I'm back with pain! Er, uh, I mean, a chapter! Enjoy, my lovely readers :)

TW: discussion of suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide

Eirson and Zephyr waited as Osmond and Oscar took in what they had just told them. The silence made him feel incredibly uncomfortable as he waited for his two confidantes to berate him, accuse him, belittle him. He was still drowning in his guilt over letting a traitor on that ship. He wanted to believe that Halvor was innocent, that he needed refuge just like the rest of them, but he didn't know if he should.

Zephyr must have sensed his uneasiness. She slid her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her and half smiled, then leaned over to kiss her hair. He was glad she was here. He couldn't have done any of this without her. Not just filling in the bits of his story for his tribesmen, but everything since he brought his dwindling tribe to New Berk. And after she pulled him from the spring last night, he truly did owe her his life. And then before he could even begin to wrap his head around what had happened, she had kissed him. And he didn't have a clue what it meant for the two of them, he didn't know what they were or how he should act around her, he didn't even know how to start that kind of conversation with her. He was pretty sure they were toeing a dangerous line for the sake of their reputations with how physically close they had been since last night. But Zephyr didn't seem to care, and Eirson didn't either. Because the one thing that Eirson did know was that the only thing keeping him in the rocky but semi-stable mental state he found himself in was Zephyr.

Those feelings of helplessness were still creeping around in his mind, and his greatest fear now was losing himself like he did last night. That darkness was unlike anything he'd experienced before, and it shrouded him out of nowhere. It took control before he could think about what he was doing, as if he'd forgotten everything important to him, as if he'd lost every bit of himself. And that's what scared him most of all. He still felt like he was desperately clutching onto the cliff's edge with his fingertips. He was terrified to find out just how little it would take to make them slip.

He felt guilty clinging to her like that. She must have had her own demons to contend with; he still remembered the wild fear in her eyes up on the cliff's edge at Old Berk just months earlier. He wondered if the fear consumed her at times like the darkness had consumed him last night. And if it did, then who was he to lean on her and expect her to hold them both up?

And yet, his fear of being lost again was stronger than his guilt. Maybe it was selfish, but right now he didn't know how else to survive. So he took a deep breath and focused on Zephyr: the sweet, mossy scent of her hair, the way she firmly held onto his arm, the way she traced patterns on his hand, the easy rise and fall of her chest. He kept all his focus on her and let her ground him.

"So Halvor isn't even one of us?" Osmond asked.

Eirson pulled himself from his musings and shook his head. "No, he's not. He came off the same ship as those deranged savages. And I couldn't even tell."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Chief, I couldn't either. You know how your dad was, he'd welcome first and ask questions later. It's the Outcast code. We had new people joining and old people leaving our tribe all the time. If Halvor wasn't screaming and waving whatever he could get his hands on as a weapon that night I'd have believed he was one of us too."

Eirson sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Chief," Osmond insisted with more force.

Eirson rubbed his face with his free hand. "Thank you, Osmond. I'm fine, really. I'm just… I'm just anxious to get down there for this interrogation. I want to make sure he really was just trying to run away. I'll feel better when I have more answers." There were other things he wanted to say to them, but not in front of Zephyr. "Actually, we're running a bit behind," he said to her. "Do you mind running ahead of me to let them know we're still coming? I really don't want them to start without me."

Zephyr hesitated, meeting his eyes and studying him carefully like she always did nowadays. She pursed her lips; apparently she didn't like what she saw.

"Please?" He pushed further. "I'm fine, I promise. I just have some questions I want to ask them. But I really don't want to miss anything."

Zephyr studied him a little longer, then sighed. "Promise?"

He smiled and cupped her cheek in his hand. "Promise." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'm right behind you."

He pulled away, but she grabbed his neck and pulled him back down. She pressed her lips hard against his, burying her body deep into his chest. Before Eirson could catch up, she was already pulling away. His skin tingled where she pressed into him, and his arms ached to pull her close again. But she backed away before he could catch her.

