A/N: YAY! I made it to Ten Chapters XD So happy!

Next few chapters are going to be really important for plot with lots of divergence from the original plot, mainly working towards difference in the TV series right now o.o

So uh, I think I'm late? Again… p.q but but I finished this one in one sitting… and it's super awkward at times and… uh yeah. I'm gonna go sleep. I forgot to do that when I started last night… It's six am for me right now. But I don't have a life much outside of uni so it's fine (probably)

Definite and Major Spoilers/False Spoilers for the TV series (You have been warned)

Ah and Trigger Warning for Violence, panic attacks, stuff

As usual, Enjoy~ Or not~

"words" - English

"words" - Icelandic

words – thoughts

'words' – written words

Chapter 10. How to Entertain a Future Chief

The cold breeze that had chilled me to the bones, earlier in the day, now cooled my sweaty, overheated muscles and burned my lungs as I ran. Jumping over another fallen log I thanked my lucky stars for not tripping over it like I would have in my previous life.

I was so far into the forest surrounding the village that I no longer knew where I was, survival the only thought in my mind.

Well, survival and how the absolutely FUCK I could have forgotten why Hiccup didn't get along with Dagur in the beginning. I'm a fucking idiot.

"Fuck," I hissed, my ankle throbbing as the edges of a dead branch scraped it.

I stumbled forward, my pace slowing in the slightest and-

Whisk. THUNK. THUNK!

I kicked up a bunch of foilage as I put all of my strength in my legs to push on, to keep running, to keep moving.

I focused my eyes on a spot in front of me to ensure I wouldn't freeze at the gleaming knives inbedded in the trunk beside me.

The blade rested against my throat, my own eyes watching it catch the light and reflect it back at the mirror. My own visage distorted in my peripheral vision, unsure if I was displaying my fear so honestly and hoping I wasn't.

I shook my head to clear it of the image, each breath so much shorter as my heart tried to quicken even more. Everything seemed to slow as I ran, time no longer real. How long had I been running? Minutes? Hours? I couldn't move my legs fast enough, each placement of my feet too slow, not pushing off, not lifting back up fast enough for the next step and the next.

Bile mixed with the burning of oxygen as I took in each acrid breath to fuel my straining muscles. My legs were getting heavier and heavier to lift though they had yet to begin aching from the abuse; one of the things that made me grateful for adrenaline.

I vaguely wondered how much adrenaline I had left in my system before I'd just collapse.

Straining to stay in place I told myself that they wouldn't cut me. She can't, we're friends. Friends don't do that.

"Hey, c-cut it out would you? This i-isn't funny," I stammered, cringing at how I spoke at a higher pitch, the fear tightening my vocal cords.

"Haha, what are you talking about?" she giggled. "This is hilarious."

Turning my gaze from the gleaming edge, I tried to read her face, hoping to find something, anything that would tell me that it is a joke.

A wide euphoric grin sliced across her face, her eyes gleaming almost as much as the knife with malicious glee. I could almost taste the metallic tang of blood as the edge was pressed tighter to my throat.

"St-

Stop," I snarled at my overractive mind, focusing on my feet just as I stepped on a sharp stone and slipped. "Fuck." My hands reached out and ripped at the trunk of a tree beside me, ripping my palms up in the process.

Laughter echoed from the direction I had been fleeing, throwing a weight on my gut as I realised it wasn't as far as I had hoped.

"Hiccup! I'm coming for you!" Dagur sang happily from the same spot.

He's pulling out his knives, I thought with a sickened shudder.

I looked around me for a cave or burrow or-

I felt the bark of the tree sting the palms of my hands and I looked up.

Snap!

Flinching at the sound I scrambled up the tree, sending a quiet thank you to the twins as I settled into the branches with enough foilage to cover me. Calming my breaths, I stilled, reaching out with my senses for any hint of movement.

