I Own Nothing
All Rights Reserved
I was not prepared for so many glowing reviews with the previous chapter, and I have to admit posting the next chapter makes me rather nervous. I'm a little scared that sooner or later something will go wrong and everyone will be disappointed with what I've written. Still, here it is, so I hope you will all enjoy!
To Aiacco: I did not find your review harsh at all, and I think you were right. I messed up, and now I shall fix it. The question should not be which of those two will Stoick believe more; the question should be why would Stoick listen to Snotlout after he had just ruined his chances of becoming chief? And yes, Kylo Ren has inspired some of Hiccup's behavior in this story.
This story is rated T for some violence, some intense scenes, and some suggestive scenes
Chapter 15
Drago Bludvist
The former son of Stoick the Vast often remarked that on Berk it snows nine months out of the year and hails the other three. While this was a bit of an exaggerated complaint from a teenage resident, the fact remained Berk would often get bad weather for long stretches, and not too long after the unmasking of the Dragon King, a storm was clearly approaching. For days the skies were eternally gray. Cold, menacing, and solid gray, like a piece of unpolished iron. The air sat around stagnant and heavy with tension, giving one the feeling that it was like a volcano waiting to erupt.
The tension in the air did not help the nerves of Berk's villagers. A few days after the failed capture of the Dragon King, a note was found attached to the door of the Chief's house. It had only two words written on it: 'Nice Try'.
Those words sent a wave of fear through Berk seldom felt. There was no doubt as to who had sent it, and there could be no question anymore that he had survived somehow. What would come next was easy to imagine. Gobber had already predicted it. They had attempted and failed to capture and kill an enemy through deception and treachery. Given how that enemy had control over hundreds if not thousands of dragons (nobody had a clue as to the exact number) and also had plenty of reasons to hate Berk, there was little reason to expect any mercy. Most expected Berk to be destroyed so completely that there would be nothing left for Ragnarok. Waiting for that day to come increased the tension, for the fact that it hadn't only made things worse. It seemed that each passing day meant they were one day closer to the day of reckoning. The presence of a coming lighting storm in the sky encouraged that assumption.
After Astrid's return from the Dragon Sanctuary a handful of people had declared that nothing about the Dragon King could shock them anymore. It would have been more appropriate to say that now, after the Grand Shock to end all Shocks had taken place. Nobody had imagined in their wildest dreams that Hiccup had been the Dragon King all along, and even now some suggested maybe the Dragon King had kidnapped Hiccup and had forced him to pose as the King. Only those who suggested the theory took it even remotely seriously.
The fact that Hiccup was the King was more disturbing to most than what he had said to them or the fact that he had run away. Mildew, for example, insisted that only a weak and pathetic coward would run away from Berk, and since Hiccup was exactly that, they should not be surprised. "'E couldna take the pressure. 'E couldna man it up an' be a Viking," the old complainer had declared, an opinion the Jorgenson's had staunchly supported. This, however, did not improve the morale of the Vikings, for since Hiccup was not a Viking that meant he could not be expected to follow the Viking way, making him completely unpredictable.
"Abandoned us for dragons."
"Always said he'd come to no good."
"I wouldn't put it past 'im to murder us in our beds."
"Or bring the Scourge of Odin to our island."
"The Chief had the right idea."
"Hunt him down and kill him, that's what I say."
Those who took a more sympathetic view with Hiccup largely kept quiet about it. Among this handful Stoick the Vast was not to be counted as far as anyone could tell. He had attempted to shut himself up in his house, only to remember that his house contained things that reminded him too much of Hiccup, so he shut himself up in his brother's house, seldom leaving except to implement plans for the Island's defense. Like everyone else, in fact perhaps even more than anyone else, he expected an attack any day, and if it was to be their end, he was going to take as many dragons as he could with him. All of Berk's old dragon raid defenses, which had been largely gathering dust and rust during the past 8 years, were quickly renovated, replaced, and added to. Not to mention Mead Hall had to be completely rebuilt. There was little else they could do short of more diplomacy, which was deemed pointless at this stage.
