Twelve: Unexpected

Astrid had actually returned to Caldera Cay once she had lost the Fliers and offered to help repair the damage from the Flier attack but Mala and Throk hadn't even considered the offer. They had not blamed her, for Viggo was their foe and needed little excuse to target Defenders' Isle but they knew their people were safer once was off the island. The Queen had reminded her that if she was in extremis, she should still return , for they were allies and they could never turn her away if she was desperate and they had generously resupplied her, given her medicines, instructions to treat her side (which had bled a little from the exertions of the aerial battle) and a wide selection of bows, crossbows and dart blowpipes that she had gratefully accepted. They had also supplied her with one of their uniforms, which she had gratefully received and already partially integrated into her outfit, to improve her ability to move unnoticed. And then she had left, her face cold and set, hating Viggo and Krogan more than ever for targeting innocents once more.

Isn't that what you did? she reminded herself as she settled on Stormfly for the flight back towards the Edge. But that was the Hunter Tribe, their support and recruiting base...and the people who profited while Berk starved. They are the people who could have claimed Hiccup, who still keep slaves. So they deserved to be destroyed.

Then she rested her hand on the dragon's scaly shoulder, feeling the play of muscles as Stormfly faithfully headed home. She knew that she had to keep moving and that there was nowhere she could count as safe now. She certainly couldn't return to Berk because of the risks of Johann targeting her home and she knew she couldn't seek refuge with any other friendly tribe. She was on her own, with just her dragon-and her revenge.

Now she just had to hope that what she wanted was still on the Edge...

oOo

"I cannot believe you sat there and apologised to Hiccup while he was asleep and couldn't hear it!" Ruff told Snotlout as they sat in the Great Hall. The stocky rider glared at her and half-heartedly threw a chicken leg at her. She ducked, allowing her brother to grab it and start eating the missile.

"Twintuition," he mumbled. "Mmm. S'good chicken..." And then he realised what he was doing. "Agh! This is cannibalism!"

"Muttonhead," Snotlout grumbled. "Look, I couldn't wait until he woke up because he may never wake...or he could die. And I don't want him to die without my saying the words."

"But do they even count if he wasn't awake to hear them?" Ruffnut asked him pointedly.

"What if they don't?" Fishlegs asked worriedly, recalling his own confession. Heather patted his shoulder.

"Look, Hiccup is the most stubborn person we know-maybe tied with Astrid..." she said. "And I believe that if there is a way to return, he will find it."

"But what if it is cowardly to just say an apology when Hiccup is unconscious?" Fishlegs asked, his honest face troubled. "I mean, I might as well say the confession in my room to myself, for all the value it has." Snotlout gave him sideways look.

"I apologised to him-and I know he heard it, because when I went and apologised to him, he held my hand." Ruff rolled her eyes. "Really. His hand gripped mine. Really tightly."

"And now you'll think that because you made an apology when he was unconscious, you've done it," Ruffnut told him with devastating insight. "You'll feel the weight has lifted from your chest and the guilt has lifted and suddenly it's all okay?" Snotlout opened his eyes to scorch a retort and then he shrugged and shut his mouth.

"Um, yeah actually," he mumbled.

"I do believe that there is evidence that those who are unconscious and even in a coma, hovering in the twilight between life and death, are still able in some way to perceive sounds," Tuff announced. "Those waking can quote conversations, songs and even confessions..."

Snotlout gave a squeal.

"What seriously?" he squeaked. Tuff glanced at his sister and grinned.

"Oh yes," Ruff confirmed, nodding gravely. "People have overheard secrets spoken about them while unconscious and then used the knowledge to exact a terrible revenge on those who-it turned out-had wronged them and not had the courage to own up to their actions."

"Nonononono that can't be true..." Snotlout said hurriedly. Tuff nodded.

"And of course, when people wake from such severe illness, they may not be the same person hey were before," he explained in a sympathetic voice and then he sighed. "Berserker..."

"What-he'll want to move to live with Dagur and Heather?" Snotlout asked in a confused voice.

"Oh no-they become Berserkers, filled with rage and anger and an undeniable fury for revenge..." Tuff explained.

"I mean, you have had years-why didn't you apologise earlier?" Fishlegs asked Snotlout. The stocky rider bristled.

"Way I heard it, Fishface, you made a deathbed apology as well," he snarked. Fishlegs scowled, an unusual expression.

"I know he's forgiven me and we're best friends anyway," he retorted.

