Twenty One: Faith and Hope

"It's okay, Hiccup," Fishlegs said. "We know."

Hiccup froze, his entire world crashing around him. He hoped and prayed that they didn't, that they knew something less catastrophic than the truth about his total and non-existent worth. That they had wasted their efforts and risked their lives and their dragons for nothing more than a worthless slave.

"Oh?" he managed, his emerald eyes wide and expression totally shocked. "Wh-what do you know?" Heather sighed, her expression sympathetic but Snotlout was leaning forward on Hookfang's horns and appearing exasperated.

"We can see the brand," he pointed out bluntly, his voice harsh in the silence. Almost jumping, Hiccup glanced over where his armour had been ripped away by the Hunter's axe-and there was the corner of the reddish-pink brand, clearly visible in the defect. He cringed back.

"It's...I..." he managed and backed up a pace. "I'm sorry," he murmured. There was a more awkward silence, punctuated only by the thump of feet as all the Riders dismounted and then as the twins came to stand on each side of the auburn-haired rider. Hiccup scarcely dared breathe in the pause and then they wrapped him in a Thorston sandwich hug. Ruff rested her head on his shoulder and Tuffnut pulled his face into his neck.

"It's okay," the female twin said. "You have nothing to apologise for."

"We should be apologising," Heather added. "We should have realised."

"Kept it a secret," Hiccup mumbled, his voice muffled. "Because knew when you knew that you'd reject me and realise you had wasted your time."

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs said in shock. "We would never..."

"Actually, we should," Snotlout cut in, his voice angry. "I mean, the law says he is a slave. That he can't be the Heir any longer, that anyone who finds him can claim him as a slave because he has been marked..."

"SNOTLOUT!" Heather snapped.

"I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying what we should be doing," the stocky rider pointed out, his brows dipped. "Look, I know the law-and so do you. And so does he. That's why he ran, after all!"

"'Sright," Hiccup mumbled as Tuff stroked his head, still hugging him.

"That is just weird," Snotlout commented.

"Well, I don't see you trying to comfort our distraught leader," the male twin snapped back. Hiccup gently tapped his arm and as he released him, the one-legged Rider took an urgent gasp.

"AIR!" he choked and took a couple of desperate breaths.

"Um...sorry?" Tuff tried.

"Muttonhead! We're supposed to be making him feel better, not suffocating him!" Ruff snarked.

"Well, if we had wanted to do that, Butt-Elf, I would have made him sniff your hair!"

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"Apart from the fact it stinks of rancid fish oil and is incredibly attractive to scauldrons? And gulls? Lemme think?"

"Guys!" Fishlegs said pleadingly.

"Will you two just SHUT UP?" Snotlout yelled as Hiccup sighed.

"You should go," he said wearily but Heather walked forward and touched his hand.

"You're hurt," she told him.

"I'll live," he reminded her, his shoulders slumped.

"Can we please get out of this rain and then we can angst away to our heart's content?" Snotlout snarked, ducking under Hookfang's wing. The iron-grey sky had broken and rain was steadily lashing down on the Riders. Hiccup's hair was sodden and rain was trickling down his pale face. He gestured as Toothless bounded forward and lifted his wing over his Rider with a worried croon.

"There's a cave up on the right side of the mountain," Hiccup admitted and gestured. Fishlegs swiped the rain off his face.

"Okay-lead on!" she said amiably. "And then we need to talk."

Hiccup turned away and slowly mounted the Night Fury, flying up to the cave without looking back as the Riders followed. They were all shooting worried glances between themselves as they followed their leader round, through the worsening storm and into the little cave. There was just enough room for all the dragons to land and take positions as Hiccup retreated to his little corner with Toothless, resting back against the Night Fury, the tail curled protectively around his hunched shape.

"I know what you're going to say," Hiccup said despondently. "Tuff is going to ask to see the brand. The rest of you are all curious. And Tuff will say it's awesome when he sees it, even though it hurts and just knowing it's there is like having an iron collar around my neck."

