SEVEN: Mixed reactions

The Chiefs were stomping up the Plaza, neither in a good mood as Camicazi followed easily, the phalanx of Bog Tribe Members of the Chief's party trailing behind. Stoick was bright red with anger, still intermittently bellowing after his vanished son and complaining to Bertha, while Cami's mother was equally put out at the insult made to her and her daughter. Gobber poked his head out of the forge and saw the Chief's face...and rapidly withdrew again.

The people of Berk were trailing the guests up the Plaza, eyes appraising the Bog Burglars as they walked confidently up the village. Many eyes were interested, wary or thoughtful...but some were definitely hostile and the Heir tightened her grip on her knife, wondering why some people were looking at her with very hostile eyes. And then there was the whoosh of wings and the Bog Burglars ducked, reaching for their weapons-but Stoick sharply raised a hand.

"No weapons!" he commanded. "There is peace with dragons here!" He looked up in the hope it would be his son returning but his eyes widened at the shape of a yellow and purple-brown dragon flying in, its tail seemingly braided from three parts and being ridden by a very buff armoured man with short carrot-red hair, a stubbly beard, scars on his face and three woad tattoos over his left eye.

"Oh brother...are you here?" the Rider yelled and swooped in to land, leaping from his dragon. Bertha stared as well, recognising the shape and tensing.

"Dagur?" the Bog Burglar Chief said with mild surprise. "What the Thor are you doing here?"

"Oh hey Bertha, Stoick, Camster...I was just looking for my little brother!" Dagur said casually, as if meeting two fellow chiefs was an everyday event. His green eyes swept the Plaza for evidence of the auburn-haired Viking or the Night Fury. "Have you seen him? Or is he hiding?"

"Brother?" Stoick frowned in confusion and then his brows lifted sightly. "Oh, you mean Hiccup..." Dagur grinned broadly.

"Yes, my brother from another mother," he clarified cheerfully. "Not literally, of course because ...well, you know...Is he here ? My sister wrote me and I had to come and congratulate my brother on the betrothal! I mean it's completely about time, right? He's being making doe eyes at Astrid for years-even I could see that and I'm deranged! I mean, you'd have to be blind or stupid or both not to see it! And I'm organising the stag celebration...Thor, I have so many embarrassing stories about him..."

"Dagur," Stoick said in a warning voice, his brows dipping again. The Berserker looked up at the tone and calmed, reminding himself that Stoick was very protective of Hiccup after everything that Dagur had tried to do in the past to his son.

"Too much?" he asked in a calmer tone. "Okay, I can understand that. He's had some tough times too and that girl and his dragon have always been there for him...and I don't want either killing me for causing him to run away and hide on Thor's Rock due to terminal embarrassment..." Stoick and Bertha shared a look.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding," Stoick said firmly. "Hiccup is betrothed-but not to Astrid." Dagur stared at him-then roared with laughter.

"Stoick-what a joker!" he guffawed. "Of course he's betrothed to Astrid. My sister and the Greek Chorus watched him propose. Of course, Heather is going to be Maid of Honour because the other girl is completely crazy..."

"No," Bertha said sternly. "Hiccup is betrothed to my daughter, Camicazi. Stoick arranged it when the boy was ten years old." Dagur shook his head.

"No, that can't be right," he said in a slightly confused voice. "He's been in love with Astrid for years and he's apparently so happy that he's getting married and going to be a father..." Camicazi's eyes widened in surprise, unaware of the fact.

"That is not my problem," Bertha told him harshly. "The contract pre-dated his relationship with the girl and if he chooses to ignore that, then all the consequences are on his shoulders..." Dagur's eyes hardened.

"I don't think that's fair to my brother," he growled. "Because I don't believe that's who he is. I mean, Thor-he's a dreadful liar. If he was deceiving Astrid, it wasn't intentional..."

"He didn't know about the contract," Cami said calmly, seeing the Berserker's fists tighten. Suddenly, Dagur stilled and his eyes swung to glare at the Chief of Berk.

"You didn't tell him?" he accused Stoick and the Hooligan growled.

"He is my son," he began.

"You didn't tell him?" Dagur snapped. "No wonder he's run off. Where's Astrid? Maybe she can..."

"She's left Berk," Stoick cut in and the Berserker glared at him, stunned to silence. Then, slowly, he spoke.

"Let me get this straight," he said carefully. "You set Hiccup up when he's ten to marry someone, don't bother to tell him, ignore the fact that he's grown up, fallen in love, become an amazing and daring Dragon Rider and then you ruin his life by forcing him to marry this light-fingered ultra-feminist and abandon the woman he loves and the child they are expecting? And people call me Deranged? That's so stupid it's beyond even the twins!"

"It's my decision!" Stoick yelled but Dagur folded his arms and shook his head.

"No," he said. "In the end, it's Hiccup's. Because he saved your Tribe from the dragons, from Alvin, from me, from the Hunters...but all the way through, Astrid has been at his side. And if he has to give everything up to be with her...are you going to be able to stop him?" He turned away and whistled to the Triple Stryke that was waiting warily. "C'mon, Sleuther-let's go find my brother. I think he needs a heart to heart chat with Uncle Dagur."

