Chapter 4

Traitor

Stoick sat completely alone in the mead hall. Not that he minded, in fact he was pretty sure he was projecting some kind of 'do not approach' aura. He knew he was glaring holes into the table and that the grip he had on his mug of mead was about to shatter the pottery but he just couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

Odin how had this happened.

How in the world had this happened?! Hiccup was allied with a dragon. Today was supposed to be the greatest day of the boys life, but now…

Stoick felt the earth-ware in his fist begin to crack. He looked at the mug to see a few fine splits jutting out from under his thumb. The mead was almost gone anyways and with another big gulp he polished the rest off. Stoick felt his head spin a little at the motion. How many had he had? He'd stopped counting somewhere around the fourth refill.

He really shouldn't be getting drunk the night before they set sail but honestly who could blame him? Hell it had been his younger brother who had brought him the first mug, even though Spitlout was just as responsible for the tribe as he was, and therefor shouldn't be encouraging this behavior in their Chief. Yet, Spit had just placed the mead on the table and left without a word. There hadn't been a need for any, the message was more than clear; 'no one will think any less of you for it'. And Stoick had taken full advantage of that sentiment.

Stoick rubbed tiredly at his eyes. Odin what was he supposed to do? How did one handle this? If he was honest with himself he was partially drowning in drink just to avoid going home. He was avoiding the boy.

But what was he supposed to say? Did he just ignore Hiccup all together? Well you did disown him a small voice spoke up through his drink muddled mind.

Stoick winced at it. That was another thing he was still trying to come to grips with. He'd disowned his son, his only child. His mind kept playing over and over Hiccups shocked face as the terrible words passed from Stoicks lips. Was that the right thing to do? At the time he'd thought so, but he hadn't really been thinking then. Most everything he did and said was fueled by emotion, he wasn't sure if he'd ever been that angry in his life. Hiccup, his son had betrayed them all. How could he not be angry?

But Hiccups face continued to swim across his vision, his eyes nothing but scared and hurt. Stoicks fist clenched and this time the mug burst sending several jagged pieces flying. He barely even noticed.

A few heads turned at the noise but quickly returned to their meals, ignoring him. Usually the noise wouldn't have caused a blink, it was always so loud in the mead hall during meal times. They were Vikings after all, dishes and pottery were broken on a weekly bases and nobody ever batted an eye because it was always far too rowdy to notice. But tonight the tribe was silent. The only noise being the occasional scrape of a chair or the slight whispered conversations and even those pattered in and out. Everyone was trying to process this.

Why does it always have to be Hiccup? He thought. Ever since he'd become chief Stoick had been firm and resolute. His decisions were final, his will the law, and he'd always treated such power as a double edged sword. In this he had been a good chief. But with Hiccup, Odin he'd been lost since day one.

In everything involving the boy, every decision, every act…he'd questioned himself. It was only ever with Hiccup.

Village running low on food, easy time to start rationing. Dragons getting in through the south, simple, build another watch tower. Hiccup brought home a badger and wants to keep it as a pet…uh, well maybe, what if, give it a trial period?

"Damn thing chewed through my best boots too," he mumbled to no one in particular. To this day he was certain that badger had been sent by Loki himself.

"Yer bleedin'."

Stoick startled at the sudden appearance of Gobber. He'd really been out of it if he hadn't even heard the noticeable clump of Gobbers wooden leg approaching. Gobber levied himself onto the bench across from Stoick dropping a small rag between them as he did.

Stoick looked at his hand to see that it was indeed bleeding sluggishly from several small cuts along the palm. Taking the offered cloth he began what should have been a simple task wrapping it but his mead hazed mind was making the action slightly more difficult than usual.

Gobber didn't say anything, and in a way Stoick was glad the wrapping was taking him so much effort as it gave him an excuse not to look up. He wasn't sure if he could handle whatever expression the smith was undoubtedly making right now.

He finished the bandage, albeit messily, yet still the two remained silent. Neither wanted to look the other in the eye.

