Helloooo friends. Happy Friday. I hope you are all doing well.
My lovely reviewers:
MoonbornWalker (The humans name most of the dragons.)
Spartan10007
QuiteARandomFan (I will answer that below.)
Toothless
The Lightning Phoenix
Sag1ttar1us
yesboss21
Vvarden
Ty-ten
Not so many this week! Hope I haven't done anything (much) to offend...
Just a quick little warning for a bit of strong language. Other than that... enjoy.
The room was lit by a single candle, burning low as he nursed his wine. It was an unusual commodity, but they'd offered him an entire bottle upon his arrival. It was times like this, when he couldn't sleep, that he was thankful for it.
There was a sudden pounding on the door, startling him. "Chief! Chief!"
"What is it?"
One of his men rushed in, eyes wide. "I've just received a missive!"
"From who? It's the middle of the night!"
"All he said was, your friends are in danger. I didn't read it, here—"
As he read the scrawled note, a cold fear began to set in. "Where is the man who gave you this?"
"I, uh, don't know, Chief," he said apologetically. "I came straight to you because I thought it was important—"
"It was, you did well. But we must hurry. Assemble a dozen of our strongest men, and get Vasara for me."
"Are we taking a ship?"
"No. We'll fly. It's faster."
"I'll go wake them right away."
"Thank you."
As soon as he was gone, Haku set to writing to his host. It wasn't considered particularly polite to leave in the middle of the night, but he was sure she would understand. Part of him wanted to beg for her assistance, but while she might have been a warrior, her people were not, and he could not ask her to leave them so abruptly. The missive had also been very clear. Bringing an army was not an option.
Once he was satisfied with the note, he folded it and left it on the table. For a moment, he debated leaving the missive as well, then decided against it. Tucking it into his pocket, he quickly packed, grabbed his bow, and went out into the night, heading for the dragon stables.
He fought off his despair, steeling himself. Many of his people were still on Berk, not to mention the entire village who had done so much for them all. Hang on, he thought. I'm coming.
Shade nudged another fish closer to Soren, and immediately his little brother snatched it up and swallowed it whole.
"You have quite the voracious appetite, don't you?" he asked with a smirk.
"Uh huh," Soren replied, not looking up as he strained for another morsel. They were at the feeding station, which was crowded with the usual group of chattering diners.
"Why don't you just get in the bowl? It would be easier," he said, pushing a salmon close enough for the small dragon to sink his teeth into.
"Mama says that it's not polite to play with other dragons' food, even though I wouldn't play, I'd just eat it all, but she says that isn't polite either," he informed him through a mouthful of fish.
"Mama knows best."
A few cheerful cries of "Alpha" went up, and Shade glanced around to see their father approaching with Soturi.
"Hey, Shade. And hello, Soren."
Soren responded with what sounded like "Hi Daddy" but it was sort of hard to tell with his mouth so full. Soturi went straight for the fish, barely acknowledging them as she passed.
"I wanted to ask you something, Shade."
His father seemed relaxed, so it probably wasn't anything serious. "What is it?"
"Well, Snoggletog is coming up—"
"Nnahgag!" Soren exclaimed.
"Yes, nnahgag. We're all going to the nesting grounds with the dragons expecting eggs. By 'we' I mean your mother and siblings, and some others. Hiccup's family is going, and I think he was planning on asking Aeri about it soon. Storm mentioned that Erik wanted Maara and Mika to go, and I'm sure Sahko and James would be invited, so it would be one big happy vacation. Just a few days. What do you say?"
"Well, if Aeri wants to go, and you're all going, I suppose I should."
"Only if you want to. I just thought that maybe you'd like to get away for a little while." Toothless was smiling slightly, but his eyes shone with a kind concern, and Shade almost sighed. It had been a rough few days for him. Maybe a change of scenery wouldn't be such a bad idea.
"You're right. Sure. Sounds like… fun."
"Excellent. We'll be on the ships with the humans, but we could always fly with the mothers if we—"
"Alpha! We have incoming dragon riders!"
Everyone looked up to see a serious looking patrol landing nearby.
"We'll talk later," Toothless told Shade. "Do we know them?"
"They appear to be some of the refugees, Alpha. Their Chief's dragon was at the front of the formation, last I saw."
Uh oh. Shade's thoughts immediately went to Aeri. "Dad, I'll go find Aeri."
"She was in the Great Hall with her family, last I saw," his father replied. "I'll go with you. Soturi, watch Soren, please."
They took off up the hill. Inside the Great Hall, it was warm and noisy, and it took them a while to make their way through the crowded space to the Chief's table. When they finally got to the back of the room, the humans were all laughing hysterically at something Erik had said. Shade hated to interrupt, but if Haku had returned, without the ships, it was probably important. Nudging Aeri's back, he waited for her to turn around while his father went around the other side to Hiccup.
"Oh, hey, bud. Is everything okay?" Her smile faded as he shook his head.
"Excuse me, everyone." It was Hiccup, getting out of his seat. "Don't wait for me." Immediately he strode away with Toothless at his heels. Everyone in their path quickly moved aside, looking curious.
Then Aeri got up, and Shade moved to block her way. "Bud, what is it?" she frowned.
He gave her a worried rumble, not wanting her to have to see Haku, but she just rolled her eyes and squeezed past him. "I'm going, so you can stay here, or come with me."
Sighing exasperatedly, he followed her. If Haku upsets her, I'll bite him in half.
Hiccup slid from Toothless's shoulders with a slight frown as he watched the dragons approach in the fading light. Yes, that's definitely Haku. What is he doing back here? Where are the rest of his people?
As soon as Haku landed, he jumped to the ground, appearing extremely confused. This, in turn, confused Hiccup, and it only intensified as the rest of the small party touched down. The dozen or so men were looking around, apparently bewildered.
"Chief Hiccup!"
"Hello, Haku. To what do we owe the surprise pleasure?" He wasn't particularly thrilled to see the other Chief, perhaps because of the delightful way the young man and his daughter had parted ways. Her current happiness helped with his negative feelings, though, so he wasn't too upset by Haku showing up out of the blue. Perhaps they'd found a suitable home and he couldn't wait to share the news?
"I received word from you that you were under attack," Haku explained, frowning deeply.
"What?" Hiccup hadn't been expecting that at all.
"A missive arrived last night, and we flew as fast as we could back here to see if we could aid you."
"A missive?"
Wordlessly, Haku produced a folded up piece of paper from his sleeve, and Hiccup took it, his own frown deepening as he read the scrawled message.
We are under attack, outnumbered and surrounded. We can't hold them off for much longer. My daughter has been captured. Your people need you. DO NOT bring a large force, you will be spotted and they will kill us all. You are our only hope.
Beneath it was an unmistakable signature. Hiccup always signed his name with three H's with a line through them, and to an unfamiliar eye, this would seem like a legitimate letter from him. But the handwriting was definitely not his, and Hiccup certainly had not sent a desperate plea to Haku of all people for aid. There was also the small detail that Berk was not actually under attack at the moment.
Lowering the note, he met Haku's eyes. The young Chief's features were strained with weariness and worry, and his men's confusion was giving way to clear exhaustion.
"Alright. Needless to say, we are not being attacked, and I did not send this missive. We can discuss this later. Right now, why don't you unsaddle your dragons, and head up to the Great Hall for a hot meal? I'm sure your people would love to see you and hear about your journey thus far. Go on."
