"So how many 'ave yer 'it now?" Alvin asked, chewing away at his leg of mutton and slurping from a large goblet of ale. Dagur munched away at his mutton, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Five, now," he gloated. "There won't be many more havens for the outlaws now. The last two have been cursing the outlaws for not giving themselves up and several farmers have offered to turn him in if they see him themselves!"

"Good," Alvin said thickly, "Because we can't 'it any more." Dagur looked up sharply, his face folding into a scowl.

"Why?"

"Because Berk ain't that big!" Alvin scowled. "And if we 'it many more villages, there won't be any citizens left ter grow food, cut wood or pay taxes!" He sighed. "I know yer enjoy destroying things, my friend, but I'm sure we can find better use fer yer talents." Dagur slammed his knife into the table and rose to his feet glaring.

"What exactly?" he breathed, furious. Alvin gave a yellow grin and drained his goblet.

"I think we need ter set eyes in the forest," he said thoughtfully. "There are so many peasants from so many places now fleeing from yer attacks that it should be much easier to slip a couple of yer men inter the forest among the refugees. And once in there, it should be simple ter find out where the outlaws 'ide-out is..."

"...and once we have their camp, I can wipe them out-and bring my brother to justice!" Dagur said, grabbing the flask and pouring half the wine straight down his throat. "To victory!"

"Don't count yer chickens until yer've stolen 'em!" Alvin growled and finished his meal.

oOo

Hiccup sighed, sitting at the edge of the forest and staring down towards the castle. He was shaded by a bush and his forest green eyes scanned over the battlements of his former home, seeing unfamiliar pennants flying from the flagpoles. He wondered who was sleeping in his room, how his friends among the servants were faring and how the castle was being run. And then he sagged. By all rights, it was his duty to protect the kingdom from harm and he had failed his father.

He hugged his arms around his legs and felt Toothless nuzzle against his shoulder. He had really considered handing himself in, especially when a new train of refugees trailed into the forest, clutching what pitiful possessions they still retained and cursing the raiders. But more and more of them were cursing him as well because the destruction was being carried out in his name. The fact they were stealing children as well just made the villagers more unsympathetic to the disinherited prince. He sighed again, rested his chin on his knees and wondered what his father would have done.

"You'll get caught if you keep coming here!" Gustav told him, throwing himself down by the outlaw. Hiccup looked up, his expression thoughtful.

"So will you, if you keep sneaking out without permission!" Hiccup reminded him, eyeing the younger teen carefully.

"Aww, Hiccup-I gotta keep showing you how awesome I am-or I'll never get that wolf of my own!" Gustav told him brashly. Hiccup sighed.

"Oh gods," he murmured.

Gustav had idolised Hiccup since the young Prince had taken pity on the young orphan and insisted he and his older sister were given places in the castle, education and security. Heather was a responsible and clever young woman who worked discreetly in the household but Gustav was reckless, brash and completely unable to consider the consequences of anything he did. He wanted to be like Hiccup-so he stole horses and tried to ride-falling off in the process; he tried to use the bow with disastrous results and he had attempted swordplay, breaking a valuable sword in the process. And no amount of scoldings or punishments would deter the teen from becoming exactly like his Prince. So he had fixated on getting a wolf cub like Hiccup-despite the fact that Hiccup had endured a terrible amount of pressure from his father to give the wild animal up and had spent countless hours in training and bonding with the animal-because he thought that having a wolf would be cool. And for some reason, he had the ridiculous idea that Hiccup would just go and find him a wolf cub when he was deemed to be worthy!

"Word is that the children are being shipped out soon," he murmured. Gustav shrugged.

"Yeah, that's bad,' he agreed. "Are we going to do something about it?" Hiccup nodded.

"Erm, have you heard anything from the Lady Astrid?" he asked hesitantly. Gustav laughed.

"Her?" he scoffed. "I don't like her at all! Honestly, she's really cool to all the servants and looks at you like dirt! And anyway, Lord Snotface is going to marry her so you have to be really careful in being near her in case he gets mad!"

"One, you'll get into trouble if you call him that in anyone else's hearing and two-what?" Hiccup shot back.

"Yeah-Snot is courting her really badly. It's hilarious!" Gustav snorted. "Wait! You've not got your eye on her have you, Hic? If you want to marry anyone, you should marry my sister! I know she's sweet on you-and then you'd be my brother and it would be really cool and we could come and live with you..."

"On the run in the forest," Hiccup finished in a depressed voice.