"He's right," Tuff admitted as the others scowled at him. "What? I love scars. I mean, our Uncle Other-Gorstag was covered in them and when he came back from one of his voyages, he would always show us whichever cool scar he had got on the way. He was my favourite Uncle..." His voice had grown dreamy.

"Really?" Snotlout asked in an exasperated voice. Then he folded his arms. "Look-they're muttonheads, Cuz. Most of us are. Because we're Vikings of Berk and...well, I think I heard you describe us as tough and tasteless. And you're not wrong. But that doesn't mean we don't care! You are our leader, our Chief, the heart of our team-and there isn't a single Rider-or dragon-here who wouldn't lay down his life for you. We...love you. Not in any weird way. So you don't have to show us if you don't want." Ignoring Tuffnut's whine of protest, Hiccup looked up and saw honest concern in his cousin's blue eyes. Snotlout was his most constant critic and rival, always challenging him and frequently going his own way-but in his heart, Hiccup knew he could rely on him. And he realised that when things were at their worst, Snotlout would be at his side.

"Thanks, Snot," he said quietly. "That means a lot to me. Really." And then he quietly started to unbuckle his leather tunic, sliding it over his head and immediately looking thinner. He had lost a lot of weight during his illness and hadn't regained any so seeing him in his red tunic had them all struck once more at the stubbornness and brilliance in the skinny frame. Sighing, he bowed his head and grasped the hem of his tunic and pulled it over his head with a jerk. And then he kept his head bowed.

Everyone stared, seeing the skinny shape with collarbones and ribs far too prominent, the lean muscles taut under pale, lightly freckled skin. And the scars...far too many scars for such a young man. Some were clearly small burns from his time in the forge but there were clearly the marks of weapons-scars from cuts and tears, relics from battles past. The wide, ugly gash from a whip lash writhed across his stomach that heaved as he breathed too quickly, fearing their reaction. The fresh wound of his recent battle was still oozing on his left shoulder-but just by it was the ugly pink scar in the shape of the Dragon Hunter Tribe, the dragon with the sword through the tail and into the body familiar to them all. Tuff gasped.

"Whoa..." he breathed, his eyes round with admiration. And then he sighed. "I can see why you wanted to hide it. And why you freaked when I wanted to see it. I-I'm sorry."

There was a shocked pause and Hiccup peeked up from under his bangs.

"Who are you and what have you done with Tuffnut Laverne Thorston?" he asked.

"Hey! That was my line!" Ruff protested.

"I think we all wanted to ask that!" Fishlegs commented as they all inched closer. "That is a big brand."

"It would be difficult to hide," Heather murmured.

"That must have hurt," Ruff murmured as Hiccup bowed his head again. He nodded once. Slowly, they clustered around him, kneeling at his side and hands gently resting on his shoulders and arms to comfort him. No one spoke as his throat worked and Toothless gave a soft croon. The other dragons inched closer as well until they were all wrapped in a protective cocoon around the bowed shape of Hiccup.

"Thanks, guys," he murmured, lifting his head. "It means a lot to have you here." There was a pause.

"Did Astrid know?" Heather asked gently and Hiccup nodded.

"She knows everything," he said quietly. "She was with me when I went blind, when I lost the power of speech, when all hope was lost. And that was why she destroyed the Hunter Tribe. If there was no Hunter Tribe, how could they claim me as their slave?"

"Which is fine as long as no one else finds out that you have a slave brand," Fishlegs commented.

"And that is always a risk," Heather agreed.

"So we have to do something about that brand," Snotlout mused. "Can we burn it off?"

"That's illegal," Fishlegs said nervously. "Penalty for erasing a slave brand or helping removal of a slave brand is slavery."

"And who's gonna tell them, Fishface?" Snotlout snarked.

"He's right," Hiccup said heavily. "And I don't want you to put yourselves at risk for me..."