"Just to make sure you don't go running off into the woods alone," she joked with a wink. And then she disappeared down the hallway.

Maybe "toeing" the line was an understatement. Maybe "blatantly stepping over the line without a second thought" was more accurate. Eirson could feel a red hot fire in his cheeks.

"She's something else," Osmond said with a smirk. Oscar chuckled.

Eirson scratched his beard in a sly attempt to hide his smile. "Yeah, that's one way to put it." He cleared his throat. "Alright, seriously though. I wanted to give you guys a heads up. Last night before Halvor came in, Hiccup was talking about launching an attack on Boyra. I'm not saying you guys or any of the others have to join, but I'll be going. Anyone else is more than willing to do the same."

Oscar and Osmond shared a look. "Uh… Chief…"

"I know, I know, Boyra is crazy and his tribe is even more so. But we'll be under Hiccup's lead, and we'll be ready for a fight this time."

"That's great, yeah, but… Chief, I don't know if you going is such a great idea." Osmond was trying to tread lightly, but he and Oscar clearly had the same concerns.

And that was why he didn't want Zephyr here for this conversation. "I'm not doing this to get myself killed."

"And I'm sure you'll go in believing that," Osmond admitted. He met Eirson's eyes evenly and leaned closer. "But as your friend, Eirson, I am begging you to think carefully about this. Being in the thick of it can change your mind before you realize it."

Eirson felt the darkness mocking him from the back of his mind. "Believe me, I know," he assured him. "But he killed my father, Osmond. He is to blame for all of this. For displacing us, for destroying the Wingmaiden culture, for Gustav's murder, and he's going to go after the Berserkers. And maybe if I go, I can make sure Hiccup makes it back alive." His eyes fell to the floor for a moment. "Maybe I can keep Zephyr from the same pain that I've felt."

Osmond nodded his head slowly. He stood and grabbed Eirson's shoulder firmly, nervously smiling. "Then believe me when I say that if you decide to go, I will be glued to your side to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Maybe I can make sure you come home to her as well."

"As will I," Oscar added. "We'll stand with you, Chief."

When he walked into the Great Hall, Zephyr was sitting with her parents towards the back of the large room. She turned her head immediately when the doors opened, and relief washed over her face. Eirson tried not to feel too guilty; he knew his actions the night before had scarred her as well. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around him as he approached their table. He held her close. "I told you I was right behind you."

"I know," she said sheepishly, not letting go.

Hiccup smiled and gestured with his head to the nearby hallway that led down to the dungeons. Eirson, Zephyr, and Astrid followed, but then he took a turn into one of various small alcoves a ways down from the main hall.

Hiccup turned to Eirson. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Eirson pursed his lips. He squeezed Zephyr, who still had her arm around his waist, to give him strength. "To be honest, I don't know. But I know I need to be in there."

"I'm not going to harm him," Hiccup assured him.

"I know. But I need to hear everything. From his mouth. I need to watch him explain."

Hiccup nodded. "I can understand that. Do you have questions you want to ask him?"

Eirson thought for a moment. Oh, he had plenty of questions. So many that it was overwhelming. Words swirled so fast around his head that it made him dizzy, so fast that he couldn't manage to reach out and catch any of them.

"Too many to put any particular one into words?" Hiccup gently interrupted Eirson's thoughts.

Eirson nodded.

Hiccup smiled. "It's difficult, I know. Especially when the subject of the interrogation is so sensitive and close to you."

Eirson wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't used to anyone being so understanding and patient with him, or at least being so vocal about it. He definitely wasn't used to feeling understood. And here was Hiccup, practically reading his thoughts. Not only that, but he was so soft spoken, so sincere, so gentle in a way Eirson's father had always tried to be but never could quite get right.

"Have you carried out an interrogation before?" Hiccup asked.

Eirson shook his head. "Never."

"Well, you did a great job last night, especially being caught off guard like that. If you can keep that same tone, you'll do just fine. I can lead, but don't be afraid to jump in, alright?"