Astrid trudged home that evening after a grueling day of teaching. Stoick had wanted things appear as normal as possible to reassure everyone that all was not lost or hopeless. Astrid had obeyed more to divert her thoughts than out of loyalty or obedience. Gone was the ease she had shown to her pupils two weeks prior. In its place was a merciless drill master.
All week training classes had gone later than ever before, students were going home crying or snappish, and it reached the point where many of them refused to show up at all. The drop in attendance did nothing to calm her down, however, and she drove her remain students even harder than ever. They exercised, practiced fighting techniques, target practice, and other tricks to improve accuracy, speed, balance, and reflexes, over and over again until most students were near collapse. Astrid had barely registered this, however. She was too angry. Then again, very few people on Berk were not in a good mood. The fear of an attack, the tension of the weather, and the scandalous behavior of their formerly deceased heir had set them all on edge; Stoick in particular was often in a bad mood. And nobody is ever cheerful when their leader is furious.
Snotlout caught up with her as she walked home. Of all the people on Berk, he had been one of the least concerned about recent events. On the contrary, he'd been very proud of the fact that he had been the one to drop the net on the King, and always seemed to overlook the fact that the King had broken right out of it.
"Hey babe!" He waved cheerfully. Astrid responded with a growl. "Listen, I just wanna tell you, I think you're right to be so hard on those little punks! They've gotta work to be as tough as you and I are, and you're so hot when you're being so strict!"
If body temperature was determined by blood pressure, she would have been getting a lot hotter at that moment.
"Go away." She snapped.
"Your clothes get sweaty and cling to your body, and it looks so sexy, you know what I mean? Of course, it would be even better if those clothes came off, but I'll just have to wait a little—" Astrid seized him by the arm, swung him around her like a toy, and flung him into a wall.
"Leave…Me…ALONE!"
"Now that's what I call hot!" Snotlout moaned before fainting. Astrid stormed away, her mood not improved. She passed Fishlegs sitting on a barrel.
"Impressive."
"Go away."
"Yet he seems somewhat immune to every violent thing you do to him. Have you ever actually seriously injured him?"
"No, but I might just seriously injure you if you don't leave me alone!"
Remarkably, Fishlegs seemed unfazed. "It's always violence. Punch, stab, hit, beat, throw, twist, break, or all of the above until you're too tired to keep going. Is that the Chief we're going to get?"
"One more word out of you and I'll—"
"You'll what? Do to me what you just did to Snotlout? Sorry, Astrid, but you can't do anything to me that's worse than what I can do to myself."
Astrid whipped around to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean that the guilt I'm feeling over Hiccup right now is far worse than anything you could physically do to me." He got down off the barrel. "Everything we did that night is making me sick! The trap, you fighting him, him telling us what we already knew, then the Chief trying to kill him…how did things ever come to that?"
"I don't know."
"You know, when you came back from his island, you seemed so eager to talk about dragons! When we were discussing living with them, the way you spoke gave me the impression that you wanted to take my side, but didn't want to risk ruining your reputation! Don't get me wrong, I understood that! I know you had an appearance to keep up to impress Stoick, but then you went and fought with Hiccup! But you know what? I think that was a bluff,"
Astrid paused. She had not told a soul that her duel with the Dragon King had been largely staged. Most had instead applauded her bravery and skill, claiming that the King had lost the fight by fleeing, and called him a coward. She was really starting to hate living a lie and felt horribly ashamed about it, but after what happened, the idea of telling the truth now terrified her. But she was not going to let Fishlegs tell it for her.
"I don't know what you're talking about. The Chief ordered us to catch him and I responded. I didn't know that was Hiccup." She lied coldly.
"You did, actually. I saw your face that night: you clearly were not surprised when he revealed himself! Ergo, you knew it was him and yet you kept quiet about it! Why?" He looked at her eagerly, probing the waters to find out for certain whose side she was on, "Maybe because you secretly agree with him? That would explain why you staged a fight. In which case, that means you like dragons! But you say you didn't know that was Hiccup. All right, I'll play your game. That means you turned against a man who had done absolutely no harm to you and whom you appeared to be siding with not too long ago! But I guess turning against people is something we're good at!" he added in disgust.
"I did not 'turn against' him! I was following orders! And you're one to talk! You turned against Hiccup to save yourself from being bullied!"
