Alright guys I must beg your pardon! This chapter is not as long as I would have like but it is what it is. I'd like to extend my gratitude to Loti-Miko, who has now officially agreed to be my β Reader! This chapter is a lot cleaner thanks to her valuable input! Remember that your reviews are my driving motivation. We're getting ready to take the plunge!

Chapter 18

Hiccup

The night breeze was delicious. I could taste the trees and bushes all around. The grass, and the earth. All of it assailed my nose, all at once. I was still a bit confused. Everything that had happened before my waking under Toothless in the arena, was a bit of a blur, I could barely remember any of it. But Toothless seemed to want some time to himself. His mind was locked and wrapped in iron clad tendrils of thought. It of course wasn't easy for Toothless to block him entirely, ever since our joining-of-mind-and-body. I still had a pretty good idea of what Toothless felt, but his exact thoughts were obscure. Unreachable. Overall however, he was angry, and happy at the same time. He was swirling through a sea of turmoil.

We are running through the woods. Exactly where we are going I have no idea. I most certainly wasn't welcome in the village any more. My cousin was most certainly dead. Unless of course the big lunk had a gut of steel and a neck that could still function when broken. Doubtful. It seemed that the time had come to leave Berk. Leave it forever, and never return. I was no longer welcome, and quite frankly I didn't care. I would be off with Toothless. Nothing could ever trouble us again. Though I would feel regret at the loss of this forest. My first ever sanctuary. My first true home.

Then my thoughts flashed to the image of my father's face, just prior to my leaving the ring. For just a moment, my father had been worried. Actually, parentally, lovingly worried. Worried for me. Hiccup the Useless. Perhaps the man had a shred of feeling in his body somewhere. And now I would never see him again. Surely it was cowardly to run off without at least, trying, to explain what was going on? After all, it really wasn't the Viking's fault that he had grown up in such an atmosphere of anger and violence. He simply didn't understand us.

My feet began to slow. The trees did likewise, and eventually became still. Toothless bounded on ahead for a distance, then stopped, and slowly turned. The look on his face sent a pang of fear through my gut. My stomach dropped. The eyes, which I had so often lost myself in before, were twin pools of amber, harder than stone.

"Toothless wha.." I was cut off by a snarl.

"So you want to go back?" The words echoed in my head, laced with venom. "Want to go and beg your father's forgiveness?"

"What? No! Toothless what are you tal.."

"Are you a Viking?" These words were quiet, dangerous. And then the ground dropped away and I found myself on all fours, starring up at my own face, with blank dead eyes. This other Hiccup held a knife and he swung downwards at my face. Fire flashed in my left eye. "NO!"

The memory receded, and I found myself curled into a fetal position on the grass, breathing in the scent of earth.

"Why?" My body is shaking and the question rolls over me. Why did I do that? Was that me? Was I a Viking after all? No. No that couldn't be possible.

"Toothless." I could hear how faint my voice sounded in my own head. "Why are you hiding? You're keeping us separate. It's not right. That's why that happened. We were separated. My mind was torn. I couldn't find you. Then your scent, it opened me. I remembered, I tried to stop. But it was too late." My eyes were getting hot and I could feel the tears trying to brim over. I looked up into the eyes of stone.

And I saw them crack. A tear dropped from my left eye, and traced it's way down the scar beneath. Toothless' eyes went wide. The walls of iron that surrounded his mind, kept us separated, shattered and Toothless washed over me like an ocean wave. Tendrils of remorse and horror swirled all around me, and I felt the sky and trees above me disappear, as Toothless' physical body stepped over mine and blocked me from the world. All was warmth now.

"Hiccup! Hiccup are you alright! Gods please forgive me! I was so.. angry! I don't know what happened, Please Hiccup! Please! It's all right!" A single tear. It had woken Toothless. How ridiculous. I was always taught that males don't cry. Strong males who have any chance in surviving an encounter with a dragon, never cry. One tear had saved me. "Please! Please. please. please." Toothless' pleas for forgiveness faded to silence in my mind, and a smile pulled at my face. I reached up and wrapped my arms around that enormous scaly neck. I was not going to let go. Not now. Not ever.

