A.n I know its been awhile since I've updated this story but the life of a working adult doesn't allow alot of time for typing. I've been getting alot of questions about like Valka, The Red Death, and Drago Bloodvist. Well here is my answer to that; this takes place mostly with the TV verse not the movie verse so those characters most likely wont be making an appearence. In case if it wasnt obvious I'm not exactly following any of the actual storylines. Another reader asked me why I was being so hard on Astrid, while I honestly like the Hicstrid pairing this fic is HiccupxHeather not HiccupxAstrid and I got sick of everyone messaging me 'what about astird?' 'is this hicstrid?' 'how about HiccupxHeatherxAstrid?' and so I decided to kill Astrid off. Hope that answers any questions. ON WITH THE STORY!

CH 4

4 months later

Hiccup sat with Dagur in the chiefs hut discussing how to create Astrids trials. The outcasts had a strict legal system for anyone who broke their laws or viking law. For attempting to attack not only their chieftess but also a pregnant woman, The family of the attacked were the ones to dictate what the trials entailed. For attacking an expectant mother you were given three trials and for attacking the chiefs wife you were given one trial.

"As always her first trial will be were she will have the chance to confess her crimes, then the other three trials will consist of judgment by family, judgment by the chief and then the sentence. The sentence will be decided by us and executed by me, Heather, and you Dagur. I want to go in there knowing what we want the sentence to be, and I want it to end in her being dead." Hiccup said taking a drink of ale while watching Dagur from across the table.

"I want her to hurt." Dagur growled breaking the bone of his mutton. His eyes were dark and promised pain.

Hiccup started when a pair of hands lay on his shoulders rubbing soothing circles down his back before wrapping around his chest.

"You coming to bed anytime tonight?" Heather asked resting her head on his shoulder.

Leaning back into her gentle embrace a small smile crossed over his face.

"Yeah, we were just discussing Astrids trial tomorrow."

"Sister you should be in bed, the little meatball needs rest." Dagur said getting up and resting a hand on her stomach.

"I'm fine Dagur. Between you and Hiccup I'm almost never allowed into the village let alone down a few stairs."

"That dear sister is because you are about to pop." He said leading her back to the bedroom.

Heather rolled her eyes but allowed herself to be lead back to her room and tucked in by Dagur who became increasingly protective over her as her due date grew ever closer and it was almost laughable how much she and Hiccup would humor him. Hiccup laughed and rose from his seat moving to the bedroom and shooing Dagur to his own room.

"You know he's just excited, he's never been around a pregnant woman before and you're his sister. He's just looking out for you." Hiccup said sliding into the bed and pulling her against his chest tucking her head under his chin, slowly running his fingers through her hair. He heard her breathing even out as she drifted to sleep, smiling he closed his eyes and took a deep breath relaxing with her in his arms he drifted to sleep.

The next morning brought with it fog and a damp to the wood of the village. The Berkians were all nervous energy as the Outcasts prepared for the trial that would be taking place in a few hours. They all new what Astrid had done and as such even if they thought Hiccup/Rhaego would show mercy there was nothing they could do to help her, every viking knew viking law from a young age, she had no defence and no Berkian dared to speak out against the ruthless ways of the Outcast tribe. The trial took place the old fighting arena. Both tribes stood gathered around as Astrid was led up the steps to the wooden stand where she would plead her case, if one existed. Hiccup and Heather stood in front of the stand on a raised platform with Dagur off to the side glaring at the blonde in chains. Hiccup walked forward silencing the chatter from the crowd.

"Astrid Hofferson, You stand before the family, the chief, husband and father of the woman and unborn child who you attempted to murder. You have been charged with attempting to murder not only a chieftess but a pregnant viking, as such you will be judged and sentenced at the mercy of myself and Dagur. Do you have anything you would like to say in your defence?" Hiccup said his voice loud and commanding with a sharp edge to it his eyes hardened emeralds.
Astrid straightened her back and met his gaze with her own.

