Hiccup would never say it out loud, but the view from Fenrir's back was simply amazing.
Once they had assured Snotlout that his help had been plenty, it was just Hiccup and Astrid on their Nadders, high above Berk in the air. Fenrir cooed softly underneath him as she glided through the clouds, her wings flapping every now and then to give herself a burst of speed. Stormfly seemed to be trilling instructions to the other dragon, which Astrid said meant that Fenrir was a young dam. Older females would often coach the younger ones into how to behave around humans, it seemed.
For a moment, Hiccup forgot about his infiltration mission. The sensation of being this high up in the air, so far from civilization, made him forget about his life up until now. Up here, he was just Hiccup. Just a boy who had been put through too many hardships in such a short time.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Astrid's voice broke him out of his reverie and he looked to the side where she was gliding along beside him on Stormfly. She gave him a knowing look, even as he scrambled to gather his dignity again before she smiled slightly. "Once you get up here, it's like all your worries just vanish." As she paused, she leaned down, running her fingers along Stormfly's neck before she glanced at him again, giving him a critical eye. It was clear that she still didn't trust him, and he was sure she'd find every reason not to at some point in the next twenty four hours.
"I've never thought of dragons as living creatures before," he said smply, looking up at the misty clouds hanging around the area. The afternoon sun beat down on them, enveloping them in a blanket of warmth. Time to play the sympathy card. Hiccup brushed shaggy reddish-brown hair away from his face when the wind whipped it in his line of sight, placing his free hand over the dip in Fenrir's neck. "On Outcast Island, you learn at a young age that it's kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. Dragons are just monsters, just a stepping stone towards your own survival. They don't have feelings, or loyalty. Just enough meat to get by for another week and a new trophy head to complete the set."
"You guys ate dragon meat?" Astrid wrinkled her nose, looking just as horrified at the prospect as she had on the boat when he'd commanded a warrior to drag their own down to sit in salt water.
"We had little food. Crops don't grow well on Outcast Island and nobody has the patience for bread. There's a reason why we're cannibals, and it's not by choice." Okay, so maybe that part was a lie. Hiccup had been eating human flesh since he was a boy without kicking up a fuss, but she needn't know that. He shrugged. "Waste not, want not. It's only going to go to waste if nothing is done with it."
She raised an eyebrow, looking as though she was curious but afraid to ask, so he left it alone. He seemed to be dodging everything but the right answer, and it frustrated her. Astrid was quiet for a few minutes as they started their descend to the ground, coming in to view of Berk. "What are you going to do about the Night Fury?"
"I won't kill it, if that's what you're thinking." Hiccup's upper lip curled into a slight sneer before he turned his head away so that she couldn't see his face, forcing his cheeks to turn red as though he was embarrassed. "You've taught me more about dragons in these last few hours than I ever knew before." Including how to train them, my gullible little princess. "More than I could have dreamed."
"You never bothered learning beyond 'kill on sight', huh?" she asked as the two Nadders gently lowered themselves to the ground. People gave them a wide birth around the landing area, and the two riders slid from the dragons' backs. It looked like they were done setting their defenses up for the invasion, if the catapults situated at the front of the village near the ramp down to the beach were any indication. Hiccup turned his head to look at them before he glanced back at Astrid with a raised eyebrow.
"Not until now, no." He placed his hand on Fenrir's neck, looking up at her as she nuzzled his hand affectionately. His stomach churned, but he attempted to make the look on his face seem more like something else other than disgust. "I never had a reason to." He looked back at the sun, as though determining the time before he turned to get back up on Fenrir. "I'd better start setting my traps if I want to catch that Night Fury."
Her brow drew together. "Do you want any help?"
Hiccup opened his mouth to reply before he heard someone call her name, looking in the direction of the voice to see Fishlegs, who cringed a little when he looked at him. "You'll only slow me down. Besides, it looks as though you're needed elsewhere, princess."
Astrid screwed her face up at the nickname, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you have to call me that?"
"It annoys you, doesn't it?" She didn't get a chance to reply before he was on Fenrir's back again and rising her into the air. He smirked down at her, tilting his head before he turned Fenrir in the direction of the western coast.
"Wow, he's already such a natural." Astrid turned her attention to Fishlegs as he came up beside her now that the outcast was gone, shielding his face from the sun before he glanced at her out the corner of his eye. "You sure it was a good idea to teach him how to train dragons?"
"I can't exactly refuse the chief's orders," she said, letting her arms fall from their position. She gave a small sigh, fighting down the pity she was feeling for him as she turned to face Fishlegs directly. He was looking at her a little incredulously, which made her tilt her head. "What?"
