The Shadow's Bane

Night Patrol

Hiccup's POV:

The first thing I did once Toothless and I had found Jim unconscious in the Cove, was take him back to my house discreetly as possible.

I will admit. Seeing that red blur before finding Jim had not been the first time that had happened. In fact, for a few weeks, ever since I got back, trouble had been brewing in Berk.

For starters, the one morning instead of boots, everyone's socks had been stolen. Two nights later, all our metal had been taken again. That included our weapons. Next thing you know, Gobber's forge had been set on fire.

Now here I was keeping watch over Jim back in my bed upstairs. Out of curiosity, Toothless bounded over to me. Growling friendly as he also looked at Jim.

"I know, bud," I said. "But we can't tell mom yet. Or anyone else yet for that matter until he wakes up. We first need to find out why he is here. Then we can-"

As if on cue, Jim gave a slight cough before opening his eyes. "W-what?" He asked. "Where am I-"

"Jim?" I asked. At my words, he turned to face me. Startled for a minute which could be justified by the gasp he gave afterwards.

"H-hiccup? What...? How...? I don't-"

"Don't worry about it," I said. Then placed a hand on his shoulder for reassurance. He looked up at me at the contact. "You're safe. But if you want to know, Toothless and I found you unconscious at the Cove. As for how you got here, we also don't know that."

For a moment there was just confusion in his eyes. Then disappointment when he learned where he was.

"So I'm not in Arcadia anymore?" He asked me.

"No. You're in Berk," I said. "Maybe Odin decided that it's time you come to me for help. Unlike last time when I came to you. What do you remember, Jim?"

"Well," he said. "I don't..." He rubbed his head for a minute, no a doubt trying to think of how to answer me until I suddenly heard the door downstairs open and close.

Oh no, I thought. Looking at Toothless when it did.

"What is it?" Jim asked.

"My mom," I said. Then made my way downstairs before she could come up. "Toothless cover Jim won't you?"

"Hiccup?" My mom asked.

"Oh. Hi mom. What are you doing back so early? I thought you were out on night patrol," I said. Even then, I knew that my mom had seen past my facade.

"Why so jittery, Hiccup? It's not like you're hiding anything, are you?"

"Hiding anything?" I laughed. "Please, why would I be hiding anything? Everyone knows about the dragons now..."

"Hiccup," my mom said more seriously this time.

Oh, the gods hate me, I thought. No point in lying to her anymore.

"The red blur that's been terrorising Berk. Do you have any idea what that could be?" She asked me.

"I'm still working on that," I said which was when Toothless came down to us. Oh no. Toothless. If he is down here then that must mean...

When my mom walked towards the fireplace to put down her dragon staff, I took the chance to look behind to check up on Jim only to see that there was no Jim. "Oh no," I said.

"What was that?" My mom asked.

"N-nothing. I will just, take over on night patrol. Don't worry. If anything happens, you will be the first to know."

Then before my mom could stop me, I fled out the door to look for Jim. "Hiccup?" Astrid asked me before I could get onto Toothless. "Is anything wrong?"

"Not now, Astrid." Oh how I needed to find Jim before Snotlout or Gobber could. Or anyone else on Berk could for that matter. Alas, flying on Toothless didn't stop Astrid from coming after me.

"Astrid!" I said. "It's not safe. Plus, it's not your turn on night patrol-"

"All the more reason to come with you, Hiccup. We're a team remember?" She asked me. Being the stubborn girlfriend that she was.

I knew from past arguments that I couldn't say no to her. "Fine. Then just follow my lead," I said.

She listened to me which I appreciated. "What are you looking for?" She asked.

"A friend," I said. "Come on, bud. Let's fly lower."

A second later we were flying just above the tree tops. "Hey. Over there. I think I see something," Astrid pointed out. As if to prove her right, a rustle came from the branches below us.

"Jim," I gasped. Then louder, "Down Toothless!"

We took cover in the forest. Astrid and Stormfly next to me. Then we were down on the ground just as a couple of vikings shouted, "Fire!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" I said. "Hold. It's Hiccup with Astrid! What's going on?"

It was probably a good thing that we had landed because then once my men had lowered their weapons around the small clearing that we were in, I saw something struggling in ropes with his knees on the the ground before us.

"Jim?" I said. He looked up at my words. Fear in his eyes for a second. Toothless instantly bounded over to him to cut his bonds. He let out a gasp before falling weakly to the ground.

"Hiccup, what is that?" Astrid asked me as I rushed over to my brother.

It was only when I caught him that I understood why he was so weak. "Not what," I said. "Who. He's been poisoned with a hunter's arrow. Quickly. We need to take him to Gothi-"

"But Hiccup-"

"He's my friend, Astrid," I said, struggling to lift Jim up. "Oh Jim, why did you have to run away like that?"

Because right then all I could think about was the time when my dad had been seriously ill and I had finally snapped in front of all of my friends.

"It's not a game. It's not a dream, Tuffnut. It's a way of life. It's reality. It actually happened. We trained the dragons. We left Berk. And my father is on his deathbed because of it. Because of me. None of this would have happened, and I mean none of it if I had never shot down Toothless in the first place. You know it. I know it. Berk knows it. Everyone knows it... even he knows it."

It had been a chance to put the past behind us for once and get back on track with our main problem back then. That's how I felt now with Jim here. Holding him up, he looked sick. Really sick. "I have to help him," I said. "Do you understand, Astrid?"

She held a new look of understanding in her blue eyes when I next looked up at her. "I do, Hiccup," she said.