A/N: Double upload this weekend, probably. Let me know how you have been finding the story so far!
Chapter 6: Illogical Inventions
Jerrick arose early even before the light began to stream into the guest hut. How he managed to rise early he had no idea. If anything, he should be sleeping later, because he only returned to the village of Berk when the moon was almost at its highest point in the sky. Maybe it was the unfamiliarity of the surroundings, or maybe it was merely the thought of having to face Hiccup and his idiots again. He sighed. An early morning walk in the crispy cold air might do him good. He wore his clothes and his armour quickly, and headed out into the cold. The same cold wind from the night blew against his face, but it didn't sting this time.
Aimlessly, Jerrick wandered around the village. He expected to see a dragon or two roaming around, but to his surprise, and relief, there weren't any. They were probably kept in a pen for the night, he deduced. He felt immensely safer without any dragons roaming freely. Why did Berk even choose to live with dragons? Sure, they brought a lot of advantages, but there was the whole issue of dragons being fire-breathing reptiles. Fire and wood do not mix well, as Hiccup had told him. Hiccup also told him that eels and dragons do not mix well. There had to be a story behind these two conclusions. Maybe he would ask Hiccup for the story this day. It wouldn't help the mission, but it definitely sounded interesting.
Jerrick found himself subconsciously drifting towards the home of the man himself, Hiccup Haddock. He didn't plan to go there, but sure enough he found himself heading in that direction. Perhaps the grandeur of the Great Hall by the side of the house drew him in that direction. The large double doors of the Great Hall opened and Jerrick watched as the chief and the Berkian council entered the hall.
Suddenly, a speck in the brightening sky caught Jerrick's attention. Upon closer inspection, he realised that the speck was actually a Night Fury and its rider flying off into the distance. Hiccup was probably taking Toothless on a morning flight, just like how one would take a dog for a morning walk. Jerrick found it amusing that the most fearsome dragon in all of Midgard was just like a house pet.
As Jerrick watched Hiccup fly away, a thought sprang into his mind. The house was empty. It was a great opportunity. Hiccup would no doubt take a while to fly Toothless, and the council of Berk was in the Great Hall, which meant that something important was probably happening. There was a period of time where the house would be empty. He had to act fast.
He rushed straight to the front door of the house. It was still early in the morning, so hopefully there weren't any villagers who spotted him. Besides, it was still relatively dark outside, as most winter mornings were. That would help to cover him. Turning the knob, Jerrick entered the house and shut the door behind him. It took him a moment to realise that he was in the home of Hiccup Haddock, the heir of Berk.
And his father's assassin.
Jerrick took a deep breath and exhaled. If he wanted to find anything useful, this would be the place. The Haddock home would be where Hiccup's deepest secrets lay. Maybe he would find out why Hiccup wanted to kill his father. Maybe he wouldn't. What if Hiccup was simply a psychopath fuelled on by the love of killing, and not a terrorist trying to change the world? Jerrick looked up the staircase carved into a log in the wall of the house. Whatever Hiccup's true nature was, Jerrick figured he would find it in here, and he would begin by searching in the loft.
He took the stairs two at a time, and reached the gloomy loft slower than he would've liked. The loft was dim, illuminated only by a small candle that lay unattended on a night stand. A cold breeze blew into the loft from the open hatch, causing the flame of the candle to dance and papers to flutter. Weapons and contraptions of all shapes and sizes lay against the far wall. Some of them were even buried in the wooden wall. Right at the top of the staircase was a small night stand and a bed. The night stand was littered with drawings and sketches. Pinned against the back of the stand was a drawing of Toothless and a drawing of Astrid. There was another drawing of Hiccup and Astrid together pinned against the back too. Nothing of interest there, he decided.
Jerrick diverted his attention to the night stand. He tried not to touch any of the papers. Hiccup might notice if one of them was in a different place. Logically speaking, if Hiccup was working on any plans recently, it would lie right at the top. The papers at the bottom would have the least relevance to his plan. He examined the paper right on the top. It was a sketch of a device that Hiccup seemed to be inventing. The device was largely made up of a metallic cylinder, and the open end of the cylinder led to an intricately designed cap. The cap consisted of two metallic circles, as the sketch showed. The outer layer had holes around its circumference, but the inner layer didn't. A small gear was attached to the bottom of the outer layer, probably to allow the cap to turn. When the cap was turned, whatever was inside the container could be released, and it could be turned to close the cap again. Why would someone go through all the hassle of designing a new cap that could open and close? When he saw the sketch on the paper, something that was mentioned at the Great Hall the night before tickled the back of his mind, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. It had something to do with this invention though, he knew that for sure. Jerrick shoved it to the back of his mind. He would find the answers for that later. For now, he had to keep searching.
Jerrick moved the sketch aside, being careful not to touch the candle. The next paper was also a sketch. It seemed to be a face mask or something like that. It definitely matched the shape of a human face. If someone were to put this mask on, their eyes would be covered by a piece of 'amber glass', the sketch said. What this new material was Jerrick didn't know. He continued to look through the sketch. The nose piece was elongated outwards, and a thin piece of wet fabric would be placed in a slot within the elongated nose piece. Why was Hiccup designing a mask, and why was wet fabric so important?
