Chapter Text
“Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!”
“If I hear that stupid chant one more time, I’m going to throw him in the well,” Astrid said, accepting her water flask from Fishlegs.
“Wait, we’re allowed to toss people down the well again?” Ruffnut asked and her brother perked up.
“No!”
“Just be grateful you don’t have watch with him anymore,” Fishlegs said, ignoring the twins. “He just keeps getting worse as Thawfest gets closer.”
“Did someone say Thawfest?” Snotlout asked, stomping into the training arena with nearly a dozen medals hanging off his neck.
“No, get lost.”
“Aw, don’t be like that, Astrid. You wanna touch one of my medals, just to see how it feels to be a winner?”
Fishlegs quickly backed away as Astrid’s face turned murderous.
“You and I both know I would have won last year if a certain pair of someones,” she glared at the twins, “hadn’t lost me so many points by knocking me off at the start of the log roll! I kicked your butt in almost everything else!”
“All I know is that I got twenty points.” Snotlout held out one of the medals. “And you got nineteen.” He pointed at the twins. “They got eight.” He pointed at Fishlegs. “He got three. And Useless...” He trailed off with a frown, pointing at where Hiccup was still lying facedown at Astrid’s feet. “Uh, how many did he get?”
“None. I didn’t compete.” He rolled over, but stayed on the ground.
“You didn’t?” Fishlegs thought back to the year before, but couldn’t remember even seeing the boy during any of the festivities. “Huh. Where were you that whole time? Did you even watch?”
“I watched some of the Meathead’s Thawfest games. Does that count?”
“Do I even want to know why you were on Meathead Island during Thawfest?” Astrid asked.
“I snuck into the library while they were distracted with the games,” he shrugged.
Fishlegs perked up. Despite the name, no one but select Meatheads were allowed in the Meathead Public Library. He’d often dreamed of what information could be found in their forbidden books.
Before he could ask, though, Snotlout cut in with, “So Useless got zero points. Which means I won and you all lost. Because I did what I do every year: Bring glory to the Jorgenson clan. And you do what you do: embarrass your clans. Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi! Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!”
“Does this mean Snotlout’s going in the well?” Ruffnut asked after he’d left the arena, still chanting away.
“If you two can get him in, I’ll cover for you during your next prank,” Astrid growled.
The twins cackled and ran off.
“Well, I’m sure that will be fine,” Hiccup joked, finally climbing to his feet.
“The library?” she asked, swiping at him with her axe.
He barely dodged. He raised his shield to deflect her next swing, saying, “Best place to spend the games.”
“Do you think you could sneak me in this year?” Fishlegs asked.
“Hate to break it to you both, but I doubt Stoick will miss it this year if Hiccup disappears.”
“Oh, right.” Fishlegs’ shoulders slumped.
Hiccup made a feint towards Astrid’s legs, but she caught on and dodged his real blow easily. “What do you think the chances are that my dad would just let me sit out the games?”
“Zero.”
“Not happening.”
“Hm.”
“Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!”
“So Snotlout won then?” Hiccup asked as he and Astrid sat down at Fishlegs’ table near the doors of the Great Hall.
“Yeah, but more importantly, where have you two been?”
“Where do you think?” He pulled a small book out of his vest and handed it to Fishlegs. “Sorry you couldn’t come, but I brought you back a souvenir.”
The larger boy’s eyes lit up as he took in the botany book, barely resisting the urge to dive right into it. “You actually went! But aren’t you going to get into trouble? Both of you?” he added, turning to Astrid. He was surprised she’d go along with it. She’d been taking her Hiccup Duty pretty seriously ever since she’d been assigned to him after being kidnapped nearly two weeks earlier.
“He managed to talk the chief into letting us go,” Astrid said, stealing an apple off Fishlegs’ plate.
“It wasn’t as hard as I thought. I just pointed out that either I could stay for the games which would mean another year of Spitelout rubbing my failures in Dad's face or we could leave which would not only rob Snotlout of the joy of beating me, but also get one over on Mogadon so Dad can show off during their next meeting.” Hiccup pointed towards Stoick, who had a fancy belt hanging from his shoulder with the Meathead’s crest on the buckle. “Of course, he only said yes as long as Astrid agreed to go with me.”
