Chapter Thirty-Six: At the cauldron

It took Hiccup a while until he could open his eyes. Everything was a blur and moved to fast for his liking.

He groaned and automatically his hands searched for familiar hot scales. There was a joyful cry somewhere next to him and a scaly snout pressed itself into his palm.

Hiccup couldn't open his eyes more than a few millimeters but he could see Toothless' green orbs looking at him in concern and, well a bit…angry?

Of course. He always got in trouble and the dragon had to worry about him.

"'m sorry…Toothless." He whispered. The dragons gaze softened. It's okay, just don't do it again, his eyes seemed to say.

Suddenly there was another hand on his shoulder and he turned his head to see Kates wet, but smiling face above him.

"Gods Hiccup, are you alright?" Hiccup moved his legs (ah, leg) and arms. Everything seemed to be working. Just his head hurt like hell.

"Yeah, just fine, never felt better." He joked and tried to sit up. Everything turned and moved.

"Careful. You lost a lot of blood."

Then he remembered and his hand shot up to his skull.

He could feel bandages wrapped around his head and the uncomfortable pulsing of the wound underneath it.

The Slavemark.

He looked down, tears brimming in his eyes. He forced then down.

He was aware that Kate was looking at him.

"What are you starring at?" he asked. She hesitated. "You sure you are alright?" "Yeah, of course, why shouldn't I? I mean, I never felt better. I feel like new, like a ray of sunshine. Did I mention that I feel great?" he snapped.

Kate backed away a bit.

"Do you want to eat something?" she asked carefully.

At the mentioning of food Hiccups stomach made a rumbling noise.

Kate chuckled silently. "I'll get you some stew, okay? Just stay here and don't move too much." "Okay." He just whispered.

She returned shortly after with a bowl full of stew. It smelled really good but he barely noticed it. Slave, slave, slave, slave, property of others, property of others, property of others, slave, slave, property of others...

"Hiccup?" he jolted from his thoughts when Kate kneeled next to him. "I need to change the bandage. Just hold still, okay?"

Somehow Hiccup didn't like the way she spoke with him. Like he was a small child that needed comforting and pity.

"Just do it." He growled. He ignored the hurt look in Kates eyes. She just pitied him. If she wants to she can just sell him or order him around.

He lost al privileges of human life. He was an animal, no, less than that even.

He clenched his teeth when she put the new bandage around his head. It stung and hurt but he wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of crying out loud.

"It's looking good. Not infected, not swollen, everything seems to be fine, I…" "Fine?" he hissed and looked at her. "Everything seems fine? Nothings fine Katrina. I'm a slave. I'm nothing. You might as well just leave." She backed away.

"What are you talking about Hiccup? I won't go, why should I?" "It's not good for a princess to be seen with a slave."

"Gods Hiccup, that's not you speaking there! Stop it!" she cried. She grabbed his shoulders. "Hiccup, I would never think less of you!" "I don't need your pity. Just leave me alone."

He ignored her muffled sobs as she backed away.

Faintly he could hear her say: "He just needs time…"

As soon as he was sure she was out of earshot he leaned against Toothless and looked into the dragons big eyes. His aggression was blown away.

"Oh Toothless, what do I do? I…I'm a slave. Anybody who sees the mark can claim me as his property!" He felt close to crying.

His whole live Hiccup had fought for the freedom of everyone. Whenever they had visited tribes that had slaves he would sneak out and try to free them or help them somehow.

It was the only thing his father and he agreed on. No slaves.

And now…now he was one himself.

Toothless carefully licked his hair and purred.

And when he looked into Hiccups eyes, he saw understanding.

Of course.

Toothless had been a slave too. A slave of the Red Death. He once had been free but then he'd been pulled into her ban. He couldn't do anything against it until Hiccup shot him out of the sky and befriended him.

Toothless…had found a way to suppress the bonds the Red Death had made with him and had fought her side by side with Hiccup.

And then Hiccup realized something.

Toothless had been able to do so because he hadn't accepted it. He was a proud dragon and nothing could take his dignity.

He'd overcome the barrier between humans and dragons, had allowed Hiccup to ride him and help him.

Because he trusted Hiccup.

Because Hiccup was his friend.

A friend that stood next to him no matter what.

And if you looked at him now…he was free, free to do as he pleased. He could even leave if he wanted to.

Hiccup looked over to where Kate sat next to the campfire. She had tears rolling down her cheeks.

She was his friend.

He saw Josh sitting next to her, petting her back awkwardly.

What Josh was he wasn't so sure. But Kate was his friend.

How could've he been so stupid. Kate tried to be to him, what he'd been for Toothless. A friend that would help him to get through this difficult time.

Hiccup was marked, just like Toothless had lost his left tail.

Kate just wanted to help.

Hiccup had to get up, he had to apologize.

