A/N: Thanks for the reviews and favorites and follows, everyone! Wish I could update quicker for y'all :(
Dargur - Thanks so much! I'm glad you found this story, even accidentally! I always love to hear from a new reader.
Silverleone - Yay! I do so love faves and follows!
DragonHighElder - LOL, I literally spit out my water reading your review ;)) If it makes you feel any better, I'm panicking right along with you!
Disclaimer: ಠ_ಥ Hello darkness, my old friend...
HICCUP'S POV
The color drained from my face as the net met its mark, wrapping around Toothless in a split second and rendering him unable to open his wings fully. The screech he let out as he plunged toward the ship was mostly of fury, but I could detect the fear underneath. He'd never been caught before—I'd always been there to protect him.
Instead of falling into the water, his momentum carried him over the deck and crashing into a pile of cargo. The men aboard shouted to each other in warning and ran for cover as splinters of wood shot out in every direction due to the impact. I even had to duck as a large piece of a barrel zipped through the metal bars of the window I'd been standing in front of and lodged into the far wall.
When I looked back out, I could see the vikings were slowly recovering from their shock and were hesitantly moving closer to Toothless' motionless form. He was partially hidden amongst the broken boxes and torn pieces of cloth, but it was obvious the fall had knocked him out. He was completely defenseless.
The growl I released was primal and instinctive; I crawled over to the other side of the room, gripping the sharp piece of wood and yanking it out of the wall with a determined set of my jaw. My leg burned, but not as fiercely as the growing flame of anger in my chest.
A small chunk of one of the doors had been chipped away after Toothless crashed. I shoved the barrel wedge into the gap as far as it would go, then lay down parallel to the doors. Once I was sure I had the right angle, I struck out forcefully with my right foot, gritting my teeth as the action sent reverberations through my injured leg.
Thankfully, my plan was successful. The hinge broke off with a loud crack, and the door swayed open. Wasting no time, I scrambled up and out of the room, reaching into my boot to grab my small knife. It wasn't an ideal weapon, but my daggers were in my satchel and I didn't bring a sword.
A crowd had gathered around Toothless, Stoick ordering the men to hurry up and tie him before he woke. The net was being cut away only to be replaced with iron shackles and some other leather contraption that they buckled around Toothless' jaws to keep him from using his teeth or fire. They were too busy to notice me as I approached, half limping on three limbs.
The sight of my dragon bound like an animal set off every negative emotion I was capable of, so I didn't regret a thing as I burst past the unwitting humans and lunged for the closest body. The man yelped in surprise as I tumbled into him, sending him sprawling onto the deck face-first. The man directly next to me reached for his sword, but I slashed out with the knife, cutting the backs of his knees. He yelled out a pained string of curses and fell onto his side, gripping his legs and rolling back and forth.
I jumped onto Toothless' back, almost losing my balance on his rain-slick scales as my useless leg weighed me down. All the vikings had brandished their weapons, but eyed me warily instead of attacking. A few glanced at the injured man with wide eyes or sympathetic grimaces. I glared back at them, raising my now-bloody knife in a clear threat.
If I was going down, I was taking some of them with me.
I managed not to flinch as Toothless groaned underneath me, the vibrations shaking the floorboards. The men jumped at the startling noise, automatically directing their swords toward him. While I wanted to check on him, I knew better than to take my eye off the enemy.
"You just don't give up, do you?"
My teeth ground together as Stoick spoke, and I shot him a withering scowl, flipping my knife around for a better grip. He walked forward until he was standing merely a few feet away, annoyingly nonchalant as his gaze flickered between me and Toothless. Even his own men looked at him like he was crazy for getting so close, and Gobber opened and closed his mouth, unsure whether to intervene this time.
"Come any closer, you'll be the first to die," I hissed, crouching lower. If I had a tail, it would be thrashing. Toothless' chest rumbled again as his body fought to wake up, and I could detect the slightest hint of caution in Stoick's body language. He shook it off, of course, not wanting to appear weak in front of the other humans. But I knew.
