Steel and Spice

by rummybones

PART I COMPLETE. Taken from their people a decade ago, a long lost Dragon Rider reappears. Now a stranger in their old home, they must learn to put their troubled past behind them and adapt to life on Berk… and little does Chief Hiccup know that Berk's time of peace may be threatened by a new enemy stirring across an ocean, and even within his own tribe.

10. I - Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten.

Snotlout and Juniper stood beneath the protective shadow of the wood, the road just within sight.

He used a jagged piece of bark as a make-shift brush, running the points through Juniper's coat as he kept watch of the road. Her thick winter pelt was shedding and he sloughed off fist-sized tufts of fur, and the horse seemed to be in a content trance, quite unlike her owner. They were in Wildergreen Hold, and he was more than cautious of his surroundings in this dangerous place. He perked at the sounds of crunching wheels on stone and men's murmuring voices, and gently pulled Juniper's reins so that they stood just behind the limbs of a budding tree.

He surveyed a horse-drawn cart as it slowly passed by on the road, and his eyes narrowed at what he saw. Men on horseback led the way, and an archer atop his steed brought up the back. Assembled within the cart, all with dreary and sallow faces, were men and women in worn clothes. Had the guardsmen stolen a glance into the wood beside them, they might have caught a glimpse of the Viking. He waited quietly until the cart of slaves was out of sight and it was then he realized he was holding his breath. Snotlout scanned the wilderness about him. Where in Midgard was she?

Adelaide had gone off - again - upon catching sight of some sort of plant or mineral or whatever it might be that caught her interest, and the last thing he heard was a shout from her, "I'm going further in, keep watch!"

That could have been fifteen minutes ago.

It was a habit of the Healer that certainly made him uneasy, but he could not say that her little expeditions were completely unwelcome. She would return with the sorts of things she used in her healing arts, but oftentimes returned with lunch or breakfast. Since he started the road to Berk, he did not work, and neither did his travel companion. Close to all of his gold was spent, and as their purses grew small so did their waists. The land brought the two a meager amount of food with the changing of seasons, and without that they may have been forced to stall and find a way to afford their meals.

It was because of this he could not be too frustrated with Adelaide and her sudden escapades into the forest. She had an eye for all flora native to the land to keep them fed, and he might have accidentally poisoned himself trying to forage - he was never very good at his plant identification. His empty stomach growled. His last meal was yesterday morning - and all they had were wild mushrooms and bland root vegetables that he could not identify, all picked by Adelaide and seasoned with the paltry amount of salt they had left.

Nonetheless, he felt the familiar hollow sensation of starvation just as he did as a slave, and though she did not complain much, Adelaide's already lithe figure narrowed as the days went by.

A twig snapped just behind him, and Snotlout whirled to greet the sound. Before him, Adelaide approached. He released the hilt of his dagger in relief. "You were gone too long," was all he said.

Though close to two months had passed, the two still kept their conversations minimal. And yet, it did not feel strange to the Viking any longer - there was a slight comfort in their easy silence. She approached and put her hands on Juniper's snout, stroking the horse. "I got distracted. I found something."

The two of them had been so strained as of late… travelling through Wildergreen Hold had them mentally stretched - it was a Hold known for it's abundance of the slave trade, murder and thievery, and dislike of outsiders. They were both stressed and fatigued beyond belief, let alone on the verge of starvation, yet there was something close to a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

She reached into the pocket of her dress and produced something small and shining, lifting it to the light between her thumb and middle finger. "Do you know what it is?"

Snotlout did not need to look twice. "A dragon scale."

It was the size of a river stone, thin and curved, its color an earthy green. She offered it to him, and it was as if a small treasure rested within the palm of his hand. Often times, it felt as if dragons were only a dream of long past. Aside from his beach side encounters with the creatures years and years ago, he had yet to see another of their kind.

"Do you know what this means?"

Snotlout pushed himself out of his memories, offering the scale back to Adelaide. It was as if a small piece of nostalgia was taken from him, and he was back in Wildergreen Hold, only a target passing through hostile territory. "What?"

"A dragon scale is worth hundreds of gold coins," she said, "Let's look at the map."

And so they crouched on the forest floor to look on the map that Adelaide had first shown him close to two months ago. Adelaide gestured to the markings about the map as she spoke, "The port is here. There are not any villages marked along the way aside from the City. If we wanted to trade, this will be the only place to do so that doesn't add weeks to the journey."

Snotlout instantly shook his head 'no'. "It's too dangerous."

He had yet to go within City walls. He saw them in the landscape several times in the past - giant castles with high walls, with rooftop on rooftop like waves in an ocean about the castle's feet, but never did he enter their gates. Snotlout always made it a point to avoid large gatherings of people. He was still a Viking. No matter how well he assimilated into the local culture, hid his accent and dismissed his size, it was still too risky. And even though his companion knew nothing of where he came from and how valuable he may be to a rich slave-owner, she also understood the risks. Her kind was not welcome in such places, and no one would miss her or come to her aid if she were to be taken.