Eirson's mind was still swimming with incoherent questions. "But what if I can't think of anything to say?"

Hiccup shrugged. "It'll come to you. Starting off is the hardest part, but I'll do that part for you. If you think of something, say it. If not, I'll take care of it all. You don't have to be the one taking charge of the questioning to get the answers you want. I know you know that, or you wouldn't have asked to be in the room just to watch him answer everything, right?"

Eirson nodded again.

"Exactly. So, if you don't feel the need to ask anything, don't worry about it. But if you feel the need to take over completely and have me melt into the wall," Hiccup said with a chuckle, "then do it. Or anything in between. Yeah, we need answers about Boyra, but I know that this interrogation is going to be much more important for you than it will be for any one of the rest of us. So I want to make sure you get what you need out of it. We're here to support you."

Eirson nodded slowly, taking in the advice. He was caught off guard by the "support" comment. It's not that he never had support before, but the Outcast tribe also wasn't so forthright about it. Someone crossed you? The Outcasts have your back. Need someone killed? No questions asked. They always fought first and never asked questions later. But at the same time, most people kept to themselves. There was a camaraderie, but it only went so far. Comfort was not in their vocabulary.

This was a whole new world to him. He had Zephyr with him, arms still locked lovingly around his waist and head nuzzled into his chest. Hiccup treated him more and more like a son with each passing day, to the point that calling him just "Hiccup" felt wrong for completely different reasons now. Even Astrid was protective of Eirson, standing up for him when people talked negatively about him and praising him when he did anything typically uncomfortable for him.

"Thank you. For everything, I mean, not just this." He felt his eyes sting with tears. "I, uh… I know I haven't been the most gracious guest. And I'm sorry for that, for my behavior."

He felt Zephyr squeeze him tighter. He kissed her hair to let her know he felt it. Astrid reached out to touch his arm. "You have no reason to apologize. You've been through more than anyone should have to endure. Family doesn't fault you for that. They help you through it."

The tears were dangerously close to falling now. Family. "I don't know much about having a family, I guess." Eirson tried to smile.

"Something tells me you'll learn pretty quickly," Astrid assured him with a wink.

Zephyr tried to bury her face deeper into Eirson's chest, though he wasn't sure if it was out of support or embarrassment. Either way, he smiled and squeezed her again, turning his head away from Astrid and Hiccup to wipe his eyes as he did. He turned back to them. "Thank you." He took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this before I change my mind."

"We wouldn't think any less of you if you did," Hiccup assured with a smile.

"I know." And he did; Eirson fully believed it for once. "But I have to do this. For dad. For my tribe. For me. I need to do this."

"And we'll be right in there with you," Astrid said with a smile.

Hiccup nodded. "Absolu- Wait, we?" He looked at Astrid, a bit bewildered. "Absolutely not!"

"Oh, come on, you said he wasn't dangerous!"

"Yes! To convince you that I didn't need extra backup!"

"But I'm your intimidation factor!"

"Not with a baby! Astrid, I thought we agreed we weren't taking any chances." Hiccup already sounded tired.

Zephyr chuckled and pulled Eirson out of the room and down the hallway. He cleared his throat as they turned down a bend in the cavern. "Your mom is going to win this one, isn't she?"

"She usually does. Dad has learned to pick his battles. If he's smart, he'll stand down." They stopped just before a large wooden door that was set in a door frame cutting into the rock, blocking off whatever was behind it. Zephyr turned around and jumped into Eirson's arms, locking her arms around his neck and kissing him like she did earlier in front of Osmond and Oscar. When she pulled back, her smile was wide and bright, making the green of her eyes shimmer like dewdrops across a meadow in the sunrise. "I'm so proud of you."

"I have you to thank for that." He smiled, trying to stamp down the guilt.

Zephyr rolled her eyes. "You have to give yourself more credit. You're stronger than you think."

Eirson's smile faltered. The darkness taunted him again. "Zeph, I…"

She grew serious and immediately began searching his eyes. "What is it?"