Stoick suspected Gobber was as clueless on how to handle this as he was. But Stoick knew that something had to be said, he didn't know what exactly that was unfortunately. Either way one of them had to start. Taking a deep breath he tried "Gobber…look, I-"

The village warning bell suddenly rang out effectively cutting off whatever Stoick was going to say. The mead hall was carved into a rock crag at the top of the village with the warning bell in a tower towards the center or the buildings, but despite that it could be heard loud and clear. Every neck snapped as heads turned quickly to the doors, a loud scuffle began as people hurriedly pushed back benches and scraped table legs.

Stoick was already on his feet and at the doors before his mind fully caught up with him. The world spun for a moment and he seriously felt as though he would topple over, how much mead had he had again? Get outside he told himself, outside, because the bells were ringing, and the bells were only ever ringing if there was a dragon attack.

He didn't have time, or the right frame of mind, to contemplate how there was a dragon attack already. The last one hadn't even been a month ago.

Stoick was about to open the doors when they suddenly burst open nearly clipping him in the jaw as he reared back. One of the night guard Vikings, Lief, stood before him, panting as he hurriedly blurted out slurred words.

"Chief!" he gasped, "aren-, gasp, drag-dragon arena!"

Stoick tried to process what was being said to him, it was difficult seeing as it came from a panting Viking and that it was being relayed to a very drunk chief. "Dragons are attacking the arena?" he finally asked, confused.

Lief looked up at him, at last taking in a great lungful of air to say; "No, not dragons, Hiccup."

Hiccup hoisted himself up the bars of the cage surrounding the dragon ring. He kept a careful eye on the four Vikings standing guard. They had their backs to him, standing just outside the entrance and facing the fourth and final bridge that connected the arena to the rest of the village. It had been easy enough getting past them, he just worked his way along the bottom of the bridge like he had with the other three crossing, then instead of coming back up, had continued climbing along the cliff face until he was certain he was behind the guards.

Carefully he leveraged himself onto the chain nearest him, and as slow as he was able, settled his weight on it. The chains clinked together only a little, but made no more noise than they already where thanks to the cool midnight breeze.

He continued to watch the guards all throughout the process of working his way over to the large gap that Toothless had created earlier that day. None of the Vikings so much as twitched, even when Hiccup dropped from the chains to the dirt below.

Now came the tricky part.

The gate was still wide open, thanks to his f-the chief. And the mechanism was still a pile of scorched timber and twisted metal, thanks to the Nightmare. But he needed it firmly shut if he wanted to keep the Vikings out while he freed Toothless.

Keeping quite, Hiccup padded his way over to the charred pillar that once made up the opening and locking mechanism. The guards where only fifteen feet away, any noise he made now; they would notice.

Hiccup carefully examined the chains and trigger release. This was the one part of his plan he was most uncertain about. He'd need to find a way to shut the gate in less than a few seconds if he didn't want the guards to come crashing into him.

The next ten minutes where perhaps the most nerve racking of his life. Being so close, and in sight if one of them so much as looked over their shoulder, sent Hiccups nerves rebounding as much as any one of Thors thunder booms. Every time he pulled a wire or chain link loose he was certain one of them would notice. His neck popped more then once, as he snapped his eyes to them every time he made even the slightest noise.

But finally he had the chains worked out enough and a point of pressure. he was almost certain he could bring the gate crashing down if he dislodged the metal clasp right in front of him. Carefully setting his saddle bags down, and sifting through them took another careful ten minutes. But he managed to extract his large hammer and tapper, before just as cautiously putting everything else back in.

Hiccup placed the tapper tip right where the clasp was weakest, raised the hammer, looked to the guards, and took a deep breath.

CLANG!

Every head snapped in his direction. Their eyes wide and their hands already hoisting weapons. The clasp budged and every taught chain budged with it but the gate was still wide open.

CLANG!

He smacked it again, gritting his teeth at the obnoxious noise ringing out through the still night, now interrupted by the pounding of fast approaching feet as well.

CLANG!

The clasp gave, half of it breaking away from the wooden beam, nearly clipping him in the cheek as it flew towards the rapidly closing gate. The metal grinded and squealed as it fell, one corner getting stuck on the side and the gate crashed to the ground at an angle, most of the bars warping or flat out breaking to compensate for the now ruined wood and metal.

