Thirty: The Gamble

The hammering on the door slowly broke through the warm darkness and Hiccup wearily opened his eyes. He was snuggled up and around Astrid, limbs tangled, her head resting peacefully against his shoulder. His mind was still muzzy with sleep and he still felt tired, thought he was warm and relaxed. The stray rays of sun spilled under the door, golden and bright, telling him they had definitely overslept. Blinking owlishly, he moved slightly and felt her naked arm slide over his chest as she made a small humming noise and burrowed her head further into his neck.

Naked?

Oh. OH!

His eyes snapped open and he twisted his head to inspect Astrid, lying in his arms, her long golden hair strewn carelessly over her shoulders and the pillow. There was a small smile lifting her mouth and he felt his own lips curving in a fond smile at the sight of his wife and the little silver ring gleaming in her hand.

His wife. Thor in Asgard, it was real! He had married Astrid Hofferson.

The hammering on the door sounded again and he groaned, slowly disentangling himself from Astrid and sliding out from under the furs, goosebumps prickling his pale skin as he grabbed the topmost blanket and wrapped it around his lean shape, walking across the cold floor to the door and carefully unlatching it...to see the grinning face of Gustav.

"Morning, lover-boy!" the teen greeted him far too cheerfully. Hiccup peered out to see the remains of a bonfire just in front of the house and a selection of Vikings wheeling carts and carrying supplies as they went about their daily tasks. One hand clamped firmly around the blanket, he rubbed his eyes with the other and yawned hugely.

"Gustav, why are you here?" he asked tiredly. "I got married yesterday evening..." The black-haired teen grinned unrepentantly.

"I know-I was there!" he admitted. "And the village is still gossiping about how Phlegma punched out Roar Arvidson! Mildew has been telling anyone who will listen that it's a disgrace and you shouldn't be allowed to marry or stay in the village. And Knut the Disappointing is making some horrible comments about Astrid..." That had Hiccup's eyes focussing on the half-grown teen and frowning.

"And while the Berk grapevine isn't completely fascinating, that isn't why you're here," he told Gustav sarcastically.

"No-Gobber said to say this to you word for word...so you know this isn't me," the boy replied urgently and then frowned, thinking hard. "He said...Much as ah like tae think o' meh apprentice gettin' his oats after his wedding, there is a raid tonight so if he could see tae fitting in some work intae his busy schedule, I'd be verra grateful..." Hiccup stared at him, blushed fiercely and sighed.

"Oh Gods," he groaned. "What time is it?"

"About an hour or two at most to noon," Gustav grinned. "I'm helping Gobber at the moment but to be honest, I think I may be causing more hinderance than help. Blacksmithing is a lot more complicated than it looks! All Gobber said you had to do was pound hot metal." Hiccup managed a smile.

"He does say that...but the trick is pounding the metal in the right place," he admitted. "Something that took me years to learn. Tell him I'll be down shortly...and just before sunset, I need you and the guys in the Cove. Tonight during the raid, I'm going to show the village what we can do." Gustav saluted him. "You don't have to salute me," Hiccup commented tiredly.

"No-but I really want to!" the boy grinned and ran off, leaving Hiccup to close the door and turn round...to meet the amused azure gaze of his wife.

"Morning, Milady," he said gently as she smiled, beckoning him towards her with a finger.

"Come back to bed, babe-I'm getting cold," she invited him and he eagerly slid under the furs next to her, wrapping his cold limbs around her. "AARGH! Your feet are freezing!" she protested as he hugged her close, slyly sliding a cold foot up and down her shin. She shrieked in shock. "You are in so much trouble..." she promised him as he kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

"Worth it," he admitted, burying his nose in her hair. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat for a long moment before sighing.

"Time to get up?" she asked in resigned tone and he nodded.

"Raid's tonight and Gobber will need some help in the shop...but we need to see the dragons and check Toothless is willing to help," he sighed as she lifted her head and kissed him.

