Hiccup tapped his foot against the hard wood of the Clubhouse, struggling to focus on the maps in front of him. He needed to mark any ways Dagur could've gone, make sure he was truly out of the Archipelago. And the area around the Edge. If he was in Viggo's territory, Dagur could handle that on his own.

Unless they gang up on us. Dagur isn't the brightest, Viggo could easily manipulate him.

Hiccup growled, pounding the desk with one fist. His leg was aching- worse than usual. It made it almost impossible to focus. Maybe if he took off his prosthetic… nah. Snotlout was already staring at him. He didn't want to make anyone worry. The twins, as usual, were clueless.

"Hey, Snotlout. Astrid and Fishlegs still out getting dinner?" The burly Viking nodded. Hiccup almost groaned in relief- they wouldn't be back to check up on him and be all caring and annoying for another half hour or so. Then an idea struck. "Snotlout?"

"What, Princess? I'm busy here!" The twins cackled off in their corner as Snotlout stomped over to them. Was that a bowl?

Whatever. Another stab raced up his leg and Hiccup hissed under his breath. "Fffft…" He breathed a quick breath between clenched teeth as the pain faded. "Just come over here for a minute."

Snotlout slumped and dragged his feet on his way over. Hiccup's voice was harsher than usual, which meant he was in trouble. Again. "What?" He snapped. "If this is about the yak fight last Thorsday-"

Hiccup shook his head, laughter in his eyes. "Nope. That was hilarious, but no. I have something for you."

"What?" Snotlout's face lit up- only for him to slump when Hiccup handed him a sheet of parchment. "What is this? It's just lines on paper!"

"It's music." Hiccup laughed, tapping his foot again beneath the table. Manage it. "You can learn songs from this- Trader Johann gave it to me last time I bought a book from him."

"You mean those little lines and scribbles actually mean something? I mean- I totally knew that-"

"Most Vikings don't, Snotlout." Hiccup replied patiently. "I don't, even. But I know Heather can read music. This is your chance to get to know her."

"I don't need a girl to teach me anything!" Hiccup merely smirked and leaned in, putting most of his weight on his good leg. "Do you really think she's a girl?" He pointed behind Snotlout.

Heather was walking in, the burly Viking realized, from her border patrol. She glanced around for a moment, face falling- probably when she realized Astrid and Fishlegs weren't back yet- and went over to grab a book off the shelf.

"I don't sing." Snotlout retorted, barely moving his lips even as he hissed at Hiccup.

"But you can."

"No! I can't! Vikings don't-"

"Snotlout." Hiccup stood, clapping his hands to the Viking's shoulders. "I can make a list of several amazing Vikings on Berk who can sing. Whoever put that in your head-" He had a sneaky suspicion who that had been- "- is wrong. Don't you wanna prove me wrong?"

'I don't know if you're ready for a girl like Heather.' Snotlout growled as the words paraded unbidden through his mind. "Maybe."

"So go do your sincere acting and ask her to teach you!" Hiccup pointed his chin toward Heather. "Do you really want her to keep talking to Fishlegs?"

"No."

"Then ask her." Snotlout paused, considering- he really did want to go talk to her, and this gave him a reason to. And it would be so cool to be better than Hiccup at something!

But that meant singing. And asking for help.

"Fine." Snotlout muttered- then tilted his head at the paper. "What's the markings under there?"

"Oh." Hiccup glanced down, easing back into his chair with a wince. "Those are the words- I had to translate it from Norwegian, sorry it's so messy. I can rewrite it-"

"No, I can read it." Snotlout's tone was strangely thoughtful. "Ok, cool. Sure. Whatever." He walked towards the others, gaze still fixed on the page in his hand. "You're welcome." Hiccup laughed, turning back to his work.

Only to be hit by another stab of pain.

"Agh-" Hiccup cut himself off, biting his tongue and reaching one hand under the table to massage his stump. Maybe taking the prosthetic off would- Nope. You'll be fine. The voice in his head stopped him. Just keep working. You're tough. Hiccup sighed and turned back to his maps. They couldn't have gone west, they'd run straight into the Berkian Archipelago. They wouldn't dare- probably- go back through the Straits of Baldur and risk passing the island with the Smothering Smokebreaths. North was Queen Mala's territory-

Hiccup stiffened, letting out a long breath. This was going to be a long night.

Unbeknownst to him, Snotlout had noticed, and was slipping out the door to find a certain blonde Viking.

—

"Hiccup!" Astrid's voice pulled him from his work. He glanced up- "Where's the mutton?"

