A/N: Fair warning, I made liberal use of artistic license in this chapter. If things aren't historically accurate, and I can basically guarantee that they aren't, that would be the reason why. I have tried not to wander too far off the reservation, though, and based my plot around the idea that Berk seems more modern than what we know of actual Viking society (though, in some cases, it was pretty modern itself). Just do me a favor and roll with the stretched truth. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was tough but enjoyable to write.

HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

Nine days later, Hiccup carefully dressed in a new green tunic and green breeches, secured his right arm in a sling, tucked his peg leg in a satchel, and rode Toothless out of the hut. The dragon was slow and cautious as he carried his Rider down to the forge. "Thanks, bud," Hiccup said quietly as he eased himself to the ground and secured a crutch under his arm.

"And look who we have here," Gobber exclaimed as he came around the corner. He smiled brightly and nudged Hiccup to a stool off to the side near the back room. Toothless followed with no concern for whether he was allowed or not.

"Hi, Gobber," Hiccup answered as he sat down and put his bag on the floor beside him.

Gobber flipped through his various hand attachments until he found a clamp. "Yur looking a mite better than yeh were a few days ago," he observed. "But are yeh sure yeh should be out yet?"

Hiccup smiled a bit as he scratched Toothless behind his ears. "Today's the trial. I wanted to clear my head before it begins," he admitted. "I've got some ideas for my new leg and armor that I thought I could work on for a while, if you don't mind me being in here."

"Nah, I do nae mind, but what does yur betrothed say about it?" he asked, quirking his brow as he pulled a hot sword from the fire and pointing towards the doorway with his head.

"She says that he should be resting, but she knows he's too stubborn to listen to sensible advice like that," came a falsely exasperated voice from the door.

Hiccup turned to see Astrid walking into the forge, and he couldn't help the smile that broke across his face at the beautiful sight of her. She was trying to look stern, but her eyes were shining while the corners of her mouth twitched. She rubbed the top of Toothless's head, sauntered over, and pressed a quick kiss on Hiccup's lips. "Hey, babe," she whispered quietly.

"Milady," he greeted. She hopped up on the table beside his stool. "How are you this morning?"

"Better, now that I've found my boyfriend," she answered with a smirk. "Luckily, the twins saw you come in here, so I didn't have to get worried when I couldn't find you at home."

Hiccup gestured vaguely in the direction of his hut. "I left a note. It's right there, plain as day, in the middle of the table. I just had to get out, and I thought here would be a good place. Gobber's keeping an eye on me. Aren't you, Gobber?" he yelled out to the blacksmith.

"Nobody can keep an eye on yeh, lad. We jus' try to keep you distracted, an' hope that when that fails, yeh don' find too much trouble teh get into," Gobber answered, completely straight-faced, removing the clamp from his arm.

Astrid threw her head back and laughed. Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Oh, hardy, har, har. I'm not that bad," he grumbled.

Astrid ran her fingers through his hair. "Yes, you are, but we love you anyway."

Gobber attached his hammer to his arm. "She loves yeh. I tolerate yeh," he corrected.

"The feeling's mutual," Hiccup called out. Gobber waved distractedly over his shoulder and began to hammer the sword. Hiccup twisted in his seat to the table and pulled some sheets of parchment out of his satchel. Then he looked at Astrid and raised his eyebrows. "Now, while I do think you have a very nice rear and enjoy looking at it, you're going to have to scoot it further down the table because I have no room to work with you setting right there."

Astrid choked on air and laughed. "Gods, Hiccup! Gobber is right there!" she pointed to the man in question.

"Not news teh me, lass," he yelled over the clanging of the hammer. "He's been staring at yur backside since he was twelve years old. I quit counting how many times I had teh drag him away from the window just get him teh actually do some work."

Hiccup groaned and thumped his forehead on the tabletop. "For the love of Thor…"

Astrid laughed. "I think you mean Freya."

"Shut up, Astrid," he returned, the perfect imitation of Snotlout.

Astrid hopped down, still laughing. She picked his head up from the table and kissed him soundly. When they pulled apart, they were both smiling like idiots. She ran her hands through his hair, again. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I've missed you." She gave him another quick kiss, straightened, and pointed at him. "You stay here and behave. I've got to go put our newest recruits through some drills. I'll come back before the trial starts."

Hiccup gave her a smile and turned to his schematics as she walked out the door.

HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

Hiccup worked on his plans, some were for him, just like he had said, but most were for a surprise project he hoped he would be able to complete soon. He was so engrossed in his work that he barely noticed when Gobber was called away to help prepare for the trial around midmorning.

Astrid showed up at the forge about an hour after Gobber left, but she wasn't the only one. The rest of the Riders followed her in. All of them were dressed in their best clothes. They carried freshly sharpened and polished weapons, and even their dragons, who stood outside, looked like they had just been bathed.

"Hiccup! You're up!" greeted Tuffnut as he bounded around Gobber's anvil.

Hiccup laughed. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm out of the house today."

"Are you sure you should be, though?" asked Fishlegs as he wrung his fingers in front of his belt. "I mean some of your injuries were pretty severe."

"I'm fine, Fishlegs. If I had stayed in, I would have gone stir crazy. Besides, I needed Gobber's input on a few things I'm designing, and I couldn't very well get that while stuck in my hut."

