AN: ANOTHER ONE! I don't wanna jinx it but I may actually be back on a regular schedule you guys! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!
NOTES: "There's no greater gift than Love."
Chapter 10: Something Found
"Hiccup," He said gently, drawing the attention of bright green eyes. "This is Berk, son. It's our home. It was the home of your grandparents, and their grandparents before them."
Stoick had chosen this hill for a reason. It was the same place his own father had brought him to pass on this lesson. This hill looked over the entire village and even the ocean beyond. The sunset was bright with fiery colors, even as the stars began to appear, telling of the moon's rising.
His son. His pride, his world. So small he fit perfectly tucked in one arm.
"It's my job as Chief to protect us, Hiccup." Stoick told him, looking out at the peaceful scene before him before looking back at the little boy he carried. "And, one day, when you're all grown up that job will be passed on to you."
"Okay," Hiccup whispered. His voice so quiet, Stoick nearly had to strain his ears to hear it.
"Now it's very important, son, because out there, beyond the sunset, lies the home of the dragons." Stoick pointed out at the distant horizon, and Hiccup's wide eyes followed it outward.
"Wow!" He gasped in wonder.
"Aye. Legends tell of ships sailing to close to it only to drop off the edge of the world. Never to be seen again." Stoick shared, looking between the horizon and Hiccup's expressions from his gulp to his gasp to his big eyes getting impossibly bigger. "But those sailors who turn back tell tales of a great waterfall and dragons guarding the entrance to a hidden world."
"Whoa..."
"Not just a nest, Hiccup, but a land from which all dragons come."
"Even... Night Furies?" Hiccup gaze up at him with his curious eyes.
"Hehe, especially Night Furies!" Stoick chuckled before his heart squeezed at the memory of Valka with that same curious look on her face appeared in his mind. Sobered, he made a promise. "Don't you worry, my son. One day I'll find the Hidden World and seal it up so that people and dragons will fight no more."
Stoick's head was beginning to pound with a headache fit for a Monstrous Nightmare, and he was desperately hoping that one of those wee servant girls would be able to fetch him some half-decent mead once he was finally able to request it without anyone noticing.
Fat chance of that, though. The Scott's Queen had eyes as sharp as a Nadder's. She was nearly as bad as Gobber... Nearly.
As thankful as Stoick was for having a friend like Gobber to watch after him the past few years - Great Odin, especially that first year - he couldn't help wishing he could escape prying eyes for two blasted minutes. Just a nip of ale and a moments peace. Particularly now that his days consisted of listening to the endless bickering of the blasted Council and praying that the tribes have enough rations for the winter should the southern trade route fall into enemy control.
"Your Majesties, might I recommend an intermission? Perhaps a solution to this problem will come with refreshed minds." The redheaded man at Princess Allura's side slid into the argument with ease and carefully worded respect.
Stoick wasn't sure if he should be thankful for the break, or more annoyed that Gobber and Spitelout would want to discuss the proceedings.
Even so, Stoick rose to his feet with the other Royals and left the Hall to go get some fresh air outside. Gobber and Spitelout were trailing right behind him, as expected. He ignored their mutterings and focused on getting outside. It was unnerving and, in all honesty, irritating to walk outside the main entrance to the castle and be faced with several caged dragons. He would've spoken to North about moving the cages down to the arena for safety, but that didn't seem to change anything the last time one of the beasts got loose.
Stoick turned to the right, thinking the docks might be a better spot to get some air.
"Eh, Stoick?" Gobber trotted a few steps to come up beside him, looking at him, but Stoick kept his eyes forward. "Not to interrupt your brooding, but I thought you might like to know: Mulch and Bucket came back late last night. Apparently they've got something they think you'll want to see. Not sure what it is, but if it's quiet your lookin' for, maybe the docks isn't the best place to go right now..."
Stoick hesitated a moment, but then the cloak draped across his shoulders seemed to gain a hundred pounds and his lungs emptied out with a heavy sigh. "There's no use in hiding from them. Let's go see what it is they want." He said.
The docks were less busy than usual. The cold was setting in quickly, warning of an early winter, which had traders and sailors adjusting their usual routes. It was going to be a long and hard season for everyone. There seemed to be a thin blanket of dread and anxiety as everyone waited with baited breath for the first snow fall.
"Chief!" Mulch and Bucket walked down the plank from their ship to meet them on the dock.
"I hear you have something you wanted me to see?" Stoick cut right to it.
"Oh, uh... Yes, well, you see..." Mulch fidgeted, his feet shuffling as his hand reached up and took off his helmet. Bucket just looked at his feet, occasionally peeking up from below his brow.
"Get on with it!" Spitelout grumbled.