He hesitated.

"You can tell me," she reassured him.

"I know."

She waited patiently as the darkness laughed at him.

"I… I'm just… Nervous, is all."

She gave him a sad smile. "I know. And that's okay. But we're going to figure everything out, alright?"

He knew she was talking about Halvor and all the questions surrounding him, but he let himself believe she was talking about the darkness. He nodded. "I know we will."

She mirrored his nod. "Good." She slipped her hands into his and gently squeezed. "So… Just do what my dad always tells me to do. Take a deep breath, and fake it until even you believe you've got this. And eventually you really will."

They heard footsteps approaching and turned to find Hiccup following behind a very pleased Astrid with an ax slung over her shoulder. Eirson curiously eyed the axe; had Astrid not been pregnant, he would have been more concerned for Halvor's sake. But he figured Hiccup wouldn't allow her to do anything too dangerous with it. Maybe it was just her "intimidation factor."

"Wow," Zephyr mused, "he even let you bring the ax."

"Oh, I didn't let her do anything." Hiccup shrugged his shoulders as he sarcastically sauntered over to the door. "I'm just the Chief, it's not like I actually have any power on this island. No, the Chief doesn't make the rules." He shook his head and looked at Eirson. "Any Chief that has a Chieftess doesn't answer to himself, he answers to her. Remember that before you marry."

Astrid flicked the back of his head. He winced and rubbed the spot as he turned to Zephyr. "And I suppose I should assume you're coming in with us as well?"

"It's part of the job, isn't it? I have to learn how to do it if I'm going to be your successor." Zephyr smiled innocently.

Hiccup muttered something under his breath that Eirson couldn't quite make out. Something about the gods hating him. He shook his head and turned to Eirson. "Alright, this is your interrogation if you want it to be. Any requests?"

Eirson thought for a moment. "Does he know we're coming in now?"

Hiccup shook his head. "We don't give them warning. Not unless we want to give them the chance to prepare. Or the peace of mind that there's an end to the solitude. He'll be where we left him, chained to the back wall and sitting on the floor."

Eirson nodded. "Zephyr and I will go in first. You and Astrid do whatever you usually do. I just don't want to miss anything. I want to see his reaction, start to finish."

Hiccup nodded. "If we cross a line, you can stop us. Like you said, he's your tribesman. You be the judge."

Eirson took a deep breath. "Okay."

Hiccup smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm right behind you. You can do this. Ready?"

When Eirson nodded, Hiccup unlocked the large wooden door before them, revealing a long cave just like the one they had walked down. Multiple smaller wooden doors with barred windows lined the cavern walls at random intervals. It looked just like the hall with all its meeting rooms, but these had locked doors. Zephyr must have caught Eirson's curious looks. "Old Whispering Death cave systems are so cool," she whispered to him with an excited smile. It was the same giddy smile he remembered seeing on her back at the treaty signing as she showered Atali with questions.

After locking the door behind them, Hiccup tossed the keys to Zephyr. "Ninth cell," he said. "You two go ahead." She nodded and flicked through the keys until she found what she was looking for. She took Eirson's hand and led him down the cave. After Hiccup mentioned the "ninth cell," Eirson noticed the runes carved into the doors. They paused just after cell 8, where Zephyr squeezed his hand before letting go. She stepped up to the next door and unlocked it. Eirson swallowed hard against the bile creeping up into his throat.

Zephyr slid into the room and casually leaned against the wall, crossed her arms over her chest, and propped her foot against the wall behind her. Eirson crossed in front of her and leaned next to her, hands in his pockets as he stared down Halvor chained to the floor in front of them. The cell was a decent size, so there was plenty of room between them and Halvor. The chains were long enough that he could stand and pace if he wanted to, albeit a very short pace, but not near long enough that he could touch them. He could probably spit on them, but Halvor wasn't that kind of man. At least, not the Halvor that Eirson knew. Whether those two Halvors were the same was an entirely different problem.

