CH 22: Fade Into The Background

I don't own HTTYD or its content. I possess much OOC and a growing number of OC.

Chapskin and Shazz noticed that the boy they found and were now carrying back to the village had passed out and that he was beginning to bleed even faster with every step.

They stopped walking and began doing some on field treatment to the boy.

"Whow! He's really messed up. He said he was tortured but this might be more that I imagined." I exclaim to Shazz while she did her best to stop his bleeding by appealing pressure with his bunched up tunic and loose bandages. The bandages look like they haven't been changed in a while but weren't completely woren thru so what happened to him must have happened recently especially if his wound popped open just from walking.

"Yeah, he's obviously not telling us everything. But we can to worry about that later. For now can you just help me!"

"Uh, right! What can I do?"

"In my bag I have some healing supplies, can you bring them to me."

I did as she commanded and once I got out the salve and bandages she wanted I got to work on making a stretcher out of branches and his bearskins to help us carry him back softer.

Yeah his body was put through more than just a little torture. It actually looked more like some psycho went cut happy on his body and had a field day with it to boot. That was my guess seeing skinned red flesh of his arms and the cuts and stabs on his upper body. I can also see that his legs were hit repeatedly by something hard yet flexible, maybe a slender pole or whip, there was a deep bruising evident of this type of hitting crawling all over his legs. No wonder he had trouble walking.

Once I got done with the stretcher all I could do was watch Shazz re-bandage the boy and help when she asked for it.

I was a blacksmith so healing things like this was a bit out of my comfort zone. And it never helps that I only have the one arm to help with anything.

My curiosity was beginning to get the better of me as I looked over the strangely beat up teen. I didn't notice it before but now that the bandages on his face were temporarily removed and I could get a good look at his face. It was creepy because I was looking down at my younger face.

"Hey Shazz does he remind you of anyone?" I ask her to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

"If you mean how he looks like you used to, then yeah he does. And can I just say I miss that cute baby face you used to have."

"What do you mean baby face?!"

"Oh get over it. You were cute then and now you're just handsome. You just have to live with it."

"Hearing that from my fiancé does make me feel better but I would just prefer you keep calling me handsome. Sounds more adult than baby face."

"You're welcome. Hey it looks like he has a knife maybe you should"

"Take it, sure." I did as she asked and took the knife that was at his belt away.

I gave the piece of metal a good look with my skilled Blacksmith eyes and I note on very obvious detail. "This things worthless."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It just puny. You can't do anything with this thing. It's definitely not for self-defense. You probably couldn't even kill a rabbit or mouse with it."

Well he must have a reason for carrying it with him so maybe you should just hang on to it for now. I mean it's not like he has much else on him."

"What else does he have?" While still working on him she puts to the side a small pouch and blank notebook that looked like it had some pages torn from it. "That's it?"

"Yeah that all he had on him. A bad knife, a blank notebook, and a few coins in a pouch."

I can only think of a few things he could be doing with no supplies and the few items he had. "He's a runaway. He must have escaped his captors and as soon as he got away he got caught by the winter freeze. He must have thought he was stranded on an uninhabited island. Poor kid."

"Yeah well whoever did all this to him are weird. Look at this. These stitching's and burn wounds are just messed up."

"How so?"

"If I had to guess then I would say the same people that cut him up both properly healed him and then did some badly rushed emergence cauterization."

"So they cut him up, stitched him up, then burned him up and then what?"

"I don't know but I think he's also beginning to develop a fever. I patched him up as best as I could out here but he needs better care someplace warmer. Let's hurry and get him back home."

"Yes dear"

So we took him on the stretcher back to Shazz's home to receive more help.

Shazz was really worried about the condition of the boy, Hiccup, they found. Whatever happened to him was starting to catch up to him hard. He probably did alright when he wasn't straining himself but it seems that he'd didn't stop to relax once he was free of his tormentors.

Whatever happened we can just have him tell us once he wakes up.

"What do you think everyone will say that we're back early? Or about this kid we found?" I ask Chap.

"We can just tell them the truth. We found him in the forest while we were hiking. What, you think they won't believe us?"

"It's not that. I'm just wondering if they will imprison him or something for trespassing."

"I think given his condition, if we are going to hold him, then it will be at your house. Maybe chained, but given his weakened state I'm sure we'll forgo the restraints. If we are going to do something about him than it will most likely be going back to his camp and check that he really was here alone. He was talking like someone was their so we should check just in case."

"He could have also already have been feverish. Maybe seeing thing?"

"You can't tell, Shazz?"

"I would guess that it only just recently developed. It's not too high so he probably didn't feel it yet."

"Just another reason to get him back."

"Hey just out of curiosity you don't think that he's an Outcast, do you?"

"I wouldn't rule it out but I think if he is then he's probably a runaway from the Outcasts."

