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"So would you believe that there a more potent type of dragon grass. It nearly drove Toothless mad. If it hadn't been for Fishlegs and Meatlug, we might not have gotten through it."
"I still say we should have kept it."
"Yes, let's keep a root that drives dragons berserk on an island populated with dragons." Hiccup shouted throwing her hands in the air.
"Sounds good to me." Dagur relied casually.
"You make me wonder sometimes Dagur." Hiccup sighed with a deadpan look.
"Deranged is in the title." He remarked, bopping her on the nose.
"A title you picked." He laughed and laughed, Hiccup chuckled along with him. The Berkians watched awkwardly at the two conversing. Even during her brief visit, they had never seen Hiccup so at ease with herself and her surroundings. Dagur got this wild look in his eye and he grabbed her fiercely, so fiercely Astrid lunged out her seat a bit to go to her defense. But instead he bit her ear and she blushed red, slapping him off.
"We have guests." She scolded, but her smile never left her lips.
"Why do we have guests again?" He complained, eyeing the mentioned guests. Vessa muttered something in Latin and he turned his attention on her.
"What did she say?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Hiccup….
"Dagur." She imitated.
"If you want to know, learn her language too." She admonished, taking a heaping bite of food, before leaning onto him with a sleepy expression.
"So then there were this flower, that make dragons ill, that was surprise." She continued, her eyelids drooping. Dagur patted her head.
"Go to bed."
"But I wanna talk."
"And I want to do things to you tonight not mentionable in the presence of your former peers. But Neither of us is getting our wish. Go to bed." Hiccup gave him a hearted slap to his shoulder before standing with significant difficulty. Vessa immediately stood to help her, but Hiccup waved her off.
"Stay Vessa, I am perfectly capable of putting myself to bed, despite my condition." She rubbed over her belly for emphasis. Using the railing, she hauled herself up the steps and they heard a door shut.
"So uhh, Fishlegs, how do the berserkers treat you?"
"They're really not a bad one you get to know them."
"We pity you for your weakness, we are fierce warriors." Dagur exclaimed, holding one fist in the air. Vessa mumbled something in Latin again.
"What was that?"
"Learn some goddamn Latin."
"You're pretty mouthy for a maid."
"Funny I used to be complimented for my mouth." An awkward silence followed.
"It's no fun when Hiccup's not here to get all offended my behalf." Vessa pouted in her seat.
"Wait, so what did that mean?" Tuffnut asked.
"By the gods, you lot are a bunch of virgins."
"I am not-" Tuffnut started.
"Whoever implied-" Snoutlout exclaimed.
"Children." Dagur guffawed.
"You're hardly one to mock Dagur."
"Oh, what do you know?"
"I worked in the tavern for years. Nothing happened on these islands without my hearing about it a hundred times over." It was the Berkians turn to laugh except for Fishlegs who looked too damn terrified to say anything and Astrid who just looked unamused by the whole topic. Dagur stretched lazily.
"Well, I think I'll be joining wifey upstairs so you lot can-" He cut off by a loud shriek from upstairs. In a moment was out of his chair and dashing up the stairs with Vessa at his heels. After a beat, the others followed and were met with a shocking sight. Hiccup was on the ground, in the corner of her bed room, her breath heaving with exertion and her pupils dilated giving her a wild look. She was dressed only in a shift and barefoot. She was holding a pen knife in her outstretched hand like a lifeline. There was blood splattered on her shift. On the other side of the room a man was bleeding out from a nasty wound in his neck, no longer moving. He had a knife in his hand. It only took a moment to figure everything out. Dagur and Vessa were at Hiccup's side, trying to calm her down. The Berkians stared in a mix of horror and awe. Hiccup, the weak, the useless had killed a man in self-defense while heavily pregnant. Then her breathing picked up and she shrieked, loudly, followed by gasps. The teens had been so busy staring at the dead body in horror that they turned to see a red stain spreading over Hiccup's crotch.
"Go get the healer!" Vessa snapped. Dagur looked hesitant to leave for a moment before dashing off with no other acknowledgement of Vessa's statement. Vessa turned to Hiccup, gazing into her eyes.
"Hiccup, I'm going to need you to listen." Hiccup was too far gone, sobbing incoherently, clutching at her clothes. Vessa promptly slapped her across the face. Everyone in the room gasped, Hiccup touched her cheek gingerly.
"If you want your baby to live, I need you to listen to me." Hiccup nodded.
