A/N:What's to say? Thanks for reading! ;)

To LexieFanatic: Yeah... he probably is!

To Guest and Em: No love for Geir anywhere? Right, keep going! :( I hate him, too.

To Katveena: Thank you ;x And yes, you're right with everything... ... ...

And finally to L: This chapter surely would be very different without you, you'll see why xD

. o O o .

Chapter 11: Hope

When Hiccup woke up the next morning, he wanted to die. No, he was dying! Surely one couldn't survive with a head split in two, right? Groaning, he reached up and was almost surprised to find his head still in one piece after all. Gods above, what had happened? He tried to open his eyes but shut them immediately again with another groan. The bright sunlight that came pouring in through the open window pierced his eyes like javelins and added another nuance to his aching head. He took a few deep breaths and tried to remember how he'd ended up here. He was in their bed, so much he'd noticed but everything else…

Another groan reached his ears and it tore him out of his thoughts in an instant. Astrid! Blindly, he reached to her side of the bed and relaxed a bit when he felt her warm body lying next to him.

"Astrid?" he mumbled and winced at the sound of his own voice. Why did it sound so loud? She didn't answer right away, just groan again and he put some effort into truly waking up. He forced his eyes open, just a bit, and found it manageable as long as he didn't look toward the open window. Then he tried to push himself into a half sitting position and fought back nausea when his head began to pound even harder. Hiccup waited a moment for all these nasty feelings to settle before he moved on and turned toward Astrid again.

"Astrid, are you alright?"

"Mmmh fine," she mumbled, but it sounded weird, strained. Maybe she was still tired. At least she wasn't in a state that needed his instant attention or she would have said so. Slowly, he kept fighting himself upright and sighed when he finally sat at the edge of the bed, eyes bleary but open and his head still attached to his neck. Damn, he would never again drink even one mug of mead, it was so not worth it! Mead… the feast!

As if some inner gate had opened, his mind got flooded with memories of last night and yet another groan escaped him. No, they hadn't! Had they? He carefully glanced back at the open window. That couldn't… But the memories of Astrid screaming in the dark were too vibrant to be just fantasies. He had to make sure.

"Uhg… please, tell me we didn't…" he paused and testingly moved his tongue inside his mouth. It felt weird as if it was too big and tasted awful!

"Didn't what?" came Astrid's chuckled reply and he winced again at the volume.

"Shh… We didn't really… last night, I mean…" he broke off again when she started to laugh and finally turned to look at him. She looked tired and pale but aside from that was as beautiful as ever, her sapphire blue eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Entertained half of Berk?" She asked, obviously just to tease him. "Oh yes, we did. And it was awesome!"

Oh Thor, if that hadn't been a fantastic but weird dream, then-

"And in the Great Hall?" he asked a little hopelessly.

"Yeah, that, too" Astrid confirmed dreamily and reached out to caress his back. "It was worth it, you know?" Gods, he would never hear the end of this! Smiling ruefully, Hiccup leaned over to her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Yes, it had been worth it but if someone had seen them…

His eyes flew open in an instant as he remembered that someone had seen them! Geir! Geir had seen them. Nausea of another kind threatened to overwhelm him at the memory of the Redthorn heir. And the memory of their small conversation afterward. Gods, what had he been thinking? Telling Geir off? Hardly… The other man had almost tricked him into losing his temper, and for what? Those had been just the same disgusting remarks and insinuations as before, he shouldn't have let himself go like that. Just good that Toothless had been there or Hiccup might have done something he would regret by now. Hiccup rubbed his face and sighed. Well, he would deal with this situation. He just needed to turn a deaf ear to Geir's remarks, just like he'd tried to do all week. The reminder of how afraid Geir was of Toothless would probably help.

Slowly, Hiccup stood up on wobbly legs and walked over to close the window shutter again. He could see Stormfly and Toothless from here but one never knew. Then he dug fresh clothes out of his chest and made his way to sit by Astrid's side.

"How are you feeling?" He asked carefully. Gods, he wasn't sure if he was up to sex right now if she wanted some… But apparently, this was his lucky day.

