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Chapter Text

Prologue

Hiccup walked into his home after getting back from flying with Toothless. He was sore and regretting flying so soon after losing his leg. He could barely walk on it. The young boy was using the said dragon as a walking prop. 

Together they looked around and saw that Stoick wasn't home yet. However, there was a cauldron hanging over the fire full of stew. Hiccup hobbled over to the table to grab his bowl. Before he could take another step, his entire body felt stiff and tingly. He couldn't move.

Toothless watched his human with concern, crooning worriedly as Hiccup collapsed to the floor and began to violently shake. Unsure of what to do, the Night Fury began pacing and roaring, hoping someone outside would hear him.

Stoick was walking back home after a council meeting when he heard roaring coming from the house. Over the past months, he'd gotten quite good at distinguishing Toothless's roar and warbles. This one meant something was wrong. The chief broke into a run, yelling for someone to go get Gothi and bring her to his home.

He burst through the door and found his son lying on the floor unconscious with Toothless frantically pacing around the boy. He rushed over to his son and knelt down looking for any external reason for his collapse, but found none.

Carefully, the chief lifted Hiccup up off the floor and placed him in the bed. Just as he was doing so, Hiccup started to come to.

"Dad?" Hiccup asked wearily, unsure if it was actually his father he was seeing.

"I'm right here, son," Stoick reassured. "Gothi is on her way. What happened? Is it your leg?"

Hiccup shook his head. "It hurts, but I don't think it's the problem. I was, um, I was getting a bowl when suddenly I couldn't move. I felt as if I'd be struck by lightning. Next thing I know, you're here and I'm in bed."

Stoick stared down at his son, concern plastering his face. He'd heard stories like before over the years. If it was what he thought it was, Hiccup would have more than a missing leg to worry about. Best to wait for Gothi to determine it before he went on scaring the boy. "Probably just exhaustion," he lied. "Some herbal broth and some rest, you should be fine."

Hiccup got the sense his father wasn't telling him something, but said nothing. He felt too weak to push the matter. Besides, Gothi would know what's wrong soon enough.

A few minutes later, Gothi and Gobber arrived.

After much poking and prodding, Gothi had determined that it wasn't his leg that caused his collapse and that it had something to do with his brain. An invisible disorder that would require daily tonics to keep it at bay. It was unsure if it was permanent or would fade with time. Only time could tell.

Gothi encouraged Hiccup to tell his friends so that they wouldn't be caught off-guard or freak out if the disorder reared its ugly head in front of them. However, Hiccup knew he couldn't tell them or anyone. He was finally getting a bit of respect and treated like an actual Viking. If he went around telling people his brain was broken, he'd be an outcast again. No, it was better to hide it from everyone until he was sure he wouldn't lose his friends.

End Prologue

Present Day

Hiccup and Toothless led Sleuther to a pen for the night. Hiccup decided not to lock it in case the Triple Stryke decided to leave. They weren't about to force him to stay. He deserved better.

"Come on, bud, let's grab a snack and go to bed," Hiccup suggested as he climbed onto Toothless.

They flew down into the clubhouse and began to raid the storage for fruits, fish and perhaps a jug of mead. Hopefully, Snotlout didn't take the last of it. After the past few days, Hiccup needed to get his nerves under control. His body was still shaking with anger and pain.

Being pushed around and having a way too tight manacle around your one good leg while being forced to watch your best friend fight, doesn't make for a happy Hiccup.

"Ah-ha!" Hiccup exclaimed as he pulled out the last jug of mead. It had been hiding behind a barrel of fish. The young Viking loaded a satchel full of apples, grapes and fish and carried the unopened jug in his hand. He climbed back onto Toothless and flew off to their hut.

Hiccup laid the small bounty out on his bed and began to undress. Within five minutes he was wearing only his trousers and prosthetic leg. The latter didn't stay on much longer. As soon as he sat on the bed he took it off and laid it on the nearby table.

He looked down at his body. He could see day-old bruises running down his left arm and side. His right ankle was an ugly purplish black and swollen. He didn't dare try flexing it, it was already hurting, no need to cause himself more pain.

Toothless sniffed the ankle then looked up at his rider, warbling in concern.

"I'm okay, Bud," Hiccup reassured, patting the dragon's head. "I just have to try my best to stay off it for a few days."

"Are you sure that's all?" A voice asked from the staircase.

Hiccup being Hiccup momentarily forgot he had taken his prosthetic off and that his only good leg wasn't all that good, stood up to turn around only to fall face first onto the floor. The dragon rider groaned from the pain racking his body as he tried to turn himself over, only to find that he couldn't.

"Need a hand?" the voice offered.

"That would be most welcome," Hiccup replied. "Thank you, Astrid."

Astrid turned Hiccup onto his back with the help of Toothless and got him back into bed. "No problem."

Astrid examined her friend from head to toe. "You look terrible."

Hiccup reached for the jug of mead. "I feel terrible."

"Anything I can do to help?" Astrid offered.

"Yeah, um, I have a medicine bag on the top shelf above my desk. Could you get it?" Hiccup wondered.

Without a word, just a quick nod, Astrid headed to the bottom floor of Hiccup's hut to get the medicine kit.

Hiccup carefully tossed the fish to Toothless, who greedily gulped it down. He, himself, just picked at the picks, not feeling the hunger he had moments ago.

After a couple of minutes, Astrid returned, bag in hand. "This it?" she asked holding up the red satchel with a big "M" sewn into the flap.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. That's it." He held his hand out for the bag.

Arstrid looked at him sceptically. "I can help if you want."

Hiccup really didn't want her rummaging through the bag, but also didn't want to fight her on the matter. Thankfully the tonics were color-coded instead of labeled with words. "Fine."

"Where do you want me to start?" Astrid asked as opened up the medicine bag.

"Can you hand me the blue corked vial?" Hiccup asked, hoping she wouldn't ask what it was for. 

The blond warrior sat on the edge of the bed and began rummaging through the bag until she found the vial Hiccup had described. She handed it over and watched as he practically chugged it. "What's it for?"

Hiccup swallowed the vile-tasting tonic. "For pain, mostly. I only really take it when my leg is bothering me," he lied, thinking it placate her for the time being.

Astrid nodded, accepting the answer as truth. "Anything else?"

"There's a salve in there marked with a red cork," Hiccup answered. "If you rub on my ankle, it'll help with the swelling. After that, we can wrap my ankle up with one of the bandage rolls" 

Astrid dug through the bag until she found what she needed. "Will rubbing it in hurt you?"

Hiccup nodded as he leaned his head against the headboard and picked up one of the apples. "Only for a couple minutes."

He placed the apple in his mouth and got ready to bite down.

Astrid looked at him. It was true Hiccup was no stranger to pain. He'd lost a flipping leg for Thor's sake. But looking at him brace himself against the headboard with an apple placed firmly in his mouth, made her wonder just how often Hiccup was getting injured. She got her answer as soon as she uncorked the jar. It was nearly empty. 

She dipped two fingers to get into the jar and pulled out a small glob. Just enough for his ankle. She could feel a cool numbing sensation coming from the cream. She figured Hiccup had developed this numbing cream that worked better than any kind of salve Gothi could whip up.

The blonde teenager took in a deep breath and started to rub in the cream. Hiccup's groans were muffled by the apple, but she understood the message. She was hurting him and had to hurry to finish the job.

Astrid quickly rubbed the cream in and wrapped up Hiccup's foot and ankle. She looked up and saw that the apple had fallen from his mouth and that he had tears streaming down his face. If he noticed them, he didn't let on. She wondered how he could do this by himself. It seemed to take so much energy out of him.

She got up and quickly grabbed a rag out of the bag. She was getting ready to wipe his tears of pain away when she noticed something else. Hiccup was staring off into Thor knows where. His mind was somewhere else entirely. She took this as an opportunity to treat the rest of his bruises.

She took the same cream and rubbed it on his arm and along his side. He didn't scream this time. Afterwards, she cleared the food off the bed then repositioned him so that he was lying on his back and pulled the covers over him.

By the time she was done, Hiccup seemed to have fallen asleep. She blew out the candles and left the hut. She climbed onto Stormfly, who had been waiting for her. Together they flew over to Fishlegs's hut. Hoping he was still awake.

She had questions that needed to be answered.

Chapter Text

Astrid pounded on Fishlegs's door until he opened it. In a matter of minutes standing before her, was an oversized teenager wearing nothing. Not a shred of clothing was on Fishlegs.

Astrid recoiled and covered her eyes. "For the love of Odin, put on some trousers Fishlegs!"

"Oops, sorry, Astrid, " the Gronkle lover apologized, as he scurried off to find some pants.

Astrid made her way in, being careful not to look at Fishlegs until he was covered.

"I was just getting ready to take a bath," Fishlegs explained. "I am not like Snotlout, who struts around naked in his hut"

Astrid gagged at the thought of that and decided not to ask how Fishlegs knew that, probably bad timing, like now.

Fishlegs put on his trousers and looked over at Astrid. "What can I do for you?"

Astrid looked Fishlegs in the eyes before sitting down at his desk "Hiccup."

"What about him?" Fishlegs wondered.

"You've known him longer than all of us, so I know you know him better than most. Almost better than me," Astrid rambled.

Fishlegs gave her a worried look. "Yeah, I know him pretty well. Before we made peace with the dragons, I was his only friend."

"Then maybe you can explain why he hides his injuries. Or why he has a medicine bag in his hut at the ready," Astrid said.

"He's had the medicine bag since he lost his leg. Gothi and Stoick insisted that he keep one. Most amputees deal with phantom pains. Given how young he was and the fact that he was still growing, having the bag made it easier for him to manage the pain. As for hiding injuries, he tries to, but is usually caught trying to take care of them himself, Snotlout, the twins and I have caught him more than once," Fishlegs explained. "I take it he was injured in that horrible island?"

Astrid nodded. "His ankle was swollen and bruised. He had bruises running up his arm and side. He had this ointment to numb the pain. He screamed when I put on his ankle."

Fishlegs sighed as he pulled up a chair and sat across from Astrid. "Hiccup is trying to be tough. Plain and simple. He thinks if he can move about and act normal, his body will forget the pain and heal whatever is injured. Hiccup once walked around for an entire month with untreated broken ribs. If Gobber hadn't gotten him to Gothi's when he did, we wouldn't be here. Ever since he was maybe seven, Hiccup would hide his injuries. Play them off as nothing major. He made that numbing cream when we were about ten. I helped him. I gather the ingredients and he makes it into a paste that sits out until it is as smooth as a newborn yak."

"How come I've never known this before," Astrid wondered.

"He doesn't want anyone to know," Fishlegs answered.

"But you, Snotlout, even the twins know," Astrid pointed out.

"Only because after a mission, back when Alvin was still evil, Hiccup was hurt very badly. I'm talking broken ribs and fractured ankle. He had taken a very nasty fall. He was lucky to be alive," Fishlegs stated. "All four of us had decided to check on him since Stoick was holding a council meeting. He played it off like he wasn't hurt, but he was. We took turns caring for him whenever Stoick wasn't around. After he was better, We made a pact to check on him after every mission if we see him tumble even the slightest."

"Where was I during this?" Astrid asked.

"You had been on vacation with your family," Fishlegs remembered. "Snotlout had been heading towards Hiccup's hut when he saw that you were already there. He figured you had everything under control and went to bed."

"Why does he try to hide?" Astrid wondered.

"Pride," Fishlegs said simply. "He has too much of his father's pride in him. Stoick would walk off any injury, no problem, claiming pain is only a weakness. Hiccup grew up on that philosophy. Pretty sure if his mother was still around, she would have made sure that didn't happen. Give it some time, and Hiccup will eventually get it through his head that asking for help is okay. He'll come to understand that pain can also be a strength."

Astrid sat silently, taking all this new information in. Eventually, she got up, thanked Fishlegs for the insight into one Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, and left. She climbed onto Stormfly and flew back over to Hiccup's hut.

Inside Toothless was watching over his rider, with a concerned look on his face. Astrid climbed the stairs to see what was wrong and what she saw shook her to the very core.

Hiccup woke up with his blanket over him. He sat up and scanned the room. Astrid was gone, and Toothless was watching him worriedly.

"I'm fine, bud," Hiccup stated, trying to put the Night Fury at ease. He moved to grab his leg, but Toothless was faster.

The black dragon quickly grabbed the prosthetic and tossed it to the bottom of the stairs. He looked back at his rider, feeling pleased with himself.

"Really, Toothless?" Hiccup groaned. "What was that fo-..."

Before Hiccup could complete his thought, he doubled over in pain and fell to the floor. His vision tripled. Then it septupled. He turned over onto his back and gripped the fur rug beneath him as his body began to convulse.

The last coherent thought to run through Hiccup's mind was, drit*.

Chapter Text

Astrid watched in horror as Hiccup's body jerked and convulsed for a second before jumping into action. She quickly moved past Toothless and fell to her knees. She turned Hiccup onto his side to make sure he didn't choke on the amount of saliva that was forming around his mouth. She was unsure of how she knew what to do, but her gut said that her actions were correct.

"I NEED HELP! HICCUP NEEDS HELP! " Astrid screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping to the gods that someone could hear her.

In less than a minute Fishlegs, Snotlout and Heather were in the hut with her.