"Hiccup?" Dagur called, a rising intonation at the end as he came up the spot I had fallen. His held was tilted down as I imagined him looking at the disturbance I had caused to the forest floor from my fall. "Ooooh oh oh oh! Have you hidden from me?" He chuckled quietly, deftly spinning a blade between his fingers. "Clever…"

I watched him bend down to see which direction I went and figured I had a few moments to consider my options. And re-evaluate my life choices. Like why I thought it was a good idea to let him pick the game. Not that I would have had a choice but come on, did it really have to go this way?

I shook my head slowly, too conscious of shifting the branches that held me. What choices do I even have right now? Sure, I could hope he doesn't realise I'm here and just stay here until he has to leave the island; or I could run along the trees and possibly fall and snap my neck in my haste. Not great options but what else could I-

Dagur rose from his position on the ground, chuckling quietly at first before growing louder.

He's going to see me.

That was the last thought that went through my mind before instincts took over.

I jumped. I hurled myself from the tree at Dagur as fear yet again clouded my critical thinking abilities, allowing me to forget how small I am. My hands reached out to pin him to the ground but his head turned, a smile pulling at his lips as he turned.

He didn't move fast enough for me to avoid me, not that I'm sure that was his goal, as my hands met nothing but my face impacted his.

We both met the ground in a tangle of limbs. The skin of my palms was even more grated as a loud ringing exploded in my ears, my eyes swirling with the dizziness of a concussion. Suddenly the initial nausea wasn't as easy to deal with anymore.

"Thor's hammer," Dagur murmured as I felt him shift under me, thankfully dazed as well.

I clumsily pinned his wrists either side of his head, frustrated that neither of my hands fit around them.

Something gleamed out of the corner of my eye, dread and hope warring in me as I noticed the knife was within my reach, having fallen from Dagur's grip as we collided.

Gravity shifted, the air leaving my lungs and winding more so on top of falling out of the tree already had.

I gazed up into eyes the same colour as the leaves above me and shuddered, my stomach clenching with fear as the world around us swirled.

My heart rate had begun to slow in the short moment that I was in control but it picked up again as Dagur's hands pressed mine harder into the dirt, the backs of them tingling alerting me that there will be a bruise there later. If there is a later…

"Stop it, stop, stop," I pleaded, my eyes brimming with tears as air became harder and harder to take in, my skin breaking out in a cold sweat as the fear pooled high in my chest.

My hand tightened around her wrist that held the knife, my other hand gripping the arm against my chest. I didn't remember moving to grab her arm and wrist.

The knife pressed tighter against my throat… and I felt something just… snap.

I struggled to move my arms as the eyes above me began to look the same dark brown as hers, the bright red hair darkening to an almost black as I felt tendrils of it brush the sides of my face, the grin less victorious, more violent, threatening, dangerous. I felt everything become more distant, my sharp breaths more felt instead of heard, the sharp pull on my skin from a stick under me fading to the background.

The pressure on my torso became more intense as I was no longer able to move my arms or shoulders, so I kicked.

I kicked and I thrashed, as I heard a solid oomf from the figure above me, filling me with a moment's satisfaction, then more so as the grip on my wrists loosened and I rolled on top of the now distorted figure, taking back the control with my forearm on their throat, their arms under them, and pressing all of my weight onto them, successfully pinning my assailant.

Delighted laughted brought my eyes to focus on small, dark green eyes. I once again saw Dagur as he was and almost relaxed. Almost. His wide grin electrified my nerves with expectation. If he tries to pin me again, I'll run.

I felt his legs shift and I tried to pin them, frowning when his legs pinned mine instead.

I couldn't move. My lower half was stuck unless I shifted my torso, which, obviously, was not an option.

I growled in the back of my throat, frustrated. I just want to stop.

Dagur's grin grew impossibly more so as he shifted his arms out from under him as I was unable to increase the pressure I was putting on his chest to trap them.

His arm was almost free as he just grinned at me.

I ripped her arm away from me and pushed her away, turning my back to the wall as I faced her with my arms up.

