A/N: This is it, guys. As promised, the sequel to How Times Change. I couldn't think of a decent title so we're going themed. I hope you enjoy this continuation of the AU.
Chapter One - Where We Begin
Six disparate dragons flew in a loose formation through the cold and grey sky. "One last mission before winter sets in, and it's trashing a hunter camp" Snotlout declared cheerfully. "It's stuff like this that makes being a dragon rider worth it" he announced.
"Really?" Hiccup asked, sounding exasperated. "You don't think that learning about new dragons and saving them is its own reward? You just want to blow stuff up?"
"Hooky and I like to set stuff on fire. Blowing stuff up is their thing" Snotlout corrected, pointing at the twins. "Hey, speaking of setting stuff on fire; Hookfang, how about you do your thing and flame up? It's so chilly up here." The stubborn Nightmare rolled his eyes, but obliged, providing a welcome surge of heat and light. "Aah, much better."
Soon enough they arrived at the hunters camp; or former camp, rather, since it was now abandoned. A lot of the trees had been chopped down, making the island seem even more barren. There was still plenty of junk, like ballistas, left behind that they needed to clear out, so that the island could once more be reclaimed by dragons.
"It would seem that Trygge did mange to convince them to take up the logging trade" Viggo remarked, dismounting from Moonlight's saddle. "Unless of course some of them are still here, lurking in ambush," he added flippantly. "It's what I would do."
"Only one way to find out" declared Tuffnut, before shouting "Oi! Hunters! If you're going to attack, shoot my sister first!" He pushed her in front of him like a shield. Ruffnut promptly retaliated by yanking on his dreadlocks and shoving him in front of her instead. They both struggled, each trying to use the other as a human shield.
Hiccup whistled sharply to get their attention. "Guys, there is no ambush" he told them, before asking Viggo, "Aren't you supposed to be teaching them stealth?"
The older man shrugged. "I never promised a miracle. Besides, they would have made a good distraction" he commented. Hiccup glared at him. "I was joking. Now, since it's been five minutes and no one has leapt out to kill us, shall we get started?"
"Astrid, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, you guys find and disable traps" Hiccup ordered. "Fishlegs and Viggo and I are going to retrieve any paperwork they've left behind."
"Barf-and-Belch, Hookfang and Stormfly dump cages into the ocean," Toothless instructed his fellow dragons. "Rest of us set fire to catapults. Biggest boom wins!"
Hiccup announced, "By the time we're done here, there should be no sign humans were ever on this island. Before you ask, if you find weapons you can keep 'em so long as you can carry them" he said preemptively. "Right, are there any questions?"
Snotlout said, "Yeah, I got one. How is your dragon supposed to blow up catapults that are on the, y'know, cliffs, without you being there to move his tail-fin? It's not like he can move it on his - oh." Toothless answered the question himself by pointedly opening and closing his tail-fins in Snotlout's face. "Since when can you do that?"
"Since I made him a new automatic tail-fin, obviously" replied Hiccup.
Astrid remarked, "I thought you didn't like wearing that fin, Toothless. What made you change your mind?" she asked. He looked at Viggo. "Ah. Why am I not surprised?"
He insisted, "I merely pointed out that seeing as Hiccup is going to be busy with his new responsibilities, now that he's deputy chief, it wouldn't be fair to keep Toothless grounded. He just happened to agree with" - Astrid punched him in the shoulder.
"I never said it was a bad thing. I think it's really good. Now let's move it, people, we're wasting daylight" she announced. They all went their separate ways to carry out parts of the mission. It had also been Viggo's idea for the dragons to take care of some of it by themselves, since if they were capable of doing so, why shouldn't they?
An hour later, any remnants of the dragon hunters' presence had been destroyed or appropriated. They found some gold, which Snotlout immediately tried to keep. Hiccup overruled him and claimed it for Berk's treasury. "Yes, I can do that" he said when Snotlout tried to argue, "and if you want gold that badly why not just get a job?"
