The stranger asked Hiccup again "who are you, why didn't you want to be seen by anyone?" he was getting annoyed by the teens hostile stand and their continued silence.
Hiccup hadn't told the others to stand down and were all still in battle ready stance and didn't lower their weapons. Hiccup whispered something to not taking his eyes of the figure in green in front of him Astrid she nodded, she whispered something to Ruffnut who whispered something to Tuffnut and Tuffnut whispered something to Snotlout when all of them knew the plan and had their instructions Hiccup step forward the second he moved the others started to move the twins covered Hiccup by changing the grip on their spears so that they could throw them easily. Snotlout and Astrid stood shoulder to shoulder covering the rear of the group, Snotlout raised his shield so it covered his torso and with his sword in the other hand and his horned helmed on his head he was a fearsome sight to see. Astrid was even more so, she had she had her double-bladed axe in here right hand and here single-bladed axe in the other ready to put anyone who dared to attack out of their misery. When Hiccup took another step forward so did the twins, Astrid an Snotlout took a step backwards to keep their formation closed.
"do you know who the Outcasts are?" Hiccup started the conversation with very casual question for the tense situation they were in. When the stranger heard the word Outcast he tighten his grip on his sword and his men did the same with their own weapons making ready to launch themselves at the enemy. "you're Outcast?" the man bellowed "that means you are our enemies" he raised his sword ready to attack but surprised by Hiccups next words.
"guys lower your weapons these people aren't friends of the Outcast so we are relatively save here" the teens lowered their weapons but still were on guard. Hiccup extended his hand to the stranger "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, son of Stoic the Vast and heir of Berk" he introduced himself "and you are?".
The man looked at Hiccup surprised realising what he nearly had done, he had nearly decapitated the son of Stoic the Vast, who's skill in battle was unmatched as far as he knew, and that would have meant war with the Hooligan tribe, this war he would surely lose. "men lower your weapons these people are not our enemies". "let me formally introduce myself" the man grabbed Hiccup's still outstretched arm "I'm Gulbrand the feared, ruler of Nowhere, it is a honour to meet you Hiccup Haddock. Let me take you to our village". Some of Gulbrand's troops went back into the forest and disappeared when they were in the treeline, Hiccup made a mental note to look into that as a possible solution to their problem if they could sneak in and out of Berk undetected they could do something effective against Alvin. "Hiccup Haddock, sorry if I'm being rude but I am still curious what brought you and your war band here to Nowhere?" Gulbrand asked looking at the young man walking next to him. "Hiccup will suffice and no it is not rude at all but the reason that we're here is quit complicated, I will tell you later this day" after a few minutes of walking Hiccup noticed that all the warriors were getting nervous "Gulbrand why the big welcoming party, were you expecting trouble or were you expecting someone else?" Gulbrand was surprised by this question but started to explain what the situation was on Nowhere "I had to banish on of my subjects for attempting to assassinate me. He was told to get of the Island but he refused and started a small but powerful movement against me because he thinks I'm weak for not going back to the archipelago and reclaim our island from the dragons but here are no dragons so why go back to a place that's worse. After my father died and I became chief he was next in line if I would die but he got caught trying to poison my food so I banished him but a group of warriors that agreed with him joined him and they have set up camp on the other side of the island. Till a few weeks ago they did some skirmishes for food but lately they have been getting help from another group or tribe and when we saw you we thought it might have been you." Gulbrand was looking concernt when he heard a nois but continued "we hoped that if we take away their supporters we could weaken them enough to destroy them, but there is a problem we haven't found their base yet" with that Gulbrand concluded his story. Gulbrand's second in command walked up to Gulbrand "sir we'll be in the village soon" thanks Gunnar, turning to Hiccup "my second in command Gunnar Breakneck" Hiccup nodded to Gunnar deep in thought about what him was told a few moments ago, how he was going to handle it and if they were going to stay.
Later that day at supper in the mead hall Hiccup was telling Gulbrand, his second in command and a few other interested people the story how he lost his leg in the fight with the Red Death and how the people of Berk made peace with the dragons at first everyone didn't believe him but when they looked to the other teens for conformation of his story Snotlout told everyone that Hiccup was down turning his own part as usual he didn't know how to brag about anything. Hiccup continued his story and he was getting to the part where the Outcasts had invaded Berk "it hadn't been much of a fight, the Outcasts mostly used stealth. They began with taking down the lookouts some were killed with arrows others were stabbed in the back by a by an Outcast only a few were captured when I had woken up Savage had a sword against my throat and Toothless paws had been tied together and he had a muzzle over his snout. We were lead outside my father was also there he was forced on his knees and his hands had been tied behind his back, two Outcast both had a spear at his back ready to strike if ordered. I looked around the town and saw horror, the few people that resisted were quickly surrounded and slaughtered. The heads of the people that had fought back had been cut off and put on spikes in front of mead hall. Stoic and I had been forced to stay outside on our knees throughout the whole night. Toothless had been taken away the other dragons of the academy were also taken away. In the morning dad and I were literally dragged to the mead hall, in front of the mead hall I saw fifteen heads on spikes at first I was afraid that Astrid one of the dragon riders was among the dead but I was put by them in a corner of the mead hall guarded by ten Outcasts. After a few days we when we realised that we wouldn't be able to rebel against them we started planning our escape. We escaped and we landed on the shore here" after Hiccup finished the story it was dark outside and everyone was tired.
