Spirit Week
A/N
Hiccup encounters a girl who's under a curse and decides to help her. It takes him a week to make it happen, and it is not an easy road. This little story is set just before the "Race to the Edge" time frame.
Hiccup pulled the sleeping furs up against his chin and waited for the cold to come.
The twins had been taunting him without mercy all day, calling him a wimpy wuss and other clever names, until he had angrily demanded what it would take to get them to stop. They had challenged him to prove his worthiness to be their future chief by spending a night in the Cold Cabin, and in a fit of almost criminal stupidity, he had accepted. He was already regretting it, and the night was still young.
The Cold Cabin was a mysterious place high on the cliffs of Berk, overlooking the sea. It had been built as a base of operations by Henrik the Heinous, a fur trapper from two generations ago. He had abandoned it a few years later, claiming that it was always unnaturally cold there. Countless Berk teens had taken it as a rite of passage to spend a night there, but very few could actually endure an entire night. It really was cold there, colder than the rest of Berk, even in the summer months. No one knew why. Most of the ones who tried to sleep there wouldn't even say why they had given up.
Hiccup couldn't say for sure why he was here, either. At least he wasn't alone; Toothless was stretched out on the floor at the foot of the bed frame, snoring softly. Cold temperatures didn't seem to bother him. It was a shame that they couldn't keep each other warm. The Cold Cabin had no firepit and the roof had no smoke-hole, so there was no way to light a fire, which was one of the reasons that no sane person tried to sleep there. "I must be out of my mind," he sighed, not for the first time, and tried to get comfortable.
That was when he heard the sound of the wind outside the cabin. But there was no wind, just the sound of it. Toothless stirred restlessly; his tail was twitching back and forth. At the same time, the temperature in the cabin, which had been "very cold," took a sudden dive toward "abominably cold." What was going on? He opened his eyes and looked all around. There was no light in the cabin (it had no windows and the door was shut tight), but his eyes were fully night-adapted, so if there was anything to see, then he would probably see it.
And he did see it.
"It" was shaped like a very pretty young woman with shoulder-length curly hair, her head down, wearing a warm-looking robe. But all he could see was the outline of her form, limned in green glowing light. She passed through the door as though it wasn't there. The cabin grew even colder; Hiccup could feel his hairs standing on end, but it wasn't entirely due to the cold.
Don't be afraid.
He heard the voice as a quiet whisper, almost drowned out by the sound of the furs rubbing against his skin as he sat up in the bed. The shape of the woman was standing about four feet away from him, floating about an inch off the floor, looking straight at him. If he tried to get to the door, he would have to run right at her (or through her), and he had no idea what might happen if he did that. He knew the Viking stories about the undead, but those stories offered him no help. Most such stories revolved around the draugr, the raised bodies of the dead, not spectral images of greenish light. What should he do?
"Who... who are you?" he finally forced himself to say.
You are different from the others.
"Well, yeah, I get told that a lot," he admitted. The glowing form wasn't getting any closer. "Who are the others? How am I different?"
Many try to sleep here. When I appear, they flee. You stayed. Also, you are friends with a dragon. That is very different.
"It's not that different anymore," he forced himself to say. "Lots of people on Berk have made friends with dragons. Uhh... I still don't know who you are."
My name is Ægira. I was born on a ship, so my parents named me after the sea god.
"Uhh, hi, Ægira. I'm Hiccup, and that's Toothless. Maybe this isn't a smart question to ask, but if you were born a Viking, then why are you...?" He pointed at her green glowing form.
You just gestured to all of me.
Hiccup did his best to suppress a snort, but she noticed anyway.
Is this funny?
"That's something I used to say about myself a lot. No, I don't think you're funny, not even a little. Very much the opposite."
Ægira's form floated down to the end of the bed, hovering right next to Toothless' head. He didn't even notice. Then she lifted her head, showing the mark of a ragged knife wound across her throat.
I was murdered by a boy who I thought was my lover. I lived a virtuous life and I died fighting, so my spirit did not descend to Hel. But I didn't do anything especially brave while I was alive, so I didn't ascend to Valhalla, either. The Valkyries have left me here, with no destiny at all.
"Oh." Hiccup mentally scrambled for words. "That's depressing. How long ago...?"
I have lost track of time. I have been here at least fifty years, with no hope of ever leaving.
"Wow. That stinks. Uhh... are you the reason it's always cold here?"
I can't help that. It's part of what I am. Will you help me?
"What kind of help do you need?"
Help me do something brave, so I can be set free from this place and rise to Valhalla.
"Why don't you just go find something heroic to do? If you can pass through doors, then you can go anywhere, right?"
