Chapter 11: Secrets

Hiccup forced his face to remain even as he walked back to his house from the prison. The arrow definitely took a toll on him. Thankfully, it had completely missed his heart, piercing him way above the heart. But the arrowhead had broken his collarbone and stabbed through his flesh a little. Mercifully, he had gone unconscious a few seconds after the impact, but when it first hit him, the pain was excruciating. It jolted down his arm and across his entire body like the lightning bolt that struck him years ago.

It wasn't until around two hours later when he woke up to a throbbing pain in his left side. There were bandages wrapped around the wounded area, and just to make sure the bandages stayed, the left side of his upper torso was wrapped up as well. Gothi was in the midst of preparing a sling for his arm when he woke up. She gave him a tonic to drink to ease the pain. Nothing he did could hide the wince as he rose from a lying to a sitting position. As much as he didn't want the other riders to see him in pain, he was glad that all the other riders were there to help him up. Except for Astrid. When he asked the others where she was, they told him she had left to see Jerrick. But Hiccup knew immediately she wasn't going to just see Bran- Jerrick. Knowing her, Jerrick wasn't going to feel much better than himself when she was done 'seeing' him. So despite the protests of everyone around, including the wise healer herself, Hiccup had stood up and dragged himself out of Gothi's hut. The pain was horrible and he had to breathe deeply to get enough air to stay alive. He scrambled onto an anxious Toothless waiting outside the hut and told him to head to the prison immediately. The Night Fury, sensing Hiccup's urgency, obliged immediately. They took off, and Hiccup felt his shoulder jolt violently from the take off. The pain tore through his body, sending flares to his brain. Hiccup resisted the urge to scream, instead letting out a loud and prolonged grunt. Toothless warbled concernedly, but he couldn't find the strength to reply yet. He breathed deeply as the pain gradually cooled down.

As they reached the prison, Toothless landed as gently as possible. His shoulder still moved, but it wasn't as bad. He hissed as he dismounted, being very careful to land on his right foot first. He began to walk awkwardly down the corridor, making sure his left arm didn't swing around. Suddenly, he heard shouting from further ahead. He could make out Astrid's voice and a high-pitched Jerrick. That wasn't good. Despite the throbbing in his arm, he called out to Astrid as loudly as he could. And just in time too. The poor boy had his eyes wide with fright and a cold sweat on his forehead. His tunic had been ripped apart and Astrid was wielding Inferno right in front of him. After convincing Astrid to let him go, he began to head back to his house, choosing not to ride Toothless this time.

And here they were, almost reaching the top of the hill where the Haddock house stood. The walk was long and arduous, but they were here at last. He inhaled deeply. Toothless warbled again. He did that every time Hiccup inhaled loudly. Hiccup gave him a little smile, but it didn't do much in easing the dragon's worries. As they reached the door, Hiccup opened the door awkwardly with his non-master right hand. He climbed the stairs to the loft slowly and laid down on the bed as gently as possible. He sighed and winced. There was no point in hiding the pain any more. It was just him and Astrid.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked.

"Never better," he replied with a small smirk.

Astrid sighed. "I'm worried about you."

Hiccup closed his eyes. "I know babe, but I don't want anyone to get hurt." He breathed deeply. "There's no reason for anyone to get hurt."

"But he hurt you."

"Doesn't mean he has to get hurt. Can you tell one of the riders to get him something to keep him warm?"

"He can stew in the cold for a while." Astrid's voice was firm.

"Yeah, he can. It's the least he deserves, right?" He chuckled. Astrid smiled a little. Hiccup cleared his throat. "Did Jerrick tell you anything?"

Astrid huffed. "He says he's here to take revenge."

"For what?"

"Apparently you killed his father."

"When did I ever kill anyone?"

"That's what I told him. Then he told me some guy with a scar across his face told him this."

Hiccup paused to think. "I don't know anyone who looks like that. Maybe Viggo, but half of his face is scarred, not just a scar across his face. Besides, he's gone."

"That's what I told him, but he insisted that someone like that sent him."

