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wolfie-dragon-rider · 5 years

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Bursts of Light, Day 19: In Formal Wear

Another one with the kids! This one takes place when Thora is 12, and Clay is 10. Hiccup and Astrid are in their early thirties.

Also, thank you very much for the reviews and comments! They help a lot in getting me to write this!

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"But Mooooooooom! I don't like this dress! It's so itchy and frilly!" Thora shouted, and Hiccup involuntarily smiled. His little girl was so much like her mother.

Still, she would have to wear the dress for a few hours. It was expected for such an occasion. Hiccup had often wished he could see his family, and although he knew that he never would, that didn't mean he didn't want as many other people as possible to see how amazing they were. Even people dozens or hundreds of years from now.

"Come on, Thora. It's just for today. Don't you want to look pretty?" he asked, kneeling to get little Nadder, Quickclaw, screeched and flapped his wings, flying right past Hiccup's face to land on Thora's shoulder where he often perched. Honestly the dragon was getting too big and heavy for it, but Thora insisted she could still carry him.

"What's wrong with my normal clothes? They're comfy! Who cares about looking pretty if I can't breathe in this?!" she said loudly, and Astrid sighed, her knees hitting the floor with a soft thud.

"Oh, it's not that bad. It's a very roomy dress. Look, I get how you feel. I don't like long dresses or frilly stuff either. But when people hundreds of years from now look at our portrait, do you really want them to see you covered in mud and in torn clothes? You still look strong in this outfit. Even more so, I'd say. Look, the bare sleeves show off your muscled arms!" Astrid laughed.

"I don't look strong despite this fancy outfit. And I have to have big puffy pants to hide my cast. At least when people look at you they see someone who can stand on their own," Claybones muttered from his nearby chair. Hiccup frowned as he turned towards his son. The boy had just turned 10, and was getting moodier and moodier. At least he wasn't complaining too much about today's activities.

"Yeah, but you're not the future chief. People won't care about how you look," Thora shot back, and Astrid sighed. Clay's dragon, a Woolly Howl hatchling called Thinker, growled from his spot on the young boy's lap. Quickclaw screeched back, leading to Hiccup quickly jumping in between.

"That's enough, both of you. None of us are perfect, and the goal isn't to look perfect. The goal is to simply record the people we are right now," he said, hoping to defuse an argument before it started.

Thora and Clay had been very hostile towards each other lately. Hiccup suspected Thora was taking out the stress she got from puberty and the pressure of being the heir on her little brother who didn't have as many responsibilities, while Clay was hurting from an increasingly broken body. They hadn't really talked about it openly yet, but it was becoming clear that the dozens of fractures over the years were weakening his limbs. His legs were misshapen from all those splints and hastily set bones, and could bear less weight even when the fractures were healed. He was completely unable to run by now, and would often use a crutch while walking.

It was only late at night that he whispered about his fears with Astrid, talking about when his boy would have to use a wheelchair permanently.

Hiccup wondered if Clay knew about it. It was almost scary how perceptive and smart the quiet boy was. Unlike his father, however, he applied his intellect to observing people, learning secrets and mannerisms, figuring out their hopes and fears just by looking at them. So it was difficult to hide their worry from him.

Thora was the opposite, always rushing headlong into any situation without bothering to wait and observe. She'd take charge, assuming she knew what was best for everyone, but always somewhat aware of the village's eye on her.

"I still hate this dress," Thora muttered, and Clay scoffed but didn't respond otherwise. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"That'll be Grandma Kirsten. And look, kids, I hate my dress too. And I'm sure your father isn't a big fan of his outfit either. That armor is heavy!" Astrid said, standing up again and walking to the front door.

"She's right. Look, sometimes we have to do things we don't like in the moment, but that'll pay off for the rest of your lives. I never had a portrait like this with my parents. Just the one traditional coming-of-age one with my dad. Because of that painting, and I might add that the process of making it was very painful and involved a fight with Alvin the Treacherous, you two can see what your grandfather looked like. And what I looked like as a kid. But you'll never be able to see your grandma Valka again, because there is no portrait of her," Hiccup said as Astrid opened the door for her mother.

"So if you want to show your kids, or even your grandkids one day, what we looked like and where you came from, I'd suggest you stop complaining and get ready for the painter. He came all the way from London, you know," Hiccup's tone was harsher than he normally used with his children, but he didn't want them to miss the opportunities he never had.

"Exactly. There's no portrait of your Grandpa Tolfdir either. Nor of me, that's why I'm here today. And I know your father doesn't like to talk about it, but keep in mind that he will never be able to see this portrait, just like he can't see the portrait he made with Stoick. He knows better than anyone how important being able to see other people is. So you might want to think about that," Kirsten added, pushing a silk tunic in his hands.

Both the children went quiet at that. Knowing Kirsten would watch them, Hiccup went to the bedroom with Astrid to change.

"I'm sorry they're being difficult," Astrid said, and he sighed, taking off his regular shirt to put on the fine tunic.

"No, they're just… growing up. It's not easy being that age. But at least they're getting more opportunities and chances than we did. Even if they don't always understand why," he said as Astrid put his chestplate on him and latched the straps around his arms.

"You're always so understanding. I love them always with all my heart, but some days I don't… like them very much, you know? But then they smile and play and talk and I instantly forgive them," she whispered.

"And that's why we're doing this. So those smiles will be immortalized forever," he said, putting on his ridiculous silver vambraces.

"Exactly. So let's get back there before they start another fight," Astrid chuckled, fiddling with his armor for a bit before leaving the room again. Hiccup smiled, following.

"And so the prince and princess of France stood together as the evil warlord approached!" Kirsten was in the middle of a story when there was another knock on the door.

"Ah, that'll be the painter. Get ready everyone! Dragons as well!" Hiccup said, walking to the door and letting the man in. "Welcome, Master Frost. I hope we'll all fit on the canvas!"

Mr. Frost hesitated for a moment, but then Toothless and Stormfly pushed him inside in their eagerness to join the family. A yelp escaped the man, though at least he didn't run. Better than some dignitaries Hiccup had met.

"Uhhhm, let's see how we'll do this. Alright, boy, girl, you at the front. Chief Haddock, behind the girl please, and the Lady Astrid behind the boy's chair. Ah, Lady Kirsten, it's so good to see you again! You will be joining the picture as well? Next to Astrid would work best, probably," the painter said, fussing over them when they moved into position. Hiccup's hands on Thora's shoulders, Astrid's axe visible next to the chair, Claybones sitting up a little straighter.

"And finally the dragons! This is Toothless, right? He can go next to the chief, and this beautiful Nadder can join the equally beautiful lady. And of course, these little dragons shall join the children. That one on the boy's lap, that'll make him blend in well with the cloth, but still be noticable for the keen observer! Oh, and the little nadder curled around the young lady's neck? Ah yes, very fierce! The yellow hide works well with this red cloth! Now, just hold still!"

Hiccup did his best to keep smiling despite his daughter's dragon's claws gripping his hands. Just a minute in and he could already tell Thora was getting anxious, so he tried to squeeze her shoulders reassuringly.

Toothless crooned at one point, rubbing his face against Hiccup's side and earning himself a light scolding from the painter, but mostly the dragons and people were all on their best behavior.

"How does it look?" Hiccup asked Mr. Frost when they stopped for a break, stepping around the canvas he couldn't see.

"Oh, you have a lovely family, sir. Though I could tell the girl was getting… annoyed. Hence the break. But my sketches are all done, and now I can start the base layer of paint. After that I can finish it on my own, so you won't have to pose anymore," he said, and Hiccup nodded. Faint shouts came in through the window from where Thora was running around the house with Quickclaw.

"What kinds of paint do you use? This red is richer than anything I've managed to mix," Clay asked, the click of his clutches accompanying every step.

Hiccup stepped back a bit to let his son talk to the painter. Clay had been discovering a talent for art over the last few years, and he would often spend entire days drawing and painting. Hiccup just wished he could see what it was. His son always became defensive when he asked, so he decided not to push too much.

"You okay?" Astrid softly asked, sitting down next to him and grabbing his hand.

"Yeah, just… thinking about how happy I am we got to do this today. And how lucky I am with the family I have," he whispered with a smile.

"We are. Even if I sometimes want to scream in frustration at them," Astrid chuckled. As they spoke, Thora ran back inside, and Clay wrote down everything the painter explained about his process. Hiccup could almost picture in his head what the scene looked like. It stung that he would never see the ones he loved so much, but this portrait was close enough.

Even if they had to wear these awful outfits for it.

#bursts of light #blind spots #httyd #fanfic #hiccstrid #hiccstrid kids

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kingofthewilderwest · 6 years

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I was surprised that you didn't mention Viggo in your mental illness analysis. I've always thought that he seemed like a high functioning psychopath, perhaps an example of the Dark Triad (psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism). He is ruthlessly cruel to dragons, infects people for profit without remorse, and has a henchman executed in his first appearance. He also seems to have lacked genuine affection for his own brother. Like Dagur, I found his redemption unrealistic.

From this post.

The post prompt did ask specifically for dragon riders, which is one reason I wasn’t putting Viggo on the radar, but I suppose I also interpret Viggo’s personality from a different angle than you do. While it is true that Viggo can be cruel to dragons (though not out of the norm for Barbaric Archipelago society!), can be very self-confident, and is interested in his profits, I also find Viggo to be someone who operates under a sense of gray morality rather than a psychologically diagnosable, consistent disregard to others. He especially isn’t someone I find who acts with something like Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) - it takes more than being greedy and putting oneself first to have NPD. There are so many neurotypical human beings in this world who act with both greed and disregard to certain populations (like non-human animals), and Viggo is someone I think who manifests a drive for profits - but not someone who has an excessively inflated sense of self-importance or an inhibition to comprehending others’ emotions.

I find Viggo a neurotypical individual, as with most of the villains in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise - Alvin the Treacherous is also someone who does horrible things without care to other individuals, Krogan has far less interest in other human lives, but that sort of treatment of other humans comes from many avenues, not per say personality disorders. What experiences we have in life and how we respond to them shape how callous or kind we are to people, and that’s what happens with Viggo. I mean, even siblings loathing each other is something that happens with far more frequency than the psychological conditions detailed in the DSM.

And in truth, beyond a discussion of mental ailments, I also don’t think that calling Viggo extremely callous and lacking remorse is a full picture of what his personality is. I see Viggo as a character who is willing to go into more “gray” zones than others with conscience do, but he’s also someone who doesn’t give up his conscience entirely. He even admits that as a kid he was someone who thought a lot more along idealistic virtues. So he’ll do brutal acts, yes, but needlessly brutal? Not as much. And the more time Viggo spends with Hiccup… the more we see instances of mercy.His very introduction sets the stage as someone who sees a gray zone of morals (rather than no conscience) and is willing to learn the techniques to win from anywhere he can. It’s through this sense of conscience, and this sense of learning techniques from whomever he can… that he comes to respect Hiccup. I think that his redemption was written in a realistic, gradual-growing manner.

