For Milady

SEVEN: Mixed Reactions

SEVEN: Mixed reactions

The Chiefs were stomping up the Plaza, neither in a good mood as Camicazi followed easily, the phalanx of Bog Tribe Members of the Chief's party trailing behind. Stoick was bright red with anger, still intermittently bellowing after his vanished son and complaining to Bertha, while Cami's mother was equally put out at the insult made to her and her daughter. Gobber poked his head out of the forge and saw the Chief's face...and rapidly withdrew again.

The people of Berk were trailing the guests up the Plaza, eyes appraising the Bog Burglars as they walked confidently up the village. Many eyes were interested, wary or thoughtful...but some were definitely hostile and the Heir tightened her grip on her knife, wondering why some people were looking at her with very hostile eyes. And then there was the whoosh of wings and the Bog Burglars ducked, reaching for their weapons-but Stoick sharply raised a hand.

"No weapons!" he commanded. "There is peace with dragons here!" He looked up in the hope it would be his son returning but his eyes widened at the shape of a yellow and purple-brown dragon flying in, its tail seemingly braided from three parts and being ridden by a very buff armoured man with short carrot-red hair, a stubbly beard, scars on his face and three woad tattoos over his left eye.

"Oh brother...are you here?" the Rider yelled and swooped in to land, leaping from his dragon. Bertha stared as well, recognising the shape and tensing.

"Dagur?" the Bog Burglar Chief said with mild surprise. "What the Thor are you doing here?"

"Oh hey Bertha, Stoick, Camster...I was just looking for my little brother!" Dagur said casually, as if meeting two fellow chiefs was an everyday event. His green eyes swept the Plaza for evidence of the auburn-haired Viking or the Night Fury. "Have you seen him? Or is he hiding?"

"Brother?" Stoick frowned in confusion and then his brows lifted sightly. "Oh, you mean Hiccup..." Dagur grinned broadly.

"Yes, my brother from another mother," he clarified cheerfully. "Not literally, of course because ...well, you know...Is he here ? My sister wrote me and I had to come and congratulate my brother on the betrothal! I mean it's completely about time, right? He's being making doe eyes at Astrid for years-even I could see that and I'm deranged! I mean, you'd have to be blind or stupid or both not to see it! And I'm organising the stag celebration...Thor, I have so many embarrassing stories about him..."

"Dagur," Stoick said in a warning voice, his brows dipping again. The Berserker looked up at the tone and calmed, reminding himself that Stoick was very protective of Hiccup after everything that Dagur had tried to do in the past to his son.

"Too much?" he asked in a calmer tone. "Okay, I can understand that. He's had some tough times too and that girl and his dragon have always been there for him...and I don't want either killing me for causing him to run away and hide on Thor's Rock due to terminal embarrassment..." Stoick and Bertha shared a look.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding," Stoick said firmly. "Hiccup is betrothed-but not to Astrid." Dagur stared at him-then roared with laughter.

"Stoick-what a joker!" he guffawed. "Of course he's betrothed to Astrid. My sister and the Greek Chorus watched him propose. Of course, Heather is going to be Maid of Honour because the other girl is completely crazy..."

"No," Bertha said sternly. "Hiccup is betrothed to my daughter, Camicazi. Stoick arranged it when the boy was ten years old." Dagur shook his head.

"No, that can't be right," he said in a slightly confused voice. "He's been in love with Astrid for years and he's apparently so happy that he's getting married and going to be a father..." Camicazi's eyes widened in surprise, unaware of the fact.