Author's Notes:

While I stick very closely to the HTTYD movie/TV show lore, I take liberties with the LoZ elements. Please read with an open mind, as if this were a new game.

New chapters on Wednesdays. The whole thing, 30 chapters plus Prologue, is written and will be posted!

A pair of blue eyes peered from under a wide cerulean hood, studying the distant walls of the Fortress. Eighteen, nineteen, twen—

The bulblin on the wall sniffed, scratched its posterior, and turned back to patrol the other way.

Nineteen seconds, Link thought. Not enough time to climb the stone wall and find the storeroom on the other side. Though knowing the layout of the Fortress gave Link a significant advantage, he still didn't know how many enemies were on the other side. He needed speed and caution.

He eyed the tree he was hiding behind. It was too far to leap from the branch to the Fortress's outer wall, but maybe he could swing across. Shimmying up the rough bark, he balanced on the thinning branches. The withering tree swayed in the moonlight, and Link had to grab a branch to hold himself steady.

Now higher than the walkway, he got a clearer image of what he was facing. As to be expected, what the bulblins lacked in skill, they made up for in numbers. The walls, turrets, and courtyard were crawling with bulblins, sniffing the air, poking at shadows. Three searchlights scanned the central courtyard in crisscross patterns. Rising above it all at the back of the Fortress was the tower, dark and impenetrable. The uppermost window glowed like a lighthouse in the midst of a stormy sea. At the base of that tower were the holding cells. That was his destination.

Link grabbed his bow. Tying a rope to the end, he strung the arrow loosely in the string. The branch creaked. He wobbled, taking a breath to steady himself. The bulblin guard on the wall pivoted and turned back on his patrol.

Time to count. One, two, three. He drew the bow, aiming at a wooden staircase. With luck, he could swing across before the guard turned. A breeze, barely noticeable on the ground, pushed the grizzled tree. Link shifted his weight to keep from slipping but kept his eyes fixed, breathing with the sway of the tree, never missing a beat from his count. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen—

Suddenly fear gripped him. What if it was a trap? What if Hiccup had already given up vital information?

Seventeen.

Could he trust him? Hiccup was brave, but he was just a kid like himself. Prone to making mistakes.

Eighteen.

What were they doing to him? What if he was too late … again?

Nineteen.

He exhaled and let the arrow fly. It whizzed through the darkness and sank deep into the wooden beam. He tugged at the rope. It held. He took a deep breath. As long as you're here, I'll protect you.

He leapt from the tree—the trunk snapping back with a whoosh—and sailed across the wall. Landing on the inside of the wall, he vaulted over a railing just as the guard approached. The mangey shadow passed overhead, grunted a few times, and then turned back. Link exhaled. Thankfully, the guard hadn't noticed the rope dangling in the shadow. Link tugged it down, surveyed the wide courtyard between him and his friend, and ran down the stairs towards the holding cells.

/

Hiccup forced shallow breaths into his lungs. Pain or fear made it difficult to breathe. He twisted his hands, but no matter how he moved them the shackles dug in. The Captain continued to circle the table. His low voice echoed in the small chamber.

"Who are you?"

Hiccup chuckled nervously. "You know, I've been getting asked that a lot recently." The Captain pulled the lever, and the chains tightened. "Hiccup! Hiccup Haddock!" he shouted as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Hiccup Haddock," the Captain repeated slowly, like tasting an unusual food. "That's a strange name."

"Well," Hiccup panted, "that's a strange … mask." His intention to ridicule the black plume sticking out the top of the red hood faded as he focused on the eye painted on the mask. He'd been trying to remember where he'd seen it before. Then it struck him: it was the same symbol Impa wore on her chest. Only, the eye was upside down.

Hiccup swallowed; he was going out on a limb. "Do you know Impa?"

The Captain flinched. So there was a connection.