Haku nodded encouragingly to his men, who perked up at the mention of food and loved ones, before turning back to Hiccup. "Of course, I'm very glad that you are all alright, but who would send this, and why?"
"I have no idea, Haku. We can try and figure it out tomorrow. You need to rest and recuperate a bit. There's no imminent threat, so eat, socialize, and get a good night's sleep. Okay?"
"Okay. Thank you, Chief."
"Of course."
As the black-haired Chief trudged away, Hiccup turned to Toothless. "Something's not right."
His best friend nodded solemnly, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I guess we will worry about it tomorrow. I just hope that he doesn't run into—"
"Dad!"
He looked up at the urgent whisper, and saw Aeri cautiously making her way out from between two houses, glancing back and forth. Behind her, Shade was doing the same, and Hiccup had to chuckle at how very conspicuous they were in that moment.
"I think you're safe, Aeri."
She rolled her eyes, but gave up her attempt at sneakiness. "What are they doing here?"
He handed her the missive. "They received this."
As she read, her eyes widened, then her brows knitted in puzzlement. "Who is this from?"
"They thought it was from us."
"This isn't your handwriting."
"Well, I know that, but how was Haku supposed to?"
She wrinkled her nose with slight distaste, but seemed otherwise unperturbed by the mention of her former friend. "Who delivered this message?"
"An unidentified man. It was the middle of the night, and seemed to be a matter of life and death, so they didn't think to question him further."
"This is so suspicious it practically stinks. What are we going to do?"
Hiccup barely avoided beaming at her, but his chest did swell with pride just a bit. She was taking responsibility, addressing problems, behaving with maturity and intelligence…
"Dad?"
"Oh, sorry. I told him we'd deal with it tomorrow. You are, of course, welcome to join us. I'm going to alert the council that we'll be meeting after breakfast. Think you'll be awake by then?"
She stuck out her tongue at his teasing tone. Right. Maturity. "I don't know, I usually like to sleep in until mid-afternoon, and Shade gets pretty grumpy if he's woken up before lunch…"
There was an outraged grumble, and Aeri stumbled forwards as Shade nudged her firmly in the back with his nose. Toothless laughed audibly, and Hiccup watched fondly as his daughter grinned and shoved her dragon in return, though he barely moved an inch and yawned in her face as if saying, Please, this again?
Whatever was going on, it would be okay. They just needed to stick together. He was reminded of an old saying his father always used to say. United we stand… divided, we fall.
"Aeri!"
The call stirred her from her slumber, and groggily she looked around. It was early, that she knew. The council meeting wasn't until after breakfast, so there was no reason for her to be awoken now, unless something had happened.
Concern shot through her, and she quickly got up and began dressing. "I'll be down in a minute!"
She pulled open her bedroom door, hastily braiding her hair as she descended the staircase. Her worry only intensified at the sight of her parents and grandmother standing below, faces grim. James was sitting crosslegged on his bedroll, seeming alert, though his hair was sticking out all over the place, and there was a crease on his face from his pillow. Their eyes met, and he smiled ever so slightly, warming her heart and calming her nerves.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"A trade ship docked about an hour ago. Its surviving crew reported being attacked by a 'demon in the night' not far from Outcast Island, and their vessel has the scorch marks to prove it."
She glanced at Shade, who sat next to Sahko with a slight frown. "A demon in the night?"
"So it would seem."
"They were attacked by a lone dragon in the middle of the night?"
"An invisible demon, shooting balls of fire, only detectable by its high-pitched shriek."
"A Night Fury? There aren't any Night Furies on Outcast Island, and even if there were, the Outcasts stopped attacking ships a long time ago."
Her father pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "It's hard to believe, but the blast marks are unmistakable."
"What are you going to do?"
"We're going to investigate. I postponed the council meeting indefinitely. Hopefully we can sort this out quickly, before something else happens."
Something was nagging at the back of her mind, but she couldn't figure out what it was, so she shook it off. "You're all going?"
"It was just going to be your father and grandmother," her mother said with a small smile. "But I invited myself along, even though I'm not a legendary dragon master."
"We very much welcome your assistance, dear. You have as much experience as any of us, and not only that, you have a way with the Outcasts that never ceases to amaze me."
Astrid's small smile widened. "Oh, it's no big deal, you just have to earn their respect."
"There's respect, which they have for me, and there's awe, fear, and adoration, which they have for you. You beat the snot out of their toughest warrior, if I recall correctly."
"He just needed to learn some manners from a real lady," she said sweetly. "And since there were no real ladies around, I had to do it."
Her father laughed. "Who knew it would be so easy to turn those rough, crusty, backwards hulks into enlightened gentlemen? And that it would only take two and a half minutes, if you count the minute and a half you spent demanding that he say 'uncle' as you choked him with his own broken arm?"
"Who knew, indeed."
"Okay, so what do you need me to do?" Aeri steered the conversation back on track.
"Well, since we're all leaving—"
"Think of it as a pre-vacation before our actual vacation to the nesting grounds," her mother smirked.
"—we decided to leave you in charge. The village will pretty much run itself for today, so you can take it easy. If, on the off-chance, something comes up, you can either try to deal with it yourself, or wait for my return. You always have Fishlegs and Gobber for advice, and Snotlout for muscle, though you are more than capable of providing your own brains and brawn to any given situation. Sound good?"
Aeri nodded. "I think we'll manage just fine. Good luck with the rogue dragon."
"We'll try to come back with as many limbs as we started off with," her father winked. "Alright, let's get going. Time's a-wastin'!"
The door shut behind them, and for a moment, the only sound was the crackling fire. Aeri looked to James, and he gave her a crooked smile. "Alright, Chief Aeri. What's the first order of business?"
Sighing audibly, she plopped into a chair, then smiled back at him. "I think the acting Chief needs some breakfast. But maybe we could eat here? Because…" she trailed off, her smile slipping, and his expression immediately became serious. Pushing himself to his feet, he came over and crouched in front of her.
"Because you'd rather not see him if you don't have to."
She could only nod, and he took her hands and clasped them between his own. "Then we'll stay here. No problem."
"I just— I just wish I didn't care. But it hasn't been that long, and it still kind of… hurts."
He nodded understandingly. "That's okay. It would be odd if you were totally fine about it so soon. You don't have to speak to him or see his face or even acknowledge his presence in any way if you don't want to."
"Thank you, James." It was so very nice that he didn't take her sensitivity about Haku to be a reflection of her feelings for him.
"Of course, Chief Aeri. What would you like to do after breakfast?"
"After breakfast…" she smiled. "The acting Chief wouldn't mind being joined by her consort for some invigorating fun."
His eyebrows lifted, and her face immediately heated. "Um, I meant flying. Morning flight. With our dragons. Outside. Fully clothed…"
He seemed to be trying very hard not to smile. "Oh, I think I understand now. I wasn't at all sure until you specified that you and your consort would not, in fact, be underdressed for the activity in question."
She slapped her hands over her face with a groan, and he finally burst out laughing. Peeking out between her fingers, she took in his mischievous grin and bedhead and her heart almost skipped a beat. She didn't know what she had done to deserve him, but she thanked the gods that they had seen fit to give her such happiness.
Erik grinned, slightly exasperated. "What is the matter with you?"
Storm was bounding around him in circles, nudging him and warbling in a demanding fashion. "What? Are you hungry? You don't need me to feed you," he pointed out, and she rolled her eyes. "Well, what is it, then?" She looked up at the sky, then at him, then back up to the sky, then back to him. "You want to fly?" Her head bobbed in affirmation. "We can go after breakfast, I promised Maara—"
"Erik?"