"I acknowledge my attempt on your chieftess was ill thought out, I regret the attack would have resulted in the death of the child. However I believe I took a calculated risk, you came to our home, forced us to follow you, locked up those who wouldnt, attacked your father, and you allied yourself with the very creatures that killed your mother and almost killed you. You Hiccup Horrendus Haddock III are the traitor and should be on trial not me. You're a monster and deserve a monsters death!" She shouted giving him the most defiant glare she could manage given she knew she was most likely facing her own death.

"The accused has admitted to her crimes, Dagur as the direct family to the attacked how do you find her?" Hiccup asked turning to his brother-in-law enjoying the bloodthirsty glint in his eye.

"Guilty." Was the growled out response causing a tremor to move through the crowd as they waited for the final verdict.

"As chief and husband of the woman you attacked and father of the child whose life you threatened I find her guilty. As such she will be given a sentence fitting the crime she committed. Tie her to the post in the center of the village, and expose her back." With the verdict given Hiccup turned and made his way to the hut where the instrument of the first part of her punishment was kept.

He walked slowly to the center of the village and was greeted by the sight of the villagers circled around the pillar where Astrid was strapped face first her back turned to him and exposed. He thrust his hand out to the side releasing the leather whip he had wrapped around his wrist revealing the three tails with jagged metal tips meant to bite into the flesh.

"For attacking the chieftess you get 30 lashes, for attacking a pregnant woman you get 50 lashes, and for not repenting for your sins you get an additional 25 lashes for a total of 105 lashes. You will learn I am not to be challenged." He said making the first lash across her white skin.

Astrid held her breath as the three razor edges dug into her flesh ripping down. she could feel the blood well up and spill over leaving cooling trails of crimson down her back disappearing into her skirt staining it red. The lashes were administered at random with no pattern and no timing, sometimes they were spaced out to the point she wondered if he was still there only for the metal to bite into her skin making her cry out in surprise and pain, other times they came in rapid succession fast and hard making her vision blur with tears as consciousness threatened to leave her, whenever she thought she would enter blissful darkness she would get a face full of ice cold water forcing her to jolt and stretch the skin on her back cracking any clotted lashes making them ooze out more blood. She lost count of how many lashes she had recieved but she prayed to the gods it was almost over. Her face was forced up and she was met with the green eyes and red hair of Dagur himself.

"That was 50 only 55 more to go, how does your back feel? want something to put on it?" He asked and without waiting for a response dumped an entire bottle of wine on the fresh lacerations making her scream only to have him punch her hard before laughing manically.

She almost cried when his words finally registered to her. 55 more lashes, oh gods she wasnt even half way done and already she felt ready to die.

"Dagur back away from the prisoner shes not done paying penence." Hiccup said his voice low and dangerous as Dagur smirked at her before moving to stand back with the crowd.

Time seemed to meld together only distinguishable by the sound of the whip wizzing through the air and sharp pain of metal meeting tender and shredded skin. Blood was pooling around her now her boots soaked in the crimson dye. she no longer had the energy to cry and her voice had gone out around the 60th lash now all she could do was produce sharp inhales of breath with each strike tears falling unbidden down her cheeks her nails on her remaining hand digging into the wood of the post no doubt giving her splinters and causing more pain but she could not stop the clenching of her fingers with each slap of the sharp teeth.

"85."Dagur called out cheerfully.

Only 15 more to go she told herself trying not to slip into the darkness that was seeping into her vision. The last time she allowed her self to pass out she had been kicked roughly awake by a heavy metal boot on her back. Pain lanced through her body spiking through her limbs like an electric current making her joints seize and lock up. Before she could register what was going on large hands were pulling her down, sudden movement caused and excruciating pain to race its way through all of the nerve endings in her body before she leaned to the side and threw up the contents of her stomach and letting out a shuddering cry of pain. She was thrown to the ground roughly and was greeted with the sight of one fur boot and metal foot. Hiccup lean down in a low crouch leveling her with a steady gaze.

"That was just my sentence for you, Dagurs is the one you should be concerned about. I mean after all it is his baby sister who you threatened." He said sneering at her as he stood up.

