HICCUP'S POV
In the moment between regaining consciousness and actually opening my eyes, I truly thought I was back in the nest. The ground beneath my fingertips was damp and cold, just like the slabs of moss-covered stone that made up the base of the mountain back home. I wanted to cling to that false reality for as long as possible, but my memories were returning to wash away any sense of peace and replace it with apprehension.
The world slowly came back into focus, and I pried my eyes open to take in my surroundings. I was lying on sea-soaked floorboards rather than smooth rock, and the crashing of waves filled my ears instead of familiar roars. Worst of all, I was alone.
I pushed myself up into a sitting position, pausing in irritated confusion when my movements were hindered. I glared downward to find the source. My leg was covered in a mixture of thick bandages and leather, arranged in such a way that it appeared as if I was wearing a giant boot. The added weight wasn't so much a problem; the awkward shape, however, made it feel like I was dragging around a Tiny-wing that refused to let go. I wrinkled my nose in distaste, clawing at the unwanted contraption with my fingernails.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," someone spoke up, causing me to reach for my dagger. Unfortunately, my hand encountered only empty space. Weaponless. Great. My gaze slid warily to the right as I readjusted to a more defensible position. Gobber was hobbling toward me, pointing his hook at my leg. "Alvis worked hard on that cast," he continued, stopping a foot away from the bars that held me prisoner. Being trapped inside a cage was certainly not the situation I wanted to wake to find myself in, but I tried not to let my anxiety show.
"Where's Toothless?" I demanded, cutting straight to the point.
"The dragon? Right where you left it, of course. Can't you hear it?" He went silent and nodded towards the ceiling. I frowned, letting some of my attention wander away from the most immediate threat in order to listen.
My heart sank when my ears registered the muffled screeching and clanking chains above us. Every few seconds there was an accompanying thump, presumably from Toothless' tail smacking against the deck as he struggled in his bonds. It was dark outside, which meant I'd been unconscious for a few hours at least; if he hadn't managed to get free yet, it likely wasn't going to happen.
I slammed my fist against the floor. "Let him go!" I shouted, partly in anger but mostly in desperation.
"Relax, laddie," Gobber said placatingly, crouching down so we were eye level. His gentle demeanor surprised me, seeing as how he and his crew had locked me in here in the first place. Usually vikings weren't kind to their prisoners. The dissonance between my captivity and his sympathetic attitude had me reeling with unease. I stared at him unabashedly, attempting to figure out what it was exactly that he wanted. Humans weren't as straightforward in nature as dragons; they had motives, plans, and goals beyond simple survival.
Gobber looked me over with his own thoughtful gaze. "I've never known a viking to care about a dragon's wellbeing," he mused.
"I'm not a viking," I objected instantly.
He raised an eyebrow. "No? Then what are you?" He wondered with sincere curiosity.
I opened my mouth to respond, then let it shut when nothing immediately came to mind. I was a dragon-soul, but that concept would probably go right over his head, and I wasn't in the mood for that conversation.
"Take me...to my dragon," I said in a low voice, emphasizing every word.
Gobber sighed as if he was truly upset about my imprisonment. "I can't do that. Stoick wants the two of you separated for now." I scoffed at the mention of my so-called father, turning to glare at the far wall. My mother had been right to leave him all those years ago. I couldn't imagine growing up under that man's thumb.
"You say you're not a viking, but...Hiccup is a traditional viking nickname..." Gobber trailed off, his question heavily implied. I didn't really feel like gracing him with a response, but I also didn't want him leaning toward a certain assumption.
"My father was a viking," I answered after a moment of hesitation. "He gave me the name before he died, and my mother... She wasn't a viking, but she was sentimental enough to keep the nickname." It wasn't a complete lie. Stoick had named me, and I never thought of my mother as a viking anyway. My father wasn't dead, obviously, but he might as well be.
Gobber seemed disappointed by my explanation. "Oh, so your mother, she's—"
"Dead," I cut in sharply. "It's just me and Toothless." And it was, wasn't it? We were so far from home. We truly were on our own now.
Gobber dragged a hand over his face. "This would all go a lot easier if you just told Stoick what you know about the nest," he pointed out, rising to sit in a nearby chair.
I looked up at him incredulously. "You just don't get it, do you?"
He started, confused about the meaning of my words. "Uh..."
I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "I tell you where that nest is, you go there, you die. See the problem?" I elaborated.