"It is dangerous," Adelaide said, "But we may not see another village for leagues. Let alone one that has the kind of store that can buy a dragon scale."

He looked on the little piece of shed scale in her hand and something within him ached. It was almost ironic - in his youth, Snotlout would scold Hookfang over all of the reddish scales he would leave about the Jorgenson home after grooming, but now the little piece of hide seemed a priceless treasure.

As if reading his thoughts, Adelaide curled her fingers around the scale and looked at it thoughtfully. "I would like to keep this and not trade anything so rare just for gold. I know it's dangerous to go to the City, but look at us, Ralof."

He did not need to meet her gaze to know what she spoke of. They were miserable. Starving and exhausted, they both had circles under their eyes and were weak from hunger.

"We can eat a full meal," she said, "And the next day, too. Juniper can be stabled, brushed and fed well. Your sword can be sharpened, and I can get boots that don't have holes in them. And we will still have more than enough gold left over to supply us for the rest of the journey."

Snotlout's eyes tore over the map before him. Adelaide was right… aside from the City, the map did not indicate any other towns for miles upon miles. And at the mention of a full meal, his stomach growled enough for it to hurt. He bit his lip in thought. It was risky. He flicked a glance to Adelaide at his side, and he saw that her cheek bones had become more prominent as she lost weight in her face as well.

It was not worth it - he was not going to let her starve along with him, not over his fear of being taken into the slave trade once more.

"It seems we don't have much of a choice," he muttered and straightened, turning his head in the direction of where the city lay. It was a risk he would have to take.

---

The mountains were at their back, and their tall peaks in the distance made a crescent around the plains that they travelled into. It was here the grass grew tall on either side of the road, reaching Snotlout's waist, and when the wind blew it was as if a sea of warm green rippled and swayed about them. Snotlout and Adelaide could see the city approaching: a magnificent castle resting atop the highest hill of the plains. It seemed to receive special attention from the sun, warm sandstone walls glowing, tall and impenetrable. Thick walls stretched about its feet, and he could see tilled farmlands outside of the city walls like tiles of cloth in a blanket. The traffic of the road grew as they approached the massive city - traders bustled past with loaded carts, a man herded stocky cows along, and single travelers went on their way. Snotlout had placed his horned helmet upon his head and gazed upon the folk under its shadow. They cast interested looks upon him and Adelaide, but no one stopped to question them.

A cart rolled past them carrying a large cage stuffed full of wide-eyed slaves, and his stomach turned at the sight. There was no going back now. Beside him, he could hear Adelaide hiss in a breath.

The castle grew taller and taller before them, and soon they were craning their necks up at it as they approached the city walls. A stable was beside the large doors leading to the city, and Juniper joined the other dozen horses in their stalls. Tents were erected near this entrance, and people called out to advertise their merchandise or to beg for spare change.

"We can sell the scale to one of these traders," Snotlout offered, but Adelaide shook her head.

"They will not have enough. Or someone will see us make the trade and follow us out. We'll be robbed."

"I won't let them," he said, but they were already at the entrance.

Two guards stood on either side of the closed draw-bridge. They each wore a heavy suit of armor that looked quite cumbersome and royal blue capes flowed at their backs. The spears in their hands were black with dried blood at the tips. "State your business."

"We are here to trade-"

"Let your man speak for you, woman," one of the guards hastily interrupted Adelaide, addressing her with distaste.

"What she told you," Snotlout said evenly. He did not appreciate Adelaide being spoken to in such a way, and judging by her clenched fists, she did not either. "We are here to trade."

"You are outsiders," he stated matter-of-factly. "I can tell you're not one of our own. Where do you come from?"

"We're travelers, we come from the West," Snotlout said, "We're only stopping through on the way to the coast. All we ask for is a bed for the night and to trade some items."

"And you can afford it?" the guard sneered.

Then the other guard, who seemed a bit more reasonable, spoke. "The man is clearly a sellsword, not a foreign peasant. Let him pass."

Snotlout was resisting the urge to raise his voice and was glad that the second man spoke on his behalf. He watched as the first guard frowned. "And what of the woman? What kind of witchcraft do you have in that satchel? Poisons?"

"Herbs," Adelaide answered flatly and showed the contents of her bag to the guards.

The two of them looked skeptically on the dried plants, and she added with an impatient breath, "If you'd like, I will taste each one of these ingredients to prove my point, but I'd rather not waste them."

"No need," the second guard replied curtly and tapped the ground twice with his pike. "Open the gate!"

And the massive gate creaked to life.

The inside of the city was packed full of people.

Snotlout had never seen anything like it. In his time as a dragon rider, the Northern Market was the busiest place he had been, but it was nothing compared to what he experienced now. It was almost suffocating - merchants were shouting, animals drawing carts bleating and whinnying, folk yelling over the noise to make conversation, some of them languages he never heard before. There were people constantly bumping into him and jostling him, and he hated every minute of it. If he was not directly behind Adelaide keeping watch, he might have lost her in the sea of people. She had to stand on her toes to look about, and he barely heard her above the roar of the market saying, "Over there."

