Hello hello!
We are on the cusp of summertime and TR is well under way! Not going to lie I can't tell if anyone aside from a few are actually reading any of this, so I get the impression I'm just writing this note to myself lol I hope everyone is doing well!
To Guest Reviewer: I'm so happy and proud of your accomplishments and hope you're continuing to do well! I don't think you're commenting for attention or anything of that sort; I think it takes courage to be open about that sort of thing, and I'm so glad that Erick's story has been able to help you (heart)
**Stress Warning** Just in case, I'm making a stress warning for this chapter. Originally this chapter would have been combined with chapter 6, but it would have been supremely long, and it was too much even for me to try to edit and cope with, so I'm glad I decided to split it up.
Hold onto your hats, kids. TR is starting to pick up and you know what that means (Elmo Fire Gif). Let's do this thing!
Inspiration: Goodbye Brother by Ofra Haza (Prince of Egypt)
Chapter 7: Right Arm
The ship had finally settled.
Alton had been in a restless, utterly sleep between the shivers from cold and probable fever, hunger pangs from the lack of proper sustenance (even if Zuri did try to sneak him something better than rock hard bread), and despair he tried to keep at a healthy arm's length. Too bad his arms were less than healthy at the moment or it might have made a difference.
He'd grown used to the shouting of the men above decks. He was no stranger to heavy footfalls on the deck of a ship and the shouted commands that came from any shipyard. So it was strange when the ship had gone silent. Eerily silent. He'd been transferred to Viggo's ship the day before. The innards of the giant beast were no different than that of Brandyn's, except now he didn't have to stare at the bloody wall where his best friend had met his end.
Perhaps Viggo required his men to be quieter than the norm. Somehow Alton didn't think so, but hunger and despair and approaching sickness made an elixir of frustrating proportions, especially when kept under lock and key. So when the ship finally went quiet, he thanked the gods for the sudden peace so he could try to get some real rest. Rest from the grief, the pain, the fear. Alton listened to the gulls and Terrors outside, the gentle lull of the ship as it cut through the waves, and finally, mercifully slipped into sleep.
He was shaken awake by a tumultuous shout. He started in his chair, wounds bleating in pain at his sudden movement. There was the clash of metal and hoarse screams of men, the sound of thudding boots and splashing water. And then, though it was still dark outside, he could see them.
Dragon riders.
Alton had shouted himself hoarse, uncaring of the consequences should Viggo or any of his men investigate. His friends had found him at last, they'd come for him.
Except nobody came. Nobody heard him. He'd nearly shouted himself hoarse before succumbing to the very real fact that unless someone boarded this particular ship and investigated this room above the others, the chances of him being found were minimal. His shouts fell on deaf ears, and it wasn't exactly their fault.
Dragonfire exploded in bright red torrents as riders dueled. Screams and the crash of metal on metal rivaled in the otherwise quiet night and Alton wondered for the first time where they were.
It seemed to go on for hours. No one came to the ship. No one came to his cell, not even Zuri. He was dying for information. Was Brandyn's fleet being attacked? If so, then by whom?
But the more time that elapsed, Alton began to suspect it was the other way around. Brandyn was making his move against the Archipelago at last. His fleet was attacking… but where?
Slowly, as if carried away on the very wind, the shouts died away. The screams fell silent. The clashing and dragonfire listed, waned, disappeared. Everything went silent. It was enough to drive Alton mad with fear.
It can't be Berk… It couldn't be Berk. We haven't been traveling long enough to get to Berk already. So where are we?
But his friends could still be out there. What if this had been a rescue mission gone wrong? What if Inga was out there?
No. Gods, please no.
Then a sharp cry cut through his thoughts, so distant that he thought he'd imagined it. But no, the shouting was getting louder, near feral in its urgency. The steady boom of dragon wings preceded their darkened figures as they swooped low over the ships, barely making it into the air. A Monstrous Nightmare collided with the ship, rocking it enough that it tilted. Alton hissed, fighting to stay upright in his chair with his toes and leaning forward. Thunder crackled overhead, but he soon realized it wasn't thunder, it was footsteps. Just as quickly as the noise had died, it was back, and with a newfound surge of panic.
Alton could barely make out the distant shouts to cast off before a new sound overtook them all. The ship suddenly lurched to the side amid the most concussive sound he'd ever heard, so loud he could barely comprehend it, as if the gods themselves were hurling mountains together. His chair slid to the wall and crashed against it hard enough that he smacked the back of his head, but he barely felt it as the sound of rock and water and fire exploded outside the window, and all he could possibly think was to beg the gods to take him quickly, to knock him unconscious so he wasn't awake to drown or burn or be crushed by broken wood or any number of slow, painfully conscious deaths.
Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Years. Time felt nonexistent for what could only possibly be minutes. It was a long, long time before Alton finally stirred.
His arms were pinned by the chair under his back. He could barely feel his hands. With a groan he looked around. Everything seemed normal, though the room hadn't been decorated with much. If he wasn't trapped on his back like a turtle, he almost thought he'd had a horrible, horrible dream.
He was just debating if he should use what upper body strength remaining to flip himself onto his side (and figured he'd probably end up breaking his nose in the process) when the metal door at the end of the hall finally screeched open.
Alton tried and failed to right himself, nose be damned. He refused to be found in such an uncomfortable, horrible position by Viggo and his men-
"Alton!"
Rushing footsteps heralded Zuri's entrance as she flung open the door and ran to help him up.
"Are you alright? The explosion seems to have knocked you over."
Alton gave a low laugh as she pulled him up, which quickly turned to a groan as his hands gave a painful spasm. "You don't say?"
Zuri's normally steady hands shook slightly as they undid the rope binding his hands. "I am not supposed to remove your bonds but at the moment I don't care. You need your hands for your future."
Alton scoffed. "What future?"
"Stop that," she said firmly. "I will not nurse you back to health to see you lost in your sadness. And anyway, we have more important matters right now than our grief, painful as it is to ignore."
Right. So, so right. Maybe it was in a healer's spirit to be no nonsense, but she reminded him of Inga so much sometimes, it hurt. But it also helped him to focus, and for that he was grateful.
"Zuri, what was that?" Alton said, rubbing his hands, now slowly turning from blue to purple to red. He hissed at the tingles. The leather-corded seaglass bracelet Inga had given him had made small impressions into his skin, so he rubbed at those spots, too. "It was an explosion?"
"Yes. Master Brandyn has taken back his homeland. And his enemy… Chief Sven, I believe. Apparently he ordered some sort of…" She paused, using her hands to make an outward motion.
"Bomb?"
"Something, yes. The island is gone."
Gone? Berserker Island, gone? Chief Sven, gone?
Alton leaned back in his chair with a thud, the pain in his hands forgotten. "Gods, this is really happening, isn't it?"
Zuri said nothing.
"I mean, your Chief says your whole life that bad guys want to destroy everything you know and care about, and a childish part of you always believes it'll never happen. He's kept us safe for so long, why would it ever come true?" Alton shook his head bitterly. "How did it come to this?"
My fault. If I hadn't gotten captured-
"I was a child when bad men came to my homeland." Zuri said. "They burned my village, killed my mama when she tried to fight, and took away my baba. For a time we were on the same ship, my baba and I. But we were separated in a place called Maero."
Alton blinked in recognition of the name. "My friend… he hates that place."
"It is a bad place. Full of horrible people. He was sold to a man there and I was sent away on a ship." Zuri's hands were no longer shaking and her voice filled with strength. "For years I have been passed from person to person as a slave. People wanted me for my healing abilities. I remembered much from the days in my village, but the herbs and plant-life is so different here than my home. It is so different on the mainland, too. But I learned early to obey. Not for them, but for what it would gain me. To stay strong. To come back here, to these islands. To find my baba." She lifted her eyes to Alton's and they were dark with a fierce strength he'd only ever seen from a few. "And this is why, Master Alton, we do not fall to pieces. Not yet. Tomorrow, we grieve. Today, we fight."
Such strength. To have seen and endured so much and to still be so, so strong.
"I think," Alton said finally in a hoarse voice. "You'd really like my friend."
"What is your friend's name?"
"Finn."
"Hmm. Well," Zuri said finally, holding the ropes back up. "I suggest you hang onto your strength long enough to introduce us, Master Alton. And no, I won't stop calling you that. Even if it hurts, you are strong and your Master Johann wouldn't want you to hang your head in shame. We will honor him."
Zuri was gentle as she replaced the ropes on his wrists. Alton didn't fight it, knowing she'd only get in big trouble if someone found out she'd removed them at all. He didn't fight the tears either. It was cathartic, even if his stubborn heart burned with each sniff. But she was right. Johann had loved him and he couldn't forget that, no matter what happened next.