"Oh, Thor! He's designing stuff again," Snotlout lamented, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

"Hey, so long as he designs something cool for me, I'm good with it," commented Ruffnut.

"Well, he can't design you anything cool unless he designs something cooler for me," insisted Tuffnut.

Ruffnut shoved her brother's head. "It was my idea, so I get the cooler thing!"

Tuffnut got back in her space. "And I'm the man, so I get the cooler thing. Bro Code, you know, so you get the sucky thing, and I get the cool thing."

"And to think I was going to say I missed hanging out with you guys," Hiccup interrupted, shaking his head with a smile as he packed away his notebook and charcoal.

Astrid gingerly squeezed his left shoulder, being careful to not irritate the still tender burns. "Guys, just shut up. We don't have time for this. We need to get him ready for the trial. Stoick says its's starting in a few minutes."

"Yeah, so where's your leg?" Snotlout asked rummaging through a shelf of spades and pick-axes.

Hiccup quirked his eyebrows and shook his head. "Well, it's not where we keep the farm tools."

Snotlout moved away from the shelf. "How was I supposed to know that? I don't work here! And I'm not a farmer. I'm a warr-i-or, Hiccup. You should know that about me by now."

Fishlegs gave the man a blank face. "Yes, Snotlout, your prowess as a warrior is only preceeded in fame by your girlish screams in the face of anything dangerous or frightening."

Ruffnut snickered and slugged Fishlegs on the shoulder. "Good one!"

"Shut up, Guppylegs," retorted Snotlout.

Astrid threw up her hands. "Enough! We're running out of time. Hiccup, didn't you remake that automatic tailfin for Toothless a couple of years ago?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah…Why?"

"Because we're going to make a statement with our entrance, so where is it?"

Hiccup pointed to the back room. "In there, under the table in a crate. It's wrapped in leather to keep it clean and dry, but since it's like four feet long, it's hard to miss."

Astrid nodded. "Good. Fishlegs go find it." Fishlegs scurried off to do as bid. "Snotlout, go get my saddlebag off of Stormfly, and don't drop anything." Snotlout grumbled under his breath but turned to leave. "Ruff, Tuff…What did you do with that sword?"

"We gave it to Gobber last week," answered Ruffnut with a shrug.

Tuffnut was twisting his finger in his ear. "Yeah, that's what you told us to do with it. 'Give it to Gobber so he take care of it.' It's like you don't trust us, Astrid," he said, pulling his finger out of his ear and inspecting the wax on the end of it.

"I don't trust you guys – at least not for sharpening and polishing a weapon. The last time you did that, the weapon came back half the size it had been and too slick to get a good grip on." She looked around the forge and pointed to the far wall where a variety of completed and repaired weapons were hanging ready to be returned to their owners. "Alright, so it should be on that wall. Find Hiccup's sword. And, Hiccup, where is your leg?"

Hiccup pulled his bag towards him as the twins ran off to the wall to complete their task. "Here it is," he answered as he handed her the false foot.

She took it from him just as Snotlout returned with her saddlebag. She grabbed that and rummaged through it, producing a jar that Hiccup recognized as his ointment for bruises and aching muscles. He kept it in constant supply for his leg mostly, but with all that the Riders got into, he used it for far more than just that and for far more than just himself. She also pulled out a brand new sock and handed it to him. "Hold that for a minute," she said, as she knelt down and rolled his pant leg up to his knee. The sock was extra thick and incredibly soft, and somehow it had been knitted in such a way that it did not have any seams on the bottom. He gently fingered the sock, knowing that Astrid had made it herself, and he smiled down at the top of her head. She unwrapped his wounded stump and began to rub on the ointment.

"Okay, this is way to lovey-dovey for me. I'm going outside with Hookfang," Snotlout announced before he promptly walked out of the forge.

"You don't have to do that," Hiccup whispered.

Astrid continued her work of rewrapping the leg. "I want to," she replied easily. "Besides, you can't do it. You've got a broken shoulder."

"I can do…some of it," Hiccup insisted.

Astrid made a grabby hand gesture towards the sock, and he handed it to her. "I'm sure you'll think of a way to repay me later." She looked up and winked at him as she grabbed the leg from the table.

Hiccup smiled and hummed as she gently pulled the sock onto his stump and attached the leg.

"Is this it, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked walking out of the back room with a large package in his arms.

Hiccup looked at the item and nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Do you need me to help you get it on him?"

"Nah, I think I got it," he answered as he passed the couple. "Come on, Toothless. We need to put this on you. Now, I know you don't like it, but it's just for today…" His voice trailed off as he and the night fury started away. Toothless turned back at the door, worry lingering in his eyes. Hiccup smiled and waved him on out the door, and Toothless reluctantly left.

"FOUND IT!" announced Tuffnut. He and Ruffnut came rushing over from where they had been searching the wall for the sword and held out the newly sharpened and polished Dragon Blade to Hiccup.

Astrid stood up, and Hiccup took the weapon. "I didn't think I would ever see this again," he admitted.

"Lucky for you, we found it, just like we found Johann. Actually, we found them together. You know, in the forest. Trying to make a break for it," Tuffnut said.

