The time it took for the Council to finally come to a conclusion regarding him seemed to drag on longer than would have been necessary were it not for two specific members. Gobber came into their small house at least every other day to inform them about the newest developments.
But during that time, they had both been put under house-arrest.
Hiccup would've been fine with it if they had a little more space. But the house — really not much more than a hut — was built to accommodate a single person, not two.
Alright, who was he kidding. He also wouldn't have been fine with staying under house-arrest if they had a whole mansion at their disposal. He could only stand the insides for so long. And having already spent a whole month in a minuscule cell in Greuelorm's dungeon and then another one on a small ship, his tolerance for being confined to one space for a longer time had waned rapidly. He had quickly reached a level where he would take sleeping on the muddy ground out in the woods during a storm over a bed as long as it meant he could leave the fucking house.
Hiccup side-eyed his wife.
Astrid wasn't faring any better than him; pacing the length of the ground-floor for the umpteenth time, flipping her axe from hand to hand and back again, turning on her heels to march the same short distance again.
There was only so much they could do all day without leaving the house and they had run out of things to do two days ago. And they couldn't even spent their time tangled up in bed like they had done during their honeymoon because one of those afternoons had caused his wound to open up again. He had bleed all over the bedding, killing the mood quicker than it took a Monstrous Nightmare to ignite itself. Ruffnut had cuffed his head for ruining her stitches on him.
Hiccup added this as another reason why he should really kill Johann the next time he saw that bastard.
Being confined to the house also made Hiccup seriously reconsider his decision to keep hiding his identity for the moment being. Donning the mask whenever someone just walked too close by their door was stressful, but he also didn't want to wander around with it on all the time. It was stuffy underneath it, his face usually feeling sweaty and gross after just a little while. He had never noticed that particular side-effect of his flying mask until now that he wasn't just wearing it while flying where the harsh winds would blow away any sweat and cool him down.
"I feel like I'm going insane," Astrid said. Not for the first time.
"Well, you definitely are driving me insane if you keep that pacing up, love," Hiccup replied, hunched over the table, chin resting on his folded arms.
Astrid threw him a look that wasn't just unamused but plain bored and tired and annoyed by all of Midgard. "Shouldn't you be thinking about a way to fend the dragon raids off before they arrive here?"
"Already did that yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that one. How long has it been?"
Astrid cut a grimace. "Too long."
"And I still have nothing because I'm not let near the dragons to get a fresh picture and test my freaking theories." He groaned and buried his face under his arms.
"I think that was the twenty-seventh time you've told me that now, babe."
"Sorry. But you're kinda the only one here to answer me."
Astrid sighed and flopped down on a chair next to him. "Babe." She poked his shoulder. "As much as I love spending time with you and as much as I love you in general, I really really am kinda…"
"Growing freaking tired of my face?"
She snorted. "Nah, your face is fine. I just maybe need to see more faces than just yours."
Hiccup glimpsed up at her, opening his mouth to shoot a retort. She was faster in shooting him down than he was in sassing, though.
"Don't tell me to go look out of the window. I did that already and it doesn't have the same effect as actually interacting with people."
Hiccup sighed. "I know. I get it. I feel kinda the same."
"I mean, if we were on vacation or just being by ourselves because we chose to it would be different. But house-arrest is just… torture. There is nothing to do!"
Astrid looked longingly at the backdoor of the house; just a couple paces away and yet unattainable to them. Gustav had been set on watch-duty for the afternoon. They weren't able to slip out without attracting his attention, Astrid had already tried as much. Needless to say, without any results other than getting her feet wet from the pouring rain.
A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the door. Hiccup had gotten so lost in mapping every single crack in the wood of the table that he hadn't noticed the footsteps approaching. He startled and scrambled for his helmet, dragging it on clumsily.
"Come in," Astrid calledand the door opened.
Hiccup didn't need to turn in his seat to recognise the heavy footsteps crossing over the threshold. He went rigid for just a split of a moment before turning to their guest.
"Good afternoon, Chief," Hiccup said. Gods, it was an effort not to call him 'Dad' every time he addressed him. He feared he would slip up the moment his attention wasn't entirely on the conversation and the man in front of him. And if he wasn't worrying about his choice of words, Hiccup was mentally reminding himself to just kinda press his voice, adding another layer of distortion the mask already provided.
He really, really did not want his father to find out because of a careless slip up.
"Good afternoon," Stoick replied with a nod to both of them. For a moment, he stood idly by the door, letting his gaze sweep over the ground floor. There really wasn't much to look at, but he still took a long moment to do so.
Hiccup was glad he did, because in that moment Astrid quickly reached across to him and pulled his mask down properly. Hiccup hadn't even noticed in his hurry that his chin wasn't fully covered. The little scar he'd had since he was a baby would've been a too much of an indicator.
"How can we help you, Chief?" Astrid asked and Stoick placed his focus back on them. He seemed oddly distracted.
"Hmm? Oh, yes." The Chief went to sit on the chair Astrid offered him. "Thank you, lass. I need to apologise to the both of you for letting you wait this long. The council was… more difficult than usually coming to an agreement." He folded his hands atop the table.
"And I'm guessing we won't particularly like this agreement?" Astrid guessed, placing a tankard of ale in front of the Chief. He took it, but didn't take a sip.
"Ah, that depends, lass. In general, its a good agreement. But… well, Spitelout was very demanding."
Hiccup watched his wife go completely rigid. "He didn't demand our divorce again, did he?" he asked when it was obvious Astrid was too busy keeping her anger in control to speak up herself.
Stoick eyed him. "No. My nephew was very clear about not letting that happen. He wouldn't force Astrid into marriage. I'm guessing his reasons for that go deeper than simply loyalty among friends."
Astrid relaxed a bit and huffed. "For one, he knows whats best for himself. Two, he's not suicidal like his stupid ass father." She winced the moment those last words left her mouth. "Sorry, Chief, but your brother really has lost most of my respect for him."
The Chief waved her off. "It's alright. I have known him all my life and he's always been that way to an extend." He sighed. "But onto the reason I'm here." He turned to Hiccup, looking so directly at him that Hiccup wanted to cringe under the obvious scrutiny. Stoick's eyebrows dipped in the beginning of a scowl.