The Vikings skidded to a stop, some of them crashing into it. Helga, the one female amongst them, laid on her belly and tried to squeeze through the gap left by the twisted up iron. But Hiccup was in luck that she was one of the largest females in the tribe, and couldn't even get both her shoulders through. They snarled and hollered at him, 'Wha' are yew doin' boy!?' 'Have yea lost wha' little mind yea have left!?' 'Filthy traitor!'.

He ignored them.

Hiccup threw the saddlebags over his shoulder and sprinted for the dragon pens. He didn't know which held Toothless, his father having dragged him away the second his secret was revealed.

He started with the center cell, it was the biggest and most well-fortified, usually housing the monstrous Nightmare. With the tapper and hammer he still held, Hiccup dug the tapper in deep to the wood that held the hinge, then threw all his weight against the tool like it was a crowbar. In less than a minute he had the first hinge removed. The second was even faster.

The guards where still shouting at him. And a quick glance back showed that they were trying to open the gate with strength alone. But even when it wasn't a tangled mess of ruined carpentry only those as strong as Stoick where able to lift it. Needless to say they were getting nowhere.

Hiccup turned back to the task at hand. He couldn't reach the top hinges, but with his foot braced against the metal wall he was able to yank the bottom corner of the door open enough that he could crawl through the small gap as long as he went sideways. Pressing his stomach against the wall, Hiccup scurried inside and found himself engulfed in almost complete darkness, the only light being the faint beam of moonlight that was let in from the hole he'd made.

"Toothless," he whispered. Why he was suddenly whispering he didn't know. The shouting Vikings where now muffled by the thick wooden door, and on top of the almost complete darkness, it was nearly just as silent. Hiccup could hear his heart hammering in his ears, and his breathing was coming out in all too loud, ragged huffs.

"Toothless," he called a little louder.

Still no response.

Hiccup wandered a little further into the darkness, holding his hands out in front of him.

And then the world exploded in fire. Hiccup reeled back, throwing his arms up to shield his face and pressing himself into the corner. His only defense was to be as small as possible.

He was certain a fireball was about to take his head off, but even after a full minute, no searing death came. Hiccup peaked out from behind his arms.

In the opposite corner, and still on fire was the Monstrous Nightmare. It was growling and snapping at him, but the poor creature had backed itself into a defensive space just as he had. Its eyes were wild, and its body tensed, ready to lash out at any moment, but it held back, terrified of provoking (what it saw as) its aggressor.

Hiccup gulped, he knew exactly what he had to do.

Just like yesterday morning, Hiccup took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and reached out to the Nightmare. He tried to muster up the same courage he'd had before when facing the beast, granted then, it hadn't been on fire.

"I know you can do this," he said, not sure if he was trying to comfort the dragon or himself, "you already showed me that."

The Nightmare only hunched in on itself further, growling low at him. But Hiccup continued taking even steps towards it. He entered its striking distance and stopped, it was now up to the dragon to make the next move.

The Monstrous Nightmare didn't move, watching him through slits as thin as needles, its nostril flaring, and the fire coating it crackling away throwing terrifying shadows across the cell. But then, after what felt like an eternity, the fear in those eyes edged off. The fire went out in a soft whoosh and Hiccup, blinded by the new darkness, felt more than saw the Nightmare press its snout into his palm.

Hiccup felt a heady rush of relief. He honestly couldn't believe that worked.

A loud crash sounded from outside the cell. Something was going on at the gate.

Hiccup turned back to the Nightmare, "I need your help, shoot a fireball right," he ran back to the door, and drew an imaginary X where the upper hinges where, "here."

The Nightmare cocked its head at him, and quite frankly it was still regarding him like he was possibly the enemy. Another loud crash sounded from outside, causing the dragon to hunch in and growl.

Hiccup groaned. Of course the Nightmare wouldn't understand him as well as Toothless. Dragons didn't speak human, Toothless had only picked up on things thanks to the time spent with Hiccup. And honestly Hiccup kind of thought that Toothless was a special dragon in that regard.