Before Hiccup could probe further, the Captain grabbed the second lever. Hiccup's eyes went wide, and he braced himself for the inevitable pain. Instead of tightening the chains, the entire table groaned as it tilted vertically. Don't panic! Don't panic! Hiccup thought.

The table locked into position with a thunk, bringing Hiccup face to face with the Captain. Somehow, staring into the pale mask was even worse. He wanted to look away, but the bright red emblem on the perfectly smooth mask—a bloody tear dripping into the watchful eye—demanded Hiccup's gaze.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. He didn't have many options, but his most reliable weapon, the one that had served him since childhood, was still with him. Think, Hiccup. Think! He'd flinched. He'd found a weak spot. He needed to press the advantage.

"The Eye," he choked out. "Why do you have the same symbol?" The Captain turned away and walked toward one of the less fitful torches.

Hiccup arched his back and pulled at the chains, hissing as the metal dug into his wrists. So preoccupied was he with trying to escape that he didn't notice the Captain draw the great black sword from his back and murmur quietly.

Hiccup didn't know if he should bide his time and gather information or escape now before something worse happened, but a sting at his wrist and a trickle of warm liquid creeping down his left forearm warned him of the consequences of fighting.

He took a moment to catch his breath before shouting, "You know she's out there. Helping Link."

The torch cast a dramatic silhouette of the Yiga warrior, stretching from the far wall all the way to the table. The Captain's voice was low. "She was." He held up a thin white braid. Impa's braid.

Hiccup gasped. "What did you do to her?"

"You should be less concerned for her, and more concerned for yourself."

In a flash of red, the Captain whirled around, arm extended, a black dagger flying toward Hiccup's face. He shut his eyes.

It whistled through the air and sank into the wooden table. Hiccup cracked an eye open. The blade rested in the tiny crevice between his left arm and his cheek. A fraction of an inch in any direction would have caught skin. Hiccup doubted if even Astrid's dragon, Stormfly, could be so precise.

The red mist swirling around the blade tickled his nose like the frost of a fierce winter storm. He pulled back as far as he could before the intoxicating mist could do its work on him again.

The Captain approached the table. "I would reconsider your loyalties."

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Hiccup's face as the Captain grasped the blade handle and leaned in. The red eye consumed Hiccup's vision.

"So tell me, Hiccup," he said. "Where is the Hero going?"

/

Link kept his back to the wall as he slipped down the short staircase and peered around the corner. Strange. There was only one bulblin guarding the cells down here. Link swiftly readied an arrow and fired. The bulblin fell without a sound.

Link started down the dank hallway, whispering into the gloom. "Hiccup. Hiccup, where are you?"

A labored breath from a cell deep within drew his attention. Grabbing one of the feeble torches off the wall, he cautiously approached. The breathing, while shallow, sounded like it came from someone much larger than Hiccup. Link drew his sword and inched forward.

His ears did not deceive him. Curled up in the scattered straw was a middle-aged man with a gut to show that, at least at one point in his life, he had enjoyed many hearty meals, though now he was in terrible condition. The breath was so faint Link would have missed it if he hadn't been listening carefully. The man's bare feet bore recent burn marks. His simple shirt was torn at the sleeve, and bruises were spreading like a mossy parasite all over the tanned skin. Blood from a gash on his bald head oozed over the familiar tattoo of a charging Lynel.

Link's eyes went wide. "Forbes?!" he whispered. The man trembled and curled in even more on himself.

"No … please … no more," he mumbled weakly.

Link set the torch in a wall stand, looked around—no one was coming. The whack of the Master Sword against the cell lock made Forbes flinch, but soon enough Link was kneeling by his side. One eye was swollen shut, and his mouth was even bloodier than his busted nose. A touch on his shoulder sent another wave of trembling though the broken man.

"Forbes, it's okay," Link assured. "You're safe."

How many times had this faithful old shopkeeper kept him safe with his bountiful supply of gear and potions? He remembered buying his first shield from him in his little shop in Kakariko. A simple wooden thing.