They made their way to a store with a colorful sign outside, and it was a relief to go inside and dull the sounds of the loud marketplace. Snotlout surveyed the items hanging on the walls - intricate weapons meant to be gazed upon rather than used, exotic masks and packed bookshelves. He stood behind Adelaide as she produced the dragon scale from her pocket and bartered with the shopkeeper. The man behind the counter was thrilled to see the scale and even tested to see if it was fireproof with a burning candle. Their pockets were full of gold at the end of the exchange, more than enough to afford rooms and provisions for the tail end of the journey.

"Do you know of an inn where we can stay for the night?" Adelaide asked when the trade was complete.

"Oh, yes," the old trader replied, "The Hornet and Helm is a popular choice. The cost of a room will cover the day in the neighboring bath house as well."

So they followed the man's directions to the Hornet and Helm.

As they passed through the City, Snotlout warily eyed the stone walls that encased them. At some points the walls were even taller than the roofs of houses and the sensation of captivity crept over him at this sight. Just as the old man at the shop described, after descending a set of stairs, they stepped into a large courtyard that was much more quiet than the marketplace. "There it is," Adelaide said, and began to make her way over.

The inn was nestled in a cozy corner, just beyond a fountain. Children were playing in its waters, and Snotlout looked up to see steam rising from beyond one of the courtyard buildings - it must have been from the bath house they heard of. One of the luxuries he missed most about Berk was its hot springs. Contrary to popular belief amongst the locals, Vikings took much pride in cleanliness and it was far too long since he had a hot rinse.

Upon checking into the inn, the keeper showed visible apprehension at the two - they were not the usual clientele - but when presented with palms filled with gold, no questions were asked. "Your rooms are at the end of the hall," the man said, "Meals and use of the bath house is included. Dinner will be served at sundown."

Snotlout could have fallen asleep in his bed right then. He was exhausted, and his stomach was aching from hunger. But the sun was still high in the sky and it would be a few hours until the inn provided dinner. He left the comfort of his room, and saw Adelaide's door was ajar. She was sprawled across her bed, and must have immediately fallen asleep, her chest rising and falling in deep slumber. He quietly closed the door and walked out of the inn.

The bath house was not what he was expecting at all. Unlike Berk where you were left to your own devices, this place was busy and had several employees attending it. He was greeted by one who gave him a clean towel, and they offered to clean his clothes during his stay. The air was thick with steam and he found a quiet place in the water away from others on the men's side, being sure to keep his brand hidden with the towel wrapped around him when others were about. The water was so hot it was scalding and turned his skin pink, but Snotlout just sunk in and closed his eyes as if he did not feel a thing.

Despite the comfort of the steaming waters, he had troubled thoughts as he soaked for several hours. As he and Adelaide drew closer and closer to the port that would take them to Berk, it became more real what was happening. It was no longer just an idea of a destination - he was actually going to Berk after all this time.

The very thought of facing Hiccup Haddock and the others was enough to make him want to turn around, but he knew he could not run away from this. He was going to see his mother and father to pay his respects and then be on his way - he clearly was no Berkian anymore. That was made clear when the Dragon Riders never came to his rescue. He remembered the day of his capture as if it just happened - he remembered those stinging words he told Hiccup just before flying out to meet the ships that would capture him. What he told Hiccup was something worthy of exile, and he knew that he would be unwelcome.

But his mother and father deserved to know that he was alive. Perhaps, even after all of these years, Spitelout would even have something to be proud of. Snotlout would not have to say anything of the worst things that happened to him as a slave, but his father would see that he had grown into a competent swordsman and warrior, just as a Jorgenson should. It was the least that he could do.

"Sir, your garments are ready," a voice said that snapped him back to reality.

It was a bathhouse employee offering a bundle of clean clothes to him. Snotlout, not thinking, rose to gather his things and then realized his mistake with sinking dread. The water was just shy of waist-level. The employee flicked his eyes to the scarred emblem at the Viking's hip and then back to Snotlout's face. The interaction was only a few seconds, but it felt as though time creeped - the man did not seem to even acknowledge what he saw aside from giving him a long stare, and then turned to go without another word. Unsettled, Snotlout quickly gathered his things and left the bath house as fast as he could.

---

The inn was festive that night: a barmaid sang a fast song along to a whistling flute, and a drunken bar patron clambered on top of a table to do a sloppy dance, much to the amusement of others. He hopped from one table to another kicking and dancing, making Adelaide spill half of her wine when he reached theirs, but she only laughed. It was the first time Snotlout had seen her truly laugh, and even he was chuckling.

