The Blacksmith's Apprentice

Twenty Six: This has to end

Couldn't resist a cliffhanger at this point...just too tempting!

And no, I don't hate the canon character of Snotlout but he is the obvious villain for this piece. Just think of the Snotlout from 'Gem of a different colour' but multiplied by about 100!

TRIGGER WARNING-attempted rape, references to sexual abuse (this chapter is probably T/M)

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Twenty Six: This has to end.

Gustav was already sprinting down the Plaza, for he had seen Astrid's capture. And though he knew he could do nothing about it himself, he knew a man who could. So he arrived at the forge, panting and praying that Hiccup wasn't in the forest with Toothless, his grey eyes scanning the solid little building desperately. Gobber was standing by the anvil, sipping mead from his mug and rambling away-and the teen felt himself sigh in relief at the rhythmic clanging of a hammer on metal as Hiccup reluctantly worked at fashioning a new plough share for Mildew.

"HICCUP!" Gustav gasped as he burst in, eyes wild. The auburn-haired man looked up, his face beaded with sweat at his exertions. He nodded a greeting.

"Hey, Gustav," he greeted the younger teen but Gustav staggered up.

"Astrid," he said. "They've got Astrid."

The clang as the hammer hit the floor echoed round the suddenly silent forge as Hiccup felt ice fill his heart.

"No," he whispered and then his head snapped around, seeing the nearest sword and grabbing it. Gobber took a pace forward, his eyes shocked. "I have to do this," Hiccup said, his voice firming. "Gustav-which way were they heading?" There was a pause and Gustav pointed.

"Towards the Jorgensen house," he panted. Hiccup nodded and turned.

"Get the Chief," he ordered Gustav. "Send him down immediately."

"Laddie..." Gobber began but Hiccup stared into his face, his emerald eyes determined and not containing a scrap of indecision.

"It's Astrid," he said flatly. "Snotlout has the woman I love. And we both know why he's taken her. He's targeted her to hurt me, Gobber. This has to end." And then he pushed past the blacksmith and headed up the hill with Gustav sprinting off in a slightly different direction to fetch Stoick. Shocked, the old blacksmith paused, then swapped out his hammer prosthetic for the axe.

"I hope yer know what yer doing," he said as he lumbered off after his apprentice.

oOo

Despite the fact that the Jorgensens were the closest kin the Chief acknowledged and that they were relatively powerful and rich, their home remained unfinished, with the roof still half-covered and the burnt frame visible. It was gloomy and there was the acrid edge of char still discernible as Hiccup burst through the scorched front door, eyes scanning the dismal space, and wondered where Snotlout would have taken Astrid. There were faint sounds but the stairs at the back of the unstable structure appeared to end halfway up and there was no obvious way to reach the upper platform...

A memory hit him, unbidden, from those horrible days when he was fifteen and was failing hopelessly at Dragon Training. Snotlout had been flirting with Astrid-of course-and the young woman had been as unimpressed as ever.

Anyway, I moved into my parents' basement. You should come by some time to work out. You look like you work out, babe...

The basement! Hiccup thought and cast around, seeing faint fresh marks in the ashes and charcoal on the floor. Leaning forward, he carefully followed the trail until he saw the hatch, camouflaged amid the shadows and the wreckage. He silently leaned forward and carefully pulled the hatch open, peering through and then tightening his grip on the hilt of the sword, fury igniting in his chest.