"Yes I did, and I've had nearly two decades to regret it! What's your excuse?"
Astrid nearly exploded. "I was trying to become a warrior in those days! I was trying to be the best I could be for Berk, and he was going around messing things up for everyone! Think about it, Fishlegs, he caused accidents all the time! He caused problems for the community, and I was not happy about it, so I avoided him! He was a pathetic Viking—and being a Viking was all that mattered to me!"
"Big deal! There's more to life than being a 'Viking'! Maybe it's high time we woke up and realized that!"
"Don't try to blame everything about Hiccup on me, Fishlegs! Everyone on this island is just as guilty, including you!" She threw her hands into the air and stormed away. Fishlegs went after her.
"I'm not finished with you yet!"
"Well I'm finished with you! Leave me alone!" She entered her house and slammed the door. Fishlegs slammed it back opened. Given how nobody came running to see what was going on, Astrid guessed her parents were both out.
"Get out!" She snarled.
"Not until I'm done talking to you! Hiccup is still alive; what are we going to do about it?"
"'We?'"
"Yes, 'we.' Even if you were not aware of who he was before that night, you're still a part of this whether you like it or not!"
"I don't have a clue of what you're talking about. And what am I a part of, Fishlegs? Hiccup deserted Berk, and the Chief has disowned him. There's nothing we can do about it!"
"You mean we can't try to find him and apologize to him? Try to make amends? Listen to him for once? Treat him like a friend instead of an insect? Try to plead with him to not come and destroy Berk?"
Astrid was surprised and interested by what he was suggesting, but kept silent.
"Astrid, I know he's probably never coming back to Berk, and I can't blame him for it, but I've lived with this guilt for too long! I want to make things right with Hiccup! Don't you?" He was convinced now that she truly did. Her anger had more or less confirmed it in his eyes. He saw her use of violence as a means to try and hide her real thoughts.
His sincerity made her rage abate a little. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Very noble of you, Fishlegs. But after all that's happened, I doubt he'd listen to us. Besides, how would you find him, anyway?" He had told her about how to leave notes but she doubted that option was possible now.
"I have some ideas. You can leave that to me, if you like. But if I could find a way to meet with him, would you come too?"
Astrid bit her lip. To try such a move might sound like communicating with the enemy to most. Stoick might not approve. That was probably why Fishlegs was bringing this idea to her and not to Stoick himself. And yet, if they could somehow find a way to persuade him not to harm Berk and bring this situation to at least a truce, it might be worth it. And yet…and yet, and yet, she thought impatiently. She was walking on thin ice every day no matter which direction she turned.
"Who else knows about your intentions?"
"I'm going to tell my parents and probably Gobber. I thought of the Twins, but that would not be wise, I think. I couldn't trust them to keep quiet about it.
Astrid was a bit perplexed, "Why the Twins?"
"Don't you know what those two are doing now? They're worshiping him after they pray to Loki!"
"Seriously?"
"Yep. They're very impressed with what he and his 'destruction causing dragons' are capable of."
She shook her head. "Man, this is all so messed up, you know that? You're secretly planning to communicate with a boy we thought was dead, who turns out to be some all powerful King of our most hated enemies, and some of our own people are worshiping him! Doesn't it bother you?"
Fishlegs was grim. "It bothers me that things got this far to begin with."
"What are you two talking about?" Olaf entered the house, looking very tired.
"Hiccup," Astrid replied. Fishlegs gave her a warning look to tell her to keep their discussion to themselves.
"What else has anyone been talking about?" Olaf groaned and sat down, rubbing his temples. "I just spent a lot of two hours hearing the worst kind of garbage about him you could ever imagine."
"From Spitelout?"
"From Mildew?"
"From both. We were discussing plans and every other minute it seems at least one of them was saying how they always knew he was treacherous, how he should have been exposed at birth, on what they'd do to him if they ever saw him again, you get the idea. Most of it wasn't fit for the ears of a decent person."
"What was Mildew doing at a meeting like that?" Astrid demanded, "Normally he's not invited to those! And for that matter, why wasn't I told about this!"
"As to the first, he showed up and Spitelout asked him to stay. As to the second, you were busy with your class and Stoick decided the Hoffersons were well represented by me."
