Hey guys! So I'm thinking I'm going to update this every Sunday, simply because I usually have weekends off and I can do some last minute editing if I need to. The next chapters will probably be a bit shorter than chapter one. I really wanted to get into it in that first chapter.

Anyway, here is chapter two. Hope you guys like it!

CHAPTER TWO

Eyes widened in disbelief as the stranger spotted the familiar shaggy auburn head. His eyes narrowed in cold calculation as an idea began to form in his mind.

Call it luck, call it providence, but what were the chances that he would be here, heading east, and the very person he was looking for would come right to him? This was it. This was his opportunity to strike back and regain everything that had been lost.

The stranger pushed back his chair, throwing a few coins on to the table. He had a number of preparations to make.

Hiccup Haddock was going to regret setting foot on this island.

()

"Hey bud, you hungry?" The oblivious boy walked through the trees, waving the fish he was holding in his hand. Toothless bounded over excitedly, sniffing at the fishy offering and devouring the meal in a few quick bites.

Hiccup wiped his slimy hand on his trousers, grimacing at the way the sticky Night Fury saliva clung to his fingers. In his other hand, he held another package. The dragon eyed the cloth-wrapped parcel hungrily, but Hiccup held it out of reach.

"This one's for me," he told Toothless, placing the package down with the rest of his belongings.

The pair had ended up flying much farther than they had planned, jumping from island to island and charting many new territories. They had not seen many dragons on their journey west, particularly after the first day of flying. As far as Hiccup could tell, there were no dragons on the island they were currently camping on.

There was a bustling Viking village nearby. Hiccup hoped that these people didn't see dragons the way Berk once had; as dangerous monsters that needed to be killed. Wary, he had encouraged Toothless to remain hidden while he had ventured down to the town.

As curious as Hiccup was to discover the reason for the island's lack of dragons, he realised that it was past time to head home. He figured it would take them approximately two days to get back to Berk, one if they flew without breaks. He'd been gone longer than planned but the time away had done wonders and Hiccup felt like he was finally coming to grips with what had happened at Dragon's Edge. Either way, he knew he could not change the past, only learn from it. It had been a hard lesson.

"That's all I could carry," Hiccup told Toothless apologetically. "Once we get off this island, you won't have to hide," he promised. "You can go fishing and get a proper meal."

He sat, rifling through his saddlebags packing away the food he had purchased.

"It's weird," Hiccup told Toothless as he worked. "We haven't seen any dragons in days. What do you think could have happened to them?" He looked up at his dragon.

It could have been nothing. Hiccup had read accounts written by his ancestors, claiming that outside the archipelago, the islands were unaffected by the dragon scourge. Maybe those tales had some truth to them.

The forest was quiet. A gentle breeze rustled through the canopy. Soft leaves crunched under a foot. A bird whistled in the distance.

Wait.

Hiccup listened again.

Maybe he had imagined the sound. A quick glance at Toothless told him otherwise.

The dragon had his teeth extended, lips pulled back in a growl. His ears flaps were flat against his head. Hiccup raised a finger to his lips and drew his sword.

"Stay here," he whispered. "I'll go check it out."

The Night Fury shook his head, the soft glow of his plasma radiated from his mouth.

"Toothless, if the villagers don't like dragon's you could get hurt." Hiccup stood slowly. The Dragon Blade was strapped to his leg. He retrieved the blade from its holster, holding the sword loosely. He glanced backwards towards the Night Fury, a finger to his lips. "Stay hidden."

He crept through the thick brush, his sword by this side. Hiccup did not want to appear threatening if it was just some innocent Viking making their way home through the woods.

Through the trees he could make out a figure, standing motionless and shrouded in the shadows of the setting sun.

"Hello?" Hiccup called out as he neared the mysterious person. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." He squinted through the dying light. The person in before him was wearing a hood and cape. Their face was completely hidden.

There was the deep rumble of a laugh.

"Hiccup, you're smarter than this."

The voice sent a cold shiver down Hiccup's spine. He stopped still, praying the any God who would listen that he was simply having an extremely vivid hallucination.

It wasn't possible. There was no way this could be happening.

"Talking to strangers in the woods, none of your friends around you. Not the most intelligent thing you've done."

"Viggo." Now Hiccup raised his sword, eyes narrowed.

The older man laughed and threw back his hood.

"How did you do it?" Hiccup asked, fear and surprise coloured his words, though he tried to keep his voice steady. "We saw you die."

"Oh tut tut Hiccup," Viggo Grimborn smiled threateningly. "You know better than to jump to conclusions." He took a step forward, the dried leaves crunched under his feet, echoing loudly in the empty forest. "You saw me fall. You assumed that I died." A mock look of disappointment crossed his face. "I'd hoped you'd be better than that, but I honestly expected no different. Despite our games Hiccup, you were so predictable."

Hiccup scowled. His feet moved without conscious thought, taking him closer to the dangerous man. "Games? This was never a game! You were playing with people's lives!"

There was a thud and a crash as Toothless came bursting through the trees. Viggo whipped his arms out from under his cloak, revealing a bow and arrow. In one smooth movement, the bow was raised, string drawn taught.

Hiccup stared in shock, unable to react in time. With a twang the string was released and the arrow was shot into the air.

"Toothless! Look out!"

The Night Fury was much faster than his rider, but the attack had been unexpected. The dragon dodged but the arrow caught his left paw. He stumbled, feeling the effects of the Dragon Root immediately.

"Toothless!"

Hiccup turned and ran for his dragon, scattering leaf litter in his haste. Dropping the sword, he bent and snatched at the arrow, pulling it from the Night Fury's flesh. He threw the arrow to the ground. The Night Fury roared in pain, disorientated from the drug.

"That's enough! This ends now!" Hiccup turned, fumbling to recover the sword, half buried at his feet. He rose, sword in hand. There was a soft sound – pft – like a puff of air and a sharp prick in his shoulder.

"Yes, yes it does."

Hiccup's fingers closed around the dart, yanking it from his shoulder. He stared at it in confusion, the image blurring in front of him. The small projectile slipped from numb fingers as the Viking fell to his knees.

With doubled vision, he saw Viggo walking towards him, shedding his cloak. The wrap seemed to fall in slow motion and settle among the leaves.

"Hmm," the older man casually knelt to retrieve the dart. "This should have knocked you out by now." His voice was muffled, like listening to someone speak underwater.

Viggo shrugged. "Oh well."

There was a sharp blow to Hiccup's head, and then there was nothing.

()

It was too dark. Or was it too bright? There were noises? No, it was quiet. No sounds could penetrate the thick fog in his mind. The feeling of rough bark against his chin. A sharp pain in his paw.

Hiccup? Where was Hiccup?

The bad man had taken him.

Toothless growled.

He had to find Hiccup.

First, he had to stand. No. First he had to open his eyes.

Trees swam into focus around him. The sharp metallic tang of blood clogged his nose. The dragon pushed himself to shaky feet.

Pain.

He wobbled on his feet.

One step.

Pain.

He falls, vision dimming. The edges are fuzzy. He needs to find his Hiccup.

No.

If anyone is interested I wrote a pretty shameless sickfic set in the college AU sorta timeline. I wasn't sure if I should post it, but I will if anyone would like to see it.

Please favourite/review if you liked this!