The Gentle Sniper

Chapter 25: Trustless Part 1

A/N: Having some hurdles writing the next chapter, so no idea when it'll be ready. This might be the last one for a while. We'll see though.

...

On Sunday night, the town hall on Berk, which had been dubbed the great hall and renovated and rebuilt on the same site since Viking times, was a large building with two huge oak doors, overhead candles just like those in Johann's bar and a complete lack of windows and sunlight by extension.

Historically, the hall had been furnished with a circular table built around a fireplace, but at some point in the battle for Berk; where hundreds of years prior, warriors from the port town of Skagen in mainland Denmark had tried and succeeded in capturing the island; this had been destroyed, with four long rectangular tables now surrounding the fireplace instead.

Present in the hall was the mayor of Berk and Dagur who represented the berserker clan, Stoick representing the Haddock clan, Sigrid and Bjorn representing the Hoffersons, Spitelout representing the Jorgensons, Helga and Malte Ingerman, Bendt and Agnut Thorston; Ruffnut and Tuffnut's father and one of their cousins respectively. In addition, Johann, Viggo, Ryker, officer Sven, Bertha and Cami were also present.

Sven was standing between Dagur and Oswald with a bottle of aged wine on the table in front of him, matching the bottles in front of everyone else; both on his and the other tables. As was the custom on Berk, once community-related news had been passed along at a town meeting, drinking could and always did commence.

"So why did you call for a town meeting, Bertha? It's unusual for a meeting to be held on a sunday," stated Oswald.

"That is correct, however we thought it best to inform everyone here of a witness protection measure that has been put in place concerning Heather Oswaldottir, Astrid Hofferson and Snotlout Jorgenson as a precaution against a man named Drago Bludvist," Bertha replied.

Viggo, Ryker, Johann and Sigrid all perked up at that, watching Bertha intently while another voice rang out.

"Is he not simply a businessman?" Bjorn Hofferson asked. "The owner of DB Security?"

Cami purposefully nudged her mother. "Oh, wait, my mistake. I was thinking of some employees of his - namely Krogan Prince and Grimmel Hunter - who were in police custody until recently, when that dreadful fire occurred. The precaution is against them. Apologies, my memory is not what it used to be."

It was a partial lie, but it seemed quite plausible for those not in the know.

"Your memory is going now? Maybe your teeth will fail you next," joked Stoick.

"Aye, but not before yours fall out," Bertha teased in return, resulting in mild laughter all around.

Bertha then reached into a pocket and took out a carefully folded photograph as she continued. "I recommend that you all keep an eye out for these people, as shown in this picture."

Handing it to Cami, her daughter passed it along to the mayor, who was the closest individual to her, besides her mother, and it went around the room in that fashion.

"Well it's useful that this Krogan fellow is black then," commented Oswald. "He'll stand out quite well if he comes back here."

"That he will," murmured Sigrid. "But now let's talk about something more pleasant. My eldest appears to have snagged a man."

"Oh~ Do tell, Sigrid," chuckled Helga, leaning forward in her seat.

"It's Hiccup Haddock. The son of someone we all know well."