Suddenly, a whistling sound rang from outside the house. Before Jerrick could register what it was, he heard a thud on the roof of the house. He froze. Hiccup was back. He had to hide. Urgent eyes darted around the room. Where could he hide? Jerrick scanned the room, and his eyes found a hiding spot. Without a second thought, he dived to the one hiding spot he found, and not a second too late too. He watched as Hiccup and Toothless entered the loft from the open hatch near the stone slab.
XX
Hiccup landed and removed his flight helmet, a smile etched on his face. Routine was something he did not enjoy, but he did say that morning flights were necessary. Without these morning flights, the Night Fury that sometimes acted more like a puppy than the fearsome creature it was would get restless and practically beg to go for a flight. He would act all sullen and gloomy for the rest of the day, until Hiccup took him for a flight. These flights also gave him a chance to bond with his dragon. Talking to him always gave him a sense of serenity and peacefulness, even if Toothless couldn't talk back to him.
"Good flying bud," Hiccup said to his dragon. Toothless warbled back happily. He jumped off Toothless onto the roof of his house and climbed into the loft through the hatch. Toothless jumped in through the other hatch directly onto his stone slab that doubled as a bed. The candle was still burning on the nightstand. He made a mental note to blow out the candles next time. Fire hazards weren't needed, especially with fire-breathing dragons living in the village. He blew out the candle, and in good time too, he thought. One of his sketches was getting too close to the flame. It was an important sketch too. Thankfully, it didn't burn.
Hiccup didn't hear the sound of his front door opening. He also didn't hear the sound of footsteps on the stairs that led to the loft. In fact, he was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the person standing directly behind him. He was completely oblivious to his surroundings. That was why he found himself completely unprepared for…
Whack! A fist collided against his shoulder, and he drew a hand up to rub the offended part. Hiccup turned around quickly, only to look straight into the scowling gaze of Astrid.
"Where were you this morning?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"I-I was taking Toothless for a flight…" Hiccup replied slowly. He rubbed his arm with his hand and looked away.
Astrid folded her hands in front of her and shifted her weight to another foot. "Did you completely forget about our date?"
Hiccup's eyes widened and he smiled sheepishly. "No, no, I didn't. I was just going… I just needed to… pack up my table." He braved a glance at Astrid. Her stance hadn't changed one bit, and she was still scowling. Hiccup sighed. "Alright, yes, I did. I'm sorry." Hiccup looked at the floor.
Astrid softened her stance and walked over to Hiccup. "It's not like you to be so forgetful."
"I know." Hiccup looked away.
Looking away was a typical Hiccup move when he had something to hide, and Astrid knew that. "Hiccup, are you okay?" Astrid asked. It was typical of Hiccup to hide his true feelings. If he wasn't pressed, he probably would never tell anyone how he really felt.
"I'm fine," Hiccup replied curtly.
"You know you can't hide your true feelings from me, Hiccup," Astrid pressed again.
Hiccup sighed. "This whole operation is worrying me," he admitted. "The last time we really went on the offensive, we failed. Other than that, every time we have merely been responding to whatever they were doing. I don't know, it's just…"
"Hiccup, it'll be fine," Astrid said. "Trust in yourself. We've pulled these missions off many times. You'll do great."
"I just have this feeling that something's going to go wrong," Hiccup continued.
"It won't," Astrid said. "Your plan is fine. Everything is going to be fine. Besides, we have a rehearsal later at the arena."
"I hope you're right," Hiccup said. Another bolt of pain shot through his arm, and immediately he knew that Astrid had punched him again. He yelped and rubbed his shoulder. "What was that for?" Hiccup asked indignantly.
"That's for always putting yourself down," Astrid said.
"I can't help worry-" Hiccup was interrupted by Astrid planting her lips onto his. He stayed frozen for a moment, and then melted into the kiss. They placed their hands around each other's necks and drew each other closer. When they parted reluctantly for air, Hiccup had a wide smile on his face.
"Hiccup," Astrid began. "I know you're worried and everything, but we're here with you. We trust that you'll do a good job. You have to trust yourself too."
"I know," Hiccup said. "Sometimes I can't avoid these feelings though."
"We're here for you when you feel down," Astrid replied. She smiled at him. Their gaze met, and their smiles widened before Hiccup pulled Astrid towards him and their lips connected again.
"I love you," Hiccup said breathlessly when they parted.
"I love you too," Astrid replied. Hiccup gazed into her beautiful azure blue eyes, a smile plastered on his face. Suddenly, his eyes jerked up at the sight of a black figure moving behind Astrid.
"Toothless?" Hiccup asked. "What are you doing?" The Night Fury simply ignored him. He continued to sniff the nightstand keenly. Hiccup gave Astrid a look, and walked over to the dragon. "What is it, bud?" Toothless turned to look at Hiccup and warbled curiously. At least, it sounded like a curious warble.
