For Milady

THIRTY-SEVEN: Accomplice

THIRTY SEVEN: Accomplice

For a second, Viggo remained stationary as the auburn-haired Viking approached-but as Hiccup's Inferno sword flashed down, the Hunter drew his own sword and another flaming blade crashed into Hiccup's own. Grunting, Hiccup put all his weight and strength into trying to push the Hunter backwards but his keen eyes were already registering the weapon facing him-a chunky jewelled handle with a hollow blade, all edge and no middle with flames lapping along the metal.

"What?' he gasped.

"I liked your fire sword so much, I made my own," Viggo told him smugly. "With improvements..." He shoved Hiccup back and the lean Viking glared at the much stockier and more powerful man facing him. "I only want to talk," Viggo told him but Hiccup felt his rage at the betrayal that had happened...and what could have ensured...overwhelm him.

"There's nothing to talk about!" he yelled and threw himself forward, his sword slamming right at Viggo's head. The man ducked, barely scrambling his own sword up to parry the lethal attack, managing to back away.

"Please!" he entreated Hiccup. "If you would just..." But Hiccup had become a dangerous fighter, trained by Astrid and seasoned by hardship and now, driven by the horrific vision that had haunted his nightmares ever since that day, his entire being was focussed on killing Viggo. For a few moments, they traded blows and Hiccup slowly drove his enemy back...until the man narrowed his eyes. "ENOUGH!" he shouted and depressed a button on the hilt of his sword. Hiccup's eyes widened at the sight and familiar smell...of Zippleback gas.

"What the..." he managed before it ignited, blasting him back to slam into a tree, his sword bouncing feet from his outstretched hand. Winded and with a pounding head, he looked up as Viggo glared down on him.

"This is pointless," the Hunter said coldly and then turned to the Night Fury, who was still clawing at the bola. But muzzled or not, Toothless arched his back and narrowed his eyes at the approaching Hunter. "Easy, dragon," he said and sliced out with his blade, cutting the bola free. Still growling, Toothless bounded to Hiccup's side, curling protectively around him as he recovered and Viggo walked closer. After a long moment, the man laid his sword down on the ground, crouching so he was at eye level with the winded dragon rider. There was no artifice in Viggo's eye when he looked into the young man's face and spoke softly.

"Please listen to me, Hiccup," he said. "I need your help."

oOo

High above, Astrid lay low over Stormfly and peered through the spyglass, seeing Hiccup slowly clamber to his feet with Toothless at his side. She had insisted on following them because the Nadder was an excellent tracker and she was not prepared to allow her fiancé to face his nemesis alone. There had been too many close calls with Viggo, too many times the man had almost finished them to trust Hiccup to face him alone. Treachery flowed through Viggo's veins and she would not trust, moreso since the time when the Riders accepted his help in defeating Ryker, who had finally betrayed his younger brother-only to be repaid by his attempt to coerce Hiccup to hand over the DragonEye by holding Astrid hostage.

"Don't trust him," she murmured, keeping focussed on the man and seeing him lead the rider to a fire pit and invite Toothless to ignite the kindling there. Reluctantly, the Night Fury complied and then Hiccup and Toothless pointedly sat the opposite side of the flames from Viggo, well out of reach, as the Hunter unconcernedly began to fry a fish. Astrid frowned.

"Don't trust him," she repeated.

oOo

Watching Viggo do something as prosaic as frying a fish was an unreal feeling, Hiccup realised, for he had only ever seen the man calm and in control, playing his role. From facing Hiccup after trapping him in Flightmare mist to trading wits across a Maces and Talons board, the Hunter Chief was a man who was always master of the game...but to hear how he had been betrayed gave Hiccup some hope he could handle whatever the man was planning. He could hear Toothless's stomach growling softly as the aroma of frying fish filled the air.