There was another shocked silence and Meatlug farted in distress.

"What?" Snotlout spat. "First off-agh! Can't you put a cork in Meatlug? And second-Hiccup, you risk yourself for us all the time. I mean all the time! You never hold back when one of us in danger, you give yourself up to make sure we are safe...you think we wouldn't do the same for you and Toothless? It's our turn now. Let us help you."

"Thanks, Snot," Hiccup said gruffly, his hand resting against Toothless. "But you do know that burning off a brand will cause more damage and scarring than the brand itself?"

"Well, if you're going to be critical..." the stocky rider grumbled. Fishlegs frowned, a hand tentatively stretching out-and then lightly touching the soft, fresh scar tissue. Hiccup hissed and the husky rider winced.

"Sorry..." he murmured. "I don't know...I mean, there was nothing in the Archives about erasing this...and..."

"You can't," Hiccup told him flatly. "I've had enough burns to know they never go. So has Gobber. Face it...I'm stuck with this..."

"We can't give up," Heather said, though her voice was doubtful. But Tuffnut's eyes widened and he gave a sudden smile.

"Objection, your Heather," he said in his most manic voice. "We don't ever give up. Ever. Especially not where little Hiccy is concerned..."

"Hiccy?" Hiccup said doubtfully.

"Yes, my beloved leader and friend," Tuffnut gushed. "We don't erase the brand-we make a feature of it. One we all share..."

"Oh Thor, what is that muttonhead going on about now?" Snotlout groaned.

"We are not all getting branded, Tuff!" Heather said firmly.

"Of course we're not. Only an idiot would imagine that!" the male twin snarked back. Snotlout frowned and opened his mouth to retort back but Ruff elbowed him in the middle. "No-we use it as a sign of our dedication to stop Hunters and end their vile ways!"

"OW!" Fishlegs yelped, having been hit in the face by Tuff's extravagantly flung out arm.

"That...possibly makes sense..." Hiccup murmured, frowning. "Tuff-what do you have in mind? And why am I asking...oh Thor..."

"Trust me, little Hiccy," Tuff assured him.

"I'm not sure that would be the wisest thing to do," Snotlout commented. Hiccup made a shushing gesture: he had long since learned to listen to what the twins were saying because though they were often crazy and irrelevant, they were also prone to flashes of brilliance.

"What are you thinking, Tuff?" he asked. The male twin grinned.

"Do you have any squid ink?" he asked.

oOo

It had taken another four villages before Astrid had persuaded one to grant her permission to live on their remote island, introducing herself as an exiled Shield Maiden whose best friend had been slain by enemies. The village that finally offered her a haven were a sullen group, their Chief a wiry man with straggly beard who had sternly warned her that they would not want any trouble and that they would chase her off the island if she broke their rules.

Quietly, she had agreed and struck out to make her home on the opposite side of the island to the village, meeting with Stormfly once she was out of sight and reconnoitring the area from the air before choosing the best place to make a home. Landing in the little sheltered valley, she had staked out the area for a small hut and her skills with her axe had helped her swiftly construct a basic shelter and prepare a fire before her Nadder ably fished and provided her Rider with food.

"What would I do without you, my good girl?" Astrid murmured, looking up into the scaly face, her hand trailing under the chin and feeling the small, soft scales there. "You are the only person who can be here for me, aren't you?"

It didn't take long for the young woman to weatherproof her shelter and start to stock up wood, herbs and fish. Though she had concentrated on her skills as a warrior, she had still dutifully taken lessons from her mother and aunt on the use and preparation of herbs for cooking and simple remedies as well basic food preparation and cooking. Since she had almost poisoned half the village with Yaknog when she was fifteen, she had worked hard to improve the deficiency in her culinary skills and though she wasn't a good cook, she was competent and could produce edible (though not interesting) food. No one asked her to cook at the Edge of choice and when it was her turn, the other Riders were less than enthusiastic about her efforts. Except Hiccup, who had always eaten what she had produced with a smile and a compliment, even that burnt yak roast which had crunched all the way through.