"What's going on!" Snotlout demanded as he raced up the stairs.

"I don't know. I came in to check on Hiccup one last time before heading to bed and found him like this," Astrid explained.

Fishlegs knelt down next to Astrid, who was still keeping Hiccup on his side. Hiccup had stopped convulsing, but remained unmoving. His breathing sounded rattled and slow.

"It looks like he had some kind of seizure," Fishlegs noted.

"What's that?" Heather asked.

"It's like a lightning bolt to the head, but worse," Fishlegs explained. "Gothi can explain better. Snotlout, go back to Berk and get her."

"What about the Chief?" Snotlout wondered.

"No," Hiccup spoke with a soft, scratchy voice, eyes still clenched shut. "Gothi and Dad, no. Just rest."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did Hiccup drift into the world of unconsciousness.

Astrid looked at Snotlout. "I don't care what Hiccup says, go get Gothi and Stoick."

Snotlout ran out of the hut without another word. Once he was outside he yelled for Hookfang.

"Fishlegs, help me get him back in bed. Heather go get some blankets from the Clubhouse. We might need them if a fever breaks out," Astrid ordered. "Once you get back, go wake up the twins and fill them in on what's going on."

Fishlegs helped pick Hiccup up off the floor, while Heather ran off towards the Clubhouse.

Hiccup's dreams brought him back to the dragon fight arena. Only this time the Hunters were much crueler and the dragons angrier. He watched as his friends were captured and forced to fight each other for the Hunters' entertainment. Their dragons were sold for their hides and meat, but not before Toothless was forced to fight them to death. If Toothless didn't kill them, he would be killed. He was experiencing his own personal Ragnarok.

Astrid sat with Hiccup, watching him mumble incoherently in his sleep. She wondered if he knew what had happened to him and that is why he didn't want Gothi or Stoick. Was this another thing that he had hidden from everyone?

She was pulled from her thoughts when Hiccup woke up screaming.

"NOOOOOO!" Hiccup yelled at the top of his lungs.

Astrid shot to her feet and grabbed both of his shoulders as a way to bring him back to reality. "Hiccup, you're okay. You're in your hut."

Hiccup stopped screaming and blinked really fast, focusing his eyes on Astrid. "How long was I out?"

"About twenty minutes," Astrid answered confused. "Why?"

"Okay, good. There shouldn't be any long-term side effects," Hiccup muttered.

"Long-term?" Astrid wondered. "What in Thor's name are you on about?"

Hiccup looked like he was a dragon caught in a trap. She knew what happened. She witnessed it. There was no more hiding it.

"Please, Astrid, you can't tell anyone else," Hiccup pleaded. "Promise me?"

"Tell anyone what?" Astrid promised, hinting that she wouldn't tell for now.

Hiccup leaned his back against the headboard and clasped his hands together over his lap. "It started right after I woke up from my coma. Or maybe before, Gothi is unsure of when the problem started. Anyways, I came home from flying Toothless, tired and hurting. I wasn't used to the new leg and pushed myself way more than I should've. I ended up collapsing and having what Gothi would later call a seizure or a fit. I don't always remember them. Sometimes I can feel them starting up. Toothless can sense them better than I can. Best anyone can figure is that they're a result of the battle with the Red Death, either from a hit to the head or the blood loss. There's no way to really know."

"And you never thought to tell us?" Astrid asked, anger boiling up inside her.

"I can still function just fine," Hiccup stated. "I just have to remember to take a special tonic every day. The one with the blue cork. Gothi thinks they'll fade away over time. As for not telling you, our friendship was just starting out and I was finally feeling like I belonged. I didn't want to ruin that. I had planned on telling you guys, but it just never came up. It didn't help that Snotlout kept making comments about my metal leg. There were several times when I thought you guys figured it out but never said anything, so I kept quiet about it."

Astrid stared at Hiccup in shock and silence. For the past four years, Hiccup had been hiding his illness from the whole gang. She remembered what Fishlegs said about Hiccup not wanting to appear weak. He wanted everyone to think he was strong and capable of taking care of himself.

"What would have happened if you had a seizure on an away mission?" Astrid demanded, feeling anger and hurt surge through her. "None of us would have known what to do. Not one of us. You should have told at least one of us from the very beginning. We wouldn't have thought any less of you. I wouldn't have thought any less of you!"

Hiccup hung his head in shame. He knew he should have told her a long time ago. His father had urged him to tell someone else in case he, Gobber or Gothi weren't around. "I'm sorry, Astrid I should have told you from the get-go. I guess I was just so embarrassed that I had another impairment, that it seemed logical to hide it away. I thought that if I didn't talk about it and took the tonic, it would go away. I truly am sorry. I don't blame you for being mad. You have every right to be."

"You are such an idiot," Astrid stated before standing up. She stormed down the stairs and only paused long enough to pick up the peg leg and throw it to the top floor, barely missing Hiccup's head.

She called for Stormfly and flew off to be alone to think. She needed to cool down and think. Her brain had taken on so much information in just a couple of hours, she needed time to process it and sort it out.

Chapter Text

Hiccup sat in his bed, after Astrid had left, Fishlegs showed up and told him that his father and Gothi should be here by tomorrow morning. That made him feel even worse. He didn't want them here. Gothi would poke and prod him to her heart's content and his father would want to know why he hadn't taken his tonic. But once he discovered why, he would have Gothi poke and prod some more. By the time they were done everyone on the island would know he suffered from seizures.

He didn't want that. They would all be mad at him. They wouldn't view him as a leader anymore. Afterwards, they'd strip him of his leadership. Snotlout would muscle his way into being leader only to end up giving Astrid control. Astrid would most likely send Hiccup back to Berk.

In his heart, he knew that it wasn't true, but with how things were unravelling it sure seemed like it. He knew he had to make it up to Astrid before his dad and Gothi got here, but how? He couldn't really walk right now. His ankle was still swollen and hurt worse than a Fireworm burn.

Hiccup was so concentrated on how to make it up to Astrid, that he didn't notice the sun rising and filling the hut with natural light. Hiccup looked up from his thinking position and made a sour expression

"Daylight already," Hiccup cursed as he lowered his head again. "Dad and Gothi will be here very soon. Astrid still isn't back yet. She must be mad still."

Astrid stood at the bottom of the stairs, just out of Hiccup's line of sight. She had been standing there for a few hours, listening to him beat himself up about hiding the seizures. He was sorry and Astrid knew that. After sitting on a cliff for a while she finally understood why he hid it. He didn't want to be seen as weak. He wanted to prove he had what it took to be a leader in spite of everything.

While she was gone she remembered a story her Uncle Finn told her about a distant cousin who kept having fits like what she saw earlier. His village healer didn't know how to treat it. He eventually had one he couldn't recover from and eventually died. His village saw him as weak and shunned him. He was quarantined inside his own home and left to suffer alone. Uncle Finn told her to be grateful to have a village healer who knows what to do.

Hiccup didn't want to be shunned for something out of his control. He wanted to live as normal a life as possible. She wanted to go up there and tell him that she understood, but something kept stopping her. If she waited much longer, Snotlout would be back with Stoick and Gothi before she even had a chance to say anything.

She walked up the stairs, as quietly as she could, not wanting Hiccup to look up and notice her. She was at the foot of the bed and he still hadn't seen her.

"... She must be mad still," Hiccup muttered.

"I'm not mad, Hiccup," Astrid said with a smile.

Hiccup nearly jumped out of his skin, and yelped in surprise. "Astrid!"

Astrid let out a small laugh at Hiccup's reaction. It felt good to laugh before the seriousness set in. She sat down in the vacant chair next to the bed with of the bed.

"So you're not mad?" Hiccup asked.

"No," Astrid answered carefully. "I was confused and hurt. Still am. Despite your answers, I didn't understand why you would hide something like that, but I think I do now. While I was out cooling off, I remembered that one of my cousins in another village was shunned for an impairment like yours. His healer didn't know how to treat him. He made me feel grateful that we have Gothi as our healer. Like I'm grateful right now. I'm happy that Gothi knows how to treat your seizures."

She took Hiccup's hand into her's before continuing. "Hiccup, I'm glad you are okay, but from now on if I find out you are hiding something from me, I will throw you from the top of the mountain. Is that clear"?

Hiccup grinned as he envisioned being thrown from a mountain. "Clearer than Changewing."

Before either could say anything else, Fishlegs announced that Stoick and Gothi had arrived.

Astrid stood up to leave. "Have fun. I'll come back with some lunch in a little bit."

Hiccup watched as his father paced back and forth, quietly ranting about how stupid he was to play with his health like that. Stoick was beyond livid about how careless his son was. The Dragon Rider waited for his dad to stop to catch his breath, so he could explain.

"Did you even bother to pack your tonics, or did you just leave them here, hoping you would be back in time?" Stoick wondered.

"Dad, I can explain," Hiccup interrupted, finally fed up with the ranting.

"Oh, can you?" Stoick asked, stopping in his tracks long enough to look at his son.

Hiccup dove into the recent events of the past few days. He explained how he had just taken his daily tonic when Snotlout told him about a Hunter camp. He talked about the purple gas that caused him to lose consciousness and waking up in a cage with several chained wild dragons. While he talked he watched his dad's anger melt away. He didn't leave out a single detail. He told his father everything leading up to the seizure.

"You see, Dad, I wasn't being careless. My stuff was confiscated by the Hunters. I seriously doubt they would give me my tonic, willingly. Even if I did ask for it, they could have poisoned it, or used the information against me later on," Hiccup finished.

Stoick sighed, he couldn't be mad at his son for something that had been out of his control. "I'm sorry, son. I should have let you explain before I yelled at you."

Hiccup nodded. "It's okay, Dad. I probably would've done the same thing."

"How is he, Gothi?" Stoick questioned.

He and Hiccup watched as she wrote her symbols on the floor. Hiccup had gotten pretty good at translating since Gothi joined Berk's A-Team. "She says 'I'm fine and just need a few days of rest. The ankle and bruising will heal and there's no lasting effects from the seizure."

"That's good to hear," Stoick sighed a breath of relief.

Hiccup continues used to translate. "I'm not to leave this bed until the swelling around my ankle is gone.'"

Gothi nodded pleased with the translation and began to pack up her stuff. Once she was gone, Stoick sat at the end of Hiccup's bed. "You follow her orders to the letter. If I find out you're not, you'll be coming back to Berk to recover. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Hiccup said. The idea of going back to Berk to recover from an injured ankle under the watchful eye of his father did not sound pleasant. Stoick gave his son a pat on the back, before getting up to leave.

Once Hiccup was sure his father or Gothi weren't coming back up, he decided to catch some shut-eye. He was exhausted by all accounts. He found it easy to fall asleep.

Hiccup woke up to his stomach growling from hunger. He sat up and made a move to get up, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and was greeted by Astrid.

"You're not going anywhere," she firmly stated.

Hiccup blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the grogginess. His tired brain finally reminded him of Gothi's orders. "Oh yeah. Slipped my mind."

Hiccup moved back into the bed until his back was against the headboard.

"That's understandable, you've been asleep for about a day and a half," Astrid said, worry and amazement in her voice. "I thought only Snotlout could sleep that long."

Hiccup shook his tired head, trying to wake himself up faster. "A day and a half?!"

"Yeah, you must have been exhausted," the blonde pointed out. "When was the last time you had proper sleep?"

"A month, maybe more," Hiccup shrugged, not really remembering. "Anyways I'm starving. Who's in charge of dinner?"

"Heather," Astrid answered. "I think she's making her yak ribs with that sweet sauce."

Hiccup's stomach growled again at the thought of those savory ribs. "Any idea when they'll be done?"

Oh gods was Hiccup planning on eating like Snotlout. He hadn't eaten a decent thing in days. He had managed to get the Monstrous Nightmare to cook one of the fish, only to burn most of it.

"I'll go get you plate," Astrid offered. "How much do you want? You know she always makes extra."

Hiccup was tempted to say all of it, but that would be selfish. "A rack and a half, with some extra sauce and whatever the side dish is."

Astrid smiled at Hiccup's eagerness to eat so much. She got up and left Hiccup alone with his impatient stomach and Toothless.

Once Astrid was down the stairs, Toothless padded over to his rider and licked him hello.

"Hey bud," Hiccup greeted, wiping the excess Night Fury saliva off his face and chest. "I've missed you too. Sorry about scaring you the other night. Here let me look at your paw."

Toothless gently placed his paw on Hiccup's lap. The rider began to unwrap the cloth and examine the wounds caused by the Razorwhip. It had been properly cleaned and treated. The wounds had scabbed over quite nicely. Hiccup doubted that there would be scarring.

"This looks like the work of Gothi," Hiccup stated as he wrapped the bandage around the paw again. "Must've treated you after I fell asleep."

Toothless bobbed his head up and down while he smiled. Hiccup smiled back at his beloved dragon, taking that as a yes.

After spending a week in bed, Hiccup was feeling better than he had in a while. After reattaching his leg and getting dressed in just a tunic and pair of trousers, he and Toothless walked down the planks toward the Clubhouse for breakfast with the rest of the Riders.

When Hiccup walked into the Clubhouse everyone stopped talking to look at him. Aside from checking in on him and Astrid bringing him his meals, none of them had really seen him.