"He will. And it will work. Never fear," she assured him. "Look-you've done things no one has done before. Odin-they're things no one even dreamed of doing...but you did. You notice things and work things out that I could never manage." She sat up gently and looked proudly down into his eyes. "And I couldn't be more proud."

And somehow the words, spoken with clarity and absolute certainty, filled his chest with warmth. They were words his father had said to him all too infrequently until he had given up on his son completely; the words his mentor had hardly ever said to him, no matter how well he worked-but his new wife, the woman he loved with all his heart, had said exactly what he needed to hear. She really was his rock, his strength and all the support he needed.

"Thanks, Milady," he said with genuine happiness as he leaned forward to gently kiss her forehead-before he pulled the furs off them and got up.

It was different, getting dressed with Astrid after retrieving their clothes from where they had tossed them the previous night. Hiccup was self-conscious, aware he was far from the ideal Viking shape but Astrid hadn't been repulsed by him. Well, not the previous night at least-though perhaps drunk on mead and the emotions of the day, she hadn't really been analysing what she had purchased. He slid his tunic on swiftly, half-turned away from her, though he had blushed as she had unselfconsciously clambered out of bed and stooped to retrieve her bindings. The sight of her toned and perfect shape, expertly winding the fabric around her chest sent shivers down his spine and he blushed, looking hastily away as she caught his stunned stare.

"Are you blushing?" she asked him, dragging her tunic on and he nodded wordlessly, fastening the ties on his leggings.

"Um...never really had a proper look..." he mumbled, staring away. There was a pause and her hand found his cheek, drawing him round to look at her.

"You like what you see?" she checked and he nodded.

"Um...like a dream," he admitted. "You are perfect, Astrid." She kissed him gently.

"And you are-for me," she reminded him. "Now are we about to have Gobber hammering on the door next?" He pulled his boots on.

"Thor, I hope not," he smiled. "I'll see you an hour before sunset?" She nodded.

"But first-my youngsters need weapons practice," she told him and he smiled, pecked a kiss on her cheek and headed out the door as she gently retrieved and folded her one and only precious dress, ready to be stowed safely away once more.

He tried to nod and look happy at the ribald shouts and waves from Vikings who had spent the last three years insulting him or casually abusing him when they came to the forge but he felt uncomfortable at their generous estimations of how his night had gone. And Gobber was no better when he arrived in the forge.

"Afternoon," the blacksmith commented, hammering Mildew's plough. "Good of you tae visit me today!"

"Haha! Hilarious," Hiccup shot back, grabbing his leather apron. "Can't a man even have a lie in after his wedding? I was rather busy last night..."

"Dragons aren't gonnae care," Gobber reminded him. "We need as many weapons repaired as we can get, lad. Can yer manage that?" Hiccup nodded.

"Only if you promise not to ask me any questions about how things went," he said firmly. "I mean, Gobber-the embarrassment may seriously cause me to burst into flames-and that would really back up the orders!" Gobber looked at him appraisingly and then nodded.

"All I'm gonna ask, lad, is was she smiling?" he said thoughtfully. Hiccup gave a small, secret smile and then nodded.

"Yes," he managed and Gobber gave an approving grunt.

"Good job, Hiccup," he said professionally and then turned back to his hammering.

oOo

The temperature had dropped appreciably towards sunset and the clouds were lowering but Gothi had estimated it wouldn't snow so the raid was very likely to happen. Hiccup was taut and twitchy-so much so that Gobber had pulled him aside and tried to ask him what was wrong.

"Okay-spill!" he had growled at his apprentice. "Something is wrong. You're almost jumping around..."

"M-me?" Hiccup tried with a false laugh. "Gobber, I-I..."

"Lad, I wasnae born yesterday..." the two-limbed Viking said gruffly. "Yer hiding something!" His piercing blue eyes fixed on the lean shape and Hiccup signed. This had always been a risk.

"Yeah..." he admitted. "Gobber...I have a plan to help with the raid. And I guarantee, there are no crazy inventions involved. I mean, it would hardly help everyone if I blew up the village, would it?"

