human," he said as he followed the boy's scent deeper and deeper into the tunnel.

Try to follow us as discretely as possible and bring my sword along, alright bud?"

Now that he thought about it, it had been such a stupid plan. He should have stayed out of it. All he had gotten out of this was getting punched in the face by a Viking, getting tied up, and left soaking in the rain. Actually, why didn't he just turn around and left?

"I am sorry bud,"

Bud? What right did he think he had to call him bud! They were not friends. They only had an agreement, sort of.

"Are you teething? Do you need something? Are you alright bud?" it had been a rainy afternoon and he refused to eat. His gums were killing him.

"Leave me alone," he growled as he turned his back to the boy. He was in so much pain he didn't realize that first time Hiccup called him bud.

"I know what will do the trick!" he said cheerfully, which only made Toothless cringe.

Toothless heard him leave the house and return shortly after with herbs and a wooden mortar and pestle. He listened to the boy crush something in it before a wonderful scent caught his nose. He turned slightly and watched the boy as he turned some dragon nip into a paste before mixing some willow bark and then continued to crush it

"This will make you forget some of the pain" Hiccup said with a smile as he concentrated on his task, "everything will be fine bud"

But Toothless was too distracted by the scent of Dragon Nip to think of a response.

"Open wide, and don't swallow" the dragon for once obeyed without a sneering remark. He felt the cool paste being laid across his aching gums. Soon he was in dragon paradise, "are you purring?"

"Don't ruin it," grumbled Toothless before he heard Hiccup chuckle. He listened to the boy pick what was left and put on a chair nearby, just in case they needed more at later time.

Toothless closed his eyes and heard as the boy went through his routine, and eventually fell asleep. When he woke up, the pain had subsided and before him laid a small basket with fish.

Meow?

He glared at Fiddlesticks, the cat at top of the rafters watching him curiously.

"I bet he has never done something like this for you, ha!" but the cat paid him no mind and instead started washing himself. Feeling stupid for talking to a cat, Toothless didn't say more and started to eat.

Stupid human, making him think and do stupid things.

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"Thank Thor!"

The tunnel had opened into a large cavern where a pond sat in the middle, and rising from it was an enormous stalagmite that had grown so large that it almost touched the ceiling. This particular stalagmite had the shape of a large serpent with open jaws.

"It should be at the top" Hiccup said before Alvin threw him over his shoulder and started towards the slippery stone. Hiccup wondered if it was rare that he was getting used to being carried around like a sack of flour. He tried to think of the good side of things, thought they were very few at comparison of the bad. One, it was not really the Midgard Serpent, two, he wasn't getting wet as Alvin carried him through the pond, three, he might actually get to see the treasure his ancestor gathered even if was the last thing he would probably see.

Then there were the bad sides. He would die very young. He would not see his friends ever again. He remembered Astrid had yet to explain what happened for her to leave. Snotlout would become the next heir. Fishlegs would probably banish himself when that happened. His father would be left all alone. He would never really know what happened with his mother.

"Climb up," Alvin said before Hiccup climbed the remaining of the way to the mouth of the stone serpent. It was not big enough for Alvin, so it was up to him to find where they should go next. He stared in the same direction the mouth was pointing and soon found among the shadows of the cavern another tunnel. As he was turning to go back down, in the back of the stone jaws he saw something shine. As silently as he could he pulled a piece of metal out. It was very similar to the one they had found in the ice. Discreetly he tucked it away with the other piece before going down and leading Alvin forwards.

As they entered the new tunnel, he recalled the last riddle in the so called map.

Are you ready to face your fears?

Break me at your own risk

Loki will haunt you for seven years

You will repent if you are brisk

The weight of the two pieces of metal was heavy on his side. His sword seemed very small and Alvin taller than any man he had ever met. He knew the end was coming close, and yet didn't know how to get out of this mess.

888 Astrid and the Bog Burglars Part 7 888

Astrid was beginning to lose her patience as she listened to another of Camicazi's crazy ideas. For the past two weeks she had been able to keep Camicazi from being captured at least seven times. She found soon after taking the position that Bertha really didn't care about Camicazi stealing things. What worried her was that Camicazi would get capture and then Bertha would have to bargain for her freedom. It had already happened a few times.

"You are insane" Astrid said twirling her axe before cutting a log in mid air. She was once again helping with the kitchen's fire wood behind the kitchen garden.

"C'mon! It will be fun!" Camicazi said with a big mocking smile, "I bet you are dying to see your old tribe"

Astrid missed the next lug and cursed under her breath. She missed no one. Well, maybe she missed her father and friends but that was beside the point. She had no desire whatsoever to go to Berk. She was now a Bog Burglar, nothing else.

"Well?" Camicazi felt her smile widen when she saw how Astrid reacted.

"No," said Astrid with decision.

"You know you don't really have a saying on this, right?" Camicazi said crossing her arms, "after all, you wouldn't want me intruding into the wrong house and upsetting the wrong people, right?"

Astrid dropped her axe on the grass and turned swiftly to face her sister. Of all the devious things she could say, she had to point out Astrid's disgraceful reality. She had no say whatsoever. Quitting was not an option for her. Doing so would be like saying she couldn't keep up with Camicazi.