The soft voice had him spinning around happily. "Well, good morning, m'lady. I was just telling Storm here that I can't go flying now, because I promised to get breakfast with you at the Great Hall this morning."
"Actually, would it be alright if we didn't?" The request was casual, but her stormy eyes betrayed her disquiet, and her gloved hands were clasped tightly in front of her, which usually indicated that she was anxious about something.
"What's the matter?" he asked, concerned. "And don't say nothing."
She exhaled audibly. "I just… I don't really want to see him."
Oh. "Hey, that's alright," he said, reaching down and taking her hands in his. "I'm sure we have something in the house that will tide us over, and we can go with Storm wherever she wants to take us, which will hopefully be out of the village and away from… people. Sound good?"
Maara nodded, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Perfect. Come on, if we take much longer, I think Storm will leave without us." Soon, they had wrapped up a small breakfast for themselves and were in the saddle, and Storm wasted no time in taking off. But she didn't follow the perimeter of the island like she usually did. Instead, she flew inland, over the forest and around the mountain.
"Where are we going?" he asked her, but she didn't respond, eyes fixated on the ground. So he just rested a hand over Maara's arms, which were wrapped around his waist.
A few minutes later, Storm angled her wings and began a slow descent towards a patch of trees that seemed virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding forest. Erik's confusion mounted as he wondered what they were doing out here. Fortunately, it wasn't snowing, but that didn't mean it wouldn't start at any given time.
Once she had navigated between the thick branches to land in the deep powder, Erik dismounted and helped Maara down. "Storm, what are we doing out—" But she was off, moving quickly through the trees. "Hey, wait up!" Holding hands, they stumbled after her, following her tracks in the snow when they lost sight of her.
"Where is she going?" Maara huffed.
"I really don't know," Erik replied with a frown. "At least there's no chance whatsoever of us running into your brother out here."
They caught up to Storm just in time to see her dart into a dark opening in a hillside. "What the Hel?" he grumbled.
"Uh, Erik? Do we have to go into the dark and spooky hole in the ground?" They slowed to a stop, standing at the entrance.
Suddenly Storm reappeared, warbling once before turning back and vanishing again.
"I think she wants us to follow her," he said slowly. "You don't have to—"
"Are you kidding me? Last time I let you go underground by yourself, you almost died. But if we die in this cave, I want you to know that you will not be resting in peace."
"Good to know," he squeezed her hand. "Well, let's see where she's brought us."
The tunnel was actually very short, but it turned into a dark space, and they stopped. "Storm," he called out softly. "We can't see."
A small light flashed through the darkness and caught on some brush, casting flickering light over the cave. But when they finally saw what Storm had led them to, their jaws dropped.
"Oh, shit."
Haku sat in the Great Hall, nursing a mug of ale. It was starting to clear out, as most had finished their breakfast, and were ready to begin their days. Many of his men were with him, talking amongst themselves. They seemed relieved to see their friends and family members who had not accompanied them on their voyage, and Haku had no trouble letting them catch up. He'd received word from the Chief that a situation had arisen that demanded his immediate attention, but that he would return as soon as possible.
One of the enormous doors opened, and in walked a few of his men, leading a small band of strangers. Who were they?
They filled plates with food, before coming over to where Haku sat. "Chief, these men arrived early this morning. They brought word of the issue that called Chief Hiccup away. We invited them to eat with us, if that's alright."
Haku nodded. These strangers seemed a bit worse for wear, and he was certainly in no position to turn away those who had seen difficult times. "Please, sit with us, and tell us about this issue."
One of the strangers spoke up as they all crowded onto the benches. He had a heavy accent, but his words were clear. "We were sailing past Outcast Island…" Soon a group of people had gathered around, listening avidly.
Haku became increasingly concerned as the man told his story. A demon, invisible in darkness, with an unearthly shriek… A memory rose, of his very first encounter with Shade. Except, Shade hadn't been attacking them. Now he understood why the Chief had gone out to investigate. A rogue Night Fury would be very bad news.
After the man had finished speaking, those listening began to murmur worriedly, before Haku spoke up. "That sounds like a harrowing experience. I'm sure it was a bit of a shock to see so many dragons here, given the nature of your arrival."
"Ah, yes," the man replied. Haku got the feeling he was the leader of their group. "We certainly were not expecting to see them living in the village. But they paid us no mind, and the people don't seem at all perturbed by them, so we can hope that we are safe here."
"Oh, this is the safest place in the world," one of Haku's men said carelessly. "The dragons are all controlled by—"
"What he's trying to say," Haku interrupted, "is that the people here have been at peace with the dragons for many years now. So there is no trouble between them."
"Who keeps them in line, though?"
"The Chief's dragon, he's in charge of all of them," the same man responded, and Haku nearly winced. Shut up, shut up, shut up… "Scary devil, he is, but they all swear he wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Oh, the black one? Yes, he was rather intimidating."
A different stranger spoke up. "They're all scary, but there was one I saw on the way up, especially frightening…"
"What did it look like?"
"Black and purple, all spiny and mean-looking…"
Though Haku was on edge, he nearly growled with irritation. Winter's dragon. Of course.
"…I've only ever seen one other like it, and I never expected to find another as someone's pet."
"Well," Haku said. "They're not so much pets, as… wait, you said you've seen another trained Skrill?" Hadn't there been a discussion about how ill-tempered and untrainable Skrills were?
"Yes, we've seen another… Skrill, was it?"
The leader interrupted. "That was different, though. The man who rode it was more dangerous than the dragon. Can you blame it for submitting to him?"
"Not really. A beast, he was. What a terrifying pair."
His thoughts were starting to spin out of control. "What? Who are you talking about?"
The strangers looked at one another. "No one knows where he came from. He's a mercenary. A sword for hire. Known for two things."
A different man continued. "His Hel-beast, and his weapon of choice."
The first took a swig from his mug. "A sword, said to be unbreakable, and sharp enough to cleave through any material."
"It's how he got his name, after all."
"Funny, though," one said after a moment. "He hasn't been around for a while. Maybe his Hel-beast ate him."
"No, no. I heard someone hired him for something big."
"Yeah, it was the woman. She was looking for something."
Haku froze. It can't be.
"Silver can find anything. Whatever she was looking for, I'm sure he found it."
"As long as he's not looking for me, I don't care. The last thing I want is that silver sword sticking out of my gut."
He swallowed, and tried to sound calm. "This mercenary… he can find people?"
"That's his specialty. Silver always finds his man. And when he finds them… let's just say it's not pretty."
"And if that woman is involved, you can bet your sorry ass that after he finds what it is she wants, bad things are sure to follow."
The strangers chuckled, but Haku's pulse was roaring in his ears. Silver… always finds his man. Dragon rider. Silver sword. Dangerous, terrifying… works for a woman, hasn't been seen in a while…
"Chief, are you alright?"
One of his men was watching him with worried eyes, and the crowd had fallen silent. He came out of nowhere, all concern and mystery, but he was on that ship with her, he was with the pirates… All of his confusion and frustration and grief suddenly focused into a burning, barely controlled rage, and he stood up abruptly, features twisting with hate.
"It's him."
James smiled as Sahko touched down on the snowy street. Aeri and Shade had landed a few moments before, having soundly trounced them in their race back to the village. They'd flown around for a couple of hours, taking advantage of the snowless skies, which he hoped had helped Aeri relax a bit.