Tucked in the shadows of the pillars, Hiccup and Toothless stood vigil on the patio of the Great Hall. Both were as silent as the grave and seemed to breathe even less. Their green eyes were locked on the harbor, waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Hiccup's arms were tight across his chest as his thoughts churned over each other, one after another.
Astrid should be back by now.
She should be back by now.
Sven's people should be arriving at Brawn by now.
Brandyn's recovering by now.
What next? Where do I start? Where do we go first?
Alton and Johann, missing.
Astrid should be back by now.
The world is spinning without me and all I can do is stand here, staring at the ocean, and she should be back by now.
With a growl, Hiccup spun away and began to pace. He took a deep breath into his lungs and let it out, forced himself to not tear his hair out.
Toothless warbled from his spot. He could almost hear his dragon's eye roll.
"Don't lecture me, bud. This is serious."
Toothless warbled again, more insistently this time.
Hiccup ignored him. Even as he forced himself to look away from the harbor, he fought the urge to look back. A headache was beginning to bloom behind his eyes. If only he could pick some of these thoughts out of his head to stop plaguing him-
Something strong and leathery and boney slapped him and he nearly ate dirt. Hiccup whipped back around in time to see Toothless tuck his wing back in. Toothless growled then, irritated.
"What? I'm not overreacting, Toothless! I don't know where she is and I just lost another friend, and I don't know what the Hel I'm supposed to do anymore!"
Toothless grumbled in a series of grunts and growls that somehow reminded him of the days when his kids would whine and complain. But that only begged the question if Toothless taught them that or if he learned it from them?
Shaking his head, Hiccup said, "I don't know what to tell you, bud. Maybe this is the true sign of my old age. The fact that everytime something happens-"
Slapping his tail, Toothless roared more insistently now. Enough that his hair blew back from his forehead.
"What is your probl-"
Shoving his head behind Hiccup's back, Toothless shoved him forward. Catching himself on one of the pillars, Hiccup opened his mouth to snap, but Toothless's wing tip lifted his chin up. Toward the harbor.
To the four dots on the horizon.
Hiccup blinked.
No sooner had he noticed them than a series of gongs sounded from the edge of the village. Braziers were lit one by one as each set of Finn's guards saw the approaching dragons. Archers were raising their weapons and dragon riders rose into the air as Hiccup fumbled for his spyglass with shaking fingers.
He narrowed in on the approaching riders and found the dragons were so small, he could barely find them in the distance. And this, he realized a heartbeat later, was due to the fact that there weren't any riders. The approaching dragons were Terrible Terrors, each carrying a parcel on their legs.
Hiccup lowered his spyglass and sighed. "Sure, now they tell us about the incoming armada."
Though the sarcasm was biting, Hiccup couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as the dragons approached. Finn must have given the false alarm order because the braziers were soon doused one after the other and archers returned to their posts.
Hiccup sighed again as the Terrors finally passed through the harbor and over the village toward the Great Hall, as if they knew exactly where he'd be.
Now what?
To pass the time, Alton consulted his memory on better food options than what he'd been offered as of late. The last few days had been nothing but rock hard bread and the delectable watery broth that Zuri had tried to force him to eat after their little chat. The three soggy carrot rings floating at the bottom had been enough to turn his stomach. What he wouldn't give for some hearty Berkian stew or fish or something edible, but even with the hunger pangs, he felt so off kilter that he wondered if he could even keep anything down. His body felt heavy and throbbed with each breath. Now that he thought about it, he felt rather dizzy.
He almost didn't notice when the doors screeched open and a flurry of footsteps thundered down the hall.
Almost.
Slowly he raised his head, wondering what the fuss was this time. Zuri led the group and she was shouting instructions to the two burly men that followed her, carrying something heavy between them, dripping water. A body.
Zuri threw the door open. "Quickly! Set her down, I must revive her. Quickly, I say! My Master said that we must not lose her!"
As if they didn't care at all for her words, the two men dumped a woman with sopping wet blonde hair onto the floor. Her red shirt and fur lined vest clung to her pale skin. Clearly another Viking, a dragon rider if her hardened muscles and gear were any indication-
Then, as Zuri dropped to her knees and began checking the woman for signs of breath, Alton's entire body froze and he was instantly wide awake.
Astrid.
"Oh gods-" Alton struggled in his chair. "Astrid! ASTRID!"
A hand shot out from one of the men and struck him hard enough to rattle his teeth. "Shut up, boy!"
"Please wake up." Alton groaned. He could barely feel the pain. He couldn't. How was Astrid here? Why was she soaked to the bone and unconscious? Had she been kidnapped? Had she come to rescue him? Were there more Berkians outside?
The thought of any of his friends being just outside sent a feeling of desperation through his body so strong that tears nearly pricked his eyes.
The men chortled. "Aw, is the little Norseman scared?"
"Leave him alone, Tyran." A soft, deep voice said.
Alton was momentarily distracted from Zuri now pumping her hands over Astrid's chest. He looked up to see the dark haired man that had been present during his torture. One side of his face was marred by ugly burn scars, his eye whitened by blindness. His hands were folded behind his back as he surveyed the scene, but his eyes were not on Astrid or Zuri or even his men. They were on him.
"Alton, isn't it?" The man-Viggo, he recalled-stepped into the room. His mismatched eyes dropped to the floor and for the first time his amusement slipped into concern. "How do you know Astrid Hofferson?"
Hofferson?
Alton blinked. "Haddock. Her name is Astrid Haddock, wife of my Chieftain. What happened- is she-"
"Ah, so they did marry." Viggo interrupted, smiling in amusement once again. He glanced at the two men and waved them out. "Off you go. We have no more use of you."
The men left without another word though their grumbling could be heard from down the hall as they disappeared out the door.
"Zuri."
"I am trying, sir." Zuri said, alternating between chest compressions and blowing air into Astrid's mouth. "But she is not-"
"She will." Viggo said firmly, crouching so that Astrid's face was just beyond his knees. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands. "She is the second strongest person I have ever known. A little water won't get the best of her."
Zuri's face was pinched with desperation now. "The longer it takes for her to breathe, the more damage her body takes. I-I can't- how long-"
"As long as it takes."
Alton shook his head, now fighting panic himself. Astrid was so still, too still. He'd never, ever seen her so limp. So lifeless. "Come on, Astrid, breathe!" Alton shouted. "Do it for Finn and Anna and Darin, come on! Breathe!"
"Please. Please." Zuri said, tears now slipping down her face.
Then, so small it was hardly noticeable, Astrid moved. It began as a twitch and suddenly she was shaking, convulsing, choking on the water trapped in her lungs-
"Flip her!" Zuri shrieked. Viggo helped turn Astrid on her side before Zuri began pounding her back.
Astrid began coughing up water violently, her body shuddering and heaving. Alton wanted to tear his eyes away but somehow found he couldn't. He'd never seen Astrid vulnerable, never seen her as anything but strong and fearless.
But as she collapsed unconscious a moment later, soaked and weak but breathing, breathing, mercifully breathing, Alton couldn't help but think that if Astrid had been nearly eliminated so quickly, so efficiently, how was the rest of the Archipelago going to stand a chance? After all, they hadn't taken her out with swords or fire or arrow or torture.
No, all they'd needed was water.
Sound and movement filled the room, but his ears felt like they were full of cotton. He vaguely realized Astrid was being lifted off of the floor by Viggo and sat up against the wall. Though he was on a different ship now-Viggo's ship-the cell was matching. The last person he saw chained to a wall was-
Closing his eyes, Alton took a deep, shuddering breath. No. Don't think about it. Fight tomorrow, grieve today. No. No, that's not right-
Zuri dabbed at her face with her hands and gave him a brief look of relief.
Grieve tomorrow, fight today. Right.
Viggo raised Astrid's arms one by one and locked them in cuffs. Though she was utterly unconscious, Alton knew that when she woke (and he prayed it would be a long time from now so her body could recuperate as best it could), her wrists would be sore.
Stepping back, Viggo nodded to himself as if he'd just decorated a side table with a lovely flower. He faced Alton and gave him a slow smile.
"I do not believe we have been properly introduced. I am-"
"Viggo Grimborn. Yes, I heard."
"Good. I don't like to surround myself with those who do not care to listen well."
Alton frowned. "And those who don't listen well?"
Viggo chuckled. "I suppose they don't live very long to tell any tales regardless."