"Uh, Astrid? Your face is red."
"It is not!"
From the air, everything looked so small. Every person and animal on the Island of Berk looked as insignificant as they were and Hiccup straightened his shoulders proudly, sneering at himself as he rode Fenrir to the Western side of the island. Playing the sympathy card left him feeling disgusted with himself, but the further and further Astrid fell for it, the further and further his plan would come to fruition. It had only taken him less than a day to worm his way into their society. Astrid was still weary of him, but he could work on that, if the way he'd left her blushing was any indication. Stoick was an utter mess. Snotlout was a complete moron.
"I'll have to remember to thank Mildew later for that easy way in," he said to himself, chuckling darkly. Fenrir trilled and he ran a hand over her neck to soothe her. "Never you mind, dragon. Now, I have a report to take to my father." With a small but still slightly hard nudge to her sides, he started veering her off in the direction where he could see a light being shone along the rocks towards the West, reflecting the rays of the afternoon sun.
He slowed their descent once they started approaching the boats hiding behind the shadows of the rocky outcrops, whistling a call that told Alvin it was him. Once the Outcast's crossbows were lowered, he landed Fenrir on the deck of his father's boat, sliding down from her back and placing a hand on his hip, the other resting on her neck.
When Alvin saw his son dismount the green Deadly Nadder, he grinned viciously, shoulders shaking before he erupted into full blown laughter. At the tone, Hiccup forced himself not to beam with pride - he was pleased. "Well done, son, well done. Now that's a Treacherous for you, lads. You could learn a lesson or two from my boy." He gestured to Fenrir, placing his hands on his hips as he leaned towards the slighter viking. "How did you do it, boy?"
"You wouldn't believe how gullible Berk's people are, father." He rolled his eyes a little in exasperation, feeling Fenrir nudge her muzzle against his shoulder and lowered his hand to her sweet spot, scratching there absentmindedly as the other Outcasts watched on in awe. "I almost feel like I lost a bit of intelligence just from being around them since morning." At Alvin's chuckle, he grinned. "Feed them a little sob story and they soften up like mud."
"Good, good. They don't suspect anything?"
"Not a thing, father." His mouth stretched wider, baring his teeth. "I have an annoying little viking princess on my case, but she's...otherwise indisposed for the moment." He tilted his head to look out the corner of his eye at the Nadder, watching her wings stretch before they folded back in, his upper lip curling into a sneer. "I need to gain her trust before I can call my mission complete. I want to watch her crumble when she learns of my treachery."
Alvin stroked his beard, raising an eyebrow. "What are you thinking, boy?"
"They have me dealing with a little Night Fury problem tonight. I figure once I have the Night Fury secure, I'll make my way back to the village and make it look like I'm going to help out. Separate her from her dragon, she's nothing but a little girl."
"And then what? You'll swoop in and rescue her like her knight in shining armor?"
Hiccup made a face at the tone of Alvin's voice during that sentence, crossing his arms over his chest and fighting down the embarrassed flush from his ears. "Father, please, it's not like that," he grumbled out before he shook his head. "In any case, I'll have her trust, but you must withdraw from Berk for it to have any effect. Then in about two or three weeks, I'll make like I have unfinished business on Outcast Island. I'll lure her back there, we'll make it seem like I've been attacked." He smirked. "And then I'll break the news to her. And we'll have our very own dragon conqueror."
Alvin chuckled at that, placing a hand on his hip as he used the other to ruffle his son's unruly hair. "How you come up with these fiendishly clever plans, I have no idea, Hiccup. Very well. You take care of their little Night Fury problem and I'll inform the men about the change of plans. The next time I see you I expect a broken but pliable dragon conqueror that's mine to command."
"Oh you will, father." Only you're mistaken on one account. She'll be mine to command.
As night began to fall around Berk, the air in the village was tense. The dusky orange skies slowly slipped away into pure black darkness, punctuated only by stars. Not a torch was lit, nor did anyone make a sound. If anybody had thought differently, they would have said that the vikings had turned in early.
Until the first attack happened at least.
Well at least we know Hiccup wasn't lying when he said they were coming from the South side, Stoick thought to himself as he ordered the counter attack. Stones flew through the air via catapults, the sound of Berk and Outcast war cries calling up from all around him before the clash of metal rang through his ears. With the children and their mothers safely in the great hall and away from the excitement, it was a free for all brawl, the darkness making it hard to see who was friend and who was foe.
