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Hiccup woke to the feeling that it was unseasonably warm in her room. Then the smell of smoke invaded her nostrils and she was suddenly alert. Something was wrong. Something was deeply wrong. She ran out of her room without thinking and made her way out of the house. When she saw it from the outside, she saw the source of the smoke. Practically the whole village was on fire.“What in the hells?” Hiccup asked to herself. Above her, dragons were circling. She was no stranger to dragons, they were at best a pest and worst a danger. But these were… different. They seemed organized in a way that she had never seen before.“Hiccup! What are you doing, girl? Get back inside!” Stoick snapped, holding an axe in one hand as he tried to barr his daughter from getting in the way of things.“What’s happening?” Hiccup asked, not wanting to just run off and hide as she was expected to.“Dragons.” Stoick said. “And you know the rules about dragons.” He said. “We agreed on this. If there are dragons, you stay inside.”Hiccup huffed. She hated those rules. It was partly over protectiveness – Hiccup, like her mother apparently had been before she was taken by dragons, was small and frail. She was a runt. Dagur, who had been betrothed to her since she was a baby and acted like she was already his wife, called her ‘delicate’ sometimes because of this – and mostly just a way to get her out of the way. Because no matter what she was doing or how she was trying to help she seemed to always be in the way.“These don’t seem like ordinary dragons.” She pointed out. “They’re organized, not going after the cattle I… Dad, there’s something going on here-”Stoick interrupted her by picking her up bodily and pushing her back into the house, the whole time Hiccup ranted her protests at her father. “Which is exactly why you shouldn’t be putting yourself in danger.” He said. “Go down to the cellar. Hide. Be safe.” He sounded desperate.Then Hiccup could not help but feel guilty. She knew the tale of how her mother had been killed. She had been taken away by dragons and she was never seen again. Hiccup had been a baby then. But still, she opened her mouth to protest. “Dad, please just listen to me-” She started to say when suddenly her fathers stern expression suddenly became blank.Blood dripped out of his mouth in slow motion and he started to fall. Hiccup screamed and flung herself back. There was a man – and calling him that was an understatement, he looked more like a beast then anything. He towered over Hiccup, looking at her like she was just a bug – something insignificant. He sneered down at her for a moment, before he recognized her and picked her up with one hand – as if she weighed nothing.“You look just like your mother, girl. Has anyone told you that?”No one had told her such a thing, but before she could answer the man’s monstrous hand was around her throat. “But are you like her too? Can you handle the beasts like she can? I suppose we’ll see.” He said.Hiccups vision started to darken. Suddenly an axe was thrown into her captors side. He groan and dropped her and she fell to the ground. Her head his the rocky floor with a wet smack. Then everything just went dark.…The next time Hiccup woke, she was laying on a cot in the hold of a ship. She could feel the water moving around the ship, up and down and left and right. It was enough to make her feel nauseous.Across from her, Astrid noticed that she was awake and quickly darted over to her. “Hey, hey. Easy.” Astrid said gently. “Don’t get up too fast.” She said, gently pushing Hiccup down on the cot. “You got hit pretty bad and you’ve been out for a while. You’re lucky that Gobber looked for you, we could have left you for dead.”The first thing that Hiccup noticed though, was the bandage over Astrid’s left eye. “Your…eye.” She said, lacking any social graces. Her voice was raspy and low from lack of use, but Astrid could hear her just fine.Astrid pursed her lips. “Took a throwing axe to it.” She explained, as if it was no big deal.“Ouch.” Hiccup winced. “I’m sorry.” She said.“Don’t be.” Astrid said. Then she smirked. “I think it makes me look more like a proper warrior anyway.”“Wh-what happen?” Hiccup practically slurred, not fully having all her faculties still.“Well that’s just the thing.” Astrid said. “We don’t really… know. I mean. We know. We were attacked by invaders and they had dragons. They killed Stoick. The leader wanted you. We weren’t going to let that happen.” Astrid narrowed her eyes at the last bit.Hiccup looked surprised to hear that. “You did that for me?” She asked. She remembered what that man looked like. Terrifying. And she didn’t feel very highly about her status in Berk. She felt like she was disliked by the others in the village. Or at least, no one really bothered to include her in things. And in turn, Hiccup isolated herself, focused on her work as a blacksmith and on her projects tinkering with things.Astrid narrowed her eyes. “Of course we did.” She said. “You’re one of us. Even if you get in the way sometimes.” She said. Then she turned towards the stairs. “We’re going to Berserk.” She answered, “Apparently, they are our closest allies.” She said.Hiccup nodded. “I guess you had to save me if we’re going there. Dagur would throw a fit if you came without me.” She said, smiling.