"Yeah, that would make more sense. "

"Sorry bout this Shazz."

"About what?"

"Well we came here to discuss our future but we just found more trouble. Seems like no matter what we do or where we go we just can't find any privacy to talk. We only have a week till our day."

"Oh, well what do you want to talk about?"

"Really? You're that calm talking in front of this guy about this?"

"If you're talking about sex it not like we haven't done it before. Besides he out cold. So is that it?"

"No! I mean not all of it at least. Are you really sure you're up for this? Marriage I mean? Sure we've been dating and well, you know that other thing. But this is really serious. Like forever serious."

"Hey Chap could you put your side of the stretcher."

"Why?"

"Nothing really I just want to come back there and punch you. Is that alright?"

"No. Can't you see were busy carrying this guy to get help."

I slowly put down my side of the stretcher and go to stand next to Chap as he is forced to put his side down and wait till for me to get over to him.

"Do you actually think I could possibly be having second guesses about us?"

"Maybe."

"Well I'm not. I have been waiting for this day to be with you ever since we were kids. It took us so long and so many pains in the butts to finally be together. Even those years we were distant from each other all I wanted was to be close to you again. And then you got hurt because of me" when I said this I couldn't help but peek at where his right arm used to be and how he sacrificed it for me.

"Chap I am not marrying you for duty or obligation. That's what separated us before, and I don't ever want that to happen to us ever again." He looked down like he was guilty and at fault for something. I lean close to his face and peck his cheek with my lips.

"Don't beat yourself up like that. We're here together now that's how I want to stay from now on. I'm not second guessing myself when I said yes. So why do you seem to be doubting now?"

"I'm not, I'm happy! I seriously am! I can't wait, but are we ready for this? Once we get married were going to be leading the village."

"Co leading. The chief is still going to be doing his normal things but now were going to be learning to do it with him."

"Right."

"So what's the problem?"

"You really want to go thru with this then? I'm really not forcing you or guiltying you to marry me, like no regrets?"

"For you, none. This is what I want." I tell him with all the certainty I had for him.

He still looked conflicted so I lean in one more time and this time give him a kiss on his lips. He tries to kiss me back but I pull away before he could and I skip back to my position on the stretcher. "Uh uh. First we help him, and then I help you."

His dumbfounded and left hanging face was adorable. He may be older but he still had a little of the kid he was in him. He nods and picks up his end and we continue back home.

We reach the village line were once we are spotted by everyone they comes over to check what we got.

"Everyone just move! We need to get this kid to a healer! Where's Lanie?!" Chap commands the gathering people.

I see the chief part the growing crowd and come to see what commotion we were causing.

"Good gods, what is happening? Chapskin, Shazz what are you up to?"

"Well sir we found this kid in the forest."

"He's injured, he needs to see my mother!"

"Who is he?" He asks.

"He said his name was Hiccup sir." Chap states.

"Hiccup?" He comes over and looks at the boy but his face pales a bit at his appearance.

"He looks just like"

"Yeah I said the same thing. He looks like"

"Me." Chap finishes our thoughts.

"Shazz, Chapskin, take him to the healers hut. I think your mother is their now."

We don't argue and proceed to my house. The chief follows us but the rest of the village simply watch us go.

Luckily my mom was still their working on one of her potions. She looks at us in shock as we come barging thru the door.

"My word? Weren't you two hiking in the forest?"

"Not now mom we found someone who needs your help."

"Who is this?" Once she gets a good look at him she has a similar reaction to the chief. I won't deny that it weird to see Chaps how he looked. Really they could be brothers by how much they look like each other.

Looking at this kid Hiccup really was a blast from the past.

"Take him to the other room." We do as she commands and wait for her to return with what she needs.

"Chap you know that she's probably going to kick you out once she returns, right."

"Yeah I know."

"Just checking."

My mom comes back and sure enough she throws us out.

...

"Wait mom! Why'd you kick me out too!?" I yell past the door when I realize what she did.

"You already did what you could now I'll take care of him now. You should go to the chief and tell him how you found him."

"Hey I can help mom!"

"Help you're soon to be husband. I can handle this."

"Come on Shazz, let your mom do what she does. I would like your help explaining this to the chief."

"Tch! Fine! But next time, you back me up rather than agree with my mom."

"I'll always have your back. Just that in this case your mom should handle it. You freaked out when you treated me, so how will you do with mister look alike their?" Chap asked me.

He's right, I didn't really handle his near death experience when he lost his arm. To be honest I couldn't help but imagine Chap as the one who was hurt like the Hiccup kid. It was a nightmare for me to see the bone and flesh that he had left after he shoved me out of the way of danger. I really didn't like looking at him back in the forest while I was treating him. Too creepy, too foreboding.

The chief was just waiting us on the other side waiting for an explanation. "You two go for some private time and come back with a child, but not in the way I imagined. So what his story?"