"Because, well...shut up, Hiccup" his cousin grumbled, scowling. Since it was getting dark and their dragons needed a rest, the riders decided to stay put. They camped out on the island, using discarded branches to build a large fire. After they'd eaten, Hiccup, Fishlegs and Viggo started going through the papers they'd collected. "Why do we even need to keep all these maps and notes and junk?" Snotlout demanded.
Fishlegs gasped, protesting, "The maps aren't junk! There's no better treasure than knowledge - it's just that some people", he sneered, "can't appreciate it for what it is."
"What, boring? Come on, Fishface, like any of this stuff is actually gonna be useful."
Hiccup interrupted the budding argument. "Even if it wasn't useful, we're still taking it. What part of 'we need to remove every trace of human presence on this island' did you not get?" he asked sarcastically. Before Snotlout could protest he carried on, "This 'junk' is all the information about who and where Johann was trying to sell dragons to. There might be clues that tell us who he and Krogan were working for."
He sighed and looked down at the parchment in his hands. "There are lists of sold dragons here, and the dates line up with when we were fighting the flyers" Hiccup admitted. "We stopped some of them, but I didn't realise how many had slipped by."
Astrid reached over and squeezed his hand. "Don't be too hard on yourself" she admonished, "we can't be everywhere at once, and we did save so many dragons."
"Besides" remarked Viggo, "all these dragons were captured and sold alive. It might not be too late to rescue them, if we can track down who they were sold off to."
Hiccup smiled, feeling a little better. Then Fishlegs exclaimed "Oh! Hey, Viggo, there's a map of the Faroe Islands here." He passed over a map with a cluster of islands drawn on it. The others, even Snotlout, came over to satiate their curiosity.
Viggo pointed out a few places on the map. "There's a lake here on Vágar called Sørvágsvatn, and from the right place it seems to hang over the ocean. There is Tinganes, where the Løgting is held between chiefs." He hesitated, and tapped another spot. "That's where my home village, Vidareidi, lies on the isle of Vithoy."
There was a solemn silence. "You...you could still go back," Hiccup said tentatively. "We won't stop you. If you want, Toothless and I could come along for, uh, support. We can change their minds about dragons, establish an alliance between our tribes, and then you could maybe give us a tour whilst we're there" he suggested casually.
Astrid insisted that if her betrothed was going, so would she. Fishlegs wanted to visit as well, and the twins didn't want to be left out, so they asked to tag along. Snotlout feigned disinterest, but still asked if he could bring Minden. "Alright, alright" Viggo surrendered at last, "we'll go there after winter; but it won't be a short trip. We'll need a ship large enough for the dragons and provisions for a week's voyage, at least."
"Why would we even need to take a boat?" asked Snotlout, "we can fly there."
"The dragons can't fly for a week straight without rest, and there's nowhere to land on the way" Viggo retorted. "So how else do you propose we get down there?" he asked.
Snotlout had no reply. "I - you - shut up, Viggo." He sulked, and the others chuckled.
A small, one man and dragon house had been built up on the cliffs of Berk for Viggo and Moonlight to live in. Being a Skrill, Moonlight's instincts were to be solitary; she had gotten used to the other dragons but she much preferred living apart from the village. Upon their return, Viggo took the notes made by Johann and Krogan to look through them. If anyone could decipher the information, it was him, a former hunter.
Most of the notes were just logistics, but among the lists of rations and guard rotas, Viggo came across a letter. It was Krogan's handwriting, and the date was the day he died. "Well, that explains why he never sent it. Now, who was he writing to?" Viggo wondered. The letter was a status report, but there was no name, just the initials DB.
Who was DB? The initials felt familiar, but Viggo couldn't place where he'd seen them before. He searched through the names of Johann and Krogans' customers, in the hopes that one of them might turn out to have those initials. No luck there. The letter held no clues either; all it said was that the mission was nearly complete. Krogan must have written it before their confrontation but been interrupted from sending it.
Unfortunately, Krogan proved to be as good as Viggo at keeping things close to the vest. He couldn't remember the man ever referring to the man he worked for by name. It was always "our buyer" or "my employer." The only thing that Viggo had been able to figure out was that Krogan was frightened of his boss. He spoke so often of the dire consequences for failure that it really wasn't hard to figure out.
