Ten.

Fishlegs was still experimenting with burn marks when Astrid came screaming back on Toothless, shouting about a Berserker attack. The others had scrambled and the larger boy laid his chart down with a sigh. He wished Hiccup was there because the boy was the best artist and draftsman among the Riders. They managed to get Toothless-who was disconsolate-to blast the Arena floor and all the other dragons had been persuaded to produce burn marks. But none could approximate the Night Fury...even with Fishlegs' rather shaky diagrams.

Then he joined the others and they headed out in the direction Astrid reported. Toothkess was left behind, watching them with a plaintive groan as the flew off in tight formation. He could the creak of the catapults being loaded as they soared over the cliffs and out over the sea.

Snotlout was grumbling and making snide comments but Fishlegs frowned. There was an Armada but it seemed to be teaching north, skirting Berk and heading into the icy northern waters. The twins were whooping and wanting to attack but Fishlegs knew that they would obey: in a fight, they could be relied on.

They followed Armada north for a couple of hours until they were passing the northern tip of the island and well away from the village before they turned back. Snotlout was really whinging now.

"Well, that was total waste of time!" he sneered. Astrid jerked her head to glare at him from Stormfly.

"What did you say?" she demanded in an arctic voice.

"Well, they clearly weren't heading for Berk!" he scoffed.

"They were!" Astrid hissed. "Directly for the harbour. Toothless was desperate, howling and struggling to get at them..." And then she gasped.

"What?" Fishlegs asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Toothless is a Night Fury," she breathed. "And they have an excellent sense of smell. Thor...it can't be, can it?"

"What? Does anything you say make any sense?" Ruffnut complained.

"Hiccup!" Astrid gasped. "He's on the leading ship! That's what Toothless was trying to tell me!" And she immediately made to turn Stormfly back after the retreating boats.

"Wait!" Fishlegs shouted. "Astrid! You can't fight an entire Armada to get Hiccup!"

"Yeah-and if he's down there with Dagur, he's a traitor, right?" Tuffnut called back. Astrid glared at him and her grasp on her axe tightened.

"The Outcasts and the Berserkers have an alliance," she reminded them, thinking hard. "Once Alvin was gone, Savage decided working with Dagur was preferable to joining Alvin in Valhalla."

"You think Savage handed Hiccup over to Dagur?" Fishlegs asked. They all paused for a moment and recalled how much animosity Dagur bore Hiccup, how battered and injured he had been after every visit of the Berserkers for their Treaty signing. How he never complained to his father because he did not want to jeopardise the security of the village. How much he feared every visit.

"So isn't that where Hiccup wants to be? With his old pal, Dagur?" Tuffnut asked.

"Anywhere but," Astrid said sadly. "Dagur has never been his friend."

"Babe, you gotta face facts," Snotlout told her softly. "No matter what we find, Stoick isn't ever letting him come home. He's given all his things away and he's named me as his Heir." He looked a bit embarrassed.

"So that's it?" Astrid shouted, her eyes suddenly shining. "We just abandon him to Dagur. We all know Dagur will make his life horrible-until he runs out of patience and kills Hiccup! He wouldn't ever give up on us. Ruff, Tuff-when they threatened to kill Barf and Belch, Hiccup was the one who got you over your argument and came up with the plan that saved your dragon. Snotlout, when you got marooned on Outcast Island, Hiccup came through for you..."

"Actually, Toothless and I saved him from Alvin," the boy said cockily. "He was captured by Alvin and we all know that Alvin would have beaten the crap out of him!"

"You flew off on your own and he went after you. He saved your life when the storm ripped you off Hookfang and he ended up marooned for his efforts!" Astrid shot back. Snotlout scowled.

"Fine," he conceded unwillingly.

"And in Thawfest..."

"Don't go there!" Snotlout snapped.

"Fishlegs, Hiccup shares everything he knows with you, doesn't he?" Astrid persisted. "He never makes you feel as if you're not one of us..." The larger boy gave a watery smile. There had been one instance which Hiccup had apologised humbly for but he had more than made up with his stout defence of his friend against Snotlout and the twins, who usually teased him. Even though no one had defended him-or even spoken to him- for all those years before he succeeded in Dragon Training.

"I know," he said.

"And he risked his life when all our dragons were sick with Blue Oleander poisoning!" she added.

"Hey-Toothless was sick too!"