Sliding to the ground, he turned and patted Sahko's neck. "I think she's feeling better," he murmured quietly, pleased with the day thus far. Until something cold smacked into the back of his head and he yelped, whirling around. Aeri was standing about ten feet away, her back to him, adjusting a strap on Shade's saddle. Bringing a hand up, he brushed the snow out of his hair and shivered as icy water dripped down his back. Who had thrown that? There was no one else around... Then he met Shade's eyes, and the dragon seemed to smirk.
Oh, Hel no. Quietly he leaned down, pressing a finger to his lips. Shade just watched him, his amusement apparent, as he scooped up a handful of snow. Straightening, he paused for a second, then threw the snowball with the precision of a blade at the back of her head. He was already cheering internally when she suddenly ducked, and the snowball passed harmlessly above her.
"What?! How the Hel did you-"
Without warning she spun around, still crouching, and launched another snowball that hit him right in the face before he even registered what had happened. Stumbling back, he heard her giggling, and wiped the snow off his face with a glare.
"Oh, it is so on." Her grin slipped at his menacing tone, and she held up her hands placatingly.
"Hey, I didn't mean-" He ran straight at her, and with a squeak of alarm she quickly vaulted over Shade's back and took off. James followed, leaping onto and over the laughing Night Fury before sprinting after her.
As they ran through the streets, he scooped up chunks of snow and hurled them after her. A few hit her in the back, but the rest flew wide. Sahko and Shade kept pace with them, hopping from rooftop to rooftop. There were a few people out and about, and they all laughed heartily at the sight of their acting Chief leading him on a merry chase through the village. Some wished him luck, and a few offered snippets of advice that successfully made his face redden.
Aeri took a hard left, and just a few seconds behind her, James nearly lost his balance on a patch of ice before sprinting around the corner. He saw her standing right in front of him and immediately tried to slow down, then he was blinded by yet another snowball and he ended up hitting her anyways, taking them both down into a snowbank.
He felt her wriggling away, so he grabbed ahold of her waist and hauled her back, blinking hard to get the water out of his eyes. "You're not getting away this time!"
A gentle hand wiped the snow off his face, until he could see Aeri smiling at him. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion, and her green eyes sparkled with laughter.
Oh, gods. She is so beautiful. Without thinking, his grip tightened, holding her close. Then he shook his head, and grinned victoriously.
"I have you now! You'll never escape me! Time for me to exact my revenge—mm!"
Suddenly her lips were pressed against his, and his thoughts of revenge vanished as he closed his eyes and kissed her back with all he was worth. Too soon, she pulled away, and he blinked stupidly.
Beaming, she kissed his cheek, then without warning she rolled out of his arms and took off running. "I'm getting away!" she called cheekily.
His face heated, but he had to laugh. Unsteadily, he got to his feet, surprised that their kiss hadn't melted the entire snowbank, and gave chase.
"That's not fair!" he shouted.
"I'm exploiting my opponent's weaknesses! Classic military strategy!"
"I'm not sure I would consider that a 'classic military strategy'," he huffed.
"It was effective, wasn't it?"
"I'm going to have to get creative when I catch you, then."
"I look forward to it!"
He couldn't help but grin. She turned another corner, but before he even got close, a massive pile of snow landed on him and knocked him off his feet once again. "What the—" Looking up, he saw Shade on the rooftop with a mischievous smirk. The few people on the street had witnessed the whole thing, and were laughing along with the dragon.
"What did I ever do to you?" James grumbled, but he ended up chuckling as he got up and brushed the snow from his clothes. "Now she's probably long gone…"
He made for the corner, but slowed when he heard an angry voice. "Where is he?" That sounds like Haku…
"Who? What's the matter—"
"I'm not going to ask again! Where is he?!" Anger set in. How dare he speak to her that way?
He ran around the corner, and saw Aeri standing in front of Haku, and… a sizable crowd of people. "What's going on—"
Before he could finish his question, Haku shoved past Aeri, and in a flash his fist collided with James's cheek, sending him stumbling back with stars in his eyes.
"Haku! What the Hel are you doing?!" It was Aeri, furiously defending him. Haku was strong, no doubt about that, but James had taken far worse. He straightened, rubbing his cheek, but didn't bother with any pretense of outrage. What would be the point? He almost wished the blow had just killed him, so that he wouldn't have to endure what he knew was about to come.
"How can you defend him?!" Haku was almost screaming in her face, and his heart gave a painful twinge when she didn't back down an inch.
Sahko was at his side, growling angrily, but James just held out a hand, and the Skrill gave what had to be the saddest grumble he'd ever heard, his eyes shining with regret. The crowd was a mixture of refugees and villagers, all of them watching with varying degrees of horror or anger, the volume of their voices growing with each passing moment. Haku shoved Aeri out of the way, which James knew was a bad move for several very specific reasons. The young Chief's hand wrapped around his throat, but James didn't resist, calmly meeting his murderous glare.
Before Haku could even lift his fist to strike him, a spine-chilling snarl tore through the air, and he immediately froze, an inkling of fear appearing in his eyes. The crowd fell silent, no one daring to make a sound.
"Let him go. Now." Her voice was like steel. Cold, unforgiving, deadly steel. When Haku hesitated a second too long, there was a deafening roar. "You know exactly what he is capable of, Haku. So unless you want to take your chances with his remaining self-control, I suggest you back. Off. NOW."
Haku released him, eyes glowing with hatred. He took a few steps backward, keeping his hands raised placatingly, though James had no doubt that if Haku truly knew the full extent of his guilt, he likely wouldn't stay back for long. Aeri's face was hard with anger, which was fearsome enough, but for the less perceptive, Shade's bared teeth and slitted pupils conveyed the message quite clearly.
"Aeri, he's not who you think he is," Haku ground out.
"Then who is he, exactly?" James held his breath, wondering what would be said.
"He's a mercenary."
"What?"
"He's a bounty hunter. Goes by the name of 'Silver' because of his sword."
"Who told you this?"
"The sailors who arrived this morning. They saw the Skrill, and the sickening truth came out. He makes a living by—"
"What's your point, Haku?" This was it. She didn't seem particularly perturbed by the news that he was secretly a mercenary, but he knew what came next.
"What's my point? Think about it, Aeri! What do you think he's doing here?!"
The first flicker of confusion appeared on her face. "I don't know—"
"For fuck's sake, Aeri, it was him! He led her right to us!"
"What? What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that pirate witch hired him to track you down! And obviously, he succeeded!"
"That's not true. Tell him it's not true, James." When he didn't immediately respond, a gut-wrenching expression of disbelief crept onto her features. "James?" she whispered.
"Aeri, listen to me. I didn't— I never meant for this to happen." She had to believe him. He needed her to understand that he would never do anything to hurt her.
"Didn't you, though?" Haku butted in furiously. "Isn't it a part of your job description, sellsword? Don't tell me you didn't know what that bitch was planning. Don't act like you're innocent!"
"I know I'm not innocent, Haku. That's the last thing I would claim to be," he said icily.
"I should hope so!" the other man shouted. "My people, my home! Murdered, destroyed, just so you could line your pockets with gold!"
"That's not what it was about!"
"Really? Please, enlighten me. What could you possibly have gotten out of leading her to Aeri and Shade? What did she promise you?" A strange glint shone in his stormy eyes, and a pit opened in James's stomach. "I think I see now. It's suddenly very clear to me."