Ruffnut nodded and crossed her arms. "Yeah, but a little gas and a little spark, and we had him. You're welcome."

Hiccup smiled. "Thanks, guys." He put the sword on the table, and braced himself to stand on his sore leg as the twins left the building.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Astrid asked.

"Uh…Standing up?"

"I never said I was done with you. Stay there," she commanded.

"Okay," Hiccup agreed, relaxing back onto his stool. She produced a comb and two small hair ties from her bag and began working the comb through his hair. Hiccup closed his eyes and leaned against the table. "Mmm…"

Astrid giggled. "Does that feel nice?"

"It's going to put me to sleep, which wouldn't be bad," Hiccup admitted.

She started tugging on a small piece of his hair behind his ear. "I knew you should have stayed at home. It's not been that long since we rescued you."

"I'll be fine," he assured her.

She started on the second braid. "I've heard that recently, too."

He felt her tie off the braid, turned around, and took her hands in his own. "I know. I know," he whispered. "But this time…This time it's a trial. My dad is here. Gobber is here. The gang is here…You're here. I'll be fine. I know it."

Astrid closed the distance between them and kissed him urgently. "Don't ever go anywhere without us, again," she whispered as she pulled back.

Hiccup ran a finger down her cheek. "We'd better get out there before they come in here." She nodded and helped him stand.

Walking was slow. His stump did hurt. The fresh cuts were healed enough for the weight, and the extra padding with the bandages and the sock helped. He only had to get out the door, though, and then he could ride Toothless the rest of the way.

Catcalls and whistles greeted him as he exited the forge, courtesy of the twins. "H, my man! I'm liking the green. It brings out your eyes and pairs well with your russet colored hair and freckles," Tuffnut observed.

"Uh…Thanks…I think," Hiccup responded as he limped to Toothless.

"It's a lot of the same color, though," Ruffnut went on. "It needs some brown, like a tan color, not too dark, to go with his complexion."

"Yeah, and some black would be cool, too. Make him look fierce, and hey, he'll match T," added Tuffnut.

Ruffnut climbed onto her saddle. "But I do miss the red, so like accessorize with red. I'm thinking maybe a shoulder guard-″

"Not that Hiccup's wardrobe isn't a fascinating topic, but can we just go?" interrupted Snotlout.

Hiccup got settled on Toothless as best as he could since the dragon had no saddle. Fishlegs had tied a rope around Toothless's chest for Hiccup to hold, but considering that he was normally attached to his dragon by a locking mechanism on his left foot, two safety cables at his waist, and a slip stirrup for his right foot, sitting bare back with only a rope to hold was unnerving. He wrapped the rope around his good hand twice and steeled his nerves for the short flight. "Snotlout's right, guys. We need to get to the Great Hall. Dad won't be pleased if we're late." He leaned forward and felt the muscles in his dragon's back bunch up, ready for the signal to fly. "Slow and easy, bud," he reminded the night fury. Toothless warbled in consent and leapt into the air.

Four other dragons followed, and Astrid was immediately by his side. "By the way," she yelled, "we're going to the Academy."

"Why?"

"So we can make an entrance, remember?" She winked at him and pulled away a bit. "Diamond formation, everyone! Let's remind the Archipelago who they're dealing with!" she called to the other Riders.

Immediately the group was in formation and flying across the village. Though, for his sake, the flight was much slower than normal, Hiccup knew they were an intimidating sight. Five clean, fire-breathing dragons with their Riders, who were wearing their best clothes and wielding freshly sharpened and polished weapons, flying in as a single team would make even the toughest Viking think twice about attacking.

They made a circle around the Academy to the cheers of the Berkians in the stands and landed as a solid group in the center of the ring. The shouts were deafening. Hiccup climbed off Toothless and stood, without aid beside his dragon. His father was only feet from him, his eyes twinkling with pride, and Hiccup knew that their entrance had been exactly what his dad wanted.

"Dragon Riders!" boomed Stoick's voice. "Thank you for coming! Lead your dragons to the open pens in the back of the Ring and take your places among the witnesses, we will begin the trial."

Fishlegs, being the in the back of the formation, led them into the pens, where the Riders instructed the dragons to stay. A simple livestock-style gate was closed across the pen to keep the dragons from interrupting the trial, yet they would still be able to see and hear their Riders.

The team let Hiccup set the pace as they made their way to their seats. Knowing the game, though, not one of them – not even Astrid – offered to help him walk. His legs were shaking, and he was sweating by the time he sat in his chair. However, under the watchful eyes of visiting chiefs, their heirs, and their small retinues of advisors, he had walked the whole distance on his own power, and that image was more important than his comfort. When Gobber passed down a water skin a few moments later, though, Hiccup made a mental note to thank the man when the trial was over.

Stoick stood from his seat at the front of the Academy, and the crowd went silent. "Bring in the accused!" he ordered.

The smallest dragon pen in the ring was opened, and flanked by Spitelout, Bucket, and Mulch, Johann was frog marched to his chair near the center of the ring. His hands were bound in front of him. After he was seated, his feet were tied to the chair's legs. Hiccup hadn't seen the man since before he was rescued, and while Johann did look a bit worse for wear, Hiccup knew that he had been given daily rations and outhouse privileges at the very least. He was also still fully clothed, not in his normal three layers, but he wasn't left in only cut-off pants for sure. Not to mention, the man's lack of visible injuries, unlike Hiccup who had one arm in a sling and had to limp across the Academy at a snail's pace.

