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“No, I’m not gonna leave you!”
He held out his hand toward him. Viggo’s eyes quickly flickered to the extended arm, and in an instant had Hiccup’s hand in his.
“Hiccup,” He said in a gravelled voice, “you are more ruthless than you realize. I know you will defeat Krogan and Johann. Now go.”
He used his sword to point toward the doorway, their hands coming to separate. Hiccup then shook his head, coming to move to stand in Viggo’s way.
“You can’t face them again, another wound and you won’t make it.”
For a second flinching from how close he stood to the blade, and the object left in his hand still clutched in a fist. He knew that in this current situation he wasn’t thinking straight, and even though only a day earlier he considered this man an enemy, Hiccup had come to decide that he couldn’t leave him to die.
“If we wait any longer we’ll be cornered. I can distract them.”
“No. With four arrows- you can’t.” He said fiercely. “Come with me, Viggo. Toothless can get us out of here.”
“I stand little chance of-”
“At least in getting out of here I can still help you.”
Viggo took in a slow inhale through his nose. From the year in which they had been engaging one another he had come to learn about Hiccup. Once he was set in a decision he would not be persuaded. Apparently a trait he shared along with his father. He released a heavy breath, feeling an arrow tip shift in his skin.
“Fine.”
Toothless came running forward, and Hiccup wrapped Viggo’s arm over his shoulder, helping him climb aboard his best friend’s back before following. He could feel Viggo trying to keep steady breaths behind him.
“We gotta get out of here bud.”
“The Skrill.” Viggo ground out. “They could give us a distraction.”
The dragon had already overcome them, aware of the oncoming hostiles. Toothless ran out of the room, just as he heard the arriving men begin to nock their arrows. Viggo’s hand held his shoulder, but now his arm came to slide around Hiccup’s waist. He could hear Viggo’s breath beginning to slow.
“Try to stay awake Viggo, deep breaths, come on.”
There was a vague hum in response, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Viggo’s head struggling to stay upright. All of a sudden he jolted in the saddle, hearing the Skrill give a hair-raising screech. The tunnel then beginning to fill with a lightning blast. They took to the air, needing to gain distance before the lightning would affect them as well. He could feel the warmth of the blast approaching, seeing moonlight come up ahead.
“Toothless, the net!” Hiccup cried.
Viggo’s head rested on his shoulder as they breached the exit, seeing the net come to fall but missing its target. Before any of the men awaiting them outside could engage, Hiccup steered Toothless into a stark ascent to the sky. Using the hand still holding the game piece to hold Viggo’s arm to his waist so he wouldn’t slip. If they were intercepted anymore there may not be a chance to save him.
“Just get as far away as possible.” He told his dragon.
The island soon appeared as a gray dot in the distance, and Hiccup came to recognize the set of heads that came to join them.
“Uh H, you know that there’s arrows sticking out his back right?” Tuffnut asked.
“Yeah Tuff, I noticed.”
“So Viggo’s a traitor now?” Ruffnut piped up.
“Krogan and Johann tried to eliminate him. This is their second shot. Look,” He turned his head to them, “we need to get him to a healer. I need you to watch our backs. The Flyers might be coming after us.”
“You’re sure this is the right call? Saving him, I mean.” Her voice quieted as she finished.
Hiccup could still feel Viggo taking slow drawn-out breaths. His eyes were closed but it was a good sign that he still breathed.
“I wasn’t going to leave him behind to die.” He responded.
It had been an agonizing time for the day that followed. They had managed to come to an island where the tribe was welcoming and not hostile. The moment their healer had seen the arrows embedded in his back they were quick to assist Hiccup and gather others to take in Viggo. But they couldn’t give him a proper answer as to whether Viggo could be saved.
Four arrows lay inside. Judging by the location they hadn’t struck his spine, but they may have breached his ribs. Hiccup didn’t know just how severe the damage had been. If one arrow tip had sunk in deeper than the other. He didn’t now if it was possible to survive being struck by that many.
Once the sun had risen Hiccup told the twins to go back to the Edge and tell the others of what had happened. Alert them that he wouldn’t return until he’d seen what had come of Viggo. Only a while after the Skrill had come to find them, seeking out Viggo and coming to stay once Hiccup informed him of what had happened.
“How is he?” He swept upon the healer once they emerged from the hut.
“No more arrows inside, we managed to staunch the bleed.”
“And he’s okay?”
“There’s no telling if he’ll recover. There may be internal damage that we can’t mend. But we were at least able to give him an elixir to stave off infection.”
“What’s his condition now?”
“In a comatose state. There’s no telling if he’ll ever wake.”
“Thank you, I’m sure you did all that you could. I really appreciate yours and your people’s assistance for a pair of strangers. How can I repay you?”
They watched him questioningly. “You said you are from Berk?”
“Yes.”
“An island of dragon riders.” They mused. “I will have a discussion with our chief. You can go in to see your friend, if you’d like.”
Oh geez, his friend? Can he really be considered that? Well it would take too much to explain to them that they were previously enemies and that they had come from a temporary alliance... No, for now this title could hold. Viggo be an ally, in case he never awoke. Hiccup had only just placed his hand on the door handle, when he heard a voice call out his name. His friends had arrived.
“You’re sure this was the right thing?” Astrid asked as soon as she dismounted.
She had a frown on her face, and when she stood in front of Hiccup she crossed her arms.
“I’m not regretting this yet.”
“How is he?” Fishlegs looked at the door.
“Well he didn’t die while they tried to help him. Asleep for now, but he might not wake.”
“So what now?” Astrid said.
“We take him back to the Edge. Try to care for him there the best we can.”
“You can’t be serious.” She shook her head.
“Look, the plan might’ve gone wrong but he’s not an enemy anymore.”
“Heh, Hiccup he could just be tricking you all over again. And you want him on the Edge, with us?”
“We’ll take him to prison if he ever wakes right?” Snotlout gestured with a hand.
“I don’t know.” Hiccup said lowly.
“Why not?” He accused.
“Because I- I brought him to make sure he’d live. To do that, have him- look we’re taking him back and that’s it. I’ll figure out what to do if he wakes.”
He opened the door and went inside. Seeing the slumbering form of Viggo Grimborn. If he did come to wake, how would his and Hiccup’s relationship fare?