"Lookin' sharp, Hero," Forbes had beamed.

"For the last time, you can just call me Link," the gangly fifteen-year-old squeaked.

Forbes slapped him on the back with a broad smile. "But you are the Hero. It's your job to save Hyrule, and it's my job to get you equipment so you can do it."

That little wooden shield, like so many other items, had served its time and broken. Link couldn't help but see the parallels here, and it made him sick.

Link's voice wobbled as he tried again. "Forbes, it's me. Link." Forbes lifted his head. What little life remained flared in the one good eye.

"Hero." He clutched at Link's tunic, his burned and battered hand shaking so badly he couldn't even hold on. "We waited, we waited …" Tears welled in his eyes. "Where were you?"

Link's heart sank to the bottom of Lake Hylia. "I … I …" How could he answer him?

Instead, Link asked, "What happened to you?" He already knew the part of the answer. The burned heels were the tell-tale sign of the Captain's work.

"I— I sent a letter. Got caught."

Link gasped. The letter from Kakariko. The sloppy handwriting. "It was from you!"

"I … had to do right … Couldn't … let Impa take the—" A series of ragged coughs cut him off.

"It's okay. Save your strength."

The old man looked into the youth's eyes, clear as day. "You should have … gone straight to her," Forbes wheezed.

Link knew exactly which "her" he was referring to and winced. "I … tried." Bulblin calls distracted Link from his guilt. "Come on, let's get you out of here." Link threaded his arm around the heavy-set man, but Forbes was a sack of bricks. "Come on, Forbes," Link groaned.

"I can't walk."

Link looked down at the blistering feet. He reached for his last potion. "Here, drink this."

The man brushed away the little bottle. "There's a kid. Real skinny." He coughed. Blood spattered his shirt. "They're working on him now." As if on cue, a cry echoed through the belly of the Fortress.

"Hiccup," Link breathed. He's in the tower!

The man coughed again. More blood. Link caught the heavy, broken head as it fell back. "Forbes?"

The man's voice was barely a whisper. "Save 'm, Hero."

The head went limp against Link's chest.

/

"I won't ask again. Where is he going?"

Red mist swirled around Hiccup's face. He forced himself to focus, to tune out the screams and the cold already numbing the side of his face. But he could feel himself slipping. Darkness crept at the edge of his vision like fire nibbling a parchment.

A sharp sting in his left wrist—sweat must have seeped into the cut—tethered him to reality.

He gritted his teeth and held the Captain's gaze. "He's … he's gonna stop you. You … and your whole army."

"Really? And how does he plan to do that?"

Hiccup bit his lip. The Captain pulled the first lever, and the chains tightened.

"AHHH! Sword! He has a special sword." He could barely breathe. He felt his joints about to pop.

The Captain continued calmly and deliberately. "The Master Sword. I already know about that. He had that before, and he failed. What is he after now?"

Both throbbing wrists pleaded with him to give in. The misty screams mocked his persistence. Decay filled his nostrils.

Hiccup glared at the Captain through teary eyes. "Do. Your. Worst."

"Are you sure you want that?" the low voice asked.

Hiccup thought back to the bald man he'd met in the prison. He'd told Hiccup about the Captain, warned him. Judging by his numerous injuries, that kind man wouldn't make it without immediate medical attention. It was a grim warning. Still, something inside Hiccup made him hang on, hold out a little longer even as the Captain pulled the lever.

/

Link dashed around a corner and ran towards a juncture. Melting into the shadows as guards passed, he sprinted to the southern wall.

His heart pounded, could he get there in time? What was "in time"? Hiccup was already being tortured!

Link skidded to a stop, leaning over the wall to survey the dark courtyard. Crossing the courtyard was the fastest way to the tower.

And it was crawling with searchlights and bulblins.

His hands went cold, and he took a step backwards. If he was captured, he'd surely be brought before Ganon. There was a small chance he'd still be able to kill him, but a much higher chance that they would take all his weapons, including the Master Sword, from him first.

