Astrid could feel the heavy weight of the eyes upon her as she stood before the tribe, arguing her case. It was daunting to be addressing them all at once like this – knowing that every suggestion was being weighed and measured by everyone she knew. She didn't know how Stoick managed it so calmly.
"...if we fly out there, we're sure to see the camp from above," she insisted, "we'll be able to see what defenses they have set up and where they're keeping Hiccup."
"On dragons?" Spitelout asked incredulously, staring at her like she'd gone mad. She'd seen the same look reflected on most of her tribe's faces since she'd arrived – a consequence of her grand entrance on dragonback – including her parents. She wasn't looking forward to that conversation. "You want to ride out there on one of those beasts?"
Astrid could feel Valka tense beside her at the man's words. Hoping to avoid the argument she suspected was brewing, she was quick to throw out an answer.
"Yes. Just think about it – it's the last thing they'd expect from us! If they have any sense, they'll have guards posted around the perimeter of the camp. They'll be watching the woods and maybe even the sea, trying to stay out of our sight…but they can't guard the sky."
"Lass…they're dragon poachers ," reminded Stoick, scratching his head in thought. "Aren't they trained to look for flying targets? To ground them? Doesn't that put you both more at risk?"
To Astrid's surprise, it was Valka who chimed in, "Normally, I'd agree with you, but considering they've got a Night Fury in their hands...I'd expect that right now, a dragon as common as a Deadly Nadder wouldn't be a very tempting prize in comparison. I doubt they'd want to risk discovery over bringing one in, especially if they think that you all might try to take the Fury for yourselves."
Stoick regarded his wife with critical eyes. From the bit Astrid had filled him in on, Valka was a dragon expert, if such a thing existed. One thing he'd learned from his many years of chiefdom was that a good leader should always seek and evaluate the counsel of experts, rather than assume he knows better. Plus…after two decades without her input, he wouldn't take it for granted now.
"Fine. Astrid goes on ahead with the Nadder to scout it out," confirmed Stoick, nodding towards the door. "The rest of us will start into the woods on foot, but no one goes past Raven's Point until I give the order. Is that understood?"
There was a chorus of tense agreement.
"Astrid, we'll be waiting for your report, but we can't wait forever. If you're still gone past sundown, we'll assume you've been compromised and we'll move in blind if we have to."
Thank the gods – he'd agreed.
Astrid dipped her head in quick acknowledgement of his words, beginning to weave her way through the dense crowd. She hoped Stormfly hadn't wandered far, though she doubted it. The Nadder seemed to have grown oddly attached to her, becoming less willing to part ways the more time they spent together.
"Wait!"
Astrid froze with her hand on the door, turning to regard Valka with wide eyes. Why would the woman stop her now? Didn't she understand the importance of acting fast?
"I'm coming with you," the former chieftess insisted, threading her way through the group.
"You can't!" Astrid nearly shouted, frustrated by the prolonged delay. "They know you. They'll recognize Cloudjumper!"
It was too risky. If the poachers felt threatened by the familiar Stormcutter's approach, it could make things so much worse. They could choose to cut their losses, killing Hiccup so the vigilante had no dragon left to save.
Valka inhaled sharply as she, too, registered the gravity of that possibility. Reluctantly, she nodded to show that she understood.
"Very well," she agreed, "but don't ask me to wait with the others, because I won't. I'll follow on foot and give you cover from the ground if needed."
"Then I'll join you," said Stoick, tone leaving no room for argument. "Change of plans: Spitelout, you'll give the order for the others to move in, but be cautious. We don't want them knowing we're there until reinforcements are needed. I expect you to hold until the opportune moment."
The man nodded. "Aye."
"Gobber, fetch me an axe – quickly," he commanded.
"Aye, Chief!"
Stoick turned to Astrid, eyes stormy with emotions. "Go," he urged.
"We're going to find him," she promised, already moving. "We're going to get him back."
"Mind their arrows!" Valka called as Astrid pushed open the door. "They're tipped in poison!"
The camp was all too easy to find from the sky.
High above the treeline, Astrid was quick to spot a wispy plume of smoke stretching towards the clouds.