A master manipulator, that's what he was. Alton had a feeling this guy was someone dangerous who would have no qualms with pitching him over the side of the ship if he proved himself less than useful. But he'd already told them everything he knew, so…
"What do you want from me?" Alton finally asked, trying to focus. Gods, everything felt weird.
"A man of direct conversation. I think we will get along just fine, Alton. Are you normally a direct person or did you pick this up during the trade business?"
Alton swallowed the bile that rose up his throat. "Are you normally one to answer a question with a question or are you trying to irritate me?"
He bit his tongue, waited for the slap. He'd learned with Brandyn and the other men here that he couldn't mouth off or he would soon receive some form of punishment. He'd have to learn to bridle his savage tongue or risk losing it altogether, or so they said.
And yet to his surprise, Viggo chuckled, rich and deep. "Ah, I do miss Berkians. All snark and sarcasm. To answer your question, you have information that I need if I am to perform my role properly."
Alton worked his jaw, glaring at the man before him. Zuri met his eyes briefly over her master's shoulder but she made no move to speak. What sort of role was that exactly?
"I've already told you people everything, against my better judgment and despite every ounce of willpower I have. What more could I possibly tell you?"
"Ah, but you see, I have not seen Berk in an age. A little more than two decades, in fact." Viggo said, folding his arms behind his back once more. "Suffice to say, I am behind the times. I need an update on my old friends' lives, particularly of one man. Or should I say, family."
As one, three sets of eyes flicked to Astrid, still unconscious across the room.
Alton's pulse began to race. If he didn't talk… then they'd probably torture Astrid. Just like they did to Johann.
Viggo took a step closer, his voice darkening. "Bearing in mind that the only reason you're still alive is because I will it."
Alton's eyes shot to Viggo's, terrifyingly mismatched, full of eager intensity, hungry for information that he didn't have. That he desperately wanted.
"If you do not cooperate, I will have no choice but to end your life. And, unlike the rest of my comrades in this operation, I do not find your life easily expendable. No one is worthless in my book. Therefore, if you wish to live, and by extension to continue receiving healing treatments from Zuri, you will give me a history lesson in Berk for the duration of your life."
Alton swallowed hard, unable to fight the tremor in his limbs. And, Viggo didn't have to add, Astrid's health or life may be forfeit if he didn't cooperate. They'd probably torture her for information if he didn't. Hel, they might do it anyway, but… Gods, what was he supposed to do? He didn't want to sell out his friends, his family-
"I can see you're beginning to fray under the stress." Viggo said. "It may feel like a betrayal, but think of it as mere storytelling. I want the history. Brandyn is frightfully vague in the details and while I might be on this journey for the dragons, I need more information if I'm properly to understand why my services are so required."
Surprise cut through the haze that was Alton's brain at that. "Wait. You don't know… anything? About… Brandyn and the Haddocks? Why they hate each other?"
"Your shock alone is precisely my point." Viggo said. "Hiccup was my greatest foe, but he himself had many. Through rumors and the obvious undertaking of Berserker we just endured, I have deduced this all has to do with Dagur the Deranged, but that vile man's death came after my time in the Archipelago. One can easily assume that Brandyn is Dagur's son-"
Alton choked on a laugh that turned into a cough. "Easily? Oh gods, you are behind the times."
Viggo was quiet for a long moment. "Zuri." She snapped to attention behind them, though she certainly hadn't been dozing. In fact, she looked just as hungry for the story as Viggo. "Fetch our friend some sustenance from the kitchens. Something hearty. If you're stopped, tell them it is for me. And any cleaning materials you may need. I suspect some of his wounds will need rebandaging as well."
Zuri bowed her head and left the cell, quickly disappearing down the dark hallway.
Alton frowned. Viggo was very different than he'd expected. He couldn't quite put a finger on it, but somehow he didn't see the man's words and orders as kindness.
"If you think you can manipulate me into telling you anything-"
Viggo rolled his eyes. "Please, spare me the stubbornness and the attitude. You haven't had proper food in days and judging by the occasional wince, I know those wounds are painful. And judging by the sheen of sweat and glassy eyes, you may be fighting fever. So be a good lad and take your medicine."
He was right, though the fire still lit deep in Alton's chest hated to admit it. It felt like cowardice and weakness and shame to accept anything from the people who were holding him captive, who'd scarred his body in ways that would never go away, that had taken his closest friend away from him forever.
"Now," Viggo said, pulling a chair into the cell from the empty hallway and settling into it. "Let's begin. Who, pray tell, are Finn, Adrianna and Darin?"
Alton closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. He hoped Zuri would slip some sort of alcohol into his drink again to dull the pain and his senses and the guilt starting to crawl through his stomach.
But he doubted it.
Fearless Finn was a nervous wreck.
The day had started off well enough. Waking with the dawn to have breakfast with his mother was nothing short of normal. It was their routine, their habit. Even though he didn't live in his parents' house anymore, they still kept up with their breakfast routine, either picking up ham and cheese biscuits from an early morning vendor or making pancakes at his place or sitting in a quiet booth in the Great Hall. Sometimes they'd even pack a breakfast bag the night before and take an early morning flight and eat on a far off cliff, overlooking the sea and village far below.
Not today though. Today he didn't have the stomach for breakfast. Or anything.
After the explosion had rocked the Archipelago and his dad sent him preparing their soldiers for constant watch of the seas, Finn felt on edge. The black cloud had eventually smeared its way across the skies, gradually diluting to a soft muted gray, like Genevieve's paints when she added water to the brush and set it to canvas.
Adrianna and Erick kept close. They'd left Darin with Cliff and Taryn, who'd waved off their apologies with smiles and eager hands. Though they were clearly upset about Alton's disappearance, they took the babysitting job as a helpful distraction and took him eagerly. So with Darin well taken care of, they remained in the Great Hall to help keep an eye on things. Mainly, keep Hiccup from falling to pieces.
Every minute in the passing hours felt like a held breath as they waited for Astrid to return so they could recap and make more solid plans, see if she'd found anything on her reconnaissance mission.
Except lunch passed and she wasn't home yet. Finn's eyes had begun to burn with their constant staring out at the ocean and nearly thought he was seeing things when the four dots appeared on the horizon. Seconds later, the alarms had gone off as he scrambled for his spyglass.
Finn had wanted to meet the three intruders halfway when they first showed up, ready to shout his mother into a pulp for keeping them waiting, for making them worry like this. Except it wasn't her.
It was worse.
Not long after the Terrible Terrors had entered the Great Hall, Hiccup had called each of them back with urgency, along with the council. Spread before him on the head table was a handful of letters. Letters from Brawn, the Cutthroats, Woeful Wailers, and the Ravaging Rangers. All villages from the eastern edge of the Archipelago.
Finn recognized one name on the letter from Brawn. "Raine. What is this?"
Hiccup's face was white. "Kara was attacked. She writes that her assistant Raine saved her from an assassination attempt. She killed the assassin."
Finn stared. "Raine?"
Erick touched the closest letter, the one from the Cutthroats. "Jade…"
Hiccup was tense as a board. "Dead. So is Yuri of the Woeful Wailers. Lief was injured, but he'll be alright. And Milly… Milly's unaccounted for."
Finn had seen some horrible things. Done some horrible things. Experienced horrible things. But nothing could compare to the strong feeling of dread as he realized what was happening.
"The east." Erick said quietly. "Assassination attempts on the villages in the east to open the door to Berserker."
"A worthy distraction." Hiccup whispered.
Adrianna's hands were shaking even as she pulled her long hair out of her face. "What do we do now?"
Hiccup had merely shaken his head. Finn could agree. Suddenly it all seemed so very real, the fact that they'd been planning for something like this for years and it had all been for nothing. They were still being picked off one by one.
He could stay calm. No, he would stay calm. His mom would be home soon and she'd know what to do first. Calm his dad down, soothe his inner turmoil enough to get him to focus, and then they'd make their move.
Finn found himself staring at Ben the Baker and Cook muttering over a box of cake decorations, glancing at the group of them with shy glances, as if not wanting to be noticed. Right… the wedding. How had he forgotten entirely?
He sighed. "I need to send a message to Genevieve. The wedding…"
Everyone turned to meet his eye, surprised.
Finn swallowed, unsure what to say next. "It's in two days. But now… If I don't send something, the Hjartans will start leaving by ship tomorrow."
Adrianna's brow was creased. "What are you saying?"
"I think we should… put it on hold." Finn managed, hardly daring to breathe as he said it, even as the disappointment in his voice was clear.
"But Finn-"
"No, Anna." Finn said, firmer this time. "People are dying. We need to regroup and let's face it, we won't be able to do both. Genni will understand."