"Fishlegs' carrying it in now. Snotlout told me something was wrong." Hiccup sent the burly Viking a scathing glare- he backed out of sight.

"I'm fine, Astrid." Hiccup struggled to keep his features even, clenching his jaw as a horribly-timed stab ran up his leg. But this time, it didn't go away. It faded a bit, but kept aching.

And that's when Hiccup knew.

Phantom pain.

Oh, sweet Eir help me now. He thought. He pressed his hand ever so subtly against the table. "I think Heather was waiting for you."

"She seems pretty distracted." Astrid noted, glancing over at her friend- deep in a discussion with Snotlout, Fishlegs offering hints every few moments. For once, Snotlout was too engrossed in his work to snap back. "Yeah. Right." Hiccup muttered, tapping his foot against the ground and biting his tongue. He had to get out of there. Any minute now-

Too late. Hiccup barely managed to swallow a scream, pressing his head against the table as pain exploded in his leg. His whole world shrunk to just the dark space between his forearms and his feet. He breathed harshly, unable to hold back a small groan when the pain increased even more.

"Hiccup?"

Astrid. Shoot.

"I'm fine…" He mumbled, steeling himself and lifting his head. It was almost impossible to think, much less keep the pain out of his eyes and face.

"No, you're not." Hiccup focused on her face- upturned nose, dusting of freckles, bright blue and currently very stern eyes. Thick, short eyelashes. Thin lips. "Come on, Hiccup. Tell me what's going on."

"Keep your voice down!" Hiccup hissed, gritting his teeth against another onslaught. His hands curled into fists on the table. "I don't want anyone finding out."

"Finding out what, Hiccup?" Astrid moved closer- she had obeyed his request for quiet, but the venom in her tone was apparent.

"My-" Hiccup drew in a long, slow breath, muttering a curse under his breath. "My leg- agh…"

Astrid's blood ran cold. Oh, Thor. Phantom pain. "Do you get these a lot, Hiccup?" She asked. Is this OK? How long does this last?

How bad does it hurt?

He sucked in another hissed breath- "Thor- I dunno… this one's- this one's not so bad." Somehow she didn't believe that. "It's worse in- the winter months. Just help- help me to my hut?" Astrid nodded wordlessly, glancing towards the others- the twins were playing some strange card game involving maces and drawings and the other three were gathered around a small sheet of paper- before helping Hiccup stand. "Are you OK?" She asked in a whisper, respecting his wish to not cause a scene. Looping an arm under his, she continued- "Can you walk out of here?" Hiccup nodded shakily, facial muscles contorting in agony. "I-I think so…" He raised his prosthetic, holding back a groan- and promptly collapsed. He would've hit the floor if Astrid hadn't managed to catch him, sinking with him as he held his leg tight against his chest. So much for causing a scene. Astrid deadpanned as everyone looked over in horror.

"Hiccup!" Heather was the first to respond, then Fishlegs, then Snotlout. The twins hung back as the others rushed over, Heather shooting Snotlout a grateful glance. "What happened to him?"

"Phantom pain." Astrid replied for the young Viking. "He's-"

"We know what it is, Astrid." Snotlout snapped- then softened. "So what do we do?"

Hiccup groaned again, resting his head on his knees. "I'm OK, guys, really." His voice was muffled.

"Oh, yeah sure." Came Heather's snippy remark. "Says the guy who collapsed, for Thor's sake." Hiccup blindly raised a hand until it found Astrid's shoulder, pulling himself to a shaky stand. "See? I'm-"

If Toothless hadn't rushed over right then he would've collapsed again. "Thanks, bud." Hiccup gasped- "Agh- Thor-" Astrid sighed. He obviously needed help, and he was too stubborn to ask for it. Come on. She muttered internally, helping Hiccup back up.

"Come on, dragon boy." She swung his legs- gently, gently- out from under him and carried him bridal-style to the corner where all their supplies were kept, ignoring the gazes of the others on them. Hiccup whimpered, fisting a handful of her shirt and squeezing it so hard she was surprised it didn't rip. His prosthetic dangled like dead weight from his leg. "Guys?" She motioned to the pile of blankets, relieved when Fishlegs and Heather spread them out for her. She gently laid Hiccup in the middle of them, Toothless curled around him, creating a sort of nest in the strewn blankets. Settling down next to him, Astrid pulled him closer to herself. "You OK, dragon boy?"

"Been better-" Came the choked reply. He hissed again, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Should I take your prosthetic off?"