"You know that you were deemed not our enemy in regards to Drago Bludvist." Although it wasn't a question, Hiccup still nodded. "The reason you two were put under strict house-arrest was due to your connection to the dragons. You could easily pose a great threat towards the village should you decide we have done you wrong and you are out and about and with free access to your dragon. I couldn't take that risk while we are still suffering from those raids and with Drago looming over out backs."
Hiccup swallowed. That didn't sound that good. Actually, that sounded like his father was preparing to have them both thrown off the island.
"But," Stoick continued, "the Council and I have decided that we can't possibly survive Drago while still under constant attack from the dragons. Our resources are spread thinner than ever and I have lost too many good people to the raids already. I am not going to risk the lives of any more people just because our beliefs differ. So," Stoick looked at them, finally taking a huge gulp from the ale, "you can stay on the island. Your house-arrest is mostly lifted."
Hiccup's shoulders sagged in relief. They were getting out of the house and they could stay. He sent a quick prayer of thanks up to the gods. Then, he reached over to his wife, captured her gaze and her hand. She didn't look as convinced yet.
"Thank you, sir," Hiccup said. "We really just want to help."
"There's a but somewhere in there," Astrid said. "I don't belief for a second there isn't a big fucking but in letting us stay and all. Not when Spitelout and Hoark are involved in any way."
Stoick nodded. "Aye, lass, ye're right about that. There are conditions under which ye can leave the house and stay on Berk. In exchange for letting you stay, you will have ta help us with the raids."
"Of course," Hiccup said. He'd already offered his help in front of the whole council. He didn't see how this was much of a condition. Yet. "Whatever you need me to do."
Stoick regarded him for a second. "Keep the beasts away from the village at all costs. Especially the storage houses. We need all the provisions we have left. Even the slightest amount missing could mean someone won't get enough to eat once winter comes."
Still, so far all this seemed reasonable to Hiccup.
"During the raids, you'll be allowed to take your dragon out of the Arena for that exact reason. If you need to… get into the air to ward the dragons off, then so be it. But only for the raids. I'm still not willing to take unnecessary risks."
Hiccup nodded. This now did seem like a big restriction. One of the big buts Astrid had sniffed out before.
"The Council has also placed a… time limit on you. You'll have to figure out a solution to our dragon problem within three weeks or I'll have to send the both of ye off the island after all."
"Sir," Hiccup tap-tap-tapped his fingers on the table. "I'm not sure… If I'm only allowed to take my dragon for a flight during the raids, I'm nor sure I can figure out much more than what you already know. I have a couple of theories, but none of them are permanent solutions. They aren't strike-once-be-free-forever kinda solutions."
The Chief sighed and took another gulp. "Then ye better get creative and put what ye know from Drago's methods to good use."
"Maybe if you'd allow us to go find the nest, sir?" Astrid suggested. "We coul—"
"No," Stoick interrupted her. "The Council was very clear about not letting you off the island. They want to keep an eye on the both of you and don't want you leaving and maybe never coming back. I can understand why they don't want to risk that. We need all the help we can get with the dragons and Drago."
Hiccup scoffed, "Paranoid bunch. Finding the nest could get us closer to finding a permanent solution. And then all focus could be set on preparing against Drago."
Stoick scowled. "This isn't up for debate. The Council and I have come to a decision and you are either going to follow the parameters or you can start sleeping in jail." With that, the Chief of Berk got up. With the way he was staring down at them he seemed even bigger and more towering than he usually was.
"So," Stoick said, "do we have a deal? You may stay in my village if you help us with the dragons and find a solution within three weeks. Do you accept those terms?"
Hiccup got up as well. He didn't really like the terms under which he and Astrid could stay on Berk. But he couldn't leave the village alone with the dragon raids if he was capable to at least soften the blow a bit. And with Drago's siege on the Archipelago on the horizon, it was even more important to him that he stayed.
He looked over at his wife. This wasn't a decision he got to make just by himself.
Astrid nodded at him and he nodded at his father. "We accept."
"It is a deal, then." Stoick extended his hand and Hiccup grasped it. A formal handshake to seal the deal. It felt weird shaking his father's hand like that. But then he once again reminded himself that this wan't an agreement between father and son. Stoick didn't know who he was making a deal with and Hiccup wasn't ready yet to tell him.
The Chief left them quickly after. Hiccup couldn't blame him. There wasn't much else to talk about and the village still required his attention. Still, it was… a strange feeling flooding through him watching his father leave without yet again having told him all the things he longed to tell him. A good portion of them were apologies.
Astrid came up behind him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face to his neck. She didn't need to speak; Hiccup understood her sympathy without words. He ever so slightly leant back against her, covering her hands in his.
"I feel like I'm the worst son in all of Midgard," he mumbled. She squeezed his hands.
"No, you're not. You're just stubborn and don't know how to talk to your father."
"Well, if you know so good how to communicate with fathers, then how would you tell your father that 'hey, I'm not actually dead and have been living with your enemy for the past five years. Oh, and by the way, mom's also alive.' Yeah, can see that going really well."
Astrid stiffened just a bit. "Well, for one, I wouldn't tell my father that my mom's still alive," she whispered and Hiccup ripped open his eyes, realising what he had just said.
He turned around to his wife, taking his mask off. Her eyes were shining with building up tears in memory of her deceased mother. Hiccup mentally scolded himself for his carelessness and took her face in his hands.
"I'm sorry. I didn't— I wasn't thinking what I was saying."
A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and he brushed it away with his thumb. She sniffed.
"It's alright. I—I— I really don't know why I'm getting all teared up over this." She shook her head and closed her eyes. Another tear slipped down and she furiously rubbed at her eyes. "It's been—Gods, it's been over a year and a half since she—she," Astrid sniffed again, voice trembling. "Since she died. I should be— I dunno. I shouldn't be crying over it anymore." She looked away and grasped for something hanging from her neck. Her mother's pendant.
Hiccup hadn't realised she was wearing it again. She had put it away safely into its little chest for so long. Something had changed for her to take it out again.
