Thirty Eight: Unauthorised borrowing
"We'll give them a fair trial in the morning-followed by a fair execution!" The guard's words rolled round the Meathead market and the three suspects all stiffened. Hiccup stared at the lead guard in shock and horror, forest green eyes flicking across the armed guards ranged around him and forced himself to remain still. Astrid-who was unarmed-and Arild were behind him and vulnerable.
"Please-let them go," he said urgently. "Astrid has never been to Meathead before and Arild is just a seven year old child! They are innocent!"
"The boy was with you when you helped sink the ships!" the guard accused mercilessly. "He is an accomplice!"
"He's a small boy!" Hiccup pleaded, moving forward a step and feeling a sword dig into his chest. "Please…I was innocent too when you accused and imprisoned me. Of course I escaped! But I will come back without resistance if you let the woman and the boy go!"
"Dad-no!"
"Hiccup!"
"I can't reverse my decision…"
"Please-let them go!"
"You had a blonde accomplice two years ago…" the burly lead guard condemned him brutally. "If not her…then who?" Forest green eyes flicked up, hatred and despair warring…and he caught two shapes at the edge of his vision. One was the stocky jet-haired shape of his cousin and the other…beautiful, sassy and very blonde…Cami. The other woman. She shook her head, the light edging a knife she held…inches from Snotlout's side. He gave her a look of unutterable hatred…and then he sighed.
"She died," he said wearily. "I was too late to get my revenge…"
"And I don't believe you, convict!" the guard growled, nodding and watching his men lunge forward, grabbing Hiccup and then Astrid. Knowing fighting would risk them, Hiccup still struggled-until the hilt of a sword creased his skull and he sagged. Astrid fought more fiercely, screaming and cursing…but with the same success as her boyfriend. Undeterred, Arild ducked and almost made a break for it…but the lead guard grabbed the skinny shape and hold him tight, writhing and kicking. "Take them all to the cells…" he repeated.
Watching them hauled away, Snotlout went taut with rage, his hand moving and wrenching the knife from Cami's hand, snapping her wrist back and spinning her round, his own knife biting hard into her throat. She gasped in shock at his realisation of her threat…and his swift and deadly response. Unbidden, she felt her pulse race.
"They wanted you, didn't they?" he hissed.
"Wouldn't have got them free," she gulped, trying to break free but finding herself expertly restrained. "Dammit, Snot-you don't need to hold me so tight!" She paused and then purred. "Unless you're planning on a little fun, love…in which case, there's an inn that way!" He snorted and lowered his knife just slightly.
"You give yourself up," Snotlout said grimly, "and confess your culpability! Then they should let my cousin go…"
"And then what? He still escaped a prison gang-and they will condemn him for his escape, no matter that he was innocent!"
"And Astrid? She's done nothing…except look like you…"
"Pah!" Cami spat. "I looked like her to him. Why shouldn't it come back to bite him on the ass?"
"And the boy?" Snotlout's tone was sad now and she felt her heart soften a little.
"He's probably innocent," she conceded. Snotlout released her.
"Go," he said coldly. "Run. But don't bother to return to the ship. Once I reach there, you will no longer be welcome. They're all there because of you."
"And Mildew, I guess," she murmured. "Mathilda saw him visit one of the official administrative buildings. And probably not for a friendly chat." Snotlout's fists tightened.
"I'll kill him myself!" he growled. Cami felt her throat and stared at the angry man, then gathered her knife from the floor and tucked it away.
"Or you could think with your brain and meet up with the crew," she suggested. "Then you can get him back…" Staring after his cousin for a long moment, he shook his head.
"They're going after the weapon," he murmured. "That was where Hicc was going as well…" Cami readjusted her mussed up hair and sighed: she just wasn't destined to look like a lady for long.
"Then we need to help them out…and then we get your cousin and his loved ones back," she sighed. Snotlout's head snapped up, his blue eyes completely suspicious of her. "Look…I guess you won't believe me because I have baited Fury…though he is so cute when he's annoyed…but I do feel a little bad he was taken and imprisoned for a heist I did and which he knew nothing about. And now that he…and the boy…are facing execution…"
"Really? I thought you pirates all operated 'Loki take the hindmost'?" Snotlout's tone was sarcastic and untrusting. She shrugged.