"Well, um, a friend of mine knows this trader who knows this fisherman and you see..." Mulch looked up to Bucket and the quiet man slowly brought his hands out from behind his back to show what he was holding. "...It came up with one of the nets just a few miles out from here."
There, in Bucket's hands, was Hiccup's wand.
Stoick would know it anywhere. Unique and finely crafted from the twisting wand to the stone hilt. It had certainly seen better days; green algae was stuck to it in patches and possibly even growing out of a crack in the handle. It'd been in the sea for a long time.
His hands were shaking as he gently took the wand from Bucket and cradled it in his own. It was hard to breathe and there was a roaring in his ears...
There was a creak on the stairs and a very quiet "Uh, oh!"
Stoick twisted in his seat by the fire and his eyes landed on Hiccup. "Son!" He said a little more sharply than he meant to. He turned away and swiped at his eyes before looking back up at the boy. "You should be asleep!"
"I was thirsty." Hiccup squeaked, curled up on the step and holding his stuffed dragon close.
Stoick sighed with a small smile, the tightness in his chest easing a bit. "Yeah... Come here."
Stoick waved him over, and Hiccup beamed, setting his toy down and scampering over as fast as his little feet could carry him. Stoick was waiting with open arms, catching his little boy and swinging him up into his lap. Hiccup reached out eagerly with his tiny hand as Stoick picked up the fire poker. He held it closer to him so Hiccup could wrap his fingers around the loop on the end as he stoked the fire.
"Dad?" Hiccup spoke up after a few moments of quiet. "...Are you gonna get us a new mom?" He said it slowly, uncertain.
Stoick looked at his little boy a moment. He was too smart for his own good, just like his mother. And it was that thought that had Stoick curling his arms around Hiccup and holding him as close as possible. He placed a small kiss on his head and then leaned back to look in his eyes.
"I don't want another." Stoick told him honestly. "Your mom was the only woman for me. She was the love of my life." Stoick rested his cheek on top of Hiccup's head, gazing at the fire and gently rocking as he remembered.
The memories were painful, but they were good too.
"But with Love comes Loss, son. It's part of the deal." His voice was thick, but he managed to calm the tightness of his throat as he talked. "Sometimes it hurts, but, in the end, it's all worth it."
Stoick turned back to Hiccup's face, looking him squarely in the eyes.
"There's no greater gift than Love."
"Stoick?"
He inhaled sharply through his nose, reality crashing over him like the icy ocean waves. His jaw fell open to speak, but he couldn't find his voice. His eyes were locked on that wand until he squeezed them shut and forced himself to take a deep breath. Her curled his hands around the wand, holding it close, and then opened his eyes, giving a few small nods.
"I'm alright," He said weakly glancing over at Gobber who was gripping his shoulder with worry painted across his face.
"Stoick, maybe -" Gobber was cut off by the sound of the castle bell, calling everyone to reconvene in the Great Hall.
Stoick straightened up and cleared his throat, tucking the wand back by his side, but still holding on to it. "We need to get back." He said firmly before turning to Mulch and Bucket with another nod. "If that's all."
It was a quick trip back to the Great Hall, and if Gobber or Spitelout noticed that he was walking faster to avoid conversation, neither of them said anything. They weren't the last ones to arrive back at the meeting, but they were ready to begin again shortly after Stoick took his seat. Dr. Sweet came before them as soon as the meeting was called to order.
"Your Majesties, we may have found a potential cure for the Dark Plague." Dr. Sweet announced, drawing the whole Council's attention to him.
"Finally, some good news." Queen Arianna smiled as some of the other nodded in agreement.
"I came across some older texts, and after reaching out to an old associate, Milo Thatch, we managed to put together a connection between the Dark Plague and the Scourge of Odin." Dr. Sweet explained.
"Well, that doesn't sound good at all!" Spitelout pointed out.
"I thought the same. However, after studying the remedies for the Scourge, the Dark Plague we have now, and a few others, I may have the list of ingredients I need to create a cure. With some help from Princess Rapunzel's healing abilities." Dr. Sweet shared hopefully. "Though I must admit, one of the ingredients may not be so easy to acquire..."
"What is it?" King Fergus asked.
"The Scourge of Odin was eradicated by a special medicine created with the saliva of the Buffalord Dragon. I believe it may be the key to creating an effective cure." Dr. Sweet replied.
"The Buffalord?" Gobber exclaimed. "Those beasts were hunter to extinction just after the Scourge was wiped from the Archipelago. They just don't exist!"
"On the contrary," A smooth voice jumped into the conversation as the Hunter, Viggo, walked up to stand beside Dr. Sweet below the dais. "I happen to know of an island where a small herd of Buffalord dragons still live."