"Not what yer thought before," Gobber mumbled. Hiccup rolled his eyes tiredly.

"And as usual, everyone in this village has the longest memory possible for any mistake or transgression but never recalls anything good I ever did," Hiccup shot back. "I mean, one of my inventions is on half the houses in the village, preventing them burning down...but does anyone ever mention it or say-'well done, Hiccup'? No! But none of my inventions are involved in this plan. At all."

"Better not be," the blacksmith grumbled. "You cleared all that trash out..." Hiccup paused and then looked honestly into his mentor's eyes.

"I promise I am only trying to help the village and prevent the raids causing harm," he said quietly. "Gobber-a dragon took and killed my Mom. Dragons killed the Hoffersons and left Astrid alone and homeless. And a dragon took Astrid...I want this war over more than anyone. You have to believe me...no matter what Mildew and the Jorgensens say..." Gobber patted his shoulder and nodded.

"Lad-after what yer've done recently, I have no doubt that yuir the future of this village," he said. "I'll support yer, don't worry. And I'll cover fer yer when yer do whate'er yer plan tae." He winked. "Now go and spend some time with yer lassie before night falls. Yer never know what may happen in a raid!"

"Thanks," Hiccup agreed, a shiver running down his spine at the ominous words and raced up the hill, heading into the forest, unaware that cold blue eyes were watching him from the borders of the forest. Nods were exchanged.

"He always comes this way," Else said coolly. "Every evening-usually with Astrid. Snot tracked him loads of times to this point. And then he vanishes into the deeps of Raven Point."

"This time, he won't be trying to evade your idiot brother," Spitelout growled. "This time, he's facing me!" And he sprinted off quietly after the skinny shape, his powerful form easily matching the younger man as he moved swiftly and assuredly through the undergrowth along a faint but well-worn trail. And then, as the trail dipped down below the level of the ridge he was sprinting along, Spitelout saw his opportunity, diving to slam into the young man, bearing him to the ground and pinning him, a heavy knife raised in his meaty fist. Hiccup's eyes widened on fear as he recognised the man pinning him down. In his childhood, his Uncle had been one of his harshest critics-especially since he was trying to promote his own son to Hiccup's place. So Spitelout had ruthlessly undermined the young man for years throughout his childhood, frequently supplementing the vicious words with equally vicious beatings until the man scared Hiccup as few others did. So he fought with all his might, writhing and thrashing, trying to ignore his shoulder and back wounds from the fight-to no avail.

"Hello, boyo," Spitelout menaced, the knife gleaming in the dull light. "Remember me?"

"Wow, Uncle-if you wanted to congratulate me on my marriage, you just had to say 'hi' in the Plaza!" Hiccup managed, though his mouth was dry. Spitelout's pallid blue eyes were remote and very scary.

"You and that Hofferson bitch got my son outcast," the man growled and Hiccup managed to grab his wrist and hold the knife away from his body.

"What is it about your family that no one ever takes responsibility for their own actions?" he asked sharply. "Snotlout is caught having snatched Astrid from the Plaza, beaten her up and trying to rape her and it's her fault? Or mine? I mean, he challenged me to a duel and I spared his worthless life! He is alive and who knows? He may even learn something from this and become a better person!" Spitelout put his weight into the knife and it moved inexorably down towards Hiccup's heaving chest.

"He is my son-and thanks to you, I'll never see him again!" Spitelout growled. "You should've been drowned at birth!"

"Thanks...Uncle..." Hiccup panted, straining against the irresistible pressure. "Always nice to know...how much your kin...love you..."

"I'll never allow you to take over as Heir," Spitelout hissed. "No one will know what happened. I'll pitch your corpse over the cliffs and let the dragons dispose of it like the trash you are..."

Pretty sure they actually eat fish...but that won't matter...

"They'll miss me..." he said. "New wife? She may notice I'm not there..." Especially after last night.

"No one will miss you, runt," Spitelout grunted.

Astrid will! And Toothless... Oh Thor, I-I'm sorry...