"P-put it… down," I huffed, breath coming in too sharp, too quick to properly fill my lungs, leaving me shaky and my mind foggy.

She laughed and held the knife up, slashing it towards me in a playful manner. I flinched with each moment, pulling my hands away as it grew closer and reaching for it as she drew it away.

"Put it down!" I shouted as it got too close.

She laughed even more, the violent glint to her eyes brighter than before as she lunged towards me.

Time slowed, the few seconds stretching themselves to be longer than they were. I smacked her hand down as it got too close, the blade flying from her grip as it hit the far wall. All too soon, time regained its regular speed and I ran to the knife, my so-called friend simply staring at her hand.

Dagur's hand slipped out from under him as he finally freed one arm and I blanked, I threw my head forward, colliding my skull against his in a desperate attempt to keep him from the knife.

His eyes closed with a loud groan as his legs slipped from mine.

I had yet to process the pain, the first impact still ringing in my ears as I leapt off him and for the knife. My slippery palms grasped the blade handle firmly and I took it with me up the tree.

It took me seconds to reclimb the tree, and once higher up in the branches than the first time, I realised he still had more on him.

I warily watched him roll about on the ground.

"You fight dirty!" he called up as he stopped rolling about, his hands covering the spot I hit.

My forehead ached. I shrugged in response as he looked up at me from his place on the ground.

"Are you sure you're a Hooligan?" he asked with a grin, his hands dropping to spread out beside him. "Because you'd make a great Berserker."

I sighed as his innocent smile turned my stomach. Ass handed to me by a nine-year-old, I thought as I tried to find humour in this. It was the kind of world I lived in now. I don't think that being hunted will be common but if things follow the storyline then I should expect this treatment in a few years. Yeah, just think of it as practice.

I shook slightly.

Dagur's eyes sparkled as his smile seemed to soften. "Want me to teach you how to be a Beserker? You already have a headstart."

I scrunched up my face at his offer and bit my lip as my mind warred. Tactically speaking, that would be a great idea; fostering friendship and gaining a few skills at the same time.

Mentally, however, the idea was daunting, my stomach heaving simply at the idea of climbing down this tree, let alone allowing him within arms reach.

"Is that permitted?" I called down to him, trying to buy time as my thoughts sorted themselves out.

I watched his face scrunch in disgust, rolling his eyes. "Like I care." He smugly folded his hands behind his head, looking comfortable of the dirt floor. "So?"

I frowned, and took a breath to say… something, I wasn't sure whether it was a denial or an affirmative or just another question, he switched gears too fast for me to even respond.

"No!" he shouted as I opened my mouth. I closed it again so fast my teeth clicked together as I glared down at him. "I am going to teach you. You can't say no."

"That's not how consent works," I sighed.

"What?" His brows drew together as I assumed he tried to understand what I said.

"Fine," I growled, rolling my eyes as I steeled my nerves. "So long as it doesn't involve being chased, beaten or having knives thrown at me."

He squinted, his mouth forming a thin line. "Not if you don't want it too."

It took me five minutes to climb down the tree after Dagur agreed not to attack me unprovoked, and after we discussed what unprovoked meant. He stayed on the ground as I feebly made my way onto the stable ground.

I leaned against the trunk as I tried to stop my knees from wobbling.

Dagur sat up slowly, his hand on his chin and focus turned inwards while I remained against the tree.

"Do you… know how to throw knives? Or axes?" he asked uncertainly.

I flinched and eyed him warily. "No?"

His eyes lit up slightly, his mouth curving into another grin.

"You smile a lot." I pressed my hand to my chest, unnerved by the lack of squish as I rubbed a spot over my heart to ease some of the pain that formed there.

"Oh?" He stood up and walked closer to me. As fragile as I felt, I moved to the side away from the tree, glad to feel me legs holding up. He didn't come to me though, he just walked up the tree then turned around and seemed to count paces. "I don't think I smile that much."