I can go only a short distance from where my killer buried my mortal remains. They are just outside this cabin. I am fated to stay here.
"So your heroic act has to come to you. I think I get it. How come nothing heroic has ever come to you in the past? Lots of people have slept here, haven't they?"
As soon as the living see me, they run in fear. They never stay long enough for me to talk to them and ask for help. As I said, you are different.
"I guess so. I mean, I thought I was going to get a good night's sleep in a cold cabin, and instead, I'm sitting here talking to a dead girl. That's pretty different. Usually, I talk to live people. Well, I talk to a dragon a lot, but this isn't the same thing at all."
Toothless finally stirred and woke at the sound of Hiccup's voice. He didn't seem to notice the glowing green girl who was floating near him. He raised his head to look at Hiccup, letting out a croon that probably meant, "Who are you talking to, and why aren't you asleep?"
"It's okay, bud. She's a friend, sort of. I think."
The Night Fury let out a grunt that probably meant, "I don't know who you're talking about, but keep it down. I'm trying to sleep." Then he lay down and closed his eyes.
While Hiccup had been paying attention to Toothless, Ægira's form had slid up the side of the bed until she was right next to Hiccup. She bent over and... she didn't technically kiss him, because she had no physical form to make contact with him. But he still felt a thrill all over him, much like the way he felt after Astrid kissed him, and there was no chance of this girl belting him in the arm. He sat bolt-upright in the bed, startled nearly out of his mind.
"Wow! I mean, whoa. I mean..." He shook his head. "I don't know what I mean. You just scrambled my brains. Do you do that to every boy who stays here?"
None of them ever stayed here long enough to find out.
"Well, if you're trying to bribe me into helping you, then you've found an interesting way to do it. But if Astrid saw you doing that, she'd kill me!"
I hope not. There has already been one murder here. I don't want another one. Will you help me?
"I can't promise that I'll succeed," he stammered, "but I'll try. What kind of heroics did you have in mind?"
Slaying a dragon would work. Can you bring a small dragon here?
"I can't do that," Hiccup said firmly. "You're from the past; you don't realize how much Berk has changed. The dragons are our friends now. They're for training, riding, and having fun with, not for slaying. What if I brought someone from another tribe, and you fought a duel with her?"
It's wrong to fight a duel if there's no good reason for it. I have no grudges against anyone except the man who killed me.
"Then maybe I can find that man and bring him to you," Hiccup thought out loud.
He has probably died of old age by now. Even if he's still alive, he could be anywhere in the Barbaric Archipelago. It could take years to find him. I appreciate the thought, but keep thinking.
He kept thinking for nearly an hour. The glowing girl didn't move from her position beside the bed. At last, he admitted, "I really can't think of anything, mostly because I'm getting tired, and I can't sleep because it's so cold here."
I cannot go far from here, so it will always be cold.
"Then would you take it personally if I went back to Berk, got a good night's sleep, and thought about it in the morning?"
You are making an excuse to run away. I will never see you again, just like the others.
"No, I've made you a promise, and that means something to me."
Borgo made many promises to me, and look how he left me!
"My name isn't Borgo. I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the son of Chief Stoick, and when I make a promise, that's as good as a law. I'd bring my friends here to vouch for me, but Astrid would try to fight you and the others would run away. Hey, there's an idea! If Astrid attacked you, would that be a good reason for you to fight back? Don't kill her; just defeat her and shout a battle cry or something."
Your friend cannot do me any harm with her weapons, so I would have no reason to fight her.
"You being dead really complicates things. No, I'm sorry; that was not a nice thing to say."
No offense taken. Believe me, I know I'm dead. If you leave, when will you come back?
"I can't say. First I have to come up with an idea; then I have to make a plan out of it, and then I have to make the plan succeed. But I've got one thing going for me that no one else has." He gestured at Toothless, who was still sound asleep. "I've got a Night Fury! If my plan requires me to travel to other islands, I can do it faster than any other Viking."
After fifty years, I should not be in a hurry. But you've offered me the first hope I've had since that awful night. Please don't delay.
"Ægira, I promise you, I'll handle this as quickly as I can. You haven't seen the last of me." He put his boots and helmet on, roused Toothless from his slumber, and they flew away into the darkness. Of course, now that they were in the air in the middle of the night, Toothless wanted to fly for fun. It took nearly an hour before he got the crazies out of his system and allowed Hiccup to guide them back to Berk.
Hiccup left Toothless' flying rig on; he was too tired to take it off. He tiptoed into his father's house, removed hit boots and helmet, and collapsed into his bed. It was well past sunrise when he finally woke up.