Viggo’s redemption arc grows in two main fronts: his disenfranchisement with Krogan, and his growing respect of Hiccup.

Setting the Stage: Viggo and Ethics

In Viggo’s character introduction, we see how Viggo talks about the blur between society’s typical assessment of good and evil. He furthermore mentions something interesting - when he was a child, he wanted to be the “honorable Viking” himself.

Viggo: Maces and Talons. I began playing with my grandfather when I was just a boy. I always insisted upon being the honorable Viking chief. I could never understand how he bested me time and time again. For years I assumed his skill transcended mine.

When we are young, we’re often more idealistic, be it anything from dreaming how far we’ll succeed in life, to believing how people will (or should) act in difficult situations. Society can have a sense of an ideal “good” morality framework that makes you act like the honorable Viking in every circumstance, doing nothing that would be even the slightest bit morally gray. We learn that Viggo had that sense of conscience and idealistic good in him as a boy, a desire to be that honorable and morally upright being who never stepped into questionable mud.

But what Viggo learns in life - and which many of us do, honestly - is that moral choice isn’t so easily black and white. What actually is the right choice is more convoluted in context, circumstances, means, ends, goals, values, starting states, ending states… so many factors… that it’s sometimes legitimately hard to weigh all the pros and cons and make what you believe to be morally best. Do you do something some people would consider “sketchy” to reach the great, moral end goal? Or do you avoid getting that great moral salvation moment at the end because you cannot tolerate doing something “sketchy” at the start? Or do you just play it by whatever your conscience feels at the time? Deontology, teleology and utilitarian-type ethics, virtue theory… there’s a reason why philosophers have posited so many different frameworks by which to evaluate moral theory and to try to arrive at an understanding of what morality is. It’s because it’s tricky as fuck in the real world.

The way I see Viggo’s comment, he started with a pretty idealistic deontological framework as a boy. He believed that he could always do the right thing and that the means would always be just as pure as his ends. Deontology in moral philosophy is the belief that actions in and of themselves are good and bad, and that you can’t use any action to reach a greater goal at the end (the ends do not justify the means, essentially). But Viggo found out, through Maces and Talons, through the trials in life, that this maybe wasn’t the best way to approach life’s challenges. And indeed he continues on to say:

Viggo: But you see, in Maces and Talons, as in life, the line between good and evil is often unclear. Black and white can become gray so easily. What one soul considers evil another might consider righteous. The honorable chief who fails to see this is found to be the fool.

Viggo isn’t saying that any action is permissible. What he’s saying is that he’s moved from a deontology-based ethical framework to something more utilitarian. That is, he thinks the ends can justify the means. Sometimes you have to do something that might raise a few eyebrows in order to reach that better end result. That’s what he’s saying about “What one soul considers evil another might consider righteous.” Someone who is a deontologist would frown at a utilitarian individual’s course of actions, but both people legitimately believe they are doing the morally upright choice.

Now, I’m not saying that Viggo believes he’s always in the moral good. I don’t think he does. He knows he’s made moral mistakes and has crossed the line. But I also don’t think he’s saying, “Meh. All actions are okay. Nothing is evil!” Viggo is just saying that you’re naive if you’re going to try to act life as a deontologist. And that is indeed how we see him act throughout Race to the Edge. He’s not going to do something “sketchy” without remorse and reason, but he’s also going to take a few steps down the “gray path” that the strict deontologist wouldn’t.

This setting the stage is important to understanding Viggo’s character as he comes in contact with Hiccup. Hiccup is someone who still holds the ideals Viggo has discarded as unsatisfactory and incomplete. It’s one reason why Viggo might think Hiccup isn’t a threat at first. But as you watch Viggo develop, you realize… Hiccup’s ideals being the “honorable Viking chief” are going to hark to Viggo’s internal interests, too. And as Hiccup still manages to get things done without being played for a fool… Viggo’s respect in him will grow.

Viggo’s “Mercy”

Viggo has a sense of mercy for the people around him, too. It’s not readily available in his opening introduction - that’s a rather ominous and worrisome moment. However, it sets the stage for how he continues developing. We know Viggo is someone who once believed in being the “honorable Viking chief” - and now his introductory scene shows how he has removed himself from what he believes is a naive perspective.

When Viggo learns about the hunter who takes inventory without permission, he first holds a sword in front of the man. Many other villains in the HTTYD franchise would have been crueler to this man. But Viggo, instead, after terrifying the man by holding a sword to him, puts the sword away. He doesn’t punish the man, lets the man go away, and says, “We’re not animals.” His first appearance isn’t executing a henchman; it’s granting the henchman a second chance. The man, as he leaves Viggo’s tent, breathes out, “Oh, thank you, Viggo. Thank you.” Viggo is a harsh boss who is willing to do some scare tactics to get people to pay attention to him, but he isn’t going to kill someone for a minor infraction like that.

In fact, Heather, who’s used to seeing lots of barbaric people in the archipelago, is surprised to see Viggo’s mercy. He’s acting a lot kinder than many of the villains she’s come across before - including her brother.

Heather: You forgave that man. I wasn’t expecting that.Viggo: Forgiveness. Not exactly a sound business practice, now, is it?

Now, this isn’t the full story. You’re right. If you’ve been reading this far and are raising your eyebrows, that’s because you know we’re not done. This scene’s not as cute and clean as that. We hear the man screaming after he’s taken away. Clearly the man who thought he was forgiven wasn’t brought out free - he was punished. Clearly Viggo isn’t as forgiving as his first action makes him appear.

I personally am not convinced the man necessarily died. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, but since it’s a long, sustained scream that we hear in the distance… the man is likely to have survived. The man would have been suddenly punished, given how he was deceived, but a quick execution would have created a cut-off scream. Regardless, the end result of Viggo’s conversation with Heather isn’t the nice-sweet-mercy-thing we originally thought. He’s giving her an ominous threat about what could happen to her if she ends up being a traitor. She could get taken out before she even realizes that she’s being punished.

The reason I’m bringing this up is because it still sets the stage for Viggo’s perspective and growth throughout the show. Viggo might have punished this man in a creepy way - be it death or something less - but the concept of “We’re not animals” actually, interestingly enough, remains. Viggo is willing to do some dark, manipulative things - like trick this man into thinking he’s punishment-free, then enacting the punishment - and through it intimidating Heather - but he’s also someone who pays attention to the gray zone of morality… and we see that the more we interact with him.

Growing Tensions between Hunters and Riders

Hiccup starts as a toy to laugh at. But as the two interact increasingly more, Viggo finds that Hiccup should not be underestimated. This is the growth that happens between these two from Seasons 2-4.

So. For starters: Viggo doesn’t kill people when he doesn’t need to. He toys with Hiccup when they first meet, but he doesn’t kill the teen - even when he has the chance. This is true even in “Maces and Talons Part 2″ before Hiccup influences Viggo. We see from the start Viggo has the internal capacity to grant mercy.

At this point, Viggo finds Hiccup more of an amusing nuisance than anything else - not a threat to be extinguished. Viggo even thinks that Hiccup’s reputation plays the young man up more than he actually is. So, at this point, Viggo believes he doesn’t need to kill Hiccup - Hiccup hasn’t done anything to “merit” that. It’s enough for Viggo to show Hiccup that he’s more manipulative and powerful than the boy, and through that, hopefully dissuade the young dragon rider from interfering with his business dealings. Viggo manipulates, without killing, to toss Hiccup off his back before the boy can do any more mucking around with the dragon hunters.

Of course, Hiccup doesn’t get dissuaded. Hiccup decides to continue tackling on and disrupting dragon hunting trade. The kid Viggo initially considers to be an amusing non-problem turns into a real problem. Viggo becomes frustrated - the kid is interfering with his business! (His legitimate business, might I add. Everyone in the Barbaric Archipelago was hunting, fighting, or using dragons for trade goods. Viggo doesn’t necessarily beat dragons cruelly - he’s using them as wares like everyone else at the time). And so Viggo transitions from disregarding Hiccup to finding him an actual, annoying, frustrating pest.

Now Viggo needs to deal with Hiccup.

At first, Viggo thinks that he can deal with Hiccup and his increasingly meddlesome behavior by manipulating Hiccup - hence his “Defenders of the Wing” manipulation tactic. Hiccup can still be of use as he is. The kid’s fervor for protecting dragons can be used. But by Season 4 times, Hiccup has aggravated and tarnished enough of Viggo’s plans that he really needs to do something about Hiccup, and he’s going to use increased measures, precautions, and dangerous tactics to do so.

Viggo and Hiccup constantly raise the stakes and circumstances for each other. They continue seeing the capabilities each has. By this point, Viggo no longer underestimates Hiccup, but considers him quite the adversary. Just consider the change in perspective Viggo’s had toward Hiccup from S2 “Maces and Talons Part 2″ versus S4 “Gold Rush”:

“Maces and Talons Part 2″ - Viggo is not worried about being exposed to Hiccup alone, thinks that Hiccup and Toothless were no problem or danger at all to him, and leaves them alone without any consequence once he has the Dragon Eye he needs.

“Gold Rush” - Viggo mentions having extra precautions about being around Hiccup and the riders, and in fact is planning to kill them and their dragons because they’ve been such a threat to his operations. He goes out of his way to make sure the residents of Dragon’s Edge are eradicated.

It’s a growing rivalry with a morphing perspective on Viggo’s end.

And by the end of it, Hiccup outsmarts Viggo… and Viggo falls to his near-death.

Viggo, despite having his added gray morality choices (compared to Hiccup’s limited “honorable Viking” ideology), is overcome.

Viggo’s Mercy

Viggo has learned to see Hiccup as someone to not be underestimated. Viggo has seen Hiccup’s inventiveness and abilities to get the task accomplished. As someone like Viggo who takes tactics where he can, it makes sense that his frustration of Hiccup… turns into begrudging respect of Hiccup. He can respect someone clever wherever he finds them.

We see Viggo starting to take some of Hiccup’s ideas to level the playing field. Viggo starts using the cauldron to withstand the fires of the volcano - the same tactic Hiccup and the Defenders of the Wing used to survive lava. This makes sense. Viggo is a tactical man who knows when an idea is smart.

But because Viggo is learning to begrudgingly respect Hiccup… he’s actually being influenced by Hiccup in more ways than how to survive lava encounters. He’s also got some respect for Hiccup’s ideological framework - that ideological framework that Viggo himself once held true as a child.

And this is where we really start to see that Viggo does have a sense of mercy and compassion for other individuals.

Krogan is introduced in a way somewhat akin to Viggo. Krogan at first seems to offer mercy to a dragon hunter who doesn’t like how they hunt, asking for feedback and offering to let the employee leave. But then Krogan murders the man and asks the others if they’re willing to question his tactics, too. Just like Viggo, Krogan offers false mercy and trust, then shows who’s really in charge. But unlike Viggo, Krogan never demonstrates a respect for smart, tactical behavior, nor a respect for the value of a human life.