He gestured for me to join him, holding his hand out for his knife when I timidly did so.

"All us Berserkers use many different weapons, though it's not… taught. We all just teach ourselves…" Dagur's green eyes locked on mine expectantly as I hesitated to relinquish the knife.

I sighed and handed it over, keeping close watch on his movements, though I was sure that if he wanted to, he could kill me before I could even think to react.

"But…" he hummed as he flipped the knife end over end. "I can teach you this as a sort of… beginner's lesson. So you can see how Berserker's do it." He smirked at me for a moment, his eyes glinting in the light breaking through the cover of the trees. His brow furrowed as he caught the knife before turning back to me with an almost sheepish smile. "Without having to dodge it…"

I exhaled again and returned his grin with a weak smile of my own.

"Watch how I throw it, okay?"

I nodded and followed the movement of his arm and wrist with my eyes, watching as he flicked the knife and how it spinned to hit the tree.

He did this a few times before getting me to takes the knife. I was made to count six steps from the tree before throwing it.

I remembered being eighteen and buying a set of throwing knives from the markets and throwing them at an old piece of wood. I think the success rate of it actually sticking was aboud fifty-fifty, with maybe a quarter of those sticking with the handle. It was pretty fun.

After a few throws Dagur adjusted my stance, my hand, and guided my arm and wrist through the motion.

"You want to flick from your wrist, not throw it."

It was a little awkward but after a few throws Dagur stopped pulling out his hair as I threw it…

"Hey, Hiccup?"

"Yeah?" I retrieved the knife and took my paces back to the same throwing spot and turned to face the tree, smiling as I saw the few indentations I'd made even though they were no where near as solid as Dagur's, nine-year-old or no.

"You're a runt."

I slid him a sideways glance before throwing the knife, satisfied as it stuck. This is really therapeutic. "What of it?"

"So… You're probably being bullied because of it."

I slid him another sideways glance, unable to fathom what he was getting at. I sighed and went to retrieve the knife again. "I don't think I've been bullied by anyone here aside from you."

Dagur guffawed in response, his laughter echoing through the forest and I flinched at the noise, though I did smile a little.

"Haha, oh oh, well. That's a shame."

I turned to face him and furrowed my brow. "Why?"

He looked up and tilted his head to the side. "Would be nice to have a moving target to practice on."

A flash of the chase earlier came to mind and my shoulders became wrought with tension. I had the knife back in hand as I paced myself back to the throwing spot, but my mind started turning. A moving target, that isn't alive, is a pretty good idea. Oh.

I grinned, grabbing hold of Dagur's hand (an old habit from my past life) and also bounced in place as an idea began forming in my mind. "Oh! I can make one!"

He blinked at me, grin dropping and returning in the space of a few seconds. "Ohhh! Who do you have in mind?"

My grin slipped off my face as I tilted my head and blinked owlishly at him. What? My mouth dropped as I caught on and just rapidly shook my head side to side. "Nonono, no no! Uhh, not a person, I didn't mean a person. I meant like a, uhh, wooden or straw target or something." I felt heat fill my face, hand gripping his tighter as I tried to realign my thoughts. "Ahh… Right, yes. Uhm, I was thinking that I can make one and uhh… n-next year I can make it part of the obstacle course as like… a combat section… fo-for when you come back."

I bit my lip and tried to will the heat out of my face. Great. I'm still just as socially inept as always… and I really thought I was getting better at this…

Dagur tilted his head to the side with a slight frown. "You make it sound like I am coming back next year."

Thus the heat stubbornly remained as I gaped like a fish out of water. "O-Oh… n-no, I-I didn't mean t-to assume or a-anything," I stammered, releasing Dagur's hands as I waved my hands in front of me as if I could erase this moment.

"BAHAHAH! I'm joking!" he snorted and slapped my arm.