"I think I'll have to admit defeat, my dear" Viggo admitted at last to Moonlight. Despite his best efforts, he was no closer to finding the identity of DB. He stood up from the desk and stretched, wincing as it jarred the muscles in his back. They had twinged ever since he'd been peppered with arrows. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Viggo answered it and found Astrid waiting. "Just thought you'd wanna know that dinner's on, in the Great Hall. You'd better hurry before all the good stuff gets eaten."
"As it happens, I was about to call it a day. Thank you, Astrid" he said gratefully. She nodded and went back to Stormfly. Viggo turned to Moonlight and said "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's get your saddle on, and we'll go down there to eat."
Moonlight wasn't comfortable in the noisy and crowded Great Hall. Viggo left her on the steps to go and eat at one of the feeding stations, and entered it alone. Berkians stopped chatting and eyed him warily as he passed; not that it bothered him. He was used to not being trusted. Besides, if he stayed, they'd get used to him. Probably.
The other riders were sitting at a table near the dais; Hiccup waved him over to join them. "Hey. Sorry for leaving you with all those notes to sort through" the young man said apologetically when Viggo sat down across from him. "Dad figured now would be a great time to have me help him sort through Berks records." Hiccup rolled his eyes.
"It is dull," agreed Viggo, "but isn't it better to do it now, when the weather is terrible?"
Hiccup sighed. "Yeah, I know. Just...please tell me you found something interesting."
"As a matter of fact, yes. I found a report that Krogan had written but never sent to that 'mysterious buyer' he was employed by." With that, Viggo began to actually eat.
"How come he never sent it?" Astrid wondered. His mouth was full, so all Viggo could do was draw a finger across his throat to indicate he got killed. "Ah. That explains it."
"The bigger question is, who was Krogan working for?" Hiccup asked rhetorically. He looked at Viggo and inquired hopefully, "I, err, don't suppose this report made the 'mysterious buyer' a little less mysterious? Uh, you can tell us when you're done."
When Viggo had finished his meal he replied, "if anything the buyer is more of a mystery. The letter doesn't even give a name, just the initials DB. I can't find anything about who DB actually is - he isn't one of the customers listed in their records. It's frustrating, because I'm sure I've heard a name with those initials before" he said.
"Whoever this guy is, he must really not want to be found" Astrid commented, "if Krogan couldn't even write his name out. Are you sure he didn't drop any hints?"
Viggo shook his head. "If Krogan ever said the man's name, it wasn't within earshot of me. Sort of a red flag, now that I think about it" he mused. "I did, however, get the impression that he was just as frightened of his employer as the men were of him."
"I know who it is," Tuffnut announced suddenly. "DB stands for Dogsbreath Bjornson."
Everyone stared at him incredulously. "Dogsbreath is my cousin," said Snotlout, "you muttonhead. Why don't you pin the blame on another Nut? Like Dullnut, for instance."
"Hey!" Ruffnut snapped. "How dare you accuse our late Uncle Dullnut of treachery?"
Hiccup groaned, exasperated. "Guys. Whoever it is Krogan was working for, it won't be anyone we've met. We won't know more unless we find someone to question."
"You're right, chief" agreed Tuffnut. "Ruffnut and I will have the thumbscrews ready."
"Okay, first, I said question, not torture. Second, I'm not the chief" Hiccup said firmly.
"Oh, yeah." Tuffnut paused. "So does that mean we should call you Future-Chief?"
Viggo snickered. Hiccup shot him a glare, and replied, "Tuff, just keep using my name. You can say 'chief' when I am the chief, but until then, Hiccup is fine. Listen", he said to Viggo, "if you do figure out who Krogan's boss was, tell my dad, okay?"
"I was planning to anyway. Trust me, you and your father will be the first to know."
