THIRTY SIX: Enemy, My Enemy

Reconstruction of the Edge was surprisingly swift, for everyone pitched in. It was decided to rebuild Hiccup's hut-because it was bigger-and allow Hjordis to move into Astrid's which was very close by. Of course, Hiccup's hut was rebuilt with two ballistas, a catapult and a watchtower to ensure that Astrid felt at home, but the sleeping level was expanded for a larger bed and an area for Val to sleep, with a chest for her things-many of which were gifts from Sniffling and Granite Isle. Hiccup had planned to build a new crib but Astrid had vetoed that, pointing out that his effort from Valkana's Isle was perfect and if it would good enough for their daughter, there was no point changing it. And that Snotlout would be unbearable if he learned that he had dragged it halfway across the Archipelago only to discard it. Laughing, Hiccup had conceded the point and the crib stayed.

The others took great pleasure in filling Hiccup and Astrid in on their adventures, explaining how they had been chasing for DragonEye lenses across the various islands, fighting Singetails on Armourwing Island, visited the Wingmaidens and almost having Ruff join their number.

"Though Tuff was actually far better at looking after her than I was," she admitted. "And it was a relief that she changed her bond to Atali." Hiccup glanced at the female twin and secretly agreed that was probably for the best.

"I know you've told me briefly about the Wing Maidens," Astrid spoke up. "Are they as fierce as they say?" Snotlout's face lit up.

"Babe-you're talking to the master," he announced brashly. "They couldn't resist all this perfection so they kidnapped me..."

"Planning to kill you and eat you..." Ruff pointed out.

"Though he would definitely have given them indigestion," Heather pointed out.

"If not poisoned the lot of them," Tuff added.

"So we rescued him and came to an agreement," Hiccup explained. "They are warriors dedicated to raising baby Razorwhips, which are pretty helpless and vulnerable to the males, which kill and eat them..." Sighing, the young woman stared at the flames in the firepit.

"I have missed so much," she admitted.

"And had so many adventures that I could never dream of," Hiccup added.

"You too," she swiftly replied but his face looked pensive and she recognised the look that meant his mind was drifting back to his time as a prisoner of the Captain. Toothless's anxious warble filled the room as Astrid took his hand and kissed it. "Babe...stay with me, 'kay?" With an effort, he blinked and looked up at her, nodding.

"Sorry," he sighed. "I'm good."

No, you're not, she realised sadly, feeling the tremble in his warm hand and squeezing reassuringly. But one day, it won't matter any more...

Hiccup had retrieved his cache of lenses and he and Fishlegs had sorted through them once more, seeking lenses from each dragon class...and realising they were almost there. But they were still a lens short and Hiccup had no idea where he would find a lens for Strike Class. All he knew was that he had lost so much time while he was chasing after Astrid and he had to thank Thor and Odin that in that time, his enemies hadn't already found the King of Dragons and snatched control of Dragonkind.

oOo

It was a sunny day on the Edge and Valkana had been fed and put down. Hjordis was tutting and muttering something about making some more suitable clothes for a Chieftess so Hiccup and Astrid escaped to the beach on the west of the island for a little time together. Behind them, Toothless and Stormfly were gambolling on the sands, playing a game that seemed to consist of pounce-on-each-other...and the pair kept laughing at the antics of their dragons. So sitting next to each other on a blanket on the sands, arms around each other and just about to start a picnic that Hiccup had prepared, the young couple closed their eyes and savoured the warmth of the day.

"Finally some alone time," Hiccup said in relief. Returning with his friends was a blessing-and a curse, for they had no idea about personal space and were tending to cling tighter to their returned leader and Astrid, as if to make sure neither ran off again. Both had become used to spending a lot of time alone with their dragons and though spending time with each other was perfect, the addition of Snotlout and the twins tended to make them feel...crowded.

"No distractions, no interruptions," Astrid agreed, snuggling against him. She was honestly grateful for Hjordis and knew the woman would look after her daughter well in her absence. Smiling, Hiccup turned his head and their lips met in a hesitant, gentle kiss. They hadn't even thought about becoming intimate again, what with Valkana and the others bursting in on them at a moment's notice-but it was evident both were keen to try to rekindle their relationship in stages and move forward. Especially since Dagur and Heather were passing very obvious hints about marriage.

"INCOMING!"

Acting on instinct, the pair flung themselves apart as a Zippleback crashed on the blanket where they had been seconds earlier and skidded along the beach. Rolling to his knees and brushing the sand out of his hair, Hiccup looked up and scowled.