"Okay," she said hesitantly. "Well, no, not so okay to be honest, but I'll survive…" She added when he gave her a wary look. She looked back with a small smile that turned into a strained grimace a moment later. Groaning, she rubbed her bump.

"Astrid? What can I do?" He asked but she just shook her head.

"Nothing," she gasped out. "It's just another – haa! – harmless – damn!- nngh!" She broke off and gritted her teeth. Then, a few moments later, she relaxed visibly and looked at him again. "I'm okay," she said reassuringly. "But I'll just stay in bed for a little while longer, I guess. My head's spinning even now, I'd better not try and stand up. Maybe sleep a little more"

"Okay," Hiccup murmured and brushed a few strands of her golden hair out of her face. Oh, how he wished he could do more for her! "Do you want me to bring you breakfast?" At that, she turned slightly greenish and vigorously shook her head.

"No, no food! Thanks, but –urgh!"

"Okay" Hiccup caressed her face once more and she hummed pleasantly. "I'll let you rest then." He placed his hand on her bump. "And you behave as well, alright? Mommy needs sleep!" He added, chuckling when he felt their baby move inside her and press against his hand. Astrid laid her hand on his, smiling lovingly and Hiccup tried to commit this moment to memory. Astrid's beautiful face all lit up with joy and anticipation, their warm touch of skin on skin and their baby nudging against their intertwined hands. He wanted to remember this moment whenever things became annoying or irritating today.

"Alright, I'll go then," He stood up and "I'll be doing a little paperwork for now. If you need anything just call out, okay?"

"Okay," Astrid nodded and Hiccup left the room. Once in the main room, he tried to get dressed without falling over which proved to be harder than he thought. By now, he was able to more or less function reasonably again but the aftereffects of last night's mead were still prominent. He had a headache which surely wouldn't go away all that soon and every now and then, he got dizzy and had to pause in whatever he was doing at that moment. He thought about preparing a small breakfast but decided against it. No food for him either! Just water, that would do for now.

He spent the morning at his desk, waiting for Snotlout to take his shift as Astrid's bodyguard (She hated that phrase but he couldn't help it) and tried unsuccessfully to go through the lists of goods they'd already gathered for the winter. He needed to see what else they would need to store but it was no good. His head was pounding and his mind kept wandering. He just wasn't able to concentrate enough. With a sigh, he stood up and went downstairs to get himself some more water and to look after Astrid. He found her sitting at the edge of their bed, head bowed and an unreadable expression on her face.

"Astrid?" he asked worriedly and kneeled down by her side. He'd seen her like this before, on her worse days when she'd been too dizzy and sick to get up. It were days like these that nagged at him the most, days when he couldn't really help her with her struggles. She looked up to meet his eyes and gave him a tentative smile.

"It's alright. Just..." She shrugged helplessly. "I'm fine" Hiccup wanted to laugh at her words. Yeah, sure, she was totally fine… Her hand fluttered down to her bump and suddenly, another thought occurred to him.

"Does it… start?" He asked anxiously and felt how his heartbeat accelerated. Maybe it wasn't the best timing. Tomorrow, when the Redthorns would finally be gone would be better but he surely wouldn't complain. She'd been through enough! But Astrid shook her head.

"No, I don't think so," she whispered. "It's still not regular enough. I thought about, maybe, going for a little walk? Helka said that could help…" She looked at him pleadingly and it almost tore him apart. Hiccup wanted to grant her everything she wanted or needed but wasn't sure this would be such a good idea. A pained expression spread across his face and he bit his lip. He still had no idea whether anything else had happened last night and couldn't go up to the Great Hall with nobody to watch over her, especially not now. He didn't want to leave her alone in this state.

"Maybe later?" he finally suggested. "As soon as Snot's here, I'll go and look for Spite or Sven, ask how the night went. If things are still calm we can go for a little walk then and-"

He got interrupted by her gasped laughter and pitying look. "Snot? He won't be here today" She stated. "Haven't you seen him last night? He's probably still unconsciously lying somewhere in a corner. You know how much of a lightweight he is"

Hiccup took a moment to process her words and then mumbled a low curse. Of course! He'd been wondering what took him so long today but Astrid was right. Counting on Snotlout to be alive before afternoon today was futile.