"But what if he wanted to say his piece," Tuff suggested, stirring the pot a little. "He may want both of you to apologise when he's awake to ask you why you behaved like you did?"

"How about you two?" Snotlout snarked. Ruff gave a nonchalant shrug.

"We apologised when Hiccup got Barf and Belch back for us," she admitted. "He was honest."

"Honest? What does honest mean?" Snotlout asked nervously, recalling what had happened when Hiccup finally lost his temper in exasperation at his cousin's antics and punched Snotlout unconscious with a single astonishing blow. Tuff chuckled.

"It may or may not involve Thor's Mighty Hammer..."

"...meeting your paper jaw," Ruff concluded, laughing.

"Just talk to him when he wakes up!" Heather said in exasperation, having listened to the debate with a mixture of amusement and impatience.

"If he wakes up," Fishlegs added quietly. There was a long moment of silence.

"Look, he's alive and if there is any chance of coming back to Berk, to Toothless and Astrid, Hiccup will find it," Heather said. "We just have to hope he wakes soon...because I have no idea what we would do if the Hunters attack now..."

oOo

The Edge was a mess. Somehow, in the time they had been gone, the Hunters had clearly attacked and torn the place apart, looking for Hiccup's DragonEye and his lenses-but she knew he had a range of incredibly innovative and secret hiding places. So she was confident that they hadn't got what they needed-but she looked around with sadness at the damage to their home, their outpost. Hiccup's hut was worst damaged, mostly wrecked and blasted-clearly the work of the Singetails-and though she knew it wasn't their fault, she found herself beginning to hate the huge, powerful and aggressive dragons.

Stormfly gave a sad croak as they circled, seeing the twin's hut almost burnt to the ground, Snotlout's smashed and his 'S' broken and Fishlegs' tranquility rock garden callously ruined. Gently pressing a hand to her dragon's neck, Astrid found herself sighing.

"I know, girl," she murmured as she swung round to see her hut ruined as well, the roof half smashed and one wall blasted. "I know." And they circled and then landed on the platform outside the Clubhouse which looked relatively intact...until she went inside and found everything smashed and broken. Clearly Krogan and his men had been looking for lenses with no success. Shaking her head, she checked in the stores and collected some more dried yak jerky, fruit and biscuit and flasks of water. There were some dried fish and she gave them to Stormfly as she travelled along the relatively intact walkways to her hut, steeling herself and finding her ordered home as wrecked as everywhere else, her few possessions scattered and ruined. Slowly, she dropped to a crouch by her spare bindings and peered at them, imaging Krogan or his men pawing her intimate garments-and then her face hardened. She dumped them in the fire pit and grabbed what she could salvage as well as all her weapons.

She travelled through the outpost, collecting what she needed from the armoury and the stores before she walked into Hiccup's hut. And it as only there that tears pricked her eyes as she saw his spare tails for Toothless ruined, his projects torn apart and plans burned. Everything he had created or made had been ruined by them in an act of wanton destruction. She gazed at the bed where she and he had sat and kissed, the stairs where they had talked, the fire before which they had snuggled and absently, she wiped her tears from her cheeks.

"No turning back," she murmured.

They flew over the Edge until they reached the cliff where Snotlout had discovered the small dragon root plants and as she had hoped, they were still there, more mature and fully leaved. Landing Stormfly at the top of the cliff, she carefully clambered down and gathered the roots, then climbed down to the beach with the kindling she had brought and pulped and boiled the mash. Stormfly croaked interestedly but she made sure that her dragon remained at a safe distance and didn't become affected by the vegetable. Quietly, she sat back and drew out the quivers of Gronckle iron-tipped arrows then methodically began to coat them with the dragon root paste. And then she gathered the rest, putting some into flasks and then carefully lifting the bowl containing the paste. She drew out some chicken and placed it on the ground, then walked carefully round her dragon as she began to eat her favourite meal and stood behind her dragon.

"It's okay, girl," she murmured. "This will definitely sort out the Fliers..." And she methodically began to coat Stormfly's spines with the DragonRoot.

oOo

The storm was worsening and the rain and wind were lashing Hiccup as he and Toothless pressed on. Somehow, he was flying right into the teeth of the storm on nothing more than a hunch. But Astrid had vanished and Krogan had been there-so he was heading to where he knew Viggo had his bases, assuming they would be using one of them. Toothless seemed to know the way, his powerful wings carving through the storm and Hiccup hung on with all his remaining strength, his broken body aching. But the only concern in his mind was Astrid.

