Disclaimer: I don't own Hiccup or Merida, obviously. I'm not making any money off this. Both characters and the movies they come from belong to Dreamworks and Disney, respectively. If you really want to see something to blow you away, go watch the movies. Then think about these two interacting. Then you'll see what I mean.

CROSSING THE HORIZON

Act of War

The spear nearly skewered Hiccup. Only Toothless's lightning fast swerve prevented the young Viking from being spitted like the chickens Gobber and Fishlegs so often favored for their evening meal. Even so, the spear ripped through the side of the loose shirt Hiccup wore and tore the skin from his flesh. The Night Fury shrieked its anger and flared its wings but their enemy was once again concealed in the gloom. The cavern was a claustrophobic maze of stalagmites and stalactites that glittered like teeth in the uneven light cast by the lit sconces on the walls.

"Not so fast while you're grounded, are you?" came Alvin's disembodied voice. The sound echoed oddly in the tight space. Normally, dark places were no challenge for Toothless to hunt in but Alvin had placed rotting carcasses throughout the twisting paths to fool his sense of smell and the rumble of a nearby underground river obscured the sounds of Alvin's movements.

"Not as good as hiding like a scared little rabbit," Hiccup gasped, hand against his side. The wound was more gash than cut but it still burned. He wished he could have worn his leather armor but it wasn't nearly complete yet. "Or should I say a mole since you prefer dark, underground places?" Toothless walked forward soundlessly, nose close to the ground in a vain attempt to discern Alvin's scent. Toothless's breaths came in little pants; Hiccup knew the dragon was getting tired. The Outcasts' ambush on the dragon riders came at the tail end of a long search for the Outcast Chief. He was the key, Hiccup had to remind himself, of ending the fighting between the Vikings of Berk and Outcast Island. Without him, the mission would be for nothing and the fights would continue.

"Mind your tongue, boy!" came a shout that sounded far too close for comfort. Hiccup tried not to jump like a startled elk, but it was a near miss. "We might be mortal enemies but I'm still your elder. I'm still the chief of the Outcast Tribe!" Toothless fired a ball of plasma in answer and succeeded in obliterating a large stalagmite. Beyond it, the Viking Chief was waiting, great axe in hand.

"Really? You're gonna pull rank on me?" asked Hiccup, which, okay, was a bit rich coming from the guy who attempted to kill and/or coerce Hiccup, Toothless and the rest of Berk on a regular basis. But, Hiccup could throw back snark as good as if it were his only weapon (after all, for a very long time it was). "Because from where I'm sitting," here Toothless gave an impressive growl that rolled across the cavern and shook small stones, "it's the same old tired story. How many times have you tried to get me and Toothless but we always get away? It's getting a little boring. "

Strangely, his words did not infuriate the older Viking. Alvin slowly hefted his great axe from one hand to the next, almost considering his words. His dark beard shook, almost as if he were chuckling. But that couldn't be right. "Toothless…?" The way he drawled the words almost made it sound like it ended in a question. "You mean that dragon that you're riding right now?"

Ignoring Toothless continuous growls, Hiccup stared. "Did you hit your head during the fight?" he demanded, before pushing sweat-stained brown locks from his forehead. "Toothless as in my dragon! Now give up before you get any dumber."

"Oh and how's your memory, Hiccup?" Alvin sneered.

"I'm not the one forgetting that I've got the large carnivorous, fire breathing dragon on his side!"

"Then you shouldn't have any problems remembering Dagur, will you? Chief of the Berserker tribe? Old friends of yours? Dagur!" His shout rose and resounded in the dark space while Hiccup's heartbeat raced and simultaneously sank to his toes. His worst fears were confirmed moments later when Dagur stepped out from a hidden crevasse, his face slack with shock and terrible rage.

Toothless hissed but Hiccup kept him steady, kept him calm. "Dagur, let's talk about this," began Hiccup desperately. "We don't have to—"

"So the rumors were true… all true!" Dagur screamed, spittle flying and eyes lit with anger. "I laughed when I heard that you killed the Red Death… that you tamed a Night Fury." He walked closer and closer, his movements jerky in his rage, but at least he hadn't drawn his double axe either. "Not Hiccup, I told them, that scrawny little imp that I used to try pushing off of cliffs and ice bergs when we were little."

The memory of a myriad of diplomatic visits from Dagur and his father, the kindly Osvald the Agreeable, filled Hiccup's thoughts and caused him to flush. Dagur had been sadistic then and as an adult, Osvald could no longer curb his son's tendencies. The only way Berk had been able to keep their alliance with the Berserkers was by outright lying to them about taming dragons. Dagur itched for a fight, all but insulted Stoick and threatened Hiccup on several occasions… But in the end, the letter of the alliance between the sister tribes kept Dagur from declaring war.