"And the Chief was ok with them mocking Hiccup?" Astrid asked. Stoick had mocked Hiccup at times in the past, such as before the Dragon Training Final Hiccup never showed up to, where he had said 'well I can show my face in public again!' but after the boy's apparent death he seldom tolerated a word spoken again his son in his presence. And now that he knew his son was still alive, he did not like Hiccup being brought up at all.
"He didn't really listen, but he did nothing to get them to stop." He shook his head, "I know exactly what the Chief is thinking about right now yet I have no idea what he really thinks about it. He might not have been so angry if Hiccup has just run off, but as for siding with dragons…well, keep in mind, Valka was taken by them too. Stoick's got over 20 years of hate in him, and that kind of thing is hard to just abandon. On the other hand, I think he is regretting what he did…maybe. I don't know, he won't say."
"What do you think about all this, Mr. Hofferson?" Fishlegs asked tentatively.
Olaf considered a moment. "I've never exactly liked Hiccup, you might say, but he's the one who's helped make Astrid Stoick's heir, and gave me the truth of my brother's death. I can't exactly overlook that." He did not overlook the fact that Hiccup being alive made him Astrid's rival for the Chiefdom, but he doubted that would be a matter of concern at this point.
"Most people here can," Fishlegs observed, "I doubt anyone now believes what he said about Finn and the Flightmare."
"Well I believe him, and that's good enough for me. Maybe I only believe him because I want to, but isn't it enough that he gave me some comfort for my brother's death? Look, I'm not pretending I understand everything that boy has been through or why he's done what he has, but he's done me a service, and for that, I'm grateful. It would be shameful if I wasn't."
"Pity Stoick doesn't feel the same way," Fishlegs mumbled.
"You know, Astrid, I find it hard to believe you didn't realize it was him the whole time." Astrid fought hard to keep her face blank. "I mean, you had an entire week with him and never guessed! But I suppose, to be fair, we all thought he was dead, and when you think a man is dead you don't look to see him living with a flock of dragons. Not to mention, he looked like he'd grown a lot since the last time I saw him. And I imagine he did all he could to hide his identity from you."
"Yes he did."
"And of course, a lot of us are to blame too. I saw him up close at that meeting; I should have realized it then." He shook his head.
"I think we're all to blame in this case, dad. So, you mentioned you were at a meeting making plans. What happens now?"
"Now? We're building more defenses around the clock. Stoick's also getting ready to send word to other villages, telling them what's happened and calling for aid."
Fishlegs frowned at the thought of more defenses being built. "That'll cost a lot. And will he even attack us? Oh yes, and speaking of costs, has anyone seen Dogsbreath recently? He owes me a lot of money and I want it back."
Olaf shook his head. "Not recently. Not since the night the trap was sprung, come to think of it."
"I think I know where he is," Astrid said, "Snotlout mentioned yesterday he keeps going into the woods. I don't know why—not that I've been too interested in his behavior."
"Well, I've given him a lot of money over the years, and I'm taking it back."
Astrid was impressed at his determination. "Since when did you get so tough?"
"Since I realized I had to shape up and be a better person. Since Hiccup shouted at me. And, getting back on that subject, if Hiccup was going to attack us, don't you think he'd have done it by now?"
Olaf shrugged. "Maybe he's waiting for something. Maybe he's still recovering."
Guessing how Hiccup might be feeling at that very moment, Astrid suddenly made up her mind. "Fishlegs, you've got to try to contact him now. Oh don't look at me like that; we can trust my dad on these matters! If you contact Hiccup now, we might be able to prevent an attack! We might be able to salvage this mess before it gets any worse!"
"You're planning to contact him?" Olaf asked in surprise, "Well, if you can dissuade him from wiping Berk off the map, I for one would be very grateful. But does the Chief know about this?"
There was a knock on the door before anyone could answer. Astrid answered it and saw Gustav.
"Hi Astrid!" He said dreamily, "The Chief wants you at the docks right now. Three ships are coming in."
"From where?"
"We don't know."
"What flag are they flying?"
"White."
While Astrid was going down to the docks, Fishlegs went into the woods. He was determined to find Dogsbreath and confront him.