Astrid got up from the table and walked over to Hiccup. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. Thank you," Hiccup smiled. "So what's on the agenda, today?"

"We were going to run some refresher courses with the Night Terrors," Fishlegs answered.

Hiccup nodded as he sat down. "Sounds great. Let's finish eating and get to work."

Chapter Text

Hiccup stood in a defensive position, ready to protect the King of Dragons' egg. He glared at Krogan and Johann, waiting for one of them to make a move. He knew the odds were against him, but that didn't matter. He'd been fighting the odds since he was born.

Krogan began to run, probably hoping to get him from behind. Not going to happen. The future chief aimed his shield at the man and launched a bola from it. The bola wrapped around Krogan's legs, causing him to fall over.

With Krogan out of the way, Hiccup turned all his attention to Johann. He was the bigger threat. He needed to be taken out now. But first, he had to get the egg to safety. As he bent down to pick up the egg, Johann charged and knocked him over. Together they rolled away from the egg. Johann landed on top of Hiccup, pinning him to the ground.

Hiccup struggled to get free, but it was no use. Johann had the upper hand.

Johann had waited years to do this. He wanted to do it from the minute he met the spoiled brat. Always having to be so smart and smug. He was as prideful as that father of his. All those trinkets that Hiccup had made for trade were tossed into the ocean as soon as Berk was out of sight. He had lied to this stick of a boy when he told him he'd been playing them since Breakneck Bog. Oh no, he'd been doing it since Stoick first became chief 30 years ago. He initiated most of the attacks on Berk. It wasn't always the Red Death. He had sent the dragons the night Valka was taken and eaten.

He enjoyed showing up the next day and playing the sympathetic friend, offering meaningless resources. Johann had silently laughed as Stoick set off to find his dead wife. The eight-month-old baby had been left in the hands, well hand, of the moronic blacksmith.

Johann laughed at this memory. The joy he got from it compelled him to hit harder. He punched until he drew blood from several places on the young man's face. He stopped momentarily to get a good look at the Haddock boy.

Hiccup glared at the man on top of him as if daring him to do worse. He hid his pain behind a face of steel and anger. He wasn't going to give this sick twist the pleasure of seeing him react to the pain and beg him to stop. Hiccup had endured worse.

Johann roared in anger. He grabbed Hiccup by the shoulders and began slamming his body into the ground. How dare this child pretend to be a man, denying him the pleasure of seeing him react to the pain. He then pulled out a knife and stabbed Dragon Master in the left arm. He ensured the blade went all the way through until it hit the ice.

Hiccup let out an agonizing scream as pain radiated down to the tips of his fingers. Johann yanked the dagger out, causing Hiccup to scream again.

The madman raised the dagger again to deliver another blow, only to be interrupted by a familiar roar and the sound of a plasma blast being fired. The blast knocked the blade from his hands, and his position on top of Hiccup became compromised, giving the young man a chance to get away.

Using his knee, Hiccup managed to kick Johann off of him, allowing him the space to crawl away. Using his right hand to apply temporary pressure to his wounded arm, he managed to pick up his sword and point it at Johann. Toothless quickly moved to protect his rider from any more harm.

In the midst of the excitement, Krogan had managed to free himself. He watched as Hiccup and the Night Fury moved to collect the egg. He watched as the boy stumbled with every step, finding glee in the knowledge that he wasn't indestructible after all. He picked up the bola that had been around his legs and waited for the right moment to knock the egg away from the hero.

Just as Hiccup was carefully bending over to get the egg, the bola knocked the egg away, causing it to roll over the edge. Without thinking and despite the pain he was in, Hiccup managed to chase after it, igniting his sword and plunging it into the ice as he jumped in after the egg. Toothless stood as close to the ledge as he could, ensuring Krogan and Johann couldn't get Hiccup or the egg.

Hiccup looked at the egg he had managed to catch with his legs. He then looked up and saw Toothless standing guard. He needed to figure a way out and quickly. He didn't have the strength to stay like this indefinitely. The adrenaline rush was fading quickly.

He looked back down at the egg and got an idea. Working as fast as he could, he managed to position the egg between his head and the wall of the cliff. He untied his leg to use as a climbing tool. He made a mental note to thank Gobber again for the leg and its many uses. Holding the peg leg in his left hand and the sword in his right, Hiccup began the painful task of climbing back up. The further he climbed, the more he bit back the urge to scream. He just had to get high enough so that Toothless could get hold of the egg and take it to safety.

Johann listened as Hiccup climbed back up with the egg. Soon he'd have his King of Dragons. He just had to get rid of the pesky Night Fury first. He looked over at Krogan, who hadn't moved since he tossed the bola. He was certain the man was thinking the same thing as him but for different reasons. Both of them wanted the egg and were going to keep the other from getting it.

Hiccup knew he'd reached the top when he felt the egg roll away, and he could look up. He looked up and saw a black mass blocking his view, Toothless. Toothless glanced down at the egg that had rolled between his legs and then back up at the two men who were trying to steal it. He knew the egg was important as he could feel the power that radiated from it. Only a truly powerful dragon could make him feel the way he did, and it wasn't even hatched yet.

Johann got tired of waiting and lunged for the egg, hoping his sudden action would catch the dragon off guard, but Toothless was quicker though. He shot a plasma blast at the traitor. The power of the blast shook the cavern, causing the egg to roll away. Johann was forced back by the blast but was not killed by it, merely stunned.

The egg rolled toward Krogan, who saw an opportunity and took it. He grabbed the egg and ran. Instead of giving chase, Toothless turned to help Hiccup, who was struggling to finish the climb back up in his weakened state.

"No, Toothless," Hiccup urged. "Go after the egg. I'll be fine. I promise."

Toothless was hesitant but listened to his rider to get the egg back. As soon as Toothless left the cavern, Johann managed to get up and compose himself. He limped toward the ledge, pulling out another dagger. He watched gleefully as Hiccup finally managed to climb back over the ledge. The young pest was feebly trying to apply pressure to his still-bleeding arm.

"Such heroism, Hiccup," Johann stated. "And for what? Glory? Fame? Acknowledgement from that worthless father of yours."

Hiccup said nothing as he stared at Johann, a man he once considered family. The crazy uncle of the family, but still family. He had hoped it was all just an act, despite being proven wrong time and time again. He believed there was good in everyone. But that remaining flame of hope was gone. There was no saving Johann. There had never been anything to save.

"Such a fitting end," Johann pointed out as he kneeled down next to Hiccup. "The final resting place for the champion of dragons will reside in the King of Dragons' birth nest. But fear not, we're going to have some fun first."

He slammed the blade into the Dragon Rider's left thigh. Hiccup bit back the urge to scream, hot tears forming in his eyes. Johann left the dagger in as he stood up. With all his strength, he lifted his foot and stomped down onto Hiccup's chest. He repeated the process again, but this time aiming for the pest's shoulder, feeling something snap beneath his foot.

This time Hiccup screamed, unable to hold back the tears that now flowed freely. Johann laughed with glee at the sight of his toy crying from the pain he was inflicting. He bent down and pulled the dagger out.

"You don't have to do this, Johann," Hiccup pleaded.

Johann picked up a nearby spear and raised it above his head. "Oh yes. Yes, I do, Hiccup."

Hiccup curled up into a ball, trying to brace himself for what he hoped was the final blow. Johann let out a guttural scream as he raised the spear. But before he could deliver the blow, the King of Dragons emerged from the abyss, letting out a massive blast of ice. Hiccup felt himself being blown several feet away from the ledge.

As the ice and wind cleared, Hiccup managed to turn over to see what had happened. He was greeted by the sight of Johann frozen in place, his face permanently etched with the fury and hatred he'd carried all his life.

It didn't have to end like this.  Hiccup thought. It didn't have to be like this, period. Johann had always been so kind and quirky. Learning about how evil he truly was all those months ago had been a mighty blow to the entire Archipelago. He had been a fool, hoping he could save the older man. He was evil through and through. This final battle was proof of that.

Chapter Text

Hiccup laid himself flat on his back, trying to breathe through the pain. He didn't know how long he laid there, but it was long enough for Toothless to come back with the egg.

"Hey Bud," Hiccup greeted, weakly upon seeing the Night Fury looming over him.

Toothless set the egg down and let out a warble of concern.

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed as he used his good arm to push himself up into a sitting position. "But I've had worse. Let's get out of here."

With Toothless's help, Hiccup managed to stand on his one leg. The second he tried to climb onto the dragon's back, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. His leg gave out under him. Toothless quickly caught him and helped lower him to the ground.

"I'm okay, bud," Hiccup lied. He was not fine. He felt like death. He was sure he had lost a good amount of blood given that he'd been stabbed twice. He also hadn't had his seizure tonic since they got back from Vanaheim almost 48 hours ago. Everything had happened so fast that he had forgotten all about it.

Toothless moved Hiccup's hand away from the wound. He sniffed it, before licking it once. Toothless stared at his rider for a second, before running off to get help, leaving Hiccup alone with a frozen villain.

Hiccup laid back down and waited. He listened to his body, looking out for any signs that might indicate a seizure. There wouldn't be much of a warning, but enough to brace himself. As if on cue, his muscles tightened as if he had been struck by lightning. Hiccup shut his eyes while gripping his clothes, hoping it would keep him from convulsing too violently.

He began to convulse as his body painfully shook around on the ice. He counted the seconds for as long as he could before losing consciousness. He got to 10.

Astrid and Fishlegs followed Toothless through the cave on their respective dragons. Toothless kept roaring and warbling. His ear plates were down. Something was wrong, and they knew it. Johann or Krogan did something to Hiccup that left him unable to leave the cave without proper help. Both of them imagined their own horrible ideas of what kind of state Hiccup was in. Was he bleeding from a grave wound? Had he been knocked unconscious? Did they torture him? Was he lying in a pool of his own blood? All of the above?

They entered the nest and found Hiccup lying mere feet away from a frozen Johann, shaking violently, with his eyes screwed shut.

"What did they do to him!" Fishlegs demanded to no one in particular.

"They didn't cause this," Astrid stated as she jumped off Stormfly and took a running start. "He's having a seizure. As soon as he's done, we can move him out of here."

She fell to her knees and gently placed her hand on his chest, holding him in place to ensure that he didn't fall off the edge. "I'm here, Hiccup. Everything is going to be okay."

Fishlegs dismounted Meatlug. "Why would he be having a seizure? It's been a long time since his last one. Unless he's hiding something."

"He's not hiding anything," Astrid said very quickly. "Probably blood loss. He has at least two stab wounds that I can see, and who knows how many more injuries." She gestured to Hiccup's stab wounds.

Fishlegs bit the inside of his cheek. Astrid knew something and wasn't saying it. Normally he would push until he got the desired result. But now was not the time.

They watched as Hiccup's body relaxed and became still. Astrid felt for a heartbeat. As soon as she was satisfied, she stood up and looked around for his satchel. It had to be around here somewhere. A few feet from Hiccup was an egg. An egg bigger than a normal dragon would lay.

"It must belong to the King of Dragons," Fishlegs guessed, following her line of sight. "It probably came here to lay and hatch it. Berserker Island is his nesting site. Even when he's not here, his power lingers, making it impossible for dragons to fly here."

Astrid wasn't paying attention to her friend. She continued to scan for the satchel. After another fifteen seconds passed, she found the satchel leaning up what she assumed was supposed to be the egg's resting place. She jogged over and picked it up. Immediately she began digging through it until she pulled out the blue corked vial.

The blonde warrior jogged back over to her betrothed, uncorking the vial as she moved. Once back at his side, she kneeled down, lifted his head, and forced the tonic down his throat, not caring that Fishlegs was watching. He'd know soon enough.

Astrid stood back up, slung the satchel over her shoulder, and stepped over to pick up the egg. "I got the egg. You get Hiccup. It's time to leave."

Fishlegs obliged and picked Hiccup up. He carried him over to Meatlug and positioned him securely before getting on himself. Astrid held on to the egg as she climbed up on Stormfly. They flew out of the cave, Toothless running underneath them.

Astrid and Fishlegs landed just outside one of the many Healer tents that had been set up to treat those who had been wounded in the battle. At first glance, Astrid saw a variety of wounded, some young, some old, some with mild injuries, some with more severe. She saw a child no older than five lying on a nearby makeshift cot, missing a leg. She saw a mother with cuts on her arms as she held a crying baby. No one had made it out of the battle unscathed. Everyone was injured and needed help.

Astrid dismounted Stormfly and helped Fishlegs get Hiccup off of the Gronkle. They laid their injured leader on the ground. By this point, Toothless had caught up with them and was taking a protective stance over his human.

"Stay here, Fishlegs," Astrid ordered before running off to find a healer. Thankfully she found one just as they were finishing up treating an elderly man with a head wound.

"I need your help," Astrid pleaded, getting the Healer's attention.

The healer looked her up and down. "You seem fine; go wait in the back of the line."

"Not me," Astrid clarified. "My betrothed, Hiccup. He's been badly wounded and has already lost a lot of blood."

The healer rolled his eyes. "You still can't cut in line. I doubt he's that bad. I bet you just want to make sure he's well enough for date night. Am I right?"

Astrid could feel the frustration welling up inside her. "He has been stabbed and beaten within an inch of his life while stopping Johann and Krogan. You can either come with me willingly, or I will drag you to him myself. Which will it be?"