"Maybe…but Fury never really believed in that…and he did rescue one of my crew when she was in danger…when I could not get to her…" she admitted in a low voice. "I hated him for that because I owed him. Because he was so smug and so calm…and he never mentioned what I owed him!"
"Look, we all owe him something," Snotlout grumbled, sheathing the knife in his belt and grabbing her arm. "An apology, a life, our land…the man is remarkable. And he's my cousin and I hate that he is once again paying for others' mistakes and misdeeds…" Cami stared down the hill.
"We know where they are," she said thoughtfully. "The weapon is important…so we need to get to the library and help the crew…and then we go free Fury."
oOo
Mildew was sitting in the tavern, a pitcher of mead in front of him. He was sitting alone, drinking alone-and that was the way he liked it. Scratching his whiskery chin, he drained his mug and then a slow grin lifted his unpleasant features. The group of guards surrounded two adults he recognised-the tall, lanky shape of Fury, his auburn hair tousled and face closed with anger and shock and the slim shape of the woman, her blonde braided hair messed up and dishevelled. Mildew gave a low chuckle: the girl had put up a fight, at least. His grin widened when he saw the skinny shape of the boy held firmly in a guard's arms as well.
"Got the brat-good!" he grunted and sloshed more mead into his mug. He waved at the guards as they went past and the woman's azure blue eyes narrowed with fury as she saw him, the expression promising murder. Shame you'll never get to do it, blondie, he thought nastily. At least Fury gets his just desserts…smug prick!
Out the back of the tavern, Olav was finishing the message for his pigeon. Mildew had ordered him to send word back to Master Viggo on how the trip and plan were going. Crouched low over the bird, he scribed the last few runes and rolled the parchment tight…then attached the message tightly to the scaly leg. With a small smile, he lifted the bird and threw it into he air, watching the grey shape flap away…not to Berk and Viggo, but to Olav's master on Berserk…Dagur…
oOo
The Library was fearsome even in appearance: heavily armoured with warnings splashed over the door. Everyone knew the rules: No Talking, No Running, No Borrowing Books and Never Disobey the Librarian. Fishlegs gulped: they were planning to break three of the rules and only weren't breaking the fourth because what they were stealing wasn't technically a book. Then he glanced over the others: the twins were arguing about cannon shots, Sven was rolling his eyes and the First Mate was searching worriedly for Hiccup and Astrid. Bucket and Mulch had arrived and were commenting about the huge building: Fishlegs was just grateful that the Meathead Library was so famous across the Archipelago that it was a tourist attraction of a sort and their congregation around it and visits wouldn't look unusual.
In the corner of his eye, he saw two shapes approach, the blonde one in a gown and he turned to greet them…when he froze, blue eyes widening. Snotlout and Cami jogged up the slope, stopping by the rest of the group, breathing hard. The twins snapped round and their eyes hardened and Sven's hand dropped to his knife.
"What are you doing here?" Fishlegs demanded, his expression less than supportive. Snotlout had been given one simple task: keep Cami away from the operation…not that he had promised success…but this seemed to be the opposite of keeping her away from the weapon. However, neither seemed focussed on the heist. Snotlout wiped the sweat off his face.
"Hiccup," he said shortly. "The guards have arrested him, Astrid and Arild."
"WHAT? Why?" Sven asked abruptly.
"They've arrested little T?" Tuff asked, his eyes narrowing.
"All of them!" Cami confirmed. "We watched the whole thing go down…"
"And you just let it happen, right?" Ruff accused her angrily. Cami's eyes narrowed.
"Attacking far greater numbers of heavily-armed men on their own isle…real smart, honey!" the pirate Captain snapped back. "I watched Hiccup. He had his hand on his sword…but he had Astrid and the boy with him…and if he had fought, they could have got killed. I saw him take his hand away from the sword and force himself not to resist."