Halvor watched them nervously. Coming face to face with him again stirred up a flurry of emotions and thoughts and questions. The whirlwind in his head kicked up wisps of the lurking darkness. He'd had plenty of practice suppressing bad thoughts over the time he'd spent here on New Berk, but this darkness couldn't be suppressed. It was too strong for that. But he couldn't let it drown him like last night either.

So then let's try something new. Instead of smothering it, he channeled it. He allowed it to fuel his anger and determination. He gave the darkness direction.

Halvor quietly spoke. "Chief…"

Don't hesitate. Speak. "I stand by my words, Halvor." Eirson kept his eyes locked on Halvor's face, ignoring the surprise of how strong and steady his voice was. "Every one of them."

Halvor gulped. But to Eirson's surprise, he almost caught a glimpse of trust in Halvor's eyes. As if he was truly just a falsely accused man looking to his chief to pardon him. As if he had a long-standing relationship with his chief that he knew would overcome the suspicion of circumstantial evidence.

And it made Eirson's blood boil that he would even consider that kind of understanding existed between them.

They listened as Hiccup and Astrid's footsteps echoed down the cavern, growing steadily louder. They paused just outside the door until the echoes scattered into silence.

Until Astrid let out a deafening battle cry and chucked her ax into the room, hitting its mark less than a hand's length above Halvor's head and embedding deep into the wood plank the handcuffs attached to.

Halvor may have pissed himself, but Eirson wasn't entirely sure.

"You could've hit me!" His voice cracked and he made no attempt to hide his fear. Interesting.

Zephyr chuckled. "Nah, she missed on purpose."

This clearly did not make Halvor feel better.

Astrid wandered in with a smug smile, taking her place next to Zephyr as Hiccup entered. He walked with a confident strut that Eirson had never seen on him before. His face was set in a dark scowl, hands curled into fists at his side. He stopped in front of Halvor directly in the middle of the room, being sure to step heavily down on the rock so the metal in his prosthetic made a distracting clunk with his final step. Halvor grew pale as his eyes immediately fell to Hiccup's missing leg before looking back up to his face.

"Normally I would say she could do much worse to you than that. But I'd rather take care of you myself," Hiccup growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Halvor shivered. Eirson was fascinated by the drastic change in Hiccup's mannerism, but he forced himself to focus on Halvor's body language.

"Who are you?" Hiccup spoke with a force that allowed his voice to bounce off the walls and boom back at Halvor.

Halvor still said nothing, though by the look on his face and the quiver in his chin it seemed more out of stunned fear than obstinence.

"Silence won't help you," Astrid threatened.

Hiccup simply repeated his question. "Who are you?"

"H-Halvor."

"How old are you?"

"23."

"What's your trade?"

"I… I donnae have one."

"Then why did Boyra hire you? What grounds did he have to offer you rank with no trade?"

"I-I donnae know, he asked that I learn cartography."

"Learn cartography? From what background?"

"I donnae have one I just-"

"Cartography takes years of practice to reach mediocrity, why would Boyra hire you in a cartography position with no background whatsoever?"

Halvor looked more and more bewildered with each question Hiccup fired at him. It seemed like an odd tactic, knowing the kind of man Hiccup was. Why he was asking Halvor about Boyra's thought process outright with no warm up was lost on Eirson. He did find it interesting Halvor seemed to try to answer the questions, he just wasn't sure if that meant Halvor truly didn't know the answer or if he couldn't think of a quick enough lie to play along with.

Halvor continued to struggle grasping for answers. "I donnae- I mean, he never really paid me, he only provided food and shelter."

"So he didn't hire you?"

"I never said he did! I said he tricked me."

Eirson thought back for a minute. Well, technically that's true.

Hiccup didn't hesitate. "You said he promised you rank and security. So he expected nothing in return?"

Halvor seemed to be getting frustrated. "Fine, I suppose a business deal was arranged in which he asked me to learn cartography and draw up maps for him eventually in exchange for rank and stable food and housing."