The healer sighed in exasperation. "Fine, I'll come with you. But if I find out you are lying, I'm reporting you to Chief Dagur that you made a false medical report."

"You do that," Astrid threatened. "And it will be the last thing you do because Dagur sees Hiccup, the future chief of Berk, as his brother."

The healer went pale as he quickly packed his medicine bag and followed Astrid to where Hiccup was.

As they arrived, they found Toothless doing his best to keep people away from Hiccup. Fishlegs was trying to reassure the dragon, but nothing seemed to be working. Astrid went up to the dragon, placed a hand on his snout, and gently moved him away from his rider. "It's okay. I have someone who can help. Hiccup is in good hands."

Toothless warbled in concern as he watched the Healer kneel next to Hiccup. He worked quickly, removing the injured man's armor and clothing in order to get a better look at what he was dealing with. Astrid felt the small breakfast she had during the flight here rising when she saw just how badly he had been hurt. Bruises were already starting to form all over his upper body. The stab wounds weren't a pretty sight either. Both were still actively bleeding. The one in his arm looked worse than the one in his leg. In the back of her mind, she realized that Hiccup might end up losing his entire arm if he lived.

If he lived.  She thought. It didn't seem like a possibility a few moments ago when she found him in the cavern. It didn't seem possible when she was begging this healer for help. But now, seeing just a fraction of the severity of his physical state, him dying was completely possible. And if he died along with his father, there would be no one left in the Haddock line to care for the village. Civil war would break out amongst the tribe to see who would be chief.

She didn't realize it, but she had begun crying. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that the dam broke. She fell into the arms of the person offering her comfort and quietly sobbed as she begged the gods to save Hiccup. She heard people shouting and crying. She could feel the person holding her, barking out orders and requesting more assistance. Someone mentioned sending out Terror Mails to get aid. But none of that mattered right now. Hiccup was fighting for his life and needed her.

Astrid pulled away from the person holding her and wiped the tears away. She looked up at the person only to realize it had been Dagur. "Sorry," was all she could say.

"Don't be," Dagur said. "I understand. The shock wore off. And crying is a good thing. It's healthy. Now let's head over to where Magnus has taken Hiccup."

Astrid looked around, not realizing Hiccup had been moved. "Where'd they take him?"

"To a nearby tent so that he could be treated properly," Dagur answered as he led Astrid in the direction of her betrothed. "The rest of your team is already over there."

Chapter Text

As the two warriors approached the medical tent, they were greeted with solemn looks from the rest of the Riders.

"Any news?" Astrid asked.

"No," Snotlout answered. "We tried going in, but they told us to wait out here."

"He'll be okay, Astrid," Dagur promised, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. "He's Hiccup. He always pulls through. He can survive anything."

"I know," Astrid said quietly. "I just hope we weren't too late."

"I'm sure we got to him in time," Fishlegs reassured.

"I'll go check on him," Dagur offered. "They can't kick me out."

Magnus carefully finished stitching up Hiccup's arm wound while his apprentice tried getting him to swallow a valerian root and yarrow concoction to help with the pain and any possible infection.

Once he was done setting his patient's arm in a makeshift sling, Magnus moved on to the leg wound. "Doesn't look like anything important was hit. Six maybe seven stitches to close the wound," he noted. "We'll have to keep an eye out for infection."

"Is this guy going to make it?" the apprentice asked.

"I don't know," Magnus said. "The blood loss is significant, but he's still breathing. That's a good sign. I don't think any of the broken ribs punctured his lungs. A mark in his favor. His body is probably weakened from the trauma, but as long as he fights for every breath, there's a good chance he'll come out okay."

"That's good to hear," Dagur said as he stepped into the tent. "I would hate to throw you in the brig for thinking negatively about my brother's chances of survival. Tell me more about what's going on with his injuries."

"W-well, Chief," Magnus stammered. "He's obviously been beaten pretty badly. Whoever did this did quite a number on him. His arm and leg are the main concerns. His left collarbone and at least three ribs are broken. As for the bruising on his chest and face, those speak for themselves. When he wakes up he will need to work at being able to use his arm again once it's healed. However, as I said earlier, our biggest concern is the blood loss. We just have to wait and see if he improves. I don't recommend moving him in the meantime."

"When can he be moved?" Dagur asked, knowing his friends were eager to take him home.

"A week maybe more," Magnus guessed. "Given his current state, having him on the back of a dragon doesn't seem very wise."

"What about by boat?" Dagur suggested.

"Maybe," Magnus shrugged. "We'll see if he improves."

Dagur nodded. "Understood. I'll inform his team."

"That's not good enough," Astrid stated, anger coursing through her veins upon finding out she couldn't take Hiccup home. "I'm not leaving him here to be cared for by a man who didn't want to take me seriously in the first place. His father needs him."

"Hiccup is in no condition to be flown anywhere," Dagur tried to reason. "His arm and leg injuries are quite severe. Not to mention he has broken ribs"

"That's not what I'm worried about," Astrid admitted, glad the rest of the Riders had dispersed to help the villagers clean up their homeland.

Dagur raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What do you mean? Did something else happen in the cave?"

Astrid nodded. She didn't want to say anything about Hiccup having a seizure. She had promised Hiccup not to tell anyone. But Dagur needed to know why keeping Hiccup here wasn't safe.

Astrid sighed and began to speak quietly. "He has these things called seizures. They started happening after he killed the Red Death. He had one just over a year ago, that's how I found out. Everyone else thinks it was a one-time thing. Fishlegs probably suspects there's more to it. But he had one in the cave. I found his satchel and gave him the tonic, but I don't know if it worked or not. Gothi is the only healer I know who's trained to treat them.

Dagur nodded. "Hiccup's secret is safe with me. I won't tell him or anyone what you told me." He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Let me talk to Magnus again. See if we can't work something out."

Astrid sat on top of Toothless, watching as the Dagur and Magnus carried Hiccup out of the tent. Upon hearing about Hiccup's condition, the Healer decided the risk of him being flown home was worth it. Stormfly stood next to them, eager to take off.

The other Riders had already gone ahead to make sure Gothi was ready to receive and care for the Pride of Berk.

"Remember, go slow," Magnus reiterated for what felt like the thousandth time. "Don't fly too high. No higher than a sea stack. Anything higher and you risk him choking to death."

"Got it," Astrid said as she slid back on the saddle, so they could place Hiccup in front of her.

Once Hiccup was properly situated on top of Toothless and Astrid had a secure hold on him, they took off.

As they flew over the ocean, Astrid kept a close on Hiccup, continually checking to make sure he was still breathing. She had to force herself to not look at the bruising that covered nearly his entire face. Johann and Krogan had really done a number on the love of her life.

The thought made her blood boil. She wanted to thaw out Johann and beat him until he couldn't remember how to even breathe. She wanted to make him too terrified to blink, but it was too late. He was dead or dying. It was hard to tell. It could take days for someone to die after being frozen alive, or so she heard. That would have to be torture enough. Robbing him of the most basic instinct a human could have, made Astrid smile grimly.

After what felt like forever, Berk came into sight. As if feeling her sense to get there faster, Toothless began to flap his wings harder, picking up a bit more speed, but still slow enough to keep Hiccup safe. In just a few minutes they were sailing over Berk straight toward Gothi's hut.

Astrid could see Gobber and Snotlout standing on the deck. Their respective dragons were hovering above them. Gothi only allowed two dragons on her deck and in her hut. They were her Gronkle and Toothless. Gothi was standing in the doorway to her hut, ready to receive Hiccup.

The blonde warrior landed Toothless at the end of the deck. Gobber and Snotlout quickly took Hiccup out of her arms and carried him into the Healer's hut. Astrid dismounted the Night Fury and signaled for Stormfly to head home. She was going to stay awhile.

Inside the hut, Gothi had started removing the bandages Magnus had wrapped around Hiccup's wounds, examining them as she went. Astrid felt her stomach churn once more at the sight of Hiccup's injuries. He looked even worse than when he did before they left Berserker Island.

The blonde warrior pulled her gaze away from her betrothed and looked over at Snotlout. "Where's your dad, Snotlout?"

"A council meeting was called as soon as we got back. They're demanding answers as to why we didn't drag Hiccup here right away," Snotlout explained, not taking his eyes off his cousin.

Astrid nodded. "Do me a favor and go be with him. After the meeting is over, can you go check on Stoick?"

Snotlout had to force himself to look away from Hiccup and at Astrid. He knew what she was doing. She was giving him something to do to keep him from worrying about his family. Both his uncle and cousin were injured and barely hanging on by the looks of it. He was scared, but he wasn't going to admit it. He was a Jorgenson, and Jorgenson's are never scared. They laughed at fear.

He also knew that after two years of living closely on an isolated island with five other people, everyone got good at reading each other. His tough attitude was as transparent as a cloaked Changewing.

"Sure thing, Astrid," Snotlout answered, before turning to leave and calling for Hookfang.

Once he was gone, Astrid filled Gothi and Gobber in on what happened. She figured Gobber knew about Hiccup's seizures. He was Gobber; Hiccup couldn't hide anything from him. Gobber had an extra sense when it came to Hiccup's well-being.

"... I gave him the tonic as soon as I found it. He started breathing normally but didn't wake up. I figured it might be due to blood loss," Astrid finished.

"You did well, lass," Gobber stated.

Gothi nodded in agreement as she applied a cream to Hiccup's varying bruises. During the time Astrid talked, the elder had examined and rebandaged Hiccup's stab wounds. With Gobber's help, she wrapped up his shoulder and chest in thick bandages as a way to make sure his collarbone healed correctly. She had also given him a tonic to help ward off any kind of infection that might emerge. Once she was done, she picked up her staff and began to write.

Gobber translated. "She says, 'He'll be out for a while. Once his color improves and I'm sure that there is no infection, we can move him to his own bed. The bruising on his face and chest will heal over the next few weeks. His arm is going to take a while longer. There appears to be some damage to the muscle. As long as his shoulder and chest remain tied up by the dragon's knees," Gothi hit him with the stick. "Sorry, sorry," Gobber said. "As long as shoulder and chest remain wrapped in bandages, his collarbone and ribs should mend perfectly.'"

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief; Hiccup was going to be okay. "Thank you, Gothi."

Gothi bowed her head in recognition and motioned for Gobber to follow her. She could tell that Astrid wanted to be alone with Hiccup.

Chapter Text

Two Days Later:

Astrid refused to leave Hiccup's side. She wanted to be the first face he saw when he woke up. Unfortunately for Toothless, he had to remain outside as there wasn't enough room. He often paced on the platform, sticking his head in whenever he could. Gothi worked around Astrid, reapplying cream to the bruising, changing out the bandaging, and giving Hiccup his tonic and various other medicines to help him heal. Whenever Astrid moved, Gothi motioned for her to stay and that she fine right where she was.

As the sun fell and the moon rose, Astrid decided to stretch her legs. She got up and walked out onto the deck. She looked down at the village below. It was as busy as ever. Kids were running around, playing in the remaining light. Women were preparing dinner. Gobber was hard at work on the forge. Dragons were eating from the fish-filled troughs. Everything was as it should be.

Suddenly all noise stopped when a piercing yell came from the chief's hut. "He's awake. The chief has woken up!"

Everything remained still up until the count of ten. Everyone burst into cries of joy, cheering at the recovery of the chief.

Astrid looked over at Stoick's home; she could see a vast figure walking through the door. Stoick. He was limping, clearly favoring his right side. He waved to everyone, who had rushed to meet him. They were waiting with bated breath to hear him speak.

"Where's Hiccup?" were the only words out of his mouth.

No one spoke; all heads seemed to turn toward Gothi's hut. Despite the distance, Astrid could see fear and rage forming in his eyes or maybe she just sensed it. He moved to get to Skullcrusher, only to realize that the Rumblehorn was still in no shape to fly. Gobber quickly offered him Grump. Stoick obliged. Astrid ran back into the hut and sat down next to Hiccup. She waited for Stoick to come barging in and demand answers.

Stoick came in barging all right, but he didn't say anything. He just stared at his unconscious son. He grabbed a vacant stool and sat it down next to Astrid. Together they sat in silence, keeping watch over the man they loved. Toothless warbled from the door, waiting for them to say something.

Astrid eventually filled the Chief in on what she knew had happened on Berserker Island, but only Hiccup could tell them what really happened. The rest was just a guess.

After two more days, Gothi deemed it safe to move Hiccup to his own bed. Stoick did the task of carrying his son home. He refused to let anyone help, even though he, himself, was still injured. Hiccup was his responsibility.

Stoick gently laid his son onto his bed and pulled the covers up to his waist. Toothless padded up the stairs and sat at the foot of the bed. The chief placed a reassuring hand on the Night Fury.

"He'll be okay, Toothless," Stoick promised. "He just needs to rest."

Toothless made a crooning noise as if to say he understood.

Stoick took the chair and placed it next to the bed, before heading downstairs to make a quick lunch. While he sliced the meat off the day-old roast to make a sandwich, he thought about Astrid and what it took to get her to go home.

The young woman hadn't gotten any real rest in at least five days, from what Stoick could tell from her recollection of events. He had had to trick her into drinking a sleeping tonic. That was a whole day ago. As far as he knew, she was still sound asleep in her own bed. Once she had fallen asleep her father came and got her from Gothi's hut.