"Hey," he said and guided her face back to him. She let the tears flow freely from her eyes now, sniffing occasionally. "It's alright. You loved your mom, you miss her. It's okay to still mourn her."
"I just really wish she were here right now," Astrid whispered. She leant forward and buried her face in his chest, hands gripping his tunic. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her, holding his wife tightly as she thought of her late mother.
"I know, love," he murmured and stroke her hair.
After a little while, Astrid sniffed and rubbed at her face. She had stopped shaking with silent sobs and seemed to be composing herself. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."
Hiccup kissed her forehead. "It's alright, Astrid. There's been so much going on lately. Missing your mom right now is only natural. And what kind of husband would I be to judge you for grieving?"
She cracked a half-smile. "The one that wouldn't have survived the fist winter of our marriage." She took a deep breath and stood up a little straighter. "Thank you."
"For better, for worse, through hardship and happiness alike, remember?" he recited one small part of their vows. "You were there for me when Drago drove me absolutely crazy and when… Valka decided our happiness wasn't worth enough. The least I can do is be there for you when you need me in return." He pushed an astray lock of hair back behind her ear.
She rose up on her tiptoes and he met her halfway to press a tender kiss to her lips.
They were both hurting, both overwhelmed by the situation. But at least they were going through this together.
"I love you," she whispered against his lips.
"I know. I love you too," he replied and kissed her again. Then he drew back and reached once again for his mask. "Now lets get out of this damned house, look at some faces that aren't ours, and check up on poor Toothless."
Hiccup was glad they had made a detour for the harbour before going to the Arena.
People had been staring at him and whispering behind held up hands and pointing fingers, some sneered at him and definitely no one dared greet them. He couldn't really blame them for it, but it still felt worse than how they had behaved toward him before he'd left. He was the center of attention and probably the number one topic off gossip. Right then, he was glad for the mask covering his face and his cringe.
Let them talk, his inner voice said. Let them speculate. As long as they do that they aren't already trying to burn your house down for heresy.
The fisherman handing them a meagre basket of fish seemed to be caught between terror and hate.
It seemed that people feared him now for the same reason they despised him. He had come into their midst riding a Night Fury. No matter what the Council had decided, there was no ounce of trust toward him coming from the village.
Hiccup had been subject to strong dislike before; but that he could be someone people were afraid of? It had never crossed his mind. And he definitely didn't like it. It was unsettling and reminded him too much of how Drago was perceived by those that didn't just know him as a very successful business man.
Hiccup would rather be hated vigorously than be even remotely on the same scale of terror-inducing-capabilities as his stepfather.
The guards in front of the Arena contemplated whether to let them in or not until a screech sounded inside the Ring and a purple blast hit the stone wall next to them. They scrambled backward with their weapons raised.
Toothless.
Hiccup clutched the small basket of fish tighter, impatient to see his beloved dragon again and confirm he was unharmed.
"We should cross-check with the Chief before letting ye inside there," one of the guards said and his colleague nodded strongly. Hiccup thought their faces looked familiar — just like most older faces on Berk — but he couldn't place names to them.
"Just out of curiosity," Hiccup said, "you have checked if that gate and the chains are plasma-blast-proof. Right?"
The guards exchanged a troubled look and Hiccup pointedly ignored the you-gotta-be-kidding-me look his wife sent him.
"Uhh, no. We just always assumed they were since they are Nadder-fire-proof."
"Nadder fire is the hottest, yes," Hiccup explained with a cheerful tone. Oh it was fun seeing them squirm and wonder if they'd been in danger of facing a pissed off Nigh Fury head on. He wasn't a sadist by far, but this was too good a source of entertainment to pass up on. Gods, he had been way too bored locked up in that small house. "But did you know that metal is way more likely to burst when you apply heat and forceful impact? A plasma blast won't just char, it'll… well… blast."
The guards exchanged another look, trying to hold up their tough viking demeanour.
"Look," Hiccup continued. "All I'm saying is, maybe don't piss off a Night Fury you desperately try to keep locked up. Won't really end well for any one involved. And—"
"And right now said Night Fury would very much like to see his rider," Astrid interrupted him and tugged him to the entrance. She swung around to the guards, walking backwards and pointing her axe blade first. "Open that gate. Now."
The two men were quick to comply. They winched the gate open. Hiccup ducked through under it the moment the space was wide enough. He was tackled down by a black mass almost immediately, a sloppy tongue dragging right across him.
"Toothless," he exclaimed with a laugh, throwing his arms around the thick neck. The second time in way too fast that he had to reunite with his dragon under less than ideal circumstances.
The basket of fish had emptied out across the ground when Toothless had knocked him down. And as much as Toothless was obviously overjoyed to see him, he was quickly drawn away by the smell of fish. Hiccup didn't think he had seen Toothless gulp down fish this fast since he had build him his artificial tailfin.
Hiccup examined his friend as he was speed-feeding. The black scales were dull, lacking most of their sheen. The faint outlines of his skeleton were visible, mostly of the ribs. Hiccup curled his fists.
"Didn't you say they would keep feeding him?" Hiccup asked with a tight voice. Astrid sat crouched down beside him, a scowl on her face to match his own.
"Yes," she said, "they did. Maybe I need to have another talk with Fish and Tuff. I had asked them to keep an eye on him."
Toothless stuck his nose into the little basket, sniffing for more fish. When he realised there were none, he turned back to the two humans, crooning sadly.
Hiccup reached out to him, scratching the spots he knew Toothless liked. "I'm sorry, bud. We don't have any more. That's all they'd give to us."
Toothless crooned again and it broke Hiccup's heart. "I know, bud."
If they would just let him take Toothless on flights, they wouldn't even need to spare fish for him. They'd be able to catch their own and maybe even haul in a couple extra nets for the village in return.
"I'll talk to Snot," Astrid said, showering the dragon in affections as well. "Maybe he can talk to the Council again to change their mind on Toothless' arrest.
Hiccup sighed. "I doubt they will. At least, not as long as Spitelout has anything to say."
Toothless bumped his nose against Hiccup's head. Then he looked longingly up at the sky and flapped his wings.