Ignoring that child comment we tell him how we met him in the woods and on the way here he collapsed and started to bleed out from his preexisting wounds.

"And you say his name was Hiccup?" We confirm his question.

"Do you know him?" Chap asked.

"What age do you guess he is? 14, 15?"

"Maybe younger. He's really scrawny but he's defiantly a teen. I mean he looks like Chap when he was about that age."

"And you believe him to have been tortured? How can you be sure?"

"Yes we do. He had a number of injury's and bruising that suggested he was chained for hours. It strongly suggests that he got the injury's unwillingly. He also said himself it was something like that." I explain.

"When do we ever injure ourselves willingly. Don't answer that Shazz I know what you were thinking."

"I doubt it."

"Hey! Save it till later. One last question. The injuries he has, do you suppose that they were of him having been skinned by a sharp knife. Would that be some of the major damage he has Shazz?" His fist tighten at this question.

"Yes. His entire left arm and his upper right arm."

The chief nods and seems to reach some conclusion about the boy. One that really displeases him.

"Sir what's wrong?" Chap asks.

"I know who he is."

"Who?" We both ask.

"He's Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III heir to the village of Berk."

Hiccup should have remained unconscious until he was fully treated but luck was not on his side when he woke up to a several needles sticking out of his arms and someone staring at his face with an unnaturally extreme gaze.

My vision was unfocused but one detail was clear that sent my body into rapid burn. Blond hair in a braid.

"Astrid!" In my panic I jump from where I was head butting the woman in front of me on her fore head.

I then roll away expecting an ax to start coming for me. Once I get some distance my blurry eye detects the closest source of light which I head towards. But a hand on my legs stops me and I fall to the ground. 'Damn it she's got me.' I start thrashing my legs at the figure that has my legs who lets me go and once free I quickly crawl away in whatever direction I can.

I feel relief that for whatever reason I haven't been cleaved in two by her ax but it's not my concern. So long as it lets me escape then I won't worry about it now.

Just got to get away for now and get to Toothless. That all I need to worry about now.

But suddenly something heavy hits me and I black out once again.

Stickstone and the teens heard a lot of commotion coming inside the house.

"Lanie? Is everything all right?!" He started to enter the healers room but didn't manage to get inside. She exited and shut the door behind her. She looked frazzled and startled. Her forehead was also a bit red like she was hit with something.

"Mom! What happened are you alright?"

"Yes dear I'm fine. He woke up briefly and thrashed a bit but he finally calmed down."

"How is he?"

"Numerous types of injuries most are which are consistent with the methods of"

"Berk." I cut her off.

"Yes. It their signature style of torture, without a doubt." That really tears it. I had hoped that my guess was wrong but it's as I feared.

"His own tribe did this to him. His own father no less."

Shazz specks up first. "Sir you can't be serious? How can you be so sure?"

"Something you will learn as chief is that each tribe has their own style of dealing with different things, village defense, attacks on others, and the capture and torture of enemy's."

Lanie continues. "Dear, skinning of the limbs is the signature methods of Berk."

"Are you sure? Couldn't it have just been the Outcasts copying or the Berserkers experimenting?" Chapskin asks to confirm.

"Yes lad. Outcasts will chain and starve their prisoners before throwing them to dragons to be eaten and the Berserkers mercilessly beat their victims to death with their bare fists. Berk skins them alive then throw them to"

"Dragons." Lanie interest me like she realized something.

"Yes." I glare at her for interrupting but let it pass.

"So, do we know who he is?" She asks.

"He is the heir to Berk, Hiccup."

"Stoic's boy?! He did this to his own son?!"

"That's what it seems like. It also seems like he escaped and that leads me to think he was banished. But I am not certain. I will be taking a search team to look and search his encampment and the beaches. We may find some clues if we find his things."

"Oh sir we do have some of his things here. It didn't look like he had much else other than what was on him." Shazz shows us the effects that Hiccup had on him. A notebook, a puny knife, and some coins in a pouch. Further evidence of a desperate man on the run.

"Did he say anything?" I ask Lanie. She said he woke up briefly so perhaps he said something when he was as she said thrashing.

"He just said a name. 'Astrid'. He said it in a panic and with a lot of fear. Do you know who that is?"

"Nope." Shazz immediately responds.

"No he didn't. He briefly mentioned a brother. Anything about that?"

No Stoics wife has passed away and Hiccup was an only child when I saw him eight years ago. He must be referring to a good friend.

"No. For now we will go and search around the area he was at. If he came here by boat he may have more to give us a more detailed explanation of what is happening. Shazz, Chapskin stay here and help Lanie so if he wakes up he will have some familiar faces to be able to relax to. And that does mean you Chapskin." The similar face might relax him, or freak him.

"Right." "Sure."