"Wait..." Cami said as he leapt back onto the dragon and he looked over his shoulder at her.

"What?' he asked impatiently. "He's not yours, Camicazi. He never was. And if you try to force him to do something like this, you may break him forever."

And then, with a disgusted look at Stoick, he was gone.

oOo

The commotion had barely died down when the Riders arrived back from the Edge. They had decided to give Astrid and Hiccup a day to settle things down and then arrive-hopefully to partying and plenty of mead and roast yak. What they were not expecting was a Bog Burglar visitation and a general air of mourning over the village.

Gobber filled them in, since no one wanted to bother Stoick while he was with Bertha and as they sat around the forge, the mood darkened.

"WHAT?" was the general response followed by the twins noisily bursting into tears.

"WHAAAAA! I was so looking forward to the wedding!" Tuff wailed.

"And me!" Ruff lamented. "I was going to be assistant Maid of Honour!"

"WHAAAAA! And I wanted that as well!" Tuff bawled, hanging onto his sister and hugging her pathetically.

"So unfaiiiiiir!" Ruff whined, hugging him back. Fishlegs nodded, his eyes sad.

"Completely," he added, relieved that Heather was sitting by him and holding his hand. He had been genuinely happy for Hiccup, who had spoken of his hopes and dreams about Astrid to his friend for years-between geeking out about dragon species-and he knew how happy the one-legged Viking had been when he had proposed. For it to be snatched away from him by something he knew nothing about was utterly cruel. Snotlout shrugged.

"Too bad, life goes on-I wonder if Astrid would go out with me now?" he asked thoughtfully as Heather glared and then punched him. He fell off the anvil, which he had been sitting on.

"Not if you were the last male Viking on Midgard!" she told him plainly. "There is only one man for her-and he's apparently taken...and always was."

"Aye...I never even knew he had gone through with the Contract," Gobber admitted. "He must have sorted it out with Bertha at one of the Chief meetings and signed his son away without ever sitting down and letting him know." The two-limbed blacksmith sighed as he swigged at his emergency stock of mead. Gobber's home brew was probably the most lethal on Berk-even worse than Spitelout's mead-but this was just the occasion where a man could do with amnesia. "Yer could hear them shouting all the way down the Plaza..." Fishlegs sighed.

"Maybe we should go look for Hiccup?' he suggested. "I mean-he did fly off and he must have been very upset..."

"He's got Toothless with him-and Dagur's flown out to find him," Gobber revealed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Mebbe yer should let him talk tae Hiccup first."

"WHAT? You think Dagur would be better at sorting out Hiccup's complicated love life than the Love Guru?" Snotlout protested, his tone really outraged. There was silence and everyone stared at him. Tuff started sniggering "What are you laughing at, chicken boy?" Snotlout asked him hotly. Heather glanced at Tuff who had just fallen over and sighed.

"Snotlout-staring at your reflection in a bucket of water doesn't constitute any experience in relationships," she said in a patient voice. Instantly, the stocky Rider gave a broad grin.

"Not true," he argued smugly. "It means I know exactly what women are looking for..." He gestured to his face. "Sheer perfection."

"Sheer something," Fishlegs muttered so only Heather could hear.

"You fancy interviewing me, Heather?" Snotlout asked cheerily. "Maybe get to know me well, benefit from my expertise..." Smiling suddenly, she walked towards him and stared into his eyes.

"I would honestly rather punch a Slitherwing," she told him and sat back down. "Anyone else have a sane suggestion?" Both the twins reluctantly put their hands down.

"I got nothing," Ruff admitted. Fishlegs leaned close and squeezed the raven haired girl's hand.

"Don't worry," he reassured her. "Dagur will find him and have a talk to him." Sighing deeply, she nodded and leaned against him.

"But what can he say?" she asked. "As far as I know, the contract is binding: he has to marry Camicazi!"

oOo

Dagur had flown all over Berk when he finally circled back over Raven Point and saw the black shape settled by the small lake in a pretty little sunken cove in the forest. Immediately, he gestured to Sleuther and the dragon swooped down, roaring a greeting to Toothless. But the Night Fury merely gave a sad croon and rested his head on his front paws, staring at the desolate auburn-haired figure in the familiar leather vest sitting on a rock staring at the water. Dagur jumped down and stared at him.

"Brother? Hicc?" The greeting was much softer than normal but even so, the Berserker saw the shoulders shudder in a sigh and knew that Hiccup wanted to be alone. "I...um...came to offer my congratulations but I think commiserations are in order."

"I'm getting married," Hiccup observed tonelessly, still staring out at the lake. "So technically congratulations are still in order." Dagur walked forward, his eyes concerned.

"But you are marrying the wrong woman," he pointed out. The head hung forward and Hiccup sighed even more deeply.

