First, A special thanks goes to the guest posters who liked my "writing style". I didn't realize stupid and clueless was a style, but I'll take the compliment :-).

I'd like to thank all who left reviews. It's appreciated, but certainly not necessary. However, it does helps me clarify things if I've caused confusion, and it seems I did. So let me clear some things up. :-)

Please remember, this fiction will be dark, and it deviates significantly from the movie and the books. It's more of an AU story. I'm making some characters much more villianness, and introducing new ones.

Toothless the dragon will not be making an appearance in in this story. I thought about bringing him in, but writing a non-speaking character and getting the proper emotional dynamic is beyond my abilities as a newbie writer. Some people do this brilliantly, and I'm awed by their great talent, but I'll have to work up to that. (probably my next story, if I don't crash and burn with this one.)

This chapter continues the saga and gives us a bit more info on the dynamics going on in the village. It's action light, and focuses more on the personal dynamics (mean and creepy) between main characters.

***** CHAPTER AND STORY WARNINGS *****

Offensive language and mild (from my perspective) physical and emotional abuse. Chapter also contains sexual suggestiveness and some offensive touching. Rating is "M" - to be safe. Please use the appropriate caution when deciding to read.

Please remember this work will contain offensive language, blood, torture, angst, mind control, sexual suggestiveness, and other such naughty topics. If these things are troubling, please don't read.

We have just started our journey down the dark and lonely road, so be prepared. If you're looking for a fairytale ending, you've come to the wrong place.

I am specifically writing to pull strong emotions from the reader and I'm trying to write a very complex plot. I might fail spectacularly at both, but that's what I'm shooting for.

I hope to make you laugh, cry, love, and most of all, get really pissed off. I want you to feel emotionally exhausted after reading this story. I want you on the edge of your seat and nervous. It's a tall order, I know. My magic 8-ball is still telling me I'll crash and burn, but what the Hell... no pain, no gain.

Last Warning: Buckle up Buttercup, we will be entering the twilight zone. I know the voices in my head aren't real... but sometimes their ideas are just absolutely awesome!

Chapter 6
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The calm, icy voice, intoned with the assurance of someone who would carry out their threat, repeated the sentence more forcefully. Implied danger clung to every spoken word.

"I said..." The voice paused as a deep breath was sucked in, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The remainder of the sentence was spoken slowly on the exhale through gritted teeth. The voice dropped almost an octave in tone as the words were almost growled.

At the sound of the fierce voice, the taunts and boisterous laughter from the restive teens abruptly stopped. The branding iron, which hovered dangerously close to its targeted landing spot on Hiccup's freckled flesh, was slowly and judiciously withdrawn.

The once steady and fearless hand which grasped the torture tool with zeal, ready to inflict blinding pain on its hapless victim, now shook slightly with fear as Snotlout stared at the foreboding figure who now stood between him and his perverse form of entertainment.

The small boy on the ground winced in pain as the rough hands gripped onto his body tightened and dug into his flesh. His head twisted frantically searching for the source of the voice, only to find his view obscured by the large bodies surrounding him. But Hiccup he wasn't hallucinating; he had heard it, he knew he had. He had heard the beautiful feminine voice of a Valkyrie sent straight from Valhalla by Odin himself. His prayer to the Gods had been answered.

The voice spoke again in a more aggravated tone, "Don't you hear well, asshole? I said... Back off!"

A look of pure fury radiated from Snotlout's face, sending shivers down Hiccup's spine as the large boy was reluctantly forced to end his assault. Hiccup had seen that dangerous look on his cousin's face countless times prior to the large boy's vicious attacks upon him. It was the look that always preceded intense violence on whomever it landed; which was usually him.

Knowing the level of violence his cousin was capable of, Hiccup feared for his Valkyrie's safety. He knew he had to divert the groups attention away from their new prey.

Desperately trying to redirect Snotlout's focus, the pinned boy began thrashing. He screamed, "It's me you want! Leave her out of this!"

The large dark haired boy's resolve seemed to remain firm as he continued to stare in the direction of the newcomer, his demeanor unaffected by Hiccup's antagonistic scream. Seeing the rage in his cousin's face build and intensify, Hiccup quickly sputtered an insult, "Leave her alone! you... you... troll-brained... dragon-breathed... um... big dummy!"