Of course, it could have just been dragon fire – that is always a possibility on Berk – but she doubted it. The smoke was too close to the area where they'd guessed the camp might be.
She didn't believe it was a coincidence. Nothing in their lives ever seemed to be these days.
Stormfly cut a wide arc around the area, staying on the fringe of the clearing below. It was strategic, as any shot taken at her would have to be fired from either an extended distance or through the thick cover of the trees.
Astrid had a shield prepped in tense hands, ready to block any arrows that may be fired from below. She was confident she could protect herself with it, but she worried about Stormfly. The dragon was just too big for Astrid to shield. She hoped the dragon's thick, armored scales would be enough to protect her, but she'd seen dragons felled by viking weaponry too often to discount the possibility.
Astrid peered down, trying to keep her body pressed tightly against the Nadder. If the men looked up, she didn't want them to know the dragon had a rider. That knowledge would surely tip them off that their location had been compromised.
Upon first glance at the camp, she couldn't help but grimace. There were so many tents below – why did there have to be so many tents? She hadn't known how many men to expect, but she hadn't guessed the operation was this big. It was more than a little discouraging to see what they were up against.
Astrid's eyes tracked over the rest of the campsite, taking note of a few dozen men milling about the area. Most appeared occupied with menial tasks, though a few simply stood around talking. There didn't appear to be any sort of urgency to anything they were doing. If anything, they seemed relaxed – far too at home in Berk's woods for Astrd's liking.
At each corner of the hideout, a trio was stationed in guard.
At the far end of the campsite, something shiny and metallic caught her eye. It was big and ugly, made of row after row of criss-crossing grey bars.
A cage.
She silently urged Stormfly to circle back again, focusing her attention more closely on the cage as they drifted over the area once more. Her heart sank deep in her chest when she spotted a familiar, dark shape huddled against the back bars.
Oh gods.
Silently she pleaded for him to look up – to see that she was there. At least that way, he'd have the comfort of knowing that help was on the way. At least that way, he'd know that he wasn't alone.
To her frustration he didn't move, and soon they'd passed the camp entirely, once more leaving Hiccup behind.
"C'mon, girl," she whispered to Stormfly, "we've got to tell the others."
Stoick and Valka were still a ways away when Astrid tracked them down. Moving on foot was much slower than soaring above the treeline and she couldn't help but be disappointed by their lack of progress.
Hiccup was in a cage. He'd been trapped in inhumane conditions for days, locked away like some sort of animal.
Leaving him there had made Astrid feel utterly useless.
Landing beside the chief and his wife, she wasted no time dismounting from Stormfly. "The camp is where we thought, but chief…there have got to be three to four dozen men in the campsite," she surmised, launching right into it, all the while continuing to lead them along the path. "It looks like they have sentries posted at every corner…" she swallowed hard, shaking her head as she got the worst bit, "...and, well, they've got Hiccup locked in some sort of cage at the far end. It doesn't look good."
Rage flitted across Stoick's face, his face growing bright red with emotion. His voice was like gravel when he grit out his response, "A cage? Odin, I'll have their heads mounted to pikes for this! Why, I'll grind their very bones to–"
"I'm sure you'll get your chance for vengeance, but for now our priority has to be getting Hiccup out of there in one piece," interjected Valka, picking up her own pace with renewed urgency. "To do that, I'd guess we're going to need a distraction of sorts."
Astrid grunted her agreement, swinging her axe to clear branches from the path ahead of them as they moved. "There's just so many of them…it'll need to be something that concerns them all, so no one's left to guard him." Her eyes roamed over to Stoick, widening a fraction. "Chief, I'd bet they won't ignore you, not when they're trespassing on your island. If you go in there and cause a scene, it just might be enough…"
Stoick the Vast had earned a reputation throughout the archipelago for his strength and valor in battle. He was well loved by his tribe and feared by his enemies, making him the sort of person who could not be dismissed lightly. His arrival in the camp was sure to cause a frenzy, especially if he called them out for their trespassing.
"It would be my pleasure," replied Stoick, cracking his knuckles and shouldering past her.