"He begged them to let Astrid and Arild go," Snotlout said softly. "He said they were innocent…"
"They were," Cami sighed. "The blonde they wanted, the one who framed Fury two years ago was…"
"Yeah, we know," Fish told her angrily as the entire gang glared at her. "Okay, gang…we have to…"
"Complete," Snotlout said quietly. "Look-Hiccup planned this meticulously-and we can help out. But we know this is our best shot. But it will be all on you because we don't have my cuz to identify the weapon." Fishlegs started and his eyes widened…until he felt a hand clamp on his and he almost jumped out of his skin.
"Look here, I believe in you," Ruff told him gruffly. "Far better than my brother. He'd blow the thing up instead of realising it was valuable!"
"Yeah! What?" Tuff whooped, not really listening. Snotlout leaned closer to the First Mate.
"Hiccup trusts you," he said quietly. "My cousin doesn't trust easily any more. But he trusts you. You found out about the weapons. You explored the cave and grabbed what was needed. You can do this, Fishlegs." The First Mate nodded thoughtfully.
"And her?" he asked. Snotlout gave a grim smile.
"Watch her," he said quietly, "and if necessary, I'll kill her myself!"
"Okay…this is what we'll do…"
oOo
Hiccup sat on the floor of his cell staring at his hands and in shock. His absolute worst nightmare had happened: his horrific past had overwhelmed him and taken Astrid and Arild down. They were in a Meathead prison and from past experience, he knew the 'Trial' would be a formality leading to their inevitable executions.
He flicked up his green gaze, eyes hollow and filled with self-loathing. He had done this through his total recklessness. He should never have set foot on Meathead. He should have banned Astrid from coming with him. He should never have brought Arild. He should never have allowed his unconscious acceptance of his ability to escape anything to override his caution. He had killed them both.
The familiar blackness began to settle over him again, the fatal acceptance that he had failed, that he was lost…
"Babe?" The soft voice broke his cycle of self-recrimination and he turned his head aimlessly to see Astrid crouching by the bars of her cell, reaching through towards him. "Hiccup…please say something…" she asked him gently.
"I did this…" he murmured painfully. "This is all my fault…"
"Nonsense!" she shot back, her eyes flashing with anger. "Of all the people who caused this, you are the last in the queue! Gods, you didn't do anything, you were wrongly accused and condemned and then they arrest me…and I've never been here before…and Arild, who's done nothing either!"
"But he has," Hiccup whispered. "I used him when we set up the Jorgensen ships to be robbed and destroyed…"
"He's child! He didn't steal or kill…he just went out with his Dad!" she protested. "Surely they can see…"
"These are Meatheads," Hiccup murmured softly. "Not great thinkers."
"Nor are you at the moment," she noted, stretching her hand out to him. "Hiccup…you can't blame yourself…"
"Who else is there to blame?" he asked her hollowly. "I did this…"
"How did they know you were here?" she asked him pointedly. "They were looking for you. For us! That wasn't a chance meeting." He blinked and took a slow breath. His mind was still chaotic.
"No," he murmured. Slowly, he stiffly uncoiled and crawled to her, his hand winding with hers before pulling her against the bars, managing to wrap an awkward hug around her. Her arms wound tightly around his lean shape, pulling him close.
"Stay with me, babe," she murmured. "I didn't find you after five years to lose you."
"That's my line…" he murmured back, his lips tilting ever so slightly. "Gods, I am so sorry, Astrid…"
"I'm not," she told him firmly. "I'm with who I want to be…and if it means only this short time with you…it was worth more than lifetime of Eret!" His eyes swum and he blinked hard: the certainty in her voice was so strong, so incontrovertible it made him ashamed.
"I don't deserve you," he breathed.
"I don't deserve or want anyone else," she reassured him. Somehow, they managed to angle their heads enough to brush their lips together and they remained close for a long moment…until a small sniff broke their concentration. Very slowly, Hiccup lifted his head and his green gaze swept to the cell opposite, picking out the little huddled shape there. In their wisdom, the Meatheads had locked the small boy in a separate cell, not even adjacent to one of his 'parents'. He had no physical contact with either and was cold and scared. Pulling himself together, Hiccup pulled away from Astrid with a regretful look and crawled to the bars at the front of the cell.
