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Metal scrapped against metal as Windshear flapped her wings, the only sound that cut through the silent night on the edge as she left the stables on Dragon's Edge. Upon her saddle sat her rider, Heather having her hood pulled over her head as they flew, her eyes shifting over the cliffs as they circled the island, trying to find a good spot to rid of the tall tale evidence of their few day leave earlier when Dagur had swiped Hiccup away and Valka had given chase on Cloudjumper. It was one of the eyes of Viggo Grimborn, carved from his very being as repayment for what he had done to her biological brother.

As the metallic scaled dragon soared over some nearby sea stacks, Heather finally spotted the perfect place to dump the eye at last. "Windshear, that's far enough." Heather said, gently pulling on the metal handles, causing the Razorwhip to growl and slow, flapping her wings hard when she made her sudden stop and having to circle back around a bit before landing on one of the taller stacks. Once she was settled, Heather carefully slipped off and gently rested a hand on her snout, Windshear letting out a gentle growl as she pressed it against her rider's palm, the two sharing a brief glance, as if reassuring one another what they had done was the right thing and getting rid of the eye was the best course of action.

Heather had intended to bring the eye to Hiccup, proof that Viggo wasn't invincible and could be handled given the right situation. But, after some thought, she had decided against it, having already noticed he seemed off as it was and she didn't want to add to his seemingly stressful situation. "He got what he deserved, an eye for an eye is the only solution against a man like Viggo." Heather growled under her breathe, her dragon companion snarling her agreement, wings spreading for a moment before folding back again and the two walked to the edge of the sea stack where Heather stared down with a narrowed gaze, the dark waters crashing against the bottoms of the small rocky platform. "This is just a single piece, more will follow soon enough." Heather said to no one in particular, raising her hand outward before dropping the leather pouch, to finally rid of something and regretting none of the satisfaction that washed over her.

One thing she didn't consider, however, was the possibility of being followed despite how late it was. Much less by the very one she had sought to avenge.

Tags: Hiccup

[Hiccup]

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"Hiccup" - "Toothless"

A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI

When he'd seen Viggo's state the last time they met face to face, it didn't take the clever man long to piece together what had happened to Viggo's eye. That night that he returned, he'd been swiped, but returning home saw Heather nowhere to be found. He wasn't angry for what she'd done, there was a part of him that was glad for her actions, but what he wasn't glad for was the stubborn need to get revenge, for the actions that were dangerous and foolhardy. He hated having to be the stern one, he hated having to show the hardened side of himself, but she was family, he'd already lost one, and the thought of losing anyone else made him sick.

She wasn't difficult to track, Windshear was not as invisible against the moonlight as Toothless was as he silently followed them. This was the first chance he'd gotten to catch his sister alone, the only chance he'd gotten to actually talk to her about this, about what she'd done. He knew she would most likely fight back, but this was his job as her brother, she was fearless, and it was admirable, but fearlessness could easily cross the line into stupidity...And she'd come very close to that here. He knew this from experience.

He was quiet as he touched down a ways away from her, sliding off his dragon's back before he approached, his face was stony and unreadable. He caught her last words as he watched her drop the pouch into the sea below, "no Heather, more wont follow." His voice was decidedly stronger and more forceful than usual, "I know you think that what you did was the right thing...And maybe it was...But that was the stupidest thing I've seen you do." He stepped closer, looking out over the water with a serious face, "you're smarter than that, Heather. Why did you do this?" He looked to the side at her, a little exasperated, and a little bit concerned, he looked down, "what would I have done had I lost you?"

x

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Heather was somewhat startled when she heard Hiccup, whipping around to find her brother not far from herself and Windshear, the metal scaled dragon turning her head with a low growl. The Razorwhip had long since learned to trust Hiccup, Toothless, and the rest of the original riders but that didn't stop her from feeling some protectiveness if she felt Heather was being threatened. Only when Heather rested her palm upon the dragon's neck did she relax, but never taking her narrowed gaze off Hiccup. "Maybe spending time with Dagur is starting to rub off on you Hiccup." She responded, her tone remaining calm despite being surprised by his appearance. But, deep down, a part of her expected this might happen.