"You're a shame to our lineage," Dagur spat. "I can't believe that any descendant of Grimbeard the Ghastly would ride dragons." Hiccup tried to interrupt, but Dagur's voice crescendoed. "You broke the treaty! Our alliance is dissolved!" Finally, he seemed to calm. His chin dipped down and his horned helm lowered. There was a moment's silence before he said in a whisper that struck Hiccup like a hammer, "The Berserker Tribe considers this an act of war." When Dagur lifted his face, he was grinning that manic smile he wore whenever he tried to drown Hiccup when they "played" by the river. The small throwing axe was flung so quickly Hiccup barely had the chance to register it. Again, Toothless's quick reflexes saved Hiccup's face from having a new permanent addition.

Dagur charged them, howling. His famed double axe Hel finally made its appearance. Toothless roared in answer and knocked him down with his fire. But Hiccup was only half paying attention. "Keep him busy, bud," Hiccup whispered. "But watch out for Alvin. You know he's gotta nasty surprise waiting for us." Moments later, Hiccup spotted Alvin while Dagur eyed them warily. Alvin was aiming a spear at them from a high ledge!

"Toothless, now!" Hiccup screamed. Toothless blasted a ball of plasma at Alvin who dove down to escape it. The plasma knocked into a pillar behind Alvin. The ground began to shake and stones began to rain down on them. Hiccup winced. He had been afraid of this.

"We gotta get out of here!" Alvin yelled. He heaved the younger Viking Chief bodily back but Dagur rewarded him instead with the butt end of his axe. "Are you crazy?" Alvin panted, doubled over from the blow. "The cave's collapsing! We're gonna need your men to take that boy and that dragon down. Come on!"

"Don't touch me, you filth!" Dagur said. "You may be a chief, but you're chief of a miserable, rat-infested island. The Berserker Tribe will never accept the Outcasts! The only reason I'm not taking your head off right now is because you told me about this betrayal. Now get out before I change my mind!"

"You pompous dog!" Alvin snarled, drawing his axe. Before the two could engage, a section of the ceiling collapsed and blocked them from Hiccup's sight.

By the time Hiccup and Toothless found the other Viking youths, the sun was only minutes from sinking into the ocean. "Whoa, you look like dragon dung," greeted Snotlout. The burly Viking teenager pushed himself off from the side of the rock wall where he had been standing guard. A long axe glimmered conspicuously in the dying sunlight. Dragons, as a rule, did not like having their riders carry weapons. As Hiccup trained other villagers to ride their dragons, it was a wariness well-founded. Caution between the two erstwhile enemies and the clumsiness of Vikings unused to taking off unexpectedly from the ground caused many an accident. But as skirmishes and outright battles grew more and more frequent between the Vikings of Berk and the Vikings of Outcast Island, being caught without a weapon, dragon rider or not, was just a death wish.

Hookfang, Snotlout's Monstrous Nightmare, dropped down behind its rider, carefully and sinuously flowed past Snotlout, and nosed Hiccup. It sneezed at him and then turned to sniff Toothless curiously. Toothless sighed and began to roll in the ground to get the cloying dirt from his scales. By this time, the other Viking teens had drawn close. Hiccup spotted their respective dragons looking at them from the outcropping. The place the dragon riders had chosen to regroup after their ambush by the Outcasts was on a small, narrow ledge set high against one of the many towering cliffs on the island. It was a hard place to get to without dragons; the only way down was through a treacherous, crumbling footpath. The height also afforded them an easy vantage point; the ledge overlooked desolate rocky hills below peppered with sparse vegetation. An area blasted by fire marked the area the Outcasts ambushed the dragon riders. Near it, Hiccup spotted the entrance to the cavern where Alvin made his quick escape.

"Oh good. That's just what I was aiming for," said Hiccup, rolling eyes. He wiped the mud from his brow but only succeeded in smearing it all over his face.

"You mean you wanted to look like dragon dung?" asked Tuffnut, but it was hard for Hiccup to take offense at that. Tuffnut sported a black eye and he held his arm gingerly. That didn't stop Ruffnut from elbowing him sharply. "Ow! Injured here!" he exclaimed.