Adrianna stared for a long moment, her expression downcast. "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry about? It's not your fault, Anna." Finn said before grabbing a piece of paper from a nearby stack. "But it'll take a while for the Terror message to arrive, so…" Without another word he strode to an empty table in the back of the Great Hall.
He sat there for what felt like hours, gathering his thoughts. How the Hel was he supposed to put any of this in a letter? If she lived closer, he'd just fly out to see her and say all this face to her face. That's how it should be.
No. It was not how it should be. They shouldn't have to be canceling anything or putting anything on hold… but how were they going to tell everyone across the entire Archipelago not to show up on Berk in two days?
Shaking his head, Finn buried his face in his hands. First Alton and Johann, gone. Then Sven and Berserker Island, gone. Now they were being told Sven wasn't the only one; a coup across the entire eastern islands. Some of the men and women he'd come to know as friends and fellow leaders were now gone, murdered by assassins. Jade and Yuri were gone, like Sven. Lief was injured. Milly was missing, like Alton and Johann.
And here he was feeling disappointed that his wedding needed to be put off. Suddenly he felt angry. Angry at Brandyn for ruining the lives of so many, but perhaps moreso, angry at himself. For being selfish, for making this about him.
Gods, he couldn't wait to take Brandyn apart piece by piece.
A body slid into the booth across from him but said nothing. Finn didn't move, not wanting to meet the eyes of whoever had sat down.
Then a gentle hand touched his elbow. "Finn, it's okay to be upset."
Anna.
Inhaling deeply through his nose, Finn scrubbed his hands down his face and sighed, not quite meeting her eye. He stared at the blank piece of paper still sitting before him. "I just… feel selfish for being disappointed."
"No. It's not wrong to feel disappointment. You have every reason to be frustrated by this."
Finally he looked up at his twin. Her expression was nothing but loving and sympathetic. She was right, of course. He wasn't wrong to feel disappointment for having to put his wedding off. Especially after waiting for it for years.
He could accept it, but he still didn't know how to put it into words. He glanced down at the paper again. "What do I say?"
Adrianna met his eyes. "Do you want me to write it?"
Yes. No. Yes.
With a knowing smile, Adrianna took the paper and ink well. "I got this."
Grateful and strangely relieved, Finn nodded. "Thanks, Anna."
Adrianna was already deep in thought, her brow pinched as she thought of how to begin the letter. How to sign away his soul. Shaking his head, he shoved that thought away. No, it was going to be alright. Postponing the wedding was a wise decision, and it would happen. So, forcing himself to take another steady breath, he turned away to give her time to think and surveyed the Great Hall.
Streamers were hung from the rafters in white and gold. Many tables had piles of decorations waiting for the moment they would be distributed across all the tables. Flowers and vases and twine and burlap and tablecloths and napkins and-
Closing his eyes, Finn looked away and focused on his sister, brow pinched as she wrote in a way that resembled their dad. The decorations, the celebration… It was too much. Genevieve would likely be so disappointed. And though he wanted nothing more than to see her, with the current danger, he didn't want her traveling.
"Tell her not to come to Berk."
Adrianna paused mid-sentence, eyes widening. "But Finn-"
"No, until we figure out what's going on, I want her to stay there. Where it's safe."
After a long pause, Adrianna nodded. She continued writing without another word and Finn watched the quill fly across the paper. Soon she was blowing on the ink and turning the page around for him to read.
Though it was wordier than he would have put it, he nodded. Perhaps Adrianna's gentle yet flowing words would ease the news a little more. It was difficult to put so much into a letter without being too blunt, too coarse, too decisive. Somehow Adrianna had managed to put all the dire information about Alton and Johann, Berserker Island, the coup, and his apology and request to postpone the wedding and to stay on Hjart into the letter without sounding… well, too blunt, coarse or decisive.
Nodding, he deemed it ready.
"I'll send it now. The sooner it gets there, the better." Adrianna said, standing and folding the letter. Pausing, she reached out to squeeze his arm and then took off.
Finn sighed, watching as she disappeared. He tried not to feel like his heart was on that sheet of paper.
Instead he focused on his dad, who flinched as Adrianna flung the door open. He looked up from his seat at the head table, expression expectant and worried and relieved, only to fall as Adrianna slipped outside. His dad seemed to try to smooth his expression back into calm neutrality, but anyone who knew him at all had to see he was worried.
And for a moment, Finn ignored the fact that it was his mom. Suddenly he put himself in his father's shoes. What if it was Genevieve who'd gone missing? His best friend of most of his life, off on a recon mission just as the world turned itself upside down? Just to get letters saying that some of his closest friends and allies had been murdered?
Shaking his head, Finn rubbed his hands down his face.
Gods mom, where are you?
Brandyn was beside himself with glee.
Sure, he had a lot to gripe about. Many of his ships had been destroyed or heavily damaged in the explosion that had no doubt rocked the Archipelago. His element of surprise had equally been dashed to pieces. No doubt the entire Archipelago knew he was here.
But he didn't care. They would have found out eventually, no matter how much he'd planned. The hardest part, gaining access to the Archipelago, was over. He had no doubt that the rest would go off without a hitch. He had news that a few of the Chieftains who would have posed a threat were gone. Jade, Yuri, Lief- well, Lief was yet to be determined. Even fatal injuries could be healed on occasion. Milly was in the wind.
But now his odds of success were even better, almost as if the very gods themselves had given him their blessing. He couldn't have planned for Astrid Haddock to show up on his doorstep on the cusp of his victory.
Back in the beginning days of planning, he'd considered kidnapping Astrid. How hard could it be? His father had done it once. Except Astrid was a mighty force to deal with, so an easier target would have been Adrianna.
This was too easy though. He wanted to draw out the pain of loss as long as possible, and while a kidnapping of Hiccup's wife would surely do damage, there simply was no possibility for him to commit such a feat in the past few years. Certainly not after the Archipelago learned of his true identity after the Convocation.
But now…
Brandyn couldn't help the wild grin at the thought. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised. Finn was as impetuous as Astrid, after all. Hiccup planned, Adrianna played it safe, but Astrid and Finn? They were the wild cards, fearless and each packed a worthy punch, but planning was not their stratagem. They were fighters, not planners. First act, then think.
They'd always feared that sort of impetuous behavior would get Finn killed one day, and they were nearly correct on many occasions. Getting himself wrapped up in the slave trade took a special kind of stupid.
But Astrid. Gods, Snoggletog came early. He was going to have fun with this.
No matter that she was currently on Viggo's ship. As Berserker Island was a husk of its former glory, they had to remain on their ships for planning. Tedious, but no different than what he'd had to do these past months anyway. Viggo assured him that Astrid was alive and well, so he could hold onto her for now. Have a little catch up before he made his entrance, reminisce in old times.
Brandyn's boots were a heavy clop against the deck as he passed crate and after crate. Growls and snarls filled the air as he went, but he ignored it all. All the worker bees ever did was complain, but their role would soon be put to use again. For now, they should rest and relax.
He took a deep breath of salty, smokey air and let it out, smiling at the charred remains of his home. They would rebuild it all in good time. But not yet. Now they had more important matters at hand.
And as for Astrid…
Slipping a knife from the sheath at his thigh, Brandyn inspected the blade. His dark blue eyes, smudged underneath from lack of sleep with everything he'd had to do, shone back at him. Greedy. Hungry. Ready. His dark hair was mussed and smelled of smoke. The tattoo over his face that matched his father's as well the scar Adrianna had given him were obscured by soot from trudging through the island's remains.
Raising a brow, he reached up and tugged on a lock of his dark hair. And smiled.
Sometimes I have the best ideas.
The Great Hall was silent except for the occasional sigh and scuff of boots. The council remained with the Haddocks and Larsons, keeping watch and company. Everyone else had been dismissed. Cook, the waitresses and barkeep, any stragglers. News had already passed that the wedding would be put on hold. It was difficult to share and see everyone's sympathy and disappointment, but it had faded into the backdrop of worry and fear that seemed to envelope the Great Hall like a shadow, which only seemed to grow with each passing hour.
People were advised to have their evening meals at home and turned away. Finn wasn't sure who'd given that order, but he was grateful all the same. He'd never known such worry before in his life. Not when he'd been kidnapped by slave traders. Not when he'd been beaten by Ratri. Not even when Benen died. All these things had a flurry of strong emotions, but none of them compared to this.
To not knowing where his mom was.
She might be a rebel and a fighter, but she'd never be gone this long. Not on purpose. Not unless she had to. Maybe something had happened and she was laying low until she had a clear shot to get home. Yeah, that had to be it.