He knew that as soon as she woke up, she was coming straight here and was going to place herself right next to Hiccup. She wasn't going to move until he was awake.

Stoick stopped cutting the meat and sat down. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. There was no telling when Hiccup would wake up. He had lost a lot of blood, more than when he lost his leg. There was also the shock of being tortured. Several broken bones too.

The best Gothi could predict was that Hiccup would be in a coma for a month at best, if not longer. It would be considered a miracle if he woke up sooner.

Hiccup found himself trapped on Johann's former trade ship. He was bound and locked in a cage. Johann charged Vikings to come and laugh at the boy who used to train dragons.

Johann changed all that after taking the egg and hatching it. He controlled the King of Dragons. Every Dragon was under his control. He forced Toothless to kill anyone who had ever ridden a dragon and any dragon who protected humans. He then had the Night Fury kill anyone who had a connection to Hiccup. Stoick, Astrid, the rest of the Riders, the Wingmaidens, Defenders of the Wing, the Berserkers, Berk, and the Outcasts.

Johann made Hiccup watch everyone die. Once Toothless shot everyone, Johann killed him. Hiccup was powerless to stop him. He became a shell in himself. He hid away in his mind. He pretended that it was all a dream. He brought everyone back to life in his mind and lived out his remaining days there.

The world he was trapped in faded around him. In its place was a brightly lit room. His room.

Two weeks later:

Astrid sat next to Hiccup. His bruising had almost completely disappeared. The minor cuts on his face had healed up nicely. His collarbone was on the mend. He was breathing easier as his ribs healed. Gothi had removed the stitching from his leg. The wound had closed up and was beginning to heal. However, she had to redo the stitching in his arm because for some reason it wasn't healing.

The best the healer could figure is that it had something to do with the damage Johann had caused. Gothi was certain that she wouldn't have to amputate since there was no infection and it looked like it was trying to heal. It was just taking its sweet time about it.

At some point, Gobber came by with a new prosthetic leg and attached it to Hiccup's stump. That way when he woke up, he would be able to get up as soon as Gothi gave him the all-clear.

As night fell across the sky, Astrid set about lighting the ten-plus candles she had set up around the room. She had found it impossible to see much with just one candle. How Hiccup ever got anything done with just one was beyond her. Toothless chortled while she lit the candles, almost mocking her need for extra light. Astrid teasingly flicked a piece of melted wax at him. Toothless shook it off, splattering it on the wall near his rock bed.

As she sat back down, she took Hiccup's hand into hers. It had become something of a ritual for her. Whenever night came, she would hold his hand in case she fell asleep. She hoped he would squeeze it, thus waking her up.

Hiccup became aware of the world around him. He was in his room. How did he get there? The last thing he remembered was Toothless leaving to go get help. Had he passed out? No, wait. He had a seizure. But how was he able to get back here so fast? How long had he been out for?

"Hiccup?" he heard a familiar voice speak. Hiccup quickly located where the voice was coming from. Right next to him. He turned his head and found a beautiful blonde woman, staring at him with concern. Astrid.

The injured man opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a raspy noise. Astrid quickly grabbed the cup of water she had on the desk. Hiccup tried to sit up but failed. He was too weak to push himself up on his own.

Astrid helped lift his head up enough to drink. Hiccup downed the cup of water in three big gulps. The blonde Rider set the cup back down and eased Hiccup back onto the pillow.

"Better?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," Hiccup managed. "How long-?"

As soon as Hiccup spoke, Toothless's ear flaps perked up in his sleep.

Astrid didn't need to the rest of the question before answering, "Almost three weeks."

"How?" Hiccup wondered.

"Blood loss, mostly," Astrid replied. "The rest was your body needing to heal. Johann and Krogan worked you over quite a bit."

"Just Johann," Hiccup corrected. "He was so angry. So full of rage and hate. He took it all out on me. If the King of Dragons hadn't stepped in -"

Hiccup's voice caught in his throat. He didn't want to finish. He didn't want to relive what had transpired after sending Toothless away to save the egg. The egg.

"Where's the egg?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid was taken aback but the sudden switch in conversation, but it was Hiccup. His brain was clearly playing 'Catch Up'.

"The Wingmaidens took it. They know someone, who knows someone who will keep the egg safe now that the King of Dragons' birth nest has been exposed," Astrid answered.

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. The egg was safe. That's all that mattered right now. That and his father. Was his father still alive?

"How's Dad?" Hiccup almost demanded.

"He's fine," Astrid said in a calming voice. "He's in the Great Hall. A meeting was called. No one has been able to locate Krogan."

"That's great that he's better," Hiccup stated. "Not so great that Krogan can't be found. Maybe the King of Dragons ate him for trying to steal his egg."

Astrid laughed. It felt good to laugh. It felt even greater that Hiccup was the one making her laugh.

Toothless jumped off his rock and half flapped, half ran to Hiccup. He stuck his face in front of Hiccup's and licked every part of it he could reach. He wagged his tail, staring at Hiccup expectantly.

"It's good to see you too, Bud," Hiccup said, as he raised his good hand to pet Toothless's snout.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile. Seeing his dragon and betrothed looking over him, gave him a small sense of peace. Right now, in this moment, nothing else mattered. He knew he was safe with them.

Astrid gave Hiccup a quick kiss and then stood up. "I'll go get your father and let him know you're awake."

Hiccup waited until he heard Astrid shut the front door behind her, before groaning in pain. Every inch of his body felt like it had been set on fire, put out, and then set on fire again. It was hard to determine what hurt worst. Why was he awake now? Couldn't his body have waited until there wasn't any pain?

Toothless hummed in concern before he went back to licking Hiccup. "No bud, it's ok", Hiccup said, pushing away his muzzle. Toothless grunted but continued his work.

The Rider shifted under the covers. Lying on his back was far from comfortable. If he could just sit up a little bit, he'd be happy. But he did admit Toothless was helping. Night Fury saliva had excellent healing properties.

Astrid walked into the Great Hall. In the far back the Riders and Council members were all sitting together, arguing about Krogan.

"If he hasn't resurfaced by now, he probably never will," Sven pointed out. "Chances are, whoever he was working for either has him locked up or killed for failure to deliver. We need to stop wasting resources on a man that will never be found."

Stoick cleared his throat to speak, but the words caught in his throat when he saw Astrid. Something must have happened with Hiccup.

"Hiccup's awake," Astrid stated. Before she could say anything else, Stoick got up from his seat and headed for the doors. The Riders quickly followed suit.

Gobber stood up to leave as well. "I'll go get Gothi."

Chapter Text

Two weeks later:

Hiccup sat at his desk, sketching out a design for his new leg. The old style had served him well, but it was time for some upgrades.

Hiccup was almost fully recovered. Everything, but his ribs and arm were healed. Now that he was awake, the stab wound had finally closed up properly. Gothi was able to remove the stitches a week ago.

Thankfully, he didn't need to keep his arm in a sling, so he was able to sketch out his ideas for new inventions or improvements to the old ones.

Gothi reckoned it would be another month or so before he was completely healed. Hiccup wasn't really looking forward to being confined to his room for another month. But he was still too weak to even make it down the stairs, let alone fly.

Hiccup set his pencil down and leaned back in his chair as far as he could, without too much pain. It had been a month and a half since the Berserker Island Battle. Yet it still felt like it was yesterday. He could feel Johann's fist connecting with his face. The knife still felt like it was embedded in his arm. He felt his ribcage being crushed by the vile man's foot. He could see how full of rage and hatred Johann was.

He thought about the nightmares that followed, being trapped and forced to watch everyone he loved and cared about dying at the hands of a mind-controlled Toothless. Had his nightmares foreshadowed what might have happened, or what could still happen?

Hiccup was pulled from his thoughts when Stoick walked in.

"I brought you some dinner, Hiccup," Stoick said as he set the plate down next to Hiccup. "Spiced chicken and beans."

Hiccup sat up and looked up at his father. "Thanks, Dad."

"How are you feeling, son?" Stoick asked.

"Same as from when you asked me an hour ago," Hiccup replied, mildly annoyed. "I'm hurting, but not bad enough that I need one of Gothi's tonics."

Ever since he woke up two weeks ago, Stoick stayed in the house most of the time. He only left if it was important. He kept checking in on him every hour or so. At first, Hiccup didn't mind. For the first few days, when he was still stuck in bed, too weak to barely move, it was fine. Now, Hiccup was up and moving about on his own.

Well, he could get to his desk on his own, but still, having his father hovering over him made it feel like he was never going to get better.

"Okay, good," Stoick nodded. "I'm going to head out for a bit. Council meeting. Are you sure you'll be okay for a few hours?"

Hiccup sighed. "I'll be fine, Dad. You don't have to worry so much. Besides, I have Toothless."

Toothless lifted his head up from his resting position and let out a warble of confirmation.

"You're my son, Hiccup, I'm always going to worry about you," Stoick stated. "I almost lost you. I'm not about to lose you again. Just because you're up and about, doesn't mean you're okay. What you went through was traumatic."

"Losing my leg was more traumatic," Hiccup lied. What Johann had done to him was worse. Johann laughed as he tortured him. The psychopath had fun doing what he did. What made it worse was that Johann used to be family. He was the quirky uncle everyone loved but was annoyed with at the same time.

Hiccup had trusted that man his entire life, only to end up being stabbed in the back, well, arm, so close to the finish line. No one had really taken the time to properly process the betrayal. It was a 'Johann is evil, let's kick his butt' kind of thing.

They don't even know what made him turn into such an evil man. Had he always been evil or had it really been since Breakneck Bog?

Stoick sat down on Hiccup's bed. "Look, son, you don't have to lie to me. I know a broken man when I see one, and I'm not talking about broken bones. Your soul is broken. A man you once called family, beat and tortured you for sheer pleasure. He betrayed us all and you don't know how to deal with it."

Hiccup hung his head and let out a shaky breath. There was no sense in hiding from his father. Stoick knew better than to believe he was okay.

"Sorry, Dad," Hiccup apologized. "I'm still trying to process it all I guess. It's just... I don't understand why or how. How could he do what he did and laugh? You'd think his conscience would tell him to stop. Why did he do it? He had multiple opportunities to just finish me off, but he decided on..."

Hiccup could feel tears running down his face. He couldn't finish what he wanted to say. Toothless got and padded over to his human, offering his support.

Stoick placed a comforting hand on Hiccup's right shoulder. "Something in Johann broke a long time ago. He killed his conscience to be able to do what he wanted to do without guilt. That's why he was able to trick us for so long. He knew how to twist our minds. He knew how to make us see past the obvious. The man that did this to you was not the same man that wanted to teach you to be a trader when you were five."

"But it is, Dad," Hiccup argued. "The whole time. That's who I was seeing. I was seeing a lifelong friend. He was family! I trusted him. You trusted him. We all trusted him! And he, he betrayed us all for power. A power he knew was impossible to have."

Hiccup made no effort to stop the tears. He was angry that what happened, happened. It shouldn't have, but it did. Not like this. He was terrified that it could still happen. Krogan was still out there, and so was that mysterious employer of his. They would do anything to get their hands on the King of Dragons.

Hiccup hadn't realized it, but he was starting to hyperventilate. He was so angry that he wasn't paying attention to his body shutting down on him.

Luckily, his father was there and knew what to do. "Hiccup, you need to calm down. Your breathing is becoming erratic. You need to slow it down."

Hiccup blinked once. Twice. Three times. He held back the storm raging inside him long enough to finally listen to his body. He needed to calm down.

"How?" Hiccup croaked.

Stoick placed a hand on his son's back. "Put your head between your legs, and just focus on breathing."

It hurt like Hel to do, but Hiccup managed to bend over enough to do what his father suggested.

"Breathe in and count down from ten, then breathe out," Stoick instructed. "Keep doing that until you feel like your breathing has returned to normal and it doesn't feel like something is choking you."

It took a good ten minutes for Hiccup to steady his breathing and calm down. Hiccup slowly sat up and looked at his father "What just happened?"

"Gothi calls them panic attacks. They're usually caused by stress or a traumatic event," Stoick explained with a worried look. "I'm sorry for pushing you."

"It's not your fault, Dad," Hiccup said. "I got angry and I shouldn't have. I should be sorry."

Stoick shook his head. "You have every right to be angry, Hiccup. What you went through was a living nightmare. I'm surprised you held together this long."

Something clicked inside Hiccup's brain. He was stuck with these memories. How he handled them from here on out was up to him. He could let them consume and fuel his anger and fears, or he could tell someone the whole story and find a healthy way to move forward.

Hiccup walked through the village with only the moonlight to guide him. It was his first time out of the house in what felt like forever, when in reality it was two and a half months. Gothi wanted him to stay inside and recover some more.

Despite his protests that he felt fine and was ready to rejoin the village, Stoick sided with the Village Elder. Hiccup was to remain in the house until Gothi gave him the all clear.

The only reason Stoick sided with the old hag was that he thought Hiccup was losing his grip on the reality due to trying to deal with the memories that haunted his mind. So what if he's had a few panic attacks and wasn't talking about it. He wouldn't be able to understand. No one could.