I felt very warm, with the heat from my face now creeping down my neck and over my ears. "Ohh…" I bit my lip to try and ease the feeling of mortification, and rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Sorry… I just… I would be disappointed if you didn't… come back," I murmured with a soft smile. Fuck, someone kill me that was way too awkward. Did I say socially inept? Evidently, I meant socially backwards… Can't even pick up a joke… Fucking fuck.

"Oh, I… I didn't think you'd care," he offered with an awkward smile of his own, his brow furrowed.

I scoffed, nearly laughing at that. Not to be rude though. "I think any fan would be."

"Fan?"

I blinked. "Oh, uh, no, uh," I fumbled for words and failed to grasp any to fix that. Fuck. I flapped my hands before me again and turned my face away as I denied it again.

A hand on my stopped my wild gestures and brought my attention to the haughty grin that adorned nine-year-old Dagur's face. "Fan, huh?"

I rolled my eyes at him and stuck my tongue out childishly. "Yeah, of future you," I snorted, with a cheeky grin. He's soooo cute.

"Future me?" His brow furrowed in confusion as he considered me. "I don't get it."

I chuckled and shrugged, feeling the heat in my face stick there. Maybe not my smartest move. "Maybe~ I'll tell if you ask me about… say a year from now," I sang teasingly. Nice save, me. He'll forget and then I can put this day behind me.

Dagur glared at me with a deep frown. "That's not fair. I want to know now!"

I waved my finger back and forth, tsking at his response. "You won't believe me, and I don't like people thinking I'm a liar."

He growled, his brow furrowing even more. "I believe you! I don't think you're a liar!"

I poked my tongue out again. "Then prove it."

"How…?" he asked with a look of suspicion. "I can't prove it unless you tell me…"

"Well…" I hummed. "You can prove it by waiting." I frowned as I tried to word it better, looking up at Dagur somewhat awkwardly. "If you wait a year… and remember then…" I have completely forgotten where I was going with that. Fuck… Uhhh… "Then you'll have proved that… that you can consider things thoroughly with a lot of time…. And thus! Proving that you won't make immediate judgements, like that I'm a liar just because it's not normal." I gave him a half-smile and tried not to just hit my head against the tree. Socially backwards is sounding truer by the minute.

"That was… complicated," he huffed still frowning. "Just tell me."

I sighed and fiddled with the knife. Maybe I can just run back to the village and say I lost him and then avoid him for the next few years. Pretend none of this happened. I looked around the forest and realised I had no idea how to get back. I sighed heavily again and gave Dagur a pitiful look.

"How about a… deal?" I offered and pulled my hands over my face. How do other people do this talking thing? Is it supposed to be this hard?

Dagur smirked at the word 'deal' and leaned closer to me. "Ohh?"

I took a few breaths, hoping to not just word vomit again. "Well, if you remember to ask next year then I'll do one thing you want. A favour of sorts, one that doesn't have a time limit so you can save it for years or just ask for it then and there. So you can choose to use it whenever." Not that he will remember. "If you forget then you have to do a favour for me. Though I won't tell you about the future thing unless you remember to ask. Okay?"

A feral, full-toothed grin pulled at Dagur's face as he chuckled with glee. "Oh oh. Ohhh… Deal," he snickered. "You're going to regret this."

I grinned back with just as much teeth. "Don't kid yourself. I give it two weeks. No! TWO. DAYS. Before you forget."

"Ohh… Big words for a runt."

Humiliatingly, after that I had to have Dagur, who hadn't been to Berk before, lead us back to the village, something he took great joy in mentioning for the whole trip back. Well, when he wasn't teaching me about the Berserker war cry and their battle prowess. I'm not sure he's aware of anything else that Berserker's did, or do, aside from war.

We made it back just as the Chiefs were leaving the Great Hall, thankfully.

There wasn't much more time after that before the Berserkers had to return to their ship. In fact, we had to head straight for the docks as we met back up with our fathers.

Once at the docks, the Chief of the Berserkers and the Chief of the Hairy Hooligans made a big fuss of saying goodbye with a lot of needled jokes and a few punches to the arms.