The first ones to greet him, unfortunately, were Ruffnut and Tuffnut. They had seen him leaving his house when he was supposed to be spending the night at the Cold Cabin. They teased him without mercy, calling him a coward and a scaredy-cat, until Stoick sat down next to them in the Mead Hall. Even the twins wouldn't risk the ire of the chief. They backed off and let Hiccup eat his meal in peace.
As they left the Mead Hall, Hiccup asked, "Dad, have you ever heard of a girl named Ægira?"
Stoick coldly turned his back on his son. "We don't talk about her. Do not mention that name again. Ever." He walked away. This was such an unusual reaction that Hiccup didn't press the issue. At least, he didn't press the issue with his father. Instead, he brought it up with Gobber the next day.
"Now where did ye hear that name?" the old smith wondered.
"I was talking to somebody," Hiccup said. "Dad won't tell me anything, but I can tell he knows something. Do you know anything?"
Gobber looked all around to make sure Stoick wasn't nearby. When he spoke, it was in guarded tones, and he kept looking around every few seconds. "Ye've stumbled onto one o' Berk's darker secrets. I'll tell ye what I know, but only because ye somehow learned somethin' about it. 'Tis a real sore spot with yer father, so please be sure he never 'ears about this.
"Ægira was a girl who lived two generations ago here in Berk. She came from a poor family, but they say she was the prettiest little thing who ever graced th' village. Everyone knew she was destined for a fine marriage. As soon as she came of age, men started approachin' her father with bride-price offers on behalf o' their hopeful sons.
"There were three strong contenders. One was Snickerbar, who was a cousin o' Chief Stoick's grandfather, so he had some money to offer. Another was a travelin' trader named Otho the Ordinary who swore he'd sell everythin' he owned, even his longship, to raise a good enough bride-price. Th' third was a poor but handsome lad – I've forgotten his name – who couldn't possibly match Snickerbar's offer, but they said th' girl liked that one best.
"When her engagement to Snickerbar was announced, the poor but handsome lad got very angry and said, 'If I can't 'ave 'er, then nobody will!' A few days later, they both disappeared."
"Without a trace," Hiccup whispered.
"Nae, there were traces," Gobber corrected him. "Th' night they disappeared, a small fishin' boat went missin' from the harbor. Everyone assumed that the two of 'em eloped an' sailed away. Either they made it to wherever they were goin', or they went down wi' the ship – neither of 'em knew much about sailin'. Most people like to think they made it; it's more romantic that way. But it was such a disgrace to Stoick's family, what with breakin' a formal engagement an' all, that they never spoke about it again. That's why yer father won't tell ye nothin' about her."
"Thanks, Gobber," Hiccup said. "But I've got one more question. If it was such a shame to my dad's family, then why wasn't it a shame to the poor boy's family? How come I've never even heard of this before?"
"Yer father won't talk about it, no matter what ye say," Gobber explained, "an' as for th' boy's family, that dinna make much difference. Ye see, th' boy was a relative of our favorite local irritant, Mildew. He probably won't talk about it either, but nobody talks to him about anything, so no one notices the things he won't talk about. Now, are ye gonna give me an honest day's work, or were ye plannin' to spend th' whole day talkin' about people from two generations ago?"
Hiccup nodded and donned his heavy apron. He was beginning to formulate a plan to help Ægira, but Gobber kept him too busy to even get started until the next evening. He grabbed a quick supper and made his way up a poorly-maintained trail to the cabbage farm owned and operated by Mildew.
The old man was sitting in a rocking chair on his porch, with his sheep Fungus lying nearby, chewing his cud. He saw Hiccup approaching and shook his fist angrily. "Go away, dragon-lover! You've got no business here!"
"I won't stay long, Mildew," Hiccup promised. "I left my dragon behind so he won't irritate you. I just want to ask you a question or two."
"I've got no answers for dragon riders and dragon tamers! Now go away!"
Hiccup was tired after last night and a busy day, and his patience was short. "You're being rude to your future chief, you know."
"I'll chance it," the old man snapped.
"I wouldn't chance if if I were you. All I have to do is stand in the middle of your field and whistle, and Toothless will come running to find me. He'll probably trample on half of your cabbages, but there won't be anything you can do about it because, as you once pointed out, dragons are always going to be dragons."
"You're a blackmailer, Hiccup," Mildew sighed. "What do you want?"
"I just want to know if you have any living family."
"Why?" Mildew asked suspiciously. "Are you planning my funeral? Don't waste your time! I have no family on this island and I don't need any. Fungus is all the companionship I need."