Hiccup was dealing with it. He was working through the memories and nightmares. So what if his father didn't approve of how he dealt with it. It was his memories. His trauma.

The Rider found himself walking toward the forge. Even at this late hour, the forge would still be up and running. With Snoggletog a month away, Gobber was working overtime to get all the orders finished in time.

Gobber was a great listener. He knew exactly what to say when it came to Stoick.

Hiccup walked into the forge and found Gobber hammering away at a sword. "Hey, Gobber."

The blacksmith stopped hammering and turn to look at the younger man. "You should be at home resting."

"Couldn't sleep," Hiccup said as he sat down at his worktable. "Staying inside is driving me a bit crazy, so I snuck out after Dad fell asleep."

"And came straight here," Gobber guessed.

Hiccup picked a couple of stray turning gears and shrugged. "Wandered around for a bit. Headed down to the docks and watched the water. On my way back, my legs seemed to bring me here."

"What's wrong, Hiccup?" Gobber asked, knowing something was up.

"Just tired of being cooped up. I'm fully recovered, yet Gothi and Dad insist that I stay in the house," Hiccup answered in a bitter tone.

Gobber sat down across from the young lad. Stoick had warned him that Hiccup was angry and wasn't himself. The kid basically went to Helheim and back. Johann damaged the boy in more ways than one.

The aging blacksmith knew that Hiccup was holding back the dam. He was trying to keep other people from knowing what really went down. Everyone kept guessing about what happened inside that cave, but no one knew for sure.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Gobber wondered, hoping the lad would finally break the dam.

"What is there to talk about?" Hiccup practically yelled. "There is nothing to talk about. Johann tortured and almost killed me. I lived and he didn't. End of story."

"Hiccup there is no need to shout. I'm right here," Gobber soothed. He spoke as if he was speaking to a child. He needed to find a fault in the dam in order for it to break.

Hiccup stood and began to pace. His face was beet red with anger, or was it shame? Maybe both.

"Whatever you say will stay between us," Gobber promised. "No one else will know."

Hiccup rolled his neck from side to side, loosening up the tense muscles. "Yes, Gobber, I know. But what else is there to say?"

"You could tell me what really happened," Gobber suggested. "Maybe if you told me, I could help you."

"Where do I even begin?" Hiccup asked.

Gobber stood up and handed Hiccup a piece of scrap metal. "Here, you can start by turning this into something useful. You'll know where to begin eventually."

After an hour of taking all his anger and rage out on a piece of scrap metal-turned sword, Hiccup knew where to begin. He placed the sword in a tub of cold water and sat down.

Hiccup rubbed his left arm absent-mindedly as he watched Gobber finish an axe. He knew where to begin, but how could he even start to share the horrors with his mentor?

Gobber placed the axe with the sword and sat down. "Whenever you're ready, laddie."

Hiccup took in a deep breath and sighed. "I'd gotten there just seconds before Johann and Krogan. I saw that the King of Dragons had laid an egg..."

The more Hiccup talked, the more Gobber wanted to revive the villain and kill him all over again. By the time Hiccup got to the part about Johann breaking his ribcage, he had tears running down his cheeks. It was hurting Hiccup just to talk about it.

Gobber watched as Hiccup touched every healed injury as if they were still fresh. Hiccup was suffering under the weight of the memories. His body might have healed, but his mind had not. His anger came from pain. Pain Johann had inflicted knowing full well that Hiccup would be traumatized for the rest of his life if he had survived. Killing him would have been a kindness.

"So I locked myself away in mind, bringing everyone back to life," Hiccup finished. "How do I know I'm not still dreaming, Gobber? I can't tell the difference between reality and my dreams. When I go to bed I'm trapped in a cage on Johann's ship. He has the King of Dragons. When I open my eyes everyone is still alive. How do I know what's real and what's not?"

Gobber took hold of Hiccup's right hand and squeezed. "This is real. Johann is as good as dead. He will remain forever frozen in that cave. He can't cause any more harm. When you close your eyes at night, that world you are seeing isn't real. It's just a figment of your imagination running wild with what could have happened. Everyone is still alive and not going anywhere. I'm sorry about what happened to you, I wouldn't wish it on anybody, not even my worst enemy."

Hiccup choked back a sob but remained silent.

Gobber continued. "You went through hell, laddie, and your brain can't process it. Not on its own. You have to talk to people about it. Share your story. You might not like it, but in the end, you'll feel better, because you know that someone is helping you carry the weight of those memories. I can't promise that you'll forget, but you will know what to do when they resurface."

Hiccup nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak. If he opened his mouth, he would start crying like a babe.

"It's okay to cry," Gobber said. "It doesn't make you any less of a Viking. You should have seen your father after he lost Valka. After he thought we lost you to the Red Death. Crying is healthy. It helps you grieve. It makes it easier for you to move forward."

Before Hiccup realized it, he was crying. Gobber led him to the back room before he broke down and had a full-on sob fest.

Gobber left Hiccup alone after he fell asleep from the sheer exhaustion from crying. The young lad had cried until the sun began to peak over the mountaintop.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Hiccup ran back to the arena where the reception was being held, Toothless hot on his trail. What he had just seen was impossible, right? Frozen men can't blink.

He hoped to the gods that he was hallucinating. He needed a second opinion and fast, but who to tell? Who would actually listen and not accuse him of going crazy? Dagur. Dagur knew crazy better than anyone.

He stopped running as he neared the dinner party. He had to appear calm. He had to get Dagur away from the party without raising an alarm. He entered the party and scanned over the guests, locating the Berserker chief. He found him talking with his new wife. They were laughing at the show the twins were putting on.

Hiccup made his way to the man. He pushed through the crowd of Vikings. When he finally got to Dagur, he grabbed the man's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Dagur, we need to talk. It's urgent."

Dagur turned and looked at his brother. He could see that Hiccup was freaked out. The younger man was trying to hide it but failing. The younger man looked like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown

The Berserker gave his wife a quick kiss. "I'll be right back, Schnookums."

Dagur followed Hiccup into the section of woods that housed the cave's main entrance. "What's wrong, brother?"

Hiccup stopped walking and rubbed the temples of his forehead. "I'm losing my mind. I've finally cracked, and I-I need you to tell me I'm wrong."

A rambling Hiccup was never a good thing. Dagur had the misfortune of knowing what happens when Hiccup gets freaked out. He needed to keep Hiccup calm and lucid. Stress was something the Dragon Rider didn't need.

"Take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out," Dagur offered, demonstrating what he meant.

Hiccup took in three deep breaths. His body relaxed, but his eyes were still wide with fear.

"What happened? What did you see?" Dagur asked.

Hiccup explained how going to the caves was supposed to be a way to make peace with what had happened. He talked about yelling at Johann and then saw him blink. Twice.

"I feel stupid asking this, but can you just go back with me in there and see if he really is blinking or if I've just lost my mind?" Hiccup asked. His tone was almost childlike.

Dagur wanted to chide Hiccup for going in there alone, to begin with, but didn't have the heart. "Sure. No problem. That's what brothers are for."

As they continued walking, Dagur silently hoped Hiccup was going a tad crazy and that Johann really was dead underneath the ice. He also hated himself for hoping for such a thing. If Hiccup's mind really was cracked, there was no telling what else he could be seeing or hearing.

Dagur leaned in and studied the frozen man. Hiccup stood behind him, clutching the remains of his former sword. He kept his distance but was close enough to see if he really was blinking.

The Berserker chief nearly jumped back when Johann blinked. Sweet Freya, Hiccup wasn't going crazy. The madman was still alive.

"Please tell me you saw that?" Hiccup practically begged.

Dagur had to make a split-second decision. If he told Hiccup that Johann was still alive, he would go back to being scared and angry. Everything he had worked so hard on for the past few months would come crashing down. Hiccup needed to think Johann was dead in order to move on.

"I didn't see anything," Dagur lied. "It must be your imagination. Perhaps a good night's rest is in order."

Hiccup stared at the man. He was still counting to ten; then he screamed. "You're lying! You moved when he blinked!"

Before Dagur had a chance to defend himself, Hiccup had run him through with Inferno and sent him over the edge.

Dagur the Deranged was dead.

Chapter Text

Hiccup opened his eyes only to find a set of big green ones looking at him. He was lying in a bed, but it wasn't his bed. The weight of his prosthetic was absent. That meant someone had removed it as a precaution. His entire body thrummed with pain.

The pain wasn't so bad that he couldn't sit up. He pushed himself up until his back was against the headboard.

What happened?  Hiccup thought. The last thing he remembered was leaving Toothless outside the cave. No, wait, it was coming back now. He was yelling at Johann's frozen form when all of a sudden he was on the ground.

What had happened? Did he have a seizure? No, he couldn't have. He'd taken his tonic just before the wedding. The wedding! Oh, gods. What did he do!?

He had killed Dagur.

Before Hiccup had a chance to mourn what he had done to his friend, the man himself walked in.

Dagur had changed out of his wedding attire and was wearing his usual outfit of a sleeveless tunic with his armor covering it up. "Brother! You're awake. How are you feeling?"

Hiccup had to be dreaming. He clearly remembered running Dagur through and tossing him over the edge and into the abyss. Could that have been the dream? Had he dreamed about killing Dagur?

"Um," was all Hiccup could say. His brain was still trying to process all this information at once.

"Don't worry about talking," Dagur suggested. "You're probably still tired. I've sent the rest of the Riders home and told them once you were better, you'd head home as well."

Hiccup managed to find his voice. "I'm a little sore. What happened?"

"No one knew where you went, so we went searching. Mala and I found Toothless running through the woods roaring like crazy," Dagur explained. "Mala calmed him down, and he led us to the caves. I went in and found you on the ground lying next to Johann. Magnus checked you over and could find no sign of injury and suggested your condition might have acted up."

Hiccup looked like a dragon caught in a netter trap. "My condition?"

Dagur sat down in a chair on the other side of the room. "Don't act like you don't know. You had one during the battle against the Hunters. You've had them for a few years. I'd say, since the Red Death."

Hiccup's eyes widened in fear. "Did Astrid—"

Dagur shook his head and cut him off. "I figured it out long before she did. It was just before you imprisoned me on Outcast Island."

Which wasn't necessarily a lie. He'd known longer than any of the other Riders. Astrid just confirmed it; he was going to tell Hiccup that, though. He recognized the tonic when he was going through Hiccup's satchel after he'd captured him. It was the same one Gothi had made regularly for his mother when she was still alive. The smell was unique, to say the least.

"Why didn't you use it against me?" was all Hiccup wanted to know.

"It's how my mother died. I wasn't going to put you through that," Dagur answered with a frown. His frown disappeared and was replaced with a smile. "Anyways, let's have Magnus check you over so you can head on home."

Hiccup felt fine. He didn't need to have a healer, who didn't know him, examine him. For all he knew, this Magnus fellow had a staff he liked to hit people with.

"I'm fine. I know what to look out for," Hiccup stated as he moved to get up. Dagur was quick on his feet and pushed Hiccup back down.

"You're not going anywhere. Besides, how far do you think you'll get with one leg?" Dagur dared. "House rules. You are going to rest and wait for the all-clear. I don't want you to get halfway home and something happens because you were impatient. Don't worry, after caring for you last time, Magnus studied up on seizures. Not to mention he trained under Gothi before coming here."

"Really, Dagur," Hiccup insisted. "I'm fine. I don't need to be checked over. So please give me my leg back so that I can go home."

"And I want to be sure of that," Dagur said. "Better safe than sorry."

Hiccup bit the inside of his cheek. "Fine. He's not going to whack me with his staff, is he?"

Dagur sat back down and pondered the question for a moment before answering. "Depends on how mad you make him. He's not supposed to hit visitors, but that hasn't stopped him."

Oh, fantastic, Hiccup thought.

After losing his leg, Gothi made sure he would come to her once a week to make sure everything was okay, while also drilling it into his head that his seizure needed to be taken seriously. He learned by the fourth visit to watch what he said; otherwise, he would end up with a lump on the top of his head. If this man trained under Gothi, he was probably better off keeping his mouth shut.

While Hiccup and Dagur waited. Hiccup went down his post-seizure checklist. He could still feel all his fingers and toes. His muscles weren't tense anymore. He wasn't tired, but he was sore. Must've been a bad one. Usually, the pain would fade right away after waking up. He had a bit of a headache, but that was most likely from his head hitting the ice.

He'd be able to make it home and take his medicine without risking another one. A visit to Gothi's hut might be in order.

Dagur broke the uncomfortable silence. "What were you doing down there anyway?"

"I was trying to come to terms with what happened," Hiccup admitted. "Gothi thought it might be a good idea to help me move forward."

"Did it help?" Dagur wondered.

"At first," Hiccup shrugged. "I got up close to his face, as if to say, 'I'm not afraid of you.' That's when I saw him blink."

Dagur shot to his feet in alarm. "Why didn't you say that before!?"

"Why does it matter?" Hiccup retorted. "Seeing him blink was a hallucination caused by having a seizure."

Dagur started pacing. The deranged chief was clearly freaking out.

"Dagur, why are you freaking out over a hallucination?" Hiccup asked. He was starting to freak out himself. "It was just a hallucination, right?"

