Chapitre 31
The secret is out

Without the slightest hesitation nor regret, Igvid threw Frost over the edge.

She caught her breath while hearing his scream going down, down, down… that's when realization hit her, like a slap in the face. Relief instantly disappeared and she looked horrified to the edge of the cliffs. Gods, what had she done ?

Her heart started to pound at top speed as she rushed to the edge, looking down. There, she spotted the falling boy, and stared at him until he vanished from her sight. Such a fall was a deadly one.

She reamined frozen, disbelieving, and felt tears run down her face. What had she just done ? She had just killed Frost ? Shame and guilt washed over her like a wave in a humongous storm, it felt like something had stolen all her strength away and she crashed down to her knees, still looking down. She couldn't see the boy, only the slow motion of the waves on the reefs.

For all she hated and couldn't accept it, Nuffink loved Frost. He really loved him, he cared for him more than he had care for anyone else. So, knowing something had happened to the boy would crush him, it would be so much worst than the hurt he had felt when he had thought the boy was cheating on him. And knowing it was Igvid who… killed him… Nuffink would never forgive her. Never.

No, Nuffink shouldn't know about this. He mustn't know. Neither that Frost was dead, neither than Igvid was his killer.

She quickly stood and backed from the edge, trying to clear her mind, trying to find a story to make up. Her hands were shaking so bad even her arms and back were trembling. First she had to calm down. She had to calm down and think about what she could tell the others.

Suddenly she heard a noise echoing in the air. A familiar sound. An unmistakable whistle. Igvid barely had the time to look up she spotted a dark dragon soaring at top speed and plonge along the cliff.

She panicked. She had been seen. Was it Zephyr ? She quickly looked down at the duo diving after the fallen boy. She panicked even more when she recognized the dragon. She thought nothing would be worst than being found out by Nuffink, but there was way worst ! Not only did the dragon she had thought was Dart turned out to be Toothless, but his rider was no one else than the chief himself !

The Night Fury dove at incredible speed, quickly spotting a light frame he was getting closer to. In his fall, Frost was flailing his arms in panic, eyes focused on the ocean bellow him. He wasn't afraid of the fall, it wasn't worst than the sensations he had known in maelstroms, he wasn't afraid either of the collision with the reefs awaiting for him. But he was frightened of the water. He didn't know where was his totem, where it had fallen and even if he could find it back. If he only touched the water, it would be over. How was he supposed to stay with Nuffink if he couldn't even get out of water ?! However, he couldn't do anything about it.

That's when he heard the whistle of the black dragon. Looking up, he spotted his savior, quickly getting closer to him. He instantly stretched out his arm towards Hiccup and Toothless, mentally crossing his fingers for Toothless, the fastest of all dragons, to catch him on time. The Night Fury was his last hope, and no doubt the best one.

However, his hope was crushed when the dragon's strong paws finally grabbed him. He felt the water splash on his back and legs. The dragon had managed to catch him in time to avoid the collision with the water body, but too late to prevent it form touching the boy. The dragon didn't notice anything and pushed himself upward while a brief and vivid light envelopped and changed his cargo.

Hiccup didn't notice either, his sharp green eyes focused upward, on the top of the cliff where the young woman had been. He frowned with deep anger. How could Igvid do this ?! He knew her from her birth, and never did he had thought she would do such a thing as try to kill someone. He had to find her, Frost was in danger as long as they didn't know where she was and if she intended to finish her job.

So the chief stayed cautious and wanted to focus on safety. He lead his dragon to the nearest beach at the bottom of the fortress island, where they deposit their cargo. Hiccup was about to dismount his best friend and check on the boy, but he was suddenly shaken as the dragon bounced and started to drag something in the sand, pulling it into the water.

Hiccup was thrown off the saddle and fell butt first in the water, next to a breathtaking creature that left him speechless. His tunned gaze stared at the clear and recognizable form of Frost, though the boy was completely different now. His red and beige clothes had vanished, and instead of his legs was a long scaly tail with sparkling and translucent fins.

It was the first things the viking noted, before noticing the shape of the boy's ears, the fins in his back and forearms, and the gills on his neck and ribs. Never before did Hiccup has seen such creature, nor he even believed they were real. He could have stayed like this, struck with a mixture of surprise and wonder, if it was not for how terrifyed the boy looked.