"Fellow chiefs, heirs, and villagers of the Barbaric Archipelago," greeted Stoick. "I asked you here today to bring you evidence that this man we have all trusted and befriended for over a decade is a man who from his first moments within our waters, planned to betray us all. We welcomed him onto our shores, into our villages, and even into our homes and mead halls. He supped with us, laughed with us, exchanged tales of valor with us, and traded with us. All the while, he was gaining our trust and friendship just to find a way to destroy us and our way of life. I have invited you here today to bear witness to justice being served, for this very fiend we deemed a friend has recently tricked my own son and heir Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III kidnapped, tortured, and nearly killed him in a plot to destroy Berk of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe before moving on to take over and destroy every village in our Archipelago."

"I hereby charge the man known as Johann the Trader with the kidnap, torture, and attempted murder of a Barbaric chief's heir and with treason against all of the tribes of the Archipelago," Stoic announced to the stunned crowd.

Johann panned the room, and when his gaze met Hiccup's, Hiccup could taste the bitter flavor of the elixir Johann had poured into him half a dozen times over the course of his imprisonment. His stomach turned, and as if by thinking of the vile potion, he had summoned it, he could feel panic clouding his thoughts. He took another sip from the water skin, but it did little for his sudden nerves. He focused on his breathing. Whatever happened, he had to hold himself together. The eyes of the entire Archipelago were on him. The future of Berk depended on him not appearing weak in this moment.

Despite his efforts, disjointed memories flitted through his mind. Images of his family and friends dying gruesome deaths. Words full of anger and hatred directed at him bounced around his brain. Memories of pain, of burning, of being hit, chained, and sliced pushed to the forefront of his mind. Things he wasn't sure were even real or not bombarded him, and he struggled to keep his composure. A mantra of "Find Toothless. Find Toothless. Find Toothless," ran through his head at an increasing speed, and it was all he could do to keep his seat instead of running for the nearest exit on the back of his faithful dragon.

Then, Astrid's hand was on his right knee. Just there. She was alternately tightening and loosening her grip in slow intervals. He didn't know why, but he focused on it, counting the seconds of each grip and release in his mind. One, two, three, four, five. One, two, three, four, five. Soon he was breathing in time with it. Then his thoughts were slowing down. The panic was receding. At last he blinked and exhaled through his nose, and he could think again. He reached across with his left hand and squeezed her hand. She stroked his palm with her thumb, and he moved his hand. She gave him a final pat and took her hand back. Not once had she drawn attention to him. She stayed riveted to the proceedings of the trial, and Hiccup thanked the gods for what must have been the thousandth time for bringing them together.

Hiccup tuned in to the trial as Stoick began laying out the evidence for the charges against Johann. Stoick pulled out a piece of parchment. "First, we have the message that Johann sent to Hiccup asking him to meet at Sparrow Haven, an uninhabited island near the Berkian base Dragon's Edge, a week's sail north of here. In the note, Johann claimed that I had sent a package with him to deliver to my son the last time he visited Berk in exchange for a tariff-free trading visit to Berk. He claimed his ship was damaged in a storm. He claimed he was behind on his route. None of this was true. Johann has not been on a trading visit to Berk all season, and I never entrusted him with a package for Hiccup. His ship wasn't damaged in a storm. He was waiting to ambush Hiccup. While, I suppose it is true that he was behind on his trading route, it is only because he never began it."

Murmurs in the crowd could be heard, and many of those watching were giving Johann the side-eye. It was a lot to take it, but just that note was enough to cast suspicion, especially to the Berkians who knew that the man had not been to their island since the previous season.

Stoick raised his hands for quiet, and the murmurs died down. "Now, the second piece of evidence for these charges is from Berk's elite team of Dragon Riders. When Hiccup failed to return the base by the time he said he would, the rest of the team went searching for him. A search of Sparrow Haven turned up the burnt remains of the night fury's riding gear. Due to his missing tailfin, Toothless has a specialized rigging that Hiccup built for him so that he can fly. Toothless is protective of his gear and will rarely let anyone adjust or remove it unless it is Hiccup. It had all been removed from him and tossed into a bonfire. Furthermore, the Riders discovered Hiccup's specialized false foot that allows him to fly Toothless. They also found evidence of dragon hunters having hid behind the trees waiting to ambush my son, and there were signs that a ship the size of Johann's had been anchored at the natural harbor of the island.

"All five of these Dragon Riders have proven their dedication to the uncovering and fighting for the truth, from their very first mission of killing the Red Death, the mountain-sized dragon that was using a queen bee kind of mind control to have the dragons raid our villages. The Riders have aided our allies and brought about peace between us and our enemies many times over the past five years. They have even come to the rescue of Johann himself on several occasions, teaching him how to use terrible terrors to send messages, and compensating him for any times they have come to him for aid or information. They have never used any one for ill or abused their privileges or their power."

