A/N: Just an idea rummaging through my head.
000
Luckily for Astrid and the Trappers, most Changewings were visible at night because they were resting. They were all competent enough to keep their distance from the sleeping beasts and watch for any rocks they might accidentally kick or twigs they might step on. They had all split up into groups, except for Astrid, who was adamant about tracking the Jormung on her own. That way she wouldn't have to worry about someone else messing up or getting in her way.
But now that she was alone, she could really analyze the situation from her own perspective. She understood why the Archipelago hunted the Jormung. A tribe that only lived alongside the winged beasts, but also bore their eyes, and certain physical attributes. But all that changed when word of their demise at the hands of unknown man spread throughout the entirety of the Archipelago. She was sure the news even reached the far colonies out on the continent. What could the Jormung have done to bring the God's wrath on them? But then again, wasn't it the Gods who made them the way they were and were just trying to right a wrong? She was not a superstitious person, but an entire tribe couldn't be wiped out in a single day, especially when they had the aid of dragons. The Berserkers, the most powerful armada in the Archipelago weren't even capable of that kind destruction.
"Wait a minute..." She stopped her train of thought when she noticed leaves on the ground. Clearly placed to hide something. She checked her surroundings, scanning the foliage as much as her eyes could. When she was sure there was no one there, she crept forward, lowered down, and brushed some of the leaves away, revealing a thin string of rope. She followed the rope's source and found it holding an arrow in place, which was connected to a pretty sophisticated release. She smiled.
Clearly she was on the right path. "So if he was here then...Ah ha." She found footprints leading away from the trap. She unsheathed her axe and began following the tracks at a slow pace. This also brought on another realization. She was probably a few hundred yards away from coming face to face with a Jormung. She didn't know what to expect. They were a secretive tribe. Heck, most if not all Vikings didn't even know where they lived. But now, coming face to face with a Viking, after surviving the apparent massacre he went through, his instinct would be to run or to fight her.
This was going to be her biggest fight yet. And she smiled at the thought.
It was only another few minutes before she heard humming coming through a few bushes. She slowed her breathing, gripped her axe, and carefully trodded the small distance between her and the source of the humming. She found an opening between the vegetation, and came upon a clearing, where there was a single person in the centre, attending to a garden of sorts. It appeared that he had yet not noticed her.
She smiled inwardly. She closed the distance very slowly. If he had any indication of her presence, he hadn't shown it yet. Either he was baiting her into a trap, or hadn't noticed at all. It was only when she was a mere twenty steps away did his body go completely rigid, dropping the plant he was handling and turning his head slightly in her direction, that she decided to make herself known.
"No sudden movements, Jormung." She adjusted her stance, preparing for him charge her, or run away.
"How were you able to get past the dragons?" His voice wasn't at all what she was expecting it to be. She was expecting low, deep growls and broken vocabulary, not a nasally, normal sounding voice.
"Nothing's hard when you know what you're going up against." He scoffed.
"Yeah, nothing's hard when you can sneak past a bunch of sleeping dragons, who are not invisible. Pretty clever. Well then, aren't you going to kill me now?"
"Not why I'm here. Just closing out a favour."
"Your friends sent you here alone?"
"Nope. They're surrounding you now as we speak."
It was then Hiccup focused his hearing; the hushed whispers and quick steps around him. He really should have paid attention in his combat class. "While they're doing that, how about you turn around and face me." Now that stumped him. Normally when people had him cornered, they'd try and kill him instead of striking a conversation with him. But this girl, she... she was different.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? You won't be terrified by my face?"
"I stared down a Whispering Death before I chased it out of my village when I was seventeen. Believe me when I say nothing scares me that easily."
She watched him slowly turn, lowering his arms. It might have been the dead of night, but she couldn't help the breath she took in when her eyes met his. It was as the legends said. Dragon eyes. Slits instead of the normal round pupil of a human being. His rich green iris' highlighting the slits were almost breath-taking. But what really surprised her was the fear and uncertainty she saw in them.
"Aren't you going to tell me how much of a monster or demon I look like?" He asked. He'd heard worse when he was a kid. A hyper-energetic mind in a six year old kid who'd bonded with an equally hyperactive Night Fury brought ground for unintended adventures. Travelling to random miles away from the safety of his undiscovered home without warning his elders. In fact, it was during one of his adventures where he learned the hard way of what the Archipelago thought of his kind. Stumbling upon a village on an island, he was excited to meet the people and speak to them and learn about their history. All that changed when they laid their eyes on his face. They called him horrid names and chased him out of their village with swords and maces, threatening to kill him if he ever showed up. It was then that he learned that he would never be accepted anywhere.
"Well? Say something. Or are you just going to gawk at the freak?" He was surprised she didn't have more of a reaction.
"She doesn't need to answer you." A new voice said, but one she was familiar with. Eret, along with his men, stepped out of the undergrowth, weapons in hand. "Besides, if you ask me, I think the world can do without creatures like you."
"Creatures like me?" Hiccup scoffed, shaking his head. "Do I have wings?" He asked, looking around to every single Viking there. His eyes landing on Astrid. "Does it look like I have scales, from what you all can see? On my hands?" He raised his hands. "What about my face? Am I hunted down just because of my eyes? Just because of my ability to look beyond what you see in dragons. That I don't see them as the mindless, blood-thirsty beasts you all peg them for? Or is it just because we don't involve ourselves in your wars against them?"
"Oh but you do." He looked at Astrid. "Don't think we haven't heard the tales of the Jormung fighting side-by-side with dragons against regular Vikings like us. Showing up in times of raids and protecting the very beasts that are making off with storehouses of food and livestock! The Jormung have done nothing to help us when they had the means to! As far as the Archipelago's concerned, it will sleep soundly at night knowing they're aren't any Jormung left."