“Which I did,” she said, grabbing a chicken leg off his plate next. “Because as much as I would have loved to kick Snotlout’s butt, I’ve realized the twins must have had Loki place a curse on me. There’s no other explanation for how I always end up last in at least one category every year, giving Snotlout the win. Not unless you and the twins are sabotaging me on purpose.”
Hunching down in the face of her glare, Fishlegs held up his hands. “Nope! Definitely no sabotage! I swear!”
He didn’t breathe again until she turned away with a hum.
Hiccup patted his shoulder.
“Thanks for helping with the perches,” Hiccup said as he and Astrid walked back into the village.
“No problem. It was good exercise,” she said, stretching her back. “But I was wondering, why don’t you make them out of metal?”
It had been bugging her the entire time she’d been helping him replace the sunning perches on Highest Point. Sure, the wooden perches blended in better with the trees, but Hiccup had specifically placed them on a part of the mountain that no one could reach without wings. Surely metal perches would be better since they’d hold more weight and would last longer. Especially since Hiccup was a better blacksmith than he was a carpenter.
“I did, originally,” Hiccup admitted. “But it turns out Thor really hates tall things made of metal for some reason.”
“He hates metal?”
“Yeah, or I guess maybe he really likes it? Either way, he kept throwing lightning at the perches so I had to swap them out for wood before anyone could get hurt.”
She hummed. “Well -”
“Astrid! Hiccup!”
The two turned to see Fishlegs running towards them.
“Hey, Fishlegs.”
“Good morning.”
“Are you two okay?” he asked, fidgeting nervously as he looked them over.
They shared a look and Hiccup said, “We’re fine. Are you okay?”
The larger boy nodded, then shook his head. “The village was just attacked.”
“Outcasts?” Astrid reached for her axe, even as he shook his head.
“A whispering death.”
Astrid scowled and turned to Hiccup, who was frowning.
“That’s... What dragon is that again?”
“It's a big boulder-class dragon that kind of looks like a spiky ball on a chain,” she said.
“Six rows of rotating razor-sharp teeth that it uses to carve tunnels so that it can hunt from underground,” Fishlegs added, shivering.
Hiccup went pale. “There’s one of those on Berk? Was anyone hurt?”
“No, it came up from the ground in the village center, but there must have been too many people around because it just looked at us and then dove back into its hole.”
“Show me?”
Fishlegs looked confused, but turned to do so.
As they started running, Astrid quietly asked, “Was it one of yours?”
“No. We... haven’t had the best experiences with slither-burrowers.”
That surprised Astrid. The only other dragon she knew of that Hiccup couldn’t tame was the red death. What put whispering deaths on the same level as that monster?
They reached the forge to see a large hole in the ground between it and the stairs up to the great hall. While Fishlegs stayed far back, the other two walked right up to it.
Hiccup knelt next to the hole with a frown. “The size... They’ve got to be a juvenile. This is bad.”
Astrid frowned too. “Because it means the parents are around, right?”
“No, because it means he found us."
“Who?”
“Hiccup! Get away from there!”
The two turned to see the chief marching up. They stood up and stepped away from the hole, but the chief still grabbed Hiccup and pulled him further back.
“What were you doing? That thing is dangerous.”
“Sorry, Dad, but Fishlegs said you guys scared the dragon off so I thought it’d be safe.”
Stoick shook his head, and the ground shook with it. He shoved Hiccup behind him and shouted, “It’s back!”
Everyone around the area grabbed for weapons and Astrid was surprised to see Hiccup among them, his hand tight around the grip of his sword.
The whispering death shot out of the hole in a writhing mess of spines and teeth. While its tail and wings continued moving, its head almost immediately locked in on the direction of the chief. Except, Astrid realized when Stoick charged it, the chief wasn’t the focus of its gaze.
It slipped around him without missing a beat and dove for Hiccup, spewing rings of fire that the boy rushed to dodge. He raised his shield to block its thrown spines, backing away rapidly and cooing at it. Whatever he was saying to it clearly wasn’t having an effect as it hissed and tried to roast him again.