"I'm not going to stand for your bullying anymore, you mongrel." He said to nobody. Shortly after this he realized he could wander around the woods for hours and not find a thing. He didn't even know if Dogsbreath was in the woods or not.
"Well this was kinda dumb," he mumbled, "so much for my determination. Still, he can't evade me forever." He turned around, disappointed but not defeated, when he spotted a shape passing between some trees not far off. "Then again…" he followed.
The person, whom Fishlegs could now see was Dogsbreath, entered a clearing. There was another person waiting there. Fishlegs did not recognize her. From the distance he was at, he could see she was very beautiful, with a dark mysterious face and long black hair. She was dressed entirely in a black outfit that looked a bit similar to Hiccup's, only in her case it really brought out her figure. Fishlegs suddenly came to an unpleasant conclusion: Dogsbreath secretly meeting an attractive woman in the woods would probably become very awkward for a person spying on them. He felt the urge to leave and was about to, when he spotted a Terrible Terror hiding up in another tree, plainly watching the two in the clearing. 'Something's going on here,' he thought darkly, and he resolved to stay put. He figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to just listen and not actually watch.
He heard the sound of leaves being stepped on, and then the woman spoke. "Did you miss me, mi Amor?" She had an accent that Fishlegs had never heard before. Dogsbreath responded by kissing her. Fishlegs heard what sounded like cloth being pulled apart, more sounds of fallen leaves being squashed, and then moans and kisses. As his face turned beet red he tried very hard not to imagine what was going on.
"Mi Amor, it is happening tonight."
"Good." Dogsbreath grunted.
"You know what you must do?"
"Don't worree 'bout me, Dancy. I'm jest the guy fer the job!"
"Oh I know you are…" she purred "I believe you're the guy for any job. But I've only got one other in mind…" She sighed loudly.
"If yer askin' fer some more, I can't say no."
"Sorry, mi Amor, but it cannot be now. I must go soon. My master will need me to handle some…delicate affairs…but don't worry…" She kissed him, and judging by Dogsbreath's gasps afterwards Fishlegs guessed it was a very long and voluptuous one. "We'll be together soon, mi amor…very soon…and then we can do this day and night…I'll come whenever you call for me…"
He heard Dogsbreath lick his lips. "Oh I will, don't worree 'bout that!"
"Mind helping me dress, mi Amor?"
"I like ya more like this…"
She laughed. "Duty calls, mi Amor. I must go soon. You have got everything?"
"Course I do."
"Remember, only a few drops in each drink are all that we need. Take care not to do too much or it might turn fatal. And the master wants the girl and the Chief. Anyone else is fine but not essential. And don't forget to take some for yourself or it will look suspicious."
"Don't ya worree, Dancy. I'll see to it."
"Till later, than, mi Amor." Fishlegs risked a glance around his tree and saw the woman named Dancy walking deeper into the woods. She walked very slowly, swaying her hips and pausing just a moment to look back at Dogsbreath, who was lying on a pile of clothes and drooling.
"Don't ya worree, Dancy. I'll see to it." Dogsbreath said again, this time to himself, for Dancy had disappeared. "Then I'll have ya all to meself…long as yer looks last." He grinned and laughed. "Still…whew! She sure knows 'ow ta please a man—and wear 'im out! Now, get me clothes back on and it's off ta Snotty's place!"
Fishlegs saw him head back to the village. He intended to wait a few minutes before following, when suddenly someone shoved his head against the tree.
"You're not as quiet as you think you are, mi amigo," Dancy said as he fell unconscious. She glanced up at one of the trees and smiled. "And there's his Terror. Ah, Hiccup, mi Amor, we shall be together again very soon!"
Astrid ran down to the docks and saw what Gustav was talking about. Three large, ominous black ships flying white flags. They had already docked by then, and a solitary man was disembarking one. She found the Chief and saw he looked incredibly pale. He was staring at the man with unmistakable anger. She had seen it the night he had found out his son was still alive.