It was time to take another leap of faith.

He ran straight up to the Nightmares chest, even as the dragon reared back in surprise and discomfort.

"Right here," Hiccup said, patting at it breast bone where he knew dragons stored their fire. "Shoot it right there," he pointed again at the door.

For a moment he thought the dragon still didn't understand. But then it pulled its head back, sucking in air to fuel the inner flame, and blasted almost exactly where Hiccup had pointed to.

The door shook from the force, and the hole had grown into a crack that Hiccup could walk through if he drew his shoulders in.

"Yeah!" he cheered.

The door was coated in metal on the inside making the heat nearly useless but the Nightmares blast was still a powerful force on its own. It fired another, punching into the door. And another, and another. Soon there was a big enough hole for the Nightmare to slip through.

Hiccup could also easily see what the Vikings where now doing. And more importantly that there were more people with them, and perhaps most important of all, his father was one of them. They were using a giant log, one of the many kept on hand for repairs, as a battering ram. Stoick was at the very front.

For a brief moment he looked up and their eyes met. Hiccup wanted to shy away, he wanted to hide beneath his bangs, and not look into that fierce gaze. But he didn't. taking a deep breath Hiccup squared his shoulders and looked straight back. It was only for a moment, after all he didn't have time to spare, but in that moment Hiccup felt a new surge of courage.

"Come on!" he called to the Nightmare still behind him, shouting over the noise being created by the rallying village and the improvised battering ram.

He led the Nightmare to one of the cells right next to it, and just like before, drew an X at the doors pressure point. The Nightmare complied, blasting a succession of fireballs at it, then using its massive claws, ripped the door open the rest of the way.

Hiccup couldn't believe his luck, inside was Toothless.

Toothless was chained to the ground, with a manacle around each leg, and a giant leather belt holding his mouth closed. He was looking at Hiccup wide eyed.

Hiccup briefly turned back to the Nightmare and pointed at the other cells. "Go help the others!" he said, praying the dragon would understand. It apparently did as it went to work at the next cell over.

Hiccup ran to Toothless pulling out his lock picks as he did. "Alright bud, hold still, I got ya," he said. He was mostly just babbling to keep himself calm. Toothless mewled at him, as best as he could with the strap around his head. Even so, Hiccup could tell it was the mewl, almost whine, he made when he was scared. As Hiccup went to crouch by the first manacle Toothless butted him in the chest with his head, nocking the boy back.

He wanted Hiccup to leave. To get the hell out of here, and leave him.

There was another loud bang by the gate. "Jus' a few more hits lads!" he heard someone call.

Hiccup grabbed Toothless's head, "I'm not leaving you," he said. To prove it he slid his hands around the leather strap muzzling his bud and pulled. After a moment Toothless pulled away as well and together they yanked it off. He then quickly ran behind Toothless and tied the saddle bags to the dragon with a length of rope. It wouldn't hold for long, but it only needed to hold long enough.

He reached again for the manacles. Toothless, blessedly, complied this time, but he was restless and fidgety watching the gate and twitching his ears back every time the Vikings pounded at it.

Hiccup for the most part, just tried to block out the noise and the rising panic that came with it. All his focus centered on the lock holding together the giant metal manacle wrapped around toothless front paw. He'd never picked a lock before but he'd built the damn thing so he could pick the damn thing as well…in theory.

The pounding continued as Hiccup applied a pair of twisted up wires to the padlock.

What was that boy thinking!?

Stoick heaved the giant beam again at the ruined gate he and the other Vikings where destroying even further.

Some scattered part of his still alcohol hazed mind mused about how long it was going to take Gobber and Hiccup to build a new one. But then…no, Hiccup wouldn't be helping, because…because-

The thought petered off before he could complete it, as another shout of 'HEAVE!' signaled their combined strength to bash the gate again. The metal practically screamed at them while grating together.

'HEAVE!'

Another screech of metal on metal.

'HEAVE!'

Stoick felt something give in the gate, there was the loud boom of a giant beam of wood tumbling away and falling to the earthen ground.

'HEAAAVVEE!'