And then a roar sounded, echoing between the trees and seeming to come from everywhere. Spitelout's head snapped up but the knife didn't budge an inch as Hiccup tried to keep the blade off his chest. Spitelout was looking around as the roar sounded, nearer. Suddenly fired with energy, Hiccup jerked his entire body and dislodged Spitelout a little, allowing him to lift his other arm to lock round Spitelout's wrist-as the man's second hand closed around his throat.

"...ath...luss..." Hiccup croaked as loudly as he could manage, feeling the pressure increase alarmingly. The face hovering over him was locked in a scowl of concentration as he systematically cut off his nephew's air supply but through fading hearing he could hear the crashing of branches...and then the whine and detonation of a plasma blast sounded amazingly close by. Spitelout jerked and Hiccup hauled the knife down to stab into the hand choking him. Bellowing in pain, Spitelout dragged his hand away, allowing Hiccup to whoop air into his desperately starved lungs. But as the crash of approaching reptilian paws grew louder, the hilt of the knife clouted the side of his head and his vision blurred.

"They'll just think you were eaten in the raid!" Spitelout hissed and lifted the knife. "I'm sure the dragon will gnaw your body and disguise the wound..."

Toothless...bud...

And though his head was spinning and he could feel sticky blood on his skin, he rolled sideways as the knife slashed down, tagging his side instead of burying in his heart. He hissed and glanced up in panic as Spitelout raised the bloody blade again...just as a plasma blast exploded inches from his head. The big Viking pushed away, running for his life back towards the village, yelling "NIGHT FURY!"

Toothless roared ferociously and fired twice more to scare off the retreating Viking before turning back to the semi-conscious Hiccup and crooning worriedly in his face. The young man lifted a grimy hand and sighed.

"Cut it fine, bud-but thanks," he sighed. "I owe you another one..."

Toothless's warble eloquently reminded his Viking that he wasn't keeping count-before licking Hiccup gently until the young man managed to haul himself up into his knees. Breathing hard and feeling himself trembling with the aftermath of the encounter, he wrapped his arms around the Night Fury's thick neck, feeling the anxious croon vibrate through his shaking body. Finally, the dragon nudged him and lowered his neck until Hiccup wearily swung his leg over Toothless's neck and managed a sagging seated position on the dragon. As soon as he was on, the dragon set off without delay, galloping back towards the Cove and the waiting others. Hanging on with all his strength, Hiccup gritted his teeth as his slashed side was pulled and his spinning head washed his vision grey. Then they took off and he closed his eyes, feeling the wings extend for the short glide down to the mossy floor of the Cove.

"HICCUP!"

Astrid. Wife. She sounds...concerned...

Arms wrapped around him and he smelled her, the familiar scent finally allowing his limbs to relax a little. Forcing his bleary eyes open, he gazed into her worried face and he hugged her back, wincing as her fingers ghosted the wound on his head.

"Babe...what happened?" The steel edge of anger in her voice was somehow comforting...that someone cared enough about him to be angry that he was hurt. He tried to fashion a bleary smile.

"Jus' little family reunion..." he murmured. "Spitelout caught me..." Astrid's eyes flared and then she gasped as she heard him hiss as he moved. Her quick eyes saw the slice in his tunic and vest and she slapped her hand to his side.

"Get the medical supplies!" she ordered and there was the sound of running feet as one of the teens brought the bag they had hidden in the Cove in case of accidents during training. Hilde handed the bag to Astrid as she slid Hiccup from Toothless's neck and sat him down, resting against the Night Fury's side. Frowning, she cleaned the gash on his temple and nodded, smearing a little ointment onto the wound before she inspected the cut.

"Should be grateful," Hiccup told her, his head pounding with the after-effects of the blow. "Wanted to kill me...but Toothless scared him off..."

"He didn't miss by much," Hilde murmured as Astrid cleaned the slice and bandaged the wound carefully.

"I'll take this much!" Hiccup offered with forced cheerfulness.

"We'll have to put it off," she decided, but Hiccup's eyes snapped wide open.

