Hiccup did wake up sometime in the night, and his first thought was to eat the food Astrid had brought, but his stomach was still in knots from seeing the tail fin, and he didn't feel up to eating anything at all.

Then again, it wouldn't last long while it wasn't stored properly. Tonight was probably the only time he'd have a chance to eat it.

He sat up slowly, testing his limits, making sure to keep his back to the tail fin. He took the package out from under the pallet and unwrapped it. To his surprise, his stomach roared with hunger even though it was pitch black in the basement and he could barely see a thing. He took a tentative bite, swallowed, and waited. Nothing happened. He took another bite. Still nothing. If anything, his stomach was calmed by the presence of food. Encouraged, Hiccup bolted the rest of it down until there wasn't anything left but the cloth, then lay back down on his pallet and closed his eyes, falling asleep within seconds.

***

Magnus' heavy tread on the stairs woke him up. He snapped his eyes open, instantly on edge. Normally, the jailer called Hiccup to him, not bothering to go downstairs himself. But the fact that he was doing it now only further solidified Hiccup's belief that, for some reason, Magnus wasn't done yet. Despite the beating last night and offering proof of the carnage he'd caused with the family of Night Furies, he wasn't done.

Hiccup lifted himself to a sitting position, wincing at the pain in his ribs. The manacles on his wrists clinked and rattled. The sound cleared his mind the rest of the way. Of course Magnus came downstairs, because Hiccup was unable to even reach the stairs with the chains on. He was probably coming to unlock the manacles so he could get Hiccup upstairs and boss him around even further. Joy.

Sure enough, Magnus' hands were empty of anything but the key to the chains. "Up," he barked. Hiccup stood, wondering when Magnus unlocked the chains holding him to the wall but not the manacles on his wrists. Like most strange things Magnus did, however, his reasoning revealed itself soon enough. This was part of his punishment.

"You're staying home today," Magnus informed him. Home? No, this wasn't home. Berk was home. Gobber's smithy was home. This was a prison. "After you make my breakfast, I want the floors and windows cleaned and polished, the house dusted, chamber pots emptied, dishes clean, wood chopped and in the hearth, laundry done, and my weapons sharpened." He leaned in close to Hiccup's face suddenly, grabbing the chains to keep him from jumping away. "If my finger doesn't bleed when I touch the blades, I'll whip you into next week."

Hiccup nodded quickly, trying to avoid figuring out who those weapons might be used on in the near future, and followed Magnus up the stairs into the kitchen. He set about making the usual, ignoring the way his stomach was eating itself inside out. The jailer glared at him and he pressed his stomach into the edge of the counter to muffle the sound. He made sure the eggs were cooked completely this time, even though it took longer than usual, a fact that Magnus clearly didn't appreciate. When Hiccup put the plate down at his place, Magnus made him stand on the other side of the table and watch him eat. Hiccup obeyed quietly, keeping the majority of his focus on the grain in the table, and not on the way Magnus was savoring each bite, purposefully moving slower than a handicapped snail, rubbing it in his face. When he was finally done, Hiccup took the empty dishes and put them in the sink to clean later.

Magnus grabbed his helmet in one hand, then rushed over to Hiccup and grabbed his neck suddenly with the other, pinning him against the wall. "Remember, boy. Anything not done when I get back, anything at all—" his huge paw squeezed Hiccup's throat hard. Hiccup choked and gasped, clawing at Magnus' hand to relieve the pressure on his airway. All he got for his trouble, though, was a fist to the ribs when Magnus put down his helmet for a moment. "Understand?" the jailer growled, continuing to tighten his grip as a warning.

Hiccup nodded frantically, unable to summon words, trying to breathe. Magnus dropped him, then picked up his helmet and left the house.

Slowly, Hiccup eased himself to his hands and knees, looking up to make sure Magnus was gone. The house was empty.