Valka hummed in agreement. "I'll provide cover from the woods if you need it. If not, I'll be ready to direct Spitelout and the others when they arrive."
"And I'll sneak around the back," finished Astrid, already reaching for the rope around Stormfly's neck. "I know where the cage is, and I've seen the layout of their camp – I think I can get to him unseen. I'll find a way to get Hiccup out, just make sure you keep them distracted."
It was a flimsy plan, but it was the best they could do on short notice.
Astrid hoped it was enough.
Hiccup hadn't been able to sleep since his conversation with Viggo.
He'd tried, but every time he closed his eyes he saw those intense, dark eyes watching him like a hawk – picking apart and assessing him like he was a puzzle of sorts. His thoughts whirled, bringing the man's sinister suggestions to mind over and over again.
In all the scenarios he'd considered since his capture, he never accounted for something like that. Every idea he'd entertained ended with him being powerless, yet Viggo's plan offered the opposite. It offered him power and authority in exchange for weaponizing his curse.
It was baffling.
Hiccup had no intention of agreeing, but he loathed to admit there was a small part of him that felt some temptation. It cried out for the security such a position could offer, and the freedom of never having to hide his condition again.
There was something oddly refreshing about having it seen as an asset rather than an obstacle to work around. The closest he'd come to such a view was with his mother and her ally, Mala…but he suspected their enthusiasm stemmed more from the women's deep love of dragons than their acknowledgement of him as a whole.
Still, Hiccup wasn't blind to the strings attached to such an offer. He had no desire to drum up fear across the archipelago, nor did he want to rule outside his birthright. Most importantly, he didn't want to be used. There was a distinct difference between useful to a cause and being a tool, manipulated by another. Viggo sought to use him as the latter, no matter how nicely he tried to dress it up with pretty words.
Hiccup wanted freedom – no strings attached. Unfortunately, such a thing was impossible to come by behind bars.
He lay against the back of the cage, glaring despondently out at the poachers as they went about their day. Judging by their lack of interest in him, Viggo had kept the secret of Hiccup's true identity to himself. In a way, it was a small mercy, as being gawked at on top of everything would have been infinitely worse.
It was probably part of the man's attempts to swap Hiccup's choice, he reasoned. Why else would such kindness be granted to a prisoner?
The approach was clever – Hiccup couldn't deny that. Most vikings would use intimidation or some show of force to try to get what they wanted, but Viggo appeared to scheming to influence Hiccup more subtly. More emotionally.
He was almost impressed.
Growling at that unwanted thought, Hiccup shifted and stretched his wings as far as he could in the cramped quarters. He'd had enough confinement to last a lifetime – enough that he'd even developed techniques for stretching as fully as possible in tight spaces. It was a level of expertise he wished he hadn't mastered.
The chattering of nearby Nadder caught his attention, and he felt his heart sink further. He hoped it wouldn't be foolish enough to enter a camp full of poachers – he really didn't want to see it struck down in front of him.
His ears twitched towards the sound, listening as the brush in the woods behind him shifted. It was more subtle than he'd have expected for a Nadder's size, leaving him wondering if it was a baby dragon navigating the woods, unaware of the lurking danger.
The sound grew closer and closer, and Hiccup felt his dread build. It was approaching the camp.
"Hiccup," a familiar voice whispered urgently, a hand lightly brushing against his wing.
Astrid?
The pieces clicked in his mind in a matter of seconds. He'd heard Stormfly chattering in the woods and it had been Astrid approaching the cage.
She'd come for him.
Hiccup glanced up at the campsite again, making sure no one was watching him. Satisfied that he wasn't currently under any scrutiny, he shifted his position so that he was facing the opposite direction, locking onto familiar blue eyes.
It was a relief to look upon her, and he drank in the sight of her like a man dying of thirst.
"Oh gods, Hiccup," she murmured, pressing herself against the bars. Her roamed over him – likely looking for signs of injuries – before settling on the muzzle with a look of fury.
"Are you okay?" She asked, eyes shining with emotion.