"Good girl." She turned to the teens still standing in shock.
"Snap out of it dumbasses, boys, help me get her on the bed!" Snotlout and Tuffnut immediately obliged with Fishlegs flitting about, unsure what to do. Vessa was by her the minute she was settled.
"Okay Hiccup, I need you to breathe, in out and like me" Vessa demonstrated with deep, controlled breaths. Hiccup imitated her, tensing every so often, each time Vessa talked her back in relaxing.
"Think of your baby, your son or your daughter." It was enough to keep her clam.
"Is she in labor?"
"No, too early, damn it, Hiccup keep breathing it'll be fine." Hiccup clutched her hand and tried to stay calm.
"Boys, you should leave. I have to check something." The boys took the moment to flee. Then she turned to Astrid and Ruffnut.
"Hold her hand and distract, I have to check her." Astrid and Ruffnut did as they were told as Vessa looked under her bloodied skirt. After a moment she sighed.
"No baby coming yet, thank the gods."
"Is she okay?"
"She will be, I hope."
"I'm right here you know."
"Of course mistress, who would dare forget you?" It was only a bit longer before the shaman shuffled in with Dagur and Gobber at her heels. She took one look at the dead man in the corner and then the visitors and waved them all out. Dagur tried to stay only to be lifted by Gobber's hook and plopped outside the door. After watching Dagur bang and claw at the door for a few moments the shaman promptly screeched that "a young whippersnapper like him who knows nothing should shut up and let professionals work" after that, he quieted down. It felt like hours had passed but no one left, fearing for Hiccup's safety. Eventually the shaman walked out, her hands coated in blood. Dagur was immediately in front of her.
"They were lucky, your wife and child will survive." Dagur turned to push past her but the shaman grabbed his wrist.
"They might not be next time." Dagur flinched but ripped away. Astrid was able to see him sit down at the chair at her bedside holding her hand and smoothing her bangs, whispering quietly. Vessa exited the room soon after, looking haggard.
"What was all that?" Vessa didn't respond, merely collapsed into a chair, just short of passing out.
"Is she gunna be okay?" Vessa opened her eyes and addressed Astrid.
"I don't know." She replied.
"What do ya mean, ya don't know!" Snotlout shouted at her. Vessa closed her eyes at the verbal onslaught and lazily looked at him.
"This is the third attempt on her life since she got pregnant. If this keeps up… I'm not sure we'll be able to save them next time."
"Third?!"
"What's with that, she's just Hiccup." Tuffnut snorted.
"Yeah, people should be wanting us dead."
"Yeah!" Vessa ignored them entirely.
"I'm sure. Anyway she has never been just a Hiccup. She's a chief's daughter, and only child. She's Dagur's wife and carries his child. Son or daughter, that kid has a hell of a future ahead of it. Spawn of Dagur the Deranged, and Hiccup the Dragon whisperer, blood alone makes the brat dangerous."
"But who do something like that a pregnant girl…." Astrid snarled.
"Someone who thinks both her and the babe too much of a threat to be allowed to live." Vessa replied, rubbing her temples trying to think.
"This isn't going to stop is it?" Snotlout asked quietly.
"They got in her room this time. They ever got so damn close before." She was talking more to herself now. Panic was creeping its way up Vessa's spine, but he had to be calm because gods knew her panicking would only make everything worse. It was selfish in part, her concern for Hiccup. Hiccup was her ticket to a secure life, without her it all went away and she could be left worse than before. But she id care, make no mistake. Hiccup accepted her, never judged her for the things she did to survive. Hiccup had even acknowledged they weren't so different in that sense, the only real one was that Hiccup had a marriage instead of clients. That was the beginning, the two got along Vessa always aided Hiccup would have gone far in Rome. Part of her desperately wanted to take the girl and flee back to that city.
"Vessa?" he was ripped from her thoughts by Fishlegs timidly calling her.
"She'll die at this rate." Vessa whispered. Those words hit them all in the gut. Hiccup was an outcast to them, always had been, so why was it with the threat of losing her hurt like this?
"What are you gonna do then?"
"Hel if I know. I can only pray for her now. These attacks aren't going to stop and we will slip up eventually."
"We can take her back." Vessa peaked at them through a crack in her fingers.
"What?"
"I mean, those guys know she's here, if we take her to Berk, it'll throw them off, maybe long enough." Snotlout suggested. He and Hiccup had their differences but she was still his cousin, blood was blood.