More murmurs rose up from the crowd against Johann, and a few cheers went up the for the Riders. Hiccup thought his chest might burst with pride in hearing his father's praise of Hiccup's team. He sometimes forgot, living with them day in and day out, how butt-kicking awesome they were. They were as crazy as a flock of terrors most days, but they were also the best defensive group that he knew of.

Stoick cleared his throat. "If I could get some silence!" he demanded, and the crowd quieted. "Good, now, the evidence. When Berk's Dragon Riders, Auxiliary Riders, and Chief Dagur and his sister Heather of Berserker Island came to the dragon hunter base, we discovered that Viggo Grimborn and his allies had been planning an attack. Their ships were prepared to sail. Their Dragon Fliers had their team of singetail dragons readied with bits and harnesses, and the base was full of hunters to man the ships. I myself fought the man Krogan, leader of the Dragon Fliers, and he boasted of the plans to attack Berk, destroy our forces, kill our people, and capture our dragons before moving on to the rest of the Archipelago. He readily admitted that he was working not only with Viggo Grimborn but also Trader Johann to accomplish this plan. I killed him soon after in hand to hand combat.

"Berk's blacksmith Gobber the Belch, rider of a hot burble dragon, discovered Johann's ship among the fleet preparing for the attack. He and the Auxiliary Riders inspected the ship and found that it had been outfitted for war against us and our dragons. It, along with the rest of the fleet was destroyed.

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thornston spotted Johann himself trying to escape the base. He had Hiccup's specially designed sword the Dragon Blade on his person. Its unique qualities would fetch a hefty price. He also had a bag of gold and a jar of an elixir that our healer has identified as a powerful Celtic potion meant to induce waking nightmares of the worst sort. It is frequently used for torture by the Celts. The scent of this same potion was on Hiccup's breath when we discovered him, and he spent a solid twelve hours after our rescue of him locked in those nightmares. He has since confirmed it to be the potion that Johann, Krogan, and Viggo drugged him with during his imprisonment.

"When Fearless Astrid Hofferson, Gobber the Belch, Snotlout Jorgenson, and I did finally find Hiccup, we found him chained, beaten, drugged, nearly naked, sick, and dehydrated. In the course of the search of the prison, Astrid and Gobber battled and killed Viggo Grimborn after he admitted to imprisoning and torturing Hiccup with the intent to kill him. Gothi, a member of our Auxiliary Riders, the best healer in Berk, and our village elder, declared that Hiccup would not have lasted longer than another day, had we not found him. After he was able to talk to us, he told us that Johann had been in on his capture from the start. He said Johann openly admitted that he has been paid from the very beginning, twelve years ago, to find out our weaknesses, to gain our trust, and he has been passing along information to his boss.

"I bring all this evidence before the Berkian council, this gathering of Barbaric chiefs, and the people of Berk with the recommendation to execute the traitor," Stoick finished.

A cacophony of voices broke out. Anger was the predominate tone, but Hiccup couldn't tell whether they were angry with Stoick or with Johann. Most of the Berkians were glaring at Johann's direction, but it was the guests who were looking between Stoick and Johann with suspicion. Many were cutting their eyes to him, too. He sat straight and stoic, as if just the mere sight of Johann minutes ago hadn't sent him into a minor panic attack, as if he weren't still forcing half-remembered delusions and real memories to the back of his mind.

At last Alvin stood up, and the crowds quieted. "I say, we 'ear from 'iccup 'addock. Let 'im tell us 'is story."

Stoick's face looked carved from rock. "I've told yeh what Hiccup told me. We don't need to put him through remembering it, again."

Alvin rounded on Stoick. "'e's a grown man, ain't 'e? We can't be expected teh make a wise decision without 'earin' from the actual participants, so 'iccup tells 'is side. Then, Johann tells 'is side. Then, we decide if the trader lives or dies. That's only fair, Stoick."

Stoick stood up so fast that he upended his chair. "Are yeh saying I'm not trustworthy, Alvin the Treacherous?" he demanded.

Alvin growled and leaned towards Stoick. Hiccup could see this was not going to end well for anyone and got to his feet. The strange hop, skip, running maneuver that he used to scamper into the center of the Academy to stand between his father and Alvin was humiliating, but he ignored it. He held up his left arm, panning from one man to the other, making eye contact with each one as he did so. "Dad, it's okay. You asked them here to pronounce judgement on Johann. Alvin's right. It's only fair that they hear the story straight from the dragon's mouth, so to speak. I'll…I'll tell them what I remember." He bore his gaze into his father's, trying to convey what they both knew. Alvin wasn't so much interested in hearing Hiccup's side of the story. If Hiccup didn't tell it, though, Alvin would brand him a coward and mark him and subsequently Berk as easy pickings before Hiccup's chiefdom even began. For the sake of his and Berk's reputation, Hiccup had to answer Alvin's challenge.

After a moment, Stoick deflated. "Then, the floor is yours', son." He turned and righted his chair. Alvin's grin was malicious as he took his own seat.

