Peter Mercier and the Hunters of Artemis

Chapter 13

Peter beckoned them inside, eagerly looking around the kitchen. "Is this really your house?" Hiccup asked, grabbing the crate of food the boy had set down and following him and Amber as they entered. Eret broke away, trekking back to get a better look at the blacksmith's forge. "I thought that pond looked familiar," Peter admitted, walking into the kitchen. The dark stone counters were dusty, algae-ridden water still in the basin next to the now-broken kitchen window. A few scattered branches and leaves littered the damp wooden floor around it. "I can't believe it. I didn't think it'd still be here after all these years."

"We should still be careful," Amber reminded, warily eyeing the stairs to the second floor, the floorboards dusty and creaking heavily as they walked on them. "This thing could collapse if we move wrong. We have no idea what's happened to it."

"Relax," Peter assured. "My dad knew how to build a house. Chances are this thing's been through more trauma than any of us combined."

"I doubt that," Hiccup hobbled forward, setting down the crate. "But we'll see."

Peter quickly turned around. "Oh," he knelt down to untie his shoe. Amber rolled her eyes, but pried hers off with one hand. She also took her coat off, setting it next to them. "Don't track mud in."

They set their shoes by the door, Hiccup looking at a bookshelf on the wall. "Beds are up there?" he asked, pointing to the stairs. "Yep," Peter affirmed, standing beside him. He tapped the chair with his foot, it rocking as he did. "Used to read in that chair all the time," he chuckled, smiling. He reached around Hiccup and picked up a book, absentmindedly flipping through. "Waiting for my parents to cook dinner."

"A lot of books," Amber said. "My uncle used to bring them in," he explained, putting it back. He moved to the stairs, stopping at the first step and looking endearingly at the second floor. "Whatever he could find in the markets. He could never keep up with what I finished, though. Probably not his fault."

"Do you want to see what's up there?" Hiccup suggested, raising an eyebrow. "Of course," Peter sounded unsure. "Just... stay with me. Don't wander."

They started to go up, Peter leading the group to the second floor. Each creak of the floorboard made Amber wince, but nothing happened. The got into the hallway, three closed doors ahead of them. The first one Peter brushed past as if it wasn't even there, and he hastily pointed to the second door as he hurried to the end of the hallway. "Bathroom," he pointed out, not turning around. "For future reference."

"What room was that?" Hiccup asked, referring to the one Peter ignored. "My parents'," he replied after a second, fiddling with the knob on the door to his room. "Let's look at mine."

He struggled to open the door, his hand hurting with the effort. "Dammit," he huffed, stepping back. "Locked. And I have no idea where my uncle would've put the key."

"I can kick it," the chief offered, brushing past him and eyeing up the frame. "If you insist," Peter grumbled. "I've always wanted to do this," Hiccup smiled, bringing his prosthetic up. Amber raised an eyebrow. "You know that's not-"

His prosthetic struck the wood, shattering through about halfway up the length. Hiccup tried to pull it back to no avail, while Peter sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "How you do it," Amber finished. Peter nodded. "And now there's a hole in my door."

Hiccup sighed, still trying to dislodge his leg from the door. It creaked and splintered, but didn't move. "Well," he said. "I'm stuck."

Peter blinked. "Stuck," he repeated. "You're serious? You can't move your prosthetic?"

"I'm trying, Peter," Hiccup replied, pressing his hands against the door for more leverage. "You better try harder then," he instructed, crossing his arms. "I'm perfectly fine with cutting it off and remaking it later."