The stranger was a huge man, even by Viking standards. He was dressed in a black tunic and wore a long black cloak that looked suspiciously like dragon scales. The cloak completely covered one arm. The other arm was padded in on the shoulder and wrist, and was heavily scarred and muscular. His hair and beard were black and long, and tied into dreadlocks. His face was long and heavily scarred, even more distinctly than his arm. His nose was pointed like a goblin's, and his lips were twisted on one side. He came deliberately towards them. His eyes seemed to take in everything at a glance. Astrid knew the look. It was the kind you made when you were looking about for signs of weakness. He reached the Chief and looked coolly surprised.
"Well, well. I thought you had burned with the others."
"I'm not so easy to kill, Bludvist." Stoick growled. Astrid startled. This was Drago Bludvist?
"I can see that." He raised one arm. Astrid could now see that the other arm was entirely made of metal. "As you can see, I am not carrying any weapons. There's no need for hostilities. I only came here to talk."
"Search him." Stoick ordered. "And keep an eye out for dragons."
"Dragons?" Drago laughed bitterly. He once had hundreds of them, but now he had less than ten. "There are no dragons here, I assure you. I don't blame you for being suspicious, but I came here to talk, not to fight. I want a word with you, Chief Stoick. It concerns the Dragon King."
Astrid felt her heart go into her boots. This was Hiccup's enemy. He was Stoick's enemy too by the looks of it, though she was unfamiliar with the details of that story. And yet here he was asking for an audience. She hoped the Chief would send him packing at once. He gave her the creeps.
"Follow me." Stoick replied coldly. He gestured for Astrid to come with them.
Nobody spoke as they walked to Spitelout's house. Most just went back to their daily lives. They'd seen the Chief meet with many odd looking people and saw no reason to make this one out to be any more important. But Astrid saw Gobber with her father and both looked deeply uneasy.
At the Jorgenson residence Spitelout, Snotlout, and Dogsbreath were in. Snotlout's head was wrapped in bandages. Dogsbreath looked rather disheveled, and there were twigs and leaves in his typically messy hair. Spitelout looked the best of the three by far, and was very surprised to see their visitor. Drago told them they were free to remain if they wished, and Stoick asked them to stay. Through a window Astrid spotted some armed Vikings take up positions near the door. Dogsbreath brought out some drinks, but Drago shook his head.
"Later. I never risk becoming intoxicated when I have important matters to attend to."
"I agree." Stoick nodded. "Later, Dogsbreath." He folded his arms. "So. What brings the mighty Drago Bludvist to my island?"
"I told you. I understand that someone here knows about his island, and I've heard you attempted to capture him. That you know what he looks like. That you know who he is." His voice and face both looked expressionless but Astrid thought she saw a hungry look in his eyes.
"And why should we tell you anything?" Stoick asked.
"Still sore about that night, I see."
Stoick slammed his fist onto the table, making everyone but Drago jump. "You had dragons kill everyone present except me! You intended to kill me with them! 'Sore' is a mild way to put how I'm feeling about it!"
Bludvist spat, unperturbed by the outburst. "Bah. Those men were weak. They did not deserve to live and command."
"Weak! They were all good men! Honorable, brave, intelligent—and you killed every single one of them!"
"The fact that they were killed by a few dragons proves how weak they were! And a weak man is not fit to lead! You of all people should know that!" He looked disgusted. "Weaklings cannot lead nations. They should not even be a part of nations. The weak only exist to serve the strong. That's how it is in the world."
Astrid knew she should let the Chief talk, but she could not restrain herself. "So you kill anyone who you consider weak! What kind of honor is that?"
"Honor! Honor is a bunch of lies told to make people behave themselves. Words used by people to justify their actions."
"That's compassion for you," Astrid mumbled. That sounded like something Hiccup would have said.
He looked at Astrid. "I've heard about you, Astrid Hofferson. Have you not said 'You have to look after yourself because Nature won't'?"
"How do you know about that?" Astrid demanded.
"I have long ears. I hear a lot of things." He was pleased to see he was making them uncomfortable. "And you, Chief Stoick. Your attitude suggests you disagree with me, yet you had no qualms telling your son he was weak and letting him suffer for it."
"I have no son." Stoick snapped. "I suggest you get to the point about why you are here."
"You know perfectly well why I'm here. You've known it the moment I arrived! I want to know everything you can tell me about the Dragon King!"