She smiled and felt a pang of pain. He was a dork, a generous, caring and thoughtful young man who was precisely the opposite of what she had imagined she would want as a young girl. But he was exactly what she needed and she had thrown everything into avenging his hurts. She had thought him dead and every time she realised that she had left his side when he needed her, guilt shot through her. And now she was hunted by Johann's Bounty Hunters and if she was anywhere near people she cared for, they could get hurt. Horrific images of Hiccup when he was recovered from the Bounty Hunters flashed across the memory, seeing his bruises and welts in her memory. And she knew that Johann wanted her dead.

"I have to disappear, Stormfly," she murmured. "I have to vanish. And if anyone comes looking for me, I have to run. And I'll have to keep on running until the end of my days-or until the end of Johann's. But for now, he is too powerful and too cunningly concealed by his facade of being a simple Trader. Too many people would step up to protect him from me because they wouldn't believe what he is."

Stormfly trilled and nuzzled against her and the girl snapped a stick then tossed it onto the fire.

"We have to remain hidden, girl," Astrid repeated. "And I have to spend the rest of my life without Hiccup, knowing he is safe on Berk, because I am just too dangerous to be around. One day, they will find me-and then I may not be able to stop them. And on that day, I have to know that he is safe. If Hiccup is safe, everything will have been worth it."

oOo

"Tattoo?" Hiccup's voice was incredulous. "What do you mean?"

"It's a form of body art practiced by some peoples far beyond the Archipelago," Tuffnut explained.

"You mean they paint themselves? Permanently?" Heather asked. Tuffnut nodded.

"I am sure that many of you have heard of the Britons who live in those islands far to the southeast," he began in a lecturing voice. "Well they paint themselves with a blue dye called Wode. And when they injured themselves when they are wearing Wode, the wound remains the blue colour."

"Maybe that's just due to some almost lethal infection-which is what Hiccup will get if he follows this stupid plan!" Snotlout exploded.

"Some of the Inuit peoples of the Great Island to the West have symbols all over their faces," Tuff continued. "And some warriors paint themselves with tattoos to frighten their enemies."

"I think our enemies are not what we should be scared of," Hiccup protested. "I mean, can you imagine my father if I turned up covered in British or alien tattoos?" His voice deepened to a thick growl. "Son-I'll nae have a son of mine, let alone a Hooligan looking like one of those painted Heathens! Take that rubbish off your face straight away!" His voice returned to a normal, mildly panicked tone. "He'd exile me quicker than when he found out about Toothless!"

"I doubt it," Ruff commented. "I mean that was pretty instantaneous." They all looked at her. "What? I haven't said anything for ages and I was getting bored."

"How do you know about all this?" Fishlegs asked dubiously. Tuffnut leaned closer conspiratorially.

"I stole a book off Trader Johann a couple of years back and it was on the subject," he explained with a wild gleam in his eye. "I've even been practising on myself to hone my skills!" And he reached down and pulled up his tunic. Everyone instinctively cringed-but Hiccup opened his eye a crack and saw a rather wobbly and cartoonish picture of Barf'n'Belch in black across his stomach. It was also upside down. "I mean, I had to borrow some of your Squid Ink to do it," the male twin added proudly. Hiccup frowned.

"So that is where my bottle went...was it last winter?" he asked pointedly. Tuff nodded with cheerful obliviousness.

"Why is it upside down?" Snotlout asked.

"So I could see it as I did the tattoo," Tuff said. "And it's the right way from where I'm looking..."

"That is an awesome picture," Ruff commented and then she scowled. "And I cannot believe you were doing this without telling me! I thought we did everything together!"

"Aww, don't feel bad Butt-Elf," her brother soothed her. "I was just perfecting my skills so I can do you a much bigger and more magnificent tattoo-all across your face!" Ruff tensed and bunched her fists.