Dagur fervently shook his head. "About a week ago, some kids snuck past the guards and went into the caves. They wanted to see 'the frozen man'. One of them nearly fell into the cavern when he claimed he saw Johann blinking. His friends saved him and brought him to me."

Hiccup fell silent. No words could describe how he was feeling. His enemy was still alive. If he was alive and his followers found out, they would come and rescue him. Once his ice prison thawed, he would come after Hiccup, knowing that he wouldn't be able to deal with him.

They had to make sure he remained frozen. Dagur would have to have guards surrounding him 24/7, waiting for the day he stopped blinking.

The Rider watched as Dagur left the room. He heard a far-off door slam shut, followed by a ton of shouting. Hiccup couldn't make out what was said, but he got the gist of it. Dagur had been thinking the same thing.

When Dagur came back, he planted his butt firmly in the seat, crossed his arms, and stared worriedly at the younger man.

After waiting two hours, Magnus finally showed up. The man looked to be about Snotlout's height, if not a bit shorter. His eyes seemed unfocused, as if he couldn't decide where to look. He was looking everywhere but at Hiccup or Dagur. The man didn't have a staff with him. Hiccup doubted that would stop him from smacking him.

"What took you so long, Magnus?" Dagur demanded, clearly peeved at the man's tardiness but not surprised.

"I was having a drink in the Hall of Heroes," Magnus answered. "Or ten."

That explained the unfocused eyes. Magnus was also the village drunk. No way in Thor's name was Hiccup going to have this man check him over.

"Dagur," Hiccup spoke up. "I really feel fine."

"Shut up, boy," Magnus ordered, raising a fist. "I'm the only chance you have of getting off this rock."

Dagur stepped between the two. "Magnus, if you even think about hurting Hiccup, I will exile you to Outcast Island, or better yet, make you sail to the end of the Earth."

Magnus curled his lips inward and lowered his fist. Dagur clearly put the fear of the gods in him.

Johann stared at the abyss before him. It was all he had done for however long it had been. Hiccup showing up had been a treat. Hearing the scrawny boy admit he was afraid of him overfilled him with joy. And watching him shake on the ground out of the corner of his eyesight as he had done so long ago was even more pleasurable. That boy clearly had an impairment of some sort.

Once he was freed, he would figure it out. It was just a matter of time before his men finally came and rescued him. Word will have surely spread to the whole island by now, and hopefully farther.

Magnus spent a good three hours poking and prodding Hiccup wherever he could. Hiccup watched as the little man took pleasure in making him jump and squirm.

Toothless growled whenever Hiccup winced or moved away from the man.

This man was not a healer. He was a flipping psychopath.

"I give you a clean bill of health, boy," Magnus finally stated.

"Good," Hiccup said bitterly. "Can I have my leg back now?"

Dagur left the room and walked back in a minute later holding the fake leg. "Here."

The married man tossed it to the younger man, who caught it with ease.

Hiccup sat up and clicked his leg into place before standing. He tested the balance, making sure it was on right. Once he was positive it wasn't going to come off, he motioned for Toothless to get ready to follow him.

"See Gothi as soon as you get to Berk," Magnus suggested, staring Hiccup down as if daring him to say something defiant.

Hiccup paid the small man very little attention. He was already planning on doing what he was saying.

Toothless snorted in the healer's face and set the tips of his hair on fire. Magnus didn't seem to realize he was burning, because he left without another word.

Dagur threw his arm over Hiccup's shoulder and began to lead him out. "Let's walk and talk for a minute."

Once they were far enough away from what Hiccup assumed was Dagur's house, Dagur stopped walking and looked around, making sure no one could hear him. He didn't want anyone eavesdropping in on the conversation.

"Hiccup, I can't let you come back here. It's not safe," Dagur said in a harsh whisper.

Hearing Dagur say that hurt, but Hiccup figured he had a good reason. "Why?"

"There's something not right here. Things keep happening. Sabotagey things," Dagur continued to whisper. "Almost had to cancel the wedding because of what's been happening. Until I find out what, I don't want anyone from Berk coming here unless I say so. I'll make sure you know it's me when I send word. Something only I know."

Hiccup nodded in understanding. Dagur had a traitor in his village and had to find out who that was.

Hiccup climbed onto Toothless. "Be safe, Dagur, and keep us updated."

With that said, Hiccup and Toothless flew off into the night and headed toward Berk.

Chapter Text

Hiccup and Toothless landed outside Gothi's hut. The woman herself was still outside getting ready for tomorrow's sick and injured Vikings. She looked over at Hiccup as he began to dismount and motioned for him to follow her inside.

Hiccup signalled for Toothless to stay and followed her inside. Hiccup was one of the very few to get treated inside her hut. He had an ailment that was better off being treated in private than in view of the public.

Even though all of Berk seemed to be asleep, you never knew who might be out enjoying the peace and quiet.

Hiccup sat on the guest bed and explained to Gothi what had happened down in the caves and how Magnus treated him.

She shook her head at the sound of Magnus's name. It was clear she didn't like him either. How she put up with him for Thor knows how long was beyond Hiccup.

Gothi set about examining Hiccup but was quicker and gentler than Magnus had been. If that man knew anything about seizures, he would have known to tread carefully in the aftermath. The person who had one might have been injured in the process.

Hiccup would take Gothi over Magnus any day. Hel, he'd take Snotlout over Magnus.

The Village Elder quickly determined that Hiccup wasn't going to have another seizure as long as he took his tonic when he got home and took it easy for the next few days.

The young man hated "taking it easy," but after a seizure, he didn't mess around with his health. He hated having them. They were a nuisance in his life. They made him put whatever he was doing on pause to deal with it and recover. The more he had them, the greater the risk there was of people finding out.

Gothi said he would most likely outgrow them, but that could take years. He could be her age and still have them. There was no real way of determining if he did, aside from starting to have a bad reaction to the tonic.

Hiccup thanked the elderly woman and went home for some much-needed rest.

As Hiccup slept, he dreamt of Johann being set free. He dreamt of the man coming after him, torturing him. Not letting him die.

The Rider was reduced to nothingness. No one would save him because of how broken he had become. His family and friends abandoned him.

Little did he know how true his nightmares were about to become.

After the last villager was asleep, Magnus walked down to the docks with a single lantern. He waved it in the air, signaling for the boat hiding behind the sea stacks to come out.

Within minutes a small boat was docked, and its six passengers had climbed out. Each of them carried supplies to break the ice that encased their leader.

"I'll lead you to the caves. I already have a fire going. Once you are in the caves, work quickly and leave. You need to be out of here by sunup," Magnus said. "Have one of your men hide the boat on the other side of the island."

As four of Johann's men chiselled away at the ice, another made the fire hotter. They only had a few hours before the sun began to rise. They had only freed one arm and leg.

Johann's shouts for them to work faster were muffled by the ice. He was swinging his arm wildly as if he was trying to hit them for not moving fast enough.

Hours later, enough ice had been chiseled away for Johann to break away the rest of the ice himself. The man swayed for a moment before falling backwards, unconscious.

Two of the men picked him up and carried him out of the caves.

Hiccup walked through the village with Toothless right next to him. Above them, Astrid was doing some training with the A-Team. He could hear his father yelling at someone down at the docks. He could see Fishlegs with his niece and nephews up by the Great Hall teaching them about the history of Berk. The twins could be heard blasting away in the woods. He watched as Snotlout got ready to go on patrol.

All was right in the world. It was just a normal day on Berk. They would be leaving in a couple of days to finish packing up Dragon's Edge and lock it down. The plan was to leave it standing in case they had to travel long distances and they could stop there for rest. Any Berkian or their allies could use it.

The Rider's mind wandered back to the previous night. Dagur had warned him that there was a traitor on Berserker Island. Hiccup immediately thought of Magnus. That man was bad news all around. If Gothi didn't like him, that wasn't a good sign. Gothi got along with all the healers she's met or trained.

But then again, the man did tend to his wounds after his battle against Johann. Though, according to Astrid, she had to put the fear of Dagur into the man's soul before he actually did anything. He was also dealing with an influx of wounded at the time.

Hiccup shook his head. Too many variables to try and make sense of the Berserker Healer. He clearly wasn't a pleasant person, but that didn't make him a horrible one. For all the Dragon Rider knew, the traitor could be someone he didn't even know. His mind turned back to Johann.

That man was still alive. How he was alive was beyond Hiccup's understanding. Was there some kind of power within the King of Dragon's ice blast that preserved life? Was it sheer luck he had survived? Will of the gods?

Maybe Hiccup wasn't meant to know. All he knew was when the next meeting was called, he would have to tell everyone. A plan would have to be made in case he was freed. They would have to figure out if it would be a capture or kill mission.

Personally, Hiccup opted for a kill mission. If Johann was allowed to live and put in prison, he could escape whenever he wanted to. He still has vast connections in the Archipelago. He could be locked up and still be free to torture dragons and people alike.

Hiccup knew the first thing the man would do if he were freed would be to come after him. Johann had a job to finish.

Several healers set to work on treating Johann. After being frozen for five months, Johann was vulnerable to hypothermia, eelpox, boar flu, and several other ailments that could turn life-threatening.

"How long has he been like this?" A healer demanded as he forced a tonic down Johann's throat.

"He's been unconscious since we freed him. He started shaking about an hour ago. His body temperature shot through the roof not long after," the lead Hunter answered.

"We did our best to warm him up. Got some hot broth into him," another Hunter said.

"We have to regulate his core temperature," the healer stated. "Jorn, herbal broth. Baghook, we need all the fur blankets you can find. Halstein, fire. Once he's warmed up, we can start treating him."

Several hours later, Johann regained consciousness long enough to put a price on Hiccup's head. He wanted that Dragon lover brought to him alive. He wanted to have the pleasure of killing that menace himself.

The Hunters set to work making posters and offering 10,000 gold pieces for his capture.

Hiccup and Stoick shared identical headaches. Both had two blocks of ice on their heads. The Council and Riders nearly caused a civil war. Snotlout, Spitelout, Sven, the Twins, and Herleif wanted to destroy the cave, crushing Johann's frozen form. Then go after the Hunters and kill every last one.

Fishlegs, Astrid, Gobber, and Leif wanted to leave Johann right where he was. He would eventually die. Leaving him alone was the best option.

It was when the axes were brought out that Stoick put an end to the meeting.

"What was your plan going to be anyways, son?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "Kill him if he is somehow freed. If he's allowed to live, he can still hurt dragons and people. Locking him up doesn't stop anything."

Stoick stared at his boy. The boy who always sought out the peaceful solution. The boy who has turned almost all his enemies into friends and allies. It was still quite clear that Hiccup feared the man, but it wasn't revenge that was driving him. It was the need for peace. His son truly believed that killing Johann would bring peace. Not just for himself or Berk, but the whole Archipelago and beyond.

"Okay," Stoick agreed. "If he is ever freed, he won't be for very long."

It was Hiccup's turn to stare. His father wasn't even going to question him.

"You're agreeing to kill him?" Hiccup asked.

"If you firmly believe that his death will bring peace, then yes, I agree with you," Stoick answered.

Hiccup felt happy that his father agreed to the death of the man, but at the same time was determined not to fail.

Chapter Text

"JOHANN IS FREE!" Echoed through all of Berserker Island. "THE ICE HAS BEEN MELTED! JOHANN IS FREE!"

Pandemonium struck the island as all the villagers ran toward the caves to see if it was true. Dagur and Heather ran ahead of the crowd while Mala and Sleuther tried to get the crowd under control.

The two siblings ran through the maze of tunnels until they came to the main cavern. They both came to a halt when they saw that Johann was, in fact, gone. The only proof that he had been there were chunks of ice everywhere.

"How did this happen?" Heather questioned. "Did the traitor help?"

"Most likely," Dagur replied. "I need to head to Berk and inform Hiccup. Tell the tribe that the claim is true. Have them prepare for war. Berk is going to need all the help they can get. While I'm gone, round up the suspects and begin questioning them."

Dagur landed on Berk just after nightfall right outside Stoick and Hiccup's house. He could see a fire crackling through the crack between the door and its frame. Inside he could hear Hiccup and Stoick talking. Their voices were too muffled for him to understand, but it sounded serious.

He thought about taking off and dealing with Johann himself. Hiccup would never have to deal with him again. The younger man could live a life of peace and never have to look over his shoulder all the time.

The deranged chief shook his head. No. Hiccup deserved to know. Hiccup needed to know. It was his right.

Dagur dismounted Sleuther and walked toward the door. He felt like he was back on Vanaheim. Scared to knock on the door, fearing what he might find.

He steeled his nerves and knocked. He forced himself not to run away. This has to be done. This was a matter of life and death.

"I'll get it," he heard from inside. It was Hiccup. Hiccup was going to answer the door. He was hoping for Stoick. That way he would have a few more seconds to prepare himself.

The door opened, revealing the Pride of Berk. "Dagur? What are you doing here? Is something wro-"

Hiccup couldn't finish his question; Dagur's face gave it all away. The fear, rage, and sadness.

"He's escaped," was all Dagur could say.

Hiccup backed away. Fear was evident in the young man's eyes. He had his hand over his chest as his breathing and heart rate sped up. Dagur watched as Stoick leapt into action.

Stoick was quick to sit Hiccup on the floor, pull his knees to his chest, and bury his head in the middle. Dagur moved to try and help. Both Stoick and Toothless gave him a look to stay right where he was. They didn't look angry, but he could feel their anger seeping through.