"And I am asking again, why should I tell you?"
Drago sneered. "You disappoint me, Chief Stoick. I thought that you would be glad to unite with me against the common enemy."
"I might have if I did not know you too well already."
"You know nothing about me, Chief Stoick."
"But I do." Astrid interrupted. "He told me you were a man with more ruthlessness than Alvin the Treacherous. That you intimidate dragons into servitude; that you bully and beat them until they're obedient and broken! And that you're just as cruel to humans too!"
"Yeah!" Snotlout added. Drago fixed his eyes on him and the young man cowered back into the way.
Drago shrugged. "If I am harsh, it is because it is needed to keep my followers in line. If I show any sign of weakness my enemies take hope and my followers feel doubt. If I give them an inch they will take a league. So, yes, I am a hard man. Anyone in my position has to be. You should know that, Stoick. Chief's have to be firm and hard if they are to succeed anywhere." He looked at Stoick, whose anger was still evident. "And my strength can make Berk great; greater than all of the Viking tribes in existence. You tried yourself to capture the King to enslave the dragons. I can get him for you. I'll bring you his head on a platter if you want. And when we have control of the dragons, we can use them to make ourselves the most powerful men on earth. The world is there for the taking, if someone is strong enough to grab it. With our forces united behind us, and an entire army of dragons, we will be strong enough. What do you say, Chief Stoick? All you need to do is tell me all you know about the Dragon King's Island and it will all be child's play to get the rest."
Despite his fury, Stoick fell deep into thought. Or at least he gave the impression of it.
"Chief, you're not actually considering this, are you?" Astrid shouted incredulously.
"It's wot we wanted when we tried ta capture 'im in the first place." Spitelout hinted. Clearly he had considered this and agreed with it. He already was making plans of how to use Bludvist to get power and how to bump Bludvist once they had no more need of him. "Think 'bout it, Stoick. We've been livin' in fear that the King'll come and destroy us. How long can we go with a knife at our throats like this? Berk needs security."
"Yeah, we can get Hiccup for betraying us now!" Snotlout cried.
Fearfully Astrid turned her head at once to look at Drago, but he did not react to Snotlout using the King's real name.
"Your son was taken by dragons." He said. "Yes, I know about that. The dragons have taken both your wife and your son from you. If we gain control of them, we can make them all pay for it. Isn't that what you want?"
Stoick stared at the table. Astrid looked frantic.
"Chief, this is Drago Bludvist talking. If we side with him, we'll suffer the same fate as the dragons once we've fulfilled our purpose! Would Valka have sided with him?"
At those words Stoick suddenly shook himself as if snapping out of a trance.
"Astrid is right. Whatever I may feel towards that…that demon loving traitor, I cannot in good conscience ally Berk with you. However" he added haughtily, "I will not stand against you if you wish to destroy that island that demon lover lives on."
'Did he really mean that?' Astrid wondered. She hoped not.
"Perhaps you could tell me where to look?" Drago suggested.
"Unfortunately, I can't. Only one of us has been to this place, and that person was blindfolded and purposefully disoriented."
"He's a clever man, I'll give him that." Drago said to himself. "Then could you at least tell me how you had managed to trap him? So I can avoid making the same mistakes?"
Stoick considered a moment, and then shrugged. "I lured him here saying I would accept his terms for peace, and invited him to a dinner to celebrate. We had a net hanging above the door. When he came in it was dropped on him."
"And then it all went wrong." Spitelout groaned. Stoick nodded.
"He has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Including a sword made of fire."
Drago gestured to a scar on his face. "I know about that. But how did you pull your plan off without him hearing about it? I understand he's got a spy network in these parts. He'll probably know about our meeting before daybreak tomorrow. So how did you do it?"
"Dragons can't read. I wrote instructions on parchment and swore those who read them to secrecy. Most of my people didn't know about it."
'Had father been aware of this?' Astrid wondered. She guessed the Jorgenson men had known, and perhaps a few others, but that was it.
"And the Dragon King is your son." Drago said tonelessly.
A bit of Stoick's anger returned. "I have no son."
"Yes, I can see that. But does he feel the same way about his father, I wonder?"