"Okay," Hiccup said, shaking his head. "It was just a thought. I've heard that you used to have relatives –"
"I don't care what you heard!" the farmer shouted, half-rising from his chair. "You can go all the way back to Kelso Island, for all I care; you won't find anyone I care to name as a relative. Now, you said you had a few questions, and you've asked a few questions, so you're done here. Now go away and leave me alone!"
Hiccup shrugged and left. It hadn't been a pleasant encounter, but he'd gotten the information he was looking for. Mildew had all but admitted that his family came from Kelso Island. That was good to know. The next step in his plan would have to wait for another day.
He actually had to wait two days; his planned flight for the following night got canceled when a storm blew up and Stoick asked the dragon riders to check up on the fishing fleet. The ships were rolling and pitching crazily as they rode out the storm, but they weren't taking on water or putting themselves at risk in any other way. Hiccup and his friends made sure everything was okay, then returned home.
The night after that, Hiccup grabbed some dry rations and saddled Toothless. It would take them about two hours to reach Kelso Island, maybe more if Toothless felt like taking the scenic route. He wanted to arrive before sunset so the locals could see his face and tell at a glance that he posed no threat to them. They wouldn't willingly talk to him, a stranger, if they thought he was dangerous in any way.
That included his dragon; Kelso Island hadn't gotten the memo that dragons weren't the enemy anymore. When he arrived, he found a break in the trees where a creek flowed into the sea. He left Toothless there, with firm instructions not to go anywhere. The black dragon took a long drink and was trying to snare some freshwater fish with his paw as Hiccup left for the nearest village, which was also the largest village.
As he arrived, men and women were streaming toward their Mead Hall. A few of them looked at him curiously, but no one initiated a conversation. That was probably normal; they didn't know him, how he got to their island, or why he had come. Getting the facts about him would be the job of the chief or one of his close advisors, not a random citizen. As he waited outside the Mead Hall, two huge men in battle dress walked up to him casually.
"You're not from here," the taller one said. His armor and his jewelry weren't quite as fancy as those of the other man.
"No, sir," Hiccup said politely. "I'm Hiccup, son of Stoick the Vast, chief of Berk."
"Berk?" The other man acted like he was trying to remember something about that island. That would be a deliberate act to throw Hiccup off; the two islands had a trade agreement that went back at least three generations, and someone from Berk married someone from Kelso about once every three years on average.
Hiccup declined to give the man any information. "I'm doing a little research into my people's family histories. Is there anyone on this island who goes by the name of Borgo?"
The bigger man spat on the ground and stormed off. The other man shook his head. "Hiccup, son of Stoick, you might want to do your research on someone else's family. There are at least twenty family lines on Kelso that are more honorable than the line of Borgo the Benevolent."
"The Benevolent?" Hiccup repeated. That didn't sound like a criminal's name.
A woman passing by stopped to join the conversation. "He didn't get that name sincerely. He tries to buy his way into people's good graces; he operates on the principle that everyone has their price. No one respects him and no one likes him. He couldn't even buy a wife when he was young and handsome, because no one would let his daughter marry the man. That's why he lives alone... and may he remain so!" She spat and moved on.
The big man nodded. "As you can see, Borgo is not my most-loved subject. Why don't you research my family line instead? I am Kornmunky the Courageous, son of Headfieldy the Horrible. We've been chiefs of Kelso Island for four generations, and my grandfather was one of the most successful raiders in the Archipelago. I've also got some very skillful smiths on my mother's side."
"Interesting," Hiccup nodded. If he'd actually been there to look into someone's family line, the chief would be a fine place to start. But that wasn't why he was here; it was just a cover story for his plan to track down Borgo.
The chief, however, was not to be deterred. "Let's sit down in the Hall, you and me, and I'll start telling you about my family. If you have trouble remembering it all, I don't mind repeating myself. It's one of my favorite subjects."
Hiccup was trapped by his own cover story. He sighed and sat down next to Chief Kornmunky, who began holding forth in great detail about his ancestors' exploits in battle, raiding, and trading. An assortment of children from his village soon joined them, listening rapturously to the chief's tales. Hiccup had to admit that Kornmunky was a fine storyteller. There were several points where he completely forgot his mission because he wanted to know more about some aspect of the Kelso chief's relatives. Before he knew it, it was getting late, and he needed to end his visit and return home.
"Thank you for your time, sir," he told the chief as they parted ways.
"Thank you for listening, and for visiting our island," Kornmunky said courteously. "If you come back for another visit, try to arrive earlier so you can buy some of my people's fine merchandise. I'm sure a chief's son like you can afford some silver jewelry or a pair of fur-lined boots?"