"NO!" he said suddenly. "Astrid-we're ready! And the longer we delay, the higher the chance is of one of the Jorgensens or their allies finding the dragons and ruining everything!" He sat up straighter and his expression was now determined. "Milady-this is important. If we don't take our chance, if we don't prove dragons aren't an inherent problem, then we may never succeed. And it's too important."

She leaned in and kissed him.

"That's my Hiccup," she whispered. "You never give up." He managed a smile and then glanced up at the teens, who were all watching. Fishlegs had blushed bright pink. Sighing, he beckoned them to huddle round for the briefing as the shadows lengthened in the Cove and their dragons inched closer as well. Fishlegs unfolded the parchment Hiccup had given him and they all peered down at the crude map of the village. Feeling Astrid lean against him,

"Okay, guys...let's go over what we plan to do. Does everyone know their jobs?"

oOo

The horn for the raid echoed throughout the village and Hiccup shared a glance with Astrid. Both were too strung up to sleep and had been lying on the bed in each others' arms, fully dressed and waiting for the horn. They both knew that if this went wrong, one or both would be dead.

"Take care, Milady," he warned her and she nodded, kissing him softly before they reached the door. "You know I do love you? But I have to do this." She smiled.

"That's why I love you," she reassured him. "Be safe, Dragon Boy!" she told him and wrenched the door open, axe in her hand as she raced into the chaos of the raid.

The raid was very severe with dozens of dragons swarming through the pitch black sky, picked out as they flew through the warm pools of light around the huge torches that were elevated above the Plaza. Vikings were streaming out to protect their homes and Hiccup could see the familiar shape of Stoick the Vast striding down into the fray. For a short second, he felt a stab of regret. Though Stoick was a terrible father and very lacking in empathy, there had been a few meagre glimmerings of hope that they could possibly develop a species of father-son relationship-and Hiccup knew what he was doing would almost certainly destroy this fragile connection forever. But the screams and roars were enough to keep him sprinting up the back of the houses towards the edge of the forest, his chest burning and side stabbing sharp pain where he pulled on the fresh knife wound.

An explosion sounded as a Zippleback blasted the door open to storehouse three, which had only just been replenished by the fishermen. Hiccup glanced down and then lengthened his stride, ignoring the burning in his legs and lungs at the effort. The treeline was up ahead and he gritted his teeth as the shadows embraced him. Panting, he slowed, a hand pressed against his wound.

"Toothless!" he gasped and the familiar black head popped up from the bushes, an inquisitive warble sounding as the dragon bounded forward. There were rustles as the other dragons sheepishly appeared, waiting for their riders. They had followed Toothless willingly and the riders had noted that when they were with the Night Fury, whatever power the Monstrous Dragon Chief had over her troops held no sway. "You ready, bud?" Hiccup checked. "I mean, this could get ugly...not that most of the Tribe aren't already there..." The Night Fury bobbed his head, giving his toothless smile as the young Viking threw his leg over the saddle and nodded. He leaned forward.

"Let's go, bud," he said urgently and his hands tightened on the saddle as the dragon bunched his muscles and leapt into the air, wings flapping as they shot up. Toothless flipped into a roll as they arrowed down the village. Hiccup leaned to guide them to the open storehouse, seeing dragons swarming around the precious catch.

"Warn them off!" he said firmly at Toothless fired a plasma blast, the purple explosion scattering the raiders.

"NIGHT FURY!"

"I mean-okay, flattering as it is they all recognise you, bud-it would be nice if they expanded their repertoire to at least two types of dragon," Hiccup grumbled as they dodged bolas and swooped down, knocking a trio of Nadders away from a very scared herd of sheep. Toothless blasted a Gronckle away from the familiar shape of Astrid, who was pushing back against a concerted attack on the bakery and he was rewarded by a smile and a wave of the arm. The fire crew were out and they all waved as he flew over. But the dragons were massing again and as they circled, Hiccup knew it was time. He patted Toothless and he roared. Instantly, the concealed dragons burst from the forest, heading determinedly towards their riders. Astrid was suddenly standing by Stormfly, who had landed behind her. The Nadder hissed and fired a volley of spines to drive back the Gronckles.