"Could be Krogan, but as far as I know Krogan doesn't have a scar. I have no idea why he suddenly resurfaced."

"But he did, so… here we are. Preparing to take him down. I'm really glad that dragon hunter gave us all the information about Krogan's base. Makes the mission a lot easier."

Hiccup cleared his throat. "I'm afraid we have to push back the mission by a day or two."

Astrid frowned. "Are you kidding me, Hiccup? You got shot today, and you're thinking of capturing Krogan tomorrow?"

"If we wait too long, he might run away." Hiccup inhaled loudly.

"Hiccup-" Astrid was interrupted by the door to the Haddock home slamming open.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout's voice called from downstairs. There was an urgent tone in his voice.

"Up here!" Hiccup called back. Loud footsteps resonated around the house as heavy feet scrambled up the log staircase. Snotlout jumped into the loft, face slightly red and panting heavily. "What is it?" Hiccup asked.

"Ruffnut went back after she noticed that Jerrick didn't have a tunic so she went to get one of Tuff's thinking it'll fit and when she rushed there she saw that there was a hole and she rushed to tell me that she has a huge-"

"Get to the point!" Astrid interjected.

"Jerrick's gone!"

"What?" Hiccup shot up from his bed. He winced when his shoulder shifted. "How did he escape?"

"There was a hole at the back of the cell. I've no idea where he went."

"I'll go check it out," Astrid offered before Hiccup could say anything. "You stay here and rest."

Hiccup was in no mood to protest. His broken collarbone deserved this much. He lay back down awkwardly, being very careful to avoid landing hard on his left shoulder blade. "Go ahead. Let me know what you find."

XX

A few minutes later, the riders were gathered around Jerrick's prison cell, apart from Hiccup. Fishlegs busied himself with examining the hole. It was small, none of them would have fit through that hole, but a young teenager could. How the hole was made wasn't that big of an issue. Astrid admitted that she flung her axe into the wall earlier. But that didn't really help. The most puzzling thing was that there were burn marks all around the hole. Astrid insisted that she brought Inferno out of the cell. So what did Jerrick use to burn a hole through the wood? Fishlegs admitted that the pattern of the burn mark was quite familiar too.

"Forget it, Fishlegs," Astrid said. "Let's search for him." Fishlegs left the cell with that question lingering at the back of his mind. They mounted their dragons and began to follow Jerrick's scent. The chase led them through the forest, winding around trees as they flew below the canopy. Stormfly took the lead, her keen nose sniffing the air as she flew through the forest. Deadly Nadders are Tracker class dragons, which allows them to pick up on minute traces of scents and follow them with great precision. They flew through the forest until Stormfly squawked. Astrid signalled for the group to land and dismount.

They walked along the forest floor, following Stormfly's lead. Suddenly, she stopped, and turned around to face Astrid. Astrid walked in front of Stormfly. As she did so, something red at the corner of her eye caught her attention.

"This is Jerrick's tunic," she announced. "He couldn't have gone far in the cold without his tunic." Astrid held the tunic to Stormfly's nose. "Follow the lead, girl," she said. Stormfly squawked and, after Astrid had mounted her, took off again.

They flew for an extraordinarily long time. Sure, they had flown longer, especially from the Edge back to Berk, but considering the fact that they were chasing someone who escaped on foot, the flight time was significantly long. Finally, Stormfly squawked, and Astrid brought them down to land. They followed Stormfly on foot for the final part. Pushing past a shrub, they entered a small clearing.

And saw a bunch of items that left them speechless.

Food supplies, satchels, and a caged Terrible Terror. Fishlegs rushed forward to free the poor dragon. A small campsite stood right in front of them, apart from a fire. There were a few morsels of yak stew inside. Astrid remembered the day Jerrick interrupted Hiccup's briefing to get some food.

"Looks like Jerrick had some friends," Astrid noted sourly. The size of the campsite could easily fit four or five people.