Astrid rolled her eyes, blowing out a huff of air which caused the bangs covering one of her eyes to rise up in frustration at the lameness of her self-appointed protector's, pathetic jab. Undecided if she was grateful that the sweet, green-eyed boy's character lacked the ability to spew pejoratives, or if she pitied his lack of innate Viking vilifying skills, Astrid knew one thing for certain. Hateful words were foreign to the innocent, un-Viking-like boy who laid pinned to the ground desperately trying to protect her.

At the sound of Hiccup's fierce voice (well, as fierce as Hiccup could manage considering his current situation), Snotlout snapped his head downward, locking eyes with the small trapped child under his meaty paw. The boy's defiant eyes showed a strength that infuriated his controlling cousin. 'How dare that insolent whelp not fear me after all we've done to him.' The dark thought pulsed through his veins, feeding the pure unadulterated hatred that rose in his chest.

Without warning, Snotlout suddenly bellowed, "Shut up! You useless! Good for nothing! Fucking piece of shit!" A large fist was then thrust downward impacting Hiccup's cheek.

Before Hiccup could recover from his dazed state, he felt the large, calloused fist of his brutal cousin strike his face twice more, once on the jaw and then the temple. As the impacts buffeted Hiccup's head, stars flashing before his eyes, his small moans of pain echoed pitifully into the post-dawn air.

Blood trickled down the stunned boy's face as he struggled to stay conscious, eyelids fluttering. Teetering on the brink of blackness, his beaten body limp and dazed from battling pain, his muddled mind registered only dribs and drabs of the ensuing conversation.

After watching yet another bout of brutality, the female voice repeated, low and angry, "You're gonna regret that. You should've listened when you had the chance." Her voice radiating the promise to deliver on her implied threat.

Astrid widened her stance, preparing for battle, as she looked down at the unconscious, half-starved youth, whose extremely thin and freckled torso was littered with scrapes, cuts, and scratches. The numerous black and purple bruises from his mistreatment at the hands of the unfriendly mob of miscreants, were pronounced on his fair skin, making the young Viking female almost wince with empathetic pain.

The battered face and tortured body of the sweet, helpless boy lying restrained on the ground ignited a raging fire within Astrid's core as she gazed upon the group of huge boys with disgust. While she was a tough, no-nonsense Viking, she was honorable. In her mind it was honorless for a mob to beat and torture a small defenseless boy several years their junior.

From his kneeling position next to Hiccup, Snotlout slowly wiped the back of his hand across the boy's ripped tunic, removing the fresh blood. Arching his back and rolling his shoulders, Snotlout slowly rose to his full height, intentionally trying to intimidate the fierce female warrior, who had on many prior occasions easily beaten him in hand-to-hand combat.

Throwing the hot iron aside, the self-proclaimed leader stared into Astrid's eyes, his face slowly softening as the wheels in his conniving mind began to spin a scenario he hoped would appease his adversary, removing her as an obstacle and allowing his activities to continue unabated.

Raising his forearms, palms up in a negotiatory gesture, Snotlout let out a disappointed sigh before speaking in a softer voice, clearly meant to be demeaning. "Now, now, you can't tell me that you really care what happens to old Useless here, can ya?"

Astrid's eyes narrowed as she stared back, her body filled with fury, "I don't like uneven odds in a fight, that's all," she breathed out in a raspy retort. "Now, let him go! I won't tell you again!" Her voice dripped with unspoken threats as she bounced her axe menacingly in her left hand, while her right increased its white-knuckle death grip on the handle.

Invigorated by the excitement born of a new tactical game, the large teen's grin widened and his body tensed before speaking again, his ingratiating words conflicting with the hostility weaved throughout his body language. "We're reasonable people. I'm sure we can come to some, um, agreement here." he purred trying to lull Astrid into a false sense of security.

Sauntering toward the beautiful female, he continued, his arms still held in a position suggesting compromise. "Well, Useless, here," gesturing with his hand, and a quirk of his head toward the boy on the ground, "... is the future chief, so he's worth a lot to me. Ironic isn't it? To be so completely useless, but still be so valuable to the tribe because of your birth right." His voice trailed off as a sinister chuckle ripped from his throat.