Stoick waved off his men. "Lower your weapons. I want them both alive. And take Ingvar below deck and stitch him up." A few of the men gulped, exchanging uncertain glances, but reluctantly tucked their swords back in their sheaths. Two of the larger men helped the wounded man to his feet and over to a hatch that led into the ship.
"You ever seen a dragon like that before, Chief?" A man with multiple scars and a wooden leg asked.
Stoick maintained eye contact with me, both of us unwilling to be the first to look away. I was starting to think I'd gotten my stubbornness from him after all. It was irritating.
"No. Only heard stories," he answered absentmindedly.
"Stoick, you really think…?" Gobber trailed off, frowning in disbelief.
"Aye. It's the beast of legend. A Night Fury. Isn't that right, boy?" He raised an expectant eyebrow at me, but I offered no response. It didn't matter whether I confirmed his theory or not. He was confident he was correct.
"Night Fury!"
"That's a myth!"
"Are you sure, Chief?"
The outburst from the crowd was silenced much like the first time, with Stoick shouting at everyone to quiet down. "One at a time, for Thor's sake," he muttered.
"Chief, if it really is a Night Fury, why not kill it now?" One man questioned, stepping forth. I growled at him in warning.
"Because—"
A distant roar sounded overhead—a Spike-tail—and my posture shifted from aggressive to carefully guarded as I glanced upward, squinting against the rain. It was only sprinkling now, but still difficult to see through. I couldn't make out any details of the dragon, but I had a feeling it was part of the group that had been after us earlier. It didn't descend, nor did it seem particularly threatening, but I felt the need to vacate the area as soon as possible.
Stoick noticed my change in demeanor. "Because," he continued. "It's more useful to me alive."
I slowly shifted my gaze back to him, less hostile than before, but not quite friendly, either. "You should leave now," I told him ominously. We all needed to go, before that monster sent another army.
He regarded me with a slightly manic twinkle in his eye. "What do you know?" He demanded.
"I know that we're all dead unless you get this ship as far away as possible," I snapped.
The vikings murmured with unease, and Stoick rubbed his beard thoughtfully. Gobber stepped up next to him. "You think he's telling the truth?" He asked.
Stoick shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. We need to head back, anyway. We only have enough supplies left to make it to Berk." I fought back a shudder. That place was hardly any safer than our current location, but it was dry land. It would have to do for now. "Men, back to your stations! We sail for home!" He ordered. The vikings dispersed with various groans and complaints, not wanting to miss any action but unwilling to disobey their Alpha.
Gobber was the only one who remained by his chief's side, scratching his temple with his hook. "Uh, Stoick? What exactly do you plan on doing with the dragon?" He inquired.
"It's not going anywhere. With that muzzle on, it can't melt the shackles," Stoick reassured his friend.
I wanted to fight to free Toothless, but it was honestly a miracle they didn't plan to kill him, and I didn't want to do anything to change their minds. The best I could do was watch over him. If they thought they could get me back in that room, though, they had another thing coming.
"And the boy?" Gobber added.
"I really wish you'd stop calling me that," I interrupted scornfully, tucking my knife back into my boot and grabbing my satchel. It was slightly waterlogged from the rain; I shook droplets off my daggers as I pulled them out and slid them into their sheaths on my chest. The two men didn't say anything about my change in weaponry.
"What would you like us to call you then?" Stoick quipped.
I hesitated, unsure how to respond. Telling him my real name wouldn't be such a bad thing. I'd learned long ago that it was actually a nickname given to many viking children. Still, it would be one more dot for Stoick to connect…He seemed smart enough to figure out the truth all on his own.
"Hiccup," I answered at last.
"Hiccup?" Gobber repeated in shock, looking at me in a new light.
Stoick's expression of stone crumbled for an instant, and for a moment I bore witness to years of pain and loss. No longer was he the powerful human Alpha, but simply a mournful father. I could almost glimpse the person my mother loved—loves.