"That was a joke, moron," said his twin sister. "Unlike you, Hiccup didn't get his injuries or his dung from stupidly trying to take on three Outcasts without back up." Despite her harsh words, she actually stood closer to Tuffnut than normal, a little protective edge in her stance. It was four years since the incident with the Red Death and his friends had turned from fledgeling dragon killers to skilled dragon riders and formidable warriors in their own right. Well. Most of them. On some days. Still, he trusted their battle prowess more than most and was surprised and dismayed to find that they all bore light wounds—bruises, burns, some cuts.

"But it might still have some camouflage purposes," input Fishlegs, distracting Hiccup from his line of thought. His right eye was turning purple and blue and he held a hand against it. "Did you really need to hide in a pile of dragon dung?" Fishlegs bravely rubbed some of the mud off of Hiccup. "Where were you guys?"

"The cave Alvin was in collapsed so Toothless and I had to find a different exit route," said Hiccup, shaking his sleeves. "The mud is from an underground river we used to get out of the cavern."

"Guys, guys," said Astrid pushing their friends aside. Unlike the others, Astrid only had a small cut on her forehead. At the sight of her, Hiccup softened and he sighed in relief. "Are you okay?" She looked so concerned and for a moment, it felt just like old times that Hiccup almost expected a hug. He even started to move forward. But then Astrid made a minuscule step back and Hiccup was forcibly reminded of the strained distance between them.

There was a beat and, aware of the avidly curious eyes on them, Hiccup responded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good," said Astrid. "I was… That's really good." She shifted from one foot to the other and tapped the handle of her favored double axe. She cleared her throat and said in a much firmer tone, "Alvin got away then?"

"Yeah, but we've got bigger problems," said Hiccup grimly, trying to ignore the ache in his chest at the awkwardness between the two of them. Briefly, he explained to them what happened in the cave. One by one, their expressions turned from curiosity to concern to worry. At the end of his tale, they all exploded with comments simultaneously.

"I knew it was a trap all along!" said Snotlout.

"It was almost too easy to follow his trail," added Fishlegs.

"You're losing your touch, Hiccup," said Ruffnut.

"I thought I saw a Berserker ship," said Tuffnut.

"Wait, so are you telling me that you got a chance to kill Dagur, but you didn't?" asked Astrid, eyes narrowed.

"What?" Hiccup spluttered. "I'm not going to kill him. Who says anything about killing him?"

His friends eyed each other for a beat. Finally, Snotlout scoffed, but Tuffnut shook his head at him. "What?" demanded Snotlout. "Is that not what we're going to have to do?"

"But," Hiccup spluttered. "We weren't even going to kill Alvin. Our mission was to capture Alvin alive so we could force the Outcast Tribe to leave Berk alone."

Tuffnut said, "Well, maybe we can reason with Dagur—"

Ruffnut crossed her arms and sighed, "If Dagur wasn't insane."

"That's sort of an exaggeration," Hiccup protested.

"He wiped out an entire village from a neighboring tribe because one of their boats happened to cross into Berserker waters even though the boat was empty," deadpanned Fishlegs.

But Hiccup wasn't looking at any of them. His focus was on Astrid who only shook her head at him. "We can't take any chances. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff, pair up and track him down on foot."

"Why on foot?" asked Snotlout, unhappy about leaving his dragon. Hookfang growled next to him.

"Because," said Astrid, in a tone that she used right before she punched the next idiot, "as far as Dagur knows, only Hiccup broke the treaty. I'll fly high with Stormfly to scope out the area. It'll be harder to spot one dragon in the sky than five. The last thing we need is for the rest of the Berserkers to see us on dragons. If we get to Dagur before he catches up with the rest of his men, we can stop this war from happening. " Her ice blue eyes roved sternly over the others for a moment daring them to argue. After a beat, the others murmured their agreement and began to move out.

"Wait, what am I supposed to do?" Hiccup asked, frustration coloring his voice.

"Look after our dragons and try not to make a bigger mess," said Snotlout moodily, already heading down the path. Fishlegs, Ruff and Tuff followed closely behind. Astrid paused, already on her bright blue Deadly Nadder. She looked like she wanted to say something but then she sighed in vexation and nudged Stormfly to take off.

Unlike most of Snotlout's casual insults, the words stung unexpectedly. It reminded him of a time when he had been without Toothless and when he had been known as Hiccup the Useless. It had been years since he had heard those words said directly to him and it made his breath catch in his throat. Focus, Hiccup, he told himself. Now is not the time for hurt feelings. Focus on the big picture. We gotta get to Dagur before anyone else gets hurt.

Toothless nudged him, eyes large and anxious. "It's okay, bud," Hiccup whispered. "I think I may have an idea of where Dagur's going. But we gotta beat Astrid and Stormfly there first. Think you're up for it?" Toothless bared his teeth.