A boulder slammed into its side, knocking the rings of fire off-target.
“Take that you hideous overgrown bramble!” Gobber shouted, standing next to a catapult with Hoark
The death snarled at him, then gave Hiccup one last look before diving back into the hole to evade another boulder.
“Are you okay?” Stoick asked, rushing over. “Do you need Gothi?”
“I’m fine,” Hiccup said breathlessly, still staring at the hole. “I’ll just go so you can -”
“You’re going straight home,” Stoick cut over him. “I want you somewhere safe until we can kill that beast.”
“But -”
“And I want the others watching out for you in the meantime.”
“The others?” Astrid and Hiccup said together as Stoick turned to Fishlegs.
“Get Snotlout and the twins and meet us at my house you’re all on Hiccup duty."
“Dad!”
“Y-yessir.”
“Stoick, I don’t know -”
“Let’s go.” He grabbed his son’s shoulder and started dragging him home.
“What was that?” Astrid asked as she shut Snotlout’s complaints behind Hiccup’s bedroom door.
“That was Groundshaker,” Hiccup said, pulling his flute out of a hidden pocket on his armor. “Our previous bad experience with slither-burrowers.”
“Why was he gunning for you so hard?” she asked as he began to play a song she could only half-hear.
“Because of a grudge.” Hiccup leaned against the window, spinning the flute in his hands. A terror landed on the sill and he told it something, causing it to race off. “Around five or six summers ago, Groundshaker’s flock attacked Toothless and his mother as they were flying past the Archipelago. It’s how they were separated and Toothless ended up in Merciless’s flock. The queen used his anger against him by having him lead an attack on the slither-burrowers’ nesting ground. Most of them got away, but Groundshaker was among the ones that were brought under her control. He blames Toothless for that and Toothless still holds resentment against his flock for losing his mother.”
“That’s awful,” she said, sitting on his bed, and he nodded.
“He found us last year while Toothless and I were on Meathead Island for Thawfest. I’m not sure if he was doing something else for Merciless and got sidetracked or if she specifically sent him after us, but he attacked Toothless on sight. I tried to intervene, but dragon grudges can be just as messy as Viking ones. They needed to settle it one-on-one since it’s a personal vendetta.”
“Then why’d it attack you back there?”
“Because instead of seeing me as his brother like most other dragons, he sees me as an extension of Toothless since I can control Toothless’s tail. But Toothless doesn’t see me as part of him so he wouldn’t let me help last year and Groundshaker’s attacks towards me only made Toothless angrier, more reckless. The only reason they didn’t finish it then and there was because the Meatheads spotted the fighting and attacked so we were forced our separate ways.”
“So what’s going to happen now?”
“I let the flock know Groundshaker’s here. Toothless will take care of it.”
“What about the grudge, though? Dragon grudges are to the death, aren’t they?”
Hiccup shook his head. “Not always.”
“You’re still worried though, aren’t you?”
He shrugged, staring out the window.
Hiccup watched the fire in the hearth, charcoal forgotten in his hand.
His dad’s snores floated from his room, echoed by Snotlout’s snores from the bed he’d stolen from Hiccup. Fishlegs and Tuffnut were also in Hiccup’s room, asleep atop piles of blankets next to the pile Hiccup was supposed to have slept in. Not far from where Hiccup was sitting in his house’s main room, the girls were asleep on their own blanket piles.
The peace was broken by a faint scratching at the front door. Hiccup snuck past the girls and stepped outside to find Sharpshot waiting.
“[The mean burrower’s gone,]” he said, climbing onto Hiccup’s back and the boy relaxed with a sigh. “[Wodensfang is fine, of course. He put the burrower in his place and told him to go away and never come back or try to harm you again.]”
Of course Toothless was still thinking about how Groundshaker had attacked him, even though Hiccup hadn’t even been hurt. “[That’s good. What about the tunnels he dug?]”
“[Toothless told the drillers to close up as many tunnels as they can. He said not to go near the ones in the human village though.]”
“[Probably for the best. Just remind him to make sure none of them are too close to the Rookery’s tunnels. We don’t want any more humans finding us.]”