The mystery of DB's identity had consumed Viggo. It felt like the answer was right there, hovering in the back of his mind. He knew better than to pursue a line of thought that just came to a dead end, however. So rather than pore over lists of names, Viggo considered everything else he knew about Krogan. He wasn't Norse, but that doesn't narrow it down. He had that dragon hunter pin - wait a minute…
The icon of a Monstrous Nightmare skull impaled by a sword was a common motif amongst hunters; his own men had used branding irons shaped as that symbol. The image of such a brand on Moonlight appeared in his mind's eye; Viggo shuddered.
Still, thinking of brands spurred his memory. He'd seen that symbol branded on someone's skin, a man who said they worked for… "Moonlight, I know who DB is!"
His dragon, curled up on her slab, cracked an eye open. "Willow sleep" she rumbled.
Viggo cleared his throat. "Yes, I uh, suppose I should..." he agreed, chastened.
The next evening, a storm rolled in. Viggo was pacing back and forth in his house when a knock sounded at the door. Upon opening it he found Stoick the Vast filling the entrance, and smiled. "Oh, good, you got my note" he said by way of greeting, stepping aside to let the man in. "Moonlight's still out enjoying the nice weather."
Stoick replied "There's a thunderstorm brewing...but I guess for a Skrill that is nice weather, isn't it?" he noted absently. "So, I'm here. Why all the secrecy?" he asked.
Viggo shut the door and moved to fetch a couple of tankards. "I'd hardly call it a secret, chief. I merely wished to talk to you in private, and you're a busy man" he explained, pulling and handing Stoick a stein of beer. "Though I daresay your workload has eased somewhat lately?" he asked knowingly, filling his own tankard.
"Aye, Hiccup's doing a grand job. I know he finds a lot of the duties boring; I'm proud of him for sticking with it. With luck it won't be long before I can pass the mantle on."
Raising his tankard, Viggo proposed a toast, "To the future chief of Berk!"
They drank to that, and then he went on, "I believe I've figured out the identity of Krogan's boss. I can't prove anything, but I remembered...years ago, Ryker and I encountered some rival trappers. Frankly, they seemed rather incompetent, and their leader was...how do I put this...Snotlout, but taller. Now, I don't know if you noticed, but Krogan wore a pin that looked like this." He showed the chief a rough sketch of it.
"Aye, I noticed" Stoick nodded. "Did this 'taller Snotlout' have a pin like that as well?"
"It was a brand. He said it had been given to him by a man called Drago Bludvist."
Stoick had just taken a gulp of ale, and nearly choked on it. "Drago Bludvist?"
"That is what I just said," Viggo commented. "You've dealt with him before, I take it?"
The chief shook his head. "Not 'dealt with'. Barely escaped from, would be a better way of putting it." Memories that still haunted him flitted across his mind's eye. "I...I thought he'd left the archipelago. I should have known he'd be back one day...what else did this man tell you, about Drago? What is he planning, where is he now?"
Holding his hands up, Viggo replied "He didn't tell me much; we were too busy, well, fighting. They were competitors, after all. But from what I remember, Bludvist has been gathering an army of hunters and trappers...and dragons" he warned solemnly.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Stoick admitted, dragging a hand over his face. "Now that Krogan is dead, it's only a matter of time before Drago sends another lackey to do his dirty work...or worse, comes here himself. If he comes to Berk with a dragon army, gods help us all" he shuddered, before asking, "What do you suggest we do?"
"I think the only thing we can do, for now, is watch and wait," remarked Viggo. "It's not really the best time of year to be flying out on reconnaissance missions, after all. Besides, the less we draw attention to Berk, the better. The good news is we have time to prepare. It's not like anyone else knows who Krogan was working for, and he's dead. The rest of the hunters won't know to go back to Drago and report to him."
"Aye, I'll give you that" Stoick nodded. He hesitated, and then said "I'll have Hiccup and his friends meet us in the arena tomorrow. They can help with the preparations." Viggo nodded. "Good. So, it's getting late. I should be going" he remarked, standing up from his chair. They bid each other farewell, and Stoick went to return home.
The next morning, Hiccup and his friends gathered in the arena. "Your dad didn't say what they wanted to talk to us about?" Astrid inquired of him as they were waiting.