Hiccup spotted Stormfly streaking across the sky following the coastline. Dusk had already fallen across the landscape, which worked well in their favor. Darkness would better camouflage their dragons. The few minutes' lead was all Astrid and Stormfly needed to make a large gap, but Toothless was still the faster dragon and Hiccup the better rider. The distance between the two was slowly lessening but Hiccup wasn't interested in beating them.

"Astrid!" he yelled out, once they were close enough. Either the wind snatched away his words or Astrid chose to ignore him. Hiccup hoped it was the former. "Astrid, you've gotta listen to me!" Astrid was hunched flat over Stormfly. It was the perfect posture to reduce drag and maintain your seat when your dragon was going at top speed; he had taught her that. The memory stung. Hiccup couldn't see her face but he knew that expression well—ice blue eyes narrowed in ferocious concentration.

"Back off, Hiccup!" Astrid said. Abruptly, Stormfly dove. A moment later, Hiccup saw what they were going after. A dark shape was running across the steep cliffs of the island. The high horned helm was a dead giveaway to the young Berserker Chief. Dagur had somehow escaped the collapsing cavern and was trying to cut through the treacherous terrain to the rocky cove beyond. In the gloom, Hiccup could barely make out a Berserker longship filled with men a few leagues away. His men must have regrouped. No doubt they were anxiously awaiting their chief's return.

Toothless followed right behind Stormfly. Hiccup cursed. Just as with weapons training, Astrid trained her dragon with all her passion and intelligence. While Fishlegs and his Gronckle were definitely close, it was Astrid and Stormfly who rivaled Hiccup and Toothless's strong partnership. If Astrid wanted to, Stormfly could give Toothless a run for his money and Astrid was definitely hunting Dagur with her all. It would take a few precious minutes for Toothless to catch up and short of knocking her out of the sky, there was nothing they could do.

Stormfly opened her mouth, her bright magnesium flame flaring like a star.

"Stormfly, no!" Hiccup screamed at the same time Toothless roared and rammed into the Deadly Nadder. Astrid cried out, but the fireball flew to the earth with terrifying speed. The resulting explosion lit up the area with blinding brilliance. It landed just shy of Dagur who was blown off his feet and over the edge of the cliff. Hiccup snatched glimpses of the falling Viking warrior—Dagur's wide, terrible gaze directed at the pair and his soundless screams. Hiccup watched him go as if in slow motion. He could hear Astrid's cry of "Hiccup!" behind him but he didn't listen. Toothless didn't miss a beat and went straight for the Viking Chief.

Toothless and Hiccup were on a vertical dive but it still wasn't enough. They were only halfway down before Dagur hit the water with a sharp crack. Hiccup winced, but slowed Toothless to a controlled descent—less falling and more deliberate dive into the water. The young Viking held his breath when Toothless entered the water with a splash. He counted the seconds—one—two—three—four—five—six—seven—eight—nine—ten—eleven—before Toothless shot into the air again. Hiccup shook the cold, salty water from his hair and eyes.

"Did you get him?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. Toothless let out a soft sound. "Good work, buddy. Let's get back to Astrid. I think it's our turn to fear for our lives."

Astrid and Stormfly were waiting for them on the cliff above. Astrid had her arms crossed, motionless. But Stormfly was pacing the cliff agitatedly. The Deadly Nadder screeched belligerently at Toothless as Toothless deposited Dagur carefully onto the ground. Toothless let out a weary growl in return and landed.

Hiccup slid off Toothless and checked Dagur with baited breath. Dagur's arm hung oddly. Hiccup knew, from past experience helping other Viking warriors in the village recently come back from skirmishes and battles, that it was probably dislocated. Dagur was also missing a boot and his lower legs were covered in small burns—no doubt splashes of Stormfly's flame. Dagur's face, usually animated, was slack and incredibly pale. But, incredibly, he still breathed. His chest rose and fell in short, shallow puffs. Hiccup sighed in relief and studied him more closely. In repose, Hiccup could see the likenesses between them. Dagur was only a year older than him and they shared similar features—notably, green eyes and auburn hair. They were related, if somewhat distantly, by their great ancestor the Viking King Grimbeard the Ghastly. Without his great horned helm and his axe Hel, Dagur could be mistaken for his cousin more than Snotlout was. Despite his cruelty, Hiccup knew how much Osvald loved his son. Osvald would be worried by now. He heard Astrid approach them

"Is he alive?" Astrid asked flatly.

Hiccup nodded.