With a roar from nearly all the Vikings present, they all lunged forward, and then had to keep rushing forward as their improvised battering ram carried its momentum clear through the gate.

A brief cheer went up but Stoick was already yanking the ram backwards, clearing it from the hole they'd just punched it through.

He didn't have time to cheer, didn't have time for anything, other than getting in there and getting to Hiccup before the boy did Gods knew what else. He didn't exactly have a plan beyond that.

Well, either way right now it didn't matter. Stoick was a man of action above all else, right now the proper action was to clearly get his boy away from that heathen beast.

Stoick dropped the battering ram before anyone else, and there was the grunting of several others suddenly taking on the weight left behind by their Chief. But Stoick barely registered them, he was already charging through the gap they'd made, his sight zeroed in on Hiccup. Someone was shouting something about watching out for the Nightmare, and almost too late Stoick remembered that there was a very ferocious and very free dragon in the arena.

Stoick leapt to the side as a fire blast careened a path right where his head was a moment ago. The world tilted as his alcohol infused mind tried to reorient the sudden shift in gravity.

"DAD NO!" he heard Hiccup yell.

His vision stabilized and he saw his boy now in front of the Nightmare, standing between it and Stoick, and easily in range of the beasts powerful claws. "Don't hurt him!" Hiccup called up, his hands raised as if he we're merely soothing a frightened horse. The Night Fury was still in its cell, screeching at Hiccup and pulling at the two chains encasing its hind legs. The Monstrous Nightmare reared back looking straight down at Hiccup, it was going to strike Hiccup, it was going to kill him! Stoick wouldn't let that happen, he couldn't!

He had no weapons on him, aside from the dagger in his boot and his own bare hands, but that didn't stop the Chief of Berk from charging forward with a challenging roar. He'd taken Nightmares on bare fisted before, he could sure as hell do it again.

Hiccup, amazingly, hadn't run, but as Stoick reached the boy he quickly threw an arm across the child, tossing him aside and into the waiting arms of one of his men who wrapped Hiccup up protectively and pulled the struggling boy back. Stoick didn't have time to try and understand his boys oddity's right now, all his focus was on the heathen before him.

Where the Nightmare had paused in its attack for Hiccup it certainly didn't now. The giant maw of it came down ready to take in as much of Stoicks girth as it could. But Stoick leapt to the side and instead the beasts head snapped at thin air, its fangs kicking up dust as they grazed the dirt.

"Come on!" Stoick yelled, charging at its head pulling his fist back ready to deliver a well-placed punch right to its ear.

Suddenly the world tilted again, fiercer this time, and for a moment Stoick couldn't believe just how drunk he was. But then the air flew out of his lungs, his brain caught up, and he realized something large had crashed into his back, throwing him to the ground. The Nightmares head was nocked aside as well by the hulking black mass that now leapt towards the warriors that had been moving to aid Stoick.

It was the Night Fury.

The midnight dragon screamed, charging forward in a frenzy despite the chain still attached and dragging from one of its hind quarters. It batted and shoved aside those directly in its path, heedless of their weapons, and Stoick saw what it was so focused on.

Hiccup was being dragged back towards the gate, two men now needing to hold onto the boy as he struggled and kicked at them. They were so focused on controlling him that they didn't even notice as the Night Fury leapt, and crashed into them, the scales of its belly grazing Hiccups hair.

Hiccup was dragged to the ground anyways by the hands still holding him, but the men had quickly let go and the boy was free to scrabble to his feet.

Stoick did the same, ignoring the Nightmare next to him, as other Vikings were now near him and fighting the beast as well. They could handle it, Stoicks only focus was again on Hiccup.

Hiccup who now had a Night Fury crouching over him, spitting and hissing at the Vikings that moved to surround the two. Spears and axes were pointed at the pair, both who looked ready to bolt. Hiccup had a hand placed on the Night Furys neck, his other hand held out towards the Vikings again as if he were trying to calm a frightened horse.

