I am really, really sorry. I really did not mean to take so long in updating this. But my wrist hurt too much for me to write, and then I was distracted by Erida, and then by Avengers. Yes, it took me almost two weeks to recover from Avengers. It's a dense movie! Amazing, but very dense. There's so much to unpack… and of course I created a Jackunzel AU that I've been absolutely smitten with.

But, enough excuses. Here's the next chapter, and I'll try to be more consistent.

Chapter 11

Rapunzel's childhood had been filled with horror stories about the outside world. Gothel had kept her locked away by convincing her that the world beyond her tower was a dark, cruel place inhabited by monsters with a thousand ways to tear her apart. And there had been plenty of dragons in those stories.

According to Gothel, dragons were mindless, savage beasts that roamed Autumn, hunting for prey.

"They wouldn't hesitate to eat a thing like you," Gothel had said.

Of course, she had said almost the same thing about men. But Jack didn't have pointy teeth, and he hadn't attacked her. Neither had any of the men at the Bennett Inn. So she decided she was willing to find out if dragons weren't what Gothel painted them to be either.

She watched, wide eyed, as Astrid mounted her blue dragon, putting the creatures neck and cooing something that Rapunzel couldn't make out. She moved the same way Jack did – fluid and graceful, but with strength behind each movement.

"You ready?" Jack ased.

Rapunzel looked at Frostfire, who regarded her with caramel brown eyes. He blinked, tilting his head to the side curiously. He didn't look scary at all, though he did have teeth and claws that looked very sharp. If anything, he looked playful.

"You're sure it's safe?" she asked Jack.

"Sure, as long as you don't do anything stupid," he said, swinging up into the saddle.

Astrid laughed. "Hiccup is still alive. So even if you do something stupid, you'll probably survive.

"I'm gonna tell him you said that," Jack grinned.

Astrid laughed again, and Jack returned his attention to Rapunzel.

"We'll be fine," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Taking a deep breath, Rapunzel nodded as she resolved herself. She took the hand Jack offered her, and clambered up into the saddle. It was easier than mounting the horse, since Frostfire wasn't so tall. But as soon as she was in place, she wrapped her arms around Jack's waist.

"Same rules as a horse," he said, looking over his shoulder with a grin. "It's safer to grip with your knees than hold onto me."

The muscles in her legs were already sore from a day and a half of horseback riding, but she followed his instructions. She didn't let go of Jack, though.

He didn't comment, though she thought he was still grinning as he faced forward again.

Unlike with the horse, he didn't seem to give a command before Frostfire spread his wings.

"Race you," Jack said, looking over at Astrid again.

Rapunzel squeaked. That didn't seem like a good idea to her.

Astrid snickered. "Not a chance, Your Highness. You're in too much trouble."

"You're just scared, 'cause you know I'll win."

"Keep dreaming, Frostbite." She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Stormfly."

Her dragon made a clicking sound in the back of her throat, and Rapunzel though the dragon smiled. Before Jack could respond, Stormfly was off the ground with a single beat of her wings.

Frostfire was a second behind.

Rapunzel wasn't sure what she expected flying to feel like. But as they pushed away from the earth, she felt as though all the breath was pulled from her lungs. Gravity seemed to increase its pull on her, trying to bring her back to the ground, where she belongs. And it felt as though her stomach dropped in response.

She looked down as they rose higher and higher, excitement coursing through her veins as the ground fell away. Once they reached the low hanging, wisps of fog seemed to pull like a veil beneath them.

A shiver passed down her spine as the earth was obscured from her view… but her nerves couldn't eclipse her exhilaration. Especially when she looked straight ahead, and found herself almost blinded.

The sky in Winter hadn't been truly clear since the wet season had begun, bringing with it an almost constant cloud layer. She had forgotten just her bright a clear sky could be. And it was so blue.

"I'm guessing you're not afraid of heights," Jack said.

"I grew up in a tower," she reminded. "I'd never even set foot on the ground until two days ago."

"You're handling the culture shock really well, by the way," Jack said. Despite the casual way he said it, she thought it might had been a compliment.

"Jack." They both looked over at Astrid. She had turned Stormfly to face them. "We've had problems with some of the Outcasts lately. We're not going though their territory, but don't wander off."

"Wasn't planning on it," Jack said, and she felt his emotions grow serious.

None of that sounded good.

"Who are the Outcasts?" she asked, when they had started flying south-south-west.

"Autumn was originally made up of a bunch of tribes, before they were united. Anyone who was kicked out of their tribe became an Outcast, and they formed their own tribe," Jack explained. "And they're still around, causing trouble."

"You think they're working for Pitchiner?" She wasn't sure why she lowered her voice as she asked the question.

"Most people think I'm just paranoid when I say someone's working for him," Jack said darkly. "But, yeah. They probably are."

#

They flew for several hours before the dragons dipped back into the cloud layer, spiraling down without any command from their riders. For almost a full minuts, she couldn't see anything but the clouds that pressed in, while staying just out of arms reach at the same time.

And then, below them, though the thinning clouds, she saw Berk. She had asked Jack to describe it for her that morning, when he had told her where they were going. But he hadn't done a very good job.

"It's bigger than I expected," she admitted, as her eyes scanned the wooden houses.

She looked over when Stormfly came along side them.

"The Hooligans used to be the smallest tribe," Astrid said. "Before Hiccup the First united all the clans. They Hiccup the Second reunited them five generations later, after his father's war tore them all apart."