Astrid's nervousness increased as she remembered the King's warnings. "He said quite plainly he has no father." She said quickly. "He hates Berk and all of us on it. He'll probably never want anything to do with us again, and I can't say I blame him." 'Please believe it, please believe it,' she thought.
"I see." Drago said. It was impossible to tell was he was thinking. He motioned to Dogsbreath. "Well, I see no reason for prolonging this. It's getting very late and I have work to do. I will take that drink your servant offered and then be going."
"Yes, Dogsbreath bring out the wine," Stoick ordered. He felt that a drop or five would do him good.
The wine goblets were brought out and distributed. A toast was raised to the Gods (which Drago did not entirely take part in) and to their success against dragons (which Astrid did not entirely take part in).
As they drank Drago shared more of his opinions. "Compassion is for the weak. It's an excuse for them to justify their existence. Does nature show compassion? Does nature make allowances for the weak? Of course not! The strongest wolves will be the ones to kill the deer, and the strongest deer will be the one to escape the wolves. That is the way of nature, and humans must take it even further. You call it cruel, I call it working as nature intended. The men I kill die because they do not have the strength or willpower to survive. Never mind the honor or the glory about killing. That's just a load of drivel. I call it what it is: kill a man and you have killed him. He was the weaker of the two and the world is better off without him. Had he been the stronger he would have won. His death is his own fault. But I think I have used up enough of your time, so…" he bade them all good night, for now it was night, and promising to be a very dark one at that, and saw himself out. Stoick made no move to follow him, for he knew there were guards outside who would make certain Drago reached his ship without incident.
"Now why did he say all of that?" Stoick mused, "What was the real reason?"
"That man gives me the shivers." Snotlout moaned as soon as he was gone.
"For once, I agree with you." Astrid said.
"That's my girl! I knew it was only a matter of time before you came over to my side!"
"Shut it before I fling you into a wall again."
"And about that, Hofferson: would ya quit beatin' up my son?"
"Only if he quits flirting with me." Astrid growled. Stoick held up a hand.
"I don't want any fighting now. We've got enough problems without you two at each other's throats."
Astrid felt too tired to argue further. She sat down and put her head wearily into her hands. "Chief? Were you really considering Drago's offer? Would you really tell him how to find Hic—the Dragon King if you could?"
Stoick shook his head and smiled slightly. "No. I wouldn't sell anybody out to that monster. But sometimes ya gotta give that impression to keep yer enemies confused."
She let out a sigh of relief and yawned. "Well then Chief, what are we going to do about all of this? Diplomacy? I support that idea but who can say if he'll listen. Another trap? I doubt he'd fall for it. An invasion? We don't even know where to invade. Prepare for an invasion here? We're already are doing that, but I wonder if we'd ever be ready to recieve one. Make Peace? Is anybody here going to support making peace with him? Or do nothing? That's both very easy and completely irresponsible." She yawned again.
Stoick yawned too. "I'm a bit too tired to discuss this further, Lass. Perhaps we should all just sleep on it. Maybe the Gods will send advice in a dream to someone. But personally, I think we must try diplomacy again. I must meet with him again…but perhaps we should all just sleep on it…"
"Not a bad idea," smiled Snotlout. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Suddenly something clicked in Astrid's mind and she struggled to her feet.
"Chief! That wine! Is there…?" languidly and dizzily she fell back into her chair. "Well maybe…later…we can…" she felt sleep coming to her and felt too tired to fight against it. Her mind told her she had been drugged, but the significance did not register with her. Her arms and legs felt like lead. The idea of sleep did not feel too bad. Huh. Twice in one evening she had agreed with Snotlout. She must have been drugged. But she would worry about that another night….
A few minutes later several people clad in black cloaks and armor entered the room. The gaze of their leader fell upon the sleeping Dogsbreath.
"Feliz sueños, 'mi Amor'." She chuckled. "Leave that one. Get the other four to the ship. And make it fast."
As they worked to carry the bodies out the back door to a ship moored by a cove on the other side of the island, the lightning storm hit at last, and the rain fell by the bucket.
Author's note: I want to make this clear to everyone: the woman Dogsbreath was with is NOT Heather or Valka. That would be disgusting.