"No. You don't—"
"She would get Shade… and you would get Aeri." There were gasps in the crowd as the accusation hit home.
"No, no—"
"Don't deny it! I can see it in your eyes!" Haku's gaze was venomous.
In all his tortured dreams, James had never envisioned this scenario going quite as hideously as it was going now. Not because of what he knew they were going to do to him. No, he almost didn't even mind that part. It was because of Aeri. Her face was white with shock and horror.
"It wasn't like that! It wouldn't have been like that!" he protested, trying to ease her pain.
"So you admit it?" Haku hissed. "You're despicable. The lowest form of low. People don't matter to you, do they? You kill and you take what you want with no regard for who might get hurt. It's all just business as usual."
"That is not true." It was James's turn to shout angrily. "I've never been in the business of hurting innocents, Haku!"
"Tell me what Aeri was to you, then! If not an innocent life, what was she that made her an acceptable casualty? You didn't even know her!"
"You really want to know? You really want to know what motivated a heartless, cruel monster like me to suddenly take an interest in someone like Aeri? I'll tell you. I thought she could help me. Yeah, go ahead and sneer. I wasn't born without a conscience, contrary to what you seem to think. I did what I thought was right. Every target, every job— I did it because I wanted to bring criminals to justice. I was well-suited to the task of hunting them down, and helping their victims get even. I managed to go quite a while without committing murder. In fact, the first man I killed had dragged me into an alleyway and would have enjoyed making me suffer before mercilessly ending my life. And he wasn't alone. There were five of them. Five against one. Maybe you can justify my death in that circumstance, say that my life wasn't worth the five of theirs, but they were going to go after Sahko. They were going to hurt my friend. And I couldn't allow that to happen. So I did what I had to. And you know what? I'm not sorry. I would kill a hundred thugs like them if they dared threaten someone I loved.
"But after that, I was done. Don't look at me like that, Haku. Have you ever killed a man with your own hands? It changes you. I never wanted to lift my sword again, no matter what. Until I was approached by a mysterious pirate, with an unusual offer. I was to find a girl. But, in the pirate's words, I was "uniquely equipped" for the task. Take a guess as to why. That was the first time I had ever even heard about another dragon rider. My immediate response was to decline. I had enough gold to last me a lifetime, and I had no interest in being a mercenary ever again. But she found my weakness and exploited it. My desire to find a purpose in life, to find answers to my moral dilemma. I wouldn't even have to capture the other rider, just find her. That was all I had to do. I wanted a chance to talk to this rider, who sounded like she might know something I didn't about life. Something that might help me on my journey. I was a fool to go along with Surmata's plan, I knew that from the first moment I saw Aeri. It took me all of a minute to realize that I had made an enormous, irrevocable mistake in leading Surmata to Heimme. A minute spent with Aeri was enough to show me that she was good. Not just innocent, but good. She did not deserve to be hurt. Ever."
"I can't listen to this," Haku spat. "Don't you dare make this about her."
"But it is about her—"
"She means nothing to you, you bastard!"
"That's where you're wrong, Haku! Condemn me for my actions, punish me, make me suffer for who I am and what I've done, but don't you dare tell me who I do or do not care about! You don't get that privilege!"
"And you shouldn't even have the privilege of knowing her!"
"You know, I actually agree with you. She is so much better than I am, in every way, that it's not even funny. She's stronger than me, braver than me, smarter than me… But on top of that, she's kind and caring and thoughtful. She's funny and sensitive. She's special. And that's what kills me. I don't regret knowing her. She showed me what life could have been like, if only I were someone else. But I'm not someone else. I am who I am and because of that, she got hurt. And she's getting hurt again. So if I could go back, I would make sure she never even knew I existed, because she doesn't deserve the pain that I've caused her."
"How precious. How utterly absurd and idiotic. You know what you should be more concerned about? The blood of the hundreds of people who died because of your selfish quest to find "meaning" in your life. You know what would have meant something? You dying in their stead! I should—"
"That's enough, Haku." All eyes turned to Aeri. Her voice was just loud enough to be heard by all, steady and calm. James searched her face, but her expression was completely blank. She seemed to have recovered from her previous shock, but he didn't think for a second that meant she was okay. "I think we've all heard enough for today."
"What do we do with 'im, Aeri?" one of the Vikings said gruffly, watching her with some concern.
"He should be punished! Now!" a refugee shrieked, and immediately the crowd broke out into loud shouting, some for James's head.
Beside him, Sahko hissed angrily, preparing to defend him, but James gestured for him to stop. "No, Sahko. This is my fate." Though it pained him to say it, he had to. "You should go."
The Skrill looked at him like he was insane, not budging an inch. The look in his eyes clearly said, I'm not going anywhere. James felt a rush of gratitude for his friend's loyalty, even though it might cost him his life. The din of the crowd was deafening now, and he could very clearly see some holding weapons.
Aeri held up her hands, and incredibly enough, everyone quieted. "My father returns tonight. He will decide what will be done. Hey!" she raised her voice as people began to argue. "He is the Chief of this island. His word is law. You will abide by his decision and you will not dispute it! Is that understood?" Grudgingly, the majority of the crowd murmured their agreement. "Hoark, Wilhelm, take him to the prison. I don't think he'll be causing you any trouble." Two burly Vikings stepped forward, nodding. "I want one of you inside, keeping an eye on him, and the other outside. No one enters that building unless I say so. If there's any trouble, come to me. I'll be at my grandmother's house if anyone needs me, but please, if it's not an emergency, I would appreciate you holding your concerns until later."
"Uh, Aeri? What do we do with the Skrill?" One of James's guards pointed at Sahko. He felt a sudden urge of fear. Were they going to hurt him? James would be powerless to stop them if they tried.
"Leave him alone. He'll probably go with you. Don't worry, he's smart. He won't be a problem. I'm sure there will be other dragons around to keep him in line." She glanced at Shade as if to confirm this, and the Night Fury nodded slightly. His expression was just as unreadable as his rider's. "But I want him to stay outside the jail."
For a moment, James was irritated. Did she really think he and Sahko would try to escape if they were together? Then he realized: She was doing him a favor. She knew that James would probably want his dragon to get as far away from Berk as possible, and so was giving him the opportunity to go. Although he could tell she knew as well as he did that Sahko wasn't going to leave him, ever.
The two guards nodded and stepped forward, gesturing for him to turn around and walk. James met Aeri's gaze one last time. Her expression was impenetrable, but that didn't stop him from summoning every last bit of remorse he had. I'm so, so sorry.
Her face didn't change, yet he felt slightly better for having tried. Taking a deep breath, he turned his back on her. He didn't bother looking at Haku, he could practically feel the other man glaring daggers at him. The crowd parted to allow the guards to escort him away. A few voiced threats, or muttered insults. But the rest were quiet. Behind him, he heard Sahko growl at their words, and he wished there was some sort of comfort he could offer his friend. But even if he could, there was nothing he could say that would make it any better.
Once they were far enough away, one of the guards said in a low voice, "Don't worry. No one'll bother you once we're at the prison."
The other Viking gave a gruff chuckle. "That's because no one's fool enough to cross Aeri. She's just as fierce as her mother, but with the level head of her father. That's a terrifying combination."
James privately agreed with them, but didn't feel that it would be right to voice his thoughts on the matter. As they walked through the unusually quiet village, footsteps crunching in the snow, James looked around, taking in the place he'd grown to love more than any other. Of course, it meant nothing without the people who lived there, that made it so incredible. His guilt was stifling. He had lied to them. They had taken him in, trusted him— and now they knew the truth.