He probably shouldn't have expected anything different coming out of her mouth. It wasn't like he hadn't heard the same, ignorant remarks from others. But just for a second he thought that she... It didn't matter. Not anymore.
"So with everyone here now, what do you plan to do with me?"
"There's a bounty on you and your friend's head and we're here to collect it." Eret said as he stepped closer. "I think it's a good time to mention that you're worth more alive than a corpse. So I suggest you come quietly."
"Quiet has never been my strong suit." Hiccup smiled as he unhinged a his hilt from his hip, clicking a button and watching Inferno come to light. His potential captors gasped and took a few steps back. None had ever gazed upon a weapon like that. A sword that burned with dragon's fire. Astrid, however, wouldn't be intimidated. She walked ahead, closing the distance between them, never once taking her gaze off his as she spoke.
"Scare tactics won't work against me. Especially from someone who's outnumbered." She stopped a few yards in front of him. She was curious as to why he was smirking, though.
"Outnumbered, yes. But not outgunned." At that exact moment, a Changewing revealed itself behind him. As soon as she saw the dragon, she jumped back, getting into a fighting stance. The sound of the trappers' yells and cries caught her attention and when she glanced to see what was happening, she saw other Changelings coming out of the undergrowth from where they were previously camouflaged.
"You think these dragons will be enough?" As soon as she spoke those words was when she heard it. The high-pitched whistle getting closer before a black shape landed besides the Jormung. A jet black dragon with eyes that could kill if they could. Claws unsheathed and teeth bared, his vicious snarl almost made our blood curdle. Almost.
"I suggest if you all want to live, you leave now. If not, I can only do so much in stopping these dragons from maiming all of you. If you're that lucky."
The sight before her did little to shake her resolve. She was going to capture that Jormung and be the first one to accomplish such a feat. And so, she planted her foot, raised her ax and charged. And all Hell broke loose. Most trappers reached for their darts, looking to incapacitate the dragons before they could get close. Eret followed Astrid's lead, watching in amazement as the fierce blonde charge the Jormung and his Night Fury. He saw the shock on the Jormung's face. Even the Night Fury seemed bewildered at her actions. Clearly it never faced any Viking willing to fight it. But just as quickly the momentary shock came, it left the Night Fury's features and he snarled, preparing to pounce. While running, he grabbed his bolas, secured on his waist, and flung them at the Night Fury.
Hiccup watched as Toothless' snout was clamped shut by the bola. His immediate reaction was to run to his dragon can cut them off, but Astrid had already made her way past him, sliding beneath Toothless' attempted tail swipe, before jumping and coming in for a strike. He barely avoided the ax that was millimetres from slicing him in half. Rolling out of the way and getting back up to his feet, he met her eyes. "What happened to taking me in alive?"
"You could have just surrendered." She said before charging him again. This time he raised Inferno and parried her attack, but she didn't hold back. What he didn't realize was that she was studying his evasion. Which direction he intended to evade and what angle he parried her attack at, searching for any opening to stun him. Just when she thought she saw an opening, she heard a roar coming towards her. Pushing him off with her ax, she rolled out of the way of a charging Night Fury, who still had his muzzle shut.
"Toothless, come here!" She heard him yell, before looking to see the two running towards each other.
No. They were not escaping this fight. Just as they were about to meet, she threw her ax at the ground between them, momentarily halting them, before tackling the Jormung to the ground. She tried to land punches on his face, but he was too quick in bringing his hands up. She tried hurting them, tried pulling them apart but none of her effort seemed to have any effect. She silently cursed his increased strength and immunity to her attacks. Instead, she hopped off, knowing that she wouldn't be able to make any progress when they were both on the ground. While he was recovering from her attack, she looked around. The trappers had the upper hand. Many of the Changewings were on the ground, out cold, multiple darts adorning their bodies.
It was when she saw a purple hue out of the corner of her eye, she jumped out of the way. Looking at the charred spot she was previously in, she looked and saw the Night Fury, remains of the bola around its feet and near her ax. So the dragon was smart enough to use her ax to cut the ropes. But by then it was too late. "I got him!" She looked over at Eret who had the Jormung sort of pinned under his entire weight. He needn't have to worry since the rest of his men arrived at his side with their weapons drawn on their prisoner. She gazed back at the Night Fury. From what she'd witness, there was no way the dragon would risk its master's life.
"Get out of here bud!" She looked over at the Jormung, and then back at the dragon. "Go on get out of here! Or they'll capture you too!" She could only assume Eret's men were readying more darts. She heard the dragon's croon, saw it look around frantically before spreading its wings and taking off into the night sky, disappearing from sight. She walked over to her ax, pulling it out of the ground and sheathing it in its holster on her back. Eret had managed to snap some chains on the Jormung's wrists before pushing him forwards.
"Well lads. We did it. Only one left." His men cheered their victory. There'd certainly be celebratory drinking on the ship tonight. She smiled at the thought. Once again, she had brought honour and respect to her name and her tribe.
"It's just a shame we weren't able to capture the Night Fury." She said, as she grabbed a hold of the Jormung's arm and began leading him back to the boats.
"No we didn't, but I'm sure that you well know that that there's a good chance we'll see that Night Fury again."
"And preferably not alone. If it brings the other one, then we can finally put an end to this hunt."
"If only you knew the truth." The Jormung muttered under his breath.
000
Toothless watched them depart the island's shores. The last thing he wanted to do was abandon Hiccup, but being captured together would have been pointless. He had to listen to Hiccup's words. But there was no way he could take down a fleet of three ships. Not by himself.
He needed to get help. He needed to find him.
He just didn't know if he'd be willing to help Hiccup after all this time.