Riders of B E R K

Part 51: Furies Galone

Fifty-One: Furies galore.

After I left him, I went straight to see Major Gothi. She was my direct superior and I trusted her implicitly...and she knew about what had happened to Hiccup. She read my face perfectly and we went into her office: I had been here a lot already for my assessments, reflections and feedback and I knew she was precise, calm and fair. So I made sure the door was locked and I quietly and determinedly spoke to her. I told her what Hiccup and I had discussed, what he had revealed...and I asked her if it was true.

Her eyes were sad as she stared at the desk for a long time...and then she nodded. Then she began to type and in the mechanical, emotionless voice that her synthesiser generated, Gothi told me what had happened to Hiccup, how he had been ambushed outside Pen One, too far from help and how he had been beaten savagely before being raped. How he had staggered back the mile-long trek to his room and had hidden, badly injured and wracked by utter shame and self-loathing. How he had cut himself before overcoming the impulse and how he had seriously considered suicide. And how he had been treated covertly by Gothi and Gobber so that no one would know of his true injuries. And she confirmed that, to the best of her knowledge, it had only been once, though her observations revealed that Dagur definitely had his eye on Hiccup...until he had defected.

And she had not, for one moment, believed that Hiccup was a traitor.

That made me feel about a million times worse because I had...in no small part due to how convincing he had been. He knew how to insult me, how to press my buttons and I had taken the bait. He had played me...but only to his disadvantage. And, he had explained, after he had finally calmed and sat next to me on his miserable, hard bed, his hand tentatively twined with mine, that he knew I was hopeless at acting and that I had a temper which would make me draw the wrong conclusion. I had punched him then-in the shoulder, obviously-for being a brilliant and daring smartass and knowing me too well. I know I can't act: I am direct, forthright and honest-always have been, always intend to be. He told me then that he couldn't have explained what he was doing, even if he had been granted the chance because I wouldn't convince them: I just wished that he hadn't convinced me.

After Gothi, I went to see Gobber and explained what we had discussed. He confirmed Gothi's tale and also that he hadn't believed Hiccup was a traitor. "That laddie is clever, determined and brave. And he loves ye wi' all his heart. He would ne'er betray his lass."

"You didn't hear him, Gobber-he was really convincing," I grumbled, my cheeks flushed with shame. He gave a low chuckle.

"Aye-the lad has a rare talent for mimicry and putting a brave face on," he revealed. "He had to act that everything was normal, that he wasn't abandoned or ignored or beaten through his whole life. And he's got very good at it." I ran my hands through my hair.

"Yeah...wished I'd known just how good he was before this," I murmured then looked up into Gobber's big face. "Stoick won't let this go, will he?"

"He's sworn tae court martial the boy," he confirmed. "Laddie had always been a disappointment tae his father and finally, his father has a legitimate means o' punishing the boy for every second of humiliation he feels for having such a son..." I scowled.

"What, you mean having such a brave, clever determined son?" I asked. Gobber shook his head.

"He's nae the son he wanted," he sighed. "Stoick wanted a Snotlout. But he got a Hiccup-sarcastic, unconventional, brilliant, caring-and missed the fact that under that scrawny exterior, there is the equal o' his father in determination, bravery and loyalty."

"But there isn't," I said bleakly. "He admitted he was afraid of being tortured-and hatched the plan to appear to co-operate to get me and Toothless away..."