XXX

Stoic

How had this happened? I stood starring down at the boy, his head twisted at a horrible angle, his ax in his own stomach, as if he'd killed himself. He turned his gaze to Astrid who stood starring up at him with cold eyes. "What did this?"

"Hiccup. Hiccup killed him."

Her words sent a knife plunging into his heart. A knife of ice. Hiccup? His Hiccup? "No. It can't be. That can't be!" He was shouting. Her response, was cold and emotionless.

"Snotlout tried to stop them. He tried to kill the dragon. So Hiccup killed him."

All around him the villagers erupted in angry muttering. Some of them began to shout. He was numb. He felt nothing. Utter disbelief. This simply was not possible. Only one word found it's way to his lips. "Why?"

"Could I please speak with you in private Chief? I have some information on Hiccup that I think you'll be very interested to hear."

His gaze sharpened and locked on her. But her face in the light of the rising moon, was utterly unreadable. She knew something. That much was certain. Something that she didn't want the rest of the village to hear.

"Are the boy's family present?" His voice was surprisingly even, and he made it as loud as he could. The villagers fell silent. Two short, sturdily built Vikings stepped forward. Their expressions were blank and solemn. "Take him, prepare him for his final journey. Astrid, to my house." They left the villagers around Snotlout's parents as they lifted their child from the dirt.

It didn't take long to reach the house. Through the heavy oaken door and across the bearskin rug. Stoic knelt and set light to the oil sodden tinder in the fire place with his flint. A fire sprang to life. He added a few large logs, then sunk into his chair and gestured for Astrid to do the same. She did so.

"What's this about Astrid? What actually happened?" Astrid starred into the fire.

"You remember sir, when I told you that I'd seen a dragon in the forest?"

"I do."

"That wasn't precisely what happened that day." His brow furrowed.

"Then what did happen, Astrid?" The girl took a deep breath.

"I'll start at the beginning. Whilst you were away on the hunt, you left Hiccup to train in combat. He performed as utterly terribly, as everyone expected. Then he started disappearing. He'd run off into the forest for the entire day. People began to see less and less of him. Then, a few days after that started happening, Hiccup improved. Dramatically."

She paused and glanced at him. He gave a short nod. "No dragon could face him in the ring. All of them either retreated, or wound up unconscious. Most assumed that Hiccup was an amazing hidden prodigy. But I saw differently. I saw that whenever Hiccup defeated a dragon, he never attacked it. Most of the time they retreated willingly. When they didn't, Hiccup would.. Touch them. Stroke them. Brush them with his hand, and they would drop to the ground. Never once did he lift a hand against a dragon. Then… There came The Raid."

He knew what she meant when she said this. She meant, the raid of all raids. The one that had destroyed almost the entire village. "I fought for most of the night. But when I paused to survey the situation, I happened to glance at the roof, of this very house. And there he was. Your son, standing on the roof. Silhouetted against the stars, and lit by the light from the burning village." Stoic sucked in a breath. Up high was one of the most dangerous places to be during a raid. "He had an expression on his face, of utter nonchalance. He didn't care. He watched as his fellow Vikings were slaughtered and didn't care in the least. And no dragon touched him. Until.." A pause.

"Until what girl?" No dragon had touched him? Why would no dragon harm him? Why wouldn't he harm a dragon in the ring?

"The Night Fury. It appeared as if it was formed of the night sky behind it. Hiccup turned to it, and smiled. He smiled at it as if it's arrival was the best thing that could possibly happen to him. Then they both turned at once, and disappeared, first over the roof, and then into the forest."

Hiccup had gone with it willingly? That was absurd. It was a dragon! A murderer. A soulless beast!

"The next day, I followed it. It left a trail through the forest that was still visible. I came to the place where I led you just last night. There was Hiccup, lying against the beast's side, sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Sleeping against the side of a monster? Was his son mad? No, he was clever. A mad person could not invent the things that Hiccup did. Some of them were quite useful. Then why would he sleep next to that beast? He must have been held captive! Against his will!