Gobber shook his head in denial. "We can handle ourselves, laddie. Wouldn't be the first time we've fought an army of dragons," he argued, waving me off.
"Not this army. Not this dragon," I stated seriously, inching closer to the bars. I still couldn't push the image of the Alpha dragon rising out of the smoke from my mind. If these vikings thought they could take on such a challenge by themselves, they were sorely mistaken.
"So you have been there," he accused.
"...Yes," I admitted.
"Why not just give us the information we want so you can be on your way, then?" He questioned. He didn't appear angry or upset, just extremely bewildered.
"I'm trying to save your lives!" I retorted, grabbing the bars on either side of my face and pulling myself up onto my one good leg.
Gobber blanched at my reasoning, looking me over like he was seeing me for the first time. "Why?" He asked, dumbfounded.
My shoulders slumped, all of my frustration seeping away. "Because...I couldn't live with myself if I didn't," I told him honestly, shifting my gaze to the floor. As much as these vikings were pissing me off currently, I still didn't want them walking into a bloodbath. Especially one I could prevent just by keeping my mouth shut.
Gobber considered me for a moment. In the silence, I could hear Toothless' restless motions above me, and I ached to be near him again. Going on a mission without him was one thing, but being forced apart? It was unbearable. We weren't meant to be separated like this.
When Gobber finally stood up, I backed away from the bars, lowering back to my hands. I couldn't walk on two legs with the stupid boot-thing screwing up my balance.
"I'll talk to Stoick. Maybe I can convince him to have a calm discussion rather than a full-on interrogation," he offered with a shrug.
"And Toothless?" I asked. He was the only thing I cared to discuss right now.
Gobber scratched his beard with a discomforted expression. "I, uh...don't think I'll be changing his mind on that anytime soon." I expected that answer, but it hurt to hear nonetheless. I turned away, not wanting the man to see the tears welling in my eyes.
"Just let us go," I whispered defeatedly, sagging against the wall and closing my eyes.
"...I...I'll be back later to check on you," Gobber stammered, ignoring my soft plea. He stood there for another minute, and I figured he had something else to say, but his receding footsteps signaled his departure.
I pressed the heel of my palm against my forehead, grimacing in frustration. This trip had quickly turned into a complete disaster, and I had no ideas on how to fix it. How were Toothless and I supposed to save all the humans and dragons in the southern Archipelago if we couldn't even save ourselves?
GOBBER'S POV
It felt wrong to leave the boy behind in such a morose state, despite his being a complete stranger, but I couldn't afford to make any sort of bond with him. Not yet, at least. I had no idea what Stoick planned to do with him if he didn't get the answers he wanted. And even if Hiccup did tell us where the nest was located, what would Stoick do with him then? Dragon sympathizers were generally frowned upon amongst the tribes. Stoick knew that all too well.
I gulped as that thought crossed my mind, pausing at the top of the stairs that led up to the main deck. Dragon sympathizers... Stoick's wife, Valka, had been the same way. She'd always voiced her opinion quite loudly and usually with horrible timing. The entire tribe had loved her in spite of her inclination to defend the beasts and had raged upon finding out that the very creatures she favored had been the cause of her demise.
Stoick had seen his wife and son carried off that night, and it had long been assumed they'd been killed. I still believed that to be true, but I couldn't deny the flutter of hope I'd felt earlier when Hiccup had revealed his name.
The age is right, I'd thought. Maybe the dragon had dropped them that night and Valka had managed to escape. Maybe this is the Hiccup.
It had been a delirious hope. I realized that now. No dragon would have let them live. I was just grasping at imaginary straws, seeing a connection where one didn't exist.
Nonetheless, I still felt an urge to protect the boy we were keeping prisoner. He seemed like a brave kid. A little deluded, perhaps, but brave. After all, it took a special kind of person to get in such close proximity to a Night Fury. I certainly wasn't planning on getting within biting distance myself. Two missing limbs was enough.
I climbed the last few steps to the deck, the thump of my prosthetic piercing the relative silence of the night. Most of the men were sleeping in the crew's quarters below, a section of the ship that was separated from where the boy was being held. Everyone had been told to stay away from him for their own safety. Ingvar was a perfect example of how dangerous the kid could be; it would be weeks before his injuries would heal.