Hiccup saw another trap in the making – this chief was no fool – but the fur-lined boots would be quite useful on long, cold flights on Toothless' back. "I'll definitely think that over," he nodded. "Good night, sir."
As he left, one of the children walked beside him. "Did you like that story?" she asked.
"It sounded... impressive," Hiccup admitted.
"I like his stories," she replied. "He tells them differently every time, but he makes me think I'm right there watching those people!"
Hiccup grunted in disgust. So he'd been pulled away from his quest by a storyteller's tales, disguised as family history? What a waste of time. Now he had to find his way back to the stream where he'd left Toothless, in the dark, on an unfamiliar island. It took him nearly an hour. His dragon was quite happy to see him – he nearly head-butted Hiccup into the creek. They were soon winging back to Berk. It had been a longer night than he'd planned, and he hadn't accomplished his mission, but he was getting closer. The people of Kelso Island had confirmed that Borgo lived there, and that he was still alive.
As they flew home across the dark, silent ocean, he discussed his next moves with Toothless, who offered no suggestions but was a good listener. "I think I'll stay home tonight and get a decent night's sleep for a change. Then, the night after that, I'll return to Kelso and – no, that shouldn't be my next step. My next step should be to visit the Cold Cabin and reassure Ægira that I haven't forgotten about her, and that I'm taking concrete steps to help her. Then I'll go back to Kelso and see if the final stage of my plan is even feasible. What do you think, bud?" Toothless grunted. "Yeah, it's not ideal, but that's probably the best plan I'm going to come up with."
When he returned to the Cold Cabin, he didn't bother trying to walk quietly. He wanted Ægira to know he was here so he could talk to her. But there was no sign of her. He looked inside the cabin, he looked all around, but the glowing spirit-girl didn't put in an appearance. "Ægira?" he called. "It's me, Hiccup. I came back to talk to you." He paused; there was still no sign of her. "Ægira?" he called again.
The only answer he got was when someone grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, then hooked a foot behind his feet and pushed him down flat on the ground. He found himself staring at the business end of a double-bladed axe, with a seething-mad Astrid Hofferson holding the other end.
"You lying, two-timing cheater!" she hissed. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now!"
"Astrid, what are you talking about?" he begged.
"I just heard you calling out to a girl, and her name didn't sound like Astrid," she snarled. "I know what you've been up to! You sneaked up here to the Cold Cabin so you could be alone with another girl! Are you going to deny it?"
"No! I mean yes!" Hiccup blurted out. "I mean, that's not true!"
"Are you saying I didn't hear you calling someone named Ægira?"
"Yes, you heard that," Hiccup said desperately, "but she isn't another girl!"
"Okay, then who is she?" Astrid's manner softened very slightly, as though she was expecting to be amused by an entertaining story from him, just before she chopped his head off. "Is she a female Night Fury for Toothless? Is she one of Little Bo Peep's lost sheep and you're trying to find her? Come on! Out with it!"
"Can I sit up first?" he implored her.
She thought about it for three seconds, then pressed her blade against his throat. "No, you can stay right there on the ground and convince me that you're telling the truth. If you can't, it'll make my job easier. I don't want you looking me in the eye with those Hiccup eyes when I'm trying to behead you. Now, start talking!"
He told her the whole story. She listened silently and passively. When he was done, she shook her head.
"And you really expect me to believe this tale of yours?"
"Well, yes, because it's the truth," he said.
"There's one problem with your story," she thought out loud. "Actually, there are plenty of problems with it, but there's one big one. Where IS this glowing dead girl?"
"I don't know," Hiccup admitted. "I was trying to find her when you attacked me. Maybe you scared her away."
"I scared a dead girl away," Astrid repeated. "Hiccup, do you have any idea how lame that sounds?"
"All I know is, she's had bad experiences with the living, except for me," he said. "Maybe she just doesn't want to deal with anybody except me."
Astrid shook her head. "I'm not buying it, Hiccup."
He turned his head from side to side, looking around as best he could. "Ægira, if you can hear me, this would be a really good time to show yourself!"
Astrid's expression hardened. "You're making things worse for yourself! Are you begging me to kill you?"
"But don't you see?" he tried to reason with her. "If I was here with a real girl, and I called her and she appeared, then you'd kill both of us. I wouldn't call out to her unless she really was dead and she could prove that I'm telling the truth."
She considered that and shook her head. "Either you're a very clever cheater or you've completely lost your mind. I can't kill you if you've gone crazy, and I can't prove that you're cheating if I can't find the girl." She glared down at him. "Why do you have to make everything so complicated?"