His dad was standing outside the Great Hall at the top of the steps, staring out at the sea. His arms were crossed tight against his chest as he waited, unseeing, unblinking. The sun sank, kissed the horizon, disappeared. Still, Astrid was nowhere to be seen.
Adrianna's knee was bobbing uncontrollably from her seat at the head table. Erick sat by her side, running his fingers through her hair as if to soothe, but she didn't seem to notice. Briefly Erick glanced up at him and gave him a weak smile, but he looked away. Finn had never felt helplessness like this before.
What if…
No.
Shaking his head, Finn took another turn around the Great Hall. It was large enough that he could pace and not stress the others out too much. But Hel, they were all stressed. It wouldn't make any diff-
The sound of footsteps and urgent voices cut through his thoughts. His heart gave a wild leap and he spun around, nearly colliding with a pillar in his haste. He was going to throttle her-
But it wasn't his mother. It was a pair of guards. They pushed through the gathered councilmen and women, ignoring questions and concerned looks as they approached the table and set down a lidded box with care.
It wasn't very big, but large enough for a great many things. Adrianna abruptly stood and backed a few steps away from it, a look of flighty terror on her face. Erick also stood and quickly took her hand, his teal eyes hard on the box.
Finn's heart was pounding hard in his chest as he stared at the box. It gave another wild jolt as his dad approached it, his face so white the freckles on his skin stood out.
As one, the council stared at the box. Finn wished he could be strong enough to do what his father couldn't, even as his fingers curled at his sides, but he couldn't make himself move.
It was a great relief when Gobber stepped forward, the clunk of his wooden prosthetic heavy in the silence. He set a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and lifted the lid off the box without preamble. The lid fell to the table with a clap.
Finn exhaled a heavy breath. It appeared to be empty except for a large piece of wood.
There was a collective rush of breath through the Hall.
Though Erick also slumped with relief, he set a hand on Finn's shoulder. "They put it in there to make the guards think the worst-"
Adrianna wiped a few tears off her face with a shaking hand. "Daddy, this doesn't mean the worst."
"Yes, it does." Hiccup whispered.
Steeling himself, Finn took a step closer so he was side by side with his dad. Looking at the long piece of wood, it looked smooth with age and use. Leather cords were wrapped around it. A grip then, for a handle. What appeared to be the top was splintered, like it had been broken savagely-
"Her axe handle." Finn whispered.
Carefully, Gobber reached inside the box and lifted a small piece of paper. Finn blinked. He'd been so focused on the axe handle that he hadn't seen it.
Gobber cleared his throat and read, "Your right arm is mine. My only regret is that I can't be there to see you bleed. Signed, Brandyn Anderson of Berserker Island." He lowered the note and set it on the table beside the box.
Erick wrapped his arms around Adrianna as she began to tilt. "No. No, he can't… not mom."
Finn felt a strange detachment. He barely noticed as Erick began to comfort her.
They hadn't been ready. Not by a long shot. First Alton and Johann, then the attack on the eastern villages. Chieftains murdered and Berserker destroyed to give them a chance, and for what? The queen was already taken from the board in a single play. Were they fools for thinking they would be prepared? Were they fools for letting anyone leave the island at all?
Hiccup had slipped into a chair, unseeing.
Gobber squeezed his shoulder. "It doesn't mean the worst."
"Look in the box again." Hiccup whispered.
Though near silent, the words cut through Finn like a knife. Heart pounding, he stared down at the box. Beneath the handle, likely jostled by travel by boat or invisible flight, was blonde hair, crusted in blood. Straight hair mingled with a long strand of blonde curls-
Finn froze.
"What?" Erick asked somewhere in the distance.
No. No.
Adrianna grabbed the box and yanked it closer. In seconds she understood. "Oh… Finn."
He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think around anything except palpable terror. "Genni."
Finn spun on his heel and turned toward the doors. He'd only made it three steps before someone grabbed his arm and yanked him back. It was Erick, his voice and expression oddly distorted.
"You can't leave." Erick said. "This is exactly what he wants, Finn. To make us panic and make mistakes, so he can pick us off one by one. If we lose you, too-"
"Get off of me." Finn hissed and shoved him off before sprinting to the doors.
Voices called him back and he distantly heard the sound of running footsteps, but he didn't care as he sprinted down the steep hill, forgoing the stairs. Screw it all. If Brandyn had her too, it was over. He'd burn the Archipelago to the ground himself.
Though he nearly broke his neck on the way down, Finn made it to the bottom of the hill and whistled shrilly. He nearly plowed over his own guards patrolling the streets, nearly upsetting their already delicate nerves, but he kept running and whistling for his dragon.
With a concerned roar, she appeared from the harbor, wet from swimming. Finn didn't care that his saddle was soaked. He took a flying leap and strapped his legs in haphazardly with shaking hands, beyond comprehension.
Before they could take off, a second pair of hands grabbed Zap's reins and yanked her down. "Finn, please, don't do this!"
It was Adrianna. How she'd kept up-
"PLEASE!" Tears were spilling down her face but she didn't seem to care or notice. "We can't lose you, too. Not now, not after everything that's happened today!"
"If it was Erick, what would you do?" Finn demanded, his voice cracking. "Better yet, if it was Darin, what would you do?"
Adrianna opened her mouth and nothing came out.
Finn took her hands and squeezed them. "She's my Darin. I… I have to make sure she's safe. Please, Anna. I'll come back, I promise. But I have to go."
She closed her mouth, her chin trembling. Slowly she reached up and pulled him into a hug. "What if Hjart was attacked, too? What if Brandyn is waiting for you? What if she's not there?"
Finn shook his head. "Then I'll come back."
Her arms tightened on his neck. "Don't lie."
"I'll come back, Anna." Finn pried her arms off his neck and looked her in the face. "If she's in trouble… I can't wait for a letter that might never come. Please."
They stared at each other for a long moment. His twin, his friend, someone he'd come to rely on. He'd do anything to protect her. But he'd also made the same oath to his beloved. It may not be sworn into existence in wedding vows yet, but he didn't care. He was going.
"Please…" Adrianna whispered. "Please be safe."
Finn kissed her forehead firmly. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone. Try to keep dad in one piece. I'll be back."
"Hold up!"
They turned in time to see Helga land with her Nadder, Shade, her blue eyes fierce. "Like Hel you're going alone. I'm coming with you."
Not wanting to waste the time to argue, Finn nodded. Somewhere in his heart he was grateful, but he could hardly think beyond its pounding in his ears.
Nodding with a new firmness in her eyes, Adrianna stepped back. Erick appeared around the corner and skidded to a halt as Zap and Shade flapped into the air. Finn nodded to his brother-in-law and then turned away, ignoring the concerned voices of the villagers. Zap and Shade dove down the cliff and they were off, Berk fading into the darkness.
"To Hjart, Zap. As fast as you can get us there." Finn said hoarsely. "Genni's in trouble."
Zap gave a growl and put on a burst of speed. Finn pulled himself low to her back, allowing for more speed in the slipstream.
Please be safe.
Please.
Adrianna watched Finn and Helga disappear into the darkness with a sort of numb detachment. It felt like someone had carved something out of her chest. Something bright and powerful. Something unyielding and stubborn and fearless.
No. She snatched back those thoughts with a firm shake of her head. Her mother wasn't gone. Brandyn only wanted them to panic and despair, make bad decisions. Well, she wouldn't allow herself to fall to pieces. Her mother was indeed bright and powerful, unyielding and stubborn and fearless. She'd find her way back to them.
And in the meantime, they needed to be strong. Each of them. For their village, their family. For her daddy especially.
And Darin.
But first, just for a few minutes, she had to be selfish. Because now only one name clattered through her and she had to make sure he was alright. That he was safe.
"Erick, go back to the Hall. Stay with dad." Adrianna turned on her heel. She didn't stick around to hear him reply, though she had a feeling he'd only nodded. He seemed to understand that she needed to do this alone.
A flaw in her thinking perhaps, but she abandoned the thought as she sprinted down the street.
Her mother was gone.
Finn had left.
Genevieve was unaccounted for.
Erick was afraid.
Her father was distraught.
It was too much. Too much. Everything she'd built these last three years seemed to be crumbling down around her. People glanced at her as she sprinted through the streets, tears splashing down her face. But one thing was still the same. She knew exactly where he was, where she'd left him, with whom she'd left him. She trusted them with every fiber of her being.
There was still good in the world. There was still hope. There were still good people who loved and cared for her and her family. All was not lost yet.
And she was reminded of this the second she shoved through Cliff and Taryn's front door and found Darin playing on the rug with Cliff, surrounded by a pile of painted wooden dragons.