"Wait-are you a Prince or an outlaw now?" Gustav asked.

"One of those," Hiccup said quietly. "Gustav-shouldn't you be going back now?"

"Nah-I've got time 'coz I'm supposed to be out foraging for wild garlic and..."

"And you need to get going-because so I have to as well..." Hiccup said, slowly levering himself to his feet, then leaning forward to sternly grasp the teen's shoulder. He stared hard into the boy's grey eyes. "Gustav-please learn to keep your opinions to yourself-especially where nobles are concerned. Otherwise, I will end up having to snatch you from the block." He straightened up. "And you'll never get a wolf if you don't learn to control your tongue!" Gustav's eyes widened and he looked hurt...then he nodded.

"You can rely on me, Hic!" he said with a grin and raced off into the forest. Hiccup rubbed Toothless's head as he watched him vanish. The wolf gave a little growl.

"Yeah, I know, bud-he'll get himself killed before he ever learns to keep his mouth shut!" he sighed then he stared back at the castle. "Astrid-please-I really need your help," he murmured.

oOo

Astrid collapsed back onto her bed and kicked her satin court slippers off. She had just endured a very trying dinner with Lord Snotlout-who believed that bigger was better, even where intimate romantic dinners were concerned. So a meal which should've been the two of them over a couple of well-prepared courses with preferably a minstrel picking away at his lute had been a twelve course roast dinner with eight of Snotlout's friends, seven different beers and a full orchestra blasting away. Chances of romantic wooing: nil. Fortunately, chances of having to listen to Snotlout's inane self-absorbed tirade: nil also.

Astrid closed her eyes. She had a headache from the orchestra (very poor quality and loud), from the raucous shouts as Snotlout and his friends had run a ferocious drinking contest and the appalling quality of wine. They had now had two dates (because Snotlout was counting the axe contest) and Snotlout had started to expect kisses on every encounter-which she had steadfastly refused to supply, offering her hand for a very unromantic shake. However, she had been listening to the guards as she had practiced in the axe range earlier and she was waiting when the neat shape of Lady Heather came into her room.

"You requested me, Lady Hofferson?" she said calmly, her grey eyes wary. Heather knew that most of the visitors to the castle despised her because it was no secret that she was of very mean birth, elevated by the Prince to her current position. She was granted the title 'Lady Heather' which just added to the resentment of the other staff who knew that she was a nobody just like them. Her slender shape was clothed in a plain smoky blue gown and her glossy jet hair was neatly knotted at the back of her head. Astrid sat up, staring at her directly.

"Heather, a friend who lives in the forest said that I was to speak to you if I had information for him," she said. Heather's eyes widened and then she lowered them again, clasping her hands neatly in front of her waist.

"You must be mistaken, my Lady," she said politely. "I know no one who could possibly..." Astrid's eyes narrowed and she was about to snap at the girl when she recalled that anyone could be listening -and that Heather may not have many friends among the servants.

"I was mistaken," she sighed. "I apologise." She lay back and tugged her long golden hair from her braid, pulling the long strands loose over her silver gown. "I was just so distressed to hear that those poor unfortunate children in the cells-the ones who were so horribly taken to pay for the actions of that outlaw-will be taken from their cells at dusk tomorrow and walked to the port, to be taken on a slaver ship! Poor youngsters-what a horrible fate, to be sold at a Meathead Market and never see their families again! I am just so upset that no one will do anything to save them..." She sighed dramatically and looked at Heather through her eyelashes. "I am sorry to waste your time, Lady Heather." She smiled and closed her eyes as she heard the girl turned and quietly let herself out of the room. Her hand snaked up to the little axe pendant around her neck and she smiled.

"Over to you, mister outlaw," she murmured.

oOo

Dagur was grumbling and his temper was short. He had been assigned by Alvin to ensure that the children made it safely to the port: usually Sven the Silent acted as their agent for the slaves but the Lord had taken to his Manor and hadn't been in the town for weeks. And worse, he had stopped answering Alvin's messages. Angered, the Sheriff of Berkingham had negotiated directly with the Meathead slavers and had cut out the middleman completely-and increased his profits by a tidy margin. The slaves would leave from Berkingham Port, down the cliffs from the town and all that had to be done was to deliver the slaves safely to the Port. So Alvin, who was anticipating a fat profit from the sale of the slaves, wasn't leaving anything to chance and had assigned Dagur and his men to escort them.

