Hello! Sheesh, guys, man, I didn't update at all yesterday...

So sorry, but I'll try and update two or three times today to make up for it. :) Just so you all know, "Wolves" is not finished. There'll be a few more chapters...plus, I need to let you all figure out what Astrid found! *fiendish smile* Heh heh heh...

Alright. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :D

Two days passed, and no sign of the Outcasts. They came once or twice to give them meals (fish and stale bread, mostly, along with a water canteen), but that was all Toothless ever really saw of them.

Hiccup didn't wake up. He did, technically, but he was only semi-conscious. He wasn't aware of his surroundings, where he was, or even who he was. When Toothless dropped the water canteen in front of him, Hiccup had drank a little bit, just before falling unconscious again.

At least he was alive. That was the important thing. But Toothless still couldn't help but fear for Hiccup's life. He wasn't getting better, and he had gotten a fever due to the infections in his wounds. The bandages were blood stained, but at least the slashes were no longer bleeding. toothless had thought about licking his wounds and trying to heal him with his "incredible healing properties" saliva, but that meant that he would have to somehow get the bandages off Hiccup, and if the wounds started bleeding again, then that wouldn't be good. Toothless certainly didn't know how to rebandage it, and chances were, in his method to get them off, they would be torn too much to use a second time.

The heavy scent of infection hang in the air, and Toothless blamed himself for it. Maybe he could have fought the Outcasts more as they slammed him into his cage. Maybe he could have escaped somehow, and then have gotten Hiccup out. They could have both flown back to Berk then, easily.

Now, though, Hiccup was sick, and wounded. Toothless didn't know what to do.

He hardly moved at all from his position, and when he did, it was only for a second. He always returned to Hiccup without being away for more than ten seconds at tops.

He refused to leave Hiccup for more than a few moments. He didn't want something else to happen to his rider when he wasn't paying attention. Maybe it was silly, since there was only one door and Toothless could see it perfectly, and the minute an Outcast walked through, he could go back to protecting Hiccup, but the Night Fury still didn't want Hiccup to be alone very long.

It was at that moment that Hiccup groaned. Toothless nuzzled him in an attempt to calm him down, but Hiccup opened his eyes, looking at his dragon with somewhat confusion in his eyes.

"...Toothless…?" he whispered. "Wh...what...h-hap'ned…"

"Don't speak right now, Hiccup," Toothless said. He purred gently, ruffling Hiccup's sweaty hair with his breath. "You're pretty weak."

"I...feel weak," Hiccup said. He suddenly remembered everything; the fight with the Nightmare, being interrogated by Alvin, getting beaten up during his interrogation...all of it. He remembered everything he had said, and everything Alvin had offered him.

It made his blood boil with rage.

"How...how could they not see it?" he said. "Are they really stupid to the point where all the care about is their own selfish ambition? What kind of tribe are they!? All they...care about is just...power...power...power, and more power...they don't care what it costs others. How could they, Toothless? I don't get it. How could anyone be so blind?" He was talking to himself more than anything at that point.

Toothless, however, still responded. "I don't know, Hiccup," he said. "For now, you have to take it easy, though, or else you can hurt yourself again. You've been asleep for two days, Hiccup."

"Two...two days…!?" Hiccup exclaimed suddenly. "Two days!?"

"Okay, shhh, quiet," Toothless said gently. "If the Outcasts figure out you're awake, they'll take you from me again, and hurt you...Hiccup, I'm so sorry. I broke my promise to you. I didn't protect you when you needed me to the most. I'm…"

"It's not your fault, Toothless," Hiccup said, resting his head against Toothless' chest, listening to the soothing beating of the dragon's strong heart. "I know you would have prevented it if you could."

"But...but still," Toothless said. "You're my brother. I have to protect you, Hiccup. When the Outcasts come again, I might just...well...I don't know what I'll do, Hiccup, but it won't be pretty. I'll make sure they pay."

"Th...thanks...bud…" was all Hiccup managed to mumble in reply before dropping off to sleep. Toothless was relieved that he was sleeping instead of just being unconscious. It was good that Hiccup was finally getting the rest he needed in order to get well again.

Another two hours later, Hiccup woke up a second time. This time, he drank some water and ate one of the fish the Outcasts had brought the day before, ignoring how horrible it tasted. He let Toothless have whatever he didn't eat. Hiccup's back burned, and felt as if it were being constantly stabbed by a dagger, but he managed to hide his pain from Toothless.

He didn't want the dragon to be even more worried than he already was. Besides, Toothless already blamed himself for what happened to Hiccup; Hiccup didn't want to make him feel worse.

Hiccup leaned up against the wall. He felt terrible. He knew his wounds were infected (and Toothless did, too), and he had no way to clean them or drain the infection. His forehead was hot, his skin sweaty and clammy, the temperature of the room changing from sweltering hot to freezing cold every few minutes due to his fever.

He didn't recall ever feeling so awful in the past.

Not much longer later, they heard footsteps. Toothless' eyes widened, as did Hiccup's, as they saw the small light of a candle approaching their cell.

"Oh no," Toothless said. "No...no, please no…! Hiccup, they're coming back! The Outcasts are coming back for you, Hiccup! You have to hide, now!"

The idea was appealing to Hiccup, but he knew that there was no hiding from Alvin or the Outcasts.

"Toothless, I…" Hiccup swallowed. He really didn't want to think about what was going to happen. "I have to go, buddy."

"WHAT!?" Toothless shouted. "No you don't! You don't, Hiccup! You can always hide, and I'll make sure the Outcasts don't touch you! You need to get back, Hiccup, before they see you!"

"Toothless…" Hiccup was whispering. The light was getting closer. "I have to go, or else...or else...they could hurt you in a way to make me go."

"They'll hurt YOU if you DO go!" Toothless yelped. "I can't...I can't allow that to happen to you, Hiccup!"

Before Hiccup could answer, the Outcast stopped in front of the door. Or, Outcasts, plural. There were five of them, three of them with swords drawn, one of them holding the candle, another one holding the keys to the prison.

"You're finally up," one of them hissed as he unlocked the cell. "Now, come with us freely, and tell your Night Fury to stay behind, or we might just have to...well...you don't want to know the rest."

Hiccup nodded, standing up, his legs wobbling. The Outcast swung the door open, grabbed Hiccup's arm, and yanked him out of the cell, locking the door behind him before Toothless could react.

Toothless went bonkers.

"HICCUP!" he screeched. "Hiccup, don't let them take you! HICCUP!"

"I'll be back, Toothless!" Hiccup promised. The Outcasts dragged him away; he couldn't even walk, the pain was so great. "I promise you that!"

That was the last thing he said before he was forced away from his best friend.