"Buddy…" he called softly. "Arild…I'm so sorry…"
"Why does this always happen?" Arild cried, softly. "Why is this always happening to me? Every time, it's me that gets hurt! I would have been better on Dragon Island!"
You would have been dead, Hiccup realised bitterly, recalling what Cami had revealed. Gods, what have I done? "I'm sorry, bud. I only wanted to help…"
"But every time I end up getting hurt or kidnapped or locked up!" he cried, desperately. "And now I'm going to b-be k-killed and all I-I d-did was t-to h-help m-my D-dad…" His voice shattered into sobs and Hiccup felt his heart tearing in his chest.
"Odin's pity-at least let the boy be with one of us!" he shouted at the guard, furious. "He's a young kid and you want to murder him! At least let him spend his last night with one of his parents!"
"I…h-hate…you…" Arild whimpered and Hiccup flinched in pain. Then footsteps closed and the guard walked to Arild's cell, opening the door and grabbing the little boy by his unbroken arm. Arild went stiff, his head bowed in submission, tears dripping from his face.
"Arild…son…be brave…" Hiccup called, his own voice husky with emotion. "I love you…please…forgive me…" The little head snapped up and the boy started to struggle. He was pulling desperately towards the cell opposite and the bowed, lean shape stretching his arms through the bars.
"Dad…please help…" he cried in terror. The guard walked forward, dragging to boy and his colleague slashed at Hiccup's arms with his whip, forcing the man to scrabble back urgently until they were able to open the door and pitch the whimpering child in. The clang of the door closing was loud in the corridor as the pirate breathed hard…then flung himself at the boy.
"I'm here…" he assured the boy, scooping the little shape into his arms and Arild pressed his body close to the man, sobbing desperately and wrapping his skinny arms around him.
"Dad…I'm s-sorry…" he whimpered. "I-I didn't m-mean…" Hiccup hugged him tighter.
"No, I'm sorry, son," he murmured, enfolding the boy in a fierce embrace. "It's my fault." Arild snuggled against him.
"No," he murmured. "I love you, Dad. I want to be here with you. Whatever happens, I want to be with you…" Hiccup lifted the boy and carried him carefully to the bars by Astrid's cell and leaned there, so the little family could huddle together. Feeling Astrid's warmth against him, her hand on his arm and his son curled against his body, Hiccup felt his mind harden with determination. Whatever happened to him, he would get his family free…
oOo
The Library was huge and musty, the ceiling-high banks of shelves laden with huge, leather-bound books. There was an echoing silence that seemed to yawn between the cavernous shelves so that even normal footsteps seemed an imposition on the silence. Fishlegs headed round the corner as he and Sven had done previously and spied the collection, raised on a platform of one of Meathead's most inventive sons. The torches illuminated the collection of books, journals and devices. Fishlegs pulled out the journal he had retrieved from Dragon Island-safely enclosed in a new leather jacket-and peered at the descriptions of the weapons. They already had the Timberjack…and the Thunderdrum was patently a cannon of some sort…so they had to be looking at the Typhoomerang…somewhere amid this esoteric collection.
"Anything?" Sven asked as Bucket and Mulch wandered slowly by. Fishlegs frowned. There was a metal creation with bellows, some sort of spring-loaded wings and a pump…and then he saw the mark on it. He blinked: it was the same as the journal. Flipping through the journal, he double-checked and then pointed.
"Gottit!" he murmured, gesturing to Snotlout and Cami, who were elegantly trailing at the corner, inspecting a volume of ancient Viking legends. Cami waved and the twins, seeing the signal, headed for the ballistics section, intent on some practical experimentation. Tuff and Ruff both lifted books…
Cami slapped Snotlout hard across the face and screeched "YOU BASTARD!" The sound echoed loudly through the Library and every eye turned to the couple.
"Faithless whore!" Snotlout replied spiritedly.