Dagur made an unpleasant face at our fathers and I couldn't help but feel relieved I wasn't expected to participate in the jock like behaviour. So I hugged him.

I felt him pull back to look at me with an almost inquiring look, like he was confused, but it fell back into his usual grin as he hugged me back. It felt nice. Or it did until he gave me a noogie.

I pulled away with a disgruntled yowl and glared at him playfully.

"Better keep your end of our deal, Hiccup!" he called as he hopped onto the ship. "I won't accept 'I forgot' as an excuse!"

I let out a bark of laughter, and grinned in appreciation. "I won't be the one forgetting!" I stuck my tongue out at him as I watched them sail away.

A large hand dwarfed my shoulder, reminding me I wasn't alone on the dock.

"What in Odin's green land did you say to him?" Stoic asked with one of his eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise.

I smiled up at him, trying to surpress a snicker. "It's a secret," I sang cheekily.

Stoic's gaze softened as he looked at me and heaved a great sigh. "You have a few too many secrets for a six-year-old."

My smile dropped to a half as I tried not to feel guilty. "Sorry," I offered with a shrug of my shoulders.

He shook his head and patted my head with his large hand. It was warm and comforting even as I remembered the line from the film about him popping a dragon's head clean off its shoulders with his bare hands.

We headed from the docks back into the village before we parted ways.

It was only mid-afternoon even as I had felt like Dagur and I had been in the forest for hours. Most of the village was still out and about, thus keeping Stoic busy as he made his way through whatever today's list consisted of.

I pondered on what I should do upon returning to the house, or whether I should go help Gobber out instead, even if there wasn't much for me to do.

Catching odd movements in my peripheral vision, I noticed Snotlout standing towards the edge of the village with a very concerned look as he hopped form foot to foot, seeming to be jogging in place.

"Worried. Want to go. Can't go. Argh. But-" I heard him muttering as I was a few meters away though not close enough to talk or reach out.

After looking around I realised he was looking at me with that expression.

I bit my lip and tried not to outwardly express how heart-warming and, more importantly, cute I found that.

Though worrying someone isn't necessarily a nice feeling so I tried to work out how to tell him I'm fine. It's times like these that having a secret friendship is a bit awkward.

I continued walking towards my house but quickly shot a wide grin his way with an awkward thumbs up. I hoped that was enough.

My smile turned soft as I watched him sag in relief, finally standing still, and had to resist a soft sigh of my own.

"Oh, thank Thor," I heard him cheer, as I walked up to the stairs leading to my front door.

I wonder if he saw me being chased by Dagur, and that's why he was worried… I really hope not. That was stressful enough without adding concern from a friend on top of that.

I sighed as I opened my front door. Yes, today was very… I held that thought for a moment as the day finally caught up with me.

I slid into a chair around the fire and lit it for warmth and peace of mind. As the flames licked as the air and consumed the wood in its pit, I felt my limbs relax into jelly.

I gripped my arms as I shook with rekindled fear to accompany the memories. And I'm supposed to go through this again? And worse stuff in the future?

I shuddered as I held my hands out to the flames, desperate to feel the heat. I hissed as the heat stung my palms and turned them toward me instead.

I shook a little more at the shredded state of my hands, not having expected them to be so bad. Skin was torn off my palms in strips in some place and the blood had dried over dirt and small stones.

Breathing heavily through my nose, I moved to rinse my wounds, gritting my teeth at the sharp sting of air hitting my wounds.

I frowned as I remembered that I hit my ankle and checked that too, disappointed to see a bright angry mark when there had been so much padding in the way. I'm surprise it didn't hurt to walk.

Flinching at the sting of water on that as well, though more from the cold, I tried to smother the feelings of weakness and powerlessness under the brighter motions of the day. Like I kind of made another friend and-

Tears brimmed in my eyes as the fear tried to pull me under.

I bit my lip and went to make myself a tea.

I want to go home.