"And he was supplied by someone else," Snotlout added. "There's no way he picked this much dragon nip in the time he was here." He overturned a satchel, and a bunch of evenly cut dragon nip fell out and littered the floor. Hookfang's eyes perked up at the sight of this, and within seconds, he was frolicking in the dragon nip, much to Snotlout's annoyance. Mutterings of "stupid dragon, good for nothing" could be heard.

"That someone else probably had dragons," Astrid offered. "Fishlegs, any luck on the hole?"

"None yet," Fishlegs said feebly. Meatlug ran past him, happily eating rocks after frolicking in the dragon nip. They continued to sieve through the remains of the campsite, trying to find anything that could be helpful. Fishlegs was interrupted by Meatlug belching loudly.

"Are you okay, girl?" He cooed as he rushed to her side. "Did you eat a bad rock? Poor girl, spew it all out for…" Fishlegs's voice trailed off as he caught sight of the lava mound on the ground. Like a hammer striking a nail, the recollection of where he had seen the burn mark before struck him. There was a day on the Edge when Meatlug had eaten a bad rock as well, and began spewing lava around his hut. Being hot lava, the molten rocks burnt right through the wooden floor, creating identical burn marks around the rims of the hole as that in the all of the prison cell.

"Guys," Fishlegs announced. "A Gronckle made the hole in the prison cell."

"He has a Gronckle helping him? Fishlegs, keep your dragon under control!" Snotlout said brashly.

"Meatlug would never do such a thing!" Fishlegs said defensively. "Maybe he tamed a dragon."

"Guys, look at this," Astrid said. She held a piece of paper in her hands. The others took a look at what she was holding, and they all gasped.

"How did Jerrick get a copy of Hiccup's plans?" Fishlegs asked.

"No idea," Astrid replied. "But if he's interested in the plans, it probably means that Krogan sent him here. Let's find Jerrick before he runs away."

They mounted their dragons and resumed the search. Stormfly led them off the island over the sea, and then abruptly, she turned around and flew back towards the island. They flew through a tunnel underneath Berk. A whispering death probably created the tunnel a long time ago. They shot out of the tunnel and flew northwards. The sea stretched like a blue canvas in front of them. After flying for some time however, there was still no sign of Jerrick. Astrid signalled for them to turn back.

"They must have dragons," Astrid agreed. It wasn't possible for someone to get so far without dragons. "Let's go back to Hiccup with what we've found."

XX

The Northern Markets were bustling as usual. Merchants selling goods loudly, people hustling to and fro. By the side of the path, a small band was playing some sort of traditional music that Jerrick hadn't heard before. A person bumped into Jerrick's back as he rushed past. Jerrick huffed, but didn't bother pursuing the matter. On a typical day, Jerrick would've probably chased him down, but right now there were more pressing issues at hand, like finding Scarface. Jerrick had no idea if he was still in the tavern. Maybe they owned it. Then again, why would the head of an army set up its headquarters in a tavern? They had to have a base somewhere, and according to Hiccup's map, it had tunnels and caves and whatnot. But Jerrick had no idea where that was. The tavern was the only place he might be able to meet Scarface.

Even before they entered the tavern, raucous chatter and alcohol-induced laughter could be heard from outside. Why people liked to drink so much Jerrick didn't know. Maybe it was a grown-up thing. Jerrick pushed open the door, and immediately caught the same whiff of alcohol that hit him a few days ago. He grimaced. Jerrick made a mental note to restrain from drinking any sort of alcoholic drinks even when he was old enough.

"Lads, you're way too young to be in here," a Viking said cheerily in a heavy accent.

"I'm searching for someone," Jerrick said.

"You can wait for your father outside, he'll be busy for the time being." Apparently the man thought it was a good joke, because he began laughing heartily, slapping his thigh in the process. Jerrick ignored him.

"I'm searching for a guy with a scar across his face," Jerrick said, tracing the path that Scarface's scar took across his face. The man sobered up immediately. He wiped his smile from his face and stood up straight.

"You're- you're looking for Krogan?"

"Yes." Jerrick assumed that Scarface was Krogan. There couldn't be that many people with large scars across their faces.

"He's upstairs."