Real fear flashed in Hiccup's eyes. "No- it's fine- I can-"

"Let me help." Astrid leaned forward, leaving no room for argument. She fumbled with the latches for a moment, pulling the leather buckles apart and sliding the contraption off, revealing dusty white cloth wrapped right around his stump. "See? That wasn't so bad." Hiccup's facial features had relaxed just slightly- he leaned his head against the wall, taking rapid, hissing breaths. "Is that better?" A small nod was all she received. "Ok… I'm gonna unwrap this. Thor, Hiccup, those are tight-"

"I can do it." He gritted out suddenly, pushing her hand away a little more harshly than he had intended to. "You- you don't have to-"

"I want to, Hiccup. Let me help." She took one of his shaking hands in hers, ignoring Snotlout's mimed gag behind her. "You're shaking."

"Oh, Thor- fine." Hiccup muttered, slouching forward and wrapped his arms around his knees. "Just do it." Alarm bells were ringing inside his head, but they were drowned out by another wave of agony. He swallowed a scream, instead letting out a strangled groan, blinking back hot tears. "Still better than winter?" Astrid asked; he shocked her when he nodded. How bad does it get?! Great Odin!

Gently, Astrid cut a small slit in the wrappings with her dagger and peeled them away, sucking in a breath when she saw what was underneath. It wasn't bad- slightly swollen, maybe, and red, but nothing disgusting. It was just… seeing a limb end where it should continue always shocked her, no matter how many times she saw it around the village. Especially on someone their age.

"Is… it bad?" Hiccup choked out, screwing his eyes shut and gripping the area above his stump. Astrid blinked, eyes round with guilt- she hadn't meant to stare. The twins and Snotlout were staring unabashedly. Somehow that didn't make her feel better. "No, not at all." She mumbled in response, scooting close to him. "Sorry I was staring."

" 'm used to it…" Hiccup muttered. "Great Thor- I hate this…" Astrid sighed, pulling him close once again, the others hovering nearby. A pointed stare sent them all to the other side of the room, the twins whispering to themselves and Snotlout trailing after Heather and Fishlegs. "Heather and Fishlegs are cute, don't you think?" Astrid asked, prodding Hiccup gently. Distraction. He didn't reply for a few long moments. Then- "But- what about Heather… and Snotlout?"

Astrid was torn between being happy he could carry a conversation and being completely shocked. "What?!" She hissed, turning to face him. "Heather and Snotlout? Do you hear yourself?"

Hiccup shrugged, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath. "Thor- hang on… ok. Yes- I hear myself- agh- but she's really good for him!" He made a small gesture towards the trio, still poring over that piece of paper. "She's- forcing him to- whoo, that was a big one-"

"You good?"

"Yeah. She's forcing- him- to- up his standards." Hiccup managed, banging his fist against one of the mounds of blankets. "See?" Astrid glanced over- she had to admit he had a point. She'd never seen Snotlout and Fishlegs work together, yet here they were, leaning so close together their elbows were brushing as Heather pointed different things out to them. And both looked genuinely interested in whatever that was.

"What did you do, Hiccup?" His sly grin didn't escape her- even if it was quickly replaced by a grimace.

"Let's just say- I am a mastermind- matchmaker…" Astrid shook her head, resisting the urge to sock him in the shoulder. It's not as fun now that he has built-in shoulder pads.

"Hey, where'd the twins go?" Heather asked- just in time for them to burst back in carrying four maces apiece.

"What the-" Hiccup cut himself off. "What are you- guys- doing…?" Astrid tensed beside him, ready to jump up and stop them from trashing the Clubhouse- but they turned to face the couple.

"We wanna distract Hiccup!" The twins shouted in unison, thrusting their maces in the air. Fishlegs frowned.

"Yeah! Our great uncle on our cousin's side had a prosthetic arm-"

"That's not even a thing, knuckleheads." Snotlout muttered under his breath. Heather chuckled as the twins continued in oblivion.

"And we used to distract him all the time!" Tuffnut finished. "So we're gonna distract Hiccup!" They began juggling, ignoring the shouts of dismay as maces were flung through the air. Astrid almost got up to stop them- but then she glanced at Hiccup. His pain-filled eyes were fixed on them, and although he didn't say anything, a small grin made its way onto his face every few moments. And when Ruffnut accidentally hit Tuffnut on the head with one, he laughed. It was a small, strained, choked sound… but it was a laugh. And that was something he desperately needed. So… maybe she could let them off the hook for once.