Hiccup had to look away, his heart clenching painfully for his dragon companion. He wasn't able to bring Toothless enough food and he wasn't allowed to take him out for a much needed flight. Sometimes he hated himself for it. For not being able to give Toothless the life he deserved.
He would have to talk to his father again. He wouldn't let Toothless suffer the consequences of the Councils mistrust and prejudices.
=0=
Snotlout wasn't usually awake during the late hours of night when there wasn't a raid to fight. His days were packed so full of tasks and duties that he would be asleep the moment his head hit the pillow in the evening. To see the moon already make its descent back down to let morning rise a while later wasn't something he got to experience often; and most certainly not voluntarily.
But today had been a weird day and his thoughts just wouldn't die down to let him find some much needed sleep.
Ever since Astrid had introduced him to her dragon back on Raven Point, Snotlout had found himself hesitating to deliver the killing blow during the raids that had followed. He had never needed to question his belief that the dragons were their enemies until recently and it thoroughly messed with his mind.
And now today he had watched Astrid and her husband visit the Night Fury in the Arena. He hadn't intended to spy on them when he had decided to follow them, but curiosity had gotten the better of him. He had crossed the bridge after them and had slipped by while they had been busy talking to the guards. Snotlout had circled to the other side of the Ring without being noticed by anyone. What he had witnessed once the guards had allowed Astrid and Horren past and through the gate had been terrifyingly breathtaking.
The Night Fury had bound across the Arena and knocked Horren over, covering the man in slobber. The dragon had reacted more like a puppy than the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. And while he had been told that dragons were sympathetic and loving creatures now a couple of times by Astrid and her husband, seeing it come real…
Somehow, in the back of his mind, he had still though Astrid's dragon to be an exception from the bloodthirsty beasts he had known dragons to be. The Night Fury had proven him wrong.
Snotlout had left the Kill Ring with wavering beliefs and a growing headache. With his mind still with the dragon and the man that seemed to be the master of them, Snotlout went into the forest. He wandered aimlessly about for a while, trying to get his thoughts back on track to continue with his duties as Stoick's heir. He hadn't even noticed that his feet had carried him almost all the way over to Raven Point until he noticed he wasn't alone anymore.
"Mate, if you continue down that path your pretty face will meet with a very deep drop."
Snotlout had whirled around, sword drawn in defense while his heart was daring to gallop right out of his chest. It stopped for a beat before stumbling on when he saw the tall figure of Eret.
Odin above, he had tried so hard forgetting the attractive man and had almost been successful. Until now, that was.
A blush crept over Snotlout's neck and into his cheeks and he swore to cover up his embarrassment. Eret was even more handsome now that he could see the young man in broad daylight.
"What the Helheim are you doing out here?" Snotlout demanded. "If anyone sees you, you're gonna end up in jail and I can't vouch for anything."
Eret smirked at him and Snotlout was once again reminded how strongly he was attracted to men. The specimen right in front of him in particular. "No one's gonna notice me, mate. But nice to know you're already worrying about me."
"I—I'm not worried about you. But you're Astrid's friend and she already has enough on her plate as it is," Snotlout said defiantly, pushing his sword back into the scabbard with his chin jutted forward. "She doesn't need you in jail when she's just barely avoided being locked up there herself. Husband included."
Eret's whole demeanour changed, going from flirtatious to serious and concerned in a heartbeat "Are they okay? Is that why they haven't come up here yet?"
Snotlout nodded. "The Council put them under house arrest until they could agree on what to do with them." He scratched the back of his neck and looked at the dirt he kicked up with his boots. "My father was one of the louder voices calling for jail… or worse."
"You… didn't agree with him, though, did you?" The wariness in Eret's voice was to be expected — after all, they didn't even really know each other. It still sucked.
"Of course not!" Snotlout said immediately. "I was defending them. Like— Come on, man. Astrid is one of my best friends. She trusted me enough to introduce me to you and her dragon—"
"Stormfly. Her name's Stormfly."
"Right. Stormfly." Still also felt fucking weird calling a dragon by name instead of saying their species. "But do you really think I would still rat her out and betray her like that? What kind of shit friend do you think I am?"
Eret shrugged. "Can't really say since I don't really know you. But you're right, she trusts you so that must stand for something."
Snotlout gave a confirmative grunt. A beat of silence fell between them that turned into a moment that stretched on. Snotlout shuffled his feet, not really knowing what to say or how to behave. And the longer he stood there, the more glances he threw at the other man, the warmer his cheeks grew. He could feel his heart pounding fast in his chest, the rhythm vibrating up into his throat.
Eret was the one to end the silence, moving toward him and placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Hey, mate?"
"Hmm?" Snotlout didn't trust himself with his voice. Not while Eret, son of Eret was standing so close that he could see the specks of gold in his brown eyes and the grey undertones of the tattoo on his chin.
"Give Horren a chance, yeah? He's a good man."
He nodded. "Oh. Yeah, sure."
Eret nodded, clapped him on the shoulder and then strode off toward the hidden cove. Snotlout had stared after him for a while until the forest had swallowed him.
Snotlout hadn't been able to get the other man off his mind for the remainder of the day and most of the night. How could he be crushing so hard on a man he barely knew and had only seen twice so far?
And with tame dragons and a handsome man occupying his thoughts and effectively keeping him from sleep, Snotlout finally gave up and threw the furs off himself. He got up with a groan. Maybe a stroll through the village would clear his head.
He pulled on his boots, his nightshift not so different from what he wore during the day in case an emergency arose during the night. Nightgowns and the like weren't really a thing on Berk; not with the dragon raids occurring frequently.
The night was colder than the he would've liked. Like this, it was hard to imagine that summer wasn't all that far away anymore. Snotlout shivered when he pulled the door of his father's house close behind him, careful not to wake his parents. Or rather, careful not to wake his mother. He didn't really care if his father was loosing sleep, he'd be insufferable either way.
The village was quiet and cast in pale moonlight. Everyone was asleep except for himself and the guard sitting close to the fire on the watch-tower. The night felt peaceful and Snotlout doubted they'd be getting a visit from the dragons still tonight. Had they wanted to strike, they already would've.
