AN: This is the newest chapter. As a point I just want to say: I am very sorry. Many things have happened. I discovered and listened to all of Night Vale, had an anniversary with my girlfriend, gone to see Night Vale on their US tour, wrote six papers, watched an unholy amount of movies, and played through every Kingdom Hearts game. On the bright side: I have the next two and a half chapters written! So the posts of the next three chapters will be much more regular.

Not much else to say. Please direct all questions to my inbox. Review and tell your internet friends.

And here we go.

I own nothing.

OF BOWS AND DRAGONS

Chapter 7: The Trial of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III Part I

Etched into the leather was a red symbol, one that made Fergus's blood freeze in his veins.

He didn't know the symbol exactly. But it was similar to ones he saw on the battle field so many years before. Perhaps he had seen it, however.

The lad was Viking.

_-_With Merida and Hiccup_-_

"…and so in the end, my mother turned back into a woman and the clans accepted my right to choose." Merida finished her tale with a lopsided smile. The story had filled their walk with a friendly air. They had ended up in the tavern at a table in the back.

Hiccup took a sip from his mug of water while Toothless napped at their feet. Merida's tale was an almost unbelievable. People turning into bears? That was old, ancient magic. It was so unheard of to even hear accounts of it. "Wow. A person becoming an animal. That's old and dangerous magic. Ancient even. You're lucky to have been able to reverse it."

Merida raised a curious eyebrow and hid her suspicions, "That seems a bold claim. Most us highlanders regard magic with a sort of neutrality. Depends on the use." Hiccup's hand clenched and light sweat broke out at his temples. He was nervous and Merida could tell. She forced her feelings down and away from her heart and had to think logically. "That's another odd thing about you. Besides the obvious. Lack of knowledge of custom, your funny accent, strange dress at your arrival and the list goes on." The gaze into his eyes made Hiccup's blood run cold. The usual warmth in her eyes was farther than his home right now. "Who are you?" she asked.

Toothless' head came up when he heard the pleading in the young female's voice. That and the jingling he could hear right outside the door. Thinking nothing of it the black beast lowered his head once more into this humans lap with the intent of taking a nap. Hiccup could pull himself out of this. He always did.

Hiccup stammered trying to find an answer that would allow him to remain out of chains "I'm…"

It turned out that neither the dragon nor his rider were successful in their goals to nap or avoid conflict. Three guards burst through the door and headed straight for the foreigner. "Hiccup! You are to come for questioning by order of the King!" The lead guard made a move to grab Hiccup. That as his mistake. In a flash the side of his head was pushed against the worn table and his arm was held at a painful angle. Meanwhile, Toothless began the process of forming a fireball. He was simply waiting for the signal from his friend. So he waited with a blue glow coursing down his ridges.

At the same time the other Scots surrounding the Viking drew their weapons. The guards pressed the tips of their blades into the back of the offender while the princess' bow creaked as the arrow was aimed for a kill. This surprisingly was not aimed at the young man.

That's how they stood for several moments. None of them daring to even draw breath. Realizing he would die where he stood, Hiccup released his hostage and raised his hands in surrender. "Toothless. Stand down."

The dragon's head lowered and the glow faded from his mouth and down his spine. He held a look of defiance in his emerald eyes as the guardsman secured his mouth with a leather strap. It really wouldn't hold the flaming maw but they didn't know that.

Hiccup's hands were clapped into irons and he was given some jostling to discourage any resistance. Then the party was led to the castle for the judgment. The whole trip Hiccup refused to meet Merida's eyes. She wanted to know why. Why her friend hid who he was and why he is being called enemy.

_-_The Castle DunBroch_-_

The monarchs sat in silence while they waited for the guards they sent to retrieve Hiccup. They had been vague as to the methods they were to use. This was worrisome to Elinor. The town guard had strong memories concerning the war with the Viking tribes. The state of the captive might be questionable. Especially since they had assumptions that the boy might be a Viking.