It was only a second before the mask was back in place, and he cleared his throat. "You a hunter's kid or something?" He asked, shaking his head minutely at an open-mouthed Gobber.
I physically balked at the assumption. "What? No! I would never hurt a dragon!" I objected.
Stoick scoffed with laughter. "Never hurt a dragon? Didn't take you for a pacifist," he noted, looking pointedly at the small puddle of blood where I'd cut one of his men a few minutes ago.
I couldn't help the tiny smirk that pulled at the corner of my lips. "He was in my way," I explained.
Stoick narrowed his eyes speculatively. "You know how to fight, even with a bum leg, you're wearing dragon scales, and you were found suspiciously close to a known dragon nest, and you tell me you're not a hunter? Seems to me like you're defending your prize," he countered, nodding at Toothless.
My stomach swirled with nausea at the very idea that I would ever kill my own dragon. Stoick was so far from the truth, he might as well say I'm Thor in the flesh.
"Toothless is my dragon, not my prize," I snarled, freshly angered by the naive humans.
Both men grew even more confused, though Gobber was the only one making it blatantly obvious. "Toothless? You gave the beast a name?" He responded in a puzzled tone.
"He's not a beast. You humans don't understand anything," I retorted.
Stoick and Gobber shared an unreadable look, then the larger man spoke up. "I think I understand enough. You know where the nest is, and you're going to tell me," he stated, crossing his arms.
I was about to tell him where he could shove his command, but Toothless' sudden jerk to life cut me off. A growl erupted past his closed jaws, the sound echoing around with the promise of death. His wings spread out to their full length, sending barrels and tarp over the railing and across the deck and causing Gobber and Stoick to roll out of the way. Some of the men started hollering in alarm, and Stoick finally pulled out his sword.
"Stand down! Leave us be before you get yourselves killed!" He shouted at them, helping Gobber back to his feet.
I clung to the base of Toothless' wing for stability as he moved around. The shackles prevented him from doing anything more than standing, but I was still in danger of falling off. *Wait, bud! Be still!* I pleaded.
He was still groggy from his collision, but his ears perked up when he realized I was on his back. *Hiccup! You're okay!* His voice was full of relief, and he twisted around to look at me.
*Define okay.* I grumbled, wincing as I adjusted to a more comfortable position. He tilted his head in concern, but I waved him off. *We've got company.* I added.
Toothless tuned his senses to his immediate surroundings, knowing before he even turned to look that there were humans nearby, and not the cuddly kind. His pupils shrank to slits, and he drew his wings closer to his body to shield me as he faced Stoick. The large man was the most obvious threat. Toothless figured that out as quickly as I had upon my arrival on the ship.
Stoick straightened, holding out his sword defensively. "Not so tough with that muzzle on, are you?" He taunted, still stubbornly fearless.
Toothless bristled at the viking's arrogance, his eyes narrowing with anger. Had he been unchained, I had no doubt he would've ripped off Stoick's head for the insult alone. Night-wings were very proud creatures. He hissed as loudly as he could with a closed mouth, and the sharp noise was enough to elicit a minor flinch from the human Alpha. I snickered quietly at Toothless' display.
Stoick scowled at the realization that he was purposefully being one-upped by a dragon and raised his chin. "Enough of this. When we get back to Berk, you'll be locked away like the beast you are," he declared, sliding his sword back into its sheath.
Any humor I had vanished. "You're not locking him away!" I protested furiously.
"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Stoick replied dispassionately. "And when it's served its purpose, its head will decorate my wall." With that, he turned away like he hadn't just threatened my entire world.
I let out a battle cry, too overcome with hatred to care about my own wellbeing as I leapt off of Toothless' back. The pain in my leg nearly blinded me, but I didn't let that slow me down as I lunged toward Stoick with a dagger in hand. He looked over his shoulder in surprise and just barely dodged my kill strike. I managed to slice the top of his arm, but it was merely a flesh wound. Nothing that wouldn't heal in a week or two.