"Yes sir. They were both sleeping. I figured Hiccup had to be hypnotized. I went in on my own without thinking. I got close, using the rocks as cover. Then they woke up." She paused and shuddered. "They looked at each other, and then the dragon.. licked him. Right beneath his chin, close to his throat. I thought that anyone who allowed a dragon to touch him like that had to be either trapped, or mad. I stood and yelled at Hiccup to move, then I made an ax throw at the things neck. Hiccup moved. But not out of the way. He threw himself into the path of my blade. It buried itself in his right shoulder."

"So.. That mark on Hiccup's shoulder.. That was covered in scales.."

"Was the place where my ax nearly took his arm off. At the precise moment when the ax hit, the dragon shrieked. It sounded as if it was in pain. Then Hiccup fell. The dragon stepped up and over his body, opening it's mouth to burn me to cinders. But then it paused, and glanced down at Hiccup, and whipped it's tail around to knock me out instead. I have no idea what happened after that. When I woke up, it was night time. I looked for the dragon, and I found it curled up near the lake, starring at me. It seemed as though Hiccup were beneath on of it's wings. I ran back to the village as fast as I could, but they were faster. When I got back and tried to tell you what was going on, Hiccup was already there. Watching."

Stoic was silent for a long while. It was crazy. It sounded as though the dragon had healed Hiccup, and felt his pain when he was wounded. The beast must be controlling Hiccup. Or maybe Hiccup was controlling the beast! No that was impossible. "Astrid, this just seems too insane to be real."

Both Stoic and Astrid jumped to their feet, as a low, quiet voice sounded from above.

"Oh but it is father. It's the complete truth from start to finish."

XXX

Astrid

That voice sent a chill down my spine. It was familiar, and yet, strange. It seemed as though Hiccup had let a coldness replace all the emotion in his body. Both Stoic and I leaped to our feet and whirled around. A sight met out eyes the likes of which we'd never seen. Hiccup hung before us. His hair swinging slightly, pointed towards the floor. His arms were crossed over a bare chest and his eyes were narrow.

"Hiccup! Wha.." Stoic never finished his question.

"Didn't tell him what I told you before hmm? I told you to leave me alone Astrid. You didn't respect my wish. Now the situation's gone to hell." Hiccup released one of his feet that were hooked around the rafter above. As his body swung to the side, he released the other foot, flipping in midair and landing on his feet without once taking his angry gaze off of us.

"There are a few things that it seems neither of you know. Like exactly what happened in the ring during my final exam." Now, a small cold smile pulled at the edge of Hiccup's lips. "When Toothless broke into the arena, I was able to use the confusion to free the other dragons you held prisoner. He didn't want to, but I convinced him to slash my face as well. Then you intruded on us for a second time Astrid."

My shudder was involuntary. That had been such a disturbing image. Stoic's voice was low and angry. "Who the hell is Toothless? And what was that occasion Astrid?"

"I followed Hiccup after the mishap, back to his house. There I found the dragon licking the blood out of the gash on Hiccup's face. He…"

Hiccup interrupted me. "Toothless, is my only friend. As a matter of fact he's more than that. He's my only love." Stoic's face twitched.

"He..?"

"Yes Stoic, I love a male. But in your eyes, that's not the worst of it. Right Astrid?" I felt my gorge rise. It was difficult to keep the contents of my stomach in place. The things Hiccup were saying, the things she had seen. It was beyond disturbing. "Not only that, but I'm sure you heard us yelling last night. But I bet none of you guessed what that was about." For a moment I didn't know what he meant, then my eyes fell on his left shoulder, and something from the dragon manual clicked into place. That did it. I was violently sick on the chief's floor.

I saw Hiccup above me through my hair, regarding me with distaste. After a moment, I wiped my mouth and straightened.

"What is it Astrid? What does he mean? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Stoic. But ask yourself, where have you seen that mark before? The one on his left shoulder." Hiccup's smile widened into a grin. He seemed utterly amused. Stoic had a perplexed look on his face.