He braced himself against the far wall. A sick feeling rose in him as he thought of Forbes. Save 'm, Hero. He'd given his life to tell Link about Tanelope Shrine, information that could save Hyrule. He thought of the dilapidated remains of Ordon, Saria's smoke-stained face, his childhood home engulfed in flames. "Save them, Hero." Forbes was right; he had a job to do. He couldn't save Hyrule if he was captured here. He turned to leave.

Another scream echoed from the tiny tower window. Link froze, and Hiccup's voice echoed softly in his mind. You would have done the same for me.

His stomach knotted. A promise or a calling, which would he keep? Which would he break? He was on his second chance for both. If only he had the Triforce of Wisdom!

Zelda. She was waiting for him. Right now. In Tanelope Shrine.

Link clenched his fists, relaxed, slowly exhaled. "I'm sorry, Zelda."

Leaping onto the wall, he grabbed one of the tall banners and swung down into the dark courtyard.

/

Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut. That final crank had been too much. He thought his limbs would rip right out of their sockets. He wished they would. At least then they couldn't be pulled anymore. He tasted death. The mist tinted his vision red, and already he could hear the maddening cries.

There was a pop and the jingle of chain. The Captain cocked his head, eyeing the loose chain and the metal foot that fell with a clang on the stone floor. He knelt to pick it up. He took his time with it, turning it over, running his gloved fingers along the spring coil.

Hiccup kicked him in the head with his stump leg. It didn't do much, the Captain only sighed darkly, but it felt good to finally be able to fight back.

He attempted another kick and missed as the Captain stood and faced him. The inverted-eye glared at him, and Hiccup glared back. It was all he could do. He felt his bravery and will power reaching their limits.

Finally, the Captain yanked the dagger out of the wood and walked toward one of the torches. Hiccup gasped for clean air as the Captain called from the other side of the room. "I usually start with the feet, but seeing as you can't walk anyways, I'll make an exception." He turned around, holding the dagger. The blade glowed white hot. Hiccup's eyes went wide. "I don't want to hurt you," the Captain said with that low, almost sympathetic voice. As always, the alternative was implied.

Hiccup tried to wriggle away as the Yiga stalked toward him, but there was nowhere to go. He could feel himself breaking. His heart or his body, he wasn't sure which. Every step brought the burning blade closer. The last bit of bravado fled.

"Please," Hiccup choked. "I don't care about you or your war! I'm not even from this world. I just want to go home!"

The man stopped in front of him. His head lowered slightly. "Don't we all."

Hiccup blinked. He recognized in the quiet, muffled voice … regret. Was there a human with a soul behind that mask after all?

It only lasted a moment before the Captain brought the blade toward Hiccup's face. The heat curled his damp hair, making it sizzle. Hiccup turned away and squeezed his eyes shut.

The Captain spoke slowly as he leaned in. "Last chance. What is the Hero after?"

/

Link jumped behind a crate before the searchlight caught him. He was nearly across the courtyard, but the last stretch was completely devoid of cover. He'd have to be quick to make it across and up the stairs before the roaming lights found him. He ducked as the searchlight passed overhead.

He glanced both ways, then vaulted over the crate. Hang on, Hiccup.

He sprinted across the courtyard.

Then.

A blood-curdling scream, more anguished than any of the previous, shattered the peaceful night. Link froze, eyes wide, as he stared up at the tiny tower window. I'm too late.

A bulblin horn sounded. Link blinked, saw his shadow stark against the illuminated courtyard, and realized a dozen bulblins were running to where he was caught in a spotlight. The mob flew in all directions as the hero spun, blade in hand. Before the bodies thudded on the pavement, twice as many bulblins charged forward to his position.

Link blinked away the welling tears. He'd need all his focus if he was going to survive. He ran and slid along the ground, dodging a lance attack. Running two steps up a wall, he grabbed a tapestry and swung just out of reach of an enemy's axe.