Krogan is someone who’s more willing to be ruthless with his punishments or disregard others. In this season the two butt heads a lot about not only how to run their operation… but also about moral values. Viggo is the one who tells Krogan they need Fishlegs alive because the boy has extensive dragon knowledge; Krogan is the one who says he has enough knowledge himself and they might as well kill Fishlegs. Viggo is the one who says that reverence isn’t a bad thing so long as it doesn’t cloud one’s judgment, and uses Hiccup’s ingenuity and victories against Viggo as inspiration for future projects; Krogan is the one who just looks down on Hiccup and thinks he shouldn’t be given such respect. When Krogan says that Hiccup’s weakness is being afraid to shoot to kill, Viggo actually seems… irritated at the suggestion.

And, most tellingly, when Krogan is willing to let men die going down into the lava… Viggo is trying to minimize casualties:

Krogan: Why are you sending only one man down at a time?Viggo: I sent three down last time. Only one came back, which is two more than the time before that.Krogan: They’re disposable. That’s why we have so many of them.Soldier: That’s right. Krogan doesn’t tolerate failure.Krogan: Right you are. Now, say your farewells and get your pathetic behind back in that tub. Now!

Krogan doesn’t care if these men die. The fact that Viggo actually is trying to keep his subordinates from dying says something, doesn’t it? In a subtle way, Viggo’s enacting mercy.

Throughout Season 5, we see that Viggo is definitely the more thoughtful and considerate individual between the two.

Some of it is harking back to who he always has been - again, he didn’t kill Hiccup needlessly in “Maces and Talons” or anything. Some of it is that Krogan’s rudeness is making Viggo hate their alliance and disrespect his partner in crime. And some of it is also harking back to Viggo learning to respect Hiccup for who he is, tactics and morals and all.

Viggo’s Redemption

Frankly, the more we see Krogan be rude to Viggo, the more we see Viggo preferring Hiccup over him. But because Viggo and Krogan have the same goal, while Hiccup has an opposing goal, it’s pragmatic and obvious for Viggo to continue with his current partnership.

Until, of course, that partnership ends. Krogan forsakes Viggo. Krogan, like always, has no regard for anyone else. Krogan, like always, holds no respect for Viggo’s motivations and ideas. Krogan, through these actions, butts Viggo out of the game and nearly has him killed.

So for someone who’s grown to respect Hiccup Haddock and grown increasingly disillusioned with his partner Krogan… and for someone who still has some goals he needs to accomplish with extra assistance… it makes sense that Viggo is going to go to a new partner.

Viggo does this in a realistic way that isn’t sudden repentance saying he’s wrong. Viggo is still manipulative, trying to trick Hiccup, talking up things like the red oleander flower. Viggo is still wanting to partner with Hiccup for his personal ends, not for bettering Hiccup’s stock or because he sees eye-to-eye with Hiccup’s desires. But Viggo’s working with Hiccup out of a set of conditions that makes complete sense from context.

Viggo is never someone who returns back to idealism and what he considers a naive frame of ethics. When he recruits Hiccup for help in Season 6, he even tells Hiccup that the kid isn’t ruthless enough, and that this is going to come back to bite him. Viggo has learned through life that the person who seems to have greater skill is probably the person who isn’t limiting themselves from achieving their needed (and often good) end. But because of how situations fall down between Viggo and Hiccup, he makes that last-minute redemption built out of the respect that’s been ever-growing out of him for the dragon riding crew.

At the very end, when Viggo is about to die… he’s going to respect the boy who he sees deserving of respect, over dying for the cause of Krogan, who’s betrayed him.

And maybe, in that part of Viggo that’s still a child, he’s happy to be fighting for the “honorable Viking chief” - even if he, the traitor, dies in the end.

So for Viggo’s characterization arc? Personally, for me, it works.

Unlike Dagur, I think that Viggo’s arc was much better paced and gradually built, with a good progression of events that allow us to understand why Viggo would eventually take Hiccup’s side. He’s not someone with a psychological inability to feel compassion for others. He’s not someone so self-important that he can’t respect and learn from people who best him. He’s not someone unusual to society - he’s someone who is focused on profits and puts others’ interests a little bit aside for his own gain. He’s not someone who is morally credible in every choice, but he’s also got some good points to make about how we might or might not achieve our goals. Frankly, I agree with Viggo on more points than I should probably admit. But regardless, this is why I appreciate his character arc, and why I feel he was a well-constructed character start to end in the RTTE narrative.

#long post #rtte #Race to the Edge #Maces and Talons #Maces and Talons Part 1 #Maces and Talons Part 2 #Gold Rush #Triple Cross #The Wings of War #The Wings of War Part 1 #Viggo #Viggo Grimborn #analysis #my analysis #ask #ask me #anonymous #awesome anonymous friend #Krogan

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historyrepeatsitself · 6 years

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honestly i was at a softball camp since like 7:30 this morning and I’m too tired to work on an edit or fanart or something but I did write this fanfic awhile back. This is technically a repost but it does fit with day 10 of doomsday.

Technically this fanfic falls in between books 9 and 10-during Hiccup’s time living as an outcast for nearly a year.

This is just the first story in a small collection of them I made. The full version can be viewed here

Missing Year:

The trees seem to whisper in hushed tones before him, their branches waving ominously, creating shadows of monsters at his feet. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third shivered as a cold wind blew around him. This night was especially cold in the archipelago, Hiccup hoped it was even too cold for search parties, though just as a precaution he had blown out the fire and was now laying curled up inside the Windwalker's wings, waiting for another sleepless night. Toothless seemed the only one completely unaffected by the life of an outcast, his slept just as soundly as ever on Hiccup's chest, gently blowing small smoke rings up into the night. The Wodensfang slept beside Hiccup, he seemed to have just drifted off and was snoring quietly, his old shriveled body curled up against the cold. The Windwalker stood over all of them, his head curling around them, his eyes were closed and Hiccup could feel his breathing slowing into the steady hum of sleep. Hiccup leaned was leaned against the Windwalker's neck, using the soft scales as a pillow. He tried to follow the Windwalker's slow breathing, desperately trying to lure his body into sleep. Just as he was closing his eyes his heart gave a frantic pumping, jolting him upright again, his vision blurry from the lack of sleep.

Toothless seemed undisturbed by Hiccup's sudden movement and continued to sleep on, his small body much like a warm boulder against Hiccup. Hiccup wished he could sleep as soundly as Toothless, but his mind seemed to think something very different and elected to wander into the darkness. Hiccup strained his eyes and peered into the looming shadows of the shallow cave they were sleeping in and out into the forest surrounding them. The trees whispered their quiet song and Hiccup peering into their depths. Was that an Alvinsmen peering at him in the dark? Hiccup swore he could see a movement in the shadows. Were there more out there? Should he tell the others? Hiccup could feel his heart pounding faster and faster, his chest felt heavy and his breaths felt shorter. He panted, desperately trying to stay calm. Probably nothing. It's just my mind playing tricks on me.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," came a cool voice from the shadows, Hiccup jumped, desperately straining to see the speaker of the voice, he whirled desperately looking around the cave but there was no one. Impossible, Alvin must have a stealth dragon or something, he was here, Hiccup had heard him.

Hiccup shook as he gazed around the cave, should he wake Wodensfang? He would know what to do right? Would he be mad Hiccup had woken him up? Probably. What could he do anyway? They were alone.

Hiccup found himself shaking harder, he wished he were back on Berk, back home. He wished that he had just said goodnight to his father and was heading to bed, smuggling Toothless in his waistcoat. He wished that he was sitting in his own bed on Berk, Toothless asleep on his chest, as usual, a warm presence in the cold room. He wished that he could still hear the shouts of late night party goers heading home as he waited to fall asleep. He wished he could hear his father downstairs, maybe even his mother. He wished he could hear them talking, he wished he could hear the wood floors creaking with their footsteps.

But that was gone. Berk had been burned to the ground by Furious' troops, Hiccup's childhood home was nothing more than a couple splinters now. He tore his mind away from the thoughts, desperately trying to focus on the current problem.

There was someone here, there had to be, Hiccup had heard someone. But the more Hiccup peered into the darkness the more he felt that the voices and movement had been a figment of his imagination. He should sleep. It was late, Hiccup worried that the sun was only a few hours away from reaching the horizon. He laid his head down on Windwalker's tail and closed his eyes desperately trying to sleep.

To his relief, the world slowly faded to blackness as Hiccup closed his eyes. He could feel his breathing slowing into the slow drone of sleep. But the calming darkness didn't stay for very long. Soon fire consumed him, his entire body felt hot, he looked down and saw that his legs had been consumed in a bright red flame, its fingers grabbing at his ratty old fire suit; it barely served as clothes anymore, the old suit was torn badly all over, the sleeves barely even existent. It was so worn out it offered little protection against the flame. Hiccup tried to move but found that he was tied to a tall wooden mast that was standing in the middle of the fire, slowly burning with him. Heavy metal chains were wrapped around the boy, their cold gray slowly turning to an orange as the flame burned brighter and brighter. Hiccup struggled, desperately trying to creep out from the chains but they held fast.

He frantically scanned the world around him looking for someone to help but all he was greeted with was a plane of fire. He screamed, desperately crying for help. "Fishlegs? Camicazi? Toothless? Wodensfang? Windwalker?" he yelled out into the blaze, but there was no response.

He could feel himself blacking out from the heat, his skin burning in the fire. But just before the world faded he heard a voice, "They're gone," whispered the cold voice. "They're dead." There was cackle from behind him and he felt a hand close around his throat.

"Soon you'll be joining them." Came another voice, higher pitched and female. Hiccup knew that voice; the Witch.

"Goodbye, Hiccup." Said Alvin above the crackling fire.

"NO!" Hiccup yelled, struggling against Alvin's grasp. "NO, NO, NO!"

But the burning inferno was gone. They were gone. Everything was gone.

"Hiccup!" He felt a claw against his face, "Hiccup!" came the voice again. "Hiccup wake up!"

Hiccup opened his eyes, the Wodensfang was crouched over him, his old wrinkled brown face riddled with concern. The Windwalker hovered above him, his brow creased in soft lines of concern and Toothless sat on Hiccup's chest, his large green eyes staring directly into Hiccup's blue. Toothless' eyes looked large and scared, in the dimly lit cave, they seemed to emanate a soft green light. "H-h-hiccup? Are you a-a-alright?" his stammer seemed more prominent than normal as he spoke. His small body appearing to quiver and Hiccup wondered if it was because of him.

"Yes Toothless, I'm alright." Hiccup said shakily, though he could still feel the fire against his skin.

"Are you quite sure, Hiccup?" Wodensfang's old voice seemed to have a bit of a quiver of its own. "You seemed quite ill only a moment ago…" The old dragon trailed off as he looked at Hiccup his eyes seeming to darken with an unknown understanding.

Even the Windwalker, though he said nothing seemed to be worried about Hiccup. Hiccup himself wondered what he had done to cause them to worry so much. "Guys I'm alright." He whispered, desperately trying to keep his voice level, "Really, I just had a bad dream, I didn't mean to wake you all."