"Mama!" Darin hopped out of Cliff's lap and then paused when he saw her face. "Mama, you okay?"
Adrianna choked on a sob and dropped to her knees. "Mama needs a hug, baby."
And true to his Haddock genes, her genes, he instantly threw his arms around her. He even patted her shoulder in a way she and Erick always patted his, and her heart clenched inside her chest as more tears slipped down her face. A comfort even now at three years old. He wouldn't understand what was happening. But he understood that his mommy was hurting. That was enough.
It was going to be okay.
She'd make it okay.
But right now, nothing… absolutely nothing was okay, save for this moment.
Darin was safe. It was the only thing she was sure of.
The Sullivan house was bustling with activity. A final dinner party for the entire family was in order before they left in the morning for Berk. For Genevieve's wedding.
At least, that had been the plan.
Genevieve stared down at the note written in Adrianna's hand, her hands clasped together tightly. The party had been a jovial affair but ever since the letter arrived by Terror, all she could do was stare down at the letter in disbelief.
Alton and Johann, captured by Brandyn.
A coup on the allied tribes, many of the chieftains either missing, injured, or murdered.
Berserker Island, destroyed. And Chief Sven giving the Archipelago a warning, a fighting chance, but sacrificing himself in the process.
And… the postponing of the wedding.
"What are the chances that the explosion on Berserker took out Brandyn?" Kiev said in a low voice across the room.
Ivan shook his head. "There's no telling. We will have to wait for news on that front. I imagine Hiccup has sent out scouts to gather information."
Disgusted, Genevieve shoved the letter away. "That man is a slippery snake if there ever was one. It would be all too convenient if the blast killed him, but I wouldn't bet on it."
They'd heard something across the sea. A loud boom far, far in the distance, but they were too far away to see any damage from here. Still, if Adrianna's words were to be believed, the smoke trail could be seen from Berk.
"Poor Sven." Molly said, shaking her head and dabbing her eyes. "And the Chieftains who were taken. Honestly, what does that man hope to accomplish?"
"He hates the Haddocks, mom. And everything they represent." Ivan said firmly. "He'll do whatever it takes to have his revenge."
"Besides," Callan said from his seat at the fire, Valia tucked under his arm. Her red hair was a rich red in the evening light. "If the Convocation was any indication, he's willing to cut down anyone in his path to get there."
Lana grabbed a handful of her skirts and stood from the couch. She quickly came to Genevieve's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We should change the subject. This is too much for Genni right now. She needs her rest."
Genevieve shook her head. "It doesn't matter. The wedding is… postponed, remember?"
"Yes," Lana said, raising her chin. Her dark hair was in a flawless bun and her makeup just as perfect, but there was real concern in her eyes. "But that doesn't mean you need to take on all this extra stress-"
"How can I not though?" Genevieve asked. "This is my family we're talking about. Brandyn has made victims out of them one way or another for years! And now he's taking apart the Archipelago by the very seams!"
A plethora of voices destroyed the silence. Genevieve sighed and gave up on trying to listen to both parents and all of her older siblings. The boys were all deep in strategy talk and brainstorming while her mother and sisters were trying to dissuade her fears and comfort her. They all meant well, of course. But this was the trouble with large families, particularly when everyone in the family had something to say, each with their own dash of stubbornness and resilience. Everyone would speak their mind, but to be heard was another thing entirely.
A distant roar echoed over the din, though the chatter was so loud in the room she might have imagined it. Genevieve might have disregarded it if she didn't have a clear view of Max just outside the window. His head lifted from the dirt and suddenly he was on his feet, sprinting away.
"Quiet!" Genevieve said, jumping to her feet. "Everyone be quiet!"
Surprisingly, they all obeyed, even the children who'd been playing on the circle rug before the fire. Now that it was quiet, they could hear a series of yelling going on outside the house, and anxious growling.
Genevieve was two steps away from her seat when footsteps suddenly thundered on the porch. The door was thrown open so fast that Thuggory had to jump out of the way.
Finn stood in the doorway, face red from exertion, his blue eyes wild. "Where is she?"
"Finn!" Multiple voices exclaimed, though he seemed not to have heard any of them.
Thuggory and Ivan each held out a hand to steady him but he shoved them off.
"Where IS she?"
"Finn!" Genevieve finally pushed through the crowd of her family, all of whom had leapt to their feet in shock as the door had been thrown open without warning and a raging Viking stormed through.
When he saw her, he shoved past Ivan and Thuggory and began inspecting her face, turning her jaw this way and that, patting her hair.
"Finn, what-"
"Where- Where have you been?" Finn was muttering, his hands shaking so badly that he could barely catch hold of anything. "Have you gone anywhere, talked to anyone strange-"
"What is going on?" Ivan said.
Suddenly Helga was there, shoving her way inside. Her face was also flushed with exertion. "Sorry for the intrusion." Her normally boisterous voice was tight. "Finn, breathe-"
Molly patted Bree and Lana's arms. "Take the kids upstairs. Go, quickly."
Genevieve hardly noticed any of this. She could only stare with increased shock as Finn continued muttering, asking her strange questions. He was here. He was here, how was he here when they just sent a letter from Berk telling them what happened-
Then, Finn's fingers seemed to find from her mass of hair a shorter curl. He pulled the lock of her hair from the nape of her neck and held it up for all to see. They all stared at the shorter curl in confusion, except Helga, who swore under her breath. Finn only seemed to shake more.
The curl slipped from his fingers. Hands and voice trembling equally, he shoved his hands up into his hair. "I'll kill him. I swear I'll take him apart myself-"
Genevieve shook her head. Grabbing him by the shirt, she gave him a firm shake. "Finn, LOOK at me!"
It was like a bucket of ice water had been thrown over him. He froze, blue eyes leveling with hers.
"What is going on?" Geneveive asked firmly, but unkindly. "Why are you here? Why are you… playing with my hair?"
A strange look entered his face then. Something… full of terror and despair.
Genevieve blinked, gentling her voice. "I got your letter. It's okay, we can postpone it another day-"
He began shaking his head and closed his eyes. "No. No, it's not… about that."
"Is it Sven? The other Chieftains-"
"My mom."
Genevieve froze. A cold sense of dread seemed to fill her limbs. "What?"
Finn couldn't seem to take a full breath. "He's… got my mom. Brandyn's… got my mom…" His knees buckled and Genevieve threw her arms around his waist. Kiev was suddenly there, helping ease him to the floor.
Genevieve couldn't think, couldn't breathe.
No. Not Astrid. No.
"Just breathe, son. Breathe." Kiev said gently, squeezing his shoulder. He looked up at Ivan and Molly, a look of concern and loss on his face.
Finn slumped to his knees, shaking and panting like someone was cutting off his lungs. She'd never seen him like this. And how could she? Nothing had ever compared to this. Everything was so very wrong.
"What do I do?" Finn whispered, staring at her imploringly. "Tell me what to do, Genni."
Genevieve threw her arms around his neck. "Breathe. Right now, just breathe. I'm right here. I've got you." She tightened her arms around his neck. She was still so confused; she didn't have context, but she forced herself to focus, to keep her mind clear. One thing at a time: First, calm him down. Second, get the story. Three, act.
She would be strong for him. She would take Brandyn apart piece by piece for this, for shaking her Fearless Finn's foundations so thoroughly that he couldn't speak, couldn't act, couldn't… couldn't…
Numb and shaking, Finn dropped his face into the crook of her shoulder. She stroked her fingers through his sweaty hair, across his shoulders. Normally he was so intune to her touch, but he didn't move, didn't speak.
Astrid. Strong, fearless Astrid.
And they were supposed to be married in two days. Astrid was supposed to be there, standing in the front of a large crowd, beaming with pride, probably crying and fighting with every ounce of stubbornness in her body not to. She was supposed to be there to see them get married and start their new life and have kids and-
Genevieve clamped down on those thoughts and didn't give them another inch. Right now, they had to stay positive. As positive as they could be. Astrid was strong. Astrid was fearless. She couldn't be gone. Not yet.
Still, with the tremors in his body and his shaking breath, all Genevieve could do was hold him. Hold him together, keep him from falling to pieces by sheer willpower alone. She glanced up at Helga, who was watching on with worried eyes and worrying her lower lip.
The limit, Helga's eyes seemed to say. He's reached his limit today.
Nodding, Genevieve squeezed his shoulders tighter and hardened her resolve. They'd always feared something would happen. She always knew that it would be a fool's hope to believe Brandyn would just disappear.
Well now, it had happened. Now it was time to do her part.