/

Vabblin pushed the tower door open. The Captain growled and stowed the dagger on his belt. It hissed as the heat ate away at the leather sheath. Stepping behind the table, he snarled, "What's going on out there?"

The tracker's eyes twinkled. "He's here." The Captain straightened. Striding to the doors, he shouted, "Lock the gates!"

Hiccup tensed as the door slammed shut and the two pairs of footsteps shuffled away. Finally alone, he tried again to get free, but every tendon was already as tight as it would go. One wrong move, and he wouldn't be moving for a while.

He closed his eyes and forced shallow breaths into his lungs. This isn't real. This isn't real. I'm going to wake up. This isn't real. He winced as a tear ran over the fresh burn on his cheek. He'd been burned plenty of times; growing up with dragons and working in the weapons shop, accidents happened. This burn was different. It penetrated deeper, simultaneously freezing cold and burning hot, and when the blade touched his skin, he could feel the chorus of a thousand screams in his bones.

There was a thud against the door. His eyes shot open, and his heart began to race again. No, he couldn't go through more of this! He twisted his arms, but that only sent sharp pains down his shoulders.

The footsteps grew louder as the intruder entered. Hiccup held his breath and shut his eyes. The footsteps rounded the table.

"HICCUP!"

The Viking cracked an eye open. Standing in front of him was Link, muddy and a few more slashes through his tunic, but alive, a mixture of terror and relief on his face. "What happened?" Link gasped.

Hiccup released the breath he'd been holding. "I'll tell you on the way. Where are the keys?"

"I didn't find any. Hold still." Hiccup would have thought the command ironic if he wasn't in so much pain. He shut his eyes as the Master Sword clanged against the chains. With a few whacks, the chains broke. Hiccup crumpled to the floor, gasping, finally able to take deep breaths. Blood surged through his aching muscles.

Link crouched to help him up, but Hiccup weakly motioned across the room. "My leg, it's over there." Link noticed the stump of Hiccup's left leg and mechanically retrieved the metal foot. His heart tied itself in knots as he watched Hiccup's trembling fingers struggle to set the prosthetic in place. He noted the haggard, unsteady breathing, the ragged cuts on his wrists, and the tears that slipped down his pallid cheeks. One injury stood out above the rest.

"Your face," was all Link could muster.

Hiccup wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "It's a good thing you came when you did."

Link was already reaching for the health potion when his ear twitched. "Come on. We gotta hurry," he said, threading his arm under Hiccup's and pulling him to his feet.

Hiccup winced. Link paused. "I'm fine. I'll be fine," Hiccup breathed. "Let's go." They limped to the door and down the winding tower stairs.

"There's someone else … in the dungeon," Hiccup panted. "We need … to help him."

"It's too late," the Hero said softly. Hiccup looked at him. He recognized that expression from the Lost Woods, when Link had seen the fate of the Great Deku Tree.

Hiccup felt like he had taken a punch to the gut. "I'm sorry … He seemed … like a good man."

"He was." Link had laid him to rest with as much dignity as he could in that foul cell, but now he needed to focus. He steeled his resolve and peeked around the corner. The torch lit corridor was empty. This is strange, he thought.

"They're all out … looking for you," Hiccup said.

"Then let's give them something to look at." Helping Hiccup gently to the ground, Link leapt towards one of the narrow windows. The shrieks of bulblin calls came from seemingly every direction. He spotted the storeroom a thousand feet away, and through its own tiny window, familiar wooden crates. Link himself had helped the Hylian army stockpile that reserve in case of emergency. Link smirked. This was an emergency.

Touching an arrow tip to the smoldering torch, he aimed and fired. The tiny flame soared over the fortress like a shooting star. The two teenagers held their breath as it sailed through the distant window out of sight.

A moment of silence passed.