Ahead of them, the jagged silhouette of the island rose slowly through the sheeting rain, the wind rising. Hiccup lay lower over the Night Fury and they forged forward, the misty shape resolving into the familiar outline of the base that the Riders had encountered when Viggo set a trap there. As they skimmed the surface amid the torrential rain, Hiccup looked down over the narrow harbour where Viggo had moored his ships and laid the ambush-which had taken Dagur. He blinked, rain streaming down his face. His stubbornness in not listening to Dagur, in not believing the other man had led him to attack on his own.

Had led to his death.

He closed his eyes and when he opened then, he saw the shape of a green Gronckle, floating face-down into the roiling sea. Beside him, the wrecked shape of a buff man with carrot-red spiky cropped hair floated, also face-down. Hiccup blinked.

"Dagur!" he breathed and he directed Toothless to dive down, grabbing the man and looping up to land on the slick cliffs. Hiccup fell off the saddle and landed on his knees by his friend, turning the man over and seeing the wounds to his chest from missiles and arrows and then staring into the peaceful, slack face. "Dagur?" he murmured. But the man was still, his ashen face at peace and lips white. Hiccup was too late: he was dead.

But Dagur was alive. His friend was alive.

"This isn't real," the one-legged Viking murmured and blinked as Dagur vanished. He rubbed his temples urgently and glanced at Toothless. "You're not going to vanish on me as well, are you bud?" he murmured. Crooning, the dragon nuzzled him affectionately and curled around the young man. Closing his eyes, he extended his hand and immediately felt the warm scaly muzzle press into his hand. He smiled and opened his eyes, hugging the dragon fiercely. "I don't know what I would do without you," he murmured as the dragon flopped down by the young man and raised his wing, shielding him from the rain. For a long while. Hiccup lay there, draped over his dragon, listening to the Night Fury's heartbeat as the rain slowly slowed to a light drizzle.

Finally, he sighed and scrambled to his knees.

"We gotta find Astrid," he murmured. "I need her, buddy. I love her. And I know she needs me as well. Something has happened to her..." Then he swung his leg over the saddle and they launched into the damp sky.

Arrows whistled around them and the rocks were replaced by stone battlements and towers. a fortress built of the very rock, jutting arrogantly against the bruised sky. Ballistas and archers flung a hail of Dragon Root arrows at Hiccup. They flipped and swooped, diving to avoid any contact with the missiles but as they looped up, a chain-net fired over them, fouling Toothless's wings. The Night Fury roared and thrashed, fighting against the trap but the links were dragon-proof and disabled, they crashed to the ground. Instantly, they were surrounded by Hunters with spears and crossbows and as the chain was pulled away, Toothless was roped up and Hiccup found his arms tied brutally behind his back. His battered shape was shoved along, limping painfully as they travelled into the fearsome grey stone fortress, up to the second level and the wide room with a balcony that allowed the leaders to stare at all they surveyed. Hiccup was cast on his knees before the three shapes and a hand grabbed his hair, forcing his head to look up.

Krogan leered down at him, his scarred face cruel and the young Viking felt a shudder run through his body, recalling the tortures the man made him endure. He tried to control his breathing but it was no good-he knew the man could tell. He could always tell. To his left stood Viggo, the man's scarred face unfamiliar and vaguely repellant...but the coldness of his expression mirrored the man's demeanour. He had enjoyed making Hiccup suffer as well.

"You came back," he said in a disappointed tone. "How predictable. You know we're going to kill you, Hiccup? You are stupid to come here." He leaned forward. "Why?"

Hiccup looked into his eyes.

"Where's Astrid?" he demanded. Krogan smiled and gestured behind him. A figure walked forward from the shadows, clad in the familiar uniform of the Hunters. The shape reached up and tugged off the helmet-revealing a coiled golden braid. Krogan chuckled.

"Meet our new partner," he said as Astrid stood between the two men, Hiccup felt the breath freeze in his throat as she stared flatly at him. "And now, for your first loyalty test...kill him!"

oOo

The ship almost slipped into port unnoticed as the Vikings carried on about their business. But of course, people always noticed and as Trader Johann lowered his gangplank, there were cries and shouts of excitement. As ever, the Trader treated all his clients with absolute professionalism, his never-ending chatter and inexhaustible supply of anecdotes familiar to anyone who dealt with him. Unflappable and courteous, he drove a hard bargain each and every time, sometimes taking money, other times choosing goods in payment and only when he had dealt with the initial customers did he walk up the ramps to the village, waving and greeting every person along the way. After all, Johann had visited Berk so many times that he was almost part of the Tribe.