"Winter!" a familiar voice cried, and James turned to see Erik and Storm running towards them. The young man took in the guards flanking him, and slowed, confusion evident on his face. "Winter, what's going on? Maara and I just got back and saw the crowd back there, she went that way but I saw you over here and— did something happen? Are you alright?"
James felt even more guilty over the genuine concern coming from Aeri's younger brother. "Erik. Listen. You can't be seen with me. They might—"
"Why not? Who's they? What would they do?"
He couldn't help the exasperated smile that came to his lips, but he tried to make himself look serious again. "Erik… I'm not who you think I am. I've done some really terrible things. Things that you will likely hear about very soon and never forgive me for. Everyone else has already passed that point. These two gentlemen are leading me to the prison, where I will await your father's judgment upon his return."
"I'll go with you then," Erik said resolutely.
"Erik, no one's to go in. Aeri's orders. And we gotta get 'im there sooner rather than later, otherwise someone's bound to risk her wrath and hurt 'im." The guards were both looking around warily, as though expecting an angry mob to materialize at any moment.
The young man frowned. "Aeri is sending you to the prison? Winter, what did you do?"
James didn't deserve Erik's concern. Not after everything he had done. "It's all my fault, Erik. If it weren't for me, everyone on Heimme would still be alive and safe and happy."
His frown deepened. "Are you… a pirate?"
"Worse than a pirate. So much worse. I led them there, Erik. It's my fault. It's my fault they're dead. It's my fault she got hurt."
"Who got hurt?"
"Your sister, Erik. They hurt her then, and now I've gone and hurt her, too. You'll hear all about it from everyone else, I'm sure. Please, just… be angry. Hate me. Curse me. Beat the living Hel out of me if it makes you feel better. You'll only regret showing me concern."
"I doubt that, even though I worry if you say you've hurt Aeri in some way. You're not a bad person, Winter. You might have made some pretty serious mistakes, but I've spent enough time with you to be able to say, with confidence, that you're not evil."
"I think you'll be changing your mind pretty soon about that—"
"No, I won't."
"You will after you see how upset Maara is."
"She's not upset. Yet."
"She will be. She will want me dead and so will you."
Erik rolled his eyes. Simultaneously, Sahko and Storm let out low growls of warning, and they all heard the sound of shouting approaching. "All right, we better get you to the prison. It's probably not safe for you out here."
"Erik—"
"Get over it, Winter. I'll leave when I feel like it. Come on Hoark, Wilhelm; let's not dilly-dally any longer."
They set off at a rapid pace, finally reaching the prison. "This place hasn't been used in years," Erik said. Hopefully there aren't any creatures living in there. Wilhelm, remember the time you guys found that Fireworm nest when you were knocking down the old house on the edge of town?"
"Ye make it sound like it was a scientific discovery, rather than a hellish nightmare," the Viking snorted.
"Who cares about a little destruction when you get to play with wild dragons?"
"Yeah, "playtime" had half of us sitting in ice baths for a week to soothe the burns."
"And you all got rid of that lingering Viking stench while you were at it. Seems like the benefits outweighed the debatable drawbacks. I often find myself longing for another such incident that would require you all to disinfect."
Hoark guffawed. "Oh, ye think it's bad now? Before yer father became Chief, bathing wasn't even a consideration. We collectively smelled worse than a yak's behind and were proud of it. But it wasn't long before he had us all washing at least twice a week. I don't know how he did it."
"I believe the reasoning was, 'Dragons have very sensitive noses.' And damn it if we didn't do it for the ungrateful beasts," Wilhelm said, getting another laugh out of Hoark.
"All right. Wilhelm, ye want to go in with Winter, here? I'll sit out front and keep out the riffraff."
"Sounds good. Ye've always been better with people, anyways." Wilhelm opened the door and strode inside. "Coming, Winter?"
"Of course, just a moment." James turned to Erik, feeling somber. "Erik, this is probably goodbye. I can't imagine them letting me live, now that the truth's come out."
"I'll fight for you," he said firmly.
"I don't deserve that. It's well within their rights to do what they will with me."
"Winter—"
"James." It escaped him before he could hold it back.
"What?"
"Winter is my last name. My first is James."
"Alright then. James."
He sighed, feeling suddenly tired. "You're a good man, Erik. You've got a very bright future. Just… do me a favor."
"What?"
"Take care of Aeri. Watch out for her. Don't let anyone hurt her."
Erik nodded seriously. "I can do that. But that means you have to do me a favor, too."
"I'll do my best, with what little time I have left."
"Good. I want you to hang in there. Don't give up just yet. I'm not about to sit back and let you die so they can have their revenge. It won't make them feel any better. But it will hurt Aeri if she has to watch you get killed. She really cares about you, James. I don't think she will let them do it."
James felt a surge of emotion at the thought of Aeri standing up for him, even after finding out what he had done. "I'm not worth it."
"I know my sister. She likely thinks otherwise. You may have hurt her, but you've also loved her. She won't ever forget that. And you better not, either." Erik stepped back, letting his words sink in. "Goodbye, James."
"Goodbye, Erik." James turned and walked through the open door, closing it softly behind him. And with it, he closed his last hope.
Sahko listened to Storm's human talk to James. He was pleased with the young man's steadfastness. Of course, being Storm's human, he would have to be at least halfway decent.
"This is bad."
He turned to face the younger dragon. She was watching him carefully, her green eyes brimming with concern.
"Yes. This is bad. But we knew it was going to happen eventually."
"Why didn't you leave, then? Before the truth came out."
"Because we had an obligation to protect you all from Surmata. To thwart her, should she ever show her face again. And, I couldn't make him leave. He had been so miserable, for so long… even if we die here, it will have been worth it to have this brief time of peace."
"We? Even if the humans do kill James, they won't hold you accountable for his actions."
"Yes, we. I have no intention of going on without him. If his life ends, so does mine. I will have no reason to exist if he is not with me."
"They won't kill you. They don't kill dragons anymore."
"I could always become violent. Kill one of them. Then they'd have to."
"No. I won't let you."
"So I'd have to find a way to kill myself, then. That's an unhappy thought."
"It's all unhappy, Sahko."
"Perhaps I should starve myself. That seems like it wouldn't bother anyone," he mused.
"Stop."
"I could always pick a fight with a bigger, meaner dragon. Let him rip me to shreds."
"Stop it."
"Or I could drown myself. Just fly straight into the ocean and swim down."
She growled loudly. "I said, stop it!"
He raised a brow. "Why? Don't you think I should be preparing myself for the worst?"
"No! Because you don't know that it's actually going to come to pass! And I don't want to hear you talking about ending your life so casually!"
"What do you care? Whether he dies or is allowed to leave, you'll never be seeing me again. I might as well be dead. Maybe you should be preparing for the worst, too."
"I don't want to think about it."
"Well, too bad!" Sahko allowed some of his anger to come out. "Like it or not, it's happening. It's real. You can't be a hatchling forever, Storm. At some point you're going to have to grow up and act like an adult!" Immediately he regretted his words, but it was too late to take them back.
But she didn't get angry. She just watched him sadly. "You're right. I just can't stand the thought of something happening to you. Can you blame me?"
Sadness overwhelmed him. "No. No, I can't. I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't scared. Not for myself, though. I'm terrified of what they might do to James. I'm terrified that I will have to watch him suffer. I don't think I'll be able to sit there and do nothing while they kill him."