"What the...?" he asked but the twins were walking around the point of impact tutting and shaking their heads. "For Thor's sake! What are you guys...?" Hiccup shouted at them.

"Nope-not long enough-or wide enough!" Ruff said briskly.

"Are you sure about width?" Tuff asked her hopefully but his sister shook her head with finality.

"Sorry, bro-width and length are both too small!" The male twin flung his hands in the air.

"Oh-come on!" he protested. "What do we have to do to be the greatest?" Sharing a perplexed look, Astrid and Hiccup walked towards them.

"Leave?" she suggested but Hiccup shook his head, recognising a fresh bout of twins craziness. It was something he was pretty certain he hadn't missed on his quest to locate Astrid.

"Okay-will someone please fill me in?" he asked them as they looked at him in exasperation. Tuff sighed.

"So you see-every dragon but ours has a talent-something special only they can do that makes them famous," he explained.

"Hookfang's the hottest, Meatlug makes Gronckle iron..." Ruff explained, petting Barf aimlessly. The Zippleback gave a gentle rumble. "And Stormfly's the fastest-but only when she eats chicken." Astrid winced as the Nadder gave an eager growl: she would now expect to be given chicken and would follow her rider around until she got some!

"Which still counts-even though it's only a technicality," Tuff admitted and then walked towards the Night Fury. Toothless backed up a pace: he knew the male twin was crazy and could do anything-from giving him Dragon-Nip to painting him orange, both of which had happened when they were dragon racing. "And look at Toothless-he's the cutest...obviously..." he gushed, rubbing Toothless's nose and then lifting up a wary front paw and fist-bumping him. "I mean-look at him...he's a cute little puppy..." Even Hiccup smiled at the dragon's confused warble and his careful inspection of his paw after the fist-bump...just to check Tuff hadn't done anything to him. "What about Barf'n'Belch? What makes them special? Was makes them famous?"

The dragon blew a smoke ring that perfectly rolled around their entire body as the two would-be picnickers frowned.

"They're...the gassiest?" Astrid suggested.

"They...have two heads?" Hiccup hazarded.

"Oh, come on!" Tuff protested, glaring at Hiccup. "You're better than that!" Looking very uncomfortable with Ruff walking up to him and resting her hands on his shoulders, he said the first thing he could think of.

"They have two heads?" he managed. She shook her head in disappointment.

"Well, my oh-so-challenged friend, we're going to set a record!" she told him loudly.

"A record exclusively for the Zippleback!" Tuff told him, sidling up on his other side. Hiccup tried to inch away: getting between the twins was still something to be avoided.

"Like longest skid mark!" Ruff explained. Folding her arms sceptically, Astrid frowned at her.

"Didn't really make the cut on that one, did you?" she pointed out. Both twins glared at her as they remounted their dragon.

"Your negativity will not deter us, Astrid," Tuff said with dignity. "Most consecutive barrel rolls...GO!" As they launched, Hiccup walked over to Astrid, standing by her side and watching the Zippleback spin wildly with the twins hanging on.

"This really isn't going to go well, is it?" Hiccup commented as they watched the dragon top out and the twins fall away. The Thorstons impacted onto the beach, rapidly followed by their dizzy dragon.

"Nope, not really," Astrid replied casually. "But at least they missed us this time..."

"HICCUP! Terror Mail!" Fishlegs yelled, waving a scroll around as he flew in on Meatlug. The pair shared a look: it was just typical of their efforts to have any sort of alone time and both young Vikings felt their chance of a quiet afternoon evaporate. "It's from Stoick!"

They shared a look, both of puzzlement and resignation.

"I guess the picnic will have to wait," Astrid sighed as Hiccup nodded, his brows furrowing in concern.

"Now why would Dad be writing to me?" he murmured, watching as Fishlegs landed and offered him the parchment. And while there was a huge part of him that ached for some sign that his father cared, that his father would forgive him, he knew in his heart that Stoick the Vast, the respected and revered Chief of Berk, would not bend and reverse his decree of disownment against his errant son on a whim. Excited, Fishlegs handed him the letter and he unrolled it, staring at the bold runes. To his eye, it didn't look like his father's hand anyway and as he read the words, he knew it was a ruse. Disappointment flooded through him and he almost cast the the letter aside...but there were two words that captured his attention.

DragonEye Lens.

Whoever wrote this claimed to have found a DragonEye lens on a remote island and was asking for Hiccup to come alone and in person to collect it. He chewed his lip in thought as Toothless ambled up and gave an inquisitive warble, sniffing the parchment.