"No, he just told me to get you all to meet him and Viggo here." It didn't take long for the two older men to arrive; they looked serious. "Dad, what's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing, son" answered Stoick. "Well, for now. Viggo and I just have some…news."
Snotlout drawled, "Oh, that's not ominous at all. No offence, chief, but can we not?" he complained. The chief just frowned at him, and he gulped. "Err, sorry. Carry on."
Viggo explained, "I had an epiphany the night before last, about who exactly DB is."
Astrid inquired, "So who was Krogan working for?"
"Bludvist." Stoick's voice was hoarse, his expression grave. "Drago Bludvist."
The riders glanced at each other, confused. "Dad, you know this guy?" asked Hiccup.
Stoick dragged a hand over his face, suddenly looking ten years older. "Years ago, there was a great gathering of chieftains, to discuss the dragon scourge we all faced. Into our midst...came a stranger, from a strange land. Who carried no weapon, and wore a cloak of dragonskin. He spoke softly, telling us that he, Drago Bludvist, was a man of the people, dedicated to freeing mankind from the tyranny of dragons."
The chief continued, "He told us that he alone could control the dragons, and he alone could keep us safe. And he would...if we agreed to bow down and follow him."
Snotlout and the twins sniggered at that. "Aye, we laughed too," Stoick nodded slowly. "Until he wrapped his cloak around himself and cried out, then see how well you do without me! The roof of the hall burst into flame, and armoured dragons crashed through, attacking everyone in sight. I...was the only one to escape." He looked haunted; it was unsettling. "I hoped I'd never have to hear that name again."
There was a long pause. "So...if Krogan was looking for the King of Dragons, you think this Drago is gonna come looking for the King as well?" Hiccup asked Viggo.
"I'm afraid so. I've never had the misfortune of encountering the man personally, but from what I gather, he doesn't suffer failure more than once" Viggo replied, grimacing.
Stoick declared "It gets worse. Drago Bludvist is a madman, without conscience or mercy. He's building an army of dragons" he warned. The riders gasped, horrified.
"Wait, you said Bludvist? Like, blood fist? I'll bloody his fist with my face if he tries to take my dragon!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "Hey, V, isn't your tribal crest a bloody fist?"
Viggo answered, "Yes, but I assure you, it's just a coincidence. And I highly doubt that trying to bite or punch Drago Bludvist would do any good. He would kill you."
"We can't keep Berk hidden forever", Stoick warned, "but we have to do all we can. I know you had your hearts set on going to the Faroe Islands, but I can't risk any stray hunters following you home. I need you all here to prepare for the war we're facing."
"But dad, if we can prove to Drago that he's wrong about dragons, there doesn't need to be a war at all" Hiccup reasoned. "If we can just pull off a capture mission, then"-
"War is what he wants! Men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with" Stoick retorted, glaring. "Swear to me that you won't go trying to talk with Drago Bludvist."
Hiccup was on the verge of arguing when Viggo cut in. "Your father is right, Hiccup. Listen to him. Drago Bludvist won't stop because you tell him he could chop down trees instead of enslaving dragons; he's a warlord, a conqueror. He murdered those chieftains in cold blood, and if Stoick hadn't managed to escape, you'd have grown up an orphan" he pointed out. Hiccup flinched; clearly, that hadn't occurred to him.
"You'd be putting Toothless in danger as well" Viggo went on. "Don't you remember? Krogan was at my - at the auction, as a 'special guest'. He nearly bought your Night Fury, probably to send back to Drago's army" he pointed out. Hiccup looked stricken.
Tuffnut raised a hand like he was in class and inquired, "Err, didn't you nearly sell Toothless to a creepy hooded masked guy? Cos I never saw Krogan at that auction."
"Krogan was the creepy hooded masked guy, you muttonhead" Snotlout groaned.
"And we're not talking about the whole 'selling dragons' thing in front of...uh, heh…" Fishlegs blushed when he gestured at Viggo and realised the man was watching him. Not that Viggo was offended; he couldn't just pretend he'd never been cruel, after all.
Fortunately, Hiccup then steered the conversation back to familiar ground. "No, you're right, I'm sorry. If you say this guy is trouble, then I'll keep away from him. I promise."