"Okay," he said slowly, thinking. "Then I'll… Maybe I can…"

"You can go up to the Great Hall and take care of everything you need to!" Astrid said firmly. "I'll be okay! Let Stormfly guard outside and Toothless can keep me company in here if that makes you feel better. But stop worrying, okay? So far, nothing happened and you said it yourself, they are afraid of the dragons. I'll be safe!"

Hiccup gave her a long and unhappy look but then nodded. She was right. There was no other sensible solution and their dragons would, indeed, be sufficient as guards as well. "Alright," he agreed. "I'll just get updated, maybe try to eat something and be back in an hour or so. And you won't do anything stupid until then, alright?"

Astrid snorted. "Aye, Chief. As you wish!" He could tell she was upset but couldn't help it.

"I mean it!" He emphasized. "So far they behaved, that's true but… I don't know, I have a bad feeling. I doubt Geir will just leave tomorrow without trying something! Be on your guard, okay?"

Her features softened and she nodded with a small smile. "I will!" She promised. "But hurry back, okay?" She looked a bit lost in the way she sat there, small and hunched over, her hands absentmindedly rubbing her bump.

"I will!"

. o O o .

When Hiccup entered the Great Hall, the dim light and almost-silence were soothing to his pulsing head. The midday meal would soon be served for those who were interested but normally, that weren't all that many and so the Hall was almost empty. Except those who were supposed to be here, though!

Magnus and his men sat at their usual table, slightly off-center to the right and were laughing raucously about a joke or comment one of them had made. They weren't alone, of course. Hiccup saw Eret in the back of the room, preparing a big tablet of mugs while Dagur sat between the Redthorns and kept them entertained. Not for the first time, Hiccup was amazed by the Berserker's tolerance for alcohol. And, apparently, the same went for their guests as well. They all had drunk much more than he had but none of them seemed to have any problems with a hangover.

Scattered around the table occupied by the Redthorns were also a dozen other men, alone or in small groups, talking, mending weapons or gear or playing simple games. All pretenses as Hiccup very well knew. They all were watching.

Hiccup didn't want to directly approach Magnus or Geir, so he made his way around the room to where Eret was still busy and was greeted cheerfully.

"Chief! Finally alive? How are you, want an early mug of mead as well?"

Hiccup grimaced and suppressed a groan. "Shh, not so loud, please… And no, no mead for me… ever again!"

The ex-trapper chuckled lightly but didn't comment any further. "What can I do for you then?" He asked more earnestly.

"You can tell me if anything happened during the last… twelve hours or so. Did they try anything? And what about their ship, are Bucket and Mulch getting it ready? And the dragons, did my mother took care of that last night? Do you know anything about that?"

"The dragon guards were already in action last night," Eret said, lifting one finger to tip that point off the list. "And they were successful in so far that no Redthorn left their hut. But I don't know that they even tried, they surely didn't try before." He lifted a second finger. "Their ship is taken care of. Thanks to a relatively good night's sleep for once, the men were pretty efficient already. They'll be able to set sail first thing in the morning. And, obviously, they didn't try anything or we would have told you long ago." A third and finally a fourth finger joined the others. "And as for if anything happened. You tell me, you were there. We others only heard it." A wide grin crossed over Eret's face and it took Hiccup a moment to understand. Then he groaned and tried to hide his face in his hands. Yep, he definitely would hear a lot about their little sexcapade last night!

"Okay, thanks," Hiccup said, trying not to dwell on that topic. "Can you handle them for a little while longer? I need to get back to Astrid and-"

"You need to eat something!" Eret stated firmly and pulled Hiccup along. "Nothing solid, I reckon. But at least have some leftover soup and water or you'll pass out sooner or later. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about."

Hiccup eyed the offered bowl suspiciously but then compiled with a sigh. Eret was probably right. He considered sneaking off into a quiet corner to eat and then return to Astrid but one of the Redthorns was bound to notice him and it would come across as an insult. Well, it was meant as one, he didn't want to sit with his guests but he had to keep up propriety. Just one more day!