Hiccup started to pace in front of Halvor. "See, I'm still struggling to understand why he would do that, when you also claim to have no experience whatsoever."

It started to dawn on Eirson what Hiccup was doing, or at least he thought it did. Simply put, he was trying to poke holes in the story to see how Halvor reacted. Maybe to fluster him into giving up small details when the questions became easier, maybe to frustrate him into blurting out the truth. Either way, Halvor was definitely getting flustered.

Halvor sighed in exasperation. "I donnae ken, the man isna right in the head. I cannae always follow a sane man's thoughts, let alone whatever he has brewin' up there. He said his cartographer died in a fire and he was desperate, being in unfamiliar lands." Halvor paused. "Come to think of it, the cartography bit wasna even the initial offer. It came up while he was first leading me to the boat."

"What was the initial offer then?"

Halvor looked away, seemingly trying to remember. "Just… an advisor. For the Archipelago. He said that what that meant would depend on 'what we run into' or something like that." He shook his head. "I never even mentioned map making, he just… Brought it up after I had already agreed to go wi' him."

"And why would he do that, exactly?"

Halvor shrugged. "Keep me occupied, I suppose. Maybe he hoped it'd keep me too busy to snoop around."

Eirson had to admit, it was starting to become a believable story. He almost let his guard down. Either way, he could feel himself wavering. He found himself thinking back to when he first found Halvor. Eirson hadn't voluntarily journeyed back there since he left the island, not even in his own mind. He had worked so hard to shove all of those terrible memories away where they could never touch him again. Immediately, he tried to push them away again, almost like a reflex.

Then again, if he could focus on his memories of Halvor, perhaps he could find something to tell him whether Halvor was friend or foe.

He shivered. Recalling those memories purposefully went against his own instincts to preserve his sanity.

But the darkness still taunted him, dared him to dive in headfirst. Cautiously, he let himself listen.

As they closed the distance to the man, Eirson picked up a stone and threw it his direction to catch his attention. He spun and locked fearful eyes with Eirson, who waved him over. But the man didn't move. Eirson tried again, but the man still didn't move.

Eirson groaned and then turned to the girls, nudging them behind a bush. "Stay here, don't move." They knelt down as Eirson turned back to the man, glancing around to check for enemies before joining him.

He stiffened as Eirson fell against the building he was hiding behind. "What's your name?" Eirson asked.

The man sputtered, "What?"

"I'm Eirson, son of Chief Alvin, but I'm sure you know that already. But I'm sorry, I don't recognize you. What's your name?" He hoped spelling everything out for the poor guy would give his head a chance to catch up.

The man blinked, but after a pause, said, "Me? I'm... Uh... I-I'm Halvor."

Well, the cowering made sense if he was hiding from Boyra. Obviously he wouldn't have recognized Eirson, unlike he had assumed. But he had hesitated when Eirson asked about his name.

He could hear the darkness taunting him. Dumbass. Absolute dumbass. Of course he wasn't one of you, he didn't recognize you. You fed the lie straight to him, handed it to him on a silver platter all wrapped up nice with a bow.

Eirson's blood began to boil again.

"Nice to meet you, Halvor. I need your help."

"My help?"

"Yep, your help. I've got two scared little girls hiding back in the trees. I need you to carry one and follow me. There's a group of more Outcasts waiting on a ship in the northwest shipyard, they'll be safe there. And so will you."

Halvor looked paler than the moon. "Outcasts...?"

Eirson flinched.

He didn't even recognize the tribe name, how could you have missed that? What is wrong with you? Do you even care? It was so obvious!

Eirson clenched his teeth until his jaw hurt.

"Well, we wouldn't want to invite the enemy, now would we?"

No, of course we wouldn't. Who would do such a thing? Isn't it so ironic, Eirson? Isn't life funny like that?

Eirson's body was vibrating with rage. What he wouldn't give to wrap his fingers around-

In an instant, the anger turned to fear. That was not the kind of man Eirson was. This was getting too far out of hand.