A gentle swaying motion was the first thing that drifted into Astrid's consciousness. It made her head swim at the back and forth, up and down sensation. Her chest felt tight and her skin felt cold, clammy. Even her hands felt tight, like balloons blown too tight and ready to burst.
Slowly she cracked her eyes open. She was sitting against the wall of a blackened wood floor. The swaying motion… a ship. A cell door was on her left, blocking her in. The room was mostly empty with the exception of a single individual with auburn hair and white cloth bandaged to both cheeks.
The haze lifted at last and Alton Brand's face came into focus.
Wait-
Astrid straightened bolt upright, looking around for guards. Then a sharp, prickling pain echoed through both hands and she gasped. Looking up, she found her wrists shackled to the wall above her. Due to the deadweight of her arms while she was unconscious, her hands were utterly purple.
"Agh!" Astrid hissed, the pain very real now that her brain decided to catch up to her body.
"Lift them up." Alton said calmly from his chair across the room.
"What?" Astrid said, then coughed. Her chest gave a deep throb, which spread with every breath. Deeper breaths hurt even more. "What… happened? Alton… Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me, though I didn't realize that almost drowning could make you forget a familiar face." Alton paused as Astrid tried to return feeling back into her hands. "Lift up your arms, then the circulation won't get cut off. Your arms are probably already sore, but… well, nothing you can do about that I'm afraid."
Indeed. And yet the prickling sensation only worsened as the blood began to surge back into her hands. Gritting her teeth, Astrid wiggled her fingers and slowly turned her wrists in small circles to get the blood flowing. It was a long, long process but finally she began to regain full movement again.
Astrid sighed, irritated at the position she'd been left in. Whoever these cowards were, they'd thought this through well. They probably knew her reputation. She couldn't pull herself to her feet easily, and there was so little room to move that she'd barely be able to get them beneath her anyway.
And worse still, she'd had to go and get herself captured. Gods, Hiccup was probably beside himself with worry, and when that happened…
Stormfly.
Resisting a frustrated growl, Astrid looked around the room again. "Alton, how do we get out of here?"
Alton gave a long shrug. "Beats me. Ha, that's funny."
Astrid paused in her squirming around the cuffs, frowning. "What's funny?"
"Beats me. Cuz… " Suddenly he frowned and shook his head. "Never mind. Hunger and thirst and stress are making me crazy. My jokes are turning darker."
Astrid blinked and then shook off his babbling. "Alton, where are we? Is Brandyn here? Where is Johann?"
All at once, Alton's brown eyes shuttered. He looked away and said nothing.
"Alton." Astrid's heart began to race. "Alton, where is Johann?"
"He's gone."
The whisper was so quiet, she almost didn't catch it. Her heart gave a painful lurch at the impossibility of it. Sweet, jovial Johann… the endless prattling and stories and laughter. The shenanigans and adventures and disasters over the years. Ever since she was a little girl she'd known Johann, the traveling Tradesmen who brought the world to Berk and took Berk to the world.
Gone. He was supposed to retire soon, live out the rest of his days on Berk. Happy, no longer alone on the seas, but well-cared for with friends.
A burning rage built and built and built inside her chest.
"If you shout, they'll come." Alton said in a low voice.
Astrid screamed her fury and fought against the chains. She ignored the pain and the agony in her arms, her legs, her back, her chest (gods, why did it hurt to breathe) and fought against every link in the chains holding her.
Her efforts were futile, however. Soon she was sagging against the chains, her hands and wrists positively numb and angry red with newly forming welts.
Panting, Astrid tucked one leg beneath her and lifted the other knee. More leverage, easier to stand. "Let them come."
"You say that now." Alton said. "But they'll whittle you down, too."
"No." Astrid said fiercely. "You can't think like that. You can't let them break you."
"Too late." Alton shook his head, his brown eyes far, far away.
Astrid forced herself to calm, to take in the details. Losing patience would only cost her what little she had. She took in the rope keeping him in a sturdy wooden chair, the metal table shoved up against the furthest wall behind him. Chains lay strewn atop the table as if they'd been discarded there. So he'd been chained to a table first and moved to a chair instead, perhaps more recently.
She couldn't see what sorts of injuries were under the cotton wrappings on his face, but they covered both cheeks. The skin seemed red and irritated. More cotton was wrapped around his forearms and biceps and, from what little she could see beneath his tunic, his chest.
Gods, what had they done to him?
"Alton." Astrid spoke softly. "Tell me what happened. Is it Brandyn?"
"Yeah, he's here."
Astrid bit back a curse. "He took back Berserker Island. Or tried to anyway," she replied. "It's… gone. I don't know how, but… I was on a recon trip when it happened. I should have gone back to Berk."
"Hiccup will worry."
Yes. Yes, he would. He'd likely worry himself into a frenzy if she didn't get out of here soon. But one thing still nagged at her, just as it had since this whole thing had started.
"Alton, why? Why did they take you and Johann?"
His brown eyes drifted away. "Why else? Information."
Astrid frowned. "But what sort of information did you have that…" She paused, realizing it before it could pass her lips. "Oh. The trade route."
"Not just the trade route." Alton said. "Flying something white to enter the villages, too. That's how he sent the assassins."
She sucked in a breath. "What? Assassins? What are you talking about, assassins!"
"To the allied tribes in the east, of course." Alton said, eyes still turned away, not looking at her. "To take out the Chieftains standing in the way and throw their villages into chaos. So Brandyn's ships could sail in the dead of night to Berserker without causing too much fuss."
"But… but… Assassinating the chieftains would certainly cause a fuss!"
"Sure, but only after he took Berserker. It was his by morning. Too…" Alton's voice wobbled. "Too bad Sven… ruined his element of surprise, huh?"
Astrid stared. "Sven. What do you mean?"
"I heard them talking about Sven taking the coward's way out, but after that explosion… it didn't make sense. Only an honorable man would blow up his own island to save his people and warn his friends, right?" Alton dropped his head back onto his chair and shook it. "I wish I could… have had that choice."
Only then did Astrid see the tears streaking Alton's dirty face, cutting through the dirt and grime and sweat. She hadn't seen him cry since Curt's funeral all those years ago.
"Alton," Astrid said firmly. "This is not your fault. None of this is your fault, you were the first victim!"
"Everything is my fault. Sven, everyone on Berserker, the dead Chieftains… and soon Berk."
"No! How could any of this be your fault-"
"Because it was me." Alton said, face wretched. "Because they tortured it out of me and I-I tried to fight it and when Johann wouldn't give in, he became expendable, and I told them if they hurt Johann anymore I wouldn't tell them anything, but that's exactly what he wanted to hear-"
"Brandyn? Brandyn did this to you?"
"No, worse, someone so, so much worse. Brandyn just… watched."
Impossible. How could anyone be worse than Brandyn?
Astrid exhaled, forced herself to focus. Clearly Alton was under a lot of stress and he had been for days. He could hardly be blamed for being forced to speak under pain of torture.
"Listen," Astrid said again in a calm voice. "What exactly did you tell them?"
Suddenly Alton gave a short, breathy laugh. The amusement was gone as quickly as it arrived however because when he faced Astrid once more, his expression was distraught.
"Everything."
Astrid tried to comprehend the word "everything". How many secrets could Alton have possibly known, as a Trader for the Archipelago? "Now when you say everything-"
"I mean… everything." Alton whispered. "He wanted… to know everything. And now you're here. Before you arrived, they… had no leverage. I could take Berk's secrets… everyone's secrets to my grave. But after they brought you in…" His eyes were far away again. "I couldn't let them… torture you and kill you because I refused to talk. Like Johann." His eyes narrowed. "I'm a traitor."
"No." Astrid said firmly. "Alton, look at me. Look at me."
Slowly, he turned to face her, though she wasn't sure he could actually hear her. Something seemed off, like he was ill.
"I promise you, Alton. You are not a traitor. None of this is your fault. It's Brandyn's. You have been so impossibly brave and strong. Now I need you to stay with me. Stay strong. Think of your family. Taryn hasn't had that beautiful baby yet. You want to meet your niece or nephew right?"
A soft familiar smile appeared on Alton's face.
"And Inga. She's been worried sick about you ever since Maybelle arrived-"
"Wha-" Alton seemed to snap back to reality at that. "Maybelle… She made it?"
"Of course! She went straight to Inga, who went straight to Hiccup. We sent out Snotlout and Ruffnut and Tuffnut to look for you both, but…" Astrid faltered. "Well, they hadn't returned this morning when I went on my recon flight. Or… whatever day it is. Point is, you have to stay strong for Inga. She's staying strong for you."