He put some effort into building up a tolerably pleased expression and then followed Eret to that table. He was greeted as expected and tried to live with it. Hel, it had been an amazing night and it wasn't like he wished it hadn't happened. He just wished… Well, he wished not to be in this situation right now.

"Hiccup!" Magnus' booming voice felt like a hammer inside his head. "Good to see you. I have to thank you. Last night… I came so hard I barely could stand afterward. Good boy, I knew you had it in you!" The bellowing laughter and the broad hand on his back almost were too much. Hiccup's head felt like it would burst any moment. But at least he was able to fight back nausea, from those images and the hangover alike. He didn't answer and just gave a tightlipped smile before he sat down and tried to get down some of the seasoned liquid. Just one day, just one more day. He could live through that. Just one day and they would be gone!

"Indeed, a good show you've given us," came Geir's suggestive sneer. "I probably have to take my words back. You do, indeed, know how to make her scream. Too bad, I really would have liked to do that myself."

Hiccup's vision blurred slightly with rage as he stared down into his soup and tried not to let Geir's comments get to him. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Eret and Dagur sharing a quick glance and straightening up as if they were preparing for a fight. But he wouldn't attack Geir, not here and not now. Just one more day… He conjured up the memory of that moment earlier, of how Astrid had smiled, of that warm nudge against his hand and –

"But maybe I'll still get the chance," Geir continued. "Being married isn't as important to you Berkians as you said, after all, right? It would only be fair to share her, don't you think? Just like your friend Snotlout shares his wife with good Eret here. I saw them last night, you know. Kissing and messing around with each other and Snot didn't seem to mind. So much for being married means a lot here on Berk. It means nothing and that means you could easily give your pretty wife over, just for one night"

The silence that followed was deafening. Hiccup had his eyes closed but could practically feel how all eyes were on him. Waiting for his reaction. When he lifted his head a moment later, he caught Eret's apologetic grimace but didn't react. It wasn't Eret's fault. Denouncing their relationship was just another move in Geir's game and he didn't intend to play along.

"Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Eret decide for themselves," Hiccup stated more calmly than he really felt. "If they all consent, I won't judge them." It sounded like the right thing to say and it was how he felt. He'd never judged them, it was their decision after all. But saying so might not have been the wisest thing to do.

"Careful, lad," came now Magnus' voice, much calmer than anything Hiccup had heard from the broad man so far and it made him shiver. "Be very careful with what you say now. I reckon marriage is a big deal here on Berk. Are you telling me that you knowingly and willingly break this sacred rule for your friends? A rule that has been in place for generations?" A harsh laughter came from the Redthorn Chief, much darker and more menacing than his usual raucous bearing. "But that shouldn't surprise me I guess. You like breaking the rules, don't you? You're good at it. Just like last year when you brought your cursed dragon to our island. Don't dare deny it, we're not as stupid as you think! All your big speeches about morality and adherence to the laws and rules but in the end, those mean nothing to you. You think you are better than us but you are not. Just like your father!"

Hiccup felt as if an invisible fist had been rammed into his stomach. He stared at the table in front of him and couldn't answer, couldn't even breathe! Because Magnus was right. Everything he'd just said was the truth. He couldn't contradict even one single statement. Yes, every decision he'd made had felt right at that moment but did that make them right?

"How pathetic…" Geir's words sounded toward him as if from afar. They barely held any meaning. "Hey, errand boy. Go and get me another mead"

"Go, and get it yourself!" came Eret's terse reply and when Geir gave a condescending snort, Hiccup stumbled to his feet and fled that table. He couldn't stand it anymore, couldn't spend another minute in their presence. He felt bad for leaving Dagur and especially Eret to deal with them but it was too much.

They were wrong! Surely, they were wrong! He just needed to find the flaw in their logic, he wasn't like them! And what had that been about his father? It didn't make any sense. Gods, he wished he hadn't drunken anything last night, he needed to think!