For Dagur, the whole fun of the process was attacking and burning the villages, rather than the very dull financial side of things. He hated children, loathed the town of Berkingham and wanted to kill something-preferably in the next hour or so. In fact, the only attraction on the mission was the small possibility of encountering Hiccup, who had been rather reticent of late and had not come racing in every time a village was attacked.

The Berserk Lord cast his cold pale green glare across the cargo: over a hundred children, dressed in rags and grubby. All of them were tear-streaked and barefoot and very, very scared. Varying from about four years in age to mid teens, the children were cowed and confused: no one understood why they had been taken away, locked up or why they were now being forced in chains from their cells and out towards the gates of Berkingham Castle. It was getting dark and it was cold and the frost was already settling in. A humane person would have sympathised with their plight: Dagur was just irritated by their snivelling. So he cracked his whip and his men shoved the kids along. There were sobs and cries and he wheeled his horse around to face them:

"LISTEN!" he shouted, drawing his sword. "Any noise and I will chop to pieces the person who annoys me. IS THAT CLEAR?"

Three small children immediately burst into tears and Dagur almost exploded in rage. He galloped at the nearest one, a small boy with scruffy red hair but a skinny older boy raced forward and snatched the small child away, shushing him. The sword whisked over their heads and Dagur wheeled around, raising his arm to swipe at them again.

An arrow almost took his head off and he ducked, screaming "OUTLAWS!" The children all began crying and huddled together as arrows peppered the ground near the Berserker. "SHOOT THEM!" he bellowed as his men all lined up and began firing wildly across the village towards the forest. Arrows peppered roofs, walls, doors and the ground. Anyone wandering around dived for cover as more arrows arched down from the shadows on the edge of the forest. Dagur roared in fury and sent his men racing after the attackers.

"IS THIS THE BEST YOU CAN DO, BROTHER?" Dagur screamed into the darkness, thoroughly disappointed at the tepid attempt to rescue the children. "You UTTER coward! Leaving this kids to face their fate and you hide in the darkness and just fire a few arrows at us! Gods, THAT'S PATHETIC!" He wheeled around and gestured to his four remaining men to herd the terrified children down the hill. He snapped a bolt into his crossbow and pointed the crossbow at the children.

"Move!" he hissed. Heads down, hands clamped together for comfort, the children walked down the hill, along the rough stony path to the edge of the cliffs and the long ramp down to the docks. Many were limping and the men shouted and threatened them so they didn't dare slow. Finally, Dagur reached the heavy, ugly boat that was moored at the docks. The Meathead flag was hanging limply from the mast and the Captain, a husky man in leather tunic with his enclosing helm that completely hid his face nodded.

"This the cargo?" he growled.

"Yes-now get rid of these brats before I start killing them!" Dagur snarled. The Captain folded his thick arms.

"That'd reduce the fee," he replied gruffly. Dagur rolled his eyes.

"BORING!" he shouted. "Come on-get those little runts on board before I completely lose my temper!" The men shoved the children on board and the crew herded them down into the Hold. The Captain drummed his fingers on the side of the ship.

"One hundred and twelve," he said.

"Whatever," Dagur growled and extended his hand. "Now-it's time you paid me." The Captain nodded and his first mate hobbled forward, half-bent as he struggled carrying a small wooden chest. He handed it over carefully to his Captain with a nod.

"I think you'll find everything you're due," he said and Dagur leaned forward to grab it, then wrenched the lid off-to show a pile of stones. He looked up-to see the first mate straighten up, his bow aiming straight at his heart. Hiccup's green eyes gleamed in the flickering light of the torches, the cap covering his auburn hair slipping back.

"In fact, probably more than you're due," he added. The other crewmen had already cut the lines and had pushed the boat away from the mooring.

"BROTHER! How DARE you...you..." Dagur spluttered, almost beyond words. Hiccup grinned.

"Is this pathetic enough for you?" he asked with a triumphant smirk. "I'm stealing the children, the fee and this ship. And don't ever forget, Dagur-whatever you steal, I will STEAL IT BACK!" Dagur gaped and reached for his crossbow, but Hiccup's arrow buried in his hand and he screamed, snatching it to his chest. He looked around: a dozen of the crew all had bows aiming at him and his very depleted company of men.

"I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!" Dagur screamed. Hiccup lifted another arrow and dipped the tip in the torch, aiming upward.

"In what?" he taunted the Berserker, pulling back the arrow and firing. Dagur watched in horror as the flaming arrow arched overhead and landed on the deck of the flagship, tied at the next mooring. Instantly, flames began to flicker and grow. Dagur stared for a long moment.

