Exile

The Berk Guard

Nineteen.

Hiccup woke, stiff. He blinked and tried to piece where he was. He sat up warily and realised the fire was banked for the night and his clothes had been repaired and were hanging, dry, just by the fire. He winced as he reached for them.

"You owe her more thanks than you could ever repay," a gruff voice growled. Hiccup stared up and all the fears came back. He hunched his whipped shoulders and ducked his head, lowering his eyes in fear. It was Astrid's father.

"I-I know, sir," he replied softly. He rubbed his forehead. "She said she would wake me. I never meant to intrude, sir." The man walked closer and his eyes were distrustful. He was eyeing the boy as if he was an enemy and he self-consciously put his hand over the brand. His hair flopped over his face, and he found he was breathing hard.

"My daughter pleaded for me to allow you to spend the night here and I have granted her request," Hofferson said gruffly. His tone was very grudging and Hiccup read his own desire for the boy to go.

"You don't want me here," he said evenly.

"No. But Astrid begged on your behalf."

"She is a very good friend," Hiccup replied. Astrid...begging on his behalf? He wasn't sure if he should feel humiliated or honoured.

No, you know which it is.

"And you damage her." Hiccup painfully pushed himself to his foot, his prosthesis propped by the stool. The tub had been cleaned away. He hopped unsteadily to the stool and sat heavily, mechanically beginning to strap the prosthesis on.

"I know. But friendship-and kindness-are in very short supply, sir." He blinked hard. Gods, he couldn't start weeping again. "I will go. I think...I know that will be better for her. And you."

"The offer stands and it is genuine, no matter my own feelings," Hofferson told him. "You gave her Stormfly. You gave her adventure and battle. For my Astrid, that is the most precious thing she could have received. When she talked about her adventures, about her training, she talked of you. She never believed your treason. I think she still believes everything can be as it was." Hiccup grasped his mended tunic and slipped it over his head. He could feel the man's eyes flicking disdainfully at his beaten shape.

"And we-we both know that isn't going to happen, sir," Hiccup said wearily, hauling his leggings up and unwinding the towel. He folded it neatly and placed it by the fire to dry. He grabbed his boot and pulled it on. He fished out his notebook and scribbled a short note of thanks to his friend. He placed it on the towel and folded the blanket by it. Then he grasped the ointment for his leg and slowly rose to his feet. "Please, tell her...thanks. I don't want to cause any trouble."

And then he walked slowly to the door, pausing for a long moment at the threshold. Hofferson wondered if he was going to ask if he could stay. But the boy was steeling himself for the cold icy blast that met his face as he walked out and slowly closed the door. Hofferson stared at the note for a long moment and left it. The boy had seemed genuine: his daughter deserved her thanks-provided she never brought him home again.

oOo

Hiccup shivered as he limped slowly down the hill. It was cold and the frost was heavy on the grass. He was almost regretting turning down Mr Hofferson's almost kind offer of a bed for the night but he knew that he needed to be with Toothless: it was the only place he had felt safe since he got back. So he wrapped his arms around his body, dug his chin into his chest and picked up the pace-and almost ran into a large guard.

He stopped with a gasp and backed away, murmuring anxious apologies. He wasn't sure how the Berk Guards would react to him as a free man. The man peered down at him like a particularly nasty insect.