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They arrive on Berserkyr Island after a few days on their small ship. Hiccup spent most of her time in the cabin, recuperating with the others that had been injured and processing everything that had happened.Stoick was dead. Her dad was dead. She had never had the best relationship with him. He wanted a proper viking daughter – or, better yet, a son – and she just wasn’t. Hiccup was clever. But vikings on Berk didn’t care for clever. They preferred soldiers that were ready to fight.That had never been Hiccup’s…. thing. She was a runt. A weakling. And no matter how hard she tried to prove herself, she just got in the way more than anything. If she had been Stoick’s heir this would be much more of a problem. But that was Snotlout’s issue. He could deal with all of the responsibilities that being the heir entailed, she had thought before. But now. Now there was nothing to inherit. That was a hard thing for Hiccup to reconcile with. A hard thing for her to accept as real.On the day they arrive, Hiccup had decided to come out onto the deck. It was brighter than she was used to. She looked at herself in the reflection of the water and noted that she was skinnier and paler than usual. Things were not good for her right now.They dock on the island and were greeted by a skinny fisherman with a bad attitude. “If you’re here to rob us, you’ll see what a mistake that is. Every Berserkyr keeps an axe on hand for a reason.” He said, trying and failing to intimidateHiccup was the first to say anything. Swinging off the deck with as much energy as her weakened body could stand. “My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, I am Stoick the Vast’s daughter. The people on this boat are what’s left of Berk. I need to see Osvald the Agreeable.” She said.In that moment, Snotlout got off of the boat looking noticeably peeved. “I am Stoick’s heir.” He said, side eyeing Hiccup as if he was upset that she took his spotlight from him. Hiccup ignored him. “And I… well, what she said. We need to see the chief.” He said, puffing his chest out a bit.Hiccup just quieted down then, deciding that it was not worth the trouble to tell him to be serious. It wasn’t worth the effort. He probably would not listen regardless, he never listened and the attack on Berk had not made any real changes to his personality.Hiccup took a few steps forward, when she was stopped by the fisherman. “And where do you think you’re going, little girl?” He asked.Hiccup sighed, she had a lot of experience with people like this. Little men with Big egos. It was exhausting having to constantly be underestimated. She would have thought that she would get used to it by now, but it never really got better. “I’m going to see the chief. We are allied.” She said, she tried not to let her exasperation shine through.“And how do I know you’re not some kind of spy, eh?” He grabbed Hiccup by the shoulder. “Should give you a pat down. Real thorough, to make sure you’re not smuggling anything.”“Oh Thor, here we go.” Hiccup muttered to herself. She was used to this too, being leered at by foreigners. She did not think of herself as very pretty, but she supposed to people who didn’t know her her small frame seemed exotic. She did not understand it. Dagur liked how small she was too. On certain occasions, when they were allowed to be alone – which was rare – Dagur would sit her on his knee and touch at her budding breasts or circle his hands around her waist and marvel at how his fingers could just about meet between them.That was when Snotlout, who had been walking right behind her – eager to see Dagur and the chief again – intervened. “Hey, get off of her!” He said. Before Hiccup could stop him, Snotlout was rearing up and punching the fisherman. Then it was an all out brawl, both of them kicking and punching at each other. The men around, who had stayed out of it until then, we’re jeering and cheering – happy to see a break up in the monotony of an otherwise normal day. And Berserkyrs loved a good fight.Hiccup’s mouth opened in shock. She had no idea how things could escalate so quickly. At this point, Astrid had gotten out of the boat. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Hiccup, is this normal on Berserkyr Island? You’ve been here before.”Yes, Hiccup had been to Berserkyr Island many times in fact. It had made sense, in a few years – when she became of age to marry – she would be sent over there to live. It was a good idea to assimilate herself to the culture here – which was so different from Berk in so many ways – and Dagur liked being able to see her every couple of months.Dagur’s feelings for her were intense. Everything about Dagur was intense, so it just came with the territory. But even still Hiccup had been surprised at the quickness that Dagur had gone from casually bullying her or treating her with indifference, to being enamored to obsessed with her.Hiccup still remembers being six years old and signing the treaty, while Dagur looked at her very intensely, processing in his child mind that in several years or so she would be his wife. She would belong to him and he would have to take care of her – that was all they thought it was.Dagur had become enamored with her in his absolutist mind and made it his business to see that Hiccup was happy and cared for. They weren’t even married yet and he was already overbearing and possessive, overprotective and borderline obsessed. She shuddered to think how much more intense it would be when it was finally official.Hiccup sighed. “Brawls aren’t out of the question, but it’s usually a game. All in good fun. This is a real fight.” She said.Astrid huffed at that. It was impossible to get in between the circle surrounding the boys who were grappling at each other, each one trying in earnest to take the other down. Hiccup wouldn’t be surprised if Snotlout wanted to beat this fisherman bloody. He was angry now. He had lost Berk and with it his rights as heir. She knew her cousin well enough to know he could get real violent in bad situations.