BOOM! The storeroom erupted in a series of explosions that grew in intensity with every blast. Wood and fire spewed from the window onto the courtyard below. Every bulblin head turned and ran towards the explosion, brandishing their weapons.

Link slipped the bow over his head. "That should keep them busy for a while." He reached into his pouch and handed Hiccup the last potion.

Hiccup's trembling fingers grasped the little bottle. "You sure?"

"Well seeing as I'm fresh out of durian."

"What a shame … We could have used the stink as a distraction," Hiccup grinned as he gulped down the liquid. Immediately, torn muscles began to mend, the stinging around his wrists subsided, and his burning lungs relaxed into easy breathing.

Hiccup handed back the empty bottle. "Thanks. I owe you one."

Link stowed the bottle. "Let's just get out of here first." He led him towards the right.

"Wait." Hiccup stopped, his legs beginning to carry his own weight. His mind raced through the mental map of the fortress. "That leads towards the gates."

"Yeah. That's the only way out."

"They said they're locking the gate."

"We could climb."

Hiccup hesitated. "I … don't know if I can, at the moment … But"—the light returned to his eyes—"there may be another way out. They have this device. It seems like it can transport people."

"Seems?"

Hiccup threw up his arms exasperatedly. "It had a lot of gears, and three giant bulblins appeared out of thin air."

Before Link could respond, they heard a rush of bulblin voices below.

"Okay," Link said. "Which way?"

Hiccup led them down the stairs, two lefts, and straight across.

"What's to keep them from following us through?" Link whispered.

"I'm working on that," Hiccup panted.

Just a few more turns, and they'd be there. The fiery chaos in the storeroom successfully distracted most of the bulblins.

"It uses gears," Hiccup explained. "If we can jam just one of them, it will break the device."

"After we get through, right?"

"R-right."

They pressed their backs against the wall. Across the hallway they could see the device resting in the empty storeroom, the metal arms waiting to come alive.

"Perfect," Hiccup said. "Let's go!"

Link grabbed his arm. "Wait."

Hiccup held his breath. The sound of fire and explosions echoed below them. A hint of smoke on the breeze made him cough.

Link stared ahead, his eyes unfocused. Then, his ear twitched. Spinning around, he brought up his sword just in time to block a blade swirling with crimson mist. "RUN!" Link yelled.

Hiccup scrambled out of the way, leaving Link to contend with his former torturer now wielding a full-length version of the black blade. He stumbled toward the device, whirled around, and found a stout lance. He dragged it to the largest gear and set it so that after a few rotations it would fall in between the teeth. With any luck, it would jam the gears and not simply fall onto the ground. Tottering across the floor, he caught himself on the console. He pressed the ruby, and the glyphs sparkled.

"Where's the shrine?" Hiccup called.

"On the edge of the desert. South!" Link shouted back between attacks. Hiccup touched a tiny emblem in the south and pulled the lever down. The gears groaned, the arms creaked, and belligerently, the machine came to life.

The Hero parried blow after blow. He had fought a number of Yiga over the past three years, but none as skilled as this one. The Captain clearly could hold his own, even against him.

Link breathed between each attack, forcing himself to focus. Then, spotting an opening, he threaded his sword under the Captain's and twisted away. The black blade flew out of his hands and skidded across the floor, the red mist trailing eerily behind.

Link's boot landed a solid kick to the Captain's ribs, and the assailant tumbled backward onto the ground. Link leapt high and flipped, bringing the sword down first, but the Captain rolled away just in time. Sparks flew where the Master Sword gashed the stonework.

"Link!" The Hero glanced at his friend who waved him over. The metal arms spun wildly. He scanned either way for the Captain, but he was gone. No time for that now.

As Link dashed towards the portal, Hiccup slammed the emerald. Light grew from the center of the platform. Link pulled Hiccup onto it, and the Viking dropped onto the platform.

Hiccup squinted through the swirling light and saw the Captain calmly walk toward the churning gears. Observing the gears, he removed the lance.