"Why you...that...would be AWESOME!" she said, suddenly grinning.

"I mean, you're already hideous so we can probably make you so revolting our enemies will vomit when they see you!" her brother told her.

"And probably us as well," Snotlout grumbled. But Fishlegs stretched out his hand and very gingerly touched Tuff's middle. And then he frowned.

"What do you know-it doesn't rub off!" he commented. "I may need to burn my hand off after touching Tuff though..."

"Hey! But you see? And with the scar, maybe we just need to injure the surface to get it to take up the ink..."

"But all that will do will make my brand even more obvious," Hiccup said with forced patience. Rolling his eyes, Tuff folded his arms and looked at the auburn-haired Viking in disappointment.

"Hiccy, Hiccy-I have much grander plans for you!" he said in a disapproving voice, then he grabbed a charcoal and began to sketch on the floor, drawing the Hunter symbol and then expanding a large and elaborate design. Hiccup inclined his head and frowned.

"Tuff-that design would cover my entire chest and face and I would never be allowed back to Berk!" he pointed out. Tuff deflated.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Heather added, frowning. "That is insane."

"How long would something that large take anyway?" Fishlegs asked.

"About a couple of days," Tuff said and Hiccup scooched back away from him.

"I am not having you poking me for two whole days!" he protested as Toothless growled.

"How does in work?" Ruff asked.

"Well, you have to ensure the ink gets into the skin...so you draw the design and then you jab the outline with needles to get the ink in. Lots and lots of needles." Tuff sounded proud.

"Into my extremely tender and painful scar," Hiccup reminded him. "Look, couldn't we just put a circle round the Hunter Tribe symbol with a diagonal line through it-to show we've cut them off in their purpose." He sketched it on the floor. Tuff scowled.

"It certainly lacks grandeur," the male twin complained. "Are you sure you don't want something with more panache? The Thorston Tattoo Design Studio is in session and I am just bursting with ideas."

"I think that one is just fine," the auburn-haired Viking said firmly.

"I agree," Fishlegs said. "Because I'm getting one as well."

"Me too," Heather added. Snotlout gaped.

"You are actually thinking about letting this pair of utter lunatics near you with inks and needles?" he spluttered. "And you don't think that you'll end up with a wobbly upside down reptile on your nose?" Fishlegs folded his arms.

"We are getting identical tattoos to the one Hiccup gets so no one will suspect his is a brand!" Fishlegs said, staring calmly into Snotlout's eyes.

"WHAT?" the stocky rider exploded. "You gotta be kidding!"

"I'm afraid not," Hiccup confessed. "This is the plan. But I won't force anyone else to do this. Just me." Fish gently grasped his shoulder.

"My friend, you never needed to ask," he assured Hiccup. "We are doing this for you-all of us-because it is the best way to protect you."

"Well, along with not leaving Berk, not letting you out of our sight, never leaving the house without Toothless and getting Astrid back!" Snotlout put in.

"Does that mean you're the only one not getting a tattoo?" Heather asked him pointedly as Windshear hissed.

"This is a crazy idea!" Snotlout protested.

"Coward!" Ruff taunted him.

"No, I am definitely not a coward but have you looked at his tattoo? Really looked? It's terrible!" the stocky rider protested.

"Which is why I will be drafting the design and we'll be doing this back on Berk with Gothi on hand in case anything goes wrong," Hiccup told him. "But I already said you don't have to do this." Looking round, Snotlout sighed.

"I will never hear the end of this if I don't-as long as you and Fishlegs are in charge," Snotlout announced. "Now can we kindly go back to Berk? If I am going to go through unimaginable pain, I at least want my own bed to recover in!"

"I'll need to see that book, Tuff," Hiccup decided as he looked round his friends. He swallowed against the lump in his throat and found himself smiling. "Thanks, guys. I mean it." Heather smiled.

"You never needed to ask," she told him. "Now let's get you home."