"Juggle with each other!" Snotlout suggested- the twins glanced at each other and nodded, spacing out between the door and the hexagonal table in the center of the room. They each had two maces now- the metal glinted in the afternoon light. "You ready, sis?"

"I'm never ready, bro!" Ruffnut laughed, eyes wide with glee. "That's the best part of life!"

"To courage and stupidity!" They both cackled, chucking a mace at each other. The weapons arced through the air, landing in the other one's palms. Then the next, faster and faster and faster until-

"They're doing it!" Astrid breathed. Fishlegs didn't dare look away- and neither did anyone else, with varying degrees of concern and enjoyment. Silver flashed through the space, punctuated by whoops of elatement from the twins, spinning and jumping to catch their targets while simultaneously releasing another one. Suddenly she noticed Hiccup was still sitting stiffly beside her. She instantly forgot the show going on in front of them, eyes flicking to Hiccup. "Hiccup?"

He let out a choked groan. "I- it's OK, I just-"

"Do you want me to ask them to stop?" Astrid whispered. "I can."

"No." Hiccup gulped, shutting his eyes against another wave of pain. He blinked back tears yet again, body rigid. "It's a distraction. Takes my mind off-" He hissed, muttering a curse under his breath and spitting out his next word. "-that."

"Hiccup-"

"Just… stay here. Please." Astrid's resolve faltered at his broken tone- he groaned again, the sound building into something close to a scream that brought the twins' show to a screeching halt.

It's almost over. He painted to himself. It gets worse right before it's over.

Somehow that wasn't helping.

Through tear-blurred vision, he could see Snotlout nodding to Heather and Fishlegs. He took the maces from the twins, setting them in the corner and coming over to sit next to Astrid and Hiccup. The gang encircled the couple, all sitting close together. Someone had closed the clubhouse's hatch- there was no longer light streaming in, save for the warm, flickering glow from the crackling fire in the center of the room. It felt small. Cozy. Warm.

Another stab of pain raced up his leg. He gasped, too exhausted to hide the pain any longer. Astrid's hand squeezed his, and he squeezed back- it had to hurt, but she wasn't letting on.

Stormfly scratched at the piles of blankets until the nest of sorts was big enough for all of them, their dragons forming a circle around them so they were barricaded in their little circle of friendship and warmth and completely closed off from the rest of the world. Their own little, peaceful bubble that nothing could break- not even Hiccup's occasional moan of pain. He grasped at his leg, curling into Astrid's comforting warmth. Almost over- "Agh… ah- oh, Thor-" Eir help me. He begged. Once again the pain became to much to bear; a strangled groan grew and grew as Astrid clutched him tighter. A single tear dripped down his cheek.

This was miserable. He was tired, and shaking, and hurting- "Great Mjolnor itself-" He gasped, struggling not to say something worse. He could feel fingers playing through his hair as he curled into a tight ball, almost unaware of the worried stares he was receiving. Deep breaths. Deep… breaths…. wait, what's happening?

Ruffnut stared in confusion as Fishlegs pulled out his small set of wooden pipes- and began to play a haunting whistle that echoed through the space almost like a song.

And then Snotlout started to sing, in a low, smooth baritone. "Where the north wind meets the sea…. There's a river, full of memories. Sleep my darling safe and sound… for when all is lost, then all is found." He held out the last note, rich and haunting, as Heather joined in, singing a slightly higher harmony that overlapped and mixed with his.

"In her waters… deep and true, lie the answers, and a path for you. Dive down deep into her sound… but not too deep, or you'll be drowned…" Once again they held the final note out, letting it hang in the air. It stirred something deep in their souls. Then Heather started off on her own, a wavering, sweet melody filled with trills and breath. "She will sing to those who hear, and in her sound, all magic flows… but can you face what you most fear? Can you face…" Snotlout joined underneath her, sending a mysterious shiver through the room. "What the river knows…" Fishlegs' pipes trilled up and down, weaving a tapestry of sound through which the duo's voice sounded again. "Where the north wind… meets the sea, there's a river… full of memory. Come my darling homeward bound. For when all is lost…" Once again, the dissonant note hung long and cold on the still air, sending shivers down their spines. "Then all is found…"

Snotlout opened his eyes; his heart was pounding with some sort of unknown emotion. It wasn't quite joy, and it wasn't fear…

Awe. That's what it was. He glanced at Heather, then Fishlegs- they were sporting the same awestruck expressions, chests heaving from more than breathlessness.