"B-b-but you d-did." Said Toothless, looking at him with those big green eyes, "Y-you woke us up because of s-s-something's wrong. T-toothless knows it." Hiccup smiled weakly as Toothless seemed to be doing his very best to console him.

"Toothless, I'm okay. There's no need to worry, really. It was just a bad dream."

"Hiccup," said Wodensfang slowly, "We've been out here nearly six months." Again, the old dragon seemed to trail off in a sense of worry.

"And?" asked Hiccup

"Hiccup you've been alone for six months, on the run, practically trapped in a cave!" Wodensfang exclaimed with worry.

"I haven't been alone," said Hiccup, "You all are here."

"Yes, but you haven't been with other Vikings in ages, Hiccup. Is that even normal for a human? Hiccup, humans are different than dragons!" Wodensfang seemed to be heading into one of his fits.

"It's fine Wodensfang, besides it's not like we can really go anywhere." He laughed, a bit sarcastically, and Wodensfang raised an eyebrow at Hiccup's exclamation.

"Hiccup I'm worried. Honestly, this situation is by no means good for anyone but humans are very different than dragons and I worry that you're going to be sick Hiccup. It's no surprise to anyone that this is the most stressful on you and being under that kind of pressure and torment for that long isn't good for anyone." Wodensfang was nearly hopping up and down in agitation at this point. All his spines were on edge with worry.

"Humans shouldn't be alone."

They all turned the find the source of the voice. It was Windwalker who had spoken, his voice was soft and filled with a worry brought on by memories. "Back on the Lava-Lout islands, they had a few jailers there, Vikings to control us dragons. Many left and soon there was only one left, he stayed with us and tried to control us, he tried to keep the other prisoners there too. But as the months turned into years he started to go crazy. It was slow, but eventually he-he- "the Windwalker stammered, his voice growing softer, "he slit his own throat and then we were alone.

"I left shortly after that, many of the remaining prisoners did. The island was abandoned for many years, of course then Alvin the Treacherous took over a few years later—but you already know that story." The Windwalker shook as he finished the story. Clearly, the words were bringing back harsh memories.

Hiccup gulped, he had never known that the jailkeeper had gone insane. He shuddered the think what it must've been like on that island. "But he couldn't speak Dragonese, right Wodensfang?" Hiccup asked, his voice growing soft in the early hours of the day.

"No." The Windwalker admitted, "but he wasn't being hunted by the entire archipelago either."

"Windwalker has a point," said Wodensfang after a long time. "We're worried, Hiccup. We know that something is wrong and it's okay." Hiccup shrugged weakly, though the burned sensation had worn off he still felt weakened since the dream.

"I just—I miss home I guess." He mumbled, "I miss Berk, I miss my father, I even miss Gobber's classes! I miss having to get up and go out in the freezing cold to go fail at being a Viking. I miss Fishlegs, I miss sitting with him after class. I miss having days off and taking Toothless to go play with Fishlegs and Horrowcow. I miss visiting wild dragon cliff. I miss writing. I miss trying to study dragons. I miss early mornings before the sun had risen and during the spring I could sit on our steps and watch it rise in the east. I miss Camicazi's stupid and crazy ideas. I miss Fishlegs' sarcasm. I miss going to the Meathead Public Library. I miss trying to surf in the ocean with Fishlegs and Camicazi. I miss—I miss Berk!" Hiccup hadn't realized he was crying until Toothless used his wing to wipe a tear from Hiccup's cheek.

"It's going to be okay, Hiccup," said Wodensfang quietly.

"It always is," whispered Windwalker, a small smile creeping across his face.

"If it isn't it's not the e-e-end." Stammered Toothless, his large eyes looking up into Hiccup's face, they seemed to shine with sympathy and Hiccup held the small dragon in his arms and for once Toothless let the sign of compassion go. He licked Hiccup's cheek with his warm pink tongue.

Wodensfang sat on Hiccup's lap, he patted it gently with his wing. Windwalker sneaked his long neck around the trio encircling them in warmth. His head rested near Hiccup and he used the opportunity to give Hiccup a gentle lick on his face. Hiccup smiled at Windwalker, some color restoring to his pale face.

The four stayed like that, watching the morning sun come up slowly over the East. For a moment, there was no rebellion, there was no danger. It was just a morning on Berk; a beautiful sun chasing the darkness away.

#twelvedaysofdoomsday2017 #htt #httyd book #httyd fanfiction #httyd book fanfiction #repost

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fictionalnormalcy · 7 years

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Unforgivable Traitors

There are two people who I cannot forgive. Traitors who betrayed Hiccup. One is from the books and another is from the movies. Well kind of two from the books, but one traitor was able to redeem himself in Hiccup’s eyes. These three people are: Valhallarama, Mildew, and Snotlout.

Let’s start with Mildew, because he seems to be the least traitorous of the three. Or at least, I have yet to see whether he redeems himself. All right, so his traitorous crime was not only to Hiccup, but to the tribe of Berk itself. A Mildew does not exist in the books, but I believe he was created as a version of Hiccup’s kooky grandfather, although the grandfather wasn’t a hater of dragons, just eccentric. Anyway, Mildew betrays Hiccup at the end of Season 1 in Dragons: Riders of Berk, by drawing a false map of the Isle of Night, where Hiccup believes that more Night Furies may exist. It was actually a trap, Mildew became an Outcast, and Hiccup & Toothless fell into the clutches of Alvin the Treacherous. I don’t care that Mildew helped him escape, it was a trick from the beginning. The dragons Alvin trains will be destroying Berk, his former home. I just can’t believe that Mildew would betray his fellow Berkians, and for what!? Just because he didn’t like that dragons had moved in? No, TRAITOR!

Next is Snotlout, who is not evil in the animated series, but very well becomes so in the books. After the tenth book, Hiccup is exiled and Snotlout becomes chief of the Hooligan Tribe, but the villagers reside on the island they call Berk. Snotlout always felt he was better than his cousin, but also was jealous of him at times as well. In the twelfth book, Hiccup is forced to work with Snotlout to rescue Camicazi. Before they ventured into Alvin’s lair, Hiccup figures out that his cousin will be betraying him, and indeed he does. They creep in, and decide to retreat to come up with a plan to better Camicazi’s escape, and Hiccup is ready to be snatched by the Vikings who are working with Alvin. Snoutlout lured his own cousin into a trap, leaving him at the hands of his greatest enemy. Hiccup was cocooned in chains, and tortured by being drowned for several minutes, and only survived because of his dragons, who could breathe underwater, and in turn, provided Hiccup with air. Hiccup escapes, along with Camicazi, but Snotlout is nearly killed. Hiccup reluctantly accepts his treacherous cousin’s company. In the end, I was able to forgive him. Because he redeemed himself by trading clothes with Hiccup, and was shot down by the Alvinsmen, the tribe Alvin created that fought on the human side of the war. Snotlout died for Hiccup, so he wasn’t a traitor in the end.

And finally, Valhallarama. She is Hiccup’s mother, in the books. I don’t understand why they changed it to Valka for the movies. She also is blonde with blue eyes, and very muscled, even more than her son. And she didn’t disappear, but she was constantly questing. So Hiccup didn’t get to see much of his mother. Why I think she was the worse of the three, and why I consider her a traitor is because of this. When Hiccup was exiled, Alvin the Treacherous put a bounty on Hiccup’s head, to bring him dead or alive. His own mother takes the bounty, and kidnaps her own son. TWICE!! The first time, she stalked him, then caught him off guard and delivered him to Alvin, where he was trying to get the slaves to join the rebellion. The second time, Hiccup just recovered from saving Fishlegs and nearly being eaten by a dragon, and was riding a dragon that could turn invisible. His mother comes again, and kidnaps him and takes him to the slave jail. Sure his mother later convinced the other slaves to join Hiccup’s side and bare the Slavemark, which has now become the Dragonmark, but I still cannot see past it. Hiccup could have gone on his own path of retrieving the King’s items had his mother not interferred. I mean, what kind of mothe kidnaps her own son, for a mere bounty!? What kind of heartless mother are you!?

So there’s my rant. Hiccup is betrayed by humans, not dragons. I don’t blame him for willing to live with dragons instead of humans. They can be downright cruel, especially from what happens to the heir of Berk in the twelve thrilling tales.

Feel free to comment and tell me what you think! Maybe a follow too? I’ll take any questions you’ve got!

#HTTYD #how to train your dragon #movies vs. books #hiccup haddock the third #hiccup horrendous haddock

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reylo-in-the-dark · 7 years

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The Search

Chapter two: Northern market mess

The northern markets weren’t far from the edge which was a good thing for the pair as they needed to see this man. If they missed this meeting they wouldn’t have another chance to meet him for a long time. Dagur was very specific with this fact. So both of them worked their dragons to get there as fast as possible. Windshear was faster than Shattermaster so they were often having to slow down on occasion for them to catch up.

A few hours passed and they spoke a bit. Asking each other what they’d say to their dad when they saw him.

“I’d ask him if he tried to find me after I was sent a drift.” She said casually and not to dig at him. They had addressed that issue but Heather was still harboring a few ill feeling on it. She hadn’t fully forgiven him. How could you? She was robbed of the life that she was meant to have. Dagur had that life and she didn’t. She was on a farm for most of hers. Her adoptive parents were good to her up until the situation with Alvin the Treacherous that’s when they got more strict and then shortly after they died when Dagur raided the village she was in.

“I’d ask why he left. And why he left me to run the island!” Dagur said with a laugh before breathing deeply. “I am calm as the sea and the sea is calm with me.” He muttered to himself. He found that soothing.

Soon the norther market came into view and since the defeat of Viggo there wasn’t many dragon hunters there anymore. There was the odd one trying to sell their skins and teeth. Some of the larger dragon teeth had etchings on. They were decorative teeth. And after landing and walking through, it sickened Heather to see. There was an ornate Bone Knapper skull up on a table and was decorated with elaborate designs. This was something an old school viking would buy. One who reminisced about the good ole dragon killing days.

They had to leave the dragons behind as to not bring them into any danger, and both kept their weapons at the ready just in case anyone decided to jump them.

“Where are we meeting them?”

“In the place we met.”

“But-”

“Not you and me, silly. Me and him. He told me to contact him when we were ready to search. And with Berserk steadily building it’s time.”

“Ok. But-” She was cut off buy someone taking her pouch of gold but they didn’t get far as Heather was quick. And with a war cry she quickly threw her bolas at the thief’s feet and tripped them.

“WOoooohh good one, sis!” Dagur mused. “Enjoy your trip?! Oh that’s a good one. Gonna have to tell brother Hiccup that one!”

“Eugh.” Heather rolled her eyes and went over to the thief and flipped them over. It was only a young girl. No older than eleven. The youngster was shaking as Heather took the pouch. People looked as they walked past.

“I-I’m sorry I was hungry… M-me and my brother are hungry..”

