Chapter Nine

A/N: There is a fair amount of Hiccstrid in this chapter. You have been warned!

In response to...

The Wolf Raven: Lol! Sorry! XD But it's my job, as a fanfic author, to drive you crazy!

Jo: Thanks :D And that she is! XD

OinkyThePiggy: Thank you :) And it will become apparent pretty soon how they tie together :D

Yondaime Namikaze: That's a good guess...but not quite. XD

Hiccup's eyes grow impossibly wide, terror slicing through his heart like a knife. His father...is going to be executed...? But...but why? Isn't keeping him locked up enough?! Why does he have to die?!

Even though all of these questions are buzzing through his mind at once, demanding to be answered, only one is able to pass through his petrified lips. "When...?" He whispers to Astrid, who is watching him with a look of sympathy and a sadness that almost matches his own.

Her hand squeezes his shoulder in a comforting way but he's too numb to feel it. "In three days." She tells him. "But you don't need to worry, Hiccup. Remember, the other Riders and I have a plan. We're going to save him."

He nods jerkily and sinks back down onto his cot, still reeling from the awful news. He doesn't doubt that Astrid will keep her word...but he can't help himself. He's still incredibly scared for his father's life. He's suddenly feeling sick to the stomach...

He hears Astrid puff out a sigh as she takes her hand away from his shoulder and kneels in front of him. "I have to do something." He mumbles to her in an empty voice.

"You're right. You do." She agrees. "You have to trust me when I say we know what we're doing. You have to relax and let us take care of it. After all, you're not exactly in the optimal position to be staging a rescue party..."

"I can't just sit around and do nothing...!" He argues. "My dad is-"

"Your dad is safe for the next three days!" She reminds him. "But you having a panic attack and rushing off to find him would just cause more trouble!"

"But what if-"

"Hiccup!" Astrid interrupts, cupping his cheeks in her hands. "Just. Calm. Down." She whispers. "We've got this under control. I promise. All you need to do is stay safe until we come to get you. That's all." Her smile turns gentle when she says, "I swear to you that we won't let anything happen to your dad."

As much as he wants to, he knows he can't argue with that. Astrid has never let him down before. So he just sighs and nods his head. "Okay..."

She stands again and tugs up her hood, turning to face the door. "I've got to go before I'm found out. I'll see you soon, alright?"

"Astrid...hang on a second." He says as he, too, gets up.

Astrid watches Hiccup questioningly as he takes a step closer. Her heart fluttering a bit when he timidly takes her hand. She can't be sure...but she thinks her face might be a bit red.

"Be careful." He whispers. "And thank you..."

Yep. She's blushing alright. "I-I will..." She stammers. "You too." With that, she reluctantly removes her hand from his and hurries out the door, closing it behind her. She's gone from the cell block within seconds.

After Astrid's visit, Hiccup tries to go back to sleep. In a way, he feels comforted knowing that they're at least trying to rescue him. But on the other hand... What if Ymir changes his mind...? What if he decides to just kill my dad without announcing it? What if...what if we're already too late?

With a conflicted moan, he curls up on his side. He's feeling a bit nauseous again from the stress but tells himself to calm down. Astrid has never let me down before. And the other Riders are probably as eager to have things back to normal as I am... Everything is fine. He wishes he could believe that.

So even though it's late into the night, from what he can tell through his dusty window, he sits up in his cot. The Viking heir rubs the grogginess from his eyes and swings his legs onto the floor, quietly standing up.

Moving to the bars, he cranes his neck to see out into the hallway. ...it doesn't look like there are any guards around right now. And suddenly the weight of the key feels very heavy in his vest. The padlock is right there... And he has the key. If he wants to...he could-

No. He shakes his head and steps away from the bars. Don't be stupid. You'll just get caught. But still...

It's only after he sits back down and finds himself staring out the window that he realizes. This is the time of night he's usually out flying with Toothless. No wonder his legs feel so restless and he can't sleep.

...Toothless...

Another pulse of fear shakes him when he finds himself wondering: If Ymir is going to kill his dad...then what is he planning for the dragons? For Toothless?! Is he going to kill them too? Use them are training dummies for his men?

That thought is the final straw for Hiccup. Yanking the key out of his vest and jamming it into the lock, he twists until it pops open and the door swings ajar with a long, squealing creak. He stores the key under a loose brick in the floor so it won't be found and hurries out into the hall.

I'll just find Toothless. He promises himself. I'll make sure he's okay and then I'll come right back. No problem.

If only he knew how wrong he was.

It's not until Hiccup reaches the very end of the hall that he realizes he isn't completely alone in here, like he'd thought. There is one more inmate in his block, very far down the line of empty, deserted cells. Far enough that neither of them could have possibly known the other is here. And the sight of this man is enough to make Hiccup freeze in his tracks.

He is sitting against the wall of his cell, staring thoughtlessly at the floor. That is, until Hiccup comes running past him. Then, he shifts and stares at the boy with a dark curiosity. He looks familiar... The other inmate thinks. A strange little smile tugs at his lips when he remembers. That's the kid I ran into.

Hiccup stares back, unsure of what to think. "You're..." He begins quietly, taking in the assassin's pale face, riddled with scars. His black cloak and equally black eyes. "You're the assassin that was supposed to-"

"Assassin?" The man snorts. "Pff, I haven't been an assassin for years."

Hiccup blinks in surprise. "But you were hired by Ymir, right? To kill Stoick the Vast?"

The man chuckles. "That I was." He confirms. "But I'll let you in on a little secret, boy. That fool Ymir paid me in advance. I was came here for...recreational purposes."

Pulling back uncertainly, Hiccup frowns. "Okay...then, what were you doing at m- I mean, Stoick's house? They said you were trying to break in."

"Ah, yes." Standing up, the man stretches his arms over his head. "I got greedy and make a mistake." He laughs casually, as if this is normal place to be talking. "Then I went and got myself caught. Shame."

"You...don't seem too worried." Hiccup notes, dryly remarking to himself that this guy obviously has experience in prison. He must be used to breaking out. Guess that's why he was so sloppy and got captured...he wasn't even afraid.

"Why should I be?" He purrs, leaning on the bars of his cell with a grin on his face. "Now that you're here..."

"Me?" Hiccup squeaks, taking a step back.

"Sure...because you're going to help me get free." He shrugs.

The suspicious teen folds his arms. "And why would I do that?"

"Because if you do, I'll give you a share of the money Ymir paid me. And trust me, kid...you'll be set for life with just a fraction of it."

Hiccup snorts at him. "Sure." Rolling his eyes, he turns away from the cell. "I'll just take the word of a hired assassin. Sounds like a great idea." With that, he starts off toward the doors, leaving the horrid assassin and his slimy deals behind.

He doesn't need that guy's money or his help...

Or so he thinks.