Snotlout's shoulders hunched slightly as he shot a glance to his comrades, his arms still suggesting the desire to compromise, but his eyes suddenly filled with envy as he continued to speak. "... Which, for all intents and purposes, should have been mine." His voice clearly indicated his disgust at the birthright hierarchy.

Catching himself for dropping his facade, the dark teen quickly straightened his posture, cleared his throat abruptly, and allowed a smarminess to reradiate from his face, "And you know me, I don't give up something of value, easily." A playful smirk flashed across his face, "Especially when I can gain great benefits from that item."

Snotlout slowly lowered his extended, negotiatory hands and placed them on his hips as he began circling the warrior girl in a predatory manner, his cold eyes never leaving her delicate face. "Think of what I'm doing as providing a service to our little close-knit Viking community." His oily voice laced with condemnation, his right hand gestured back down the road toward the Village center.

"You understand, don't you? I'm training Useless to ultimately take orders from me. He will be trained to defer to me as his, um, better."

The chieftain usurper snorted as he continued. "You know, his master, or superior if you'd like to think of it in those terms, instead."

Snotlout's predatory circling stopped directly in front of the young Viking girl as he moved to within inches of her face, scrunching his nose, he deeply inhaled the sweet scent of her skin, a look of ecstasy playing on his face before exhaling through his mouth and continuing. "I thought of all people, you would be thanking me for this..." a crooked smiled glossed over his lips as he raised his eyebrows and finished his thought, "... service."

"Training him how?" The golden-haired beauty shot back bitingly, taking two steps back, increasing the strike distance between herself and her opponent. "By being your personal torture toy? By marking him as your property?"

Snotlout hissed out a chuckle as he spoke, shaking his head in amusement, acutely aware his foe positioned herself just outside his reach, "You're looking at this all wrong. I'm... helping our tribe." His voice almost begging to be believed, but his cold calculating eyes were contradictory.

"You understand, don't you?" The teen questioned, "I'm helping Useless see his true position in the tribe; a servant, slave, or if it's more to your liking... " Snotlout chortled derisively as he continued, "... a pet who needs regular... disciplining."

The dark teen again moved to within inches of Astrid's face, his eyes locked on hers, his upper lip curled into playful snarl. "If you like, I can do for you what I've done for my friends here. If I were to wield more power in the tribe by breaking Useless' spirit, I could view you as..." He paused as he licked his lips, "... favorable. Do you understand what I'm saying? I could give you many..." he paused again briefly as if searching for a word, "... advantages. Especially if you consented to be my wife when we come of age." His hand slowly reached out and tenderly stroked her shiny, perfectly braided hair which trailed over her shoulder and fell neatly down across her chest. As his hand traveled downward along her soft hair, he lingered over one of her breasts, squeezing possessively, causing Astrid to tense and scowl at the intimate and presumptuous touch. Slapping his hand away, she spat back, "I'd rather wed a troll."

Keeping his eyes focused on the soft, golden rope which trailed down her shoulder and over her chest, he quickly reached out and grasped it tightly in his hand, his eyes filled with avarice as he pulled hard on her braid preventing her from stepping back. In a husky, breathy voice filled with seduction, he leaned in and whispered into her ear, "I'm sure, given the time and the proper motivation, I could manage to change your mind... Let me start by giving you the idiot boy as a... pet. Think of it as my personal gift to you." His hot breath against her neck sent a chill up her spine.

Pulling back from the blonde and releasing the hold on her hair, he spoke loudly, clearing intending his words to be heard by the other teens. "Of course that would depend on your agreeing to help us with his continued... training." A sadistic grin flashing across his dark features as he spoke.

Snotlout looked down upon the barely conscious boy and let only his eyes shoot up and retrain on Astrid's face before speaking in almost an amused voice, "It's obvious the child fancies you, so you would be a very powerful tool for controlling him. I could put you in charge of his... continued lessons, if you like." Astrid's eyes widened at the implication of Snotlout's words as she stared in disbelief.

Astrid snapped out of her shock when Snaketongue rose from his position kneeling aside Hiccup and bolted toward Snotlout, stopping only inches from his face before bellowing, "No! That wasn't the deal! I was promised..." his voice suddenly trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished, his chest still heaving with anger.