"Brainless hulk!" Cami riposted.
"Treacherous viper!"
"Blue-eyed charmer…"
"Blonde cow…"
"Hey…mine was nice," Cami added sotto voce and Snotlout grinned.
"Can't resist my manly charms?" he teased her.
"In your dreams," she taunted. "Yak-brained beefcake!" she added more loudly.
"Lecherous bitch!" he grinned as a huge hand landed on his shoulder and the Librarian arrived. Being Librarian was an honoured duty on Meathead and the post wasn't awarded to someone with a knowledge of bibliography, an interest in history or archaeology or even an interest in archiving: no, the post was awarded to the strongest and most violent warrior on Meathead. The Library of Meathead was a repository for books, not a lending library and the first and only priority was to enforce the rules (and try not to damage the books in the process). Snotlout craned his neck and looked up-and up-into a flat, brutal face with small, mean, dark eyes and a menacing scowl.
"You are breaking the rules!" the Librarian shouted. "NO TALKING IN THE LIBRARY!"
"Then what are you doing?" Cami asked pointedly.
"SHOUTING!"
"THEN WE WILL TOO!" she roared back. "OKAY, LOVER-WHERE WERE WE…?"
CRASH! The Librarian snapped his head round and heard the thud of a book hitting the floor. Tuff grinned, pulled another book out…and ran for it. Ruff grabbed another, checked the spine, nodded and ran in the opposite direction.
"COME BACK HERE!" the Librarian roared and raced after the twins. Cami grinned broadly at them.
"Running, borrowing a book and definitely disobeying the Librarian…full house!" she grinned. Fishlegs pointed as another two people came running at them.
"Don't forget the assistant Librarians!" he squeaked. Snotlout rolled his eyes.
"Did Fury have a plan for this?" Cami shouted as she braced herself for a fight. But Bucket lumbered amiably forward, his arm swinging out and completely flooring the first Assistant Librarian. The second ducked past the big man, who was apologising profusely to the unconscious Assistant Librarian-only to meet Snotlout's fist and Cami's boot. He flew back and crashed onto the other Assistant, who was very slightly recovering. Both men slumped, unconscious.
"NOW!" Fish ordered and Bucket and Mulch stood forward as the First Mate scrambled forward to the interesting looking machine and inspected it, finding Wrinkley's marking on the side and confirming it was what he was looking for from the book he had found in the cave. He nodded and as Mulch and Bucket lifted the device, he found a slim journal underneath marked 'Typhoomerang'. Eyes popping wide, he flipped it open and read instructions for the device. With a relieved grin, he grabbed it as well as a huge voice shouted.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
He glanced at his hand and realised: he was borrowing a book. And the Librarian was bearing down on him, having lost the twins.
"Er…reading?" he asked as Tuff raced by, throwing a heavy book at the Librarian. The man ducked…straight into Ruff's firmly swung and very solid book on clouds. He staggered back and Tuffnut lifted a book on feathers (fifteen inches thick and almost too heavy to lift) and dropped it onto the man's head. With a groan, the Librarian folded, eyes crossing and dropping unconscious. The twins glanced around.
"Much as we suddenly enjoy reading, I think doing too much may damage our health," Tuff noted, heading for the door. Gathering his prizes, Fishlegs followed, with Snotlout and Cami behind him and finally Mulch and Bucket carrying the device. Sven was already waiting by the door, apparently reading a book which he carefully closed and slid back into the shelf. Checking the door, they swiftly exited and Sven flipped the notice on the door to 'CLOSED' as they left.
Senses straining, they swiftly headed for the far side of the town, walking swiftly through the market, an old sheet tossed over the device. Fishlegs was chatting to Sven and pointing to items on the stalls while Cami and Snotlout had drifted away to do some personal shopping. The twins were gleefully hugging their prizes.
"Yeah…we kept those books on sticky balls," Tuff grinned happily.
"Ballistics?" Fish asked and shared a worried glance with Sven. Neither was sure that Hiccup would approve of the twins actually scientifically improving their destructive potential but neither had the heart to confiscate them either. The Captain could take that decision…when they got safely to the ship and rescued him. Ruff hugged her book.