When the innkeeper came and dragged the drunk man back to the ground, he made a show of bowing and the entire bar cheered and clapped. He and Adelaide had eaten their first real meal in weeks, and the two already had several glasses of spiced wine that warmed their blood. Snotlout felt refreshed for a change after visiting the bath house, no longer filthy from being on the road. Adelaide had gone as well, and her clean, shining hair suited her much more than what it had become after weeks of seeing no water. They were both in good spirits for a change, and when they both finished their drinks, Snotlout motioned to the barmaid for another round.

"The wine is going down far too easy tonight. It's going to be a slow start to the day tomorrow," Adelaide said as she accepted a new drink and smiled, "But right now it's hard to care."

"Cheers," Snotlout said and their tankards met with a satisfying clink.

They each took a drink and Adelaide raised an eyebrow at him. "But, did you really think it was necessary to suit up for a night of eating and drinking?"

As always, the Viking was fit in his suit of steel armor and his helmet rested in his lap. He shrugged. "I'm just used to it, I guess."

"Nothing wrong with that, I suppose," Adelaide said, "So, let's take a look at the map and see how long we have to go."

Snotlout stretched the parchment out before them, using empty mugs as weights on the corners. By now, it's edges were tattered and the ink fading. He used a finger to find their location, and then traced it over to where the port sat. "Well. It took two days to travel here from the forest's edge. So, if the terrain remains as flat as it has been, I would say we're a fortnight away."

And at his own words, his heart beat just a little faster.

"Finally," Adelaide breathed with relief. "It felt like we would never make it."

They were silent for a moment. As if remembering something, she reached over and nudged his hand. "Guess what happened two nights ago? While I was on watch."

"What?" Snotlout said. Though she could not see, he became very aware of the white scars on his wrist and pulled his hand away.

"I was practicing the bow, and I finally hit a target."

"Really? That's great!"

Always unpresuming, she smiled into her tankard. "The only thing I could find was a Giant's Palm-"

"A what?"

"A leaf. A big leaf," Adelaide corrected, remembering that her travel partner was not well-versed in plant identification, "It was bigger than my head, and I used your dagger to pin it to the tree."

"My dagger?" he asked, hand going to the weapon that was always sheathed at his side, and she laughed.

"You may have been sleeping," Adelaide said. "And, I was only borrowing it…"

At that moment, a bar patron staggered over to their table and stooped low to look into Snotlout's face. He grimaced at the stench of alcohol and recoiled, but remained seated. "Hey. You," the man slurred. It was an off duty guard, his helmet tucked to his side. "You look like you know your way around a sword. Ever think of joining the Wildergreen army?"

Snotlout flicked a glance to Adelaide, who looked just as unimpressed with this intruder. "No."

"Well, you should," the man continued, completely oblivious, "We need fighters. Don't you know we're on the cusp of war? We need people like you."

"I think I'm okay," Snotlout said, refusing to make eye contact - it would just encourage this person.

It was then Adelaide spoke. "War with who?"

The man looked at her incredulously with his drunken eyes, shocked that a woman was speaking to him in such a manner, but he directed his answer to Snotlout. "The western Holds. They don't want to join the Empire… what, are you two stupid? Do you not know what's happening in the world around you?"

"We just want to be left alone with our drinks."

The drunk man swayed on his feet as he shot them both daggers, and he muttered something under his breath, the word Witch being heard as she went on his way to annoy someone else. Adelaide rolled her eyes. "That was something."

"Yeah," Snotlout agreed and watched until the man was off bothering someone else. "Do you think he was serious about war?"

She looked at him quizzically. "Did you not see the flyers on the walls?"

Snotlout just blinked at her, and she went on, "They were all over the castle walls. A call to arms. We walked past several, how did you not see?"

And he just shrugged at that. It was likely that he did pass these flyers, but Snotlout never bothered to learn to read the written word in this land. Rather than confess to being illiterate of the language, he only said, "I guess I didn't notice."

It was then he took a sip of his spiced wine and looking above the mouth of his drink, he saw a face within the crowd of the tavern. Eyes met, and he set his cup down calmly, though the room lurched about him. Something did not feel right at all. "Adelaide?"

She also sipped from her drink and her fingers traced the rim. "Yes?"

"Get my things."

Her fingers stopped moving. Though his tone was calm, she detected the urgency behind his words. "What is it?"

Snotlout's voice was even as he kept his gaze on the bath house employee from earlier - the one that saw his brand. "I need my things, can you get them. Please."

She turned her head to follow his gaze, but he stopped her. "Don't look," he said. "I'm going to have to go."

He had felt a bit tipsy before, but it was as if the warmth of the wine was sucked right out of him. His blood ran cold and his mind became clear as he watched five guardsmen enter the tavern, after Adelaide left the table. Just as he feared, the guardsmen gathered around the man he saw earlier - and this person pointed towards him. Though the bar still noisily chattered about him, it felt as though his world went quiet. He was found out.

He watched as quiet words were passed between the men, and one of the guards put his hand to the hilt of his sword as they began making their way over. Snotlout lifted the helmet in his lap and donned it, ready for battle if it came down to it. He became aware of Adelaide returning to the table, and had the thought: Gods, will she be drawn into this mess? Panic was rising within him… there were only five guardsmen at the moment, a number he was sure he could take on alone with confidence, but within the City walls there could be hundreds ready to take the place of the fallen.