For he did not know how long, Hiccup walked up and down in circles in the back of the Hall, in the shadows, far away from his blasted guests. He wanted them gone, gone, gone! He tried, again, to banish the memories of what they'd just said and remember Astrid and their baby instead but the images wouldn't come. His mind was too full and empty at the same time. His thoughts were running in circles. He wasn't like them! They were wrong! He wasn't!

"Hey, little brother?"

Hiccup paused in his pacing and slumped down a bit. He hadn't had much time to talk to Dagur so far but surely now was not the best time. His mind was too full of everything and at the same time still too hazy to work through any of it. But Dagur didn't seem to expect him to say anything. He just leaned against one of the stone columns and watched Hiccup pacing before the began to talk.

"I'm not sure I ever told you this… When I suddenly became Chief of the Berserkers all those years ago, I thought I had to do everything right. I thought I was doing everything right. I thought I had to be strong, fighting our enemies and seeking ways to strengthen the tribe. I made alliances and punished those who wouldn't follow my orders. That's what a Chief does after all. Or so I thought... " He paused. "You were there, Hiccup. You know what I'm talking about. I was an idiot, fighting those who I thought were a threat. I tried to restrain a beautiful and wild and untamable creature because I thought it would bring me any honor. I choose the wrong side because I couldn't see that it was not the right one. I followed what I thought were the rules and you know where it led me." He paused again when Hiccup stilled and turned to look at Dagur. Of course, he knew what Dagur was talking about. He'd been there after all! But what had that to do with their current situation?

"You are different," Dagur continued a minute later in an even lower voice. "You have a better moral compass than I have, probably the best. You don't base your decisions on rules and expectations alone even though they have their place. You think further, ahead. You decide what's best for the people who get influenced by your decision. You do what's right, truly and honestly and I admire you for this ability. Don't let these bastards confuse your mind, they are not worth it."

For a moment, Hiccup just stared at Dagur in surprise. This might have been the most serious speech he'd heard from the red-head since they'd been to Vanagard all those years ago and it took Hiccup a minute to comprehend. But then he gasped out a short laugh and shook his head.

"Thanks, Dagur!" He said wholeheartedly. He'd needed to hear this. "Even though I feel like I can't trust my own judgment these days. Everything is just so fuzzy and they make me want to do things that don't feel like me. I… I don't know what to do, how to react. It's all a blur…" He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. His head felt like it was filled with wool and not just because he was still hangoverish. He felt thin, stretched, it was all just too much."

"Yeah, I can see that." Dagur nodded. "Why don't you leave them to me for a while? They are not as horrible as they'd been just now when you're not around. It's almost bearable. I'll keep an ear on any hints they might drop and you take a break. They don't take me seriously anyway, it might be even more likely they let something slip."

Hiccup swallowed and lowered his gaze. Their guests were his responsibility but, by Thor's hammer, Dagur was right. He needed a break. That short conversation had been enough already to push him to the edge of sanity. He was afraid of what he might do if he had to endure a whole day with them again.

"Thanks" he mumbled and Dagur grinned. "I intended to go back to Astrid anyway, she's not well today. I'll join you later again when my mom is through with the dragons and can take over" Hiccup lifted his hand for a short see-you -later gesture but got held up before he could turn and go.

"Before you go back to Astrid, Gobber wanted to talk to you. It seemed important, he asked after you several times already."

"Why didn't he come to our house then?" Hiccup asked frowning. It wasn't like Gobber wouldn't know where to find him.

"I guess he didn't want to be the first to intrude," Dagur explained with an insinuating grin. "You know, after last night, we were all a bit wary. Nobody wanted to disturb you two with whatever you might be up to…"

"Dear Gods…" Hiccup groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Okay, I'm gone! See what Gobber wants… Until later then!" He turned and fled, Dagur's childish giggling still in his ears.

Once outside, he took a deep breath and tried not to be bothered by the sheer brightness of the sun. Snow nine months of the year and hail the other three… Why had the sun to shine today of all days? What wouldn't he give for a good and thick cloud today… He made his way down the stairs, debating for a moment whether to look after Astrid before deciding against it. If he went to her now, she would want to go outside and denying her that again so he could go and see Gobber… No, it would be easier to quickly go and see what Gobber wanted before returning to her.