"Trust me I hear you Hiccup, and I know what I did was borderline insane, but for me it had to happen." Heather said defensively, her tone becoming cold and her gaze hard, eye brows furrowed into a scowl at the fact he was scolding her for her actions. "I did it because Viggo was already suppose to have lost, he was suppose to be gone. But he still sticks around like a plague, and he might as well be sucking the very life out of you! Did you not think we hadn't noticed? Much less the extreme torture he put you through, even Toothless?" Heather's voice was becoming angered now, but concern underlying those angered words. "By Thor's hammer Hiccup, we all thought Toothless was dead and you were lucky to have even made it home!" She stomped forward as she spoke, moving past her brother at first gesturing to the Night Fury, who was alive and well aside from the missing fin, before turning back to Hiccup and gesturing to the places she had seen he had been roughed up last.

It seemed one thing she shared was the use of her hands and unable to hold back emphasizing her points to make it clear he wasn't exactly in the right himself.

Finally, after getting that out, Heather took a few calming breathes, closing her eyes for a moment to focus on settling her breathing before she was a bit more calmer. "Hiccup, I did it because I hate that man with a passion. You may have appeared able to hold on, but what if we hadn't found everything? What if you had taken a turn for the worst and we lost you instead?" Heather's gaze become one of worry and sadness, "Hiccup, I was worried if I didn't teach Viggo a lesson, I would lose more family too."

Tags: Hiccup

[Hiccup]

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for @tag

"Hiccup" - "Toothless"

A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI

He couldn't help the way his cheeks darkened a little when Dagur was brought up, but he didn't let it trip him up...Was it getting that obvious though? He instead gave a soft snort and rolled his eye, he was fully prepared for her to go off, because he was making heavy claims and accusations, so when she did start talking in a flood of heated emotions, he remained calm...Or as calm as he could ever remain these days.

He only flinched a little when she mentioned everyone being able to tell that he wasn't okay, he hated that she was right, and he hated that he wasn't doing a better job keeping it together so the whole village didn't notice that he was falling apart. Toothless jerked his head up when she mentioned him, slinking closer to his rider to stand half curled around him. He could feel Hiccup's stress with this situation, and even though he knew that Heather was right, it didn't stop him wanting to instinctively protect Hiccup, he set his hand on the Night Fury's head just as instinctively, watching his sister closely but keeping his mouth shut for now, letting her get what she needed to say out.

When she finished speaking, he was quiet for a moment, before he let out a sigh, he hated that he felt tired far beyond his years, "Heather..." He started, then stopped, gesturing vaguely as he tried to bring out the words, "Viggo isn't the first...And he isn't going to be the last...And you can't spend your whole life fighting and seeking revenge for something that will never stop...It will never go away Heather..." He didn't have it in him to b forceful with his words anymore, "I'll always have enemies, and I'll always have people who want to kill me and everyone I love...I can't stop that and I know it..." He leaned against Toothless a little more heavily, a little more dull ache settling into his body, "but I'd endure anything to prevent it...I can't do that though when you run off without telling anyone..." He rubbed his hands over his face, "I'm not angry that you taught him a lesson...I'm angry that you took unnecessary risk." He knew on some level he'd done the same time and time again, but he had to, it was his job to do anything to protect his people.

His hand went to the bite on his neck, something he still hadn't told her the source of, afraid she would take off again, "I can't keep you all safe if I don't know where you are..." He ran a hand through his hair and looked to the side, "you running off on stupid revenge missions because you feel like that's the only way to handle things doesn't help Heather, it's appreciated, but it doesn't help."

x

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Like Hiccup, Heather allowed him to say his peace, knowing he had been courteous enough to allow her to get out her own emotions and thoughts. She could at least return the favor. Much of what he said, however, made her grind her teeth slightly, figuring by now he should know telling her not to do something rarely, if ever, worked. But, her teeth grinding was the only visible indication aside from her still narrowed, angered expression that really gave away her thoughts on the matter.

She could see his point, but at the same time she felt he was missing her main point, her main reason for going after Viggo in particular. But the more she listened, observed, watched, the more Heather could see Hiccup was truly becoming affected by all the stresses as of late and it was worrying her that the continued problem with the dragon hunters and the newest issue with the Outcasts was going to kill him just with declining health. The young raven haired woman turned away, looking at her own dragon companion who had thus far remained quiet, looking at her rider in wonder of what was on her mind. "I won't stop what has worked best for me Hiccup." Came the cold response. She didn't mean for it to come out that way, but Dagur had told her the same on several occasions when he mellowed out somewhat, and she still was unwilling to see their reasoning.