Stoick nodded. "Good. Now, listen. Bludvist has armoured dragons. I want you to do the same, and forge armour for our dragons. We need every advantage we can get."
"I can do that. We should warn our allies about Drago as well" Hiccup declared, before turning to the other riders. "Astrid, you and Fishlegs head to Berserker Island and warn Heather. Snotlout and I will go to the Wingmaidens and the Defenders."
Snotlout grinned at that, but Fishlegs winced. "Um, it's not that I don't want to see Heather again, but I can't just...I sort of agreed to be Gothi's apprentice" he admitted.
"Aye, and I never said you could go anywhere" Stoick warned his son. "Don't think that any of this Drago business is going to get you out of your other responsibilities."
"But dad" -
"Don't you 'but dad' me, mister. I'm still the chief!"
"Since when has that made a difference?" Hiccup asked incredulously. "What was your plan, to keep me here on Berk? I already said I won't go looking for this guy!"
"If you want to leave Berk that badly, you can go and warn Alvin about Drago."
"Or, how about you warn him, and I'll warn the Defenders. You can't stop me going."
"I'm the chief of Berk and I'm your father, so I think you'll find that yes, I can."
"I'd like to see you try!" Hiccup retorted, glaring at Stoick, who glared right back. They were interrupted by the sound of Viggo clapping slowly. He smirked at the two men.
"I was going to intervene, but that was just far too entertaining" remarked Viggo. The twins sniggered. Stoick spluttered indignantly. "We both know Hiccup is going to go anyway, chief" he continued. "You may as well save yourself the trouble and let him."
Stoick scowled, looking between Viggo and Hiccup. "Fine!" he snapped at last. "You can all go to our allies next week, after you've helped to start preparing for the worst."
The riders agreed; Hiccup gave Viggo a grateful nod when his father wasn't looking.
Hiccup and Snotlout returned from the Defenders with exciting news; Queen Mala was expecting a baby. It was due to be born in late spring or early summer next year.
The only people on Berk who knew of the possible threat were Viggo, Stoick, Gobber and the riders. They had all been sworn to secrecy; even Ruff and Tuff had been persuaded not to talk about it. At the end of that first week, the riders - including Viggo - met up in the chief's house. Stoick was visiting Alvin, leaving his son in charge. Hiccup had promptly told Gobber to keep an eye on things in the village.
"This is bad. This is really bad" declared Fishlegs. "How are we supposed to fend off an army of dragons? The Singetails were hard enough, and they didn't have armour."
Snotlout retorted, "Those guys didn't even really need armour. Y'know what I think? That this whole thing is a sham. I mean Stoick never actually saw this army, did he?"
Astrid glared at him. "Stoick wouldn't have been so adamant about this if he wasn't certain that Bludvist is a threat. We can't take the risk that this army isn't real; if it is, and it comes to Berk…" she trailed off. All of them, even the twins, knew what could become of Berk if such a force descended on it. "The chief's right. Our best chance is to keep this army from ever finding us...which is easier said than done" she admitted.
Hiccup grimaced. "We can't keep Berk hidden forever. If any of Krogan's men have survived and made it back to Drago...all we can do is prepare for the worst" he said.
"Indeed" said Viggo, "and speaking of preparing for the worst…" His expression turned grave. "I know you don't like harming dragons if you can help it, but if Berk is attacked by Bludvist's army, those dragons won't have a human on their backs you can just dismount. This may be one time that you have to take drastic measures."
"We're not killing them," Hiccup said firmly. "I don't care if it's tactical, they're victims. These dragons wouldn't attack us if they weren't being forced...to…" He trailed off, eyes wide, and suddenly rushed upstairs to his room. The other riders shared bewildered looks. Then he came back, almost tripping down the stairs in his haste.
Hiccup unfolded his map of the archipelago and pointed at the northeastern corner. "We know from the Dragon Eye that the so-called King of Dragons is somewhere around here. Krogan must have been sent by Bludvist to find it, and if he manages to capture that dragon, he could use its abilities to control all the others, including ours. But, if we find it first and get it to safety, or somehow persuade it to be on our side, we can protect our dragons and save the ones in Bludvist's army" he explained quickly.