The next morning Hiccup woke up by sound of clashing weapons he looked for Astrid, who had slept with him that night, but she wasn't there. Hiccup went outside with his sword in his hand thinking that they were under attack, when he opened he found Astrid training with the twins and Snotlout. Snotlout tried to whack her in the face with his shield, Astrid stepped aside Snotlout stumbled forward of the force he put in his attempt to hit Astrid, she tripped him and held her single bladed Axe to the big boys throat when he tried to get up. The twins choose that time to counter Astrid's attack on Snotlout, Ruffnut had crept around and waited till her brother attacked from the front. Hiccup looked at the sight and thought maybe I should help her when Tuffnut attack from the front. With a shout the blond boy launch his attack, distracting Astrid enough for the other twin to charge at the other girl from behind. Hiccup jumped I and deflected Ruffnuts attack by ticking Ruffnut's spear in another direction, he swung his sword at Ruffnuts neck, she ducked swipped the behind of her spear at Hiccup's legs what had lillte effect because she hit his meatal leg. Astrid took her single-bladed axe from her belt into her left hand and hooked Tuffnut's spear under the blade and pulled it to the side stepping closer to Tuffnut head-butting him and finished him of by hitting him on the head with the flat of her dual-bladed axe. Turning around to see what that noise had been she was surprised by the sight of Hiccup fighting with Ruffnut, it looked nearly like a dance with Ruffnut attacking in a constant frenzy of attacks and Hiccup deftly blocking all of them. The smoothness with what they moves together made Astrid nearly jealous but that feeling vanished when Hiccup ended the fight in such a deadly way it surprised Astrid just as much when Hiccup had punched Snotlout knockout on the ship. Ruffnut stabbed her spear forward, Hiccup turned his body so the spear pasted him he chopped of the spearhead in a downward motion, fluently taking over the attack he collided the pummel of his sword with Ruffnut's chin, she stumbled backwards from the force of the blow trying to focus through the tears forming in her eyes and when she finally could see she realised that she had lost, in the time she had stumbled and tried to focus Hiccup had moved closer holding his sword just an inch of her throat. Ruffnut laid down the stick that remained after Hiccup had cut of the tip. "well fought, peg leg" Ruffnut complimented Hiccup. When the fight a crowd had begun to gather to watch Astrid's show of expertise but it had been Hiccup who had stolen the show with his incredible swordsmanship. People looked at him with newfound respect because they had thought he was weak but they changed their opinion about him quickly as did the local girls, Hiccup went in their eyes from weird scrawny loser, to the kid that was still scrawny but with some serious fighting skill who apparently had been in some kind of big trouble to have lost his leg.
Gulbrand stepped forward to introduce Hiccup and the others to the villages "people of Nowhere, let me introduce to you Hiccup Horrendous the third, son of Stoic the Vast, heir to Berk and his war band" Gulbrnad introduced them "they're here on a mission to take Berk back from Alvin the Treacherous. I've given them our full material support but not military because I don't want to go to war against the Outcasts". "Hiccup" Gulbrand padded him on the shoulder "let me introduce you to my daughter Sachi". "hello, as my dad said I'm Sachi" with wide smile she reached to greet Hiccup. Astrid looked at the scene unfolding in front of and noticed that Sachi definitely was flirting with Hiccup and she didn't like that because Hiccup was hers and hers alone. She tapped Hiccup on the shoulder, turned around and was surprised by Astrid who kissed him passionately on the mouth and tried to slip her tongue in his mouth what he happily let her do. After going at it for a minute or so Astrid pulled back "thanks for having my back there babe" Hiccup's face was flushed and he was still a bit out of breath "always milady". To Astrid's satisfaction Sachi's face fell after that show of affection. "so you two are married or something" Sachi asked with a small voice "no we're not" Astrid was annoyed by the glimmer of hope that spread across the other girl's face because by Viking law if someone wasn't married a marriage could be arranged by the families, Sachi thought I have speak to my dad immediately about it but her resolution became less with Hiccup's reaction "but I was planning on it, some day after we retake Berk and it is peaceful again". Astrid nearly jumped him for that but could resist and after Sachi had left without any form of her earlier determination she kissed Hiccup again but this time tender and tankful to have such a wonderful boyfriend.
Don't fear the story will not, I repeat will not turn into a teen drama of sorts. I had this idea so I wrote it down and I hope you readers liked it.
Leave a comment or send me a PM if you did not or if you want to and you did.