Heather didn’t like thievery but she could relate. So she took some gold out and gave some to the girl. “Here… You need food. Don’t go stealing again it’ll only end badly.” She advised the young girl. Heather felt sorry for her. She knew how it was to need to steal for food when she was left to look after herself. And she didn’t want anyone to starve like she did some nights before her and Windshear came together. And once the bolas was from around the girls legs she gave Heather a hug and then ran off.

Soon they were at the meeting point. It was under a long archway that was used for storing goods.

Heather and Dagur waited for an hour until finally a hooded figure approached them and asked them for their names.

“You know my name! Dagur! Ohahahahah! And sister, Heather!” He gestured to Heather with both hands and looked excited when he did that. Dagur was always very happy to show off his sister.

But in this circumstance it wasn’t good. For this man wasn’t the contact they were supposed to be meeting. But a dragon hunter who had intercepted the terror before it arrived. And the dragon hunter from Viggo’s army wanted revenge on the people that killed him. These two weren’t Hiccup and the gang but they did ride with them.

The man removed his hood and both entrances to the archway was covered by Viggo’s ex-dragon hunters. “Not so tough without your reptiles are ya?” Heather looked around. There was no escaping. Men covered both entrances, all wearing their dragon scaled armour and holding weapons.

“Zippleback still in fashion?” Dagur laughed and took his axe off his back and clicked his neck. And Heather did the same, minus the neck clicking. But there was a click as she extended her double axe. It was an eight against two fight. There a minutes silence and then the hunters rushed them. There was a lot of shouting and screaming and clinks as steel met steel. Dagur took out most of them but didn’t kill them, only knocked them out. He was laughing like a maniac, appearing to be having fun. “Look at us sis! Berserker and Berserker side by side! Dad would be proud!”

“What?!” Heather yelled parrying and attack and hitting the hunter around the head with the flat side of her axe. But one got in a cheap hit to her arm and she saw red. She swung her axe at the remaining hunter again and again, eventually kncoking him to the floor. There was a quick whip and the axe was not one single bladed axe again and she got above the man and swung it down…

But was stopped by Dagur. He gripped the handle of the axe. “No Heather! No killing.” Dagur told her and then hit the hunter in the head, knocking him out.

“Sister, your arm!”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, silly.”Dagur held her arm and looked at it closely. “Just a cut… Luckily. I remember back when I cut someone’s!”

“Dagur! We need to get out of here!” She pulled her arm out of his hold with a hiss. Hunters lay around them, some moaning and groaning in pain and some silent as they were unconscious.

The men and women that wandered through the market all stopped and stared at them. They both had a bit of blood on them, but the blows they dealt to the hunters weren’t fatal. But Heather’s arm did need to be sorted out. It trickled with blood.

They made their way out the archway and began to race to where they left their dragons. Heather cursed under her breath. She thought this would be good. Thought that it would lead them to their father. But all they learned was that Viggo’s goons wanted revenge.

Since the death of Viggo the market in dragon’s and their hides had reduced. And anyone that wanted it went to other suppliers. Who’d want to have a broken faction get them dragon pelts? Right after their downfall.

Their dragons were sleeping as they waited for their riders and as soon as they heard their voices they were up. And soon up in the air and flying to a nearby island to clean Heather’s wound.

It was night and they were sitting on a fallen log by the fire. The flames danced around the burning logs and the embers rose high up into the sky before disappearing. “You almost got us killed.” Heather hissed as her brother applied pressure on her cut and began to clean it. The brown of her sleeve turning more maroon and damn with the blood.

“It’ll be ok sis. We will go to his home.”

“You knew where he lived?!”

“Yeah. But we said to meet at that location that I put on the letter.” Heather bit her lip as he bandaged the wound. “Not too deep so don’t worry you’ll live. Wonder how brother Hiccup is. Must be training a new dragon!”

“Yeah… Possibly training with Astrid as well.”

“Oh definitely!” Dagur jumped up. “He could learn a few things from her! Definitely fighting skills!”

“Probably wrestling right now.” She said lightheartedly.

#httyd #my fics #heather #dagur

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wolfie-dragon-rider · 6 years

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Blind Spots Ch. 18: ...If You Would Fight For Me

A/N: It's been a bit since the previous update, but now I finally returned to give you the thrilling conclusion of last time's cliffhanger! I hope you enjoy it! Next chapter will be the long-awaited wedding!

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"Got the water! Now let me tell you all about Snotlout!" Ruffnut shouted as she ran back into the clearing. Her giddy mood disappeared however, when she saw it was empty.

"Astrid? Are you there?" she asked loudly, looking around. No trace of her. Her weapons and shield were gone, and so was her pack. Very odd. As uptight and lonesome Astrid could be, just vanishing like that was not like her.

Walking around the edge of the clearing, Ruffnut noticed one of the trees had a few gashes in it, like Astrid had been using it to practice axe throwing. So she had stayed for at least a bit after Ruffnut left. She turned around again when something in the grass caught her eye.

There were a few red dots, leading to the bushes near her bag. A quick rub confirmed it was blood, and Ruffnut frowned. Odd. Had Astrid cut herself while throwing and run back to Berk? Why would she take all her things then? And run in that direction? It was away from Berk, towards the rocky beaches.

Maybe she was overthinking this. Astrid had been crazy about the dumb Hiccup fight. She probably had some weird love revelation while training, and couldn't wait to tell her boyfriend all about it. Probably while kissing him silly and holding his hand and sitting in his lap and being all sweet and cute and ugh!

Ruffnut was not in the mood to see that. Especially after Astrid had apparently just abandoned her. Sure, they had never been close as such, but they were the only two girls of their age, so they had often overlooked each others flaws to allow them to talk about things the boys wouldn't understand.

And for that bond to be thrown out like garbage because of a boy? Ruffnut wasn't happy. Dammit, she had let Astrid rant and complain and rant some more about Hiccup for hours, and the moment she got to talk about Snotlout, the freaking girl runs off!

Ruffnut kicked the gashed tree and suppressed the urge to scream at the betrayal, before picking up her things. Well, if Astrid was off snogging Hiccup and having a wonderful time, she'd get a nice bath in the hot springs.

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When Astrid woke up, her first thought was that she must be in Helheim, the realm of sickness and dishonorable death.

Actually, that was her second thought. Her first thought was "Everything hurts and feels like death," leading to the second thought.

She felt like Jörmungandr himself had swallowed her and spit her out, giving her a nice dose of venom in the meantime. It was worse than that time she had eel pox. Even worse than the morning after her birthday, when she had drunk so much she passed out. Her head was pounding, her limbs felt like they were pressed to the ground, that was how heavy they were, and her stomach churned wildly, burning and pulsating. Her ears hurt, and her balance felt off. The room seemed to rock and rotate around her, though when she opened her eyes it was still. Her left arm was completely numb.

Astrid took a breath, and immediately coughed from the dust entering her mouth. She was lying on her stomach on a very dirty wooden floor. How had she gotten here? Her thoughts were muddy and slow. It was like she was sleepy, but she wasn't.

When the room moved again she realized this wasn't just her head spinning. The wood creaked, and she recognized that sound from somewhere, though her thoughts were too slow to figure it out.

As she breathed in more of the dusty air, she suddenly smelled human waste, coming from somewhere nearby. That, combined with another sudden shift of the floor and the churning of her stomach, pushed her over the edge.

Astrid only barely had the strength to pull herself up to her hands and knees before vomiting. The contents of her stomach splattered over the wooden planks, staining her hands when the room moved again. She groaned, tears springing to her eyes. She didn't even have the strength to wipe them off. Instead, her vision became blurry. When she finally spat out the last of the vile puke, her numb arm gave out. She fell to her side, only barely avoiding the puddle.

A wave of exhaustion swept over her. She wanted to sleep again, but she couldn't. This wasn't right. She wasn't just sick, she was… somewhere. Somewhere wrong. She had to figure it out.

Gathering her strength, she looked up, away from the stained floor to look at the walls. More plain wood, though when she turned her head to the left she saw iron bars. Was she in a prison? A moving prison?

She looked down again, and noticed an odd thing. The pool of vomit kept sliding closer to her, then back away again, and the realization came slowly.

The room was rocking back and forth. A ship. She was on a ship. But whose ship? Why? When? Astrid tried desperately to remember what had happened. She remembered… a portrait? Something with Hiccup. And Ruffnut?

"Look at this. The great Dragon Conqueror, laid low by my hand!" a man shouted. Astrid whipped her head up before grunting in pain from the sudden motion.

"W-W-What?" was all she managed to say, squinting her eyes to try and focus on the large figure on the other side of the bars.

"Strong stuff, isn't it? It's from the far south, extracted from a rare dragon. Just a drop is enough to knock out a Monstrous Nightmare for an hour. You… Well, let's just say you got more than a single drop," the man said, taking out a dagger and holding it through the bars to let her take a look. She lunged, cursing when she found her left arm still numb and collapsing under her weight. Her right hand grazed the handle of the weapon, but the strange man quickly withdrew it. It clanged loudly against the iron bars, a few drops of the blue poison falling on the floor.

"Feisty, aren't ya? But yeah, I don't think you're gonna use that arm for a couple hours… or days maybe. I'm not sure, never used it on humans before," the bastard chuckled, pointing at her arm. She looked down at it for the first time since waking up, involuntarily gasping when she saw her vest stained with blood. There was a large cut right below her armpit. Bile boiled in her stomach again when she saw it was swollen and purple.

It was finally coming back to her. Talking to Ruffnut, training on her own, and then suddenly this man had appeared. He had thrown that knife. She remembered pain and burning in her arm… and then nothing.

"Who are you?" she managed to ask after a few seconds.

"I'm Alvin the Treacherous! I'm sure Stoick told you all about me!" the man said, sheathing his dagger and straightening his back. Astrid moved to sit up against the wall.

Her blank stare clearly wasn't what he had been hoping for.

"I'm his mortal enemy? True heir to Berk and the entire archipelago? Exiled from Berk for countless crimes?" Alvin said, his voice becoming more and more desperate when she just shook her head. Honestly she mostly shook to get rid of the dizziness, but if she could piss off this bastard, bonus.

"I have no idea," she said slowly, feeling exhausted. Astrid was not in the mood to entertain delusional morons.

"Stoick never talked about me?" he said, eyes wide. When she shook her head, he scoffed. "Well, I'm his rival he exiled for trying to take over Berk. That was twenty years ago, but I haven't forgotten. And now you, the Dragon Conqueror, will help me get my revenge. I have captured quite the collection of dragons, and you will train them for me," Alvin chuckled, and Astrid shook her head again.

"But… But I'm not the Dragon Conqueror, Hic-" she said before stopping herself abruptly. She couldn't put Hiccup in danger. If this Alvin wanted a Dragon Conqueror, she wouldn't let him take her love.

"Hiccup? Stoick's pathetic blind kid? I know you're all lying about him being this great hero. I saw him today. He couldn't conquer a rabbit. No, it's all a desperate attempt from Stoick to give his son legitimacy as ruler. He's still afraid I'm coming to usurp his throne. And he's right. Berk deserves better than that weakling-" Alvin laughed before jumping back with a yelp when Astrid lunged at him, almost grabbing his beard through the bars.