"I know, bud," he sighed. "And we both know this isn't from Dad." He almost flinched as a light hand dropped on his arm and he shook his head.

"Hiccup..." Astrid's voice was soft as she leaned against him. "Who is it from then?" Emerald eyes flicked up.

"Whoever wants DragonEye lenses," he said and her eyes widened. "My guess would be Viggo...because the man is a consummate game player-and this is a class piece of manipulation. Except he doesn't know that I have been disowned..."

"Or maybe he does and he hopes that you will be so desperate to reconcile with your father that you'll drop your guard..." she pointed out and he sighed.

"And he's half right," he admitted, his hand finding hers. "But I have so much more to lose than gain so I have to be careful..." His mind drifted back to his cache of DragonEye lenses. "And at least I may be able to find out where they are. From what the others have been telling me that Krogan has been chasing lenses all over the Archipelago."

"Wingmaiden Island, Armouring Island, Caldera Cay..." Fishlegs murmured. "They even attacked Berk...though we drove them off..." Head swinging round in shock, Hiccup stared at him.

"Berk?" Guilt crashed round him and he suddenly felt a sense of panic. He should have been there-because he knew in his heart of hearts that he would have been able to drive them off and protect his village. "Is everyone okay?" His grip on Astrid's hand tightened.

"They're fine," the husky Viking reassured them. "Both your families! A few houses were damaged and some food was stolen but they found out not to mess with Hooligans! And we proved your theory, Hiccup, that when you deal with those Fliers, if you separate them from the Singetails, the dragons fly away. They don't have a real bond...the dragons are captured, not befriended. There's no loyalty there at all..." Mind flying back to his previous encounter with the Fliers, Hiccup nodded.

"That makes sense..." he murmured. "So they have been collecting lenses-the destruction here and on Berk were attempts to find my lenses, I guess. And they have been scouring the Archipelago for lenses since we have been away..." His eyes trailed back to the letter. "I think I may need to see what Viggo has to say..."

"No..." Astrid murmured. "Hiccup-you've been through so much...and I don't want to lose you again..." He sighed and then pulled away from her, digging in Toothless's saddle bag and fished out the other item that he had concealed with his lenses. It was a simple pendant on a long leather cord, the design traditional but elegant. Staring at it for a long moment, he walked to her and stared into her eyes.

"Astrid Hofferson-I love you," he said quietly, holding the pendant up. "This was my father's betrothal gift to my mother and when he realised that I was in love with you...he gave it to me to give to you when the time was right. It was waiting in my hut here-and I concealed it when I left to come after you..." He gently placed it over her head and adjusted it so it was hanging around her neck. "Astrid-you're a part of our family...Helheim, you and Valkana are my only official family now. I-I have always felt that you always have been a part of our family...and I hoped you always would be."

There was silence as Astrid stared at the pendant-a gift that meant so much, not in terms of monetary value, for Hiccup could have given her gold or silver if he had wanted, but in the emotions attached to it. She knew that he had very little left of his mother, who had vanished when he was less than a year old, and for him to give this to her was the most meaningful gift he could have given. But he took her silence for something else and rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkward.

"Er...well, if you don't like it..." he began, unsure what he could do but she looked up, her eyes swimming.

"Hiccup-it's not that," she said quickly, her tone softer and more self-conscious than almost any he had heard from her. "It's beautiful...it's perfect..." And her smile lit up her face. And then it fell. "It's just...I-I didn't get you a gift. I didn't know what to get and..."

"But you did!" he interrupted her. He was smiling and suddenly, he was the Hiccup she had known before all of this happened. "Astrid-you got me the greatest gift in the world...you! You and our daughter! And you, just being here with me, right now...is the only gift I need." Her arms wrapped around him and her face buried in his neck as he cocooned her in his embrace, feeling her heart beating though her chest. Thor, the moment was perfect and for that instant, nothing had happened.

But Meatlug gave a little burp and Stormfly screeched and they pulled apart, his hand reaching up to stroke her soft cheek, flushed with self-consciousness. Her lips brushed his hand and she smiled.

"And I wanted you to have this gift because it is a promise that I am coming back...that nothing is stopping me marrying you...if you still want to..." She frowned and stared into his emerald eyes.

"And why wouldn't I want to?" she asked him pointedly.

"I mean...when I proposed, I was Heir to the Throne of Berk and had something to offer you...while now, I'm disowned and outcast for disobeying my Chief and endangering my tribe," he reminded her. She snorted and folded her arms.