The only other noise on the ship was the dragon. It hadn't stopped struggling to escape since Hiccup had been removed from its sight. There were deep bores in the wood where its claws had dug in, and every tug against the chains weakened them a little bit more. This particular ship had iron plates mixed in with the wooden structure to help prevent serious damage in the case of a dragon attack, but it wasn't one hundred percent effective. If the dragon kept this up, we'd have a real problem on our hands.
Stoick stood out of reach of the Night Fury, watching it with a calculating expression as he pulled at his beard absentmindedly. I hobbled over to him, halting at his side. The dragon's ears perked up and it sniffed in my direction, immediately letting out a growl when it registered a certain scent. I shifted uncomfortably at the unnerving glare it sent my way. Did it smell Hiccup on me? Is that why it suddenly looked like it wanted to eat me alive?
"Did he tell you anything?" Stoick inquired calmly, breaking into my panicked musings. I swallowed, ripping my gaze away from the dragon's soul-penetrating stare. Stoick kept his eyes on the beast, but I knew he was listening to me with rapt attention.
"Uh...no, not really. He just kept asking about the dragon," I told him, deciding not to mention the part about his parents being dead. I couldn't bring myself to confirm that Hiccup truly wasn't his son.
He hummed thoughtfully, crossing his arms. "He cares about the beast, in one way or another," he noted. "That could be useful."
I frowned. "Meaning?"
"A bit of leverage always helps with the loosening of tongues," he claimed with a shrug.
The Night Fury hissed, yanking against the chains again. I jumped at the abruptness of the action, letting out a huff when I remembered it couldn't get any closer. Just having the thing around was increasing my heart rate.
"Stoick, he's just a boy," I reminded him. "How far do you plan to take this?" I asked, unable to hide my deep concern about the situation.
He was silent for a few seconds, seriously considering my question. "I'm not going to torture him, if that's what you're asking," he replied quietly, in an almost defensive manner.
I felt a huge amount of relief at the admission, but it wasn't enough. "I think being our prisoner is torture for him. He doesn't deserve to be locked up just because he has information we want," I pressed. For Thor's sake, we rescued him just to throw him behind bars. No wonder he won't cooperate. "I really think if you gave him his freedom, he'd be much more likely to tell us where the nest is," I added persuasively.
Stoick opened his mouth to argue, as was his natural response in any conversation, but my words gave him pause. "So he admitted to knowing the location of the nest?" He asked with a familiar undertone of obsession. I sighed internally at his doggedness that knew no bounds.
"Yes, but—" I raised my hand to cut off whatever order he was planning to give— "...I'm nearly positive that trying to force it out of him is not the way to go here. If you just let him out of the cell, a gesture of goodwill, I'm sure he'll come around to telling you voluntarily." Towards the end of my speech, the dragon let out a particularly loud snarl that had me taking a step back. Even Stoick placed a wary hand on his axe, eyeing the creature with disdain.
"How do I know he won't try to escape the second he's free?" Stoick questioned once he'd determined the dragon was still thoroughly pinned down.
I snorted in amusement. "Trust me, as long as we've got the Night Fury, that kid isn't going anywhere," I assured him.
Stoick chewed on the idea for another minute before reluctantly agreeing. "Fine, but he's your responsibility, got it? And if he makes a mad dash for the sea, I'm throwing him in chains just like his beast." He gave me a pointed look, and I waved him off.
"Aye, stop your worrying. I've got it handled," I declared. I hoped so, at least, otherwise I'd have a very moody chief to deal with for the rest of my life. Not that he wasn't moody already...
HICCUP'S POV
I didn't sleep at all throughout the night. Toothless' furious screeches and my own worry about our current predicament kept me on edge like I was in the middle of a battle. My leg didn't hurt anymore when I moved it, thanks to the tightly wrapped boot, but it was still difficult to maneuver the way I was used to, either on four limbs or two. My frustration and exhaustion were quickly overpowering my sanity; I'd spent most of the night pacing back and forth in my cell.
So when I saw Gobber limping down the steps the next morning, I had no desire for friendly conversation. "What do you want now?" I bit out, pulling my knees up to my chest as I leaned against the wall.
He chuckled softly at my attitude, clearly unaffected by it in the least. "Aren't you just a ray of sunshine in the morning?" He joked, fiddling with a ring of keys as he approached.
"Only after I've spent a night in prison," I retorted dryly.
"Fair enough." He quirked a smile. "I don't suppose you'd object to a little fresh air, though?" He raised the set of keys.
I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "...What?" Surely he wasn't serious...