Camicazi did her best not to cringe when Astrid's glaring eyes landed on her. She hated that Astrid was slightly taller than her as she got closer to her and stopped only a step away. From her charged breathing, she could tell Astrid was very upset. Maybe she had gone too far this time. She clenched her teeth in case it came to the worse.

"Fine," she sighed after a moment before turning to pick her axe again and continuing with the wood.

"You are not just saying that, are you?" Camicazi asked suspiciously.

"No," she said without turning to face her as she cut another log, "we will leave at sunset, so we can be back by dawn and not rouse suspicions"

"I can't wait!" cheered Camicazi, "I heard Stoick the Vast has an incredible collection of weapons!"

"He does," confirmed Astrid looking for something else to cut. She was done with the wood.

"You have been inside his home?" Camicazi looked at her surprised.

Astrid knew the things other tribes said of Chief Stoick. They talked about his massiveness, strength and bravery with reverence. Much the same Shield Maidens talked about Chief Bertha and how every Shield maiden should stride to be like her. She had been a fool for believing all those tales. She knew Stoick was indeed all those things, but he was also short tempered, obstinate, and even pompous at times. She had learned Chief Bertha was not just brave, smart and strong but she was also moody, deceitful, and superficial.

"Yeah," she said dropping to the grass and started to sharpen her axe.

"C'mon, don't just sit there. Tell me about the inside, what is the best thing I can take?"

"I said I would go with you, but don't think for a moment I want to" she said as she continued to sharpen her axe.

"I knew it, once a Hooligan…"

"Yeah, I have heard you before"

"Where are you going?" she asked when Astrid stood up and started to walk away.

"To sleep, we have a long night ahead of us"

She felt weird walking towards the home of the chief though since she started as Camicazi's guard, she was there more than a few times in a day. She didn't bother to knock. Bertha looked up from her comfortable chair and placed her tea down.

"What is did she do this time?" she asked.

"She plans on stealing from Stoick the Vast" she realized she was falling into a routing. Every time Camicazi planned something that she couldn't stop she would inform the chief just in case the two of them got captured.

"Did you try to talk her out of it?" Bertha asked as usual.

"Of course, Chief Bertha" Astrid responded trying to not roll her eyes.

"Then you know what to do," Bertha said picking her cup again.

"Of course Chief Bertha," said Astrid bowing slightly, "we will leave at sunset, so you can expect us back by dawn"

"Astrid, is there something in your mind?" the girl seemed more rigid than usual.

"Yes," she said as she started towards the door, "but it's nothing you should concern yourself with Chief Bertha"

"I will be the judge of that," she slammed her cup down, almost breaking it, "does this trip to Berk bother you? Because if that's the case I can find someone else to guard the heir of our tribe"

"It doesn't bother me at all," she said trying to keep calm.

"What is it then? I can't have you distracted and getting caught. You know I won't be able to work a deal with Stoick the Vast"

"Did you ever think of me?" she asked with a firm voice.

Of course, Bertha wanted to say, Asmund would write of her so many times, praising her strength and beauty. Most of the time she thought he was exaggerating and that Astrid was an ordinary girl.

"Astrid, you know the deal" she reminded her.

"It was simply luck, wasn't it?" she asked keeping her cool, but she could feel her barriers breaking.

"Or destiny," Bertha added.

"It had nothing to do with me," it was as if a weight was taken off her shoulder.

"Not at all" Bertha confirmed.

Astrid started to laugh.

"Have you gone mad?" she stared at the girl slightly worried.

"No, no" she repeated trying to get under control, "Chief Bertha, I am just very happy"

"Explain yourself,"

"I thought there was something wrong for me to be a girl and not be allowed to stay with the tribe. Now I understand that my staying would have caused a rift in the loyalty to the rightful heir of the tribe"

"You are a smart child,"

My father taught me well, she wanted to say.

"Thank you Chief Bertha and you can be sure that I am not only strong but also loyal to you and the rightful heir. There shall be no rift in our tribe because of me"

"I am glad to hear that Astrid, now you may go"

"Thank you Chief Bertha"

And she left. As soon as she made it outside she ran as fast as her legs could carry her into the woods. As soon as she was sure she was deep enough she let out a scream of fury and swung her axe with all her strength.

AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!

She swung it around cutting bushes and branches as she screamed her heart out. It was just bad luck. Stupid Loki granted luck!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

"I heard she could make any man cry by just glaring at them,"

"Well, I heard she took a whole army of Romans all on her own"

"Ha! That's nothing! I heard she stole the whole feast of Norbert the Nutjob's birthday"

"No way!"Astrid cried out. She had only been five years old at the time.

"Yes way! She also went to Lava Lout Island for vacation and made the Lava Louts serve her cool drinks"

How could she have been so stupid to believe all that shit! All of those days she spent only training instead of having fun with her friends. All those days she practiced what she would say to her when she met her when one of the first things she tells her is that she can't declare herself her daughter. All the tears she shed because she thought she was unwanted.

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Then she collapsed in the woods panting, her hand still holding her axe tightly. She had been so stupid. Tears ran down the sides of her face. Eventually she got up again, her whole body ached. So much for resting before they left, she sighed. She took her time walking back to the village. How she wished again to have someone to talk to… She stopped, her eyes not really looking at anything as she thought. Her heart started to race again, but this time for a very different reason. A shaky smile came to her face before she hurried back to the village.

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