"Hiccup, you muttonhead-I didn't agree to marry you for those things and they matter no more now than they did then," she told him tartly. "Besides, I'm a Chief you know!"

They both burst out laughing at the impression of Stoick-it was one of his favourite sayings when the dragons completely ignored him and did their own thing-as they frequently did. He backed up a pace and gave a decorous bow.

"And that was so much better than you ever managed to the twins they they were in charge of Thorstonton!" she reminded him.

"Rub it in," he grumbled lightheartedly. "You're a Chief and I'm a 'Table Boy'!" She burst out laughing again and reached up to kiss him deeply.

"I love you," she murmured. "And that means you're going to do this, aren't you?" He nodded.

"Viggo knows I will work out that it's him...but he must have something important he wants to say," he said seriously. "And since it seems that Johann and Krogan are actually running things, he's taken a risk to contact me. I have to go." She glanced over at the Night Fury and Toothless gave a little coo, bowing his head slightly.

"Not alone," she said.

oOo

The island was small and relatively remote, one they had flown past a few times but which they knew didn't harbour any Hunter bases or caches so they largely ignored it. Toothless was skimming low over the sea, his wings wide and flapping only occasionally while Hiccup was hunched low over the saddle, his keen eyes seeing a low-lying roughly circular piece of land-mostly shattered rocks, trees and a few unpromising cliffs. Night had already fallen and only the pink afterglow was warming the horizon as Toothless neatly landed on a small cliff and walked them forward into the open forest, all senses straining.

It was quiet, no birds or insects and for a moment, Hiccup doubted the wisdom of his plan...but there was a part of him that admired the Dragon Hunter Chief and he knew that he needed to find out what Viggo was planning. He leaned forward.

"Toothless-keep your guard up," he murmured softly as they walked forward and the dragon's soft coo was answer enough. But as they entered a clearing, there was a flat-topped rock and on it was a Maces and Talons piece that Hiccup recognised. Toothless growled as a voice sounded, loud and confident.

"The Accomplice," Viggo announced. "One of the most important pieces in Maces and Talons, allowing a player to use an opponent's pieces for their own ends!" And the man emerged from the shadow of the trees, his eyes fixed on Hiccup and his expression amiable. Toothless growled and Hiccup felt himself tense, seeing the scars ravaging the left side of the man's face close up for the first time. The whited-out eye was shocking but Viggo's gaze remained intelligent and focussed. "You can certainly win without it-but with it, you can attain total victory!"

Without a pause, Toothless growled, his mouth filling with plasma-but as he fired, Viggo was also moving, his knife slashing down and releasing bolas which wrapped around the Night Fury's head, throwing the dragon back and tossing Hiccup from his seat. Rolling to a crouch, the young Rider locked his glare on the smug shape of Viggo drawing his sword with one swift and practiced motion. Immediately, the blade, coated with Monstrous Nightmare gel, ignited and Hiccup raised his sword, poised for battle.

"Stand down!" Viggo told him shortly but Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"I knew it was you," he told the older man calmly, though his heart was fluttering in his chest. Clapping ironically, Viggo's smug smile grew wider.

"I'm impressed," he patronised. "For once you're thinking a few moves ahead. However, I can't allow you to take too much credit. A false Terror Mail is not my most clever ruse...but time was of the essence..." Hiccup edged a few feet closer, his sword still raised with the shadows of the flames casting his features into sharp relief.

"Viggo...what do you want?" he asked impatiently and the other man raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"It appears Johann and Krogan have decided that I am expendable," he revealed and began to walk towards the dragon rider. "I was given false information about the location of a DragonEye lens and they attempted to drop a mountain on me. Luckily, I managed to escape."

Hiccup lowered his sword a fraction and glanced over at Toothless, who was wrestling to get the bola off his muzzle. Lucky was not the adjective he would have chosen.

"And you expect me to believe this?' he asked sarcastically. Viggo gave a martyred sigh.

"Believe it or not, it is the absolute truth. Can you imagine-the pain of betrayal, Hiccup?"

...Viggo was seated on Stormfly, behind Astrid with his left arm tight around her, trapping her helpless against his body with her own axe pressed hard against her neck. There was a look of anger in her beautiful face as she struggled...

...And then time slowed as the man's arm moved, the axe slicing deep into white skin, the brilliant red smearing the keen blade. Astrid's gasp was loud as Viggo moved, thrusting her body forward, the bloody axe dropping to the ground by her as she slumped, red pouring down her neck and chest...

"VIGGO!" Hiccup screamed, then lifted his sword and charged.