"My Dad would say it was to the right woman...and that I thought I was engaged to the wrong one," he said wearily. "But as he never told me, I had no clue that I was already betrothed. If I had, no matter how much I loved her, I would never have allowed myself to become so close to Astrid. I wouldn't have kissed her, wouldn't have declared my love or asked her to be my girlfriend...and I would never have asked her to marry me." He swallowed. "I would have been miserable-but this way, I have ruined her life and broken her heart as well as mine in the process." He scuffed his boot on the mossy ground. "She would still be happy."

"And that matters?" Dagur asked him and he finally turned to face the Berserker, displaying his ashen face and red-rimmed eyes.

"More than anything," he admitted. Dropping his eyes for a moment, Dagur nodded and then walked to stand beside the younger Viking.

"You know, ever since you conquered the dragons, I haven't seen you without that girl by your side," he said thoughtfully. "You've been making doe eyes at her for years-you know that?"

"Thank you for summing that up," Hiccup said sarcastically. Dagur shook his head.

"So I'm really wondering-why the Thor are you still here? She's run away-why haven't you gone after her?" There was a silent shrug and the Berserker stared at him.

"My Dad forbade me to follow her," Hiccup eventually said, staring at the lake. Idly, he skipped a stone across. It skipped four times then vanished with a 'plop'.

"And you always do what Stoick tells you?" Dagur asked him with a frown. "I mean, not making dragon fighting machines, not befriending a dragon, staying when called, not flying when ordered not to do so..." Hiccup looked at him. "Hey-I talk to your friends...well, Fishlegs anyway..."

"He ordered me as my Chief, not my Dad," Hiccup said dully. "And I...I..." Dagur sighed and rested a hand on the younger man's shoulder, feeling him stiffen and cursing under his breath that his previous actions still made Hiccup wary.

"I get you were a disappointing, undersize, trouble-making son," Dagur began.

"Again, thanks for the summing up," Hiccup shot back. "Feeling so much better now."

"...and I get that you have this insane desire to be the good son-because you only had your Dad and you always felt he was disappointed in you," Dagur continued firmly, ignoring the sarcasm. "But sometimes, you have to think for yourself. What was it Stoick keeps saying...a Chief protects his own?" Hiccup nodded and slowly inclined his head to look up at the Berserker. "Who do you think are your own, Hiccup? The Tribe? They're Stoick's job, not yours."

"They will be," Hiccup replied defensively.

"Your tribe at the moment are the Riders-Snothat, the crazy twins, Fishlegs and my sister," Dagur told him sternly. "And Astrid. So how are you protecting your own by letting your second in command ride out on her own, upset, with some new and worse dragon hunters around?" Hiccup half-turned to face him than, eyes narrowing.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"Heather wrote me about you guys-and brought me up to speed that though Viggo and Ryker are gone, the hunters aren't," the Berserker Chief told him calmly. "I mean I am a Dragon Rider-and I do have two dragons so I have a vested interest in making sure they decide on a career change." Hiccup nodded. "You know what else she wrote? Heather told me that you guys said there will always be a a Hiccup and Astrid," he pointed out. "So what really happened?"

"My Dad," Hiccup tells him bitterly. "He chained me to someone without ever telling me and now I am lost." Dagur frowned and shook his head.

"Astrid never gave up fighting...not when she had the Scourge of Odin, not when she was blind, not when you were captured by Bounty Hunters...so why are you surrendering now? She would fight everyone in Midgard to be with you. Now it's your turn, brother."

"But the contract?" Hiccup asked. "I mean, if I break it, I put everyone at risk..." Dagur folded his arms, his expression smug.

"Bertha may huff and grumble and it may affect trade-but do you think that she's gonna declare war on a dragon-riding Tribe because you are already taken?" he asked and Hiccup's eyes widened in shock. "Look-I know you're miserable and so is your dragon and the Riders are going to be up in arms. And I want the wedding I was promised. Berk has Berserk and I know the Bogs won't abandon you...though I guess Stoick will be mad."

"Mad, I can cope with," Hiccup shrugged. "Had plenty of practice."

"And you've had plenty of practice in defying your father," Dagur reminded him. "Take it from an expert. You're good at it-and you have a better reason that anyone to go. That's the woman you are meant to be with, no doubt. And she has your child with her. You need to be there to protect her..." Finally, Hiccup managed a wan smile.

"If I turned up saying that, she's probably axe me to small pieces," he reminded Dagur and the Berserker nodded thoughtfully.

"That might ruin the plan," he admitted. "But she needs you and you need her."

"But my Dad? The Tribe?"

"In every man's life, there comes a time to realise what is important," Dagur told him quietly. "I had to choice to destroy you and continue fighting-but I chose to save my sister and leave off my vengeance. Because that was selfish and it was only about me. I had a family, someone else to care for and their safety was more important than revenge." He clenched his fists and took a long, shuddering breath before he visibly relaxed. "This is your moment, Hiccup. Duty or the woman you love."

"Berk or Astrid," Hiccup breathed and looked over at Toothless. The dragon gave a small coo.

"You see? Even the Night Fury agrees with me!" Dagur told him with a smile.

"Berk or Astrid? Duty or love?"

Dagur smiled again. "Your choice," he said.