The boys mouth was moving, but Stoick was still too far away, with too much chaos and noise, to hear what he was saying. Whether it was the Vikings or the beast he was trying to sooth, one of the men surrounding the pair apparently hadn't like it as he roared and reeled back then threw his spear. It nearly plunged into the dragon's neck, but the beast ducked down, pushing Hiccup down as well.

The action broke the standstill of the surrounding Vikings, who all yelled and charged forward just as Stoick reached them.

Stoick didn't stop, he still ran towards Hiccup, but Hiccup didn't hold still. He twisted to the dragon, placed a foot on the dragons shoulder, jumped, and suddenly he was on top of the beast, clinging at the strange leather that wrapped around its chest.

And for one brief second his boys wide green eyes met those of his fathers.

For a moment, Stoick felt as though he should say something, or that maybe it was Hiccup who wanted to say something.

But Hiccup looked away.

"LETS GO BUD!" Hiccup yelled.

The dragon leapt.

Several of the charging Vikings were tossed to the ground as the dragons legs and the chain still attached to it knocked into them. The beast landed near the gate, it reared back, Hiccup somehow still staying on, and then it landed on all four paws as violet fire raced from its maw blasting away the remains of twisted metal.

Hiccup laid flat across its back, as the creature raced through the gap it had created.

Stoick chased after them. But he couldn't even hope to keep up with the bounding creature. It ran for the cliffs edge. Hiccup was doing something with the leather attached to it, and it suddenly clicked in Stoicks mind that what the beast wore was a saddle. A saddle that held Hiccup perfectly. A saddle the Hiccup had no doubt made.

A group of Vikings came charging towards the boy and beast from beyond the dragon arena.

The beast didn't even pause. It tucked in its head and charged into them like a stampeding ram. They were nocked aside like childrens toys and the beast continued on, it was going to jump from the cliff.

"Hold on toothless!" Hiccup yelled.

And the beast skidded, turning sideways, its tail and one of its hindlegs sliding over the edge before it managed to scrable back up.

"Dammit dammit! Stupid wire, dammit," Hiccup was yelling, he was fiddling with the saddle and the strange contraption that went to the dragons tail. A spear flew towards the pair nearly clipping Hiccup in the shoulder, "Move Toothless!" he yelled, briefly ignoring whatever he'd been fiddling with and grabbing the front of the saddle. The beast ran.

It careened along the edge of the cliff, dodging or knocking Vikings out of the way as it leapt towards the bridge.

Stoick watched in fascination as Hiccup somehow maintained his balance one handed while finishing whatever he'd been doing to the saddle with the other.

At the other end of the bridge a large mass of Vikings suddenly came over the hill and formed a barricade of bodies and weapons blocking the way. The beast screamed and reared again but it dared not approach that many warriors.

Stoick moved forward with the group on his end, boxing the creature in.

The Vikings didn't hesitate. They charged at the two, weapons raised. Hiccups head snapped up at the sound of their shouts. The beast swatted away one person, and smacked another to the ground with its tail, but a third managed to get her axe past its crazed defense. Stoick couldn't see where it'd been struck but the beast screamed.

Then Hiccup kicked the woman in the head, hard. She fell to the ground in a heap, and Stoick saw fierce rage in his boys face. He'd never seen such a thing on Hiccups features. Somehow there was suddenly a dagger in Hiccups hand. The dragon spun, nocking aside two more charging Vikings with its tail, at the same time Stoick heard someone scream, and on the other side a man was drawing back clutching at his bleeding arm.

"BACK OFF!" Hiccup roared, and the anger in that usually meek voice caused everyone to pause.

For a moment, no one even breathed.

Before them stood a hulking beast, heaving and hissing with a purple glow at the base of its throat, and curved over it was a boy who looked ready to take all of their heads off if they so much dared approach the dragon again.

Stoick couldn't believe it. Didn't want to believe it, but the proof was staring him in the face. Hiccup had just fought his own people to protect a dragon. His boy really had chosen the heathens over them.

And Stoick felt that cold anger seeping back in. To think he'd actually been trying to tell himself he'd been wrong to disown his boy, but he'd been right. Gods he'd been so right. And he was angry at the boy, angry at himself. Had he really raised this, this- traitor!? Hiccup was going against everything, everything they had ever fought for, ever worked for, ever believed in. The way they'd lived and breathed for generations.