"But he was the only one of us who went to get the Scauldron venom for them all," Astrid said softly.

"But the burn pattern..."

"Look, it has to be a fake," Astrid said passionately. "Toothless never misses. And have you ever seen Hiccup allow Toothless to kill anything?"

"Except Alvin and that Skrill?" Snotlout pointed out.

"He even stopped Toothless killing the Whispering Death! He would never harm his Dad!" Fishlegs sighed.

"OK," he sighed. "Il continue my research!"

But he was still dubious as he returned and tossed Meatlug a tasty bucket of shale and slate. The big Gronckle munched away loudly, and then paused to give Toothless a little nuzzle. The disconsolate Night Fury was curled by his friend and Fishlegs wondered how sad he would be if he had the chance to get Meatlug back, but someone had forced him to go the other way and leave her in danger.

"It'll be okay, Toothless," he said gently and patted the Night Fury. "We will get him back..." And then the dragon growled as a pair of squabbling Terrible Terrors flapped overhead and began a fierce little fight. Fishlegs watched interestedly as they exchanged shots at each other. It was only when they rolled and fired together that the boy straightened up and dropped the last little chunk of marble. He leaned forward and his eyes widened. The mark they had made was close enough to a genuine Night Fury burn to fool even an expert.

He jumped onto Meatlug and rode up to the top of the village and inspected the original burn. And then he gasped. It was a fake! He turned to Meatlug.

"Come on, girl-we need to get to Astrid!"

oOo

The lamps lit the frosty night and everyone who could get a berth below was sleeping in hammocks or curled on the shifting floor. Hiccup was curled as small as he could manage against the hull on the deck, the thin blanket they had given him wrapped tightly around him. He was shivering hard, his eyes fixed on the Skrill's-head prow, silhouetted against the star-filled sky. His breath was forming little clouds as he breathed and he lifted the edge of the blanket to pull it wearily across his face.

They had allowed him to dress once Dagur had finally wearied of his game and had headed north in the direction of the ice-swathed isle where Hiccup and the twins had entombed the Skrill. His shoulder was still hurting ferociously and and he concentrated on the pain. It was far better than rerunning anything that had befallen him since he came to Outcast Island and the most recent pain that had torn through him. He buried his face in his knees and his scored shoulders jerked as he sobbed. He thought he had run out of tears, but somehow, Dagur and Savage always managed to heap some new disaster upon his skinny shoulders.

I am not a traitor.

He blinked and hunched his shoulders against the misery. But I am a slave, he admitted desperately. I have been exiled from Berk. My father has disowned me. My friends have abandoned me. My tribe is lost. And Dagur is going to break his word and attack Berk anyway.

But Toothless is alive.

The lump in his throat was so huge he could barely breathe. He whimpered and swallowed his sobbing breath. "Toothless," he breathed.

"Get out of the way!" a voice growled just as a boot slammed into his back. He cried out and was pitched into his face, sprawling onto the frosty deck. He glanced up in shock at the Berserker guard standing over him. He knew he hadn't been in anyone's way, huddled carefully in a corner.

"S-sorry," he breathed, shocked. But the man grabbed him by the hair and slammed a fist across his face. He hit the deck with low cry, tasting blood in his mouth. He shook his head, painfully pushing himself to his knees and trying to get his breath back. A boot slammed into his middle and he was tossed halfway across the deck by the vicious impact. He grunted on the impact and cast the man a shocked glance. Then he rolled painfully, trying to crawl away but the man snatched a handful of tunic and dragged him up to face him.

"You don't speak to me, slave!" he snarled and Hiccup flinched. He nodded wordlessly. The man threw him brutally across the deck and his left leg instinctively went down, the metal prosthesis sliding on the frosty deck planks. He overbalanced backward and slammed down onto the deck, his back taking the brunt of the impact. He cried out then, arching his back and rolling stiffly onto his side. He pressed his face to the deck. The Berserker advanced in him but another man caught his hand.

"He's Dagur's, remember?" he reminded the man in a low voice. "You damage him and he'll toss you to the Scauldrons!"

"He's a slave!" the Berserker snarled. His friend nodded.

"Yes, but he's a young boy and I doubt he could withstand a beating from you, Aardo!" he pointed out. "Take your break. I'll call you when it's my turn!" Aardo went below deck, grumbling as the Berserker watched him, then turned to the scrawny shape, shaking as he painfully scrambled up. His bruised face was fearful. The new Berserker crouched by him and handed Hiccup his blanket.