“What’s all this going on, we’re wrestling?” A sharp, familiar voice rang out. Dagur. The crowd disperse a little, just enough to make way for the heir of Berserkyr.“They just started punching each other!” One of the men said, laughing as if it was very funny.Dagur laughed too. “Is that right?” He said. Then he suddenly grabbed the fisherman by the neck and lifted him in a chokehold. Hiccup sympathetically put a hand around her own throat, knowing how awful it felt.“What’s really going on here, Ansson? Are you causing troubles on the docks again. I thought we cleared it up last time not to harass the tradesmen that come to port.” He said, his voice still jovial but raising a bit.Snotlout took the opportunity to speak up. “He attacked Hiccup.” He said. “I was just trying to defend her.”“Hiccup’s here?” Dagur asked, temporarily distracted by the thought of seeing her. “She’s not supposed to come until the solstice.” Then he turned towards Ansson again. “You attacked my betrothed.” He said very calmly – unnervingly so – before slamming his head right into Anssons nose, hitting him hard enough that he passed out.Then Ansson dropped, like a sack of potatoes. Dagur stomped his foot on Anssons leg, hard enough to break it. Hiccup crossed her arms over her chest. “You didn’t need to break his limbs.” Hiccup said quietly. She felt like it was her place to try and temper Dagur, even if he didn’t listen“I should have killed him for even looking at you wrong. I was being nice, for your sake. I know you don’t like seeing violence up close.” Dagur said. Hiccup rolled her eyes at that. But it was normal on Berserk, there were harsh punishments for that sort of thing. And Dagur had done much worse to someone for much less.Dagur had taken his first kill when he was twelve during a raiding party outside the Barbaric Archipelago – just because Osvald believed in peace between the Archipelago now, didn’t mean that his tribe would stop pillaging entirely. They just took it farther away, to monastery's in England or what was left of Rome. He had rave about as much in his letters. How good it felt to win when your enemy had a dagger at your throat but you had an axe to his stomach. Hiccup didn’t think she could kill anyone. Maybe that made her a bad viking.Then Dagur looked at the boat and the small clan – all that was left of the Hooligans. “This isn’t a social call, is it?” He said.Snotlout took the stage then. “We have to see the chief. Berk was attacked.” He said, finally giving the topic the weight it deserved.“Alright. Come along.” He said, sounding bored. He put an arm around Hiccup and she squeaked in surprise. With the heavy, possessive weight of Dagur’s hand on her hip the whole lot of them were marched into the Chief’s longhouse.….Osvald the Agreeable towered over Hiccup and the rest of the teens. The rest of Berk was a sad sight – a couple of teenagers, some elderly and the local blacksmith. They must have looked pathetic standing there.Hiccup crossed her arms over her chest as Snotlout pleaded their case. He explained the attack in the middle of the night and that most of the village was gone. They needed a place to stay and also wanted to warn Osvald. Whoever they were, if they attacked Berk unprovoked, they might come after the rest of the Archipelago.“You got to wonder why they didn’t just kill all of you.” Dagur said idly. He was playing with one of his own daggers, twirling and tossing it casually.Snotlout looked offended at that. “What’s that supposed to mean?!” He asked.“I’m just saying. If they wanted total domination, they wouldn’t have left the weakest of you alive. Berk has always been vulnerable because of its size, but that didn’t really matter til now with all the… peace treaties in the Archipelago.” He said. “He could have killed you all, but he didn’t. So what I’m wondering now is, are they looking for one of you… or using you as bait?”Dagur’s sister, Heather cocked her head at that. “Surprisingly observant of you, Dagur.” She said. Dagur grinned at her sharply through the side of his mouth. He had a crooked smile at the best of times and this one was downright lopsided.“Their leader mentioned my mother.” Hiccup spoke up, her brows furrowed. “But she’s been dead for years. Dragons took her, we all know this.” She said softly. Even the thought of her mother was wounding.“It doesn’t matter.” Osvald said. “Berk is one of our biggest allies. It is our duty to protect them and let them join us.” He said.“I wasn’t suggesting we cast them out or anything, no.” Dagur said, his tone annoyed and peevish.“Then what were you suggesting, Dagur?” Osvald said.“We be prepared for a fight. Because it will come, no matter what we do.” Dagur said. Then he looked at Hiccup. “Hiccup should stay in the longhouse. And perhaps, we marry sooner. Make the merging of our tribes more official.”Osvald stroked his beard in thought. “You are right. We should fortify our defenses. I will hire more Jomsviking to guard the city.” Then Osvald spared a look to Hiccup, who had been uncomfortable during this entire meeting. “What do you think of that, Hiccup?” He asked. “Would you like to marry sooner?” He asked.“I suppose it doesn’t really matter anymore.” Hiccup said quietly, thinking about the fact that her dad would not be there to see her off and she would never really go away from the kids on Berk that made her feel so inadequate. “Sure. Why not?”Dagur grinned at that, happy he got his way. “Excellent.” He said. “We’ll have a proper Berserkyr wedding.”