"Silence Snaketongue!" his leader shouted back. "I promised you nothing, you babbling fool!" Snaketongue balled his hands into fists as he stared down Snotlout, his eyes cold and menacing. "I was promised..." he breathed out in a voice that swore revenge. Snaketongue stood stewing in anger, shoulders slumped, head lowered, as he glared up through greasy bangs at his leader, whispering to himself, "Mine and only mine... for a job well done... my gift. I was promised..."

Throwing his crony a venomous look for attempting to usurp his authority, Snotlout returned his attention to his female prey. Shaking off his confrontation with his underling, he continued his negotiation unfettered. "You needent worry about me really hurting Hiccup outright, you know." He paused and scanned the girl's face, attempting to read her thoughts, "...if that, by the way, was your concern by disrupting our games."

Lazily rubbing his palms together, Snotlout wiped the dirt away as he casually continued his conversation with the young Viking female, "Those pesky Viking rules concerning protocol, you know." His voice filled with amusement and feigned indifference.

"Unfortunately, I can't kill a member of the ruling family or my birth right is forfeit. However, our laws say nothing about breaking a chiefling and making them your puppet." He quipped matter-of-factly, giving Astrid a crooked grin.

"Oh, and I do love exploiting a good loophole for my own benefit." He chuckled, turning his head downward, his eyes piercing as they bore holes into Hiccup's limp form, a look of pure hatred flashing again across his face.

Snotlout lifted his head and stared directly at Astrid, swaggering toward her, his barrel chest extended to it's full girth. "Be certain of this, my blonde beauty..." he warned, his chin lifted in an air of authority as he spoke, "... mark my words. I will rule this tribe one day. Either directly or indirectly. But I can't do that if the Chief-to-be dies by my hand, or I'm implicated in his death. Which is why I need a team to help me train my..." A slow smile broke across his face as his voice finished mockingly, "... future servant."

Astrid's crystal blue eyes bulged, her faced flushed with anger as she screamed, "You're fucking sick, you know that! You're never going to have control over this tribe! Never!"

The look on Snotlout's face changed from cunning to one of amusement within seconds. "Oh really," Snotlout snorted as he walked over to Hiccup's semi-conscious body and kicked him in the head. "And whose gonna stop me?" he spat.

Astrid's grip on her axe tightened as she watched the small boy on the ground groan from the impact of his abuser's foot. Her eyes were drawn to the slow flow of blood from his temple as it rolled down his face, mixing with the dirt on the road, staining it brown and making a eerie, surreal scene.

As her eyes remained locked on the limp form of the young chief-to-be, the female Viking said sternly, "I will." Her eyes lifting from Hiccup's battered body to glare directly into the eyes of her adversary.

"And since I don't like unfair fights," she rolled her head left, then right, tactically surveying and assessing the group of male teens, meeting each of their gazes with her cold ice blue eyes, "You better call in a couple more of your loser buddies to help even the odds." A low grumble of fear ripped through the group like a slow roll of thunder as her words echoed into the early morning air.

Snotlout approached the fiesty female as she fearlessly prepared herself for the inevitable confrontation, her eyes bright with fury, her muscles tense with adrenaline. Slowly the large boy raised both his hands in a gesture of mock surrender and began speaking for the entire group of males, "Now, now. Calm down, my sweet beauty. I see my generous offer has been rejected. How unfortunate for you." A sad smile crossed his face, his eyes insincere in their attempt to portray concern.

"That being said, there's no reason we need to fight over Useless. I see that today's..." he paused, "... training activities have brought some unforeseen, and undesirable attention, and have come to a close. Something I'll make sure I rectify in the future."

"Since I'm not prepared to bring further attention to myself... just yet anyway... we'll leave quietly." Snotlout brought his right index finger to his pursed lips and whispered the end of the sentence for effect, slowly backing away from Hiccup's body as he turned.

With a quick flicking gesture from his hands, the other teens released the small unconscious boy and backed away from his bloody and beaten body. Slowly locking in step with their ruthless leader, they disappeared back down the road whence they came, like shadows retreating into the darkness, scared off by the brilliance of the morning sun.