"Take her to the Docks!" Dagur yelled before letting out his crazy bubbly laugh.

Astrid was pulled roughly to her feet and drug along as she couldnt make her legs move no matter how hard she tried. She didnt even have the dignity of walking to her final sentence, she felt broken her body and her will were in tatters and there was no way she could see out of this. Her eyes were drawn by a small fishing boat floating at the dock, at first she thought they were just exiling her, which she could deal with. It wasnt until she saw the cargo on the boat that she felt the bile rise in her throat at the grim realization of the fate they had in store for her.

They threw her on the deck harshly before backing out onto the deck and walking back to stand with the rest of the Outcasts.

"THIS IS THE PENALTY FOR BREAKING OUR LAWS AND VIKING LAW! Astrid Hofferson you are hereby sentenced to death. May your body never find rest beneath the waves and your soul never join with those of your ancestors in the halls of Valhalla. You are an exile and disgrace and you will take the knowledge of your failure with you to your grave. Your death is for nothing. I didnt become the chief of the Outcast by being soft or lenient, if anyone ever breaks our laws this or a worse fate lie in store for you." Hiccup said pushing the boat from the dock with a hard kick of his foot and watching while sailed farther from the island.

Reaching behind him he took up the bow and arrow, alongside Dagur he took aim and waited as the arrows where set on fire before releasing it with deadly accuracy. It was only seconds before the oil and wood on board caught and the whole boat when up in flame. Astrids screams resonating over the water did nothing to alleviate his anger but he took heart knowing no one would try to harm his wife or child again.

Naturally word of Astrids death reached the ears of the hunters still in prison, they all went silent at the news and sat in the cell in solemn mourning and Stoik, who had not said a word since it was revealed that Hiccup was indeed Rhaego seemed to shrink in on himself even more. A few days after the news reached the prisons how ever the silence was broken and by the one person other than Stoik who seemed to be taking the new leadership with no grace.

~~~~Back In The Chiefs Hut~~~~

Heather was dangerously close to delivering when a messenger from the prisons came to their door saying one of the prisoners wished to speak with Rhaego. So they were brought before him in the grand hall and Hiccup was brought up short by the face that greeted him. He had expected his father or the twins, the last person he expected to request an audience with him was Snotlout. Yet there he stood before him in chains covered in dirt and grime.

"What do you want cousin?" Hiccup sneered out glaring darkly at the chained viking. "Were you hoping some familial bonding would mend twenty years of neglect, abuse, and anger? Or perhaps you were hoping to make an attempt on my life. I'm afraid you'll find I learned not to underestimate you fools."

"I came to ask for mercy. I know it is foolish to fight against you and I never wanted to. It was my father, he always wanted the chiefhood but he could never challenge your dad for it without either dying or being banished. So he forced me to try and remove you from the line of succession so our family would be the leaders. He said he was cheated out of his birth right even though he was the second born of our grandfather and had no claim to the chiefhood. Hicc-er I mean Rhaego all I want is to be free to wander and serve at your side like I was always meant to. Like my dad should have done for your father, and I'm gonna be honest the idea of riding a dragon sound pretty fucking cool." Snotlout said looking at his feet and only chancing a look at up when he heard Hiccup stand.

"My wife has often told me to temper my anger with patience. You say your father forced you to challenge my birth right, I am inclined to believe you." Hiccup said moving to stand in front of him. "Spitelout has always had it in for my father, that is no secret, it is also no secret that you had a strong desire to make him proud. You will be kept under 24 hour guard until such a time as I decide where your loyalties truly lie. It may prove useful to have one of the great dragon hunters turn to me. However if you turn on me you will face a fate worse than the one Astrid suffered. Believe me." Hiccup said grabbing the back of Snotlouts head and pulling them nose to nose.

The door of the great hall burst open then as a winded and frantic Outcast woman ran in.

"Chief Rhaego! Heather has gone into labor!"

A.N. if its not obvious I like to leave off on weird parts. I hope this chapter answered any questions you guys might have had (See top Authors note) Anyhoodles you guys know the drill read and reveiw. LOVE YOU GUYS!.