On his way through the village, he ran into Tuff and Fishlegs though, who were accompanied by... Ruff and Lia? That couldn't be true, why couldn't these Thorstons follow orders, dammit?

"What are you doing here?" He asked unnerved even though the answer was obvious.

"We are going to the Great Hall!" Ruff declared, her arms folded in front of her. "For lunch! Staying at home gets boring after a few days, you know? And these Redthorns clearly aren't as dangerous as you made us believe, nothing happened so far and there are enough people up there anyway" She gave him a challenging look and Hiccup groaned. He had no time to argue with her right now! The hour he'd promised Astrid had to be long over already.

"Why didn't Snot stop you?" Hiccup asked. Surely Snotlout wasn't OK with this craziness. He'd overheard enough of their comments and knew not to take them lightly after all. But when Ruff answered he could have hit himself. Of course…

"Snot's still sleeping off his hangover."

"And Spitelout?" Hiccup inquired. Spite had been one of the few who'd supported his restrictions vigorously right from the beginning. But his friends just shrugged.

"He went to attend to some personal matters, or so he said" Lia explained offhandedly and Ruff nodded, rocking back and forth a little to calm Refflout on her back.

Hiccup sighed. "I guess you won't go back regardless of what I tell you, right?" Fishlegs at least had the decency to look uncomfortable while the other three just smirked. "Okay, I'll see about this later. Tuff, Legs, you are responsible for them, okay? Don't let them wander around on their own! I mean it!"

"Yes, Chief!" Tuff saluted mockingly and with a renewed groan, Hiccup let them go. Trying to talk some sense into a Thorston… That was a challenge he didn't feel up to today. And even though it was a risk Ruff was right. Eret and Dagur were there along with enough other men, she and Lia should be safe. It wasn't them Geir was after.

Hiccup trotted on and a minute later entered Gobber's forge. At first, he thought it was empty. Usually, Gobber would be hard at work at this time of day but the forge wasn't even lit. It reminded Hiccup of how Gobber hadn't been here all week. Maybe he was still resting after his spontaneous journey. He was about to turn and go, to go back to Astrid when he heard voices from the small room in the back of the forge, the one that used to be his workshop when he was a kid. Suddenly curious, he went over to have a look. Since when was Gobber using that room? Anyway, the blacksmith had been looking for him, he might as well ask what he'd wanted.

"I wish we would have thought of this last year already! Maybe we still could have prevented it then. We knew there was something off after all!" echoed Spitelout's despondent voice through the door the instant Hiccup opened it and a moment later, two pairs of eyes turned toward him in surprise.

"Thought about what?" Hiccup asked as he stepped into the small room and saw the gloomy expressions on both men's faces.

"Hiccup, you're up!" Gobber made a step toward him. More wasn't possible anyway in the narrow room. "Good, good. I have news and I don't think you're going to like them"

Hiccup half laughed. "Like them? That would be something new indeed… What is it, Gobber? I don't have much time right now"

"I'll try to hurry then," Gobber sighed. "But you'd better take a seat anyway. Do you know why I left a week ago? Did Spite say anything?"

Hiccup looked bewildered from one to the other and then shook his head. "He said it was something important and I trust you. I'm sure you had good reasons to leave, so, no, I didn't ask. But now I'm curious, what was it?"

Gobber looked back at Spitelout who just shrugged, sighed and then began to talk. "We didn't expect to see the lad, Laif, with the Redthorns. It's… That's something that shouldn't have happened! So I went to check, you know? On the village, he grew up in. And it's gone! Everything! All houses burned to the ground, everything that wouldn't burn destroyed beyond repair. And the people, they-"

"Wait, wait!" Hiccup interrupted him. "You know where he comes from? You know where they attacked? That's… That's brilliant! Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Gobber blinked in surprise. "So you already know what happened?"

"Just that they attacked the village that kept Laif as a hostage to free him," Hiccup answered. "Or that's what Magnus said at least. I don't fully believe him. I don't know why but there was something… off about the whole story. I tried to find out where exactly he attacked so that we could go and look for evidence for their crimes, survivors, or witnesses" He lifted his head, hope rising inside him. "But you were there already! Did you find something? Anything we can hold against them in a trial at the Chief's Tribunal?"