Hiccup cast a glance at Astrid. She met his gaze and gave a minute nod, and Hiccup took a breath to compose himself before he addressed the crowd. Shoving his emotions deep into the pit of his stomach and focusing only on the facts and the solid memories that he had of his capture and imprisonment, he relayed his story to the crowd. He studiously kept from looking at Johann because he knew that would be his undoing. If he began to falter, he would meet the gaze of a Rider, Toothless, Gobber, or his dad. The solid support in their faces would buoy him on for the next bit of the tale. At last, he had said his piece, and he finally locked a fierce gaze on Johann. He took a step to the man. A part of him took an almost sick satisfaction at seeing the traitor cower before him. "What is your defense, Johann, in the face of this damning evidence?"

Johann cringed, lowered his eyes, and bowed his head, looking for all the world like the fearful, mild-mannered man that the entire Archipelago had known for years, and Hiccup knew in that moment that getting the council of chiefs to convict him of his crimes was going to be an uphill battle. He stayed resolute, though, and kept his hard stare trained on the man in question. He had faced down bigger, scarier enemies than the likes of Johann and had won. He wasn't about to start losing now.

At last, Johann turned his nervous gaze on the crowd. "Barbaric Chiefs, Berkians, and others, I know how things must seem to you. This evidence is especially damning to me, as Master Hiccup has pointed out. I regret that I cannot deny my part in recent…events, shall we say? But," he called louder as the furious grumbles rose in response to his admission. "But, I do have a defense."

Johann turned his head, giving Hiccup a pleading look that Hiccup had seen plastered on the man's face more times than he could count over the years. "Master Hiccup, I must first apologize profusely for my part in your torment, for indeed, it was torment. The memories shall haunt me until my dying day, and I will forever regret the suffering you endured because of my actions. However, I had no choice...I was under duress! Viggo Grimborn and his henchman Krogan forced me to do what I did. They attacked and commandeered my ship, imprisoned me in my own vessel, beat me, stole my goods, and swore to kill me if I did not act the part. They used me to get to you. You've known me since you were nothing more than a slip of a boy looking to endear yourself to your fellow villagers. Have I not always treated you with utmost respect and kindness, even aiding you in your endeavors over the years, gathering materials for your ingenious inventions, going into dangerous situations that I – a humble, untrained story-teller and trader of trinkets – had no business being?"

He cast his gaze to the rest of the audience. "You all know me – have known me for twelve long years. Have I never been anything but a friend to each of you? You must believe me when I say that I would never seek to harm any of you, especially a chief's young heir. Please, I beg you, give me the benefit of the doubt this one time, and I shall seek to regain your trust through arduous work. Though, undoubtedly, it shall take me years to rebuild the bonds of friendship I have previously so enjoyed all around the Barbaric Archipelago."

The crowds murmured amongst themselves, and the council of chiefs bent their heads towards one another considering the trader's words. Hiccup could sense the change of mind in the air. He met Johann's eyes, again, and for a brief moment, he saw it – the sneer of triumph. Johann knew he had broken through their doubts. That spurred Hiccup on, and he refused to let that be the end of it. He had nearly died by this man's hands. He had seen the unmasked hate and derision in Johann's eyes, the delight at Hiccup's suffering, and Hiccup knew that was the true Johann, not this character he had played for over a decade. The character was good, but if you had twelve years to perfect it, it would be good. It was still just as false as Hiccup's left foot, however.

Hiccup straightened. His bad leg was aching, and his head was starting to pound. He ignored all of that, though, and turned back to the chiefs. "Chiefs and fellow heirs," he called. The voices quieted, and the chiefs turned to him. "Before you make a decision, allow me to ask this prisoner a few questions, for clarity." He eyed Alvin, who frowned in response. "After all, you want to make a wise decision with the most information at your disposal, do you not, Chief Alvin?"

Alvin narrowed his eyes, not enjoying having the tables turned on him. "Aye, boy, tha' we do."

"Good," Hiccup answered, turning to face Johann again. "You say, Trader Johann, that you were forced to do Viggo and Krogan's bidding. Correct?"

Johann paused before nodding slowly. "Uh, yes, Master Hiccup. That is what happened."

Hiccup turned to Spitelout. "Spitelout Jorgenson, you are my father's general over the Berk Guard and an honored member of the Auxiliary Riders. Part of your duties, as a leading man in Berk's military defense, is to see to the prisoners we have on the island. You are to question them, assign them a cell, feed them, and make sure their basic needs are met, such as outhouse privileges and a blanket if it's cold and clothes if they have none. Part of this is also to search them for weapons and inspect them for any injuries or diseases when they come into your custody. So, I would like to know, when you did your inspection of Johann, did you find any evidence that suggested that he had recently been beaten and imprisoned by such violent men as Viggo Grimborn and Krogan?"

Spitelout stood up, self-importance rolling off him in waves. He crossed his arms, spat in the dirt beside him, and lazily looked at Johann. "Ah…Nope, boy-o. He has no scars to prove that he has ever done anything even a little dangerous in his life. A pansy, that one is, just like I always knew."

"So no kind of marks to account for his story of being held prisoner and beaten in the bowels of his own ship?

"Not a one," confirmed Spitelout.

Hiccup nodded to Spitelout who took his que and sat, again. Then, Hiccup turned back to Johann. "Well, what do you say about that? No scars, no cuts, no bruises marring your hide to prove your story." He pulled up his left sleeve revealing his scab-covered and green-tinted wrist. He raised his left pant leg just enough to reveal the thick bandages and sock cushioning his stump and gently waved his right arm in Johann's direction.