With their orders I set off to gather the search team to explore the woods. I don't want to think about it but if this really is Stoics boy and he did this to him then I can't imagine what must have happened for him to do this to his own son.

Stickstone left and Lanie was left with her daughter and her fiancée.

'But I can't have them here either.'

"Listen you two, I put him down so I expect he will rest till the next day. I rather you not waste your time here when you have so many things to handle with the wedding and all. So why don't you two spend the rest of the day out. You went to get some privacy in the woods but all you found was work so why don't you go and relax in the village hall. Don't let this put a damper on your excitement."

They look at me like they couldn't believe I was ignoring the chief's orders.

"Mom we really should stay here to make sure he's fine, we found and brought him here so we do have a responsibility to make sure he's fine."

"Yeah. Did something happen in their that you're not telling us?"

"It's nothing it's just, he's really tender now and too many people present might set him off again. If you'd like we can take turns watching him. I really think you could use some rest. In fact Shazz dear why don't you stay at Chapskins house tonight. It would give you more time to prepare for your big day."

They look at each other uncertain but they seem to accept the compromise. "Alright mom I'll spend the night out but I'll be back in the morning so you can take a break."

"Alright. I'll see you then."

They slowly walk away taking peeks at me with doubt about my reason for kicking them out. I give them one last call out to encourage them to leave faster. "And don't stay up to late with each other. Give your bodies some rest every now and then! You don't have to be so quick while you're going at it. It may not be your first time but you should still pace yourselves!" I'm sure that not only did they hear me but most of the village as well.

They blush hard and start running away.

And now to deal with the reason they can't be here.

I go back thru the door and see the young Hiccup prone on the floor.

Next to him was the large dragon that was curled protectively next to him. After Hiccup started flailing around and trying to run out the window the large dragon smoothly flew thru the opening and crashed into him knocking him out again. Once he was on the floor the dragon laid down next to him and started to snarl at me if I got too close.

Unlike the others, the information they gave made more sense to me and I am able to piece together some of what Hiccups story was. His torture must involve this dragon somehow.

I know he can't answer me but I still feel like talking to my patient. It almost seems like I'm talking to the dragon but then that would be ridiculous. But given that I haven't been burned to death is an unusually good sign in regard to dragons.

Actually the only violence that he's shown was the collision he had with Hiccup and that seemed more accidental. Maybe a peaceful dragon, if there is such a thing?

All he does now is glare at me, no fighting or shooting just glare. I won't push him do anything, not when he has Hiccup so close but that's the strange part here. He's not fighting, more safeguarding him. This is a house that is meant to heal. I don't mind it so long as there's no violence. I don't like it but I sense there is no desire to fight from it.

"You must have gotten yourself into quiet the mess didn't you Hiccup?" To my surprise the dragon nodded at my question.

The dragon answered me.

"Do you…do you understand me?" The dragon snorts exasperatedly at my question. Like he had heard that question a hundred times.

I should make sure. To make sure it's reactions wasn't just a fluke or coincidence.

With a loud gulp I step forward just a bit. The beast just kept looking at me. "Are you protecting him?" I ask pointing to Hiccup.

His response was to drape his wing over Hiccups body and lay he's head near his, purring loudly in what sounded like worry.

Yes he was. I was here at home caring for a boy and talking with a dragon.

With it laying down I managed to get a good look at the beast protecting Hiccup. He was a large pitch black dragon but was smaller than most I had ever seen. Green eyes that mirrored that of daughters and Hiccup's but his pupils were wide and trained on both Hiccup and me, he was keeping me at a distance with his stare that said 'You won't hurt him'.

Looking him over I notice the saddle. The dragon had a saddle on his back. I realize the search party won't find a boat, Hiccup came by dragon. If that was possible.

I shouldn't be worrying about that kind of thing. In fact I should have just alerted the chief that there was a dragon here and have it slain. But I didn't.

Why?

I crouch down and put myself near his eye level. I slowly reach out my hand and ask the dragon another question. "May I help him?"

He looks at and measuring whether I was a threat to him or not, he was expecting me to prove that I wasn't going to hurt Hiccup.

I take out some herbs that I had in my pocket and show it to him unsure if it would work or not. The dragon brings his head closer to my hand to examine the medicines I showed him.

He seemed to accept this as a sign of goodwill because he slowly removed his wing off of his body showing I was allowed to help.

As I drew closer another thing that was discussed with the chief and teens seemed to become clear. "You're his brother aren't you?" He seemed greatly delighted to hear this desperately nodding his head to show I was right.

I drew as close as I could to look over what I needed to help him with. Once I measured what I needed I slowly retreated and once I was a few step away I release a sigh that was building ever since I got in close.

This was going to be an interesting night of healing. It was my first dragon family member watching me work on a patient. This really was going to require my best work. It was frightful but not the dragon but that I seem to be accepting this whole situation. So why am I?