Over the next few hours, Hiccup somehow managed to remember everything he was supposed to do. When he went out in the back to chop the wood for the fireplace, he looked around for Astrid, but she wasn't anywhere in sight. It was probably for the best. He really didn't want to find out what the jailer's wrath would entail tonight should he fail.

Finally, just before Magnus was due home, Hiccup finished with the last of the chores. And not a moment too soon. Mere seconds after he hung up the last of Magnus' newly sharpened weapons, their owner marched in the door.

"Boy!" came the inevitable bark from the living room. Hiccup took as much time as he could afford to calm his racing heart and dashed to where Magnus stood by the table. The jailer scowled and glared at just about everything, scrutinizing the house with his cold, beady eyes. After about a minute of this, he spoke. "You finished?" He sounded mildly surprised. And disappointed.

"Yes, sir," Hiccup replied.

"Everything?" Magnus pressed, but he held his ground, nodding firmly.

"Hmm," was the jailer's only reply. With a brusque wave of his hand, he sent Hiccup down to the basement. Hiccup sat in the corner, as far from the stairs, from Magnus, as he could get. Was it possible he'd just done something right in Magnus' eyes? Had he just accidentally pleased him?

Another call made him jump, snapping him out of his reverie. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, with Magnus looming at the top end. "I'm going on a fishing trip tomorrow. It'll be an all-day kind of thing."

A whole day without Magnus anywhere on Berk? Sweet!

"And you're coming with me."

Crap.

***

Hiccup wasn't even awake when Magnus decided it was time to go that morning. Granted, the sun wasn't anywhere close to coming up yet, which explained Magnus having to kick him awake, but it made the hour of their departure all the more strange.

"Stay quiet," Magnus hissed as they left the house. "And keep close." The jailer led the way down to the docks where a small ship, barely big enough for five people, sat in harbor. There was no fishing equipment to be seen, unless it was below deck. But Hiccup doubted it. Why would Magnus keep him penned away on Berk for all these years and then suddenly take him on a fishing trip like they were old buddies? It didn't make any sense.

"Get in the boat," Magnus ordered, but Hiccup hesitated. "What's going on?"

His question fell on deaf ears. "I said get in the boat!" the jailer snarled, grabbing his arm and yanking him aboard. The anchor was lifted quickly and they set off, seemingly for a good fishing spot.

Time passed and Hiccup knew they weren't close to Berk anymore. Magnus' boat seemed hugely dwarfed by the foaming seas around them. At least the weather was good.

But Magnus didn't stop to fish. And he still didn't.

Hiccup looked around for anything that might clue him in to what was going on. All he saw was rope, chains, and a few weapons.

And then it all made horrible, horrible sense and his heart began to beat frantically with terror. The ropes might be for tending to the sails, but the chains were definitely going to be used on him. As for the weapons, Hiccup didn't even want to know what Magnus was planning to do with those. Were . . . were they going to be used to kill him? Thor almighty, was Magnus planning to truss him up in the chains, stab a knife in his back and throw him overboard? He wasn't tied up at the moment; maybe he could swim back home. But Hiccup spotted a long spear amidst the pile of weapons Magnus had brought and knew he probably wouldn't get very far. Even if he survived that, there were dragons, sharks, jellyfish, whirlpools, tsunamis to figure in—anything could happen! Not to mention that the jailer would get back to Berk way before he did—if he did—and then he'd have to deal with a very, very, very angry Magnus.

Maybe it was better to stay in the boat. But his eyes kept wandering over to that pile of weapons and he had a feeling he knew what was coming. Stay in the boat, Magnus kills me. Leave the boat, get eaten by something.

Not exactly the choices he was hoping for.

He watched very closely as Magnus went up to the weapons, picked up the spear and came towards him. His heart almost stopped. He knew Magnus well enough by now that the man wasn't about to get him up on his feet and teach him spear-fishing.

He had no other option. He had to jump. Better an extremely small chance of living than no chance at all. Throwing all caution to the wind, praying desperately for luck, Hiccup leaped to his feet and bolted over the far side of the ship.