Half immersed in the water, the merman panicked and tried to swim away, but Toothless placed himself above him, blocking his way out with his paws, though the dragon purred to reassure him. Hiccup noticed the boy was trembling, his face strained with what looked like silver nacred tears.

''Hey, Frost ? You alright, my boy ?''

He kneled down newt to him and helped him out of Toothless protective grip, the dragon whining in worry.

The boy completely shaken, he just had the fear of his life. Even if his transformation made the viking really curious and confused, he pushed the questions aside to help him first.

Once the boy grab the chief's sleeve, he squeezed it so hard he could have torn the fabric, which his claws were actually doing. Hiccup hugged and him.

''It's okay, you're alright now.''

''No… The staff… I have to find it.''

''You almost died and the only think you care about is your stick ?''

''This totem is the only thing making him able to stay on land !'' Frost shouted, his voice shaky and breaking with sobs.

Hiccup didn't know what to do seeing such despair. He didn't have the time to ask his questions, but they just became useless. He didn't need to ask them anymore, because suddenly, he understood the boy. Just by looking at him, hearing his voice, he knew how much Frost wanted to stay at Berk.

Despite the fact the chief was discovering him all over again as a merman, he realized his personality was still the same. This young boy, this merman… had really grown fond of the viking's village and his son.

The chief smile endearingly and proudly. He removed his fur cape and wrapped it around the boy's shoulders. Frost flinched and looked up at the chief, who smiled and gently patted the top of his head.

''Don't worry, we'll find it back. But for now, the more pressing matter is Igvid. Why did she attack you like this ? Did she tell you something ?''

''She… We argued about Nuffink.''

The chief frowned.

''I see. I knew she had her eyes on my son, but I'd never thought she would something like this.''

''I don't think she wanted to.''

The chief was taken aback by this answer. Frost seemed to be desperated and scared, still he was defending Igvid ? That boy was really something, and not just because he was a merman.

Hiccup took a bit of time to think about the situation. They had to find Igvid, he had to take Frost to somewhere safe, and apparently the staff was important too, even if he didn't know how much exactly.

He gathered the merman in his arms and lifted him, but the boy panicked and started to struggle.

''Wait, no !''

Hiccup wondered what was the problem but he quickly got an explanation because, as soon as he pulled the merman out of water, he couldn't breath. With a start, the chief quickly put him back underwater, immersing him to the shoulders and completely weting his fur cape, but he didn't care.

Frost caught his breath and the chief noticed how some water was pouring form his gills. Curiously, he lifted the fur and looked at the ones on the boy's ribs, noting how they were slightly opening and closing with each breath in and out.

''I'm sorry Frost, I don't know why I thought you could breath out of water…''

The snow haired boy gulped, stunned but the viking's lack of reaction about his transformation. Didn't Selina say humans hated and were afraid of merfolk ? Nuffink told him the vikings didn't even know they were real, yet Hiccup seemed to act as if it was normal. Nuffink didn't tell his father, right ?

''We can't stay here,'' the chief added. ''we have to find some shelter. Igvid might come back, and I can't really take you back to the village like this.''

He looked up and checked around them. It didn't took long for te viking to spot a cave half immersed.

''We'll go there, okay ?''

Frost take a look and, despite some hesitation, nodded. He wanted to go there by swimming, yet the chief carried him again. This time, though, he made sure not to pull him out of water, so the viking went down in the water, where the sand was lower. It looked like the chief was trying to spare him, and Frost had to admit that moved him.

Somehow this attention reminded him of Nuffink. They were not father and son for nothing. While they were walking in silence, Toothless bouncing and running next to them, playing with water and splashing it, Frost was staring up at the chief with anxiety. Hiccup was not acting differently with him, not at all, and that was disconcerting.

''Chief, that doesn't seem to bother you…'' He hesitated, voice low and barely a whisper.

''What doesn't seem to bother me ?''

''That I'm… a merman.''

Much to his surprise, Hiccup smiled kindly.

''Actually, it does chock me, somehow. I'd lie saying it's not surprising. I though mermaids were just a legend among others, so imagine my son's friend would be one… I wasn't expecting it.''

''… What are you going to do with me, now ?''

Fear and worry poured out of his voice, and that didn't go unoticed by the viking chief, who sighed.

''It must have been really difficult for you to go from a world to another and adapt. Not only to learn how to walk, but keeping this secret must have been hard on you, too.''