"I'll show it to you later," Hiccup said. Astrid walked up behind him, and his hand found hers. He turned to look at her, and he saw the familiar glint in her eyes. A smile grew on his face again. He kissed her again, and their eyes closed as the couple melted into the kiss. Hiccup pushed her back, and she yelped in a manner completely unlike her as she fell back onto the bed. She would never show this side of herself to anyone, except him. Hiccup dropped on top of her, propping himself up with his hands and knees.
"We're alone for a while," Hiccup whispered into her ear in a deep, husky voice. Astrid smiled back knowingly. They locked lips again, but they were interrupted by a sniffing sound beside them. Hiccup looked up to see his dragon sniffing the bed frame keenly. He poked his snout against the bed frame, as though he was trying to get underneath the bed.
"Toothless, what is it?" Hiccup asked, frowning his eyebrows. Toothless gave no indication that he heard him though. He kept on sniffing at the bed frame. Hiccup placed a hand on Toothless' snout, and the dragon finally looked up at him.
"Toothless, do you mind?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow. "Can you leave us alone for a while?" The dragon shifted his eyes from Hiccup to the bed frame, and then back to Hiccup. Hiccup glared at his dragon, his green eyes narrowed in annoyance. He took one last glance at the bed frame, and then, with a huff, he dragged himself to the hatch and leapt out of the house. Hiccup and Astrid watched as the black tail vanished out of sight of the hatch.
"I don't know what's gotten into him," Hiccup said.
"We can find out," Astrid said. Hiccup grinned and turned back to Astrid.
"Later," Hiccup said. "Right now there's more important things," he growled into her ear. He swept the blonde hair out of her face and then moved his hand downwards. But Astrid had beaten him to it. The auburn boy whimpered as he felt Astrid's hand rub against his pants.
"Oh yes there is," Astrid said teasingly.
XX
Hiccup pulled up his pants over the hem of his tunic. He watched as Astrid did the same with her leggings. Her spiked skirt came up next, and then lastly the rest of her armour. Gods, she was so beautiful. He could watch her all day.
"Are you going to watch me all day, or are you going to finish dressing up?" Astrid said. "Your pants aren't even up all the way yet."
Hiccup glanced down, and a blush crept into his cheek. He hastily pulled up his pants and fastened his belt over the hem of his tunic. He grabbed his flight armour and wore it hastily as he went down the stairs. Astrid followed behind him, and together the two of them exited into the cold weather. The sound of Hiccup's voice calling "Toothless!" could be heard faintly through the wooden walls, and like a loyal puppy scampering to its master, the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself came scampering ever so faithfully to his rider from wherever he was waiting, leaving the house empty.
Except for Jerrick who had been hiding under the bed the whole time.
Jerrick braved a peek out from underneath the bed. The coast seemed clear. He grabbed on to the bed frame and wiggled out from the tight space. Something sharp pricked his right palm when he grabbed the bed frame. He hissed and cursed under his breath and moved his hand aside. The tip of a nail was jutting out of the bottom of the bed frame. How did that end up there? Jerrick shook his head. He pulled himself out from under the bed. When he was free, he stood up, dusted himself off and took a look around the room. He gagged a little when he fully realised what he had just sat through. All the moaning and groaning, the creaking of the bed… Jerrick looked away from the unholy bed. There was absolutely nothing that he could gain from looking at it, besides memories of… that. The loss of youthful innocence came quite early for him, he thought. He did gain some useful information from that… adventure, however. There would be a rehearsal this day at the arena, and Jerrick planned to attend it.
Jerrick still felt sick as he slipped out the hatch. He grabbed the edge of the small opening with both hands and pulled himself up. Swinging one leg over the hatch, Jerrick pulled his entire body onto the roof. Now he had to find a way down. Climbing down the large spikes at the front of Hiccup's house would be safer. But that was the problem, it was at the front of Hiccup's house. The entire village would be able to see him from there. Even from his current position, crouching low on the roof, it didn't completely hide him from the view of the villagers. He had to act fast. Jerrick looked at the grass below. It didn't seem so far away. He took a deep breath and pushed himself off the roof. Jerrick landed with a thud, and used both his hands to cushion his fall. As he stood up and dusted his hands off, he saw a small trail of blood leaking down his right hand. He wiped it on his pants and ran off. Taking cover behind the small knoll was more important than that. He could wash it off later. With a glance around him, Jerrick dashed behind the hill and ran away from the chief's house.
When he approached the main village path, he slowed to a walking pace. Acting suspicious was the easiest way to arouse suspicion. He had to pretend that he didn't hear about the rehearsal, and especially that he didn't hear… everything. He almost gagged again.
Finally, he entered the guest hut and removed his armour. He had to decide the best way to watch the rehearsal later. When was later, anyway? It could be happening right now for all he knew. He made up his mind. He would stay near the arena until the rehearsal began.