"That might just work." Vessa whispered.
"Yeah, I'll go tell the captain."
"Wait."
"What?"
"You still have to convince baby daddy to let her leave in her condition."
"Whatdya mean, he won't let her leave."
"This is Dagur we're talking about."
"What about me?"
"Uh, Dagur, chief, hi, um…."
"What?"
"We were discussing what to do with Hiccup."
"What's to discuss, Hiccup will have the baby and that will be the end of it."
"Not necessarily."
"What?" His tone turned dark but Vessa alone didn't back down.
"It's too dangerous for her stay here to deliver. The stress alone could make things go very wrong."
"Yakshit."
"Dagur I have seen many girls give birth, and if there's one thing I know is that having people trying to kill you doesn't help matters." She told him, sticking her finger in his face.
"Hiccup is strong." He insisted, though his voice faltered.
"Yes she is or she may have well miscarried already." Vessa huffed.
"That's nonsense." He insisted, averting his eyes.
"No it isn't, at least three people have gotten lose to killing her and nearly dozen more were caught by your guards.
"What're you talking about."
"You think we don't know but we do; about how many people have been caught here, she's not stupid Dagur."
"It's under control."
"Cleary it's not; she nearly lost your child tonight because some bastard came through the goddam window and tried to murder her!"
"Watch your tongue or I'll have to cut out! You're nothing but a foreign whore Hiccup took in!"
"I won't deny that, in fact, that status makes me more familiar with what's going on right now! You're blind idiot at the best of times who refuses to listen to sense! She needs to be moved! I only care about my mistress, not the sadistic bastard she married!" Dagur struck her across the face, sending her to the ground. The teens all backed up in surprise at the blatant display of violence against someone pretty helpless and unused to attacks. Vessa only glared in defiance while holding her injured cheek.
"Dagur!" Everyone turned to see Hiccup sitting up, looking like she was trying to get to her feet.
"Don't you dare hit her!"
"Silver-tongue…"
"No, no 'Silver-tongue', she is my handmaid and she won't be struck for telling you things you don't want to hear!" They held their stare for what seemed an eternity. Hiccup tried to stand only to sit back down, clutching her belly.
"Damn it." She hissed. He immediately tried to go to her but she held up a hand.
"No." He stopped looking genuinely hurt for just a moment. Vessa kept back despite her reservations.
"I'm going to Berk to have the baby." She told him.
"Like hel you are."
"I am." Hiccup insisted. Dagur snarled and grabbed her hard. Hiccup flinched a bit but kept eye contact, staring him down as she felt her muscles protest the iron grip on her upper arms. His grip tightened just a fraction more and Hiccup made a small noise as the strain dug into her bones.
"Cut it out, you're hurting her!" Dagur snapped out of his trance and pulled back, staring at her. Hiccup rubbed one arm, but didn't break eye contact.
"I'm going to Berk." She informed him. Dagur didn't reply he just swept out of the room and down the stairs, the front door slamming shut.
"Ignore him, we have to move. Vessa pack the necessities and only that. We're leaving now." Vessa nodded and began gathering Hiccup's things into a satchel.
"Is Dagur gonna kill us for this?"
"He's letting me go without any more of his fussing."
"How do you know, he walked out like he was gonna rip someone's head off!"
"Because he wants to, but he can't. I have been married to him for over a year now, I think I know how to read him. Believe it or not, he's not a complex man." Hiccup shrugged as Vessa draped her in her warmest fur cloak. She allowed Vessa to further dress her, even getting on her boot and prosthetic. Hiccup tried to stand only to fall back.
"I can't walk." She said simply. Without being asked Gobber walked over and lifted her up.
"Let's go."
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Princess: Finally, was writing a lot of raw chapters after nearly dying from my finals. Good Thor, my job and responsibilities to the house drove me nearly crazy and incredibly busy. So in other words, sorry about the lack of updates.
Reviews
: It is a little confusing for someone who watched Hiccup interact with Berkian villagers.
HTTYDloverrrrr: More than a little it seems
LaylanatorXVII: This is will not be abandoned I promise, I've been working real hard on all of this. This is literally all my fanfic guilty pleasures friend. Haha
Keiri DeLaCruz: Because Dagur isn't a nice, he may be attached to people and fond of them but overall he's not a nice guy as you will see next chapter. Teehee
Guren and kallen: I'm glad I exceeded expectations, thanks
Olivia: Here it is!