That's true power. He thought to himself. It was far better than anything he could do with an axe or a sword. That was temporary. This…

He felt his face breaking out into a disbelieving, almost maniacal grin. This… was amazing. He wanted to do it again. Learn a new song- even if he and Fishface over there had fought quite a bit. But- he glanced at Astrid, who shook her head and pointed to her lap, where Hiccup was laying, eyes closed, breathing even. He'd finally fallen asleep.

And for once, Snotlout didn't argue. He was OK with that- letting this strange feeling sit and savor this moment. It might never happen again, he reasoned, so why end it?

Astrid smiled down at the motionless form in her lap, stroking his hair softly. She almost had it free of all its tangles. At last, his face was relaxed, no sign of pain or irritation. He was so… peaceful. A rare occurrence for Hiccup Haddock. "Well, I can't move." She whispered, not looking up. "Who wants to sleep over?"

"Me!" Came the whispered response from the twins, cackling and no doubt plotting to burn something down. Everyone else nodded their agreement- "But don't we need to finish dinner?" Fishlegs whispered back. Astrid cast a pleading glance at Heather, pointing her chin towards the sleeping form beneath her. Heather smiled. "I'll help him. Snotlout, come with?" He nodded, jumping up to follow her and Fishlegs as they made their way through the small gap between two of the dragons' tails. Heather, however, paused and glanced back at Astrid, gaze flicking between her and Hiccup. She smirked.

"Told you so."

And then they were gone. Astrid rolled her eyes, packing a blanket between the wall and her head as a pillow. Every few moments she glanced down to check on her sleeping friend, pulling him closer or gently shaking out her legs so they wouldn't fall asleep. The twins were laying a few feet from her in their little shadowy haven, pushing each other up and around into strange two-person positions. They called it 'yoga'. Who knows where they got that from. Astrid laughed to herself. Still, it was entertaining.

It wasn't too much longer before the trip came back with seven bowls of mutton and several barrels of fish, the latter of which were set under the dragons' heads so they wouldn't have to move. Crickets chirped outside as they quietly ate their meal- it was delicious. Warm and creamy, and buttery, with just a hint of some hot spice that Snotlout wouldn't give away the name of.

"Should we wake him up?" Astrid jerked her head to Hiccup, mouth full of stew.

"Hiccup wouldn't wanna miss this." Ruffnut mumbled- Astrid froze. She was on top of Tuffnut. His legs were spread in a sort of squat, back pressed against the floorboards, Ruffnut balanced across the soles of his feet, both comfortably chowing away. Well, those two never get old.

"Let 'm sleep." Heather whispered back, sitting between Snotlout and Fishlegs, cross-legged, having removed most of her armor. Astrid set her bowl of soup down and gently maneuvered to where she could take off her shoulder plates. "He's been through a lot today. It'll still be there when he wakes up."

"Unless one of us eats it." Tuffnut whispered, earning a spoon to the face. "Now what're you gonna do, Astrid?" Ruffnut teased. "You can't-"

Astrid tipped her head back and downed her bowl of soup in one gulp. "Right. You could do that. Actually, I kinda wanna try that."

"Woah, woah, hey!" Her motion threw Tuffnut off-balance, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Snotlout smothered a snicker at the sight- the twins laying in a confused pile of limbs, covered in vaguely yellowish soup and pieces of cooked lamb. "That's- that's beautiful." He laughed.

"A work of art." Heather deadpanned, standing up to help Ruffnut up. Tuffnut went ignored. "There's plenty more soup where that came from, so don't worry." She disappeared with a promise to get more soup for anyone who wanted it- Astrid, the twins, and Snotlout. They ate their meal in peace, the whole group uncharacteristically quiet. It was… comfortable. Astrid was just glad the thumping hadn't woken Hiccup up.

A/N: Once again, I am so sorry about my lateness! I'm tempted to say I won't be able to upload twice a week anymore, but my workaholic side is too stubborn. I'll get my flow back, promise. A lot of my almost nonexistent creative energy has been spent hammering through writing blocks to actually get some work done on my novel. If it gets really bad, I might just have to post some of it on here for some motivation! (Would y'all even wanna see that? Probably not.)

On a different note, I belatedly realized the last chapter was left on somewhat of an unresolved note, so if you want me to continue it I totally will! (This one has a part two as well, and I swear I'll post it on time!)

Again, sorry for my incompetence lol. Love you guys!

-Grace

P.S. My WIP account loves you all for forcing me to finish these...