"Believe me, this wasn't my idea," he moaned.
"Then whose idea was it?" she demanded.
"It was hers! She initiated this whole thing, just like I told you! I'm just trying to help a damsel in distress, that's all!"
"Just like you helped Heather, right?" she growled at him.
"No, just like the many times I've helped you out," he answered, "except she's dead and you aren't."
She suddenly withdrew her axe. "Get up," she ordered.
His eyes widened. "You're not going to kill me?"
She still looked angry. "I'm feeling the need to hit you in the arm and say, 'That's for making my life difficult,' and I can't do that while you're lying on the ground. Now get up!"
He shook his head. "You have a funny way of motivating me to –"
She suddenly extended a hand to him. He took it reflexively and she hauled him to his feet. Then she balled up her fist... and slowly unclenched it. "It's no fun if you already know it's coming," she said sadly.
For just a moment, she looked furious again. "But if I ever catch you with this Ægira, it won't matter if you're in the woods or in the Mead Hall – I'm going to swing this axe first and ask questions later!" She turned and stormed away. He waited until he could no longer hear her crashing through the woods before he moved an inch.
"I don't know if she believes me or not," he said out loud to no one.
She does not.
He spun around and found the glowing form of Ægira floating just behind him.
I'm a girl; I know these things.
"Why didn't you show up and say something before?" he demanded. "Now my girlfriend thinks I'm either cheating or crazy!"
I had to know if you were sincere. If you will risk your girlfriend's anger for me, then I know you're an honest man.
"Oh. Thanks for small favors, I guess," Hiccup said as he brushed the dirt and dry leaves off his clothing.
Why did you come back?
"I came to tell you that I've located the man who killed you, and I'm getting ready to bring him back here so you can face him."
She backed away quickly. I don't know if I can face him again. The last time I saw him... it was horrible.
"What's the problem?" he asked. "I mean, he can't hurt you anymore, can he?"
Have you ever had someone look you in the eyes and then murder you?
"Umm... no. I guess that would make things hard. Do you want me to give up?"
The spectral form bobbed up and down as she walked in a circle, thinking. At last, she said, No, don't stop. I need to do something brave, and facing my killer would definitely be brave... for me. How will you make him come here?
It was Hiccup's turn to harden his features. "Oh, he'll come here, all right. I'll make him an offer he can't refuse. If my plan works, expect to see me here again tomorrow night, and I'll be bringing a guest."
Even if your plan doesn't work, thank you for trying.
The next evening, Hiccup and Toothless flew back to Kelso Island, and they didn't bother landing in the village. Hiccup didn't want to get ensnared by another of Chief Kornmunky's stratagems. They stayed high in the air as they overflew the island. He was looking for a house apart from all the others, the kind that a social outcast like Borgo might live in. But it had to have no signs of young people living there; Borgo was an old man by now, and the villagers had made it clear that no one wanted anything to do with him, so he would have no family. He found two houses that might fit the bill. One was on the edge of the sea cliffs; the other was on a hilltop surrounded by grape vines. Hiccup decided that the house with the vineyard was the more likely place; the cliffs might remind a murderer of the scene of his crime. "Down there, Toothless. Let's land. Stay close. This will be either the easiest part of my quest, or the hardest part."
The black dragon thudded to the earth, and Hiccup slid off his back. The home wasn't much more than a one-room hut with one door and no windows. A thin trail of smoke rose from the smoke-hole in the roof. The place looked old and in danger of falling apart, but neatly kept.
Hiccup cupped his hands to his mouth and called, "Is this the home of Borgo the Benevolent?"
After a few seconds, he heard a voice from inside. "Who wants to know?"
"Hiccup, son of Chief Stoick of Berk, wants to know," he answered. Sometimes his family line was useful when he wanted to be taken seriously.
He heard slow footsteps on the wooden floor inside; then the door creaked open. The man looked ancient, but not feeble, and he had been very handsome once. His clothing was leather, well-worn but well-made; his boots looked brand-new. He wore a shiny helmet with short goats' horns on it. He glared at Hiccup and folded his arms.
"I haven't had dealings with Berk in a long, long time," he said in a strong, gravelly voice. "Is this about trading my wine for your ale? If it is, then you'll have to make a much better offer than the last Berk trader who paid me a visit."
Hiccup was preparing an answer when the man went wide-eyed and pointed behind him. "What is that?!"
Hiccup had forgotten to hide Toothless! Well, it was too late to play that game; he would have to make up some new rules on the spot. "Oh, him? That's Toothless. He brought me here."
The old man took a half-step toward Hiccup, then drew back. "Is it safe?"