"Hey. Don't give up yet. Erik said he would fight for him. And do you think Aeri will let him die? She cares about him far too much."
"But after all we've done…"
"It doesn't matter. Love is funny that way," she offered him a small smile. "It's very strong and very loyal and oftentimes it ignores all common sense."
He let out a huff of laughter despite his despair. "I suppose you're right. But what am I supposed to do?"
"All we can do now is wait, and trust that the love will overcome the hate."
Once he nodded his acceptance of that, she got up and moved to sit at his side, close enough to be comforting. They didn't say anything else, but a small part of his mind was turning over and over.
We. She said, we.
James lay on his back on the floor, staring at the ceiling. As the hours passed, a numbness overtook him. A painless acceptance of his fate. He watched the rays of sunlight cast from the small, barred window as it faded into dusk, and then to night. At one point, Wilhelm and Hoark were replaced by two other large Vikings bearing torches. Vaguely, he wondered who had chosen them, and if they might be there to begin his punishment early, but they didn't say a word, or even give him a threatening glare, for which he figured he should be thankful. The man inside with him stuck his torch into a sconce on the wall by the door, which ever so slightly illuminated the space.
Sometimes he could hear voices outside, but he could never quite make out what was being said. Not long after the sun set, the door to the jail opened, and two women bustled in. To his surprise, one of them walked right into his cell and waited for him to sit up before handing him a small loaf of bread and a mug of water.
He thanked her, and the woman actually smiled at him.
"You're welcome, lad. We didn't think you'd want anything too heavy, might not sit well in your belly. The bread shouldn't hurt, so try to at least get some of it down."
"You're too kind," he said sincerely.
"'Tis nothing," she replied. "How's that cheek?"
He brushed the swollen spot, nearly wincing at its tenderness. "It's fine. I've… I've had worse."
"I've no doubt that's true," she nodded. "Don't hesitate to ask if ye need anythin'," she said as she backed out of the cell, pulling the door shut behind her. She motioned to the other woman, who was chatting with the guard in hushed tones, and they both left. James could smell the meat on the other man's plate, but the woman had been right. Bread was the only thing he felt comfortable eating at the moment.
Slowly, he pulled off pieces of the loaf and chewed on them, washing them down with the water. Once both were gone, he lay back down, closing his eyes. A few times he dozed off, but even the slightest noise would wake him.
When he heard voices outside again, he wondered who it could be. It had to be closer to morning than the previous day.
He didn't have to wait long. The door opened and in walked none other than the Chief of Berk.
"Evenin', Chief," the guard said gruffly, getting to his feet.
"I think 'Mornin' might be more appropriate," he responded with an easy smile. "You can head home now, I'll take it from here."
"Are ye sure?"
"Yes. I've brought some replacements for you and Sten. Go on, I'm sure Hilde's waiting."
"Doubtful, but I could use some sleep. Good night, then." With that he departed, leaving James alone with the Chief.
At this point he was sitting upright, uncertain as to why Hiccup was here. Presumably to deliver his sentence, but wouldn't that be best done in front of the village, in daylight?
"Hello, James. Mind if I come in?"
He shook his head, baffled, as the Chief entered his cell and sat on the floor, cross-legged, before him.
"I imagine you are slightly confused as to why I am here in the middle of the night, rather than waiting until morning to drag you out in front of the bloodthirsty masses to have you executed."
"A bit."
"Well, I thought I'd come to share what took place over the hours since I returned."
James didn't see what good that would do, but he didn't want to be rude. "By all means, share away."
Hiccup smirked. "Just hear me out. As you know, Astrid, my mother, and I left this morning to investigate the site of the "dragon attack" off of Outcast Island. Of course, it wasn't necessary for all three of us to go, but Astrid wanted a breather and we all figured it would be good practice for Aeri to be in charge for the day. Had I known that any of this would happen, you can safely assume I would have postponed the investigation." He paused, as if gathering his thoughts.
"Let me see if I have this straight. You are James Winter, also known as the mercenary Silver. You're something of a legend among lowlifes, as word travels quickly among those who travel. You come from Merirosvo, essentially an island populated by pirates, thieves, and murderers. You've been known to use deadly force when provoked. Though I suspect 'when provoked' means something more along the lines of 'when your life is in danger', right?"
James nodded slowly.
"I enjoy being right. Anyways. The 'traders' that arrived early this morning with their damaged craft and story of a rogue dragon also arrived with news of you, which they gladly shared to the one person who already had something of a grudge against you and had conveniently just returned to Berk, upon supposedly seeing Sahko in the village."
James frowned. "That's who Haku claimed the information had come from, but… I had left the village with Aeri, and only just returned when we ran into Haku. So the likelihood of them seeing me or Sahko was… slim. And that they would go straight to Haku after 'seeing' us?"
"Exactly. Those weren't some random traders, mysteriously far north for this time of year. They knew you were here, that Haku and the other refugees from Heimme were here, and that they could probably cause quite of a disturbance by lighting a fire underneath that cloud of explosive drama."
"I really doubt they were traders at all," James scowled. "Their actions scream 'lowlife' to me."
"I thought so, too. But that suspicion has rather been confirmed."
"Have you interrogated any of them?"
"No. Upon arriving on Outcast Island, we found that no one had witnessed or heard anything remotely like an attacking Night Fury. Which is odd, because they keep watch all hours of the day and night. You know, because of all the dangerous criminals? After a few hours of no results, we decided to come home. But when I sent some men to gather the strangers up, we discovered that their ship was gone. Don't worry, they're probably haven't gotten far, and they probably think that we're too busy torturing and/or killing you in a painfully drawn-out manner to care that they've left. I'll be sending riders out after them once the sun comes up."
"I have a nasty feeling they aren't working alone," James cautioned him, but Hiccup only nodded.
"No. Someone very much wanted you out of the way. But for what purpose?"
"Gods damn it," he swore angrily. "She's got something to do with this. I just know it."
"I assume you're talking about Surmata."
"That's exactly who I'm talking about. With me out of the way, it will be that much easier for her to get her revenge on Aeri."
"I hope you know that we aren't just going to take something like that laying down."
"I wouldn't expect you to. But she's not going to attack Berk like she did Heimme. That backfired on her, badly. And if she knows Sahko and I are here, she'll have learned enough about Berk to know that it's well defended. No, she's going to do something unexpected. I just can't imagine what."
"Well, we will have to hope that nothing unexpected happens to give her that opportunity. Let's change the subject for a moment." Hiccup leaned forward a bit. "I just endured a very lengthy and tense emergency council meeting regarding you and your fate. I think you can appreciate the severity of its nature. I apologize for not bringing you in to be a part of it, normally we allow defendants to, well, defend themselves in a public forum. But this was a bit too emotionally charged for me to feel entirely comfortable with you there. It likely would have dissolved into a screaming match at best. Which is understandable. The survivors of Heimme are traumatized. They weren't prepared for the assault on their home, they weren't ready to defend it. If not for Aeri and Shade's timely return they likely would have all been slaughtered. But they've had time to ruminate on the tragedy. All of the 'what if's and 'if only's have been pondered. And now there's a target for their delayed preparedness for disaster. A valid target. They believe that by punishing you, they might feel some closure."
James nodded, the numbness once again taking over. But the Chief wasn't finished.
"Do you know what I find to be interesting?"
"I imagine many things."