"Put it out!" he screamed and his men turned-as the flames spread to the sail. Hiccup watched, chuckling, as the men forgot about the retreating outlaws and the stolen children and ship and tried to put out the flames. But they had already taken hold-because the deck had been soaked in mead and tar by Hiccup's men before they had boarded the slave ship and captured the crew. The outlaw felt no regret in burning his father's flagship-because he knew it would be used against Stoick if he ever returned to Berk.

"Give my regards to Alvin!" Hiccup shouted as the boat swung away and out to sea.

"HICCUP!" Dagur screamed at the retreating shape. "I WILL EAT YOUR HEART!"

oOo

Astrid tried not to smile when she heard the news. Alvin was said to be raging and Dagur had wrecked the armoury and had been rumoured to have thrown three of his men into the harbour. The flagship had been wrecked, the charred hulk sinking in the harbour and blocking the prime moorings for good measure. Spitelout, Snotlout, Alvin and Dagur were all holed up in the Hall for a conference over whose fault it had been so she changed into her training gear and made her way down to the stables to go riding.

The scruffy groom had already brushed and saddled her horse and meekly offered her his hands to help her into the saddle, rather than having to use the mounting-block. She nodded briskly and grasped the saddle, resting her boot on his hands and accepting the boost up. She scooched into position and grabbed the reins. The groom paused then looked up at her.

"Wow. He was right-you really don't pay servants any attention!" he commented. Her head snapped round to meet Hiccup's amused green gaze, his face grimy and a dirty hood shadowing his features.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "You are in danger!"

"So are you!" he hissed back. "If you don't pay attention to what is happening around you, you may be spied on, kidnapped or murdered-Milady!" She glared at him.

"I can take care of myself!" she hissed back. He bowed his head quickly as a guard walked by, his shoulders hunching and posture changing to look like a starving peasant.

"I'm sorry, Milady," he said in a humble voice as the man glared at him, then lunged forward and cuffed him roughly round the head. He flinched and staggered at the blow.

"Don't backchat your betters, scum!" the guard sneered and strode on. Hiccup grimaced then looked up.

"By the way-thanks," he murmured as he grasped the bridle and led the horse to the door of the stall. "The children are safely on their way back to their parents, the money that would have been paid for them has been handed on to the villagers as well-and we now have a ship at our disposal." She sat upright in the saddle as he led her horse sedately towards the main gates.

"What about the crew?" she asked softly. He managed a small smile.

"They were picked up by a fishing boat this morning, floating on a makeshift raft on the opposite side of the island," he answered, ducking his head as another guard walked by. Astrid kicked her heels into the horse's flanks and the walk quickened. "Hey-not fair!" Hiccup mumbled.

"So are you going into piracy?" she asked him sharply. He stole a glance up at her and gave a small shake of the head.

"Got enough on my schedule with banditry, theft and treason," he told her sarcastically. "I'd need a bigger gang for piracy as well."

"I guess the Prince will be happy to outlaw some more recruits for you," she shot back, missing the pain in his eyes as she used his title for his treacherous Uncle.

"Can't wait," he muttered, walking slowly under the gatehouse. "How's Snottykins?" She smiled.

"Oh, still an idiot!" she said smugly. "Besides-he doesn't stand a chance. I prefer my men lanky, auburn and outlawed!" He swung his gaze up for a moment to inspect her smiling face.

"I am flattered, Milady...as long as you use your eyes and watch everyone around you carefully," he said in a low voice as they crossed the main thoroughfare and began up the hill. "By the way, I prefer my women blonde, feisty and axe-wielding." Then he bowed and let her bridle go as she accelerated to a trot and headed for the forest. Then he continued walking up past the next house and ducked into the alley behind, hunkering down by Gustav. He dragged his hood off and stared at the teen. Gustav was looking worried.

"News?" Hiccup asked him gently, seeing the boy looking very nervous.

"They suspect someone in the castle betrayed the time of the slave transfer to you," he whispered. "So it's gonna be harder to get out now." Hiccup nodded.

"There's more?" he guessed. Gustav nodded wildly.

"Alvin and Spitelout were furious at the loss of the fees for the children-so they are hitting the northern manors for heavy new taxes. And this time they will be targeting the Lords and knights as well!" he reported. "Especially Scauldron Bay." Hiccup frowned and turned head to look up the hill towards the forest-and the rider vanishing between the trees.

"And Astrid's father," he realised.