"He won't bother you unless he thinks you're a threat," Hiccup answered casually. In order for his plan to work, he had to get the man away from his house, and a man who was afraid of something would never step far away from safety.
Borgo stepped away from the door so he could see around Hiccup. "I've never seen anything like it. It looks like some kind of dragon. How could it be safe?"
"He and I have an understanding," Hiccup said easily.
The man pointed at Hiccup's artificial leg. "Did you lose that while you were working out your... understanding... with it?"
Hiccup smiled. "No, I lost that while he and I were fighting a dragon the size of your Mead Hall. We won that fight, but I paid a price for it." Toothless noticed the man, sniffed the air, and sneezed.
"Well, anyway," Borgo said guardedly, "you've come a long way to talk to me. What is it that you want?"
"I want to talk to you about someone we both know," Hiccup replied. "Her name is Ægira." At Borgo's nervous reaction, Hiccup went on, "Oh, so you still remember her after all these years?"
"I don't care what they told you on Berk," Borgo snapped. "It was an accident! She was trying to trap me into marriage, she said she had something that would ruin me if I didn't go along with her, we fought, she fell and hit her head... I didn't mean to do it!"
"She fell and hit her head?" Hiccup repeated. "Is that how she got that knife wound across her throat?"
Borgo tensed up. "How could you possibly know about that?" He edged back toward his door. "There's no way you can ever prove anything after all these years. And even if you could, you'd have to take me back to Berk for a trial! And I will never go to that awful island again!" He turned toward the door.
"Toothless, get him!" The Night Fury sprang to his feet, bounded toward the man, and pounced, knocking Borgo flat. His helmet went flying into the house, as did the dagger that he had tried to draw. For a moment, Hiccup was afraid that his friend might have killed the old man. But Borgo groaned and tried to scramble away. Toothless pinned him to the ground with a paw and glanced back at Hiccup for approval.
"Bud, you did exactly what I told you to do," Hiccup sighed, "but I need to be more specific. I wanted you to grab him and carry... oh, that wouldn't have worked anyway. You can't fly without me helping you." He walked over to where his adversary lay on the ground. "Borgo, I'm going to give you a choice. Either you can ride on Toothless' back with me, or you can let him carry you with his claws, and hang down underneath him. It's a long way to Berk. I'd recommend that you cooperate and ride on his back."
"I will not go back to Berk," he groaned.
"You're going," Hiccup shot back. "It's just a question of how you want to do it – the easy way or the hard way."
"I'll give you an even easier way," the old man said. "I don't know why you're doing this, but there can't be much money in it. How much gold would I have to give you to just go home, forget about me, and never come back?"
"This isn't about money," Hiccup snapped. "I'm the son of a wealthy chief. I don't need your money. This is about justice."
"You'll never prove anything," Borgo said, and gasped; Toothless bore down on him with his paw and it was hard for him to breathe. "You have to have witnesses, and there aren't any."
"You might be surprised," Hiccup answered. "Now, are you going to cooperate or aren't you?"
"I have nothing to gain by cooperating," the old man rasped, "and everything to gain by making you do all the work. Then I can charge you with kidnapping!"
Hiccup hadn't considered that angle. It was true that he was about to forcibly take a man, against his will, from his home and village. Once Ægira had faced him and altered her destiny, then what? Hiccup would have to bring him back here, and he would be within his rights to charge Hiccup with a crime. This chain of events could blow up in Hiccup's face.
"I'll work that part out later," he decided out loud. "In the meantime, Toothless, you're going to carry this man home. Do you understand me? Carry him!" Toothless let the man get to his feet, but before he could dart into his house, the Night Fury's claws tightened around one of his shoulder pads, holding him in place. Hiccup climbed onto his dragon's back and they made their way into the darkening sky. Once they were off the ground, Toothless gripped Borgo's other shoulder pad with his other forefoot, holding him securely as they winged through the darkness. Borgo made no sound, except when they were about halfway there. Then he quietly said, "Hiccup, son of Stoick, you are going to pay dearly for this."
They reached the cliffs of the Cold Cabin shortly before midnight. Toothless set his living burden down, then landed so Hiccup could dismount. The two humans faced each other.
"I don't get it," Borgo finally said. "Why did you bring me back here? You can't hold a legal trial here."
"This isn't about a trial," Hiccup answered, and gestured with his left hand. "Do you recognize her?"
Borgo stared at the glowing form in the distance. At last, he said, "That's impossible! She hasn't aged a day in fifty years. She should be my age! What kind of trick is this?"
"Face him, Ægira!" Hiccup urged her. "Do it, and alter your destiny forever!"