"You're right. But in this situation, I would have you know that not one person from Berk made a demand for your head. And Vikings tend to be the most bloodthirsty of all folk. I find that immensely interesting."
Confusion clouded his mind. "Why?"
"Why don't my people want you dead? It's not because they don't think you've done something wrong. We've been around the survivors from Heimme for long enough to feel great compassion for their suffering. You are most definitely culpable. No, what I have learned about my once harsh and unforgiving Viking society is that we have a soft spot for second chances. You know this, hearing our stories. You're not the same person you were when you started working for Surmata. But even then, you did not have malicious intent towards anyone on Heimme. You were used, effectively, by an evil and manipulative power. Because of that, a great many people died, and many more have suffered. I don't believe you would have helped her if you really knew what she was planning. You chose to see what good might come out of finding Aeri, not what catastrophe might result from it. But just because bad things happened doesn't mean you're a bad person. When push came to shove, when it came down to standing idly by or acting, you made the decision to do the right thing. You saved Aeri's life and allowed her to escape by placing yourself in harm's way. Had you not intervened, she might not have survived, let alone made it back to Heimme in time to defeat Surmata's forces and save those who still lived. And here's the bigger picture, for those of us who have seen how the pieces fit together. Good things can come out of tragedy. That doesn't make the tragedy less tragic, and we aren't saying that it makes all the suffering worthwhile, but we can't ignore that reality. Had you not inadvertently caused this tragedy, my daughter likely would have never found her way home. For me, the fact that she is my daughter is sufficient. But to the people of Berk, she is the heir to the Chiefdom. She is our future. Not only did you set in motion the events that would lead her to return, you also saved her life more than once along the way. And you value her, not as a target, but for who she is. Everyone heard you. When Haku confronted you, you made it clear that she is important to you, for all the right reasons. We respect that you held your ground on that matter, because it can be universally agreed that Aeri is worth it. We've also come to know you as a likable and respectable person, so that helps things. Second chances. To us, you are worthy of a second chance.
"To the people of Heimme, however, it's a different story. They are too broken and hurt to really be ready to forgive you for your part in their suffering. And so, I have found that there are strongly opposing sides on this matter. And, interestingly enough, it once again comes down to Aeri. Yes, a lot of people died. Yes, a village lost their home and way of life. Yet it comes down to one person. This is been brewing for some time now. Haku made himself no friends when he insulted her honor in public. We're proud of her for how she handled that situation. She could have gutted him like a fish and no one from Berk would have blinked an eye. But she didn't. And today. The argument could be made that you have only ever been after Aeri for nefarious purposes. Some people are adamant in that belief. But without even addressing it, she has effectively nullified it. She doesn't guide speculation that there might be truth behind it. She doesn't adamantly deny it. She just doesn't even respond to it, not because she's ignoring or avoiding it, but because she finds it so ridiculous that she won't even entertain it."
James felt his jaw drop. "Wait… what?"
"What I'm saying is, she's acting like a Chief. She's been doing it for some time now. At this time, it's probably the last thing she wants to do. She's desperately conflicted, dealing with mixed feelings of betrayal and attachment. Now that we have seen the bigger picture, we have a pretty good idea of what's going through her mind. She's going through every interaction she's had with you, internally questioning your motives but ultimately coming to terms with the fact that the truth is a mixed bag of good and bad."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that she stood up in the council meeting, when no one expected her to want to say a word, and spoke on your behalf."
A warmth began to grow in his chest, warding off the numbness. "She did?"
"She did. You are responsible for causing her pain, both physical and emotional, but she has decided you deserve a second chance. Which flabbergasted the representatives of Heimme. They expected her to be on their side. After all, she suffered along with them. Her life was in danger, too. Haku got especially angry and accused her of betrayal, at which point she simply raised an eyebrow and said, "If you aren't capable of thinking clearly, then you should not be in this room right now." Because, really, when has she ever done something that wasn't for the good of his people? That shut him up pretty quickly."
"That's… amazing. She's amazing."
"See, I knew I was right about you," Hiccup beamed.
"So wait. What does that mean, for me? Am I dying at the first light of dawn?"
"Not if you don't want to."
James breathed an audible sigh of relief. He'd been nervous, yes, but really, his primary concern was Sahko. They wouldn't be separated, after all.
"But that doesn't mean you get off without a penalty," the older man's smile faded, and James's heart sank.
"What are you going to do to me?"
Instead of answering right away, the Chief got to his feet, bouncing on his toes a few times, probably to get the feeling back into his extremities. The floor was incredibly hard. "Come with me," he said, waiting for James to get up. Together they walked out of his cell, and out into the freezing night. To James's surprise, there were half a dozen Vikings standing around a blazing heap of molten rock for warmth. A few dragons were off to the side, apparently asleep. The sky wasn't completely dark. It held the faint glow that betrayed the coming of morning.
A wonderfully familiar grumble sounded, and James looked over to see Sahko hurrying towards him, looking concerned.
"Hey, there. Yes, yes, I'm alright." Another grumble, accentuated by a suspicious glance at Hiccup. "No, he didn't hurt me. I don't think he's going to."
"No, I'm not going to hurt him, Sahko," the Chief reassured the worried Skrill. That was when James noticed that all of his supplies were secured to the dragon's back, including his sword.
"We gathered all of your belongings," Hiccup explained. "There's also a bag with bread and jerky, and several skins of water."
Oh. James finally understood what his punishment was going to be. And it was probably the worst thing they could have done to him, only slightly less awful than killing him.
The Chief seemed to notice his pained expression, and he looked extremely sympathetic. "I'm sorry, James. It's the only way. You'll be safe, and free, and so will Sahko. Believe me, this wasn't an easy decision, but it was the best one I could make."
He forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat. Aeri's father was right. He was lucky to be escaping with his life. But the thought of leaving Berk, leaving her, was devastating.
She will never forgive me. I need to live with that, now. I deserve this, for the things I've done, and the people I have hurt.
But what am I supposed to do now? Even as the question popped into his head, an answer was formulating.
"I left that life behind when I decided to follow Aeri here," he said slowly. "I don't have the heart, or lack thereof, to be that person. I never really did. All the ingredients were there, for me to be the perfect, ruthless hunter everyone thought I was. But I never managed to fully embrace it, and because of that, I suffer. Others have suffered. I have killed, but I am not really a killer. The very thought of going back to my old life makes me physically ill. But… there is one thing left to do, and only Silver can do it."
He gripped one of Sahko's spines and pulled himself into the saddle, before looking back to Hiccup, who was watching him somberly.
"I'm going to find her," James swore. "Even if I have to hunt her down to the end of the world, even if it kills me… I'm going to find her, and I am going to end her."
With that, Sahko spread his wings and launched skyward, carrying them into the darkness, until the flickering torches of Berk were nothing but a wistful memory on the horizon.
Well. That was painful to write. James has come so far as a person, it's hard to punish him like this. Just about everyone is hurting from this turn of events. How will they move on? Will James find Surmata and stop her before it's too late? Or will there just be more heartbreak?
Since I know the answers to those questions, all I can do is encourage you to stick with me. (As far as what exactly was in that cave, well, I'm sure you can figure that out on your own.) There are only a few chapters left, and I'm sure you are all very interested in how I'm planning on tying up all these loose ends. Big things are in the works, and I hope you're willing to adventure with me as they come to fruition.
Thank you again for reading and reviewing. You're all super stars! Shine on until we meet again, friends.