Johann smiled self-depreciatingly. "Well, Master Hiccup…You-you know that I'm not the courageous warrior that you are. I am quite known for my valiant stories and my cowardly actions. I am ashamed to admit it, but I broke under Viggo and Krogan's tactics quite quickly, you see. It was less of an actual beating, and more of a…threat of a beating, to be completely honest," the man answered in a wavering voice.

Hiccup huffed and stepped closer to the man. "YOUR LIFE IS ON THE LINE, JOHANN! HONESTY IS PARMOUNT!" he roared. "Lying to this council while on trial is one of the surest ways to losing your head, Johann, and that is Viking law! A wise man would not toy with the collective Viking chiefs and heirs of the Barbaric Archipelago!"

Johann leaned back in his seat, his back straight, and his eyes wide. "Yes, Master Hiccup. You-you are correct. A stretching of the truth is a slight to those who hold my further existence in their hands. I shall only be honest from this point forth."

Hiccup glared at his adversary. No one else was close enough to the man to see the dare held in his eyes. He still thought he had this in the bag. His sniveling ways were winning over the minds of the people, but Hiccup knew he could get the truth out there, if only the chiefs would stay patient. Johann admitting to a lie was a point in Hiccup's favorite. "You had better stay honest, Johann. Remember, there are five fully grown dragons directly behind you, and all of them are willing to obey my command at a moment's notice." Real fear passed across Johann's face, and Hiccup had to catch his own smile. "Now, you say you're too cowardly to endure torture at the hands of Viggo and Krogan. Fine. I believe you. After all, I only need mention 'trade sanctions' to you, and suddenly you're a veritable fountain of information." Hiccup only just heard the huff of anger and saw the flash of disgust pass the man's face. A crack in the façade – finally. "Tell me, then, if you were so fearful of Viggo and Krogan, so broken up about the torture I did endure by their hands, and such good friends to Stoick the Vast and the island of Berk, why did you not ever send a message to the Riders or Berk about the situation you were finding yourself – and eventually me – in? Surely you didn't think we would leave you unaided in such dire straits? Have we not proven to be fast and true friends?"

"Uh…Well…" Johann stammered. As he struggled to answer the question, the onlookers focused their accusing gazes on Johann. The tide was turning, again. Hiccup hoped the fickle minds around him wouldn't be swayed by the siren song that Johann no doubt was cooking up in his mind at that very moment. Those years of telling stories were serving him too well now.

At last, Johann took a settled breath and looked at Hiccup. "You must understand, Viggo and Krogan were hard masters. Their attack on my ship and imprisonment of me only occurred the day before I sent you that note. They, then, forced me – with threats to my life and well-being, of course – to write the note and send it off. They stood over me as I wrote it, read it before I sent it, and locked me up after the task was done. They only released me when they spotted you coming. Once you were there, well, they were hidden on the ship, listening to our entire conversation, waiting for me to separate you from your faithful dragon to ambush you both."

Hiccup's leg was screaming. His headache was starting to overpower his thought process. His side, shoulder, and back ached. He wanted to go home and sleep, but this wasn't over yet. He could rest later. This was a battle, as fierce as any he had ever fought. The future of his tribe – the whole Archipelago – was on the line. He would win. "You mean to tell me, that in the course of at least an entire week, you had not one chance to fire off a note to Berk or leave a single clue? Not one chance?"

"I am afraid not, Master Hiccup. As you know from your own experience, Viggo and Krogan were excellent captors once they had you."

Hiccup squared his shoulders and stared at the man before him. "Then why did you run?"

"What?" Johann squeaked.

"Why did you run, Johann? Ruffnut and Tuffnut told me themselves that they found you fleeing the battle at Viggo's base, that you were trying to escape with my sword and a bag full of gold. If you're the innocent man you say you are, why did you run the moment that your allies - your friends - arrived?" Hiccup could have heard a nail pin drop in the silence following the question.

Johann paled. "I-I told you, Master Hiccup...I am a coward, a weak-willed man, a trader of wares, and a teller of tales. I was scared, so I ran."

"I have known scared men, Johann. I have been a scared man, but not once have I known a scared man to run from his allies when they arrive to help. A scared man runs to his friends - not from them," Hiccup countered, his voice steady and sure.

Johann sat silent and still for a moment. The crowd was still waiting with bated breath for his response, but their expressions held no sympathy for the trader. Johann met Hiccup's firm scowl and narrowed his eyes. Traitor Johann had finally shown up for the trial. "You are nothing, Hiccup Haddock, nothing but a spoiled, pampered only child to a widowed chief. Regardless of what you do to me today, someday soon my boss will squash you like the irritating gnat that you are. You can mark my words. You will be the downfall of your ignorant village."

There was an explosion of shouts and jeers calling for Johann's immediate execution. Pandemonium broke out in the stands as people stood, raising their fists, and pressing against the railing. The dragons were roaring and pawing at the gate. Over the din, Hiccup heard Dagur's berserk laugh ring out. Stoick pounded his hammer against the metal edge of a shield all to no avail. At last, Hiccup looked at Toothless who was waiting for Hiccup's signal. Hiccup pointed to the wall above the doorway to the Academy. Toothless fired a plasma blast at the rock wall. The shouts stopped so suddenly that their echoes could be heard in the distance.