"Ooh, touched a nerve there? Of course, when I take over Berk, you won't become the power behind the throne like you'd hoped. But at least you won't have to whore yourself out to that… hehe, hiccup anymore," taking another step back when Astrid threw herself at the bars with a scream. She was not gonna let anyone talk about Hiccup like that. No matter how sick or tired she was, she'd never stop fighting.

"Aww, don't tell me you actually care for the boy. We'll get rid of that soon enough. You won't have time or energy for pining on Outcast Island. Because I promise you, you will never see your precious Hiccup ever again," Alvin said, brandishing his dagger once more before turning around and leaving. "You, stand guard. Don't let her leave that cell," he said as he climbed the stairs, and a man with a wild dark beard descended to stand in front of her cell.

Astrid growled and pushed at the bars for another minute, but when the guard just chuckled, she gave up and sat back against the wall again. Why was this happening? She couldn't believe it. Just this morning everything was fine. And then she and Hiccup fought over something so stupid, and now she was…

Oh no. Oh gods no. Please no!

What if Alvin was right? What if she could never talk to Hiccup again? Their last words, her last words… insults and curses. She couldn't let that be how Hiccup remembers her. He had to know she hadn't meant it. Any of it. She just wanted him to be strong. To be the man she knew he was.

She had just been so hasty. Why hadn't she given him more time? He was improving, so so much. It wouldn't be like their lives would stop and become static the moment they'd get married. It would only be the start. The start of a new journey, a new story.

If they could even get married now.

Astrid shuddered, covering her face with her hands, and she could feel tears appear.

No. She was not going to sit here and cry and do nothing. She was going to fight and get back to Berk, get back to her Hiccup. They would get married and live in their own house and have children and do all the things that just yesterday had seemed terrifying, but that Astrid suddenly realized she wanted more than anything in the world.

She was going to fight for them, dammit. It didn't matter anymore if Hiccup could fight off enemies, she'd fight for both of them. For their life together.

She moved to stand, but her arm buckled when she tried to push herself up. Damn paralysis. Damn exhaustion. Damn sickness. But it would pass. She'd bide her time. She would rest for a few hours at least, observe the guard and figure out a plan to escape.

They wanted a conqueror? They'd get a conqueror.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Chin up, chest forward, shoulders back," Hiccup was still softly chanting to himself when he reached his home. It had taken him a while to get back to a place he recognized, and from there to his house. Toothless warbled loudly when he saw him, interrupting his games with Stormfly and Cloudjumper to run over.

The dragon warbled sadly, clearly seeing Hiccup was upset. It made the boy smile, despite what had just happened. Toothless warbled something that sounded like "Astrid?" and Hiccup shook his head.

"She's not coming over today, bud. I screwed up, I think. I don't know, it's all so confusing," he said, before letting go of his dragon's head and walking to the front door.

"Mom? Dad?" he called into the house to no answer. They must still be at the Great Hall. Hiccup was hoping to ask them for advice, but right now he didn't feel like going out into public again. So he sat at the table as the dragons moved into the house, Stormfly squawking repeatedly.

"Astrid is fine, Stormfly. She just… wanted to be away from me for a bit," he said, before grabbing the nearby pile of blank paper and starting a letter to Camicazi. Maybe she'd know what to do. He put a thin wooden grid over the paper, and wrote one letter through each rectangular hole in the grid. It was a new method he was experimenting with, to write without overlapping letters accidentally. Still, it went very slowly as he carefully drew each rune, making sure he didn't mess it up.

Just as he was finishing up the letter explaining his situation to Cami, the door opened. Hiccup recognized his parents' footprints, light and happy today. Cloudjumper ran outside, but Stormfly and Toothless didn't move from their spot near the firepit.

"Hey son! Astrid isn't here? I saw you two leave together, I figured I wouldn't see you anymore today!" Stoick said, obviously cheerful. 'Happy with the perfect painting', Hiccup couldn't help but think.

"No, we… we had a fight," he said, signing his name at the bottom of the letter in what was surely an unintelligible scrawl. He'd send it when Fishlegs came back from his trip.

"Oh, what about? Let me guess, she wanted the painting for herself! It's amazing, I wish you could see it!" Stoick said, and Hiccup sighed. He wanted to take a stand, to demand a better portrait like Astrid expected him to. But without her with him, with the dark cloud of their argument still hanging over him, he couldn't muster the courage to do it.

"No, she… it's complicated. She wants me to be more… yeah, more," he eventually said, sealing the letter.

"Well, I think if you want to be more, you'll need the energy! Let's go to the Great Hall and get dinner! Kirsten is making a huge meal to celebrate the painting. I think she's trying to do a trial run for your wedding as well, though," Valka laughed as she grabbed Hiccup's shoulder, trying to pull him up from the chair. He flinched. Didn't they get that he didn't want food or cheer?

When his mother came back, Hiccup hadn't expected it to change everything so much. Now it seemed that they were just happy all the time, and had no eyes for anything else.

Not even their son, he thought bitterly. Hiccup wanted to be happy for them. Hell, he was happy his mother was back. But it was still confusing.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth, more frustrated than ever.

They walked silently to the Great Hall. Well, Hiccup was silent at least, following his parents who were talking and giggling animatedly. Normally they weren't so bad. Or maybe normally he just noticed it less because he'd be focused on Astrid walking next to him. "Chin up, chest forward, shoulders back," Hiccup kept muttering to himself.

Behind him the dragons were following slowly, playing and chasing each other all the way. Toothless had eagerly welcomed Cloudjumper into their home, and Stormfly was always happy to meet new friends.

Finally, after a slow climb up the stairs they entered the Hall again, where they were greeted by Astrid's parents.

"Hey there, Stoick, didn't you just leave? Back already for more food? Ah, you brought Hiccup, he can always use another bite, right?" Kirsten said as she guided them to a table. "Oh, where is Astrid?" she asked Hiccup as she grabbed his shoulder to sit him down, and he nearly lashed out. Instead he took a deep breath.

"I don't know. She went into the woods a few hours ago," he said, grabbing his cup of mead and taking a deep gulp.

"Ah, avoiding me, I suppose. Maybe I've been a little harsh on her lately. But there's just so much I still have to teach her! That girl can wield any weapon in the world, but give her a sewing needle and she is defeated!" Kirsten laughed, and Valka laughed with her.

"I did the same before I married Stoick! I just couldn't figure out how to use them! I pricked myself so often my mother said I should just sell everything I made as red cloth from all the blood!" Hiccup's mother shouted, and Stoick laughed as well.

Hiccup tuned out the banter, his thoughts wandering back to the fight. Toothless crooned, nudging him, but he pushed the dragon away.

"Jeez, you people are still partying? Not that I don't like a party, but I hoped that with my bro and the other boys away, I could get some peace and quiet!" Ruffnut shouted, pulling Hiccup from his thoughts.

"Hey, where is Astrid? How come she isn't all over your face?" the twin asked, stopping right next to Hiccup.

"I don't know, okay?! Why does everyone think she should be with me every second of the day!" he shouted, cringing when the hall fell silent.

"Jeez, you don't have to be so insulted. Just admit you two are inseparable normally. Hell, even this dumb portrait couldn't keep you apart. Astrid ran off a while ago to meet you and make up!" Ruffnut said, sitting down next to him and stealing his mead.

Hiccup frowned, anger flowing away, replaced by confusion.

"Wait, what? I haven't seen her since this morning! We had a fight and she ran off," he said, sensing Ruffnut shrug.

"I know that! She was ranting about it to me, we were training together. I told her she shouldn't take it all so seriously, and she calmed down a bit. But then I left her for a minute to refill my water skin, and when I came back she was gone. I figured she had run off to you to make up," Ruffnut said, taking another sip of mead.

"No… she didn't go to me. Were there any other weird things?" Hiccup asked, his stomach becoming heavy.

Depends on what you'd call weird. I thought it was weird she left without saying anything. All her weapons were gone as well. Oh, and there was some blood on the grass. I figured she had cut herself throwing axes," Ruff said. Stormfly lied down next to him, squawking sadly, and Hiccup wondered if she was feeling the same dread. He didn't like this at all.

"So she disappeared a few hours ago, left bloodstains, and now no one knows where she is?" Hiccup said, voice rising.

"Son, I'm sure it's fine. She probably wanted to be alone for a bit," Stoick said, finally taking his attention off Valka for a second.

"I don't like it. I don't trust it! Something is wrong, I can feel it! What if she's badly hurt?!" he shouted, standing up and grabbing his cane.

"Okay, we can send out a search party into the forest. If she's there, we'll find her," Stoick said, standing up too.

"I'll lead the men. If anyone can survive in there it's my girl, but if she hasn't come back… She probably just broke her ankle, something like that. She's tough," Tolfdir said, standing up and grabbing his sword. It made a grating sound as he put it in its scabbard, and then his footsteps were running out the door and down the steps.

"See Hiccup, Tolfdir will find her in no time," Stoick said, but Hiccup wasn't reassured. He walked away, shaking his head. The adults started whispering among themselves, and Toothless warbled next to him.

Suddenly Hiccup's cane hit something metal, and he realized he was next to the painted shield. The portrait that had caused the fight.

The shield that portrayed a Hiccup as different from him as could be.

Stormfly made a loud croon as he ran his hand over it and wondered what it looked like. Strong and tall and with eyes, Astrid had said, but it was hard to imagine.

"Hiccup... Look, if Astrid is in some kind of trouble, she or Tolfdir or Stoick can surely fix it! You're not… Just don't worry, she'll be back in no time!" Valka suddenly said from next him, and he jumped a bit. He frowned, feeling like she was patronizing, though he knew she just wanted to reassure him.

But it still felt like she was saying he was too weak to help her. Not able to save her. He ran his hand over the portrait again.

The portrait of a Hiccup Astrid said he had been once.

A Hiccup she might need.

A Hiccup… he could be again?

"No. No, I'm gonna find her! I'll fly on Toothless… Stormfly can track her! Come on, Stormfly!" he shouted, the Nadder jumping up towards him.

"Hiccup, at least wait until the other riders are back from their trip! I don't think… You shouldn't be out there alone-!" Stoick said, and Hiccup whipped around, raising his cane to point to where he thought his father was. It wasn't until his dad suddenly shut up that he realized he was standing tall and straight without even having to think about it.

"Astrid shouldn't be out there alone either, but she is! And the riders won't be back for another two days! Who knows what could happen to her in that time," he said, climbing on Toothless' saddle and fitting his prosthetic into the pedal.

For a few seconds Hiccup was sure his dad would protest again, but all he said was "You're right, son. Find her."

The boy didn't waste any time. Stormfly was already out the door, flying towards the forest, and Toothless was right behind.

Astrid was strong, so much stronger than him. But together they could do anything. Hiccup was sure of it. No matter what had happened to her, he'd find her and they'd find a way back home together.

Who cared what the stupid portrait showed? What was important was what Astrid saw in him, and for some crazy reason Hiccup couldn't comprehend she saw something to believe in.