Alton gave a distant blink. "Inga."
An abrupt squeal of rusty hinges down the hallway preceded a series of footsteps. Astrid sat up, watching with narrowed eyes as three figures strode down the hall. First, a dark-skinned young woman opened the cell door and rushed to Alton, whose head tilted back onto the back of the chair again with a dull thud.
"Master, he has a fever."
"Treat him, and quickly." A low strangely familiar croon said as two men entered the cell. "He still may be of use to us."
"Frankly I don't know why you bother." Brandyn said with an eye roll, which quickly landed on her. "Hello, Astrid. How nice of you to drop in."
"Come closer," Astrid said. "And I'll show you how nice it is."
"Testy, as always." Brandyn's dark clothes were covered in soot and dust, particularly his boots as if he'd been climbing through the charred remains of burned buildings. Which he probably had, the disgusting- "Don't look so furious, Astrid. Other than Sven, did you even know anyone on Berserker? Or are you upset about something else? Hungry?"
"Now, now," the other man said. "There's no need to make snide remarks in regards to her gender, Brandyn. It's low hanging fruit, even for you. Besides, any man who thinks Astrid Hofferson Haddock couldn't take him apart with anything less than her bare hands is a fool."
That voice… Dim as the room was and with Brandyn's broad shoulders blocking him from view, she couldn't see him, but she knew that voice. From an age ago. An entire life ago. A low croon, endless skirmishes across the Archipelago to save dragons from… so many evil men, but very few had that charismatic intellect, that smooth way of talking that could easily put someone in their place while giving them a soft ego boost at the same time.
"No." Astrid whispered, staring up at Brandyn with dread.
Brandyn's smirk broadened. "Oh yes. It took me a long time to track this one down. I would introduce you, but I think you're already well acquainted."
And turning aside, Brandyn revealed a familiar face standing just beyond him. Brandyn smirked as if revealing a well-kept secret, but the mismatched eyes held nothing but thinly veiled disdain. For being showcased like a puppet, another weapon in Brandyn's arsenal when he himself was one of the smartest people Astrid had ever come into contact with. He didn't need an introduction. He didn't need the fanfare.
Viggo Grimborn stepped forward into the nearest patch of moonlight and smiled down at her. "Astrid Hofferson." He inclined his head. "It is good to see you. It seems we have much to catch up on."
Astrid stared, mouth hanging open. She probably looked ridiculous, but she couldn't fathom how he was here. In the background, Brandyn was watching her reaction closely, as if hoping her reaction would provide him some sort of closure. The girl was still tending to Alton, who was watching the proceedings with a hazy expression.
"I told you," Alton muttered. "Haddock. She married-"
"Oh, I know precisely who she married." Viggo said. "I do believe I called that well ahead of time. How long was it until he proposed? Months? No… it was still years, wasn't it? Our good friend Hiccup was never one for good planning, at least where settling down was concerned."
Astrid finally closed her mouth. "How are you here? I thought you were dead!"
"Typical." Viggo said, folding his hands behind his back. "Let's just say I took a tumble through a certain volcano and bowed out after that with as much dignity remaining as I could muster. Will that suffice?"
"Works for me. Now pack your bags and go back to whatever Helhole you crawled out of. We've got enough to deal with regarding this one." Astrid said, jerking her chin toward Brandyn.
Viggo's smile broadened. "Indeed! Alton told me all about the history between your happy family and Brandyn."
Brandyn whipped around. "He what? What did you tell him?"
Even in his fevered state, Alton managed to roll his eyes. "I already told you, I told him everything because that's what he wanted."
"You never told me anything!" Brandyn shouted, jabbing a finger into Alton's chest. He hissed and jerked away, but couldn't move for the chair. The girl stepped back, expression utterly blank, but her eyes darkened. Either at being interrupted for tending to her patient or for Brandyn hurting him, Astrid wasn't sure.
"Brandyn, the boy is nearly delirious with fever. Perhaps you should leave him be."
"And I still say dump him overboard because he's useless to us. Or at least he's useless to me." Brandyn said, whipping around and now towering over a thoroughly unimpressed Viggo. "But you, oh no, he's apparently a storyteller for you. I told you from the beginning that any questions go through me-"
"Yes, but as you fail to provide helpful information-"
"We've been over this, you don't need the whole history, Viggo! You're here to capture dragons!" Brandyn threw out his arms, nearly irate. "Why do you need the details on the precious Haddock family-"
"Because they are the whole reason we are here, no? And if we are to work together, I require more details than the bare minimum."
Brandyn scoffed. "Oh, work together. Is that what this is? No, you work for me. Get that through your skull and stop meddling."
"Sure thing, boss." Viggo said, a glint in his dark eye that Astrid remembered all too well. "Shall I fetch your laundry and supper as well? If I work for you, I might as well find something useful to do."
Brandyn growled in near rabid frustration and stalked from the room, muttering under his breath. If Astrid didn't hate Viggo so much, she might have laughed at the victorious smirk on his face after the door slammed down the hall.
"Alas, I require more substantial players in the game. Brandyn is far too easy to rile up these days. He's intent on destroying an entire Archipelago, you see."
"Yes." Astrid muttered. "He's quite taken with that." Her gaze flicked to Alton. "What's wrong with him? Why did you torture him?"
"Me?" Viggo blinked in surprise. "I may have been there for the nasty ordeal, but I have never harmed the boy. Zuri, back to work, if you please."
The girl, Zuri, obeyed without a moment's hesitation. The shorn hair, the marks on her skin… she was a slave. Astrid glared up at Viggo, shocked and somehow yet not surprised either. Viggo merely smiled down at her.
"As for what is wrong with him, it's nothing a bit of rest, tonics, and good food can't fix." Viggo said calmly. "Unfortunately Slaver Anton got a hold of him and that is never a good thing."
Astrid frowned. She hated to ask, to admit that she didn't know.
"Oh, Alton didn't tell you?" Viggo ran a hand across his goatee. "Slaver Anton is a formidable foe. He relishes human pain and suffering, and it is his job to carry it out. He especially loves breaking people down to their very foundations until they break." After a short pause, he added, "I pray you never meet him, Astrid. He would very much enjoy breaking you."
She raised her chin. "He can try."
"No. Anton does not try. Anton does. And trust me Astrid, we need you in one piece. So should you have the misfortune of meeting the bloodthirsty zealot, I implore you to hold your tongue."
Astrid squinted. "You need me in one piece. Why is that?"
"Hmph. Why indeed." Viggo said, turning in place to survey the bare room. "Apparently, the only way to have the purest form of revenge on Hiccup is to make him suffer by watching his family suffer. And the only way to do that is to keep you in one piece until the allotted time."
Oh… oh gods.
"Or so I am told. I'm quite sure Hiccup would never settle for anything less than a hairbrained rescue attempt, probably mostly successful. He would never fall to pieces in the face of such… barbarics. In fact, he wouldn't allow it even get that far."
Astrid said nothing. Viggo didn't know their past though. He didn't know the things Hiccup had had to do, the sacrifices he'd had to make, the lines he'd had to cross to secure his family's safety over the years. Hiccup was not the same man as when Viggo left. In many ways, this was a good thing.
But Hiccup was also afraid. Terrified to lose what he loved so dearly. And that made him vulnerable. And the fact that she didn't come home… Oh gods, the worry had to be eating him alive.
"However," Viggo said. "Alton gave me as much information as he could regarding the story with Brandyn." Grabbing a nearby chair, Viggo slid it just out of Astrid's reach and sat down. "It sounds like time has changed my game partner. I wish to know the details."
Astrid set her jaw. "Go to Hel, Viggo."
Viggo smiled. "I thought you'd say that. Which is why you are going to tell me everything I wish to know." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and smiled. "Or I will have to employ certain measures."
"You won't hurt me."
"Don't be daft, Astrid. I don't need to hurt you. I already have exactly what I need to make you talk."
Astrid stared just over his shoulder and saw Alton close his eyes in defeat. Zuri set a hand on his forehead with the pretense of checking his temperature, but the empathetic look on her face gave her away.
Viggo's brown eye held a certain glint. A bluff.
No. She wouldn't call that bluff. She wouldn't allow them to hurt Alton anymore. Viggo was bound to find things out anyway, as he was prone to do. She only hoped Hiccup would forgive her.
Sighing through her nose, Astrid set her head back against the wall in defeat. "What do you want to know?"
Viggo's smile was just as cunning as it had been twenty years ago. "Just as Alton said. Tell me everything."
Uh oh, things are getting more intense! I'm glad you're all getting into the story and we've been looking forward to the exciting stuff!
~Katie