Frost gawked at the chief, then quickly averted his eyes, pouting while a nice blue hue crept on his cheeks. How could the chief manage to read him that easily ? Was it because the viking was a father ?

''Most of all I can tell you really tied to our place and people. When you first arrived here, we proposed you to stay with us, I'm not gonna change my mind about this.''

Relief filled the boy's icy blue eyes, Hiccup could see it clearly even if he was far from imagining how moved Frost actually was.

''You accept me ? Even now ?''

'' 'Even now' ?'' Hiccup laughed. ''Of course. Let me remind you our clan lives with dragons, it would an honour to welcome a mermaid within us.''

Toothless rushed past them while warbbling loudly, he seemed to approv of the decision, making Frost laugh and his rider chuckle.

That's when they reached the save. Hiccup had to climb over a small ridge before stepping inside. The cave was rather small but as bright as the outside, despite it being late afternoon and the light dimming. Most of the cave was a flat sandy ground, the right side was filled with a deep river of salty water, deep enough for a mermaid to swim there, and a part was higher and promised to be a good seat for Frost to pull his head out of water.

The vikign deposited him there and finally got back on land. He shook his arms in try to get rid of the water, starting to dry as Toothless dragged his tail in the sand to make some woobly drawings. Frost chuckled seeing him act that childishly.

''You okay ? Is this comfortable ?'' Hiccup asked him.

The question pulled Frost out of his thoughts, he smile and nodded as a reply. The chief walked back to him and sat at the edge of the 'river'. The merman noticed how serious he seemed, suddenly.

''Does anyone else know about you ?''

''Nuff, Selina and you.''

It seemed to reassure the chief, which made the boy puzzled. Hiccup smiled again and gently patted the top of the boy's head.

''It's good to know you haven't hidden it from Nuffink.''

Frost smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

''He knows from the first day we met.''

''Now I understand why he tried so desperatly to justify the weakness if your legs, the first days.'' Hiccup chuckled.

Though his smile quickly faltered, and he started to wave his hands with worry.

''Gods, I should have ask you right away ! Are you alright ? Did Igvid hurt you ?''

He started to examine the boy, making the boy do so too. He had been so scared back then he had not paid much attention, but it was true he wad feeling some stinging on his right forearm and at the tip of his tail fins. He also had some bruises from the fight with the brunette, mostly one on the cheek she had punched and his wrists she had squeezed too hard.

Hiccup looked closer at the forearm and noticed some scratched and a cut which seemed to have been made by a horn – surely from Igvid's armband. Frost stayed focused on his fins at the end of his tail. The tip was damaged, as if torn like worn tissu. He wondered what had caused this, then remembered he had scratched his feet on the ground. It was amazing how his body had kept the wounds despite his transformation.

Hiccup noticed his insistent gaze and looked in the same direction.

''Oh…''

The chief didn't know what to do. He didn't know anything about mermaid's anatomy, so treating their wounds… Frost wiggled and bent his tail so he could reach the tip. He found himself in a position that left Hiccup stunned, because it would have been impossible for him to bent like this with legs. He seemed to have rolled up like a snake.

The merman delicatly took his fins and pressed the edges of the holes together, then he used his free hand to pick some seaweed on his rocky seat. He crushed and pulped it, then carefully applied it on the wound. Hiccup watched closely, fascinated.

''You use seaweed as a cure ?''

''It's more like badages. Merfolk would rather use shells and reefs for medicine. Only a few species of seaweed can be used as cure, but I didn't see any of these here.''

''Fascinating…''

Seeing the genuine curiosity of the chief, deprived all any fear, Frost felt the urge to share more things with him. It felt a bit like the numerous days in the frozen lands of the north when he had come back to see Nuffink, both of them sharing about their peiple. Frost felt free, it felt like he could finally be himself. Even if Hiccup was accepting him without any hesitation, Frost was afraid the others wouldn't do.

After all, Nuffink had repeated over and over again that is father was really open-minded, more than the other vikings.

''Here is what I propose.'' The chief suddenly said, dragging Frost out of his thoughts. ''Toothless and I will stay with you tonight, but tomorrow we'll have to deal with Igvid. Of course, I won't let you alone, I'll send Toothless fetch Astrid or Nuffink, pkay ?''

''Okay.''

''Nice. Then try to get some rest.''