And he believed in Astrid. That was all the motivation he needed.

--------------------------------------------------------

Astrid groaned as feeling returned to her left arm, in the form of massive tingling. She wasn't sure if this was better than the numbness of before, but at least she could move it now. Honestly she didn't trust it to swing a weapon, but thankfully it was just her left arm.

The guard outside her cell paced back and forth, often groaning and moaning. He seemed to handle seasickness about as well as she did. When he wasn't looking, Astrid had checked under her skirt, making sure they hadn't touched her there. And finding a tiny dagger, little bigger than a cheese knife, sewn into the inside of the skirt, just where she left it.

Astrid remembered laughing when her mother suggested the secret weapon. She already had two daggers, in her sleeve and boot, what more could she need? But now she was glad she had the weapon. Now just to find a way out of the cell.

After she glared at him a few times, the guard had put the keys on a hook on the other side of the hallway, well out of her reach.

He had just run into a side room, out of sight, though the sounds of him emptying his stomach still echoed through the hold. Grimacing, she took the opportunity to rub her knife on the drops of poison Alvin had left earlier. The sight of the blue potion, the sounds of the sick guard, the movement of the ship, and the smell of her own vomit and the bucket in the corner made her stomach churn, but she suppressed it. She couldn't let it overwhelm her again.

A minute later the guard was done dealing with his seasickness, but he didn't immediately walk out of the storage room. Instead he was humming curiously, and Astrid moved a little closer to the bars.

"Ooh, nice shield! Light as well! I wonder if Alvin will notice if I take it…" the guard mumbled before appearing with her Gronckle Iron shield, and she saw an opportunity to get the key.

"Is this yours?" he asked, walking to the bars and holding out the shiny shield. Astrid moved her numb hand under her, grabbing the knife in her fist while being careful not to touch the poison, and tried to look tired and worn out.

Honestly that wasn't hard.

"What?" she slurred, squinting her eyes and crawling closer. The guard kneeled a bit to put the shield at her eye level, and she sat on her haunches on the other side.

"Oh… Oh yeah… There are hidden weapons in here. Look, if you press the button on the bottom here, it'll reveal it," she said slowly, trying to appear drugged and barely aware. The guard took his eyes off her, and instead moved his head down to look for the button, while his hands moved around the shield.

For a moment, Astrid hesitated. She only had one shot at this. Could she do it? Attack this person?

But then Hiccup flashed through her mind and her resolve hardened. Jumping up with practiced speed, she reached through the bars. His eyes widened in surprise when she grabbed the man's head with her right hand while stabbing his exposed shoulder with the knife in her tingling left hand. Turning his head around so it faced away from her, she slammed it against the bars before clamping her hand over his mouth.

He struggled. His mouth produced muffled screams and tried to bite her, and his arms reached up to dislodge her, but she stabbed him once more with the poisoned knife. When he tried to jump up, she slammed his head against the bars again.

A minute later he went still. Astrid suddenly realized she was breathing hard. Slowly she released him, terrified he'd scream again.

He just slumped against the bars. He was still breathing, just knocked out, like she had been.

Her hands were shaking, and the knife fell to the floor with a thump. Astrid held her breath as she listened carefully, but no one came to investigate the noise. Her eyes fell on the knife. She could slit his throat. It'd be so easy.

But she looked at the man again. Was he just following orders? He hadn't hurt her. He was seasick, just like she had been. Would Hiccup kill him?

No, he wouldn't. He'd urge her to get out of there. She didn't have much time. Surely they'd check on her soon. Pushing the man to the side, she grabbed the shield through the bars and awkwardly turned it around so it faced the hook with the key.

Aiming was hard like this, especially with her hurt arm. The first shot from the grappling hook missed, hitting the wall next to the key with a bang that made her cringe. Thankfully a big wave hit the ship at the same time, making the hull creak loudly.

Astrid quickly pulled the grappling hook and rope back, reloading the launcher and taking aim again.

This time it hit the key, which fell to the ground with a happy chime. Another shot entangled the key in the hook, and she carefully pulled it back, suppressing a nervous giggle when she touched it.

"Okay, time to get out," she whispered, awkwardly unlocking the door from the inside and pushing the guard a little further away to allow it to open. Checking one more time to see if he was still unconscious, Astrid walked out and strapped her shield to her left arm. It might be numb and tingling, but it could lift and block, and that was all she needed.

Silently she walked into the side room and found her axe and daggers there. Quickly putting the daggers back where they belonged, she grabbed her axe and swung it a few times. Perfect.

"Get ready, Alvin," she whispered, looking around the hold of the ship for a way out. Just the ladder leading up to the deck. Astrid could hear shouts and orders through the planks above her. How many men were there? A dozen? More? But she had to escape now. If they made it to Outcast Island, there'd be dozens if not hundreds of enemies.

As quietly as she could she climbed the ladder and pushed the trapdoor up just a notch, glancing through the small gap.

It was evening, the last rays of the setting sun drawing long shadows from the men at the front of the ship. There were three of them, and when she looked to her sides she spotted another four. All were looking away, focused on their ropes and oars.

Holding her breath she lifted the planks up a tiny bit more so she could look behind her. There, on the rear deck, was that bastard Alvin. He was flanked by a strange man wielding what looked like a large bone. Another man was sitting nearby, rubbing a bandaged and splinted arm. Astrid recognized him with a flash. She had broken that arm. For a second she felt guilt, but then she remembered Hiccup and the only thing left was determination.

As far as she could tell, Astrid only had two ways out: One was to steal a rowboat and sail back to Berk without them noticing. Unlikely to work for more reasons than she could count.

The other was to get to Alvin and make him bring her back. It wouldn't be easy. There were eight other men, not counting the wounded one. She'd have the element of surprise on them, but still…

No. She couldn't doubt now. She had trained her entire life for this. She had to do this. For Hiccup, and for herself.

Astrid took a deep breath, and was about to jump out when one of the men shouted and pointed at the sky. Astrid quickly dropped the hatch, before lifting it again when she heard footsteps running to the side.

Nearly all of the men were at the port side now, pointing at something she couldn't see and preparing the catapult.

"Take it down!" Alvin shouted, running towards the front of the deck, and Astrid knew she'd never get a better opportunity. She jumped up and ran towards the enormous man, raising her axe. He turned around just as she grabbed him and put her axe to his throat.

"No one move! You move, your boss gets it!" she shouted, mind racing. Alvin chuckled, and she pressed the axe tighter to his throat. The men froze, clearly unsure of what to do. The closest one was only a few feet away, and Astrid staggered back a bit, dragging Alvin with her to the tip of the ship.

"Throw your weapons overboard, and then turn this ship around. We're going back to Berk," she said, trying not to show her fear.

Alvin laughed again, but before she could tell him to shut up, something fell from the sky. The men screamed and scattered, and Astrid nearly dropped her axe when she recognized the black dragon.

"Hiccup? What are you-" she started to ask, but just then Alvin jumped back, throwing her off.

Some fighters say that in the heat of battle everything slows down, that sound becomes muffled and you can see every move your opponent makes.

Astrid realized now that that was yakshit.

Grunting, she barely managed to raise her shield in time to block a slam from Alvin's sword, taking a step back trying to create distance between them so she could swing her axe.

"Astrid!" she could hear Hiccup somewhere, but in that moment all she could focus on was Alvin, managing to block another strike. She took another step back, but lost her balance when her back hit the railing.

A quick look over her shoulder was her downfall, as she didn't see Alvin slam her hand with the pommel of his blade. With a cry of pain, she dropped the axe.

"Astrid! Let her go!" Hiccup shouted, his footsteps and cane coming closer, but Astrid couldn't see him. A strong arm pushed her around and wrapped around her chest, pushing her back against Alvin's front.

Astrid tried to kick and stomp, but froze when she felt his sword against her throat. Their positions were reversed now. Astrid closed her eyes for a moment, forcing herself to calm.

Not easy when she could feel a trickle of blood run down her neck.

"Stop right there! Hiccup, wasn't it?" Alvin said clearly, and Astrid now saw Hiccup standing next to Toothless in the middle of the deck. The henchmen were scattered around the deck, weapons raised. Hiccup's face was unreadable from this distance, and she wished she could hold his hand. It was such a silly thought in that moment. She had a sword to her throat, and she wanted to hold her boyfriend's hand?

"Who are you? Let Astrid go right now!" Hiccup shouted as he moved towards them, cane rapidly tapping the deck. There was fire in his words, and Astrid found she was holding her breath.

"You're blind, aren't you? Well then, let me paint you a picture of the situation here. I am holding a sword to your conqueror's neck. One more step, and I will slit her throat," Alvin said, and Hiccup froze as if struck, metal foot hovering in mid-air. After a second or two, he slowly put it back down, raising his free hand in a clear conciliatory gesture. Toothless growled, but Hiccup whispered something to calm him down.

"Good. I'm in control here. Remember that. Now, I am Alvin the Treacherous. I am sure your father told you all about me," Alvin said, pushing Astrid's arms between them when she struggled again.

"Uh… No?" Hiccup said. The henchmen grouped up around them, looking at Alvin for instructions.

"Oh come on! You too? Is Stoick so scared of me he doesn't even dare speak my name?!" Alvin shouted and lifted his blade higher. Astrid couldn't help but squeal when another drop of blood spilled on his sword. Hiccup flinched at the sound.

"Yes, t-that's definitely it! I am c-certainly t-terrified, and I'm sure my dad is as well!" he stuttered, raising his hands up further.

"And you should be. Now, I'm gonna be nice here. I could kill you right now, but I'm feeling merciful. You're gonna run back to your daddy and tell him Alvin is coming with an army of dragons, trained by the Dragon Conqueror herself! He can surrender, and his life will be spared," Alvin said, and even from this far away Astrid could see Hiccup frown. She knew his face, even beneath the blindfold, and she could tell he was thinking quickly.

"But… No, I'm the Dragon Conqueror. I trained the Night Fury, and all the other dragons. You want me. I'll take Astrid's place. Just… Just let her go," he said after a short silence.

"No! Hiccup, don't!" Astrid shouted, but Hiccup shook his head.

"I can't let him hurt you!" he simply said, lowering his arms and slumping, looking defeated and small. Astrid wanted to scream, to tell him to stand straight and fight, dammit! But before she could, Alvin punched her in the gut.

"In Thor's name… You really are the Conqueror, aren't you? And it would shame Stoick to have his son surrender to the enemy. Though it's probably just another disappointment on the end of a long list. How about that Night Fury? Will he follow you? Will you make him obey me?" Alvin asked, and Hiccup nodded rapidly.

"Yeah, Toothless does what I want him to! Just let Astrid go and I'll serve you forever… my lord!" Hiccup said, doing a sort of short bow, and Astrid frowned. Hiccup could be a nervous wreck, but he was never this… subservient.

Alvin grinned. "Fine. She can get the dingy, and if she makes it to Berk she can tell Stoick all about his son's shame. I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you two a moment to say goodbye," he said, before lowering his sword.