He wandered the paths between houses without any real destination in mind — just as he had wandered the forest earlier that day. He let the moon's light decide his path until he emerged at the village square, standing idly at its edge. He let his eyes wander, subconsciously looking for anything out of the ordinary. Unsurprisingly, he found nothing. Of course. Everyone was asleep and there weren't any signs for a raid. The tribes of the Barbaric Archipelago had long ago ceased to raid each other — too preoccupied with keeping the dragons at bay until recently. Though, Snotlout suspected Berk was left alone since they seemed to be the only ones still plagued by them. Why, he didn't know. Fishlegs had suggested it might be because they were the closest of all islands to Helheim's Gate and the dragons just didn't bother anymore with travelling greater distances when Berk was right at their feet. Or claws, Snotlout supposed.
A moment later, Snotlout continued his meandering. The other side of the village was a little more uphill, following the natural slope of the mountain in the middle of the ocean Berk was situated upon. There were few places on their island that were plane and most of them were artificial. An unruly environment for an equally unruly people.
Snotlout hated the thought of one day having to be the leader of those people.
Snotlout wasn't surprised when he found himself near Astrid's house. He'd taken the same route as when they'd taken Horren up here, the man seeming more dead than alive at the time. For Astrid's sake — and also partially his own — he was glad that Gothi and Ruff had been able to patch the man back up. Back in the Kill Ring, Astrid had looked so happy with her husband and the dragon and Snotlout wished for his friend that she could continue to stay happy. Astrid deserved a whole fucking lot of happiness for all the shit she'd had to endure in the past, in Snotlout's opinion. He'd personally punch anyone in the nose for daring to say differently.
Lately, his father was putting up a lot of effort to get to the very front of that queue.
Snotlout was about to turn around and head back to his bed. The night's cold air was creeping into his bones and sweet sleep was finally calling for him. He retreated back into one of the narrow pathways when he noticed a figure stepping into the window of Astrid's bedroom. At first, Snotlout just disregarded it as Horren — seeing as the figure was too tall and a little too broad to be Astrid. It shouldn't have made him stop in his retreat. Many people came looking out the window at night when they couldn't sleep. So what?
But in the pale moonlight, he could make out that Horren had forgone the mask he usually wore. Probably thinking himself safe in the dead of night.
Snotlout kept to the shadow of a house as he took a closer look.
He shouldn't have. Now, he was definitely not getting any sleep tonight. He immediately took a couple stumbling steps backwards, clutching his hair.
And there was no way that what he was seeing could be real.
Except that it was and now everything that had struck him as familiar about Horren made a whole lot of fucking sense. Even if he kind of didn't want it to be real. Couldn't believe it to be real.
There was no way that his cousin had survived a Night Fury.
Except that the prove was right in front of him and had been the entire time ever since Astrid had told him about the dragons' true nature.
There was a tame Night Fury in the Kill Ring right now, for crying out loud!
Snotlout willed his feet to take him away, back to his own house. The entire way, disbelieve circled his thoughts, trying to outrun the clear evidence that had stood in Astrid's window.
And there was no mistaking it for a play of light or a plain hallucination.
Not when Horren looked like Hiccup, only a couple years older. He couldn't have imagined the resemblance to Stoick, either.
Snotlout stumbled inside, not caring anymore who he might wake up as he rummaged for one of the small casks of Ale he knew his father always kept stashed. He took one of them to his room and barred the door. He certainly didn't want to be surprised by his parents when he was still trying to process with the help of alcohol.
He settled down on his bed, already chugging the liquor down like he was dying of thirst. Though, it felt more like drowning.
Hiccup was alive.
Quarter the small cask was empty within a couple big gulps. He didn't intend on drinking himself into oblivion, but the burn of the alcohol running down his throat was a good distraction from what he'd just discovered. At least for a moment.
A wooziness took over him when the cask was half way done. Usually he had a higher tolerance than this, but dinner had been hours ago and he wasn't pacing himself either.
Snotlout had half a mind to throw off his shoes before slumping back against the pillow, staring at the ceiling.
Hiccup wasn't dead. Hiccup was Hooren. Horren was Hiccup.
Why was he calling himself Horren? Such a stupid name.
Snot took another swig, then snorted.
His middle name. Horren. Horrendous. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Real creative, cuz.
Snotlout pinched his eyes shut.
Why hadn't Astrid just told him? She had trusted him with Eret and Stormfly. Why not with this? She knew… She knew how he felt about his cousin's — supposed — death. It stung like hell; not being told by the person he considered his closest friend and being deceived like this.
In that moment, Snotlout hated his cousin. For dying. For not being dead after all. For leaving him to play Stoick's heir and having had to endure years of reprimanding and not ever being good enough for anything and anyone.
One last swig — a long one — and Snotlout noticed that he had almost finished the cask and his head was swimming. He corked it closed, chucked it at his nightstand, missed, and watched it drop to the floor and roll underneath his weapon rack. He rolled onto his stomach with a groan.
Tomorrow. He would go back over to Astrid's and demand answers tomorrow. Tonight, he would allow himself to be angry and hurt while no one could see him.
=0=
Even with their house-arrest lifted, going into the forest without at least three paranoid Vikings trailing them seemed almost impossible.
"Like this, we'll never get to the cove," Hiccup groaned behind his mask, his eyes rolling dramatically.
Astrid nodded and stopped in her tracks to sit on a stray boulder in their path. She drew her axe onto her lap. The shadows following them in the early morning-light disappeared behind underbrush. Astrid scoffed.
"I swear to Thor," she said, just loud enough to make sure their followers could hear her, "if they don't leave us alone already, I'll start throwing my axe at some trees. If I accidentally hit one of them, I won't be sorry."
Hiccup chuckled. "Since when do you hit anything by accident?"
Astrid shot her husband a mischievous grin. "I don't." She twirled her axe and aimed at a tree. The moment she released it, she heard Vikings scampering away, back to the village.
If more were following them, Astrid couldn't see or hear them as they continued through the forest. The closer they got to the cove, the more jittery Hiccup got; fiddling with his tunic's hem, taking his mask off only to put it back on a second later, tapping his hand against his thigh.