"And your husband is the third?"

Astrid nodded. "Hiccup the Peacekeeper."

"Autumn is the second oldest kingdom," Jack said. "Their history goes back almost as far as Winter's. Though it's a lot bloodier than ours."

"And we've been at each other's throats for almost as long," Astrid said. "Until Jack and Hiccup became best friends. We've been at peace for almost twenty years because of these two."

"Not that anyone remembers that," Jack muttered. "Hiccup's the peacekeeper, and I'm just paranoid."

Behind Astrid, Nightlight sighed. "Jack."

Astrid spoke before Jack could.

"It's true," she said.

"And that," Jack said to her, "is why you and I are friends."

They flew over the crooked streets of Berk, and Rapunzel looked down to see people going about their work. Repairing their houses, selling goods in what looked like a market. Dragons were perched all around the town, occasionally flying past them.

They came to land outside the largest house, which sat on a rise overlooking the city. It was a two story structure, built from dark stained, intricately carved wood.

A man sat in the grass playing with a toddler, while a black dragon lay nearby.

Rapunzel wasn't sure which one she wanted to stare at.

"I was starting to worry you'd run into Outcasts," the man said, standing up. He was maybe a couple inches shorter than Jack, but a couple years older. He had messy auburn hair, which had not been helped by the fact the toddler had been playing with his.

The toddler looked momentarily annoyed that he had lost his toy, but seemed to forget all about it the moment he heard Astrid's voice.

"No, Jack was just late."

"Mama!" he cried, beginning to squirm as he held his arms out to the blond woman.

Astrid had already dismounted, and her face lit up as she jogged over to the two.

"There you are," she said, pausing to kiss the man before she took the child from his arms. "Did you miss me?"

The child nodded enthusiastically.

"Did you and daddy behave? Or did he take you flying while I was gone?"

"We went flying!" the child said, bouncing in his mother's arms.

Astrid shot Hiccup a look.

"Just around the village," Hiccup said, grinning. "I had to take care of a dispute, so I took him with me. Nothing dangerous."

"Hmm." Astrid's expression suggested she wasn't sure yet if she should let it slide, or if he was in trouble.

Rapunzel watched the scene with such rapt attention, she hadn't even noticed Jack dismount. It was so… foreign. The three were so happy, and she could almost see an invisible connection between them. There was something beautiful about it, and it left her with a deep longing she couldn't define or understand.

Stepping away from his wife and child, Hiccup came towards them. She only realized Jack no longer sat in front of her when the two men clasped hands.

"The warm season was so quiet, I should have known you would pull something like this," Hiccup said. Though he sounded more amused than anything.

"I didn't plan it, believe me," Jack said.

"You never do."

"Yeah," Jack said with a sigh. "But this whole thing keeps getting worse."

"You're right," Hiccup said, his expression turning grim. "Right after Astrid left, I got letters from Thomas and Merida."

Rapunzel didn't know the name of the emotion that washed over her from Jack. It wasn't quite dread, but that was the closest descriptor she could find. Whatever it was, it was powerful.

"What did they say?"

"Thomas didn't give much away, but he wants a promise that Autumn will side with him if it's proven that Winter was involved in the princess's kidnapping. He appealed to my sense of justice, rather than 'any fondness you may harbor for the house of Winter.'"

"Me, he means," Jack said.

Hiccup nodded. "Our friendship is no secret. But if he's reaching out to me – asking me to break our alliance – he must have some kind of… not proof. Something more than just suspicion. Otherwise he would have done this years ago."

"Or he has Pitchiner," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "This… every new development just makes it worse. And if it comes to war, Merida will side with Spring. Summer always does."

"That's the good news, actually," Hiccup said. "Merida letter was to say that she received the same request, and she would ally with whichever side I do."

"But Summer has always sided with Spring," Nightlight said, approaching the two.

"Sure," Hiccup nodded. "But that was before Merida found her soulmate."

Jack actually laughed. "Merida? I thought for sure she and I would be single together."

"Well, then you shouldn't be so surprised," Hiccup said. "But to the relief of the Summer Lords, she found him. And to my relief, he's one of my lietenants. Which means a new alliance between Summer and Autumn."

"One of your lieutenants?" Jack actually paled. "Please tell me it's not Snotlout."

"No, Eret," Hiccup said. "They met a few months ago, when the Outcasts got too close to Summer's borders. He's there now, for the cold season. Merida probably isn't in a hurry, but we have an alliance."

"Eret?" Jack frowned. "I guess it fits."

Hiccup nodded, then turned to look at Rapunzel. Jack turned back, following his friend's gaze.

As the Autumn king looked her over, Rapunzel wished she were close enough to Jack to hide behind him. Since she couldn't, she took a step closer to Frostfire. She pressed against his scaly side, resting a hand on his warm scales.

"This must be Rapunzel."

She nodded.

Hiccup bowed. "Welcome to Autumn."

"Th-thank you." She was too startled by the fact he was bowing to her to say anything else.

He continued to look her over for a moment, as if searching her face for something. Judging by his expression, he seemed to find it. Though she couldn't imagine what "it" was.

"Let's go in," Hiccup said, nodding towards the house. "We have a lot to talk about."

When he turned towards the house, putting an arm around Astrid's shoulders, Rapunzel felt brave enough to step away from Frostfire. She went over to Jack, who waited for her.

"Jack, what's a soulmate?"