Sharpshot nodded and flew into the night.
Hiccup turned as the front door opened to see a grumpy Astrid peeking out. “What are you -” she paused to yawn, “- doing?”
“I just got word Groundshaker’s gone.”
“Good. Fine. Whatever. Just get in here and keep it down,” she huffed and left to go back to sleep.
He chuckled and followed her in.
“I really don’t think this is necessary,” Hiccup said as his dad carried their bags onto the ship.
“I won’t leave you alone while that beast is still tearing up Berk,” Stoick huffed, not for the first time. He turned to Hiccup with crossed arms. “And as much as I’d rather stay until it’s dealt with, I don’t want to risk Dagur taking offense to us delaying the signing.”
Hiccup frowned at the deranged older teen’s name. He’d taken over as chief just before the last treaty signing and it had been clear that the added responsibility hadn’t calmed him at all. If anything, it had made him more violent and excitable. He’d probably love an excuse to go to war. “Okay, but is it really a good idea for me to come? You know how he is with me. I’d be safer with the whispering death.”
“Which is why Snotlout will be helping Astrid protect you,” Stoick said with finality before going to speak with Hallr and Gobber.
Hiccup turned to where Snotlout was coming down the docks. “Why did you even agree to this?”
“Because having to watch your butt will be worth it to see Dagur. He's so cool!”
“Cool? Last time he was here, he greeted me by throwing a knife at my head.”
“Exactly.”
“That guy should be locked up in a cage,” Astrid said, shouldering past Snotlout.
“Didn’t he do that to Fishlegs once?” Hiccup asked and Snotlout laughed.
“Yeah, then he force-fed him rotten cod heads!”
Hiccup watched his cousin wander off, then turned to where his father was combating Mildew’s complaints about them leaving while Berk was under attack. He sighed and muttered, “This is going to be a disaster.”
Astrid patted his shoulder. “You’ve survived this long meeting up with him.”
“Three years ago, he dragged me out to the forest to use me as a moving target for his knife-throwing practice. Five years ago, he locked me in a storage shed overnight. He wasn’t even allowed to come to the treaty seven years ago because he tried to drown me while we were swimming two years before that. The only reason he couldn’t do anything to me last year was because I spent the whole time hiding you-know-where.”
“... Okay," she said slowly, "but he’s chief now. All of his focus should be on your dad this time, right?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
Dagur smirked as he watched the ships approach.
“Berk’s fleet is almost here,” Captain Vorg said, stepping up next to him.
“I can see that!” Dagur snapped, shoving him off the docks. He turned back to the ships, bouncing as they got closer and closer. Finally, they pulled up to the docks and his men came forward to help them moor. Watching the gangplank being lowered, he paid no mind as Vorg returned to his side and welcomed the Hooligans. Stoick came down first, of course, but just behind him was who Dagur had been waiting for.
Hiccup looked as fidgety as ever as the blonde shield maiden at his side set her hand on his shoulder. They didn’t seem like much at first glance, but if the letter he’d received proved true...
Dagur distractedly returned Stoick’s greeting, then came forward to loop his arm around Hiccup’s neck. “Ah, Hiccup, it’s been too long!”
Hiccup sent the blonde a glare then gave Dagur a nervous smile. “Hey, Dagur. It’s, uh, only been a year.”
“Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And who’s your friend?”
“I’m Snotlout.” A pig-faced boy stepped up next to them with a pompous grin that made Dagur think of Ansson.
Dagur shoved him away with a vicious glee before turning to the blonde. “And you are?”
“Astrid.”
Dagur’s grin grew and he turned back to Hiccup. “Right, let’s get on with the tour!”
“That’s really not necessary,” Stoick said, but Dagur ignored him as he dragged Hiccup off by the neck with Astrid following a step behind.
“[This isn’t good.]”
“[No, it’s not. Thundergrace, report back to King Wodensfang. We’ll keep an eye on things here.]”
“[Yes, sir.]”
“[I can’t believe it. A Singer? Here?]”
“[I know, love. Let’s just hope our king will be safe with the humans until he’s out of the Song’s reach.]”