"Mine looks so cool as well," she grinned as shouts sounded from up the hill.
"STOP! THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN ROBBED!" The voice of the Librarian bellowed down the hill as he staggered from the doorway, a huge lump on his head from the books he had run into. Every eye turned up the hill…to see the Library explode behind the huge shape, flanked by his completely stunned Assistants. An enormous yellow explosion ripped through the building, blasting the famed Meathead Library apart. Books exploded from the building, raining down on the people of the port and the market. Tuff dodged an enormous volume than squashed the stall to his right. He peered at it.
"Hmm…the Book of Feathers," he muttered. "Getting fond of that…" Fish grabbed his prized 'Wrinkly' journals and manuals and beckoned to Mulch and Bucket.
"To the ship-straight away," he said. "It's raining books so no one will pay attention!" Mulch gave a nod and the two men struggled off as Fishlegs watched Tuff pick up the enormous Book of Feathers and stagger down the hill with it, talking in a very sensual voice to the enormous volume. Ruff rolled her eyes.
"Don't ask," she said.
oOo
Hungry, cold and depressed, Hiccup lost track of time until he heard shouts and explosions. He lifted his head and met Astrid's blue gaze. She had dozed off against the bars, resting hard against his back and he still had Arild wrapped in his arms but he felt her stir as the explosions continued.
"I guess they went ahead," she said calmly. "At least they have something to prevent Drago's attack. Maybe it will be enough."
"It won't," Hiccup said despondently. "They need the last one, the Thunderdrum." Arild snuggled close.
"You'll get it, Dad," he said quietly. "You'll get out of this. You-you always do…" But though his lips moved, the smile didn't reach his eyes as he tried to reassure his son.
"Sure, buddy, I always do," he said hollowly.
But it was almost nightfall when a full squad of the guards returned, heavily armed and carrying torches. They opened the cells and entered in numbers, towering over the prisoners. "On your feet!" Sharing a silent look, Astrid rose easily to her feet and Hiccup levered himself more carefully up, mindful of his side. He was still injured, no matter that he had been healing well on the voyage. His son still in his arms, he straightened up and faced the guards.
"Take the boy!" the lead guard commanded and Arild didn't even have time to cry out as he was ripped away. Hiccup made to grab at him but two swords rested against his neck and he stiffened, freezing. Men moved round and tied his wrists tightly behind his back: he heard a grunt and saw Astrid being similarly restrained. They shared a look.
"Stay calm, Milady," he told her gently.
"You too, babe," she said worriedly, seeing the anxiety in his eyes. Arild was roped up as well and his green eyes widened in fear.
"Dad?" he whimpered.
"It's okay, bud," Hiccup forced himself to say. "You will be safe. I promise." And then they were all blindfolded before being shoved and pushed out of the cells. "What's happening?" Hiccup demanded as they were pushed through a door into the open air. It was cool and damp and he had absolutely no idea where they were or where they were heading. "It's okay," he repeated. "I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you."
"I trust you, Dad," came the small voice of Arild.
"I'm here, babe," Astrid said calmly, though there was a small tremor in her voice as well. They stumbled and were grabbed and shoved forward until finally, they heard a door open and there was the sensation of being enclosed, inside. The guards tightened up and Hiccup felt himself grabbed to halt him. Astrid was pushed against his side and he felt Arild bump against his legs. He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin.
"What do you want?" he asked. "Who are you? Why are we here? I thought our trial wasn't until tomorrow?"
"I am Norbert, the Governor of Meathead!" the unseen voice growled. He sounded big and mean and very impatient.
"Release my companions!" Hiccup said determinedly. "They are innocent. I-I escaped from your prison…though I was wrongly convicted…but they are wholly innocent. If-if you let them go, I will not resist. I'll stay…and you can do whatever you want. Please…"
There was a long pause from the unseen man and Hiccup could hear the creak of leather as he shifted in his seat.
"I'm afraid I've had a better offer," he said gravely. "Governor…as promised…here he is…"
oOo