"Adelaide, I'm running. Get away while you can."

"I'll go with you," she said, also eyeing the guards as they made their way through the packed room, and he winced at the words. She was going to get hurt if she went with him, and she did not even know why.

It was just as he suspected. A glinting sword was drawn and pointed at him, and bar patrons turned to watch as the guard loudly spoke. "You wear the mark of the Provincial Coast Company. You are wanted for the crime of deserting your Master-"

Snotlout had remained seated as the men approached him, and it wasn't until the sword point was lowered to his face did he finally move. With a sudden burst of speed, he stood and took the table with him, flipping it over on to the guards. "Go!" he shouted to Adelaide, and they were running.

They dashed from the inn and into the City streets, not looking behind them. Adelaide was at his side, and he quickly relieved her of a bag, only taking a moment to grasp her by the shoulders. "If you come with me, you could be in danger. You can get away if you don't follow me!"

And since she had met him, she saw fear in his blue eyes for the first time and faltered upon the sight, but she just nodded with grim resolution. "We need Juniper."

They became aware of the guards bursting from the inn, and Snotlout grabbed her hand and ran for his life. A horn sounded behind them - the guards calling for more men, and city dogs were barking at the commotion. He was running blindly, the castle streets a maze to him, and then he felt Adelaide resist his pull. "This way, Ralof!"

And she pulled him in the right direction. Somewhere amidst the panic, despite the terror that made his mind blank, he was grateful she chose to go with him. They dashed towards the market place, and in the nighttime hours, only stragglers and the homeless were left. He felt an arrow whistle by close to his head and was aware of guards with bows atop the city walls. "The gate," he heard Adelaide gasp.

The massive door was closed and two heavily-armored guardsmen were ready to meet them, brandishing their spears. They faltered at this realization, and there was a loud metallic ding as an arrow bounced off Snotlout's breastplate. The guardsmen at their backs were gaining on them. Adelaide was practically shaking beside him, and she became aware of Snotlout saying something just under his breath over and over, "I'm not going back there. I'm not going back there..."

It was Adelaide who looked to the archers on the wall and had a thought. "Ralof. The stables. If we can get to the wall…"

She did not need to say more. Snotlout ran forward with a war cry to make a path for them. He cut one man down, a head rolling down the stone stairs as they ascended. An arrow sunk into Adelaide's satchel as he overpowered another and tossed them over the castle side of the wall. It was just as she predicted… the straw roof of the stables was just on the other side. And it was a long jump and a long way down.

"Go," Snotlout hissed, grabbing her waist and helping her make the jump with a toss.

She did not land gracefully, rolling down the incline of the roof as she grasped at the straw. When she hit the ground the wind was knocked out of her, but Adelaide was quick to rise, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She looked over the stalls of restless horses and finally found Juniper, and Adelaide worked quickly with shaking hands. First she removed the bow that had been laying on the back of the saddle and slung it around her shoulder, then worked the straps to attach their bags. When she heard the creaking of the opening gate she worked even harder - the guards were going to follow them out.

It was then Snotlout hit the ground beside her. He did not fall such as she did and landed gracefully on his feet, and his armor was covered in blood that shone black in the moonlight. He urgently moved towards her. "Are we ready?"

Juniper resisted leaving the stable at the smell of blood on Snotlout, but she was coaxed out all too slowly as time seemed to press against them. Snotlout jumped on the horse's back and held out his hand, pulling Adelaide up to sit before him. His arms were on either side of her to hold the reins, and in his fear, he hardly flinched from their touching bodies. Juniper lurched forward just as the gate opened completely, and he looked behind him to see men scrambling to mount a horse. He cursed and kicked Juniper harder, the horse whinnying and her hooves pounded the ground beneath them as her pace picked up. "They're following!"

He jerked the reins so they left the road and were in the tall grass of the plains. He relied on Juniper to see the way, the horse making small jumps over unseen barriers in the grass. Snotlout looked behind them again and saw dark shapes moving on the road, and they were fast. "Fuck," he hissed, and he watched as the shapes entered the grass as well.

He realized they would not make it. Juniper was over encumbered with two riders and they both carried supplies. Already, he could see his horse's coat gleam with sweat after a few short minutes of sprinting. He heard Adelaide speak, her voice thin in the wind rushing past them. "Cut the bags."

So he freed a hand and using his knife, cut the straps that held their bags. First his bundle of furs fell with his camping supplies, and Juniper still struggled to maintain her pace. He cut another - there was an audible thud as it hit the ground - there went their gold. They leapt out from where the grass grew tall and Juniper raced towards the tree line in the distance. Next, Snotlout cut his tent. He could feel Juniper's pace lighten, but he could also make out the sounds of whinnying and men shouting behind them.