The cold waves smacked him in the face, and he could just make out Magnus' roar of fury over the water rushing into his ears. Bubbles drifted up past him, tickling his cheeks. He stroked downward as fast as he could, hoping to get out of range before Magnus could use the spear to finish him off. Far below, he spotted the form of what looked like a Scauldron. The end that was probably the head twisted up to look at him curiously for a moment, then decided it wasn't that interested and swam after a school of fish.

Hiccup let out a sharp cry as something sharp and needle-like stabbed him in the back of his left shoulder. He tried swimming away, at first thinking that whatever had attacked him had only brushed past him, but when the pain only increased, he knew he was stuck. And then it started tugging on him. Magnus was reeling him in, like a fish on a hook.

Seconds later, his head breached the surface of the water and Magnus' hand just about ripped his scalp off pulling him back onto the boat.

"Stupid worthless creature!" Magnus yelled, slamming his boot in Hiccup's ribs. Hiccup tucked his knees in close, ignoring the pain, head down, and waited for the jailer to finish another in a long series of rage fits.

***

By the time Magnus was done, Hiccup was covered in bruises from head to toe. His entire body ached from the beating, but his shoulder felt like it was about to fall off. The harpoon was still in there; Hiccup knew it had to come out if the wound was to be treated, but he dreaded it.

He stood with his back against the mast, his arms wrapped around it and his hands in irons behind him. He was leaning to the side a little, trying to keep his injured shoulder from touching anything.

Magnus walked over, at first passing him by, but the jailer quickly got fed up with the harpoon constantly in the way, and in anger ripped the barbed harpoon out of his prisoner's shoulder.

Hiccup screamed. His back was almost instantly wet with blood, and his legs buckled, bringing him to his knees, a move that shouldn't have hurt that much, but was actually really, really painful. Something was definitely wrong with his legs. Magnus dropped the harpoon next to him, and his vision started to spin wildly when he saw that much of his own blood outside his body.

Blackness.

***

When Hiccup woke up again, his left arm felt like it was hanging by a thread and his head was pounding. He blinked his eyes open, slowly, to get used to the bright light, but there was none. Almost. The sun hadn't quite set below the horizon yet. If he had turned around, he would have been nearly blinded by the bright orange ball of flame in the sky. The boat rocked and made scraping noises, sending bolts of pain through his left ankle. Maybe they'd hit shallower waters.

Behind him, Magnus tossed the anchor into the water, then marched over to him. Hiccup felt himself cringing away, hating the habit of it. Magnus freed him from the mast, but kept his wrists bound by the manacles, clipping a long chain to them.

"Let's go," the jailer said gruffly. He yanked hard on the leash and Hiccup stumbled forward, falling to his knees, his ankle throbbing painfully. He knew instinctively it would not hold his weight. "I can't walk on this!" he protested.

Magnus turned and booted him in the ribs. "Well, you'll have to. I'm not carrying you."

And I wish you wouldn't. Somehow, Hiccup made it to his feet, but his ankle was definitely not in the mood to be cooperating. He limped over to the side of the ship, then paused, unsure of how to get down without injuring himself further.

Magnus, of course, didn't like this one bit. He jerked the chain in the direction he wanted to go, already scanning the area, the weapons he'd brought with him stashed over his shoulder. The movement made Hiccup lose his already questionable balance and he tumbled over the side into the water. Fortunately, he landed in the soft, wet sand on the beach and not a coral reef or something. He crawled up the shore to where Magnus stood waiting. And scowling.

