Thirty Five

In the morning, Stoick did ask to review the sheets with Gothi before they left to intercept the Armada and Hiccup calmly obliged, fetching a sheet he had bloodied by cutting into the 'A' of the word 'SLAVE' carved inside his left arm. She had smiled at his reasoning: A for Astrid. Stoick had seen the stains and nodded. Gothi gave a curt nod and Hiccup had solemnly presented Astrid with a small but heavy chest-which she had opened and and then gasped at. The soft warm glow of gold faced her and she had gaped at a fortune in jewels, coins and a couple of small golden statues. She looked up into his face and gaped. His father had also gaped and his eyes had bugged out. Hiccup gave a small smile.

"From the Treasure of Hamish the Second," he told his father. "I found it-and though the knowledge that Hamish was a Hiccup was enough, a little treasure was useful to protect my new wife should the worst happen." Gothi smiled and nodded. The boy turned to her. "And if anything happens to both of us-protect Astrid, please?" She laid her wizened hand on his arms and squeezed reassuringly. Astrid-dressed in her old tunic, skirt and leggings-clouted his arm.

"Nothing is going to happen!" she told him. Hiccup sighed and peered through the door. The wind was howling and the sky was low and dark grey. The storm had come to Berk-and traveling on the wings of the storm was the Berserk Armada.

"Can't guarantee that!" he sighed. "But I can do my best." She kissed him on the cheek.

"You better," she murmured as they rose, made their final preparations and made their way to their dragons. Hiccup hugged Toothless solemnly.

"It's okay, bud," he told the Night Fury. "We're just going for a little flight-and a little fight with Dagur..." Toothless growled and Hiccup gave a thin smile. "I know, bud-I don't ever wanna see him again either. But we're going to have to-because he's coming here to destroy Berk and we can't allow that to happen!" Astrid vaulted onto Stormfly and grinned at him.

"You take care out there, Dragon Boy!" she called and he grinned back up at her.

"You too, Milady," he smiled. He saw Astrid's face fall as her father and elder brother walked past without looking up once to help man the catapults at the harbour. He sighed. "And remember-I love you." She managed a tiny smile.

"I love you too," she managed and kicked her dragon into the air. Hiccup glanced over to his father, who was climbing onto Thornado, his blue Thunderdrum. Then he launched Toothless into the air and swooped after his wife.

oOo

The dragons flew determinedly away from the harbour and headed in the direction of Outcast Island, battling against the gale. The fleet was unable to safely leave the harbour because of the waves and the ferocious currents. The Armada wasn't in sight but the visibility because of the fierce spray was very poor and Stoick had decided he didn't want until the Berserker ships were on their doorstep. So they flew out in formation, until Berk faded from sight and the wind was like icy knives in their faces.

And then the fleet came into sight: huge and ferocious. The Skill motif on the sails was unmistakeable and sent a shudder down Hiccup's spine. The memories of his last time on one of those ships...on that ship, where Dagur had raped him for the first time... He blinked and Toothless crooned at the suddenly change in pressure on the tail pedal. Hiccup shook his head.

"I'm okay," he murmured. Then he looked over to his Riders and to his Dad, sitting very upright next to him. "Dad? Any thoughts?"

"We need to take as many ships out of action as possible before they know where we are!" he shouted. Hiccup nodded and gestured to the left of the Armada.

"Snotlout, twins-take that group there!" he shouted. "Astrid, Fishlegs-that right hand group!" Astrid cast him a worried look but he nodded: she was an excellent rider and leader in her own right. They both knew it was the right use of their forces. "Dad-you're with me!" He raised his fist. "GET THEM!" he yelled.

The Riders shot apart, each determined to do their part. Snotlout and the twins took the left flank, the most densely populated part of the fleet. Both the dragons had significant firepower and Snotlout exploded a ship on his first pass while the twins had another crippled, its mast and half its hull blown away by the gas explosion from their Zippleback. Astrid punched through her assigned targets, her dragon's magnesium-hot flame igniting even saturated sails and reducing three ships to burning hulks on her first pass. Catapults literally melted under her furious assault. Likewise Fishlegs on Meatlug, whose lava blasts just eroded straight through the deck and hull of any ship they landed on.

Dagur's flagship was in the central group and Hiccup on Toothless came through at top speed, the plasma blasts exploding ship after ship and the others slammed aside by the shock wave of the Night Fury's passing. Thornado took a more direct approach and blasted ships using his sonic roar that slammed ships apart. Ship after ship succumbed, because the poor visibility and the dragons' wild swooping stopped the Berserker ships firing catapults accurately at them. Until the flagship got lucky, the raging Dagur screaming his fury at the disintegration of his fleet. Catapult after catapult launched their stones wildly-and one glanced off Thornado, damaging the dragon's wing and tipping his rider off. Hiccup was too far away to catch him and he saw his father fall-and land hard on the deck of the flagship. The Thunderdrum flapping feebly away, heading back towards Berk, unable to help and barely stay in the air. The others were too far away, chasing the remnants of the fleet and harrying them as they retreated, unaware of the drama. Hiccup flipped Toothless round in a tight loop.