"Thank you." Jerrick led the way up the staircase. The same imposing armour display stood tall and imposing at the stairs landing. They walked down the corridor and towards the same room that they were tied up in. Jerrick knocked and pushed the door open without waiting for a response.

"Who the f- Jerrick?" Scarface couldn't hide the surprise on his face.

"We have news," Jerrick said matter-of-factly.

"And what might this news be?"

"Fury's plan." Jerrick remembered to switch back to the code name for Hiccup.

"Excellent. Tell me everything." Scarface narrowed his eyes and rubbed his hands together, almost diabolically. A cunning smirk appeared on his face. A few incoherent thoughts began to surface in Jerrick's mind, but he shoved them away. There would be another time to piece them together and try and figure out what his subconscious was trying to say.

"They're attacking a cave that has four entry points, and each entry point has a tunnel leading to the main cave. I'm assuming that's your headquarters." Jerrick paused for Scarface to respond. He nodded his confirmation. "They would be entering from two entrances in the east. From there, they will be split into two groups. One group consists of Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs, while the other consists of Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut. They will use Zippleback gas to flush out the people in the caves."

"They only have one Zippleback dragon, how are they going to-"

"Let me finish," Jerrick said. "Save your questions to the end, there isn't much time." Scarface huffed. "Fury has invented an airtight container that can open and close. They'll be taking turns to throw them down each tunnel in a relay format. Fury has also invented a mask that protects them from the toxicity of the Zippleback gas.

"They'll continue to do this all the way to the other entrances, where another group of riders would be waiting with two big nets. They'll drop the nets just as your people come running out of the other two exits." Scarface leaned back in his seat.

"And when might he be attacking?"

"Probably at sunset. But Fury's injured."

"He is?" Scarface did little to conceal his delight.

"His shoulder was bandaged up when he saw me in prison. He wasn't in a good state."

"How did he get injured?"

"I shot Fury with a crossbow. They put me in prison after that."

"You're sure they're attacking at sunset?"

"They should've discovered that I've escaped by now."

Scarface hummed thoughtfully. "You are one remarkable lad, Jerrick. Your father would've been proud of you." Jerrick smiled. Scarface stood up and faced the people in the room. Jerrick didn't recognise anyone apart from Captain Jorgund. "Get to your dragons, we're heading back to base. I shall brief you guys on the way back." The people in the room left without another word. Scarface followed them, but just as he reached the door he paused.

"Jerrick," Scarface said. "Would you like to come along?"

"What for?" Jerrick asked.

"I can give you some time with Fury alone."

"Why do I want to do that?"

"To finish what you've started, perhaps?"

Jerrick was taken aback. What Scarface was implying was obvious. It felt weird however, hearing him say it. But Jerrick couldn't pinpoint exactly why it felt weird. No matter though, the offer was there. Scarface was giving him a chance to get revenge. He didn't need another moment.

"Let's go."

"Excellent." Scarface left the room, beckoning for them to follow. Jerrick led the way, with all his friends following closely behind. Kari ran forward and walked beside Jerrick.

"I don't like this," she said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I have a bad feeling about this. There's something off that I can't particularly pinpoint." For a moment Jerrick wanted to say he felt the same way, but he thought better of it.

"What's wrong?"

"Okay, for starters, who asks a fourteen-year-old if he wants to… you know, finish a person? And we don't even know his name!" Kari was gesticulating with her hands quite rapidly.

"I think his name is Krogan." Jerrick said slightly louder. Scarface stopped walking and turned around.

"Did someone call me?" Scarface asked.

"I was wondering if your name is Krogan," Jerrick replied.

"It is. May I ask who told you this?"

"The bartender." Scarface hummed thoughtfully. After a moment, he continued walking. Jerrick stretched a hand to put over Kari's shoulders, but suddenly decided against it halfway through the act, leaving his hand dangling in a weird position. He placed it on Kari's nearest shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, Kari. Don't worry. We'll be fine."

"Just be careful, okay? You already have a massive wound on the back of your head, I don't want you to get injured further." Warm green eyes smiled reassuringly at him. They stopped outside a room near the staircase. Krogan signalled for them to wait outside as he went in. Alcoholic scents wafted into Jerrick's nose as the drunken chatter and laughter rose from down below. A short while later, a man hurried out of the room and headed downstairs. The armour display glinted in the light.