"Convenient." Stoick muttered under his breath.
"And where exactly is this island?" Spitelout wanted to know.
"The far North. Beyond the border of the Archipelago. I have plenty of maps that can show you the way." Viggo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Though, I must warn you, it will be a long and treacherous journey. The dragons may very well be the least of your problems."
"Weathers within the fog bank are unpredictable at best. Beyond that is territory most often controlled by Pirates." Stoick explained to the Council, wanting them to know exactly what they were talking about.
"So we send a full-crew battle ship. Men who are prepared for whatever may come." Prince Lars suggested.
"No." Stoick said firmly. "A small ship that won't attract attention. A skilled team will go in, find the dragon, and get out. It's the best way."
"Chief Stoick is right. The less attention drawn, the better." Viggo nodded his agreement.
"Who would you suggest we send? Can you spare any men with the trade routes under attack?" Queen Elsa looked to Stoick along with the rest of the Council.
The Hunter may think much of himself, but Vikings ruled the northern seas.
"No. We don't have any warriors to spare. But we do have one team that hasn't seen many battles yet..." Stoick said. He didn't like it, but there wasn't anyone else capable. And maybe this could be a way of keeping them out of the fight for longer.
"You want to send a group of teenagers? On a quest that could very well determine our survival against this disease?" Prince Lars looked incredulous.
"I'll remind you that this Council just sent a group of fourth years out to our defense lines." Stoick retorted sharply. "Astrid and her peers are the best warriors of their generation. They've been trained in sailing and dragon fighting from a young age... Besides, we don't have anyone else. The mission is low-risk. They'll be relatively safe if they can make the trip there and back before the first snow. And if the Buffalord really is extinct, or if this elixir doesn't work, we haven't pulled men from critical battle positions to go on a wild goose chase."
"Merida has spoken highly of the Berkians' skills." King Fergus spoke up, nodding to Stoick. "I'll trust your judgement with this quest."
That was a surprise. Stoick didn't have anything against King Fergus, but Vikings have never been on the best terms with the Scottish. Having their King voice support nearly made the decision for them with a few others quickly following Fergus' example. Within minutes they were drawing up an official scroll with the details of the quest.
By nightfall the quest would be assigned.
Merida and a few others were relaxing in the Room of Requirement when Astrid and the other teens from Berk came with the news. The quest to find an elusive dragon had all of the youngest excited and asking lots of questions. Merida, and those that were a bit older, asked about logistics.
"They expect the trip to take at least two weeks. We'll use the Floo network to get back to Berk, but from there we'll be on boat." Astrid told them.
"I'm telling you, they finally realized what a waste it was to keep all this muscle on the bench!" Snotlout exclaimed, flexing for everyone to see. "They already know the second any pirate sees me, they'll be runnin' scared!"
"Well, yeah." Tuffnut scoffed as if it were obvious. "They'll take one look at that ugly face and think they've been cursed by a horrible sea monster." He waved his hands around and made a funny face as Ruffnut cackled.
"Hey!" Snotlout snapped.
The argument went on from there, but Merida automatically looked up at the sound of the door being shoved open. When she saw it was Jack, and his face was set in a deep frown, her whole focus shifted to him, but he didn't even look at her.
Jack's eyes scanned the room and as soon as he laid eyes on his little sister, he started stalking towards her. Emma turned and saw him coming, but before she could say anything Jack grabbed her arm and started dragging her out to the hall.
"We need to talk." He said. His voice flat while his eyes flashed. Emma wriggled against his grip, but he only tightened it and pulled her along.
Merida looked back at the group to find Snotlout and Tuffnut had developed into a small brawl and the majority of the crowd was watching them. Astrid, though, had also noticed the smaller interaction and the two girls locked eyes before nodding and rushing to follow after the siblings. Merida slipped out the door just in time to see Jack swing Emma around so she was facing him. Emma was still fighting his grip, and the older Frost finally let go as he looked down at her with a hard expression.
"You have a lot of explaining to do." Jack growled, but Emma glared back up at him. She opened her mouth, and Merida knew immediately whatever was going to come out wasn't going to help her right now, so she cut in.
"Jack!" Merida called out, stopping both of them. "What's going on?"
"Emma hasn't been entirely honest with anyone." Jack snapped back. He reached into his robe's pocket and pulled out a small prophecy ball, holding it up for all three of them to see. Emma's eyes went wide and her snarl dropped into a look of shocked dread.
She was quick to cover it up with anger though. "You went through my things?!"
"No." Jack responded evenly. "I had thought. One that I had really hoped was wrong, but I still had to check. So I went into your room and used the Accio spell. The loud banging was all I needed to find the floorboard you hid this under!"