He allowed to steal himself a look behind them once more and his eyes widened. A guard upon a galloping horse was approaching little by little, and he realized that there was one on either side. They were going to trap them and force them to stop. They weren't going to make it. "Oh Gods," Snotlout whispered to himself in panic. "Adelaide, the bow," he said into her ear, and she struggled to remove the bow from her shoulder.

It was awkward for her to raise the weapon to aim being jostled about and with him against her back. Snotlout watched as she let an arrow fly, and it disappeared into the darkness far from its mark. "Try again," he shouted over the sound of hooves as the men drew closer so they were no longer vague dark shapes, and he could see the looks of malice upon their faces.

Again, an arrow thrummed into the air, but it missed. Snotlout was aware of Adelaide muttering something, "I can't do it," and he kicked Juniper, encouraging the horse to pick up her pace, but she was already snorting and blowing foam from exertion.

"Hurry!"

She tried again unsuccessfully, and the guard on their right was now suddenly veering his stallion closer and pulling his spear back to strike. "Adelaide!"

He ripped the bow from her hands, leaving her to scramble at the reins and he pulled the string back hard, his hand unusually steady. Snotlout just had time to see realization flash across the guard's face before an arrow sunk into his throat. He fell from the horse and the Viking twisted his body to take aim at the second man. This one had brought his horse in close as well and was just a few meters away, reaching out to Adelaide as if to pull her from the saddle. His aim was true again, and the horse ran away without its rider.

It was then they reached the line of the forest. The woods were dark under the canopy of trees, and the air was thick with fog that muffled the sounds of their movements. Juniper was snorting hard to suck in air, and they slowed to a canter to navigate through the trees. Snotlout slung the bow over his shoulder and took the reins again, eyes darting through the forest behind them. There were faint sounds of hooves and men's voices in the dense fog, and he veered Juniper so they moved into the thicker parts of the wood where it the trees grew too close for moonlight to shine through. That night Snotlout and Adelaide were still as statues, listening to the faint sounds of men hunting them until the sun rose.

They did not dare make a fire in the morning.

Snotlout had circles under his eyes having not seen a bit of sleep that night, and Adelaide woke up to him sitting upon the forest floor, vacantly staring at the ground. She sat up from where she had dozed off with her back against a wide tree trunk, her entire body stiff. "Did you not sleep at all?"

It was as if he did not even hear her. Adelaide swallowed and rubbed at her sore neck, looking over to see Juniper nibbling at the buds of a tree branch. Where their rolled tents and bags normally sat upon her saddle, there were broken straps. All they had left were their weapons and the bag of healing supplies that she wore at her side. Everything was gone. Still, her travelling partner had not made any signs of movement. He was always a man of few words, but this kind of silence was unsettling. "Do you think they're still out there?"

Nothing.

"Ralof?"

"That's not my name."

And he shifted so that she could not see his face, and he was wringing his wrists as if in turmoil. "My name isn't Ralof, and I should have told you that a long time ago."

He dared not look her in the eye, sure that she would be livid once she knew the truth. "Then what is it?"

His throat tightened. He had not uttered his real name in years upon years. It rolled off his tongue like a word of a foreign language, something he thought he would never say again until she appeared in his life with the map to Berk. "Snotlout."

In the past, when he would introduce himself, he would normally be met with a scoff of disbelief or a guffaw at his birth name. But all he detected in her voice was confusion. "Snot...lout. Your name is Snotlout?"

He did not need to roll his eyes or defend the name that his mother gave him as he had so many other times in his youth, and swallowed hard. "It's a custom. For some Vikings, the more ugly your name is the more effective it is. So, mine is pretty effective I guess."

They did not speak again for several moments. Adelaide seemed to be thinking on this information and Snotlout sat with his gaze fixed to the ground, just wringing his wrists. It was actually a beautiful morning that betrayed the events of last night - the weather was mild and whereas the night before the woods looked sinister and crawling with guardsmen, birds were chirping and they could hear a stream babbling somewhere beyond them.

"And when were you taken from your people, Snotlout?"

There wasn't any humor in her voice, and she believed what he had said. To hear himself being addressed by his true name, the Viking shuddered. He had been certain for so long that he would never answer to it again.

"It's going on ten years."

What she said next snapped his attention away from the forest floor, and he looked at her with wide eyes. "That's when you became a slave?"

"H-How...?"

Adelaide bent to pick a sprig of leaves from the ground and put in her satchel as if she was not having one of the most pivotal conversations of Snotlout's life, but simply talking about the weather. "We've been on the road for months now. You'll learn about a person in that time… and you talk in your sleep."

Snotlout gaped in horror. What could he possibly have revealed? "But I- I put you in danger. You could have gotten killed last night. You should be angry, or yelling, or-"

And he looked to a tear in her satchel, where just hours ago an arrow protruded. Had her bag not been in the way, she would have been hit directly in the side. "I think I would have been killed a long time ago if you weren't with me. And I certainly was no help either."