Fishlegs declared, "Hiccup, you had me at 'find the King of Dragons'. Count me in."
"Oh? What happened to checking in with Gothi?"
"This is different! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it could stop this war."
Snotlout added "Hey, if you're off on an adventure, Hookfang and I are coming with!"
Before they got too excited, Viggo remarked, "I'm afraid I have some bad news, then. Once you return from warning our allies about Bludvist, the chief told me to inform you that he doesn't want you going far from Berk, especially at this time of year."
Hiccup replied, "We have time, though, right? No one knows where the King of Dragons is without the lenses, and we destroyed them. So Bludvist won't either." Then he added, "Besides, if anyone can persuade him to change his mind, it's you. You gotta teach me how to - I've been trying to do that for the last twenty years."
Viggo sighed. He looked half exasperated and half amused, but also fond, in a way that made Hiccup suspect he was thinking of someone else entirely. "You're going to go on this mission no matter what your father says, aren't you?" he asked rhetorically.
"That depends. Were you planning to betray us and tell him?" Hiccup challenged.
After a pause, Viggo replied "If I had your best interests at heart, I would tell Stoick so he could stop you, to keep you from putting yourselves in danger." A smirk curled at the corners of his lips. "It would seem...that I don't have your best interests at heart."
A grin spread across Hiccup's face; he knew what Viggo meant. "Are you in or out?"
"We are so in!" Tuffnut cheered. "It's a chance to defy authority and see an awesome dragon. Besides, you guys will be lost without us Thorstons, sleuths extraordinaire."
"I'm in too," declared Astrid, putting an arm round Hiccup's waist. He beamed at her.
All eyes turned to Viggo. Finally, he spoke. "Let's find ourselves a King of Dragons."
"Timber! Get your timber here!" Trygge bellowed at the top of his lungs. They were in the harbour of a town on the Icelandic coast, Reykjavik or whatever it was called. His men had chopped down and chopped up as many trees as they could, and were now testing the market for logs in a treeless place like this. Much to his satisfaction, a crowd was already starting to gather. People needed firewood for the winter, after all.
They were willing to pay handsomely for the chance to get hold of Trygge's limited supply of timber. "Hey, aren't you guys dragon hunters?" asked one man, recognising them. Or perhaps he'd just noticed their sails, the insignia of which they still hadn't found time to change or remove. "What happened to those two Grimborn brothers?"
Trygge replied, "Oh, well, we were dragon hunters...but you know, dangerous work, it sent Viggo and Ryker to their deaths, unfortunately. So my men and I decided to...try out a less intense profession. Trees are easier than those flaming beasts, I tell ya!"
Granted, not all of the hunters had been so eager to give up their life's work to chop down trees. Lumberjacking was a cowards job, they said. Trygge had no idea where those men had gone; he'd gotten them out of the archipelago, he'd done his part! If they went back that wasn't his problem anymore. Best let the dragon riders sort it out.
As it happened, one ship's worth of hunters were searching on the far side of Iceland for dragons. They needed a full hold before they could return to their client. Amongst their number were a couple of surviving flyers, and their traitorous former bosses' cousin, Lars Grimborn. He had asked to join them rather than remain with Trygge.
Lars was the eldest son of Viggo's father's brother. He had never exactly been close to his cousins, but he'd much preferred Ryker's company over that of stuck-up, know-it-all, backstab-you-with-a-smile Viggo. After that snake got his own brother killed, a seed of resentment had grown in Lars. There was nothing he could do about it, however. Krogan took over almost straight away, and then Viggo had come back.
Now his cousin had abandoned their family business, and gone over to the side of those bratty dragon riders. Bad enough that Ryker was dead, but siding with the enemy? Lars' resentment had only grown since. Viggo had betrayed their people, there was no doubt in his mind. Well, two could play at that game. Viggo liked games, didn't he? Perhaps he'd like them less if he faced a different, stronger, opponent…