"NO!" Hiccup and Link shouted.

"Almost a perfect plan," the Captain conceded. "I'll see you in a moment."

Link fired an arrow. The Yiga dodged it. He fired again, but the light was so bright he could barely see.

The Captain danced from side to side, avoiding the arrows zipping from the platform. The light was so bright the two on the platform were nearly invisible. At the brightest moment, he turned his eyes away.

There was a clank, a crunch, a screeching churning of metal. He opened his eyes to see the platform empty, sparks flying from the limp arms of the machine. He spun around to see not the lance jammed in the gears, but that boy's metal foot.

"NOOOOO!" He dropped to his knees. Bulblins rushed into the room, jostling and snapping at each other, but all the Captain could hear was a distant, chilling memory: five masks clattering on the ground. No, not again. Please not again.

His own mask hid his tears.

/

Link felt the warm, dry air sucking the moisture from his skin even before the light of the portal dissipated, revealing their new location. It was barely larger than a stable stall with no furnishings and only a single wooden door in the circular stone room. Hiccup swayed then pitched forward. Link grabbed his arm just in time.

"Whoah," he said, helping Hiccup to the ground. Link assumed it was the adrenaline wearing off until he looked down and gasped. The metal foot once again was missing.

"We gotta get to Zelda," Hiccup said, struggling to get up.

"Hang on, you can't even walk."

"I told them."

"Told them what?"

"I told them you were looking for her."

Link paused. His grip tightened. "Did you tell them where she was?"

"No. Luckily they got distracted when you showed up."

Link sighed and released his grip. The bright moonlight from a high window bathed the Viking's face. Link noticed again the line of red on his cheek. The burn, though aided by the healing magic, was already pulling the skin in. Link looked away, his stomach knotting anew.

Hiccup continued, his voice soft and broken. "I'm so sorry, Link. I tried to hold out, I really did."

"It's okay."

"I'm not strong like you."

"Hey," Link said, holding Hiccup by the shoulders and locking eyes. "You just survived torture from the Captain and lived to tell about it." He looked down. "Not many can say that." Hiccup nodded.

They sat on the floor, backs against the smooth stone bricks.

"Why didn't you tell them everything?" Link asked. Hiccup looked up, confused. "Don't think I don't appreciate it, but we've known each other for a few days."

Hiccup looked at him like it should be obvious. "Because you're my friend. And usually torturers are the bad guys. So"—Hiccup paused as he pushed himself onto his hands—"we'd better get going."

Link gently pulled him back down. "No, we fought a shadow beast, traversed an ancient sanctuary, climbed a mountain in a snowstorm, flew halfway across the Valley, and haven't slept all night. I'll keep watch; you get some sleep." Link rose wearily and walked toward the door.

"Link." The Hylian turned. The one-legged boy sat alone in the dim shadows of the unfurnished room. Even bruised and battered, his smile was as warm as a summer sun. "Thanks for coming back for me." Link nodded and stepped outside.

Hiccup laid down on the stone floor and rested his head on his arm. The tender joints reminded him of the terror they had just escaped. The burn from the Captain's blade still stung, bringing to mind what Hiccup had muttered so flippantly by the Sage's pool: I hope I don't get burned because of it. He chuckled dryly.

The Sage couldn't be right. That was just a coincidence. All that stuff about the fish and the bracer and saving the world, he didn't believe it, did he?

He exhaled slowly. "Bud, I wish you were here. Well, maybe not actually. This place can be … rough. But, you knows, torture aside, the rest of it is actually pretty neat." Hiccup curled into a ball and imagined his dragon circling around him. And we could sure use a dragon on our side.

He closed his eyes and felt the warm night breeze rustle his hair, bringing memories of salty seas, of islands teeming with colorful dragons, of friends laughing and adventuring together. His thoughts drifted away as a sweet, muted melody lulled him to sleep.

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Ari Lewis and Luke for beta reading!