Gobber winked, unlocking the door and whipping it open. "Freedom awaits, kiddo," he announced, gesturing toward the stairs. "Well, freedom to move about the ship, anyway," he corrected as an afterthought.
I remained in place, not trusting his intentions at all. "Why?" I demanded, silently cursing the boot on my leg. My ability to defend myself was practically nonexistent with it on, especially since they'd confiscated my weapons.
Gobber sighed. "Because you don't deserve to be locked up down here." He hesitated, glancing upward briefly. "...And because that dragon is driving all of us crazy and I'm pretty sure you're the only one that can calm it down," he confessed.
The mention of Toothless was all it took to get me moving, no matter the possible consequences. I needed to see him, to know he was safe. None of the sounds he made last night were indicative of physical pain, but I'd rather see the proof for myself.
Gobber followed on my heels as I crawled up the steps at a snail's pace. I had to control my instinct to lash out at him, knowing it would get me thrown back into the cell. I still cast multiple glances over my shoulder as we ascended, making sure he wasn't going to try anything.
When I made it above deck, I instantly began searching for my dragon, sighing in relief when I found him unharmed on the opposite side of the ship. He glared at every human that dared to walk near him, even though they were attempting to give him as wide a berth as possible as they went about their duties. Stoick stood only a few feet away from him, looking over a sheet of paper with another man and only occasionally sparing Toothless a glance.
Too tired to care about all the people around me, I moved across the deck as fast as my leg allowed, letting out a croon of greeting. The humans stared at me like I was crazy, but Toothless' entire demeanor shifted when he heard the sound. His pupils widened and he raised his head to look in my direction.
*Hiccup!* He exclaimed with an excited whine, flapping his wings. The paper Stoick was holding almost flew out of his hands from the ensuing gust of wind, and he scowled in irritation. Once he noticed my approach, he shoved the paper at the man next to him and stomped toward me. I froze in place without a clue as to how I was supposed to defend myself. Even with a weapon in hand I hadn't been able to take him down, not with a broken leg.
Toothless reacted to my fearful posture as well as could be expected. Steam blew out through his nostrils, his inner fire needing some kind of release, and he slammed his tail down so forcefully that the iron-infused wood beneath it split to create a gaping hole in the deck. Everyone on the ship practically stopped breathing, including Stoick, and checked to make sure that Toothless hadn't managed to break free of his chains.
*Don't touch him.* Toothless warned dangerously as Stoick met his icy gaze, not needing to be heard to be understood. The viking Alpha clenched his fists repeatedly, though I couldn't tell if the action was due to anger or unease.
"Stoick, let the boy have a moment," Gobber implored before the tension could come to an ugly head. "He can calm the beast down." I had to bite my tongue to prevent my heated response to the distasteful term. Gobber seemed to be the only human on my side right now. Best not to engage in a pointless argument.
Stoick didn't have to consider his decision for too long. Despite his macho attitude, he was clearly afraid of egging my dragon on any further. "Fine. Five minutes," he allowed with a grunt of annoyance, striding back over to the man he'd been speaking with prior to my arrival.
As soon as his back was turned, I hurried over to Toothless, feeling my chest lighten with each dragging step. He brought his tail around to help me stand, and I immediately rose to my feet and wrapped my arms around his neck in a tight hug. Warmth filled me to my very core, and I squeezed my eyes shut against a sudden onslaught of tears.
*T-Toothless.* I sobbed, digging my fingers into his scales. He curled around me to the best of his ability, purring soothingly as he used his head to tuck me safely against him. The vibrations calmed my frantic heartbeat.
*I've got you now, little one.* He said reassuringly. *I won't let them take you away from me again.* He vowed fiercely.
I shook my head vigorously. *We have to do what they say or they might hurt you!* I protested anxiously.
*I won't let them take you.* He reiterated, leaving no room for debate. I wanted to be angry at the lack of concern he had for his own safety, but I couldn't bring myself to feel anything but utter joy to be with him again. His confidence was contagious.
I drew in a deep, shaky breath. *Okay.* I acquiesced quietly. I started to sag with exhaustion, so he lay down and enveloped me in his wings and paws, acting as my own personal shield.
*Rest, Hiccup. I'll watch over you.* He whispered, nuzzling the top of my head gently. His continuous purring was like a lullaby, and before long I was drifting off into a much more peaceful sleep than I thought was possible aboard a viking ship.