"I have not read the dragon manual in a while Astrid. Is that mark significant?"

"Stoic, That is a dragon's mating scar."

Stoic froze. His eyes narrowed and a shadow passed over his face. Hiccup was still smiling.

"It's quite alright Stoic. We're perfect for each other. And we won't hurt anyone who doesn't hurt us."

I snorted. "Snotlout?"

"Hiccup's expression fell. "He tried to hurt Toothless."

"Wait wait wait!" Stoic was shouting now. "Toothless, is the Night Fury?"

"Glad to see you've caught up, dad." The last word was loaded with venom. Hiccup spat it like a curse. "My mate is a Night Fury. He'd never hurt me. Astrid tried to kill me." He pointed at his right shoulder.

A vein was starting to stand out in Stoic's forehead. He bellowed "Astrid was trying to kill a DRAGON! And you have no idea what that beast will do Hiccup you're lucky to be alive!"

"He'd never hurt me."

"And just how can you be so sure of that? The dragons love the taste of human. Dragons kill humans on sight!"

"Then why hasn't Toothless killed you?"

We stared at him, uncomprehendingly. Then his smile returned, and he pointed past us. I turned. Very, slowly. Stoic followed my gaze, and gasped in horror. There, hanging from the ceiling, wrapped in it's wings and starring at them from the darkness with fiery green eyes, was the Night Fury.

We leaped back and away. There was an ax on the wall. I was about to reach for it when Hiccup's voice rang through the room,

"DON'T. YOU. DARE." I froze. On the other side of the room, near the hearth, Stoic's hand was a few inches away from a massive sword on the wall. There was a hand on the side of my neck. It was hot. Very hot. Stoic's eyes were whipping back and forth between us and the dragon, which hadn't moved. "If either of you make a single move, I will snap Astrid's neck like a twig." I could feel the strength in Hiccup's fingers. It was as if he had become mighty overnight. He was not making empty threats. Hiccup didn't care about taking lives now. So long as the dragon was safe. "Good. Now please stay where you are."

The grip on my neck disappeared, and Hiccup stepped past me. He went straight past his father as well without looking at him. He stepped up to the hanging dragon and brushed it's wing with his hand before turning to face us. "We're going to go away. Far away. I doubt you'll ever see us again." As he spoke, the creature's wings unwrapped, and spread slowly. "You see father, I was never a Viking. It simply wasn't who I am." The wings now were folding back in, surrounding Hiccup. Only his face was visible. His eyes slid closed. "This is where I want to be." For just a moment it looked like he was sleeping.

Then his eyes sprung open. I almost fell over. My stomach did another roll. Hiccup's eyes were terrifying copies of the Night Fury's in a darker shade of green. "This, is who I am."

Stoic reeled backwards and fell over his chair. I could not move. Those eyes. And now the Night Fury let it's wings fall, and with a swing, it dropped to the floor next to Hiccup. I could see it now. Their faces were exactly the same. The same eyes, the exact same scars. Then the Night Fury turned and shoved it's way past the back door, which shattered before it. Hiccup strode towards me, reaching out his hand. For just a moment, I thought he would strike me. Then he placed the hand on my shoulder and said, "I'm disappointed Astrid. You're better than this. All humans are." And that was it. He pushed me aside and strode up the stairs.

Stoic was still dazed and staring on the floor. I refused to allow him to get away. He had murdered a Viking! And I wanted to know what he had meant by his words. I dashed up the stairs after him. When I shouldered my way past his door, I saw him, silhouetted in moonlight, crouching on his window sill. In his arms, he held the bundle of leather and iron that we had found under a bush in the ditch. "I only came back to tell my father why I was leaving. And to get our flying gear. Goodbye Astrid. I hope you make something better of your life." And with that, he had fallen sideways and down.

I rushed to the window and stared down at the ground. There was no one there. Then looking out to the side, I saw them. Two pairs of green eyes, glowing in the shadows of the forest, that as I watched, disappeared.