Gobber's face darkened while Hiccup spoke and it gave him an uneasy feeling. "Free the hostage…" he mumbled sarcastically. "Right! As if that's what it was." The blacksmith shook his head and in the background, Spitelout stood up and began to angrily walk up and down. "Well, he wanted Laif, that's for sure. But that means the rest isn't all that relevant anymore. After almost one year, there isn't much of any evidence to find anymore. And survivors… There was one, apparently. An old man they called their father or something. Seems like he was left to die after the attack but got found by people from the neighboring village. He was old though, sickly and badly wounded. They wrote down what the old man said before he died but even they weren't sure whether it was the truth or some feverish dreams. It told me all I needed to know but would hardly hold as a testimony at a trial. No… I fear there's not much to find there anymore."

Hiccup slumped down, every hope to bring them to justice crumbling away. He'd been so sure…

"If only we would have thought of Laif sooner!"Spitelout suddenly burst out. "We could have warned them when the Redthorns bought all those weapons, could have helped and defended them." The late general angrily shook his head. "I should have thought of this, it was so obvious!"

Hiccup watched him in confusion before what he'd said clicked into place. "Wait… You knew about Laif already? How?" At this, Gobber and Spitelout shared a grim look and nodded.

"Yes, we knew about him," Gobber said calmly. "Don't you remember him?" When Hiccup shook his head perplexedly, Gobber pressed his lips into a thin line before he continued.

"Do you remember that Chiefs' Meeting your father took you to? You must have been eight or nine" At this, Hiccup nodded. "That year, Stoick was the one to chair it. That's why he brought you along, I guess. You know, it was one of these big events that only happen every ten years. One where not only the tribes of the barbaric archipelago are invited but also representatives of our neighbors all around. There had been… an incident during this meeting. A young woman from one of the southern villages got raped and murdered"

Hiccup nodded mutely. He remembered that bit. It had been the reason why he hadn't taken Astrid with him to the Redthorns in the first place after all.

"There had been no evidence as to who did it." Gobber continued. "Except everyone knew it had been Magnus! But there was no way to prove it. Your father had no choice but to drop charges. But you knew him, he didn't like it. For days, he and his… ahm… trusted advisors thought about a way to punish him in another way. Then, one night at a tavern, Magnus bragged about how easy it was for him to sail south whenever it pleased him and take any woman he wanted. These Southerners are a peaceful lot, you know? Farmers and craftsmen, barely any warriors. Your father overheard him as did many other Chiefs. It wasn't the same as punishing him for the raping and killing he'd already done and it wasn't exactly following the law either. But after consultation with his advisors, he decided to take Magnus' younger son, a child of maybe one or two winters, away from his father and give him and his nursemaid into the care of the Southerners. Into the village from where the killed woman was, in fact. To ensure the peace and to prevent Magnus from pillaging and raping his way around. He doesn't care for much but his son, his own blood… He wouldn't risk him being killed in retaliation."

Hiccup listened to everything Gobber said and tried to process it all. "Those advisors," he inquired after a pause. "That had been you two, right? That's why you stayed away from them!" His gaze flickered to Spitelout in the background. Gobber hadn't been here anyway but the late general had put a lot of effort into being busy otherwise as not to be one of those who kept the Redthorns company. Spite nodded grimly.

"Aye! It wouldn't have done anyone any good for me to be around them. Snot and Eret said they are quite obnoxious in your presence and you are only Stoick's son. The closest they can get to getting back on him for taking Laif away. They might not know who my son is or they don't care as much but I'm sure they would recognize me in an instant"

Hiccup nodded. He thought about asking why they hadn't told him all this earlier but Gobber had been gone so quickly and he hadn't talked to Spite all week, had always been busy. There had been no opportunity. And then another thought occurred to him.

"I can see why dad decided that way, getting back on Magnus and keeping the peace," he began slowly. "But wasn't that unfair to Laif? He was just a toddler, hadn't done anything wrong. Tearing him out of his family and giving him to a bunch of hostile strangers?" He shook his head. That didn't seem right to him. But Gobber just snorted.