"Alright, what's got you so worked up?" Astrid asked when the boulder behind which the entrance to the cove was hidden came into sight.
"Nothing," Hiccup said. "I just really am in no mood to be ripped a new one by Heather just because I went solo and got a minor injury."
Astrid levelled an unamused look at him. "Minor?" She clenched her jaw. If Heather was there and she was chewing Hiccup out for his stupidity, she wouldn't stop her friend.
"Alright, maybe not so minor," Hiccup conceded, probably catching the edge to her voice.
"Damn straight, babe."
"But still. The village barely leaves us alone and the council kinda stresses me out. I just want a nice and peaceful morning with my friends to forget about all this." He gestured back towards the village. "Maybe not the smartest wish, since we'll have to talk tactics, but… yeah."
They skidded down the slope behind the boulder.
The first sound that greeted them from the cove was Stormfly's excited trilling. Astrid's face lit up. Her clever Nadder had probably heard them coming a while ago. Astrid heard her fluttering her wings and stomping her feet like she did whenever she was excited.
At the bottom of the slope, the voices of their friends reached them, too, trying to hush the Nadder; without success. Astrid was the first to enter the cove, jumping over one last rock, and was almost thrown over by Stormfly greeting her eagerly.
"Hey, girl," she cooed and scratched her dragon under the chin. Stormfly cawed happily and nuzzled her hair. "Yes, I know. I missed you, too."
A moment later, Hiccup appeared beside her, mask already dangling from his hand, hair mussed and standing in all directions. "Hey, Stormfly," He said and scratched the dragon's beak. "Where're the others, huh?"
Stormfly flapped her wings and looked pointedly at one of the boulders within the cove. She cawed happily again and a moment later Eret and Heather poked their heads out from behind it.
Astrid beamed at her friends, especially happy to finally see Heather again. Heather apparently was, too, since she grinned right back at her, let out a little happy sound and quickly crossed the distance between them.
The only time Astrid had seen her friend run this fast had been when she'd spotted a particularly beautiful set of daggers at the Markets and hadn't wanted anyone else to buy them in the few moments it took her to reach the booth and whip out her purse. Astrid didn't even bother moving before she found herself with an armful of Heather squeezing her tightly.
"Oh my Gods!" Heather said, almost squealing. "You're here and you're okay."
Astrid laughed and hugged her back. "It's good to see you, too. I missed you."
"Missed you, too, girl." Heather pulled away to hold Astrid at arms length, scrutinising her from head to toe. "Don't you ever leave me again with only a letter telling me what's going on! Do you know how fucking worried I was when I came back to find you gone, Hiccup in freaking jail, and Eret slouching around being a miserable shithead? And do you know how scary it is to think your best friend is dead because she went with some crazy traitorous Trader? Do you?"
"Um…"
"And you!" Heather glared at Hiccup, not letting go of Astrid. Hiccup slowly turned around from greeting Eret, cringing. "Have you completely lost your mind? Has the sea-air blown every last ounce of intelligence and common sense out of your oversized head or what the fuck was that stunt you pulled?"
"So right to the ripping my head off, huh?" he said in his usual sarcasm. He cringed again when Heather glared daggers at him.
"You could've gotten yourself killed, asshole. And then what? Wait for the cavalry to arrive while you're bleeding out? I swear to Thor, it's a fucking miracle you haven't gotten yourself killed already."
"To be fair, though, if I thought Johann was gonna kill me for real, I would've taken him down."
There was a beat of silence before both Heather and Eret erupted.
"WHAT!"
"You didn't kill him?" Eret yanked at his hair. "Mate, you better be kidding me."
Astrid didn't think it possible for he husband to cringe even more; but he did.
"I— no?"
Heather took a deep breath, turned to Astrid and said in an eerily calm voice, "Astrid, your husband is a fucking moron. Permission to put him out of his misery before he manages to get us all killed?"
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "The only one allowed to haul him up to Valhalla would be me, thanks."
"Thank you, Astrid," Hiccup said, visibly relieved that at least someone seemed to be on his side. Astrid was quick to cut that illusion down.
"Don't thank me. They have a point and you know it. Going to confront Johann on your own was pretty fucking stupid. Not killing him while you had the chance, even ore so."
Hiccup pouted. "Some friends I have here."
"Alright," Eret rubbed his hands together, looking around as if he was expecting someone else to magically appear. "Where've you left dreamy-eyes?"
Heather groaned and Astrid bit back laughter.
"Berk. I'm not taking him with me all the time," she said.
"Aw, but you promised to bring him again next time you come visit."
Hiccup snorted. "Since when are we calling Snotlout dreamy-eyes?"
"Since that big fool over there ran into him in the forest yesterday," Heather supplied. "Until you came, he couldn't stop talking about it."
Eret had the decency to blush even if he didn't look one bit embarrassed; he even grinned. "What can I say? I seem to have a thing for beautiful, black-haired people." He winked at Heather who only shook her head.
"You're hopeless."
"Maybe. But Snotty seems to like me, too. Those dreamy eyes and red cheeks don't lie. I just wonder how much more I could make him blush if I—"
"Aaand I'm gonna interrupt you right there," Hiccup said and held up his hands, eyes squeezed shut. "You do know Snot is my cousin, right? I told you about him."
Eret blinked. "Wait. Those are the same person? The idiot who always made fun of you and the cutie with the great butt? The same man?"
Hiccup deadpanned. "Well, apparently. But I've never looked that closely at his butt, so I dunno. Maybe you're only hallucinating."
"Damnit." Eret chewed on his lower lip. "Would you mind terribly if I still want to bed him?"
Hiccup sighed, rolling his eyes. "I don't care, Ret. As long as I don't need to hear all the things you wanna do to my cousin, go ahead and do your thing. Just please, don't tell me all the nitty gritty details of it. He's my cousin and I do not need those pictures in my head, thank you very much…"
Eret waved him off and then winked at Astrid. "Eh, I'll just bother Astrid with it then."
Next to her, Heather sighed in relief. "Oh thank the Gods. I already know way to much about any of this."
"Please don't let me suffer this alone," Astrid begged, grasping Heather.