"Emma," Merida murmured, unable to fully grasp what she was hearing. "You stole the prophecy? Why?"
"Yeah, that's exactly what I want to know!" Jack agreed.
"Well, what use did any of you have for it?!" Emma spat back, looking a bit like a cornered animal. "One meeting with the Guardians and suddenly you were all willing to give up looking for Hiccup! Maybe you're okay with giving up, but I'm not!"
"So you stole a prophecy that could've put you in danger? Do you know what Pitch was willing to do to all of us just to get this?" Jack was shouting now. "This could be the very reason you got hurt, Emma! Do you have any idea how dangerous and reckless this was? What if Pitch had gotten it? We almost lost Eugene trying to protect this!"
"And for what?!" Emma shouted back. "You gave up! You're angry all the time, but you're not doing anything to face it or to fix it! Maybe you're okay with that, but I'm not! Ohana means Family! And Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten!"
Jack's free hand tightened into a fist and his jaw clenched as his nostrils flared with each harsh breath. When he finally spoke again, his voice was more even and calm, but filled with so much ice it made Merida feel cold.
"Do you even realize how bad this looks for you right now, Emma?" Jack asked. "You are potentially compromised by a Fearling curse, and now we find out that you've stolen a prophecy that could be critical to Pitch's plans. I know I haven't been the best brother the past few months, but what am I supposed to do with this? If I report you they will label you a threat and lock you away in an asylum! Is that what you want?!"
"Is that what you want?" Emma shot back. Her voice had also lowered, but held no less venom than before. "You all think I'm some poor, weak, and defenseless thing! Maybe you'd be glad to get me out of the way!"
"That's enough!" Merida yelled. Again, both Frosts stopped and turned to look at her, but this time Merida stomped over to stand between them. "This is ridiculous! I know everything has been stressful and complicated for a long time now, but I also know that you two love each other too much to be going at each other's throats like this!" She shot them both a look that she hoped was similar to her mother's rebuking stare.
Jack looked off to the side and tried to take a calming breath. Emma leaned back so she stood straight and looked down at her feet, occasionally glancing up at Merida or Jack.
"Now, I may not agree with what she did, but I do think Emma is right about one thing; we need to use that prophecy. Letting North lock it back up in the Ministry or somewhere else isn't going to help anybody." Merida told Jack, and then she turned to Emma. "And as for you. No one here wants to get rid of you. Jack may sound harsh, but he is just trying to protect you, and I think if you're being honest with yourself, you can admit that you do need help in some areas."
They both stayed silent, but Jack gave a small nod at some of things Merida said, and Emma's eyes looked a little more dry. Merida counted that as a small victory.
"I think it'd be best if Merida took the prophecy." Astrid spoke up from where she stood by the door, on the look out for anyone who might stumble into the sensitive conversation.
"Which is exactly what I'm going to do. I'll take the prophecy and see what I can do with it." Merida held out her hand, and Jack gruffly passed her the prophecy. "This whole thing will stay between us. No one else knows, no one is being reported. But, Emma, you have to be honest with us. If we catch you doing something like this again, we'll have to bring it to the other Guardians. Sound fair?"
"Yes." Emma mumbled, glancing up at Merida, but refusing to look at Jack.
"Alright, then. Go on now, and stay out of trouble." Merida told her. Emma took the opportunity and slipped away without a word and without looking at anyone. They all watched her go, and then Astrid broke the silence.
"You think she's hiding anything else?" Astrid wanted to know.
"Hard to say, but I don't think Emma means anyone any harm. In this case, she may have helped us, if I can figure out how to unlock this prophecy." Merida shrugged.
"I don't know what's up with her. Sometimes I can hardly even recognize her anymore." Jack muttered, his voice wavering slightly, but he wasn't looking at either of them. Just staring at where Emma had disappeared around the corner.
Merida stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're worried about her. I understand. I don't want Pitch to have control over her any more than you do... But she got a point you know. For being the Guardian of Fun, you've been nothing but angry since the war began. Especially since our run in with Pitch. Maybe you're just as different to her as she is to you. I think you need to reconnect with your Center, Jack."
"Yeah... You're right. I'm sorry I lost my cool again." Jack apologized, looking down at his feet as his shoulders sagged. "I just don't know how to protect her... I feel just as helpless as when Hiccup disappeared."
"I know what you mean." Merida nodded.
"Even if that is the case, you both said some pretty nasty things to each other. That's gonna take some fixing. You should talk to her again after you've both settled down a bit. Try to work things out between you two." Astrid piped up again, coming to stand on Jack's other side. She gave Jack a pointed look that was clouded with a multitude of emotions. "Trust me. If anything does happen, you don't want the last memory to be a broken one."