Suddenly, Jerrick remembered the medallion. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. How it managed to stay intact despite everything it had been through baffled Jerrick. There were some mud stains on it after the night where Astrid found his medallion, but Jerrick had washed it and polished it as best as he could. Looking at it now, he could say he did quite a good job.

"This is for you," Jerrick said as he pressed the medallion into Kari's palm. "I know you have a whole collection of these in your home so here's another one to add to that. I think it suits you."

"Thank you." She was smiling, but her eyes displayed something different altogether.

"What's wrong? You don't like the medallion?" Jerrick asked.

"No, I like it," Kari said. "But it feels like… like a goodbye gift."

"It's not a goodbye gift, I promise. If anything, it's the complete opposite. It's an 'I promise' gift." Kari raised her eyebrows. "I couldn't find a better word," Jerrick said quickly. Kari rolled her eyes.

"Kari," Jerrick began softly. "I promise I won't do anything hasty. I promise I won't do anything that will harm us. I promise I'll always be here." Jerrick gave her a smile. Slowly, Kari returned her smile, but this time the smile was genuine.

"Just kiss already," Corey said, earning him a glare from both Jerrick and Kari.

The door to the room opened and Scarface came out carrying a large bag. They followed him down the stairs and into the bar. As they entered however, Jerrick noticed the atmosphere in the bar change. Conversations quieted down as they walked past, and the raucous laughter he heard earlier diminished slightly. Jerrick could feel eyes bore into the back of his head. He played it off, telling himself that it was the wound on the back of his head causing this. But even when he had entered earlier with the wound, the bar hadn't quietened down. The bartender that greeted him earlier was nowhere to be seen too, a younger one taking his place instead.

Jerrick felt a huge sense of relief when they exited the bar. The cold wind refreshed their lungs as they walked behind Scarface. Scarface, or rather Krogan, led them to the edge of the island where a few Singetails were chained. Jerrick almost flinched when their yellow eyes flicked onto their group as they approached. Those eyes looked cold, almost threatening them to stay away.

Standing next to the Singetails were the very dull and very lifeless Yakfeet and Blondhead. They made no indication that they existed as the group approached. It wasn't until Krogan spoke to them then they began to use the oxygen they breathed in meaningfully. They mounted on the Singetails and waited for something to happen. How could someone live their entire life like this?

"Get on," Krogan said as he mounted a Singetail. Jerrick wanted to say he had a dragon of his own, but he hesitated. He didn't know why he hesitated, a gut feeling simply told him to do so. Should he mention Rockcrusher? Scarface was looking at him, waiting for him to say something. Jerrick had to make a decision.

"Coming," Jerrick said as he mounted the Singetail behind Krogan.

XX

Heavy thuds resonated outside Gothi's hut the moment Hiccup finished treatment for his shoulder. He let out a deep sigh. There wasn't a moment's respite. He wasn't surprised when his teammates strode into Gothi's hut. But he was surprised to see anxious looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked.

"Jerrick escaped," Astrid growled.

"How?" Hiccup asked.

"He had a dragon, Hiccup," Fishlegs said. "A Gronckle, if my deductions were correct."

"And he was working for Krogan," Astrid said. Hiccup could no longer hide his shock and surprise.

"How do you know that?"

"He had a copy of your plans," Astrid replied. A million thoughts began to race through Hiccup's mind, but among all of them one of it stood out the clearest.

"We need to attack before Krogan can counter the plan," Hiccup said firmly.

"Hiccup, you're in no state to go anywhere," Astrid said.

"There's no choice, Astrid, we have to attack quickly. Besides, this splint will hold my shoulder steady."

"You can't fight like this!" Astrid protested. But her protests fell on deaf ears. Hiccup's face took on a hard look. A sense of finality flickered into his eyes.

"There's no choice. We have to attack quickly. Get the A-team ready and gear up. We leave tonight."