"C'mon, bud-this is for Dad!" he said and they arrowed in for a lethal attack...

"STOP-UNLESS YOU WANT A NEW CHIEF!" Dagur screamed, his sword digging hard into Stoick's throat, his arms restrained by four men. The Chief was furious but helpless and Hiccup pulled Toothless up and flipped him round, hovering in the storm over the flagship.

"Let him go, Dagur. You've lost!" Hiccup shouted.

"Let's call it a draw," the Berserker Chief sneered. "I lose my Armada-and you lose your Chief...and your owner...slave!" Hiccup's face scrunched in fury and he wiped rain from his eyes, his sodden hair plastered to his head.

"You hounded me all across the Archipelago and beyond-and it was all a lie!" he shouted angrily. "You accepted coin for me! I was freed by Stoick!"

"I was cheated!" Dagur snarled. "You're mine!"

Hiccup stared at him and cold fear clutched his stomach. Dagur would never let him go, never end the pursuit. But he could do some good with his life...do what needed doing.

"A trade!" Hiccup called faintly. "Stoick...for me."

"AND the Night Fury!" Dagger shouted.

"Don't be stupid!" Hiccup shouted. "You will NEVER get Toothless. Accept it, Dagur-I'm what you want. It's always been between the two of us."

"No!" Stoick shouted but Hiccup stared into the Berserker's pallid, mad eyes and felt his own stomach freeze with fear. He knew what he was proposing, what horrors he would face-but he would save Berk...because Berk needed Stoick. Snotlout just wasn't good enough. Letting Snotlout become Chief would doom the island. By surrendering his life to Dagur, he would save his Dad-and Toothless-and Astrid. It was the only thing he could do.

"Well, Dagur...what do you say?" Hiccup shouted, glad his face was already damp with rain. Dagur nodded.

"Accepted!" he shouted. "Land and we'll..."

"BACK OFF!" Hiccup shouted. "I'll land on the prow with Toothless. Dad walks forward and I walk to you. You allow them to take off safely-and then you have me. DEAL?" The Berserker nodded. Hiccup watched the soldiers all withdraw back beyond the mast and he landed Toothless on the deck by the dragon's head prow. He leaned forward and pressed his hand on the dragon's head. "You will always be my best friend," he murmured softly. "I'm sorry, bud. Don't-don't forget me. And look after Dad, will you?"

Then, his heart fluttering with fear and stomach dancing so much he felt sick, he clambered off the dragon and watched as his father was released and started to walk forward. Hiccup walked forward and nodded to his father as they crossed. Stoick looked distraught but the boy paused and hugged him hard.

"It's okay, Dad," he said softly. "This is how it must be. Berk needs you, not me. Take Toothless home-please. I can live and survive if I know you...if I know he is safe." He paused and slid something cold into his father's hand: a loop of gold that had sat on his hand for less than a day. "I love you, Dad," he added. "And tell Astrid..." He nodded, then turned away, trying not to see the tears in his father's stormy eyes. And then he heard the creak of the saddle, the little rustle as the tail opened and the low croon of Toothless. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Goodbye, bud," he whispered, his eyes tearing as they took off. Dagur stared at him and gave a cruel smile, his insane eyes glittering with malice. He raised a fist.

"FIRE!" he shouted. Hiccup spun round, seeing a catapult fire at close range at his dragon.

"No!" he screamed. "Toothless!"

But the missile smashed into the prosthetic tail and the dragon gave a despairing roar. Toothless flapped furiously but they listed and plunged down into the dancing, savage sea. They vanished from sight and did not reappear.

"NOOOOOOO!" Hiccup howled, utter anguish crashing over him. He wrestled away from the Berserker who had been lazily restraining him and sprinted at Dagur, his prosthetic foot crashing into the man's knee and small firsts hammering into his face. Totally unprepared, the Berserker Chief felt his nose crunch and blood splattered over his face. Hiccup's face was contorted in rage as he kept swinging and the blows landed Dagur on his back, stunned.

And Hiccup kept on howling, the eerie keening scream of a beast whose heart has been shredded, whose entire life is gone. His hands clawed at the older man's eyes, gouging at them and drawing blood. The howls echoed across the deck and the water as he tore Dagur's face open and lunged for his neck. Dagur was struggling to keep him off, overwhelmed by the superhuman strength the boy had suddenly developed in his grief. Finally, Savage rallied the men and they grabbed at Hiccup from behind, wrestling him away from Dagur's throat.

But the howls kept coming. Hiccup howled and struggled and fought as he was dragged off the battered and wounded Berserker Chief. They continued as he was slammed against the mast and tied helpless. They continued as the whip rose and fell, the weapons tearing at his back and spraying the deck with his blood. And they continued, unabated, until the gods took pity on Hiccup and granted him respite from his unbearable pain as he slumped, unconscious.