Further down the Plaza, Tiril and Yaklegs were chucking buckets of water onto a blazing storehouse when Jadespine and Stoneskin arrived. Grinning, Tiril leapt into her dragon and manoeuvred the Nadder to lift a water trough and pour the whole thing over the blaze, extinguishing it immediately. She whooped before turning to Yaklegs, who flew up alongside.

"Don't you dare tell the twins I actually stopped something being destroyed!" she threatened him in a fierce voice. "I'll be thrown out of the family!" Yaklegs laughed at her and steered Stoneskin to the next fire.

"Wouldn't dare," he promised, "as long as you help me with the next fire!"

Hilde and Gustav were on their Monstrous Nightmares, driving back a determined attack on the livestock barn and protecting the scared yaks and sheep. Gustav was yelling wild insults at the attacking dragons but the girl remained quiet, concentrating on flying and trying not to be seen. She knew her aunt would be ashamed she had betrayed her heritage but in that moment, nothing outweighed the feeling of power and control she had...because now she was able to fight back. On the back of her dragon, she could truly protect Berk.

Toothless was all over the village, blasting away raiding dragons and driving them back from homes and people...but the attacking dragons were desperate...as Hiccup would be if the penalty for failure was death. When a Monstrous Nightmare flamed at them, they only just spun away, though it roared in shock as a blue Nadder sped round and viciously flamed it, driving it back. Astrid and Stormfly flapped up to fly alongside.

"Evening, Milady!" Hiccup called. "Missed me?"

"By about three yards!" she shot back. "Are you playing with strange dragons, babe?"

"Wouldn't dream of it!" he replied. "We're helping-but not enough. There are too many. We have no choice." Toothless backwinged and they hung over the top of the Plaza. "Okay, bud-do it!"

The Night Fury threw back his head and roared, the faintest of blue glows lighting the small spines running down his back. The effect was dramatic: all the dragons stopped what they were doing and all heads looked to the black dragon. Hiccup felt his heart accelerate with hope. Toothless roared again and the dragons all pulled away from the attack, rising from the ground.

"Send them away, bud," he commanded and Toothless roared twice. Obediently, the dragons rose from the village and headed away over the village and out over the forest-in the opposite direction they normally headed. Hiccup wondered if, once freed from the Chief's control, they were getting as far away from the nest as they could while they had a chance: he knew he would in the same situation. He rested his hand affectionately on the dragon's head, rubbing him gratefully. "Thanks," he said in a relieved voice. "At least that worked...for now. I just hope they don't decide to come back..."

"Look! There's someone on the dragon!"

"A rider!"

"There's more of them!"

Hiccup directed Toothless lower and his emerald eyes searched the Plaza for the huge shape of his father...and found him, standing with mouth hanging open and eyes wide with shock. His expression was unreadable as he recognised the tall, lean shape of his son on the most feared dragon of them all.

"Hiccup?" the Chief mouthed in a hoarse, shocked voice.

"And now it begins," he sighed, lifting his chin and nodding to his father. "That was the easy part. The harder part by far is trying not to get killed as a traitor..." He glanced down the village: all the fires were already out, the animals were all still there with none taken and only a quarter of the contents of storehouse three had been taken. It was the best raid they had had in Hiccup's memory...but that meant there were still a lot of angry and excited Vikings running around fully armed and itching for a fight.

"Take us down, bud," he sighed. "Though I'm not sure how I'm going to explain this to my Dad..."

Toothless roared as a brace of bolas fouled his wings and another wound around his neck and jaws, pinning Hiccup as well. They plummeted from the sky, slamming hard into the cold ground as Vikings surged forward, led by a horribly familiar shape. The hateful voice echoed through the suddenly silent village.

"Got yer at last! Riding a dragon and controlling the raids! E's a traitor!" Mildew yelled. "Kill him!"

A/N: Bonus update Tuesday :)