"Easy, lad," he said quietly, laying a hand on his shoulder. Hiccup went rigid, his eyes widening and his terror obvious. "I don't mean you any harm." Hiccup was shaking like a leaf, almost unable to grasp his blanket due the shaking.

"F-forgive me if-if I c-can't b-b-believe you!" he shivered. The man's hazel eyes were kindly as he wrapped the blanket tightly round the boy and drew him close to the little brazier.

"I have a wife and boy about your age," he said gently. "I'm really not planning to hurt you." Hiccup dropped his head. He shook his head slowly.

"I j-just want-want to go home," he whispered brokenly. His eyes were shining with tears and the man sighed: he was Berserker but that didn't mean he couldn't be moved by a frightened boy. There was precious little he could do to help, though. He found his flask and pressed it to the boy's lips.

"Drink this," he said. Hiccup coughed and made a face but the man forced more down his throat. "It's mulled mead. It'll warm you...and may dull the memories." The boy's head dropped.

"Nothing will do that," he murmured.

And then his head jerked up and he frowned, pulling the blanket down from covering his head. A piercing screech sounded again, faint but closing. Hiccup scrambled to his feet. He gave the man a worried look.

"Changewings," he said suddenly, his battered face creasing into a frown. "But we're nowhere near Changewing Island. What's going on?" He looked up at the man as the screeches sounded again, definitely closing. "I think you need to rouse the Warriors," he added quietly, ducking his head as if expecting a blow for his advice. The Berserker nodded.

"Roar," he said. "My name is Roar." Then he slammed his spear into the deck and bellowed the alarm. Hiccup pressed himself against the mast, trying to stay out of everyone's way as the Berserkers exploded up into the deck and shouts of warning rang out from ship to ship. Dagur ran onto the deck, his helmet in place and axe griped in his fist. Hiccup stared at the deck because the sight of Dagur was turning his stomach. There were shapes against the brilliant stars and Hiccup pointed up at them.

"Changewing attack!" he shouted. "Keep them in the air. They can't camouflage against the sky but if they land, you can lose them!"

There was a sudden silence as Dagur strode forward. His face was locked in a menacing scowl and the boy sudden felt the panic rise in his throat. It had been instinctive, taking command of a dragon situation. For a brief but costly second, he had forgotten everything that had happened.

"Dagur-please!" he shouted. "You're all in danger! You can't let them land!" He took a couple of paces towards the Berserker Chief. "Truth." he said clearly. "Please, trust me." He paused. "Master." Dagur lifted his axe.

"Destroy them in the air. Don't let them land!" Dagur shouted and a blizzard of catapult stones and arrows soared towards the silhouettes of the ChangeWings. There were hisses and shrieks and gouts of greenish hot acid, melting stones and splashing at the sails. Hiccup shrank back as the pitched battle raged for a few long and tense minutes, but eventually, the attackers were beaten back. The boy breathed a sigh of relief as they turned and flew into the night. He sighed in relief.

And gave a small scream as a very rough hand closed fiercely on his branded left shoulder. He froze, trembling as someone leaned towards him. "You know I can't let that pass," Dagur breathed in his ear. "You just can't remember you are a slave."

"So you wanted me to let you lose men and ships when I could prevent it?" Hiccup asked softly. The grip tightened and he knew that Dagur's deranged view of life prized his own dignity above the lives of his men. Dagur shoved him forward and jerked his head. The boy was slammed against the mast, his wrists roped tightly as he hugged the uneven wood. A tight rope was looped around his knees as well, holding him unable to move.

"Slave, you need to learn your place," he hissed. The boy's shoulders slumped, biting his lip urgently to suppress his sobs. He was trembling all over.

"Dagur...Master...please," he begged softly. "I-I only wanted to save lives!" Dagur gestured and Savage appeared with a whip.

"A Berserker lives for battle and death!" Dagur announced in a sing-song voice. "He doesn't whine or agonise over a few deaths!"

I am not a Berserker.

"P-p-please," he gasped, shuddering breaths shaking through him. The crew was forming a lose circle around the boy. Savage took a couple of steps back and Hiccup gave a choking sob. "This isn't fair!" he whimpered.

"No," Dagur said clearly as the first blow fell. "But it should be instructive."