Right now.

He somehow got to his feet and Toothless was there to support him.

He grinned weakly. And of course he had Toothless. Nothing would ever separate them. Toothless was more than a friend to him. He was his brother, his soul-mate. They were to halves of a whole.

Toothless guided him over to the others.

"Kate?" he whispered. Her head shot up. "Yes…Hiccup?" He fell down next to her and hugged her. "I am so sorry for what I said." He whispered.

He could feel her smile as she hugged him back.

"Would you honestly think just because you have some sort of mark on you I would think less of you? Hiccup, you are who you are. And nothing will change that. How can one small mark possibly change a stubborn, impossible, one side minded, and brilliant idiot like you?" she asked crying and hugged him back.

"It can't. And it won't." "I'm glad to hear that. Now I have a bone to pick with you." She said and suddenly she looked grim, no tears at all.

She pointed at Josh.

"What is he doing here? He nearly scared the hell out of me when he dragged you here. And he's annoying." "Am not." "Shut up. Anyway. What do we do with him now? He's seen our dragons. Heck, I was forced to let him ride Nightlight so we could get you out of there."

It was then that Hiccup realized they weren't in the woods anymore.

Once again they had made their camp on a tall cliff, surrounded by narrow trees.

But it was the view that caught his breath. Beneath their feet was a wide bay that formed a perfect circle with an entrance directly ahead of the cliff he was standing on. From here, he could see the wild sea just behind the other cliffs.

The sun was halfway down and everything was golden, red and orange.

The water down in the bay was perfectly still and the white sand beaches looked untouched. The other cliffs were flat and empty, just stones and boulders while behind their cliff a little forest inland spread.

"Where exactly are we by the way?" he asked.

"This, my friend, is the cauldron of dead sailors." Josh said, speaking up for the first time since Hiccup had woken up, which was unusual for him.

"Why is it called that way?" "A hundred or so years ago a man, a sailor, was lost at sea. He went overboard, far away from any coast in the middle of the sea. Months later he was found on the shores of this bay by a bunch of traders that had searched shelter for the night here. First they thought he was dead but when they touched him, he opened his eyes, spit out water and asked how he'd landed here. He obviously was very irritated. Anyway, they took him with them and brought him back to his home town. His old crew couldn't believe it and asked him a thousand times what had happened but he couldn't remember. So they returned here. And when they got here, they found another sailor in the sand, telling them the same story. Since then they all talk about it as the cauldron of dead sailors. Cauldron, because of the form and because dead sailors pop up at random times at its surface."

A shiver went down Hiccups spine. Dead sailors. He knew one.

No, don't think about it, he forced himself.

Kate rolled with her eyes. "Thank you Mr. Dictionary. Now, what do we do with him?" Hiccup shrugged. "We keep him." "I'm not a pet!" Kate shot him a warning look and Josh cowered down. "If…I think about it I think I'll make a wonderful pet. A dog maybe?" he suggested. "The fleas you probably already have." Kate said and walked over to Nightlight.

Josh looked at Hiccup desperately.

"Why does she treat me like this? I'm not that bad!" "Be glad." Hiccup mumbled. "If she's evil to you, she likes you. Besides. You really are a pain in the ass from time to time." "How would you know? You know me for what? Two days?" "That's already enough." "Shut it dragon-boy." "Never."

Hiccup stood again on the cliff and starred into the Cauldron of Dead Sailors. The water was pretty calm even though the sea behind the cliffs was unsettling as ever.

Nothing to see.

He let his gaze drift over everything in sight and just as he wanted to turn around and sit with his friends, something moved in the corner of his eye.

His head shot around and he starred at the entrance to the cauldron. There. He could have sworn that there had been the shadow of a passing boat just seconds before.

But who would sail so close to the cliffs. Especially, who sailed this close to the cliffs at this time? It was nearly dark. Just a mere shadow of sunlight lit up the sky form the horizon.

Must be his nerves.

No one was there. Just his imagination. A trick of the light and shadows. Maybe just some sea-animal.

Or?

Thinking of ships he had to think about Alvin the Treacherous and his Outcasts. And about Will. Will going overboard, will shouting his name, will calling him by his name and not 'dwarf', Will telling him the plan, Will…

Stop it Hiccup, he told himself. There was nothing you could've done.

He knew in his head that it was right. He'd been caught and helpless when Will had gone overboard.

But his heart still ached. He was sure if he'd been faster, quicker, better, Will would still be there.

It was that Outcast who threw him overboard. But it was me how let him down.

"Ah, we don't have any wood more. I'll go and get some." Josh offered and stood up, brushing of his trousers.

"No. No more fire tonight."

He had been right. There had been a boat.

He was sure of it.

If it's you Alvin, I hope I'll get the chance to burn more than your hand, he thought grimly as he lay down.