She referred to her failed attempts to use the bow and arrow on the riders. Snotlout flushed, remembering his behavior - frantically shouting at Adelaide as she missed her targets, finally tearing the weapon from her hands. She had seen him in a panic, a state that he never found himself in anymore, and he found himself embarrassed. "I should have told you from the very start…"

Just as he did the night before with her help in the City, the Viking could not help but feel grateful at her next choice of words. "We've made it this far. Taking everything into account, I don't see myself changing my mind about travelling with you. And I hope that you can say the same considering how I failed last night as well. So, unless you have any reservations, I suggest we get moving. We lost all of our goods and don't have time to sit in on the ground and dwell on things that can't be changed…. Snotlout."

Her voice was flat and may have even sounded cold, but Snotlout could see the softness in her eyes that anyone else would have failed to notice: I forgive you.

Without any supplies, the rest of the journey was difficult.

Their flight from the city drew them quite aways from their original path, and they were careful to give the city walls a wide berth in their passing. Adelaide wanted to look for the fallen bags in the tall grasses, certain that she was small enough to not be seen, but Snotlout was far too cautious and convinced her otherwise. Losing all of their gold hurt immensely, and though their short stay at the inn gave them a full meal, it did not take long for them to go hungry again.

As they travelled further east and the terrain became very flat, they were met with sparse pine trees and pockets of marshes. Juniper was wary of these swamps and it took much coaxing for her to pass through them, and Snotlout and Adelaide's boots were constantly wet from the saturated ground. At night, they had no tents or furs to sleep in and they woke up soaked.

On the fifth day of travelling in the marshes they stumbled across a solitary cabin. There, an old woman sat outside smoking a pipe and offered the younger travellers a meal if they could fell a tree for firewood. Snotlout cut the tree down and split wood as the two women talked amongst themselves, Adelaide making some sort of watery medicine for the woman's eyesight. They slept on the floor of her small cabin and were off at the first sign of light, the old woman hugging Adelaide as if she was her own granddaughter.

They were getting closer to the ocean. The biggest rivers Snotlout had ever laid eyes on opened up in the marshes, some wider than a mile, and coastal birds chattered and called as they flapped overhead. One afternoon as they made their way across a long stretch of marshland, a wall of pine trees opened up to their side and Snotlout paused. They were both on foot, Juniper trailing behind, and he raised an arm to stop Adelaide. "Look."

They stopped to survey the scene before them. Within sight were three massive warships anchored in the river, and smaller boats seemed to be moving to and from the land. What looked like hundreds of tents were erected on the sandy beaches in the distance, some with waving banners, and smoke rose from the behemoth campsite. Even from their distance they could hear the metallic rings of forges being worked and the cries of working beasts.

"Remember the man at the tavern," Adelaide said, "He said the Holds were on the cusp of war. This is it."

They said nothing more and changed their route to keep a safe distance. They were close to the port that would take them to Berk. When he would look back on these days of travel in the future, Snotlout would note that everything seemed so surreal and almost as a dream as they drew closer and closer to their destination.

---

Finally, the day came.

Evening was settling in and the sky was orange with dark billowing clouds.

They left the marshes and the large rivers, their path cutting back into solid land. The pines grew tall and narrow about them. Adelaide was atop Juniper and Snotlout walked at their side when buildings came into view. "This is it," Adelaide said and she spoke as if to herself.

The village about them was small, only two dozen or so houses all built upon stilts. The air smelled of brackish water and fish, and not many villagers were out. He could see just beyond the row of buildings an inlet with several docks, all occupied by small fishing boats. It was not at all what he imagined… there was no ocean to meet him. There was not a fleet of Berk's ships ready to take him in or dragon riders waiting… just a small and quiet fishing town on the edge of an inlet. He was tempted to pull out the map and check, but he spent two months looking upon it and knew they should not be wrong. They couldn't be wrong…

"What now?" Adelaide asked skeptically as she took in the small town.

They went to the docks and looked upon the boats. Not a soul was there, and Snotlout wrinkled his nose at the guts of fish that had been left on some of the decks. They turned back to the town where a man was walking past. "Hey," Snotlout called and he was given a scowling look in response, "Is there an inn?"

"Saltwater Tavern," the man gruffly answered and went on his way.

Adelaide and Snotlout exchanged a glance, and he knew that she was having the same doubts as him. They walked the narrow strip until they came across the tavern. "They should know what's going on," Snotlout explained and went inside while Adelaide stood with the horse.

The tavern was more so a small shack with a barrel of beer in it than an inn, and several sour-faced fisherman looked at him hard as he entered. The barkeep frowned as he approached the counter, and Snotlout was very aware that the inside of this building carried a stench just as bad as the docks.

"What's your business young man?"

"I'm looking for something. Passage to Berk?"

At his words the men behind him snorted, and the barkeep grew a nasty smile on his face. "Oh, looking for Berk are you?"

