In Lieu Of A Tail

38. Murder Really Should Be Acceptable Sometimes, Especially Right Now

AN: Quick heads-up, there is a very homophobic character here. However the only slur used is 'traitor'/'traitors'/'worse than traitors', and his face screwing up in disgust.

A disclaimer that I DO NOT SHARE THESE VIEWS, love who you love and if anybody has a problem with that they don't deserve to know you. If someone gives you shit for loving somebody just because their self-righteous ass thinks you should be with somebody else, then they can fuck off, and if they don't then meet me in the park and we will THROW HANDS. Ahem, sorry, I got pissed off. The sentiment still remains. I had to re-write this chapter three times. THANK YOU to my INCREDIBLE beta who checked it ev-er-y-time because she is some kind of superhuman. Also thank you to you guys for having patience with me I'm so sorry you had to wait so long!

By the time he set off, all the stars had made their appearance. Having utilised his well-practiced trapping skills to locate a group of dragons, he discarded his weapons in a show of good faith and approached a large beetle-like one. Its exoskeleton shimmered, iridescent red and green beneath the dappled moonbeams scattering through the branches. He was cautious, not for his own safety, he knew he was as good as dead now anyway - one can only be a spy for so long before they are discovered, frankly he was lucky to have survived for so long.

None of that mattered now anyway. All that mattered was his discovery, and how fast he could warn them.

"Please," he begged the stoic beast before him, kneeling, "I need your help to find the Furies."

Perhaps it was the purpose in which the man had removed his weapons, the certainty and sincerity in his eyes. Perhaps the Rumblehorn simply had a sense about him - not so unbelievable, a Rumblehorn had once sensed a great tidal wave and saved an entire island as a result - but either way, when a bare palm stretched up to rest on his snout, he met it halfway.

The man snapped his eyes open, his vision wavering and blurring in his relief. He left his weapons behind, they had been made by evil people for evil things - he wasn't one of them, he wouldn't be. He clambered atop the dragon's back, grabbing hold of the horns for stability, and urged him to the sky.

It would be two days at most until his betrayal was discovered, so they moved fast, headed directly for the one place nobody would ever expect - but that the Rumblehorn's senses assured him they'd be. Berk.

Fyredart arrived at the cove sometime mid-afternoon. Claiming he had been otherwise occupied by something very important. Nobody believed him - which was fair as he often considered napping very important - he was very confused upon being introduced to Hiccup's mother.

"But she's dead. Hiccup said so!"

"She was believed to be dead, yes, but as it turns out she's just a cool dragon lady." Aurora announced.

"But she had a funeral!" Fyredart reasoned.

"So did Hiccup?" Astra pointed out, regretting it instantly and recoiling as a piercing cry issued from the little dragon.

"WHAT?! HICCUP IS DEAD?! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" The distraught Terror wailed. "But he was so young! Where's Toothless, what happened?!"

"Fyredart! Hiccup isn't dead!" Aurora tried to reassure in a panicked tone.

"You said he had a funeral!" The Terror blubbered. "Only dead people have funerals!"

Eventually the Terror was soothed enough for the situation to be explained to him, which took much longer than the others would care to admit and he still didn't seem fully convinced until he saw Hiccup himself. Fyredart definitely did not launch himself at Hiccup's face - shut up Astra you can't prove anything - upon his arrival in the Cove. Because obviously Fyredart did not do that it was entirely Hiccup's fault that he fell from the saddle and dropped several feet onto the ground. Toothless was not amused.