Gobber waved a greeting and he waved back, drifting over to see the blacksmith.

"I seem to have misplaced my favourite eating dagger," he explained when Gobber asked why he was there. "And you are famed as the finest blacksmith across the Archipelago. Indeed, the last knife I bought from you was so fine in quality that it would have graced the courts of the Emir of Anubia and Baijan, who I visited during my extensive travels. Have I ever told you of the time when I strayed into his waters and was kept as a guest...well, jester...in his court for a year and a day? I only escaped by concealing my person in a large basket of cobras and had to gently hum to keep them calm for the three hours it took the servant to slowly carry me to the city walls..."

"Ah...no..." Gobber said quickly. "I must ha' missed out on that pleasure. A dagger, ye say, Johann? I may have one at the back..." The Trader folded his arms and watched as the two-limbed man scooted urgently deep into the forge, to emerge swiftly with a very fine slim dagger, the blade extremely sharp and finely finished. The man sighed. "This was one Hiccup made-I just finished it off. I am sure he would have wanted you to have it, Johann, You really helped him so many times in his adventures..." The Trader sighed.

"How is Master Hiccup?" he asked in a concerned tone as the blacksmith sighed.

"He's alive," he admitted. "But deep in a sleep. Gothi is confident he will wake...though she canna say when. Until then, he continues tae waste away...and the lad wasn't tae large tae start with." Johann nodded gravely, accepting the blade.

"Indeed, young Master Hiccup is certainly of the less heroic proportions...though he is certainly a strong and brave young man," he said. "I just hope and pray that he will be able to recover and resume his war against those awful dragon hunters." Gobber nodded, peering into the grey afternoon: it looked like drizzle, meaning he would need to help Stoick and Spitelout cover the hides drying on the cliffs.

"Yeah," he said. "They're terrible bad men-them and any who help them." Johann nodded.

"I concur with that judgement," he said sincerely. "Is the great Chief around so that I can pay my respects?" Gobber gave a small shake of the head.

"He's running the village and trying tae distract himself from the fact his son is hovering on the brink of death," he sighed.

"Then may I see Master Hiccup?" he asked. Gobber shook his head.

"He's very vulnerable," he said. "He needs rest and peace-because he still needs to heal from the terrible wounds that those fiends gave him."

"Of course," Johann said in an understanding voice.

"And of course, being so vulnerable, the Hunters could send anyone to assassinate him," Gobber said, lowering his voice and leaning close to Johann. The man nodded gravely.

"I shall listen out for any plots or threats with great diligence," the Trader said as Gobber ducked back and slammed the shutters down, then scurried for the cliffs to help the Chief. Watching him thoughtfully, Johann made his way up the village, helping Mrs Larson carry some fruit to her house and old Mrs Elofson get some chopped wood in before he headed for the Great Hall for some food...but no one saw him cut across and slide in through the front door to the Chief's House.

Forcing himself to be silent, he stared across the ground floor, seeing the fire burning low in the fire pit, keeping the room warm enough for the still shape in the bed, breathing quietly. A quick sweep of the room showed no signs of the Night Fury. "Good," he murmured. "Never liked that overgrown lizard." And then he flipped the dagger out expertly and inspected the blade.

"Hello, Master Hiccup," he said in his normal voice, the hard, ruthless tone that only Astrid had heard so far-a million miles from the obsequious tones of 'Trader Johann'. "It's a shame that you're here, all alone and vulnerable. But it's more of a shame that you didn't die of the poison. I was assured that it had no antidote...though I shouldn't be surprised at Grimborn's failure. It seems to be his defining trait, after all..." He walked forward. "I really can't have you surviving to resume your irritating habit of thwarting my plans and preventing my goals of becoming the most powerful man in the Archipelago. You and the rest of these idiots deserve death for everything that you have done."

He glanced around and the light glimmered off the perfectly keen edge of the dagger.

"It is almost a waste-because you are a talented blacksmith and this is an exceptionally fine blade-but I am afraid I am going to have to use your handiwork to end you," he said coldly. "All I need is to cut your wrist and allow you to quietly bleed out in the bed. By the time your loving father and that ridiculous lizard return, it will be far too late..."

Brutally, he lifted Hiccup's limp hand and shoved the sleeve up his arm...and then he lifted the knife...