Thankfully, the guards came through the back door with Hiccup looking a little worse for the wear but nothing too serious. The young man was then forced down on to his knees before the two monarchs. The dragon merely stood next to his friend.

"Dad! What is the meaning of this?" yelled Merida as she stormed into the room behind the guards and their two prizes. "The boy hasn't done anything to deserve this."

The court was in silence at that remark.

Fergus sighed making eye contact with Hiccup. "No he hasn't. Not yet. But he still deserves to be there." Fergus stood up and grabbed an object from his side and tossed it to the ground in front of Hiccup. "This proves that. I need a damn good explanation from you boy."

The guards, sensing the anger of their king and having a fairly good idea of hat symbol that is, drew their weapons.

Hiccup looked down at his pauldron that had come to rest in front of him. "This is a piece of my armor. It bears the mark of my village. It is the mark of the Viking tribe of the Isle of Berk."

Merida was livid at this statement. Hiccup had pulled her from deaths grip more than once without a thought. This had understandably forged some quick trust as other emotions she wouldn't quite admit to. The betrayal she felt surrounded her like a cloak. "So it was all lies then? Were you just sent here to gain information on us so that you could go back to your village and bring an army? Are your people even dying?"

Venom dripped from her words that burned into Hiccup's heart. She had attacked both his honor and his pride, two of the most sacred things to a Viking. Not to mention any other feelings he even remotely felt. It hurt worse than a strike to the face would. He forced himself to his feet and managed a single step toward Merida before the guards surrounding him. "I never lied to you. Or them."

Merida launched a punch directly into Hiccup's jaw and staggered him. Before she could continue her assualt, Fergus intervened, "Send him and his dragon to the dungeon for the night. Perhaps that will lose his tongue."

The dungeons of DunBroch were carved directly into the stone underneath the castle. They were soggy. That was the best word he could use to describe his current surroundings. The cell he and Toothless were placed in was made up of four stone walls with patched of moss. The door to the cell was made of iron bars and had obviously not been designed for a dragon sized occupant to need to use it. The floor was roughly hewn from the natural bedrock beneath the castle. The cells were designed to make the occupants sweat.

Hiccup rested his head against the wall. Such is life. Hiccup rubbed his rather sore jaw. He almost preferred being berated. Merida could throw one hell of a punch.

The dragon and his boy rested against one another for hours on end. They had begun to dose off, letting the worry of what was to happen to them when they were called before the royal court. They were jarred from their sleep by a banging on their cell door. Looking up they saw a terrified serving boy who was no older than Hiccup was when he had first met Toothless.

"The ki-king ordered the meal to be brought to you." he held out the tray piled with fish for Toothless and a small meal for Hiccup.

Hiccup stood up and took the tray from the trembling boy. "Thank you," he said with a small smile. He sat down dividing the food on the tray between them. The boy stood less ridged now almost calm, but not quite. Hiccup looked up at her and when he saw that he wasn't leaving was confused. "Is there something else?"

The lad looked a little taken aback at Hiccup's gentle tone. "No. It's just that I expected Vikings to be bigger, meaner. Same with dragons."

Hiccup smiled softly at the servant. "Most Vikings are. Me and mine are not typical Vikings."

The boy nodded slowly and turned to leave. When he reached the door he waved briefly before leaving the small cell.

Toothless finished his portion of the evening meal rather quickly. It was nowhere near enough to satisfy his appetite. That was price he paid for standing by his human. His friend. His partner. Toothless was prepared to fight for Hiccup tomorrow if worst came to worst. He would die before he let his human fall. After all, he was an outcast among dragons and Hiccup was an outcast among his people. This made them outcasts together. A family. He sighed deeply as the two of them laid down to sleep.

AN: That wraps up the seventh chapter. Eight will be up in one weeks' time. Until then, review and let me know what you think.

War and Peace

-RedhoodandtheOutlaws