It was his fault, but it would have happened no matter who delivered the news. They were angry at him, but not at him.

Dagur stood in the doorway for a good ten minutes watching Stoick try and calm Hiccup down. The vast man spoke softly and quietly. He reassured Hiccup that he was safe and anything he was seeing wasn't there. He was home. He was safe. He wasn't hurt.

For a while, it looked like it was working. Hiccup's breathing evened out to a steady pace. The Berkian Chief lifted his son's head and took notice that his eyes were shut. The sight made Dagur feel even more guilty. He'd driven his best friend and brother into unconsciousness.

Stoick gingerly picked up Hiccup and carried him upstairs. Toothless followed the family. Dagur couldn't see up there. No candles were lit.

After a couple of minutes, Stoick came back down alone. Toothless was going to watch over Hiccup.

"Well, just don't stand there," Stoick stated. "Come in and close the door before you let all the cold air in."

Dagur did as he was told. "Will he be all right?"

Stoick nodded. "Aye, he'll just sleep for a bit. Those panic attacks can take a lot out of him."

Dagur felt guilty. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to cause him to have a panic attack."

Stoick shook his head. "Don't be. It was going to happen." The Berkian chief sat down and gestured for Dagur to sit. "Let's talk. How did Johann escape?"

Dagur sat down. He felt like he had just broken his mom's favorite ornate axe, again. He was in trouble, and he knew it.

"I think his men came under the cover of darkness and thawed him out," Dagur answered. "The traitor must have helped them get past the guards. Heather and Mala are going to figure that out."

"So you know who this traitor is?" Stoick asked.

"I have my suspicions," Dagur replied, feeling his body start to relax a bit. Stoick wasn't going to kill him. "I can't confirm or deny anyone yet. I've barely begun my investigation. Heather is questioning the suspects now. Hopefully, by the time I return, we'll know who it is."

Stoick said nothing. The two chiefs sat in silence. The only sounds in the house were the crackle of the fire and light snoring from upstairs.

Two days later on Dragon's Edge:

Hiccup, Astrid, and Dagur flew around the base, refortifying its defenses. With Johann still out there, Dragon's Edge remained open. They couldn't leave yet. Not until Johann was gone.

It was the best place for the Riders to get their work done. The hustle and bustle of Berk would not disturb them.

Dagur had been adamant about joining them. Hiccup would need all the protection he could get. It was just a matter of time before Johann put a price on his head, and Hunters, dragon and bounty alike, would come looking for him.

Dragon's Edge was also safer. It had more firepower and kept the Hooligan tribe out of danger.

Johann stood in the doorway of his office with a blanket wrapped tightly around him. His office had been left untouched. There was dust covering everything.

He coughed. He shouldn't be out of his bed, but he couldn't lie around. If Hiccup was caught, he needed to be on his feet or at least sitting at his desk. He couldn't decapitate his enemy from a bed.

The traitor smiled. No, he was going to torture him first. He was going to make Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third beg for his meaningless life.

"Sir, you should be in bed," an assigned healer said to him.

"I'm fine, Jorn," Johann sneered. "Any word on Hiccup's bounty?"

Jorn shook his head. "Not yet, Johann. Just give it some time." Jorn placed a hand on his leader's shoulder. "For now, let's get you back to bed. You need to be at full strength when Hiccup is brought in."

Dagur took the first patrol. He flew ten miles out to sea and watched the waters. Once he finished one loop around the island, he would fly one mile in and do it again after each loop. He would do that until the sun rose, and then it would be Astrid's turn for patrol.

Dagur was four miles away from the island when he saw a fishing boat heading inland. What was a fishing boat doing out in the middle of nowhere at this hour?

"Let's see what business this man has going on, aye, Sleuther?" Dagur suggested as he patted his dragon's head.

Sleuther roared in agreement and dove down to meet the newcomer. The Triple Stryke fired a warning shot at the boat. The person calmly looked up and waved. It was Throk.

Dagur quickly landed on the boat. It has to be urgent if Throk was sailing to Dragon's Edge. "What's wrong, Throk? Is it Mala? Or Heather? Did you discover who the traitor is?"

"My Liege, Johann has already taken to the first step at drawing Hiccup Haddock out," Throk informed as he handed a piece of paper over to Dagur. "A bounty for 10,000 gold pieces. Soon bounty hunters from all over will come here or go to Berk. We must move him now."

Dagur stared at the poster. He remembered the last time a bounty had been placed on Hiccup's head. He was undercover in the Northern Markets and remembered seeing all the posters with his face plastered all over them. The bounty didn't last more than a couple of weeks. It had ended in failure as far as Dagur could tell.

Johann was more powerful than Viggo, though. Nothing would make him stop his hunt. He wanted Hiccup, and he wasn't going to stop until he had him.

"As for the traitor, we believe it to be Healer Magnus," Throk continued. "He has not been seen since the news of Johann's escape. Queen Mala and several people are out searching for him as we speak."

Dagur bit the inside of his cheek. Magnus, he should have known. The man had never seemed to accept the dragons or Berk as an ally. The chief just assumed it was taking longer for him to get used to the change. Guess he was wrong. However, now was not the time to dwell on it. He had other matters to attend to.

"Hop on," Dagur offered, holding out his hand. "We'll take you the rest of the way."

Throk took his new King's hand and climbed onto Sleuther. Together they flew toward the outpost.

Chapter Text

A month had passed since Johann had put a bounty on Hiccup's head. Hiccup refused to leave the Edge. He felt he was safer there than on an island he knew nothing about. Because of this, no one left Hiccup alone. Someone was always with him. Toothless had also decided that Hiccup was safer at night wrapped up in his wings.

That didn't stop the team from taking turns watching them at night. Hiccup had grown tired of being constantly watched. He felt like a prisoner. Only Dagur seemed to get this and gave Hiccup his space during his shifts. Instead of staying in Hiccup's hut at night, he and Sleuther perched themselves on the roof.

Even the twins were taking it seriously and didn't screw around. Now was not the time for jokes. War was coming, and everyone could feel it.

One night, Hiccup decided to break away from his night watchman and go for a late-night fight.

Hiccup hooked his new leg into Toothless's new stirrup. His fake leg had three feet. One for walking, the second for flying, and the last for walking on ice. Once up in the air, Hiccup began to visibly relax. The tension in his shoulders melted away. No one was watching him, and he didn't have to worry about looking over his shoulder.

"You know, bud," Hiccup sighed as he leaned back and lay on Toothless. "This is the best I've felt in over a month. Just me and you, with no one around checking every cloud and sea stack before we fly near it. I'll admit living with a bounty looming over me is hard, but the longer I stay out of his hands, the better the chance of drawing him out."

The two flew for a bit longer, Hiccup never leaving the saddle to try new tricks. "I'm terrified, Toothless," Hiccup revealed. "I'm terrified of what Johann will do once he gets his hands on me. How far will he go to see me suffer again? I'm not ready for it. I've already suffered once at the hands of that lunatic. I don't want to again."

Toothless crooned at his hatchling and glanced back at him with worry. The Night Fury knew he would never admit this to anyone else. Hiccup wasn't ready to face the man who tortured him to the point of coma. Hiccup would probably never be ready. He was a broken man who could barely face his own friends.

The two landed outside their shared hut. Hiccup flung his door open only to be greeted with a punch in the jaw. Hiccup stumbled backwards before falling to his knees. He put his hands over his side jaw and screwed his eyes shut.

"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup," a familiar voice taunted. "You should have known better than to leave your protection at all."

That voice. Hiccup knew that voice. It belonged to a dead man. It belonged to Ryker.

"What did you do to Snotlout?!" Hiccup demanded. He should have been more surprised that Ryker was still alive, but after Alvin, Dagur, Viggo, and Johann, he really wasn't. People in his life have a tendency to not die.

Ryker stood Hiccup up. "Don't worry. He's still sleeping. You and I need to have a talk."

Hiccup stared at him. "What do we have to talk about?"

"Johann. He's tired of waiting for you to be captured. He wants his revenge, and nothing is going to stand in his way," Ryker answered. "He's getting ready to move in on your little Dragon base. He plans to launch a full-scale attack within five days. I'm here to make sure you're ready."

"Why should I trust you?" Hiccup wondered.

"Because I'm the only thing stopping those damned bounty hunters from ever reaching this island," Ryker replied, pointing at himself. "Why do you think there haven't been any enemies spotted since the bounty was sent out?"

Hiccup pondered this. When the first bounty came out, hunters were on top of him right away. Now it seemed like they were taking their time.

Just then a watery roar came from the beach below.

"I'll be right there, Minnow," Ryker called down.

Hiccup did a double take. Ryker had a dragon. Not just any dragon. A Scauldron. "How?"

Ryker smiled. "Minnow saved me from drowning. He carried me to an island where the inhabitants treated me. He watched from the water to make sure I was alright. I took what I learned from watching you and your team and put it to use. Once I learned that the world thought of Ryker Grimborn as dead, I remained that way until I saw the wanted posters."

"Why are you protecting me?" Hiccup asked.

"You are the only thing standing between Johann and his rule. If Johann succeeds in killing you, that's it for dragonkind. It will be the end of the world," Ryker answered. "Nothing will stop him. Once you stop him, with my help, Minnow and I will disappear. You'll never hear from us again."

"How can you help?" Hiccup wanted to know.

"I have a man on the inside; Jorn," Ryker said. "He's a healer that's been treating Johann for hypothermia, muscle weakness, migraines, and a series of other ailments from being trapped in the ice. Despite all this, Johann is getting stronger every day. He's determined to have you under his foot."

Hiccup stood still. He thought for a moment. The Edge was far from ready for an attack. The island's dragons were nowhere near trained enough for battle. The rest of the supplies they needed hadn't arrived yet. It was still two weeks away. He had to go to Johann and meet him head-on.

"If you were to show up with me, would they believe you were still a Dragon Hunter?" Hiccup wondered.

"Probably. They all think I'm dead," Ryker said, seeing what Hiccup was getting at. "I could 'claim' the prize and come back here and get the Riders to follow. Shouldn't take more than a few days. Not enough time for Johann to do any real damage."

Hiccup gulped. He was putting his life in the hands of a man who tried to kill him multiple times. But Viggo had changed, so why can't Ryker? He had to trust that Ryker was going to come back and tell the Riders. He should leave a note just to be sure. Toothless would also have to stay behind.

"So, whatever we do, we have to ensure that they don't come looking for you right away," Ryker said as if reading his mind.

An hour later, Hiccup was ready to leave with Ryker. He had left a detailed letter about his conversation with the man. He talked of his plan to face Johann alone. He left that letter with Snotlout. He wrote a separate letter for Astrid telling her that he was, in fact, scared, but this seemed to be the only way. The one chance they had at stopping Johann before he got too strong.

Hiccup knelt down to where Toothless was lying. "I'll be back, bud. I don't know what state I'll be in, but I will return. Look after Astrid for me. She's going to need all the support she can get. Make sure she understands that I'm not doing this for revenge. I'm doing this to save our future."

Hiccup placed his forehead on Toothless's. The dragon crooned quietly, begging Hiccup to stay.

"I've got to go, bud," Hiccup said as he stood up. His heart and stomach wrenched with fear and guilt, but this needed to be done. Johann could not regain any more strength.

"Time to go," Ryker said from outside.

Johann stood on the deck of his ship. He stared into the ocean surrounding him. They were headed for Dragon's Edge, where Hiccup Haddock was hiding out. They would draw him out of hiding, capture him, extract all the information they could squeeze out of that massive brain, and then kill him in the most painful way possible.

Johann laughed to himself about all the things he was going to do to that hiccup who dared to call himself a man.

"Sir, there is a small ship approaching from the south. It is carrying two passengers. One appears to be the Haddock boy," a Hunter called down from the crow's nest.

"Let them approach. Arrows and catapults ready!" Johann ordered.

Ryker finished tying Hiccup up. He had bound his arms to his side, making it so he looked like he was trying to prevent the other man from trying to escape. He was getting ready to gag Hiccup as they went over the plan once more.

"Remember, Johann has to think he's won," Ryker stated. "As soon as the handoff is complete, I'll sail back to Minnow and head straight for Dragon's Edge. Stay strong and don't give in. That is your mantra. Your team and I will fly in to 'rescue' you. Once on that Night Fury, you kill Johann. No hesitation, no fear. One shot and it's over."

"Got it," Hiccup nodded.

Ryker tied the gag over Hiccup's mouth, making it tight enough to press into the bruise on the young man's cheek. Ryker then pushed Hiccup down to his knees. He unsheathed his sword and aimed it at Hiccup.

Hiccup watched as they approached Johann's lead ship. A rope ladder had been dropped for Ryker to climb. Fear ripped through Hiccup's very soul. He didn't want to be here, but he had to be here. The final face-off had arrived. It was time to deal with his demons.

The Pride of Berk swallowed the scream of terror threatening to escape. He was a man. He was a Viking. Vikings were strong and brave. They feared nothing. Johann was just a man. He might be strong, but Hiccup was stronger. He had survived, and he would do it again.

Ryker draped Hiccup over his shoulder. "Showtime." He began to climb the ladder with his free hand.

Chapter Text