"Sorry, girl. But this is on you. You introduced them, now deal with the consequences."
"And thank you for introducing him to me," Eret added, coming round to envelop Astrid in a side-hug. He opened his mouth to say more, the glint in his eyes suggesting something about his crush on Snotlout. But then he furrowed his brows and looked down at Astrid, patting her waist.
"What?"
"Please don't hit me," he said, "but have you been binge-eating since I last saw you?"
Astrid ripped her eyes open, fuming at the implication. She pushed Eret off her. "What the fuck! Eret!"
The man in question held up his hands, slowly backing away. "I'm sorry! I just-"
"You can't just go around asking people if they've gained weight," Heather said.
Hiccup just watched them all with an amused smile on his face. Astrid glared at her husband. He was no help at all.
"I was just wondering!" Eret said, having reached Stormfly's chest. The dragon looked at him with her head skewed to the side, squawking. "You just kinda felt a little bigger. Your tunic doesn't really show anything so I was just… I just wanted to know," he yowled.
"I have not been binge-eating."
"Yes, I got that."
"Oh my Thor," Heather breathed.
"This is hilarious," Hiccup commented.
"Great that you find this so damn amusing, babe." Astrid folded her arms in front of her chest. Men.
Hiccup stepped up to her, putting his hands on her arms to soothe her. "Maybe we should tell them?"
"Tell us what?"
Astrid shook her head. "I was going to, but now I don't wanna. Now while Eret is such a dickhead."
"Oh my Thor," Heather said again, voice rising in pitch. "Oh. My. Thor."
"What?"
Hiccup nodded his head toward their friend. "I think Heather figured it out."
"Good, but I'm not telling Eret."
"Oh, come on!" Eret sulked. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to step on your toes."
"Shut up, Eret," Heather said and pulled Astrid away from Hiccup and into a crushing hug. "Sweet Freya, I'm so happy for you."
Astrid laughed. She was mad at Eret, but Heather's enthusiasm almost made up for it. "Guess those ugly goddess figurines did their job, eh?"
Heather snorted. "If that's what you want to believe, then go ahead. But I think it may have more to do with you two wearing out your bed than some ridiculous figurines."
"True that."
"What is going on?" Eret whined and the others broke out in laughter. "No, seriously. What the hell does me commenting on Astrid's weight have to do with Heather freaking out, goddesses, and wearing out a bed? And— oh." Eret cut himself off and Astrid could practically see the pieces fitting together in his head. "Oh!" He stared at her middle, mouth hanging open, eyes comically wide.
Heather let go of Astrid to congratulate Hiccup while Astrid waited for some other reaction from her friend. Other than staring at her belly. She crossed her arms in front of her. "Are you gonna say anything else or are you just gonna stare at me?"
Eret snapped out of his stupor, shook his head and laughed. "Sorry, Ast. Kinda blanked there." Then he tugged Hiccup and Astrid close into a crushing hug. "Aw, I knew it wouldn't take you two long to expand the family."
"Thanks, Ret," Hiccup said. "I guess."
Eret hugged them a little tighter and didn't seem to want to let go any time soon. He didn't look like it, but he was big on physical affection and a big cuddler, if a little to enthusiastic with it at times. Astrid tapped his chest.
"Eret, you're kinda crushing me," she said and he let go immediately.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry. I guess that baby-belly is only going to take up more space from now on, eh?"
"Careful with the wording," Hiccup advised him. "You just dug yourself out of one hole; don't fall into the next one already."
Astrid felt a little lighter having told her friends and receiving nothing but supportive excitement. Though, Heather did voice concerns for the timing of the pregnancy.
"It's not like I decided to be pregnant," Astrid defended herself. "It just happened. If anyone has bad timing, then it's Drago. Not me or the baby."
Neither of them could stop Eret from teasing Hiccup about getting her pregnant, though. But it was just his way of showing his excitement for them. And as long as he stayed far away from mentioning Astrid's weight, she didn't mind all that much. And there was no denying it; she was getting bigger every day and wouldn't be able to hide her baby-bump under a loose tunic in about a week or two at most. It was freaky and exciting, but also scary.
"When do you suppose Drago will arrive in the Archipelago?"
"Well, the men at the Northern Market said that they'd start invading Bog, Hysteria, and so on and so forth. They should've arrived there already. But all the islands they mentioned were kinda on the outskirts of the Archipelago," Heather said.
"Maybe they want to circle us in?" Astrid suggested. It would make sense. Berk was situated rather centrally and that seemed to be the biggest thorn in Drago's eye. Having it surrounded by enemy invasion would be effective in making the conquering easy for Drago. They had no where to run should he come with his armada for them.
"You think Bog would be so easily subdued?" Hiccup asked. "They have the strongest force in the Archipelago to fight back with."
Eret shook his head. "They won't be suspecting Drago's men to be coming for them."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Astrid said. "I warned Stoick about Drago the moment I was back. He dispatched warnings for the other tribes with some fishermen before Johann's ship left the port again."
Eret chewed on his lip. "Alright, but Drago's had his men scattered across the Archipelago for years. You think he wouldn't be prepared for some kind of early warning system between the tribes? He's had me intercepting correspondences before and I know I wasn't the only one. Did those fishermen ever come back?"
Astrid hesitated. "Not all. But their ships aren't that big and fast. They could arrive back any day."
"How much does Berk know, anyway?" Heather asked. They all sat on the ground around a small fire, cooking fish on sticks. Heather pulled hers away from the flame, scrutinising it. "I don't suppose anyone knows we're here, hiding in a cove with another tame dragon."
Hiccup snorted. "They don't even know its me underneath that mask."
"You should just tell them. Especially your father."
"I know, but—"
"Hiccup, the longer you wait, the more you'll lose their trust when you eventually do tell them," Heather said. "And don't you miss your dad? Don't you want to just have your dad in your life again? I understand how you fell out with Valka after what she pulled, but… I guess I just don't understand how you can hide from him so long and keep lying to him." Heather averted her eyes, staring intensely at the flames.