Stoick approached the center of the ring where Hiccup still had Johann pinned under his stare. The chief placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and gave a gentle tug. Hiccup took the hint, broke his gaze, and stepped away as his father addressed the council of chiefs. "We've heard it from the traitor's own mouth. What more do we need? I ask you, council of Barbaric chiefs, what judgement do you pass?"

The chiefs huddled together, whispering for a moment before turning back. Big-Boobied Bertha stepped forward. She planted herself feet from Stoick. "The council of chiefs pronounce Johann to be guilty of the kidnap, torture, and attempted murder of Hiccup Haddock, son of Stoick the Vast and heir to the throne of Berk. Johann is also guilty of treason against the entirety of the Barbaric Archipelago. He is hereby sentenced to death, to be carried out by three moons from now. The manner and time of his death is to be decided by Stoick the Vast, Chief of Berk."

Stoick nodded and pegged Johann with a stare. Johann sneered. "I won't betray my employer, so don't bother asking, Stoick."

Stoick turned to Hiccup. "Any last words, son?"

Hiccup looked straight at his tormentor. "I take no delight in seeing you killed, Johann, but I'll be cursed by Hel herself before I leave innocent people and dragons vulnerable to people such as you. It's just like I told you before. May the gods have mercy on your black soul because neither Berk, my father, nor I will."

Johann growled, but there was a light of pride in Stoick's eyes.

"Spitelout, have the traitor's last meal prepared and the bows and arrows inspected. We execute him tonight as the sun meets the horizon."

HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

Hiccup twisted the cup of mead in his hands. Toothless was curled up and snoring in front of the fire pit. Hiccup's false foot was on the table beside him, his leg propped up on a pillow on the bench where he sat. Astrid had helped him get home and settled, but she had to leave to get ready for the execution. Only a select few people would be in attendance, and she and Hiccup were among the group. Hiccup did not want to go, but he knew it was important that he be there. Not only because he was Johann's victim, but also because he would be chief. One day, he would be issuing orders for executions, and he would have to attend them. It didn't stop him from feeling sick to his stomach.

The door opened, and Stoick walked in. He was unusually subdued as he walked over and served himself a large flagon of mead. He came and sat at the bench on the opposite of the table from Hiccup, leaving his large chair at the head of the table empty. It was something that Stoick did after a hard trial and judgement. Hiccup assumed that only he and Gobber knew about it. Hiccup was just thankful that the occurrence was a rare one. He could count on one hand the number of times his father had issued executions during his time as chief, and of those, Hiccup had been alive for three but could only actually remember two, if you included Johann's, which was technically a decision by the council of chiefs. Hiccup knew Stoick would count it as his own, though.

"It's days like today that I wish you weren't my son," Stoick began without preamble. Hiccup looked his father's bowed head and kept silent, letting the man speak. "Not because I'm not proud of you because I am, or because I wish you were someone else because I don't, or because you haven't made these past twenty years of my life worth living because you have." He paused and gathered his thoughts then began again, his voice quiet and brittle. "It's because I know the burden I'm passing on to you, a burden that I know will steal something from you every time it rears its ugly head, a burden I can't keep you from bearing. You have a goodness and compassion about you, son, that most simply don't possess. It's the thing about you that I often find I'm most proud of. Even when you were a lad, and I was frustrated about you lacking that fierce Viking spirit, it wasn't so much that I wanted you to change. It was that I didn't want this life to change you." There was another silent moment as Hiccup took in what Stoick was saying. At last his father looked up at him. "You're so much like Valka. You look like her. You've got her compassion, her bravery…her brain." He chuckled and looked back at the table. "What you did today at that trial – how you held and handled yourself, questioned Johann, your final words to him…I still hate that I'll be passing this duty on to you, but son," he met Hiccup's gaze once more. "I know that when I do, I'll be leaving this village in the best hands. You'll be a better chief than me, and that's even more than a father could ever ask of the gods."

HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

Johann was tied to a post and, per his request, blindfolded. He had spoken his final words in his native tongue, which no one in attendance understood. The lots had been cast, and the three unlucky members of the Berk Guard were given their arrows. They, along with another three members of the guard, were hidden from view on one side of a single wall. No one other than the members of the Guard themselves would ever know who the executioners were, a secret they would take to their graves. Stoick, the visiting chiefs, Gothi, Hiccup, and Astrid stood on the other side, out of sight and out of range of the arrows.

Stoick stepped forward a pace. "Trader Johann, you have been convicted by a council vote of being a traitor to the Archipelago and attempting to be a murderer, both crimes you admitted to after you lied and tried to trick a council of tribal chiefs. Your atrocious crimes and lack of remorse have brought this judgement upon you. May the gods of Asgard have mercy on your soul and may they forgive us if we have erred. Archers, take aim...Release!"

There was the twang of bow strings as the arrows were fired, followed by the thumps of the arrows hitting their fatal marks. Johann cried out for the briefest moment before his voice cut off and his body went slack against the post.

HTTY RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

A/N: Part 4, the epilogue coming soon.