"You and me...Viggo has been one of our worst enemies for a handful of years now. You handled majority of your enemies with perseverance, wit, and stubbornness. But Viggo is like the plague, he never can just be gone." Heather said firmly, walking back towards Windshear, placing a hand on the saddle before turning to look back, her hardened expression having changed to one of regret and apology. "Someone among us has to be willing to take those drastic measures. If that means I have to figure that out on my own then so be it." Heather turned away briefly and pulled herself into the saddle, grabbing the metal bars of the saddle handles, Windshear growling as she turned to face them, Heather shifting to settle and look at her brother.

"Hiccup, I'm as willing as you to ensure Berk and our allies are safe, especially the Berserkers. But we also can't just sit idle, act like these enemies may not be as gracious as Viggo in making attacks here and there." She pulled her hood over her head and pulled up her lower face cover, "The fact of the matter is, I'm losing patience with the dragon hunters. They've caused us so much pain, its time one of us actually did something." Heather said with a soft growl in her voice, being no stranger to pressing the boundaries.

Tags: Hiccup

[Hiccup]

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for @tag

"Hiccup" - "Toothless"

A PERFECTLY CONSTRUCTED ALIBI

Hiccup let out a soft sigh through his nose, shaking his head, "I wouldn't expect you to Heather." He knew as well as she knew that they would always do what they would do, because that's how his family worked, that's how they all worked, they were stubborn and foolhardy and crazy, it was what made the Haddocks as fearsome a family as they were, "I don't want you to be or do any different from what you are, Heather. I don't want to change you...It's just..."

He trailed off when she began to speak, and his own tired gaze hardened a little, Toothless could sense the tenseness in his rider's body and looked at him with a worried expression, Hiccup's voice was more forceful, "you have no idea what you're getting into, the danger you're putting Berk into toying with them." He stepped towards her, the limp visible as Toothless came closer for Hiccup to lean against him, "I'm trying to handle this without starting a war with both Viggo and the Outcasts...You don't know them Heather...You don't know Noxaura..." His eyes shadowed over with a haunted look as he remembered the things she'd done to him, down in that cell, "they're allied Heather, and if you push one wrong Berk is fucked."

The words were growled, forceful, "I'm not being a coward, I want to fight and claw as much as you do...But we can't do that." He sounded desperate to have her listen for once, desperate and tired, but there was a sharp anger at the implications, "don't you dare imply that you're the only one willing to act, Heather, you're walking dangerous grounds that you know nothing about." He gestured wildly with his hands, "but fine! Go fight them! See where that gets you, see where that gets Berk." He narrowed his good eye, "you apparently know better than everyone else, you have all the answers, you're the only one willing to risk everything, we're all just cowards right Heather?!" He was breathing harder now, a hard glare in his eyes, "you're going to get yourself killed, you're going to get a lot of people killed." He turned his back to her, looking back, "but if that's worth it to you, then by all means..."

x

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Heather looked down at her brother, watching his look change so quickly despite his tiredness. But the more he spoke the more Heather could find some merit to what he was saying. The Berserkers were no longer the only ones she had to be concerned with, not like they use to. And she couldn’t just simply drop everything and take off like she often did. No, not since that first day she came back to Berk in two years since leaving and it was beginning to sink in more than ever before just how much Berk was now part of her life and Windshear’s.

But, what really got her was the fact the Outcasts were allied with Viggo, making her hands tighten on the metal bars, her knuckles going white for a good minute before she released her grip. Thoughts now no longe Ron revenge she could be heard dropping from the saddle, coming up behind Hiccup and hugging him. She didn’t always hug others but this one was needed, somewhat right but she couldn’t stand to see family in such a state and could not argue with his words. “I wasn’t implying you’re a coward Hiccup, or anyone else. Not everyone is willing to push themselves to the limit like we are.” She told him, finally letting go and stepping back, “It is just...easier to take off, do what needs to be done without someone telling you no. But yes, I am willing to sacrifice my life. At this point, it would be better than dying by our enemies hands sitting idly.”

Was she going to do it still? Perhaps not. She knew that Hiccup and Toothless would eventually make sure she couldn’t. Though when she thought of his words it did give her a much different, less risky idea. “But maybe I can still mess with them, without needing to be too drastic.” She heard Windshear give a confused sound, the black haired woman turning and having a look as if she struck a vein of gold. “Don’t worry girl, it might not be our usual idea, but this could prevent total war.” Heather told her, Windsheae snorting softly and nuzzling her rider hoping she was right, giving a brief glance to her dragon brother, apology reflected in her green eyes as her rider’s had been.

“Hiccup, I may know a way. It may involve having to blast a hunter or two, but only if it’s bad. If we cannot do our usual then we can at least shorten their attempts of dragon trapping around here.” Heather told him.

Tags: Hiccup