"Hurry up!" the jailer snapped when his captive got to his feet again. He started walking into the forest so fast, Hiccup had trouble getting a good look at his surroundings. All he saw were trees, trees, and more trees. The occasional rock. He didn't have a clue where they were going, but Magnus seemed to know. He stomped on, either oblivious to or pointedly ignoring the way Hiccup was favoring his leg and trying not to move his bad shoulder, which was still oozing blood at a slow but constant rate.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, the two came to a small clearing that was surrounded on all sides by a thick, impenetrable woodland. Putting his on-the-go-armory on the ground, the jailer forced Hiccup against a tree and tied his hands behind the trunk again. Now Hiccup was really nervous. Magnus seemed to be trying to get rid of him, but if he knew Magnus, he knew he wasn't just going to tie him up and walk away. What else could the weapons be for?

As that chilling thought sunk in and the sky continued to darken, Hiccup couldn't shake the thought that they weren't alone on this island. That they were being watched.

***

A few paces away, hidden in the dense forest, a dragon scout sat watching the two humans, eyeing the taller one with particular suspicion. This Terrible Terror, named Twig, hadn't ever seen humans before, but she recalled the stories bigger dragons had told about Viking encounters and figured that this was what she was looking at now.

One more thing: regular Vikings didn't smell nearly this bad. The choking stench of dragon blood forced Twig to breathe only through her mouth so her nose wouldn't be plagued by that horrible smell. Only one Viking smelled this bad. The Alpha would definitely not be pleased.

Surveying the scene, the Terror watched the large man—she was pretty sure it was Magnus—drop what he was carrying and push the smaller human up against a tree. The small one was restrained and the man began to make a fire.

"What are we doing here?" the small one asked. There was blood running down the back of his arm and his foot looked twisted the wrong way.

Yes, Twig wondered. What are you doing on an island that's been claimed solely by dragons for centuries? Why do you come now?

"You're being banished," the man stated.

The boy's eyes widened in shock. "Why?! I haven't done anything!"

The man whirled around to a standing position, glaring at his prisoner. "Oh, yes, you have. You've undermined my authority countless times and incited a rebellion against me. I'd say mutiny is a good excuse for banishment, eh?"

Mutiny against The Destroyer? This kid's got guts!

"I didn't plan that!" the boy cried. "And I can't be perfect for you all the time! People mess up!"

The man continued to stare him down. "So if you didn't plan the rebellion, who did?"

The boy, now as pale as a Snow Wraith's scales, hesitated. That was all it took for the man to rush forward, grab him by the neck, and rip him away from the tree. The boy tried to get up and run, but between his shoulder and his ankle, he couldn't even make it to his knees.

The man grabbed a mace from his pile of belongings and began to beat his prisoner with it. The boy screamed in fear and pain but refused to answer the question.

Horrified by what she was witnessing, Twig gripped the branch she was perched on hard, giving her claws something to do other than fly over there and rip the man's throat out. That would make the Alpha happy, a dead Magnus. Then again, she'd probably get herself killed doing it, which would not make him happy. She couldn't fly away, that would get the man's attention and possibly draw him to the herd. She couldn't call out to her fellow scouts, either. That would give the man time to get ready for a fight, one that he would probably win.

Trapped, Twig could only watch as the man beat his captive senseless. The boy's cries grew fainter and weaker. Still the man went on, determined to get an answer to his question.

Flames above, he's going to kill him! Twig thought, her heart going out to the boy. She didn't care what he'd been banished for; no one deserved this kind of death. There was only one thing to do, one thing that might save him.

She made sure to move only when the boy screamed, so there was a loud noise distracting the man from the rustling of the tree branches whenever she moved. At last, she was far enough away to fly. Quickly, she spread her wings and zipped back to the herd as fast as she could for reinforcements.

***

Hey, guys. Just letting you know it might be a while before my next update. I mean, not that the wait was any shorter before, but our cat, Starlette, just died a few days ago, I think from kidney failure. I don't want to go into the details lest I start crying again, but long story short, she was one of the best things that ever happened to my family, and I just don't feel like writing with her loss still hanging over my shoulder. She was really old, partially deaf, and she loved us to bits. She was basically an angel in disguise.

I will keep writing this story, never fear, but I just need some time to let St. Starlette go. R.I.P., Your Majesty.