But wouldn't it feel so damn good?

No, don't listen to it. Focus. He hesitated when Eirson asked his name. He probably gave a fake one. By why?

"Why bring you aboard, then?" Hiccup pushed further. "If he was so worried about you snooping around, why bother?"

Halvor was clearly growing agitated again; he was sitting with his legs stretched out and head rolled back against the stone wall. He waved his arm in the air sarcastically, making his chains clang against the ground as they moved. "Cocky bastard overestimated himself? Like I said, he's insane. I cannae explain his mind."

"You may not be able to explain his mind, but I'd wager you can explain your own." Zephyr turned her head slightly at the sound of Eirson's voice, but Hiccup and Astrid didn't react. Eirson crossed his arms over his chest but otherwise didn't move. "What's your real name?"

Halvor blinked at Eirson.

"It isn't Halvor, is it?" Eirson watched the panic grow in Halvor's eyes as he sat up a little straighter. "I remember when I first saw you that night. When I asked your name, you hesitated. So what is your real name?"

Halvor seemed to recoil into the wall behind him. "Argo."

"Why change your name if you claim to be innocent?"

Halvor - Argo? - dropped his head. "That name is what Boyra knows me as. Just another disgrace to add to my past. I was ashamed, I wanted to start over."

"So this was a crime of opportunity, then?" Eirson hoped accusing him directly would make him snap and start slipping.

"Is it a crime to want a safe place to rest, sir?"

Eirson shrugged sarcastically. "I don't know, is it a crime to raid someone else's home to get it? Why did you think Boyra was that safe place?"

"Sir, I didnae know his true intentions, I didnae think him an evil man! He told me he was run out of his home and needed a new place to settle his people."

"So why did he pick you?" Eirson's voice was sharp, cold, and strong. He could feel his blood boiling again, frustrated that he wasn't getting the answers he wanted.

Halvor was close to tears. "I don't know." He spoke the words crisp and slow, locking eyes with Eirson for emphasis. He seemed to choke back a sob and dropped his head. "But whatever it was, I regret it deeply. That monster does not deserve to walk this world. He does not deserve to control the people he has enslaved. I was selfish to run, I know I was. But what could I have done to help them on my own?"

Eirson could see tears running down Halvor's face now. And just like that, he felt his guard slipping again.

He saw flashes of Halvor from that night flipping through his head so fast he could hardly focus on them each.

"Alright, so can you help me?"

The man looked back to the trees, over towards the village, and then back to Eirson before nodding.

Maybe he chose his loyalties at that moment.

Alvin cried out, and Eirson lunged forward. But just before he managed to leave the shadow of the hut, two strong arms wrapped around his chest and pulled him back. "Sir, no, you can't let 'im see ye! It's not worth ye being caught too."

He hadn't stopped Alvin's death, but he had stopped Eirson's.

"That's my father! He can't-!"

"He can, and he will, sir. He's a madman. And ye have a ship full of people waitin' for ye. Of children an' women an' defenseless injured folks that need a leader. Sir, you are that leader. I beg ye, be smart about this."

He claimed to do it for the sake of the innocent.

"Yer people need ye, sir."

Halvor was the only reason Eirson made it back to that ship.

Snap. Thwick. Augh-

Eirson flinched. "Why did you come after me?"

Halvor paused. "Pardon?" He asked timidly.

Eirson realized that he had stepped away from the wall and was now standing between Hiccup and Halvor; he was practically leaned over Halvor, in fact. He felt his hands balled into fists at his sides to the point that his knuckles began to ache. He straightened up and took a step back. "Do you remember our first encounter?" He spoke slow and low, his voice dangerously close to a growl.

Halvor sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Aye, sir."

"What did I ask you to do?"

Halvor stared across the room through the wall ahead of him in thought. "You… Asked me to help you carry two small girls… Get them to safety. To the ship."

Eirson nodded slowly. "And what happened when we got to the ship?"