All the people who had died because of those creatures. Stoick had held hands of those bleeding out from impossible wounds, watched as eyes stared up frantically and then with nothing. He'd helped men bury their parents who couldn't survive the harsh winters without proper housing thanks to the fires. He'd comforted grieving mothers who's children had gotten sick and starved from the cold and the lack of food thanks to the raids. He'd once held tight to a young girl for twelve hours, as she pleaded, wept, and begged him to let her end it. She hadn't been able to eat properly and her first babe, the only memory she was to have of her deceased husband, had been a still born.

And here was his son, spitting on all that pain and suffering.

"So that's it then?!" he called.

All eyes turned to him. But it was when those wild green eyes landed on him, that Stoick steeled himself.

"Ye really have chosen these heathens over your own kind, your own kin." It wasn't a question.

Hiccup didn't answer, only continued to stare into Stoicks eyes, and that made the Chief even angrier.

"I had thought...I actually had thought ye might have seen your error, might have bothered to have a bit a remorse, fer what you'd done. But no, you care more about this beast than all those who have sheltered you, have cared for you, have fought to give you a life over all these years. And ye don't even care for all their sacrifices. Do you even give a damn?!" he hissed, barely loud enough for the boy to hear.

Hiccups eyes tightened, but his lips still remained closed.

'For once in your life will you please just listen to me!' Hiccups voice rang in his mind. Well he was damn well listening now. And he wanted to hear it. Hear whatever unnatural excuse the boy had come up with for this betrayal.

"FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE BE A MAN AND ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" he roared.

Hiccup didn't even blink, he barely even moved.

"You were right" he finally spoke, "…I'm not your son."

He suddenly bent low over the beast, and through some unspoken command it knew to turn, and-

The two fell from the bridge.

There was a chorus of gasps from the surrounding people and as one the Vikings surged to the edge of the bridge, but Stoick couldn't look. For a brief moment his anger was replaced by the instinctual fear of a parent. He'd seen the creatures tail when they'd imprisoned it. There was no way such a thing could fly. And it had just taken his boy over the edge and-

A gust of wind roared up nocking nearly everyone back. Stoick threw up his arms on instinct, and when he looked up he saw the Night Fury twisting in its flight and turning away from the cliff. Some Vikings regained their wits quick enough to throw spears but the creatures quick climb had already taken it out of range.

The Night Fury blended in near perfect with the midnight sky, and if not for the spot of color that was Hiccup, hunched low across its back, it would have already been impossible to see. The dragon and boy flew outwards, away from the cliff and the Vikings. There were cries of outrage from those gathered around him. Someone was shouting about arming the ballista's, or the catapults. Someone else saying that the two would need to land, if they hurried to the ships! Most were just spitting out curses.

But Stoick barely heard any of this, he couldn't think of anything to say, he didn't even know what he was supposed to feel. The anger was back, the betrayel…and the pain. He could only look out at the great expanse of sea before them painted black like the night sky. The full moon, half covered by clouds, throwing the only light to be seen on the night world.

Hiccup was already out of sight.

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AN: Just going to quietly post this chapter, then slink away. Nobody notice, just ignore the terrible author that took three plus years to update. Everyone carry on, nothing to see here.

…

Sorry.

No seriously, I'm super sorry guys.

Honestly there is no excuse. It started as writer's block, but then morphed into this massive (and stupid) dread about not being a good enough writer and then there was angst about people being mad about taking so long to post and just a whole bunch of stupid ridiculous angst. And then honestly I kind of lost interest. But I started working on this to help with writers block I've been having and I think I'm beginning to fall in love with the idea again.

I just feel so bad because I only ever got three chapters in before I essentially gave up.

I know none of these reasons are even close to good enough excuses so really all I can say is that I am so sorry, and that I will try my damn best not to do it again.

So here's chapter four. Chapter five is already being written. And with luck I might have a friend who's willing to proof read for me, and kick my lazy ass when I'm stalling on writing.

Again, I am so sorry.