"What do you think you're doing?" Astrid asked, her voice as icy as the wind blowing past them. By this time, the darkness had truly set in. Nearby, the Deadly Nadder and the Night Fury circled each other warily, growling. Clouds obscured the moon and the only light to see by were the stars.

Hiccup could trace the familiar planes and curves of her face, but her eyes were a stranger to him now. He stood up, shoulders squared. "Astrid, we can't kill him," he sighed, feeling sick at heart and already very tired.

"You're not stupid, Hiccup," she shot back, her words clipped and precise. "You know there's no other choice. The Berserker Clan is the largest Viking tribe. They have an armada of 50,000 warriors." Her voice lowered but for all that it struck Hiccup more sharply than her matter-of-fact tone. "Dagur isn't like his father. He united the feuding houses of the Berserker Tribe by cutting off the heads of the chieftains-his own kinsmen! All he needs is an excuse to wipe us out, ally or not. You gave him that excuse. We have to kill him. This is the only way."

Hiccup flinched at her words. Everything Astrid said was true. If the Berserker Clan did go to war, oh, he could imagine the consequences, the devastation it would bring to Berk. But still, the thought of killing Dagur, of killing anybody, made him sick. It didn't matter that his friends had, in recent years, been involved in intense battles and had killed enemies in some form or another. All of them, Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, Astrid and even Fishlegs, had been forced to take a life. It was a normal part, no, a special part of Viking culture. It was just as important as the rite of killing a dragon used to be if not more so. Enmity between dragons and humans could subside, but hostilities between humans would always remain. The first kill was an important part of a Viking's passage into adulthood. But Hiccup could never bring himself to do it, no matter how many battles he was involved in or led his friends to. He always tried to look for another way. He just couldn't kill anyone. He wouldn't. Why couldn't she understand?

"Does it always come down to that?" he asked Astrid, defensive. "I know we're Vikings but can't we get a little more creative?"

Astrid's control finally snapped. "This isn't a joke, Hiccup!" she said, arms straightening. "If we don't kill him, he's going to kill us and wipe out all of Berk and our dragons!" As if sensing her fury, Stormfly's spikes snapped threateningly.

"How do we know that for sure?" Hiccup pleaded, "Osvald and my dad are good friends. Osvald is still technically the chief; he wouldn't go to war against us."

"Maybe that might happen," Astrid admitted. She took a deep breath. Her bangs lifted away and revealed eyes that were serious and anxious. "But we've all heard the rumors. We know that Dagur is really in charge now even if his father isn't dead. Are you willing to gamble all of our lives on your optimism that Dagur, the guy you hated since you were kids, will be understanding?"

"I can't just kill him because I don't like him!" Hiccup shouted, frustrated. He ran his hand through his hair. He didn't know how to make her listen. Beside Hiccup, Toothless flared his wings and bared his teeth at Stormfly.

"I'm not going to kill him because I don't like him," Astrid yelled back, equal frustration in her voice. "I'm not doing this for kicks, Hiccup. I'm killing to protect us all."

Both of them breathed hard, looking at each other. There was a only a few feet of space between them but it might as well have been leagues. No matter how hard Hiccup shouted, he felt that she could only hear the faintest whispers. "We don't even know if he'll survive," he said, trying to inject his voice with some calm. "We need to bring him back to his people."

"Bring him back? Are you crazy!" Astrid said, fists shaking. "If he wakes up, he'll know we have dragons and he'll know we tried to kill him." Stormfly snapped at Toothless who dodged the bite and snarled back.

"What if he doesn't survive?" Hiccup countered. "It's the right thing to do to bring him back. If we don't try to help him, then we've as good as killed him. Do you really want to be the type of person who kills somebody because of what they can or might do? Because using that logic, we should still be killing dragons."

Astrid sighed despairingly, "Hiccup, that's different."

"How can you give dragons a second chance, but not people?" Hiccup asked. Astrid stared at him, jaw tightening. He turned and heaved Dagur back on to Toothless's back. "I'm going down to the beach. Make up some story of having helped Dagur fight off an ambush from Alvin. They'll believe that. They don't trust the Outcasts anymore than we do."

"Hiccup…"

"No matter what, Osvald deserves to know what happens to his son," Hiccup said softly.

Author's Notes: This story came about when a friend and I were trawling tumblr and happened on a Mericcup post. We just went, "Oooh, that could totally work" and thereafter my brain went on overdrive figuring out how a Highland princess and a Viking dragon rider could possibly meet and under what circumstance. The snippets in Liminality belong to this work.

As mentioned in Liminality, my chapters tend to be super huge. For accessibility, I broke it up into parts with different PoVs. Next up is Merida's part.