Chapter Text
Hiccup loops over both of his older brothers as he flies through the air with them. Viggo smiles as Hiccup hangs upside down above him, patting the Frost Nadder, Silverbreath. Ryker huffs as Spitfire, a Monsterous Nightmare, and calls out to Hiccup.
“Do you always have to be doing tricks?”
“Oh, this is nothing!”
Hiccup chirps. Ryker frowns while Viggo’s eyes crinkle in amusement.
“Don't you dare!”
Ryker growls and Hiccup gives a high and happy warble before leaping off of Toothless and diving down. Wind swirls past him and Toothless dives beside him. He can hear Ryker cursing and Viggo laughing as he speeds downwards. He tilts his head to look at his home. Kunnigr, home of the Acumens. It is so beautiful even in the midst of the perilous cold of the winter. Hiccup loves being part of the Acumens tribe and helping the tribe of ex-dragon hunters to coexist with dragons on their island.
He breathes deeply letting the cold air sting his lungs. He then opens his false wings and floats on the air. He glides for a moment and then rejoins with Toothless and flies back up to his brothers.
“I hate it when you do stunts. Gives me a heart attack every time.”
Ryker huffs out, gripping tightly to Spitfire’s horns. Hiccup chirps and laughs.
“Aww poor old man Ryker, can't handle a little trick flying done by someone else!”
“It's not funny! It's reasonable.”
Ryker complains, but there is no true bite to his words. Hiccup croons and flies right beside his oldest brother.
“I'll be okay. I promise. Toothless has never failed me. And I check my gear all the time.”
Hiccup reassures.
“And you’ll save him if he does fail.”
Viggo adds with a gentle smile. Ryker huffs and concedes. Silverbreath lets out a high call and Viggo nods.
“It looks like I'm done for the morning. I will see you both at lunchtime.”
The middle brother descends back to the island. Silverbreath had lower stamina compared to the other two dragons and often was the first to return to the ground after their morning flights. Hiccup waves his brother goodbye.
“I should go to. People are not going to train themselves.”
Ryker adds turning Spitfire towards the ground.
“I'm going to fly for a little longer.”
Ryker nods.
“Make sure you're down before the storm rolls in. Those clouds to the north look a bit nasty.”
“Okay!”
Hiccup chirps. Toothless warbles and Ryker lets out a gentle rumble aimed at the Night Fury. As the eldest brother flies down, Hiccup rubs Toothless’ scales and then churrs.
“~Let's make this count! That storm has my leg aching. We might get snowed in for a few days.~”
“~Agreed!~”
Toothless climbs the air with a shriek of joy. They climb and climb until the air becomes hard to breathe. Hiccup slips on his helmet, knowing that the rushing wind will sting unprotected eyes. He pats Toothless and croons, letting his Wings know that he is ready to dive. And then they plunge downwards. Toothless spins and fires a plasma blast. They zoom through the heated air and then flip backwards to free fall with matching grins.
Freedom.
Fun.
And safety.
Hiccup rejoins with Toothless and they skim the surface of the waves as Hiccup lets out a Night Fury shriek. Toothless joins in the noise and both revel in their shared joy.
--
Dagur sits on the dragon figurehead of his ship. The waves a little choppy due to the blowing winter blizzard, but he finds it easy to balance. His hands grip tightly onto the Dragon Eye, fingers growing a little numb from the sheer cold of the air. Snow swirls down and stings his cheeks. His remaining ten men are either below deck sleeping through the cold or making sure the ship kept sailing.
He sucks in a deep breath enjoying the burn of the cold in his lungs. It reminds him that he is alive. He closes his eyes and leans into the bitter wind. What would he say to Hiccup when he sees him? What could he say?
Dagur had never been great with words. It had been an endless source of frustration for his father who had been the more emotionally competent of the two and often reached for words when Dagur reached for weapons. Dagur growls. Stupid father, leaving him alone to care for a tribe before he was truly ready.
Did Hiccup ever worry about that with Stoick? Stoick had often sailed off in search of that dragon nest that it took Hiccup to find and defeat. Stoick could have easily died on any of those expeditions. His own father had done it a few times too, but only once Dagur knew how to grip a weapon properly. The worry of having to replace the chief with the heir apparent would have been more of a concern for Berk.
At least with the Berserkers, Dagur had a reputation for violence and victory in fights. Hiccup was openly mocked by those he was supposed to lead. It had confused Dagur during their first interactions and made him want to show off his strength to show what an heir should be able to do. And teach Hiccup through experience. But now, with so much time to think and reflect, with a distant goal that he can do nothing to hurry his pace towards, he is able to see that he has been scaring his little brother. He would make things right.
He just has to find Hiccup first. Then everything could be fixed and could be perfect. They could even conquer dragons together.
His hair is pushed about by the wind, irritatingly short and uneven. He had been humiliated and imprisoned, but he supposes that it had been in defense of Berk. Although, as the Berserkers' allies, they really ought to have told them about the dragons. The Berserkers had few allies through the centuries, with most breaking away and rejoining out of convenience of circumstance. The Hooligans had been one of the more steady allyships that had the greatest betrayal.
It still stings to think about. Just because he was not his father, the tribe that swore allyship decided to betray that trust. Well, he supposes, the Hooligans were never much good at doing what they were supposed to.
Being a good ally? Nope.
Taking out the dragon nest? That was Hiccup.
Making sure their heir was protected? Hiccups out here in Dragon Hunter territory alone.
Honestly, it is better for the Berserker Tribe to not have them as an ally. And as soon as he has Hiccup back and safe, he will storm his home island and take back his throne and make the Hooligans regret all their failures!
A wild laugh escapes him as hope springs anew.