When in Rome

Aftermath

The camp was quiet.

Not physically. Physically, people were rushing about, crying in pain, fixing things, it was a raucous.

But it was quiet in Hiccup's head.

The legionnaires and Charlotte sat down for a meeting. Aeliana was gone and they were down a legionnaire. Everyone was injured. The ships were out of the strait, all of them. And most of Drago's men on Britannica were gone, too, according to their scouts. This was their chance. They had to rush them, push them back north further and off Roman soil.

But they were all staring at the map in front of them. Not a thought came to their minds.

"the fourth doesn't have a praetor," Gaius said, leaning forward.

"she's not dead," Hiccup said, glaring.

"we need to appoint someone acting Praetor." Gaius said.

Silence.

"okay," Atticus leaned forward, "okay, Hiccup, time to step up."

"wait a second," one of Charlotte's legionnaire's said, "it's gotta be a vote."

"right, okay, anyone else want to put their name in the hat? Think they'd be better suited for the job?"

"Atticus, stop," Hiccup said, "come on, I can't"

"really?" Atticus looked at everyone in the room, "anyone want to step up?"

Atticus gave him a look like 'duh', Hiccup sighed and rubbed at his face, leaning back at his chair.

"okay, decision made," Gaius sighed.

Hiccup frowned, opened his mouth to object. Charlotte unclipped the Praetor badge from her chest plate and handed it to him.

"everyone knows I'm Praetor, you'll need something to make it obvious."

Hiccup sighed and gave her a look that he hoped conveyed everything. He couldn't, he shouldn't, he wouldn't.

"Charlotte, I can't."

"Hiccup," she stared at him witheringly, one eyebrow raised. It wasn't a look he got often from her, "take it as an order."

His eyebrows shot up. An order? His fingers felt numb as he took the badge from her hands. He swallowed and turned it over in his palm. he felt like he was about to throw up. But, He clipped it to his chest plate, gave Atticus a grim smile.

"so, let's figure out our next move."

He found Verlin in his own dug out bunk, all the way back in the archer's quarters. No one was there. Either because everyone else in his trench was in the infirmary or they'd unanimously decided to give him some space.

Hiccup sat down just outside the whole in the trench wall. He'd just washed himself and his gear, but he was going to get dirty again anyway so he couldn't care less.

"hey," he greeted Verlin, who was sat against the other end of the bunk's dug out hole. He had a flask resting against his chest, he wasn't in armour, a dribble of drink lined his chin.

"hey," he murmured.

Hiccup sighed, Verlin offered the flask, he took a sip.

"I guess she'd've wanted it this way, go out with a bang, save everyone's lives." He eyed a stray hair in front of his eyes.