How It Came To Be (An LBR story)

Chapter XI - Figuring Things Out

Paul takes off, not wanting to face Hiccup head on. Weaving and dodging fallen trees, boulders and limbs, Hiccup chases after him, unexpected rage building up inside. Slowly but surely, he gains ground on the runner. Minutes of chasing leads to failure as Paul slips beneath some undergrowth and disappears without a sight.

Hiccup makes his way back to the village and feels the rage calm down. He looks behind every nook and cranny throughout and doesn't find a single trace of Paul. He slips into the house where he and Rachel are staying and finds only Rachel asleep, but having a troubled nightmare.

As he heads back to his house, he ponder why Paul fled. He goes over every scenario that makes sense but didn't put a single one down. As he head into his house, he spots the note Astrid left and reads it. A few moments pass and he realizes the letters are straight and not curly.

He goes into his room and searches for some things Astrid has written notes on to compare. He puts the scripts side by side and finds no similarity between the two.

He rushes outside, ignoring the ache his body has from no sleep. He whistles for Toothless and runs to an edge. He hears the high pitch whine and jumps, Toothless catching him in the air. A renewed strength fills Hiccup.

The duo fly through the trees in search of Paul once again. After hours of searching, they finally find him asleep mid-day. They land and Toothless lets loose a roar with Paul jumping awake straight into Hiccup's fist.

"What have you done with her?" Hiccup yells. Paul tries to crawl away but Hiccup kicks him hard in the ribs. "Answer me!"

"You'll never know," Paul spit blood. "She's gone and there's nothing you can do about it," Paul laughs. Hiccup kicks him in the head.

************

Hiccup sits in a chair waiting for Paul to wake up. He hasn't slept for the past two days, waiting to ask Paul a series of questions. Paul stirs, prompting Hiccup to slap him awake.

"Huh? I'm awake!" Paul says. He tries to move his hand to his face but finds he is tied down.

He looks to see Hiccup dancing a dagger between the fingers on his right hand and Fishlegs scouring through a book.

"What's, uh, what's your friend doing there?" Paul asks, his eyes weary of the dagger.

"You've been talking in your sleep," Hiccup answers. "Guilty conscience, eh? You've kindly told us what kind of island to look for."

"Found it, Hiccup," Fishlegs tells him, fingertip resting on a map. "Looks like it's past Outcast Island."

"Now to the fun part," Hiccul grins, his emerald eyes dull from lack of sleep. "Now tell me, who do you work for and why did you take Astrid?"

"I've got nothing to say to you," Paul spits. Then he felt something warm down low when a dagger suddenly appears millimeters away from his ear.

"I won't. Ask. Again."

"I'd tell him if I was you," Fishlegs warns Paul.

"I.. I.." Paul stutters. "I don't know who he is. I just receive letters with coin to do a job. He leaves nothing but a mark."

"What does the mark look like?"

"A raven's head," Paul complies.

Pages are heard rustling as Fishlegs scours yet another book to research the mark.

"It appears to be a clan symbol of a great warlord form ages gone," Fishlegs finally announces. "A Viking by the name Fang Wolf-Heart."

"I remember learning about him," Snotlout appears from the shadows. "He was a ruthless warrior with an army that worked like a death machine. Nothing stood in their way. And if it did, they soon demolished it."

"We have to get her back," Tuffnut chimes in from the shadows.

"Yeah, she's our friend. We can't just leave her alone," Ruff agrees as the two appear.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hiccup asks them.

"Making sure you don't run off by yourself, as you often do," Ruff says.

"Alright then. But I've been waiting two days for this... thing... to wake up and I'm not goin to sleep until I learn everything I can from him," Hiccup gets up, only to stumble from exhaustion.

"You're going to bed," Ruff helps him up. "I told Astrid I would take care of you if she ever disappeared and that's what I'm gonna do. Besides, I'm sure my brother and the guys can think of some nasty ways to get whats-his-face to talk."

"That they can probably do," Hiccup laughs.

They get to Hiccups house and Ruff helps him in bed and leaves the room. She reaches the bottom of the stairs and hears snoring. She just laughs to herself.

"Gods help the man who took Astrid once Hiccup get hold of him..." Ruff says as she leaves his house.