To Be Loved the Way You Love Me

Life on Berk turns upside down when a sixteen year old boy traveling with a dark past, a world of hurt, and a Night Fury washes up on its shores. The love-starved boy will only tell people one thing about his past: His name is Hiccup. But where did he live before? And why doesn't he trust anyone?

Chapter 36: Blood Feuds

Yeah...sorry this got posted so late...BUT I just got in from a wonderful Halloween celebration, truly wonderful. I got to see some friends I haven't seen or spoken to in a while and I dressed up as Hiccup :) Like, I know I'm pretty much too old to be dressing up and all, but I still do. :D I had the vest and the boots and everything and I even had my plastic Viking helmet :D It was just a great day all around, and I started this chapter a couple days ago in a notebook and I could only just hop on the borrowed computer and type it all up and get some more on it done. I'm sorry if it stinks, I was in a bit of a hurry.

Um, also, warning: updates are gonna become A LOT less frequent. I'm doing Nano Wrimo and all, and, so, I'm sorry, but they are. I'll try to post during November, but, if I can't, then I'm very sorry.

Stoick parried just in time, displaying a brilliant drag before throwing in an offensive move of his own.

It occurred to me that I had never actually seen Stoick fight before. It was actually interesting to watch, because he was quite good.

Just listening to the metallic sounds from the fight got my mind off the fact that there was a lot of risk involved in this fight.

Alvin ducked Stoick's lunge and swung again. He didn't look the slightest bit surprised when the chief of Berk parried.

I swallowed anxiously, watching the fight as best as I could with Savage still holding my head back.

I realized Stoick was a good swordfighter, better than Alvin. As this thought occurred, my heart seemed to swell as I realized Berk would be safe. Their chief could defend them and they'd be alright. Alvin would have to leave Berk alone now. He wasn't allowed to hurt them anymore.

And, even though I knew that I'd probably cause a huge mess on Berk once Alvin was gone, I also knew that I'd be safe. From Alvin, at least.

Stoick might still try to kill me once everything was said and done – but my heart was beating and, for now, I was breathing.

A yell pierced my thoughts and, as I looked hurriedly around to see what was going on, I realized Stoick was leaning over to disarm Alvin.

The Hooligan villagers were cheering and I only realized I was, too, when Savage clamped a hand over my mouth. "SHUT UP."

I fell silent behind his grimy hand and he removed it, thankfully.

Just as Stoick's sword found Alvin's hilt, jerking it out of his grimy hand, another Outcast crept up behind Stoick, an axe over his head, preparing to bring it down for the final blow.

The Hooligans' mouths dropped open and then several people began gabbling in high-pitched voices at Stoick to look out.

"STOICK, NO!" I hollered, trying to be as loud as I could, even though I'd always been useless at yelling.

Savage dealt me a swift blow on the side of my head and yellow and red spots danced in my vision for a second while my head began to throb and, as I reached up to find the tender spot, Stoick jumped at my yell and, miraculously, turned around.

Caught, the Outcast grinned sheepishly. And then he swung the axe. Stoick ducked. Alvin ducked as well. "Watch where you're going, won't you!" he snapped at the axe wielder.

The axe wielder looked offended and Alvin pressed his sword blade into Stoick's back. The tip of the sword only just touched his thick fur coat, but he stiffened nonetheless. He was faced with two options now: die by the Outcast's hand or by Alvin's.

Either way, the odds didn't look good.

And that's when I realized that this had been Alvin's plan all along: to trap Stoick. Not to kill him, not yet, but to trap him.

"Choose, Stoick," he whispered. His brown eyes were glittering with manic glee.

Stoick glanced carefully around himself and shook his shoulders out, his fur coat catching the sudden wind and whirling around him. He looked triumphant, even though he was about to be killed.

"I choose," he said slowly, and deliberately, but powerfully at the same time, loudly, "to go down fighting!"

"You really do have a death wish, don't you?" Savage jeered from somewhere above me.

As I saw the axe wielder and Alvin both move in for the kill at the same time, one little thought slipped into my head: it's your fault.

I shut my eyes, but that little voice kept talking, talking, insisting that I had done this, I had caused it. And I could stop it, too.

I swallowed. "Wait." My voice cracked after how hard Savage had been pressing on it, so I repeated the word.

Alvin and the axe wielder both stopped, Alvin about to bring his sword down and the axe man leaning over to hold Stoick still while Alvin delivered the final blow.

"Shut up, you," Savage growled fiercely, but Alvin's eyes had traveled from me to Stoick and something about our expressions seemed to interest him, because he said, "Wait, Savage. Let's hear what the boy has to say, shall we?" he seemed to find it interesting – even amusing – that I was about to try to spare Stoick.

Savage reluctantly released me, but he retreated a few feet away and watched me malevolently, waiting for me to make a false move so he could grab me again.

"Don't." That was all I could manage, and it came out sounding weak and tired. A few Outcasts chuckled and even the Hooligans were shaking their heads wretchedly, hopelessly.

I cleared my throat and tried again, a little louder. "I'm…I'm the reason you came to Berk, aren't I?"

Alvin stroked his beard thoughtfully with the hand not holding his sword. "Yes…" he admitted quietly. "That is true."

"So…so if you don't kill him…and…and if you leave the people of Berk in peace forevermore, then I'll go. I'll go with you, back to Outcast Island, I promise. I won't ever try to leave again or escape again if you just…just don't hurt them."

A wicked grin spread across Alvin's face. "Yes…" he said slowly, and for a second, I thought he was agreeing, and, though I felt happiness for the people of Berk, I felt a flash of fear for myself. "…I thought this is what you would do, Hiccup, when faced with the idea of watching me harm a Hooligan."

At the mention of the tribe name, one of the Outcasts spat onto the ground.

"However," Alvin continued, "I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I was thinking about this and I thought…what better way to harm, as brutally as possible, both the Hooligan tribe and the traitor to the Outcasts?" he smirked. "Well, I knew there was only one way to do that." his smirk widened. "And it's all very convenient for me, of course, because I never liked Stoick anyway, so really, nobody loses." he grinned.

"I'm what you wanted," I said and even I heard the pleading note in my voice now, but I didn't care, so desperate was I to convey what I wanted to. "Please, just take me and go."

"Hiccup, Hiccup, haven't I just explained why I can't do that?" he sighed, shaking his head. "It seems tragic, really…and so the great Stoick the Vast, chief of Berk, meets his end this way, like all those before him…because he got caught up in those blood feuds…"

"It was you who began this feud, Alvin, and in the end, you will be the one to die." Stoick said quietly, solemnly.

Alvin moved forward and raised his sword above Stoick's head.