Astrid didn't waste any time running away from the horrid man. Hiccup had the same idea, running towards her and grabbing her hand.

"I'm sorry, Astrid. I'm sorry that this happened. But I want you to know I love you. I love you so much, and I'll never forget you!" he rambled, and Astrid was so confused she just wanted to punch him. How could he give up like this?

But then she noticed his thumb moving over the back of her hand, signing. Hiccup kept proclaiming his love and apologizing over and over again, but silently he was telling her a completely different message.

Stormfly-S-K-Y-Go to-Toothless-Meet up with me-Combat Training

It was a confusing use of their every day messages, but she quickly understood what he was trying to say.

"You and me, together against the world," she whispered, moving to pull him into a kiss, but before they could connect a henchman pulled her away.

"That's enough. Come here, Hiccup the Useless. I want to see you kneel," Alvin said. Two of the other men threw a net over Toothless, who looked furious but didn't attack.

"Of… Of course, my lord," Hiccup said, awkwardly feeling the deck with his cane as he slowly moved towards Alvin. The big man chuckled, and then laughed as Hiccup kneeled before him. Only Astrid noticed Hiccup moving into a combat stance as he stood up, his thumb moving over the small button on the cane.

"Oh, if only Stoick could see-" Alvin never managed to finish that sentence. Hiccup clicked the button to release the speartip before attacking, jumping to Alvin's side to stab his sword arm. Just like they practiced. The man screamed, making all the sailors turn around in confusion.

Astrid didn't waste any time, tearing her eyes away from Hiccup to grab her dagger from her sleeve and stabbing the henchman pulling her in the gut. Blood spilled over her wrist, but she couldn't stop to think about that.

"Stormfly!" she shouted as she ran towards Toothless, who was trying to claw at the nearest enemy through the net. She quickly cut the rope anchoring the net, and pulled it off the dragon as her Nadder dove from the sky and shot a stream of fire between her and a group of goons. Men screamed in agony.

Astrid was sure the dragons could handle themselves now, and ran for her axe. Just before she reached it, a man ran in her way, sword raised. She didn't stop to think. Her shield went up purely instinctual, bashing the man and making him stagger. A moment later he fell to the ground when she slashed his leg.

A plasma blast flew right past her when she crouched to pick up her axe, making her look up. She froze at the sight. Alvin lay unconscious on the deck, but two other men were advancing on Hiccup. The one Hiccup was blocking was struck by the plasma blast. He screamed loudly as he staggered. Faint guilt rose up in Astrid when she saw him fall over the railing, a smoke trail from his burning clothes and a loud splash the only proof he had just been there.

Had been alive.

But then she saw the other man, the tall second-in-command, raise his strange bone weapon. Hiccup clearly hadn't noticed him, confused by all the sound and chaos.

Suddenly nothing else mattered. Astrid screamed something, she couldn't tell what, and threw her dagger. It struck the man in his lower back, piercing deeply, and Astrid knew the blade had slipped between his ribs.

The bastard fell backwards with a strange muffled gasp, a fountain of blood spurting from the wound. Astrid's eyes moved from the enemy to Hiccup, who had not reacted to what she had just done.

Instead, he recovered from his fight with the other goon, raising his spear and turning around, obviously ready for more.

Astrid forgot about the battle for a moment, entranced by her Hiccup, standing tall and powerful. The last sun rays bathed him in glowing red, his hair and blindfold shining bright.

He looked like a god. He looked like he could fight a god. He had fought a god. He had slain the Red Death, he is the Dragon Conqueror, and who were these puny mortals to stand in his way?

But then an axe flew right past her face, so close Astrid could feel the wind rustle her hair, and she remembered they were mortals too.

"Hiccup! We gotta get out of here!" she shouted, grabbing her axe and running towards him. "Get on Toothless! We can't fight them all!"

Toothless seemed to understand her as well, slamming a goon between him and Hiccup. The blind boy quickly found his dragon and wasted no time jumping in the saddle while Astrid fought another man, bashing his head with the broad of her axe until he staggered back.

"Astrid! Hop on, now!" Hiccup called out, and she climbed behind him on Toothless. The dragon took off as soon as she was in position, and then they were flying. Astrid looked back, seeing the unmoving bodies on the deck. The largest one caught her attention, and she couldn't bear to let him get away.

"Stormfly, fetch!" she shouted, pointing at Alvin, and the Nadder grabbed him in his claws, firing spikes at the few remaining Outcasts when they tried to interfere.

"Come on, back to Berk!" Hiccup shouted, and Astrid suddenly realized she was holding onto him with all her might.

--------------------------------------------------------

They flew for a few minutes, the screams of wounded men and the creaking of the ship making way for dead silence. The only sounds Hiccup could hear were the flapping wings of Toothless and Stormfly, and Astrid's shuddering breaths against his neck. She had her arms tight around him, still holding her weapons. Her axe was cold against his face.

His mind was blurry, still trying to process all that had happened. He had come so close to losing Astrid.

"Are you okay?" the question made Astrid jump a little, pulling her arms back and flinching when a tip of her axe got caught in his shirt. Hiccup could feel her hands shaking as she sheathed her axe behind her back.

"I'm fine. They didn't hurt me," she said flatly, and he didn't believe her. But before he could ask her again, she grabbed his head and turned it around gently, so he faced her.

"You're okay too, right? If they hurt you, I'll… I'll…" her voice trailed off, trembling with anger, completely different from her denial seconds before. Hiccup opened his mouth to say something, he didn't know what, but she pulled him to her, kissing him hard and aggressively.

"You came for me," she mumbled between open-mouthed kisses, her tongue intertwining with his and then letting go in an unpredictable pattern. Although Hiccup was glad she was there with him, this felt wrong. She had never been this rough with him before, and it scared him. His hands landed on her waist, moving up her arms to her shoulders.

"Stop," he managed to say, pushing her back a bit.

"Why? Don't you want this?" she asked angrily, trying to kiss him again before freezing. Maybe she saw the terrified look on his face.

"I'm sorry. I just… I just had to… to know, to feel you're alive. That you're with me. That… That I'm not back there," she whispered, dropping her hands to his sides.

"It's okay. I was just a bit overwhelmed. You were intense!" he said, trying not to sound scared. "Also, and I'm really sorry for saying this, but you smell awful, and it kind of ruined the mood for me," he chuckled. It wasn't a lie, she reeked of shit and sweat and puke and blood and things he didn't even wanted to know.

She snorted, a weird mix of laugh and cry, before pulling back a bit.

"I feel awful. When we get back, I just want a long hot bath," she said, and Hiccup suspected it wasn't a joke.

"They didn't… touch you, did they?" He hated to ask it, the very thought made him sick, but he had to know she was okay, that those bastards hadn't…

"No. They didn't do that," Astrid said wearily. "I'm just… They knocked me out with some kind of poison, and the cell was filthy, and I just feel dirty."

Sighing, Hiccup put his arms around her. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he whispered, not feeling very strong anymore. He could feel Astrid back straighten.

"What? Are you kidding me?! You came for me! You fought that bastard, and saved me! Without you I'd never have escaped!" she said heatedly, putting her hands on his shoulders and shaking him softly.

"Seems like you were escaping just fine when I arrived. All I did was offer you a ride home," he said, and she chuckled.

"Sure, dragon conqueror," she laughed, before falling solemn again.

"I can't stop thinking about it. While we were fighting I wasn't thinking at all, but now I keep seeing it over and over in my head. All the blood. I stabbed people. I... Do you think I k-killed them?" Astrid slowly asked, her hands holding him almost painfully tight. He shook his head, not sure what to say.

"I don't know," Hiccup eventually said. "There were a lot of them to help their wounded buddies, and maybe they got their wounds bandaged in time. Or you didn't hurt them that badly," he said, knowing they were empty words even as he spoke. Her tone of voice made it clear they had not been simple scratches.

"But Astrid… You did what you had to. To protect yourself. And to protect me, and Stormfly, and Toothless! That's what I love about you. You didn't hesitate fighting off everyone who would harm us. I don't think they'll be coming after us again anytime soon," he said, rubbing her shoulder gently. She slowly nodded.

"I suppose you're right. But it still feels… I don't know. It was never like this in my mother's stories. At least we captured Alvin. I don't think he's dead," she said, her arm releasing him to point somewhere, and Hiccup remembered she told Stormfly to fetch as they escaped.

"Good job, Stormfly!" he called out to the Nadder flying somewhere nearby, and got a happy squawk in reply. But Astrid was still troubled and tense in his arms.

"Look, lots of crazy stuff just happened. Of course you need time to process it. But you've got me, and Stormfly, and your parents, and Camicazi, and we'll all be there to help you, okay? Whatever you need," he said, pulling her into a hug.

"You freaking… dork! Why do you have to be so freaking sweet and perfect and know what to say!" she sniffed, and Hiccup felt tears fall on his shirt.

"It's okay. You're a hero to me, no matter how you feel," he whispered, and she punched his arm lightly.

"You're the hero. You should have seen yourself on that deck after fighting off Alvin. Gods, that should have been on that shield," Astrid said heatedly.

"Haha, maybe we should tell my father that," he laughed, and Astrid tensed a bit.

"I wasn't should tell your father that. You just fought off Alvin the Treacherous single-handedly, you can tell him you deserve a shield that's you. Strong and tall and incredible, even with your handicaps. You showed me you are that man. Now show Berk," she said, and he pulled out of the hug just as Toothless signaled they were approaching Berk and that Hiccup had to switch the fin to landing mode.

"Hiccup! Are you alright?!" His father's booming voice rang clear through the general murmuring when Toothless landed in the square.

"Dad, people of Berk…" Hiccup started as he jumped off Toothless, legs a little shaky on solid ground. "May I present my prisoner… Alvin the Treacherous!" he said as Stormfly landed, dropping something heavy with a loud thud.

"...How?" was all Stoick managed to say after a stunned silence.

"It's a long story. Now first of all, Gothi has to check out Astrid. I think she's fine, but we should make sure. We need to get Alvin to the prison. And thirdly… I demand a shield that actually portrays the heir of Berk," Hiccup said loudly. Suddenly he felt faint. He was doing this. He couldn't believe he was saying these things.

But then Astrid was there, grabbing his hand and drawing a little heart. It made him stand straight, shoulders back and chin up.

"As you can see, I can fight, I can win, even with my blindfold and my leg. And… And I think the portrait should show that! But it wouldn't be complete either without Toothless on it. I couldn't have done it without Toothless. And Astrid. She completes me, and no portrait of me is complete without them."

"Son…" Stoick started, voice flat. "You're absolutely right! Now that's a chief talking! And the shield shall portray a chief!" he shouted, grabbing Hiccup without warning and lifting him in the air, squeezing tightly.

"Dad! Air!" Hiccup managed to groan, not feeling very chiefly when his father released him. But then Astrid grabbed his hand again, and he felt like the strongest man alive.

#httyd #hiccstrid #fanfiction #fanfic #blind spots

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