He sighed heavily, doing his best to offer the semblance of a shrug. Physically, he was fine. Emotionally? He'd had better days.
Astrid reached out, gripping the side of the muzzle. She tugged at it, pulling his face closer as she worked on freeing his jaw. When the leather finally came loose, she pulled it back through the bars, throwing it on the ground and digging her boot into it.
"Better?"
He nodded, opening and closing his jaw a few times to work out the stiffness. He closed his eyes for a moment, pressing his snout against the bars as he tried to convey his thanks.
Astrid gave him a tight smile. Her muscles were tensed, body poised for a fight.
"We've got a plan," she assured him quietly, "and pretty much all of Berk is about to close in on this place. I just want to get you out before all Hel breaks loose, okay?"
He nodded in agreement, then tipped his head to the side. How exactly did she expect to accomplish that?
"Your father's about to bust in here any moment," she explained, picking up on his confusion. "He's going to draw everyone's attention, you know – keep them all distracted while I get this cage open. I don't know how long we'll have before they notice something's up, so I'll need to move quickly. Any chance you know where the key to this thing is?'
Hiccup felt his shoulders sag as he nodded. He knew where it was, but no distraction his father could drum up was going to be enough to keep Viggo from noticing Astrid ripping the key off his belt.
Astrid frowned, "that bad, huh? Just tell me."
Hiccup twisted his neck, seeking out Viggo from amongst the crowd. The leader was sitting by the fire, attention focused on a journal in his lap.
Hiccup nodded his head towards the man, directing Astrid's gaze.
She squinted at him, biting her lip. "This would be a lot easier if you could scratch out some runes," she lamented. "Guess we'll have to narrow this down with 'yes' or 'no' questions, huh? So it's somewhere near the fire?"
He nodded.
"In one of the nearby tents?"
No.
"On one of the men?"
Yes.
"Hmm…" Astrid scrutinized the men closest to the fire. "The tall one?"
No.
"The one-eyed one?"
No.
"The one with the book?"
Yes.
Astrid nodded to herself. "One sword, no other visible weapons…"
Stoick had nearly reached the campsite when he felt a hand latch onto his elbow. He twisted, barely overcoming his instincts to defend himself as he came face to face with his wife's concerned gaze.
"Before you go out there…whatever happens here," she began, voice small but determined. "I just want you to know that I-I'm sorry…for everything."
"Val–"
"Please, let me say this," she cut in, toying with her braid. It was a nervous habit he recognized, one that she often adopted when she was on edge. "From what I've heard from Hiccup, and then from Astrid – I was foolish to stay away all these years. Seeing the lengths you'll go to for our boy, even knowing what he is…I should have trusted in you more. I should have given you a chance to change. You've always had a good heart, I knew that when I married you! I'm sorry for doubting you."
Her sorrow was clear in her voice, and hearing it made a tightness form in Stoick's own throat. He let her words sink in, letting the full meaning wash over him.
"We all have regrets," he replied, gripping her hands tightly in his own. "I've made my share of mistakes, and there were times over the years when I'm sure I deserved your doubts. I...well, I wasn't always the father Hiccup needed but I'm trying to do better. I have questions, Val, but I don't blame you. I don't resent you – I never could." He pulled her hands close to his heart. "I love you today just as much as the day I lost you."
At those words, Valka's composure slipped. Her eyes watered and she leaned back, pulling her hands free to swipe at them.
"...I don't deserve that."
"Love isn't about what one deserves, is it?" Stoick challenged, feeling the truth of it in every word. He smiled lightly at her, hoping to reassure her. "I'd say it's more about...the mark you leave on another's life and the weight that carries. Valka, there's no denying that you've changed my life. I...I wouldn't give up our years together for anything."
He'd been consumed with grief after losing her, but that pain had not eclipsed the joy she'd brought him in his youth. It hadn't erased their happy years of memories, or the legacy of their love that lived on in his beloved son.
"Tell you what – when this is all over, you can still give me that second chance," He promised, straightening up. "But for now, I've got some poachers to deal with and a son to save."
Valka nodded, expression growing fiercer. "I'll be here if you need me."
"Always."