Snotlout did not reply, and he felt saliva splatter on his face as the barkeep burst out laughing. "Yeah, we've got passage to Berk! Haha! We've also got a cow that gives beer instead of milk and a pretty maiden for every sorry man who wanders his way into town!"

His jaw set, Snotlout turned to go, hearing behind him the laughter of the patrons, "You're not the first to fall for the rumor, lad. Berk does not exist and there are no dragons here!"

Outside, Adelaide raised her eyebrows in question, and Snotlout did not meet her gaze. "Nothing."

"But how?" she asked, her voice went a strange pitch higher than he had heard before. "We did everything right. We followed the map, this should be it. The woman who gave it to me… she wasn't lying..."

But even she sounded skeptical as she looked about the small town. There was hardly a soul in the street, and he knew they were having the same thought: what if it all was for nothing. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and there was no place for them to stay. "We've been on the road for a long time, let's make camp and see how it is in the morning."

They did not eat that night, but they barely felt the hunger, wordlessly worrying.

Upon awakening without feeling rested, Snotlout and Adelaide made their way into the town once more. In the morning, the streets were more active, and men worked at the docks as the fishing boats moved in and out of the inlet. The fishermen there gazed at them hard, some cold and aggressive, others laughing - for they saw them as a naive young pair who took rumors too seriously.

The people in the village were unfriendly and inhospitable, and they found themselves going back to their campground in the woods at the end of the day… they had no gold for food or drink. It had been two days since they had a meal, and had nothing but water to drink, but neither of them complained of hunger or fatigue as they sat by the fire. Everything that they had done - how far they travelled and the danger they put themselves through - it may have been for nothing.

On the morning of their third day at the port, the sky was overcast and the air smelled of an approaching thunderstorm. Adelaide had been taking watch, and it took several moments for Snotlout to remember where he was and why he might be there when he woke up from troubling dreams. His stomach ached and upon putting his hand on his belly, he felt his bottom ribs protruding.

Adelaide was sitting not far from him, and she did not attempt to hide the miserable expression befallen her face. Snotlout noticed that vultures circled in the air above them, watching as if they were carrion. Adelaide finally said it. "If Berk is not a real place, what now."

She did not present it as a question. "I've led you so far, and it might be for nothing. Now that we are here, what now."

"Berk exists," Snotlout said, but his voice was flat and expressionless.

"It may exist," she said, "But there's nothing else here... this is all I have to give. I don't know how else we can get closer."

They did not speak for several minutes. Snotlout had no words.

"Where will you go?" she asked. "If it's all over."

They had been on the road for months now, in almost constant company. Their goal of reaching Berk was what kept them together and Snotlout realized what she was saying. They no longer had reason to travel together. Nothing unified them anymore. He had not thought of this possibility before, and he had no idea what to say.

It was then Adelaide sucked in a sharp breath and clutched at her stomach - hunger pains.

Snotlout winced at seeing her in such a state. They put so much effort into this, and lost so much, and it was all useless. It was just… unfair. The Viking saw white as he stood, dizzy but suddenly determined. Whether or not everything was in vain, he was not going to let themselves starve over it any longer. "Let's go."

She was too tired to ask questions, and he helped her on to Juniper. As always, as they made their way into town the villagers chuckled at them knowingly as if they were fools, but this time Snotlout was not here to find rumors of Berk and he walked with purpose. He pulled Junipers reins so they approached the docks, and went to the boat closest to him. Any pride he had as a sellsword diminished and he was reduced to begging.

He drew his dagger, the one given to him by Gunnar and Gertrude so long ago, and he grimaced at himself for giving away such a sentimental item. An old fishermen he approached flinched at the movement . "I'll trade this dagger for fish. I can work for you without pay. What's your price-"

And his eyes fell on something in the harbor.

Lined down the docks, he caught sight of a boat. At it's bow, the figurehead of a dragon sat. It was black and had large, cat-like eyes. Toothless.

He must have looked like a fool, holding his dagger out to the poor fishermen who stammered in confusion, while he was frozen and captivated by the figurehead. This boat was not there yesterday, or the day before. Without a word, he sheathed the knife. Adelaide was leaned against Juniper's neck in fatigue, and she said nothing as he led the horse to the ship. He walked slowly, cautiously, as if he feared the boat would dematerialize before him.

There was no one on deck, and Snotlout stepped aboard. Wood creaked under his feet and he slowly went to the door that led below deck. "H-hello?"

And he heard a response. "Yeah, who's there?"

Someone appeared before him, a man about his age. He was tall for his people and slim, with a goatee and blonde hair in a low ponytail, his ocean blue eyes bemused but friendly. He was not dressed as a fishermen or even a sailor, wearing a light billowing tunic and leggings with high boots. "Well, hello there. Can I help you?"

Snotlout went to say something, and then looked up at Adelaide, who now was sitting upright and watching curiously. "Yes. I'm - we - are looking for passage. To Berk?"

The man looked at him hard for what felt like minutes, and then broke out in a toothy grin. "Why didn't you just say so!"