I am afraid of him.
"He can't hurt you anymore!" Hiccup exclaimed.
"Maybe not, but I can hurt you, boy!" Borgo exclaimed. He pulled another small knife out of his boot and advanced on Hiccup... and quickly backed away when Toothless let out a warning snarl.
"Yes, you can hurt me," Hiccup said, "but I suggest that you don't try it. You'll be a lot better off facing Ægira again."
Ægira was backing away. Hiccup left Toothless' side and ran over to her. "No, Ægira! You're too close to Valhalla to quit now!" He tried to grab her shoulders, but his hands passed right through her; they suddenly felt like blocks of ice.
I can't do this.
"Yes, you can! You're a Viking, not a coward!"
How do you know what I am?
He tried to rub some blood flow back into his near-frozen hands "Because you've endured fifty years without hope and without companionship, and it didn't break your mind! You're still sane. A weak-minded girl could not have endured that and come through in one piece. There's still some strength in you, Ægira. Bring it out now!"
Slowly, Ægira turned and advanced on her killer, who stood and stared as though rooted to the ground.
You killed me, Borgo. Fifty years ago. Do you remember? I remember.
"This is impossible!" he answered. "This can't be happening! Keep your distance, whoever you are!"
Face me, Borgo. You loved to look at me before. Look me in the eyes now.
Borgo took a step back as he felt the chill envelop him. "No! Stay away! Don't come any closer!"
She continued to bob soundlessly toward him. He tried to run one way, but Toothless was there with teeth bared. He turned the other way, but a deep crevasse blocked his escape. He backed off another step.
Face me, you coward!
"Go away!" He took one more step back... but there was nothing for him to step on. He screamed as he fell. It was a long way down to the base of the cliffs, with some sharp stony spires at the bottom.
Hiccup ran over and looked down, then looked away. Even in the darkness, it wasn't pretty. He looked back and began, "Ægira..." His voice trailed off. The glowing girl was nowhere to be seen.
He let out the breath he was holding. "Toothless, you were amazing, as usual. I don't know if all the excitement is over or not." Toothless crooned; he rubbed the dragon's nose. Then he heard a quick rushing sound. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he caught a glimpse of a powerful woman in battle armor on a flying horse, swooping down to pick up a beautiful young girl and carry her up to the stars. But he must have been seeing things. There was no one there.
He waited a few more minutes, but nothing else happened. "I guess this adventure is over, Toothless," he sighed. "I hope she got her happy ending, but it would have been nice if she had said..." He broke off. Up in the stars, two lines of light appeared quickly, forming a 'T.' They had already faded when three more lines made an 'H.' One letter at a time, someone in the sky spelled out the words 'THANK YOU.' Then there was nothing but the cold, silent stars.
Hiccup smiled. "Well, what do you know? She did say 'thank you.'" He turned back toward Toothless, and nearly walked face-first into Astrid.
"Uhh... uhh... how did you..." he stammered. She reached out with both hands, grabbed his shoulders, and turned him to face her squarely.
"I waited here behind a tree to see if you'd come back," she said in a deadly quiet tone. "If you called out to that Ægira girl again, I was ready to separate your head from your shoulders. But I saw and heard the whole thing. You were telling me the truth."
"Well, yeah, I usually do that," he said nervously.
She suddenly looked very earnest. "Hiccup, somebody needs to write a saga about what you did here! You faced a girl who was fifty years dead, and you didn't run away in terror! I can't think of anyone in this village who's brave enough to do that. I don't think I could have done it, and I know Snotlout or Tuffnut would have run away screaming.
"And, as if that wasn't enough, you fixed it so the girl could go to Valhalla, you helped to bring justice for an old crime, and you solved the mystery of why Cold Cabin is so cold. Hiccup, you're a hero!"
After a moment, he shook his head. "This whole story is too improbable. No one would ever believe it, even if I told them, even if you backed me up. Besides, Dad will be mad if I try to talk about her. I don't want to be a hero. I don't want a saga. I just want an amazing dragon... and an amazing lady." He half-smiled.
She half-smiled back, but she didn't let go of his shoulders. "She was very pretty, Hiccup. Can you look me in the eye and tell me you didn't notice that?"
He shook his head, then looked her straight in the eye. "I was never attracted to her, Astrid. I just wanted to help her. It's easy when you have to choose between a dead girl and a girl who's to die for."
She batted him playfully in the arm. "That's for being a flatterer." Then she gathered him in her arms, pulled him in, and whispered, "...and this is for being awesome."
Her kiss gave him chills. But they were the good kind of chills.
The End