"That's hardly an accurate description of the situation back then. Laif's mother was dead and Magnus isn't exactly the loving-father kind of person. And you misjudge the people of Cresent Harbor. That was that village's name… They don't- didn't think like this. Blaming a child for its father's crimes, that wasn't in them. Stoick knew that. You can be sure that Laif had a better childhood in Cresent Harbor than he would have had on Redthorn Island!"

Again, Hiccup nodded. It made sense. That left only one question. "But what changed?" he asked, shaking his head in confusion. "Why did Magnus decide to attack and take his son back after fifteen years?" But Gobber and Spitelout just shook their heads in equal ignorance.

"We don't know," Spite said the moment Gobber opened his mouth as well.

"I couldn't find any hints or clues in those notes and the people there didn't know anything either"

Despondent silence fell over the small room as all three men followed their own thoughts for a while. These informations… To Hiccup they were good and bad alike. Finally knowing where Magnus and his men attacked… It meant that he didn't need to play nice anymore. He didn't need to act out being friendly which he hadn't been good at anyway. He had the information he'd wanted and surely wouldn't get any more out of his guests. But it also meant that his plan to get them punished for their actions had become harder. If Gobber hadn't been able to find anything… He laid out a plan in his mind and Gobber, who appeared to have watched him closely, was able to determine the exact moment when he was finished.

"What's the plan then?" he asked and Hiccup looked up.

"I'll go myself and look for any pieces of evidence," he said carefully. "No offense, Gobber, but I think I might find more."

"None taken"

"Besides, I need to see it for myself anyway or I'd always wonder. And if I really can't find anything… Well, then we'll go back to watching them. We can't just let them continue as they please"

Spitelout stepped forward, a determined expression on his face. "When will you leave?" he asked and Hiccup gulped. He wanted to leave right away but-

"After all this time, a few days won't make much of a difference I guess. When things have… settled, I guess" He trailed off and let his mind wander. No, he couldn't leave right away. He wouldn't mind offending the Redthorns with such an action, not anymore. But it would be unfair to Dagur, Eret, Snot, and all the others who'd have to deal with them in his stead. And, of course, he couldn't leave Astrid now. Not after the length, he'd gone to stay near her.

Astrid! He was supposed to be ba-

"Alright!" Spite's resolute voice tore him out of his thoughts again. "I'll accompany you!" Hiccup gave the older man a quizzical look but he seemed to be quite determined. "I'm the one who pushed Stoick into making this decision – No, Gobber, you know it's true! And I should have guessed what Magnus planned when he bought all this equipment last year. I should have seen it, should have warned or helped them! Let me at least help now!"

Hiccup hesitated for a few moments but then nodded. "Okay," he agreed. Spitelout seemed sincere and he couldn't deny that taking someone with him was probably not the worst idea. "Well leave in a few days then, when-"

He got interrupted by some shouting outside and perked his head up. Wasn't that…?

"Hiccup? H! Hey, where are you? Chief?"

Yep, that was unmistakably Tuffnut. "If it's about his pet again, I might tell him one day that his wife makes a quite decent Berserker Chicken!" Gobber mumbled and Spite chuckled lowly in response. But Hiccup had sprung up and was out of the force a few seconds later. He knew Tuff well enough by now, this tone of voice meant something more serious. And considering where and with whom he'd been going earlier…

"Tuff!" He called out and trotted to where the shouting came from, the motion making his head pounding again. The male Thorston saw him and jogged toward him, panting and gasping for air.

"Ah, there you – uh… hah! Jus' gimme… a mo…" Tuff panted for air and bent over to rest his hands on his knees.

"Calm down, Tuff. What happened? Coherent words, please" Hiccup tried to soothe his friend even though he felt anything but calm. Clearly, something had happened and all of a sudden, he had a bad feeling. A very bad feeling! Like his guts were turning into a tight knot.

" It's…" Tuff gasped. " It's Geir, he... Astrid…"

. o O o .

The Friday-update is already as good as finished. Just wait three days... :0