By the time I spun around to attack again, he was well prepared. He snatched my wrist with one hand and wrenched my dagger away with the other, tossing it carelessly across the deck. Since his strength far exceeded my own, I fell back on instinct, biting down on his hand until I pierced the skin. He let out a curse and dropped me, and I landed hard on my injury with a yelp. This time, I couldn't fight through the pain. I curled my leg up close to my body, forcing back tears.
Toothless struggled wildly against his bindings, but it was no use. Those shackles weren't breaking anytime soon. I couldn't even crawl back to him. *Toothless.* I whimpered, afraid for him, and afraid for myself. How could this day have gone so wrong?
He flattened himself to the deck, trying to level our line of sight. *Hiccup?* He let out a soft, endearing croon that was basically dragon-speak for dear one or love of mine. It was most often given from a mother to her offspring, but Toothless had been using it for as long as I could remember. He was attempting to comfort me despite our distance.
"Take him below deck and put him in a cell. And make sure someone stands guard. Seems we have an escape artist on our hands," Stoick mused. A man came out of nowhere and hauled me to my feet. I sagged, unable to hold my weight. My consciousness was fading fast, and I was too tired to fight it. My adrenaline reserves were depleted, and my body wanted only to rest and heal.
I could've sworn Stoick ordered the man to be careful with me, but the thought danced away before I could consider it more closely. Black spots invaded my vision, and I suddenly felt like I was sinking back under the waves I'd so recently escaped from. This time I didn't try to resurface.
STOICK'S POV
After the boy was taken away, I went back to my chambers, ignoring the dragon's frantic shrieks behind me. The beast could struggle all it wanted. It still wasn't going anywhere. In time, it would learn its place. I wasn't sure how the boy managed to get so close to it, but that was just another piece of information I'd learn once we returned to Berk.
I paused in the doorway of my quarters, pursing my lips irritably at the damage the boy had done. We'd have to keep careful watch of him. He was my closest lead to the nest. If he got away, it was back to square one.
I continued inside, slumping into my chair with a sigh as I looked over the map on my desk. Another failed mission. Another red 'x' to add. It didn't seem possible that we'd been nearly all over the Archipelago and had yet to find the damn nest of demons. Each failure meant more of my people dying. This nightmare had to end.
"Want some company?"
I glanced up at Gobber hobbling his way into the room, rolling my eyes. "You're going to force your presence on me either way," I grumbled, looking back down.
"True, but I thought I'd let you think you had a choice in the matter," he chuckled, sitting in the seat opposite me.
He was silent for a whole minute before I banged my fist on the table with an annoyed huff and looked up from the map. "What?" I demanded.
"What?" He echoed innocently.
"You've obviously something you want to say, so out with it," I said, gesturing for him to speak.
He leaned forward so his elbows rested on the desk. "I just think it's pretty odd. A boy with shockingly auburn hair shows up, name's Hiccup, looks about thirteen…" He trailed off, raising his eyebrows pointedly.
I wanted to punch him. Problem was, I feared he might be right.
"It's not him," I dismissed coldly.
"You don't know that, Stoick," Gobber insisted in that imploring manner that often made me cave. That wouldn't be happening this time, though.
"They're dead, Gobber," I barked angrily. "Valka, my Hiccup, they're gone. I've accepted that. I've moved past it."
Gobber was unimpressed. "We both know you haven't," he argued. "And no one blames you," he said in a softer tone. Damn him.
I took a moment to reign in my emotions. "That boy down there is no better than an animal. He's no son of mine," I responded darkly.
Gobber nodded along as if he believed me. "I guess that's why you told them to be careful with him, then?" He hedged.
I clenched my teeth, looking away. I didn't need this kind of introspective conversation. I had a job to do. The village was depending on me, and I wasn't going to let this little stroll down memory lane get in the way of that.
The boy would tell me what I wanted to know. Then his usefulness would come to an end.
A/N: Gosh. Stoick—what a jerk, am I right? Or is he simply misunderstood? Discuss amongst yourselves :)