As if he couldn't help himself, Halvor looked up at Eirson. "Osmond said he thought they had gotten everyone they could. And you told him to get ready to push off, that you'd be right back. And then you ran off."

Eirson locked eyes with him and quietly repeated his question. "Why did you come after me?"

Halvor opened his mouth, but hesitated. He shook his head and tried again. "I… Osmond called after you. Ye didn't turn back. He was cursing you, saying you were just as stubborn as your father and you were going to get yerself killed. Oscar told him you were the best chance they had. That they had to trust you. Osmond said he did trust you, but he didna trust the dangers you were running into."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Well… They seemed so sure of you. And the people on the boat were watching the direction you ran in waiting for you to turn around. You were important to them." Halvor shrugged as if unsure how to further explain himself. "If I couldnae help Boyra's prisoners maybe I could at least help some of your people. I told Osmond to worry about preparing the ship to sail, and I would worry about keeping you from getting yourself killed."

Eirson wanted to believe Halvor's words. At least that version of the story meant New Berk was a little safer. And it wasn't like Halvor was trying to find ways to get himself off the island. If he was telling the truth, they had a chance. And Eirson hadn't messed up as bad as he thought. It was an easier reality to cope with, if nothing else.

"So then what do you know about Boyra's intentions?"

"He wants dragons. Same as any other power-hungry man this side of the Archipelago. He heard stories of dragons here, I suppose. Think he came here specifically in search of them."

"So he wants dragons to control people?"

Halvor shook his head. His face seemed to grow a shade paler. "I donnae think it's that simple. He… He likes to watch people suffer. He likes to watch the pain in their eyes. And when the pain goes away, he likes to watch life leave them. I donnae think he wants to control, I think… I think he just wants to conquer." He shivered. "I fear the fate of any man to cross him. And that's why I wanted away."

Eirson could see the pleased smile on Boyra's face as he held his father to his knees before him. He quickly shook the image away. "That still doesn't explain why he would lock you in a room with such an easy way to escape."

Halvor sighed, still pale but much more tired. "Like I said before: cocky bastard overestimates himself. That's my best guess."

Eirson found himself out of questions. He was hyper focused on one task now - talking to Osmond.

He slowly turned and walked out of the cell, following the cavern back to the surface and out of the Great Hall. He knew Zephyr was behind him, he heard her follow him the moment he left the room. He jogged up the path to the guest quarters and found Osmond and Oscar still sitting in Osmond's room. Zephyr ran into the room shortly after Eirson.

"Is everything alright?" Osmond asked.

"I need you to tell me something," Eirson requested breathlessly. "Back on the island, the night we fled, when Halvor and I brought the last two girls to the ship. I told you to get ready to push off and that I'd be right back. After I left, what happened?"

Osmond blinked in surprise. Oscar looked a bit bewildered himself. "I… I'm not-"

"Osmond, please, I need to know what was said."

He looked between Eirson and Zephyr. "Well… I said you were a dumbass for running back. I tried to call you back but you didn't turn around. I said you were going to get yourself killed. Oscar said you were our best bet and we had to trust you. Which I did, mind you, I still do. I told him I did, and that what I didn't trust was the clusterfuck you were running into. And then suddenly Halvor was backing away and telling me to worry about your orders and let him worry about keeping you alive. And then he ran after you."

Eirson blinked. "Oscar?"

Oscar nodded. "Yeah, that's how I remember it."

Eirson felt the room spin around him. "Son of a bitch. I think he's telling the truth."

Randi here! I hope you all enjoyed! I'm doing my best with getting chapters written, but do to some ongoing health issues the energy/time I have to write is spotty at best. That being said, I just want to assure my lovely readers that by no means do I intend to abandon this story. It will be finished, I just ask for your patience with my vastly unpredictable posting schedule. And you all have been incredibly kind and patient, so to those reading in real time as updates are released, I could not ask for a better group of readers, so from the bottom of my heart, a thousand thank you's to you all 3