Astrid reached over and squeezed her friend's hand. Heather missed her brother; she'd told Astrid about Dagur, not wanting any more secrets between the four of them. They may not be able to tell the people around them everything, and be truly honest, but at least they had each other to just be themselves with. To not weigh each word before it was spoken and just relax.
"I do want to talk to my dad," Hiccup said after a moment, quietly. "I'm just… afraid of what he'll say. I already lost my mother because she didn't see eye to eye with me. I- I don't think I could stand losing my dad as well." He tugged his and Astrid's fish out of the fire, the flesh cooked to the point. "And I'd have to tell him about Valka. I'm… I'm not ready to hurt him like that. Not while I'm still not completely over it myself."
=0=
Most of the village was in the Great Hall, eating lunch , by the time they got back from the cove. They debated going, too, but Hiccup was still wary about being among the villagers. Sure, he'd help them during the raids now, but he knew most of them didn't trust him. And he really could do without being harassed into exposing his identity for a while longer. It would be a big enough drama when he eventually lifted his mask; no need to do it over lunch.
So, they trudged back to their small house.
Hiccup had enjoyed the few hours during which he could take off his mask and the house felt safe enough that he risked leaving his face bare as well. Berkians weren't know for their manners and knocking on doors before entering, but — thank the Gods — they were loud enough to hear them three houses over, no problem.
Maybe he really should just come clean, like Heather had told him. The longer he lied to Berk, the more he'd loose their trust. And he desperately needed to stay in their good graces. Astrid was so happy being back home and he didn't want to take that from her again just because they were being exiled. Or he was being exiled. She'd told him often enough that she wouldn't leave him if it came to that. He'd tried to argue with her on it. But the only real argument he could come up with why she should stay on Berk even if he couldn't was their unborn child. Still, he was falling on deaf ears on that front. He couldn't help loving her even more for her stubbornness, even though it was sometimes driving him mad.
Astrid was the first at the door, opening it with a smile gracing her face; it hadn't left since the cove. Until now. The smile slowly faded and transformed into a frown, her eyebrows drawing together. Hiccup, standing next to her, couldn't see yet what had soured her mood so.
"What the Hel do you think you're doing?" she asked, confused.
"We need to talk." That was Snotlout.
Hiccup nudged his wife inside, pulling the door close behind him. Snotlout was sitting at the table, looking rather pissed off and spun one of Astrid's many weapons — a dagger — between his hands. One that Hiccup had made. With his initials engraved just above the hilt. His breath stopped, heat pounding in his ears.
"Snotlout." Astrid stomped over to the young man, ripping her weapon out of his hands. "You can't just come in here unannounced. Especially when we're not here! That's trespassing and you know I hate that." She waved her dagger at him while she spoke and then, to punctuate her words, plunged it deep into the table, a hairs-breadth away from Snotlout's fingers.
Snotlout didn't even flinch. He merely took a deep breath and grabbed the dagger again, his eyes ablaze, skipping back and forth between Astrid and Hiccup. "You have some explaining to do."
Hiccup swallowed nervously as his cousin's gaze came to a halt on him. There was still a chance that he didn't know, that there was something entirely different Snotlout needed to talk about and Hiccup was just being paranoid.
"What do you mean?" Astrid asked. Her shoulders were tense and Hiccup could see the anxiousness in her posture. She was being just as paranoid as him, it seemed.
"Don't play dumb, Ast. You should've just told me," Snot said, caught between anger and sadness. He stood up rather abruptly. His eyes were still locked on Hiccup when he addressed him next, stabbing in his direction with the dagger. "I saw you at the window last night."
That was all it needed for Hiccup to realise that his paranoia had been valid. He paled underneath his mask, knowing he hadn't worn it last night. He had thought himself safe in the dead of night with the village sound asleep. All — it seemed — except for Snotlout. He swallowed hard.
Slowly and with shaking hands, Hiccup lifted the mask from his face. There was no dancing around it anymore. He couldn't look his cousin in the eyes.
"You bastard," Snotlout breathed. "You utter bastard."
Hiccup opened his mouth to reply with something witty almost out of reflex. He closed his mouth without saying anything. Whatever Snotlout had to say to him about all… this mess, he probably deserved it. Astrid had reacted intense upon learning he wasn't as dead as Berk thought. But Snotlout was — though they've never been particularly close — family. His whole world had shifted the moment Hiccup had disappeared and Astrid had told him that not all changes had been good for Snot.
"I'm so sorry," Hiccup eventually said quietly, voice small. Through his fringe, he saw his cousin's face twisted in anguish. He was mad on more than one level, hurt.
"How?" Snotlout snapped. "And why? You're going to tell me and don't even think about leaving anything out." He swallowed hard. "You owe me the truth."
Astrid caught his eyes. Sometimes they didn't need words to communicate and now was one of those moments; Hiccup was more than glad for it. She wordlessly encouraged him.
Hiccup took a deep breath and steeled himself for some harsh judgement to come. The only person he'd had to face like this had been Astrid and with her he'd had a little more time to prepare how and when and what to tell her. But Snotlout was here and he was right. He deserved to know the truth.
So Hiccup started talking. Starting with the raid that would change his life.
A/N:
Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait, but so much is happening right now, I just feel like constantly being on a rollercoaster since like… may? June? I dunno, I lost track of time, but I just know that right now life kinda sucks while also being totally amazing. And Article 13 that the EU just got through is just the very tip of the iceberg. (in case you haven't heard of it, that means computer automated filters for the internet searching for copyright issues without taking into consideration fair use and stuff like that. Basically european fandom and all is on the verge of being executed and that's scary as fuck.) Add to that financial struggles because of Uni and just general emotional turmoil for reasons I won't elaborate on, and you get a pretty fucked up update schedule (It's basically non-existent at the moment, sorry) But hey! I'm officially an Animation Student now!
Just wanted to let you guys know that I'm still not really feeling much better, and I haven't read through the chapter before posting it because posting it at all was the only thing I had control over today and I just needed to have this off my mind now instead of putting it off any longer. I'm sorry for any inconsistencies that have occurred because of that, but I just can't be bothered rn to edit this thing. I just want it done and then I want to go cry.
I still hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I hope to see ya'll for the next one! (Whenever that will be…)