As Astrid watched the thugs disappear into the distance, she loosened the grip on her axe and exhaled triumphantly. Her eyes never lost the piercing determination to fix the wrong she'd just witnessed.

When she felt it was safe to do so, she slowly walked toward the small figure lying motionless on the road. Kneeling down, she surveyed his body for damage, noting the red stained clothes and the streaks of blood that cascaded down his face from invisible cuts hidden above his hairline.

Tenderly running her right hand across the youth's dirt-stained face and into his hairline, she cautiously probed for damage, making notes of the several gashes she found on his scalp. Lightly gripping his chin, she rolled his face, left to right, looking for any hidden trauma that might have caused serious damage.

Satisfied her initial inspection revealed no severe damage to the head, she exhaled in pity as she slowly lifted his tunic, visually examining his chest and back. Both showed numerous cuts and bruises, some so severe she wondered if bones had actually been broken. A small sigh of remorse escaped her lips as her eyes gently scanned the painfully thin, lean body of the sweet, bumbling boy with whom she interacted earlier that day. For just a brief moment, she smiled and her mind wandered to how the freckles covering the youth's lithe body were a pleasant topping to his dark auburn hair and lovely green eyes.

Clearing her throat and shaking her head in order to clear her embarrassing thoughts, she refocused and with a caring and gentle touch, she ran her right hand over the boy's chest and felt his protruding ribs for any signs of damage. Coming up empty, she placed her axe by his head and ran both her hands over his shoulders and down arms. Blushing furiously, she placed her hands on his hips and repeated her search by running over his hip bones and down his thighs to his ankles, verifying nothing was broken.

Once satisfied he was relatively undamaged, she began tapping his face with the back of her hand simultaneously calling out his name. "Hiccup..." she whispered. "Can you hear me?" she continued in a soft and gentle voice. "Hiccup?" her voice rising slightly in volume, her tapping becoming slightly more insistent.

Hiccup groggily woke to the sound of a sweet, melodic voice gently saying his name, the soft pat of a hand on his cheek slightly shaking his head. His foggy brain recognized the voice as the Valkyrie that was sent by Odin himself to save him from his tormenters.

As the enchanting voice called his name again, he unconsciously responded, "Yes, my sweet Valkyrie?" to which he received a hard smack on the cheek, causing his eyes to fly open.

"W-What?" he sputtered out muzzily, eyes searching the area for his new attacker. After a short random search with fluttering eyelids, his gaze landed on the thing he feared most in all the world: the beautiful blonde Viking of his dreams.

Paralyzed with fear, his mouth fell agape as he just stared at the vision of loveliness before him. Mentally convincing himself that his brain was malfunctioning from his severe beating, he shook his head to clear the cobwebs and his tense body relaxed. Almost immediately, his signature grin splashed across his face. "Yeah, like she'd be here. You've lost it Hiccup." he chastised jokingly. "They must have really loosened some screws. You've now officially gone round the bend." His voice full of humorless sarcasm.

The beautiful face that hovered dangerously close to the boyish teen simply stared back emotionless. Expecting the vision of his goddess to waver and then vanish, he reached up and flicked his hand trying to disperse the image when the unthinkable happened. His hand suddenly collided with something very hard and definitely corporeal; her face.

The relaxed and smiling look he previously sported immediately turned into one of abject horror as he realized he just slapped the girl of his dreams. With an audible gulp he realized she had to have witnessed his pathetic ass being bested in a fight. As the burn of humiliation washed over Hiccup's body, he slammed his eyes closed, wrinkled his nose, and breathed out a whispered plea for help, "Oh Gods, please don't let this be real. I'm completely humiliated. Please, please, just kill me now."

Squinting one eye open to see if the beautiful female was still there, he was met with a cool but gentle voice, the face unreadable as to the emotion lurking beneath.

"I checked you over. There doesn't appear to be any significant head trauma, so there aren't any loose screws."

"It also doesn't appear that the Gods have any immediate plans to take you to Valhalla, so, if you can stand and walk, we should get you home." she intoned brusquely.

Grabbing Hiccup unceremoniously under his arm, Astrid hauled the waif-like teen to his feet, nudging him forward toward the Chief's house.