Berkians worked together. That was the key difference to the invading Outcasts. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Bucket and Mulch trade places to deal with the other's opponent, and nearby Gobber switched his mallet hand for his axe hand, clashing with the opposing viking's weapon before body checking him. Sven got the drop on another Outcast, but it was the kids he was watching out for.
Overhead, Snotlout's Monstrous Nightmare flared up, arching up before it dived down with the boy on its back, loud screeching that once heralded the beginning of a raid now a noise that the vikings welcomed. The twins and their Zippleback weren't far behind, green gas fire exploding on impact with its ingition spark. Stoick raised an eyebow as he silently hoped that no Berk viking was caught up in that before he threw his fist into the face of one approaching him from behind, whirling around on the ball of his foot and using the momentum to catch him off guard.
If it wasn't for Hiccup's warning, they would have been terribly unprepared, Stoick realized as the Ingerman boy's Gronckle unleashed three or four flaming stones of fire down at the ships on the south side, just a small speck in Stoick's view.
Wait...one, two, three four...
Where's Astrid? He wasn't too worried about his s...about Hiccup, considering he was meant to be off taking care of the Night Fury, but when his eyes couldn't catch sight of the Hofferson's girl, he slammed the butt of his sword into his opponent, scanning the skies for a Deadly Nadder before he was forced to bring the blade up and block the other's weapon. An explosion behind him caught Stoick's attention and he knocked the Outcast's weapon out of their hands before he looked over his shoulder, watching with a small relief as Stormfly came flapping through the air, but the alarm on the Nadder's face was unmistakable.
Astrid was in trouble.
"Let. me. go!" Astrid scrambled to get away from the large hands that grabbed her, whipping around to throw them off with all her might before one took hold of her hair and pulled hard. She gritted her teeth against a whimper that threatened to rise in her throat, glaring over her shoulder at Alvin who merely laughed as though she was the most hilarious thing in the world.
"I'm afraid not. You're coming back to Outcast Island with me, lass, and I won't be taking no for an answer. You're going to train dragons for me until every last beat of your little heart is pumped out from your body."
She was about to respond with as much sarcasm as she could muster over the sound of her heart thumping rapidly in her chest. Stormfly had gone to get help when she'd ordered her to - hopefully nobody else was preoccupied enough. She could take care of herself but just this once, she needed help. Astrid opened her mouth...
Only to be blown back and out of Alvin's hand with the force of an explosion behind him, his sword that had been held up to the back of her head cutting through her braid and helping her escape. Briefly she mourned the loss of her hair before she turned around, watching with a bit of shock on her face as Hiccup floated in place on Fenrir's back, face set into a deep scowl that made the skin around his scars crinkle.
"So this is what you've been reduced to, eh, boy?" Alvin questioned, picking himself up from the ground as his son slid from the back of his Nadder, landing on the ground in front of him. "And here I was expecting Thor to take me offering."
"Apparently babies are more to Thor's liking," Hiccup quipped, pulling his axe from its place on his back. He looked out the corner of his eye at Astrid where she was watching the exchange with a bit of puzzlement before she hurriedly picked up her own axe where it had been separated from her. "You okay, princess?"
"Yeah. The Night Fury?"
"Taken care of. It won't be escaping any time soon with one of its tail fins missing." At the look on her face, he waved a hand. "I'll explain later." He returned his attention to Alvin, green eyes dark as his Nadder shrieked behind him. "Right now, we've got bigger things to take care of."
"Oh you'll take care of me, will you, boy?" the Outcast chief sneered, rolling his shoulders with a crick to his neck. "You could barely handle me after your little failure."
"That's behind me. I have things...people I want to protect now." Hiccup lowered his center of gravity, paying attention out the corner of his eye to the disbelief on Astrid's face. "Make your move, old man."
They stood off for a long few minutes, neither making a move before the sound of Savage's voice calling for a fall back rang through the air. Alvin snapped his head in the direction of his lieutenant's voice before he turned his attention towards the two teenagers, reaching to grab the front of Hiccup's shirt with a giant fist. "You've been granted an extended life, boy. Use it well."
With that said, he shoved Hiccup away and disappeared into the darkness. There was silence in the air only punctuated by the cries of the retreating Outcasts, and Hiccup rubbed the front of his chest where his father's fist had hit him. He was about to turn towards Astrid before he was hit in the shoulder with a smaller fist, but nonetheless almost as much of an impact. He scowled, rubbing his arm as he looked at her. "What was that for?"
"That was for saving me."
"You sure have a funny way of showing gratitude, princess."