Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1
ALL ALONE
ᚨᛚᛚ ᚨᛚᛟᚾᛖ

“-a--, I’m scared…”

The words were echoing in his head, crystal clear, a faint echo following the high pitched voice of a little girl. The voice sounded so familiar it was making a dull pain blooming in his chest.
He knew it was not just a dream, it was memories. Anchored in his mind, as deep as sap in a tree. Every night, it was coming back to haunt him. Even if he was able to fight back the images, he could still perfectly see the little girl’s face, and the terror adorning it back then.

“I know, I know…” His own voice soothed, trying to reassure her despite his own fright.

A faint crackle sound echoed inside of his head, as if he was nothing but an empty cave where the sound was boucing on the walls and warping over and over again.

His eyes opened in a jolt and he quickly sat up, panting and sweating as if he had been running, a dull pain throbbing in the middle of his chest. He pressed his cold hands there, hoping to numb it. Slowly folding on himself, he started to rock his own body. Tears rolled down his cheeks while he was still fighting back the memories and catching his breath, but he knew it wouldn’t calm down soon enough.

In the middle of his turmoil, he still found solace. Since his voice was stuck in his tight throat, he hadn’t made any sound and had not disturbed the other persons liviing in the house.

Still hugging himself and focusing all his might to calm down his panting, he took a quick glance towards the window and noticed it was dawn. A soft pinkish glowing was spreading over the trees and lighting up the dirt path linking the farm to the rest of the village. Birds were chirping outside, sheep bleating, raindrops falling from the roof, in front of the window.

It had rained during the night, again. The teenage boy stared at the raindrops and took the time to count them, setting his breathing on this calm rythm. That’s what helped him to finally calm down.
He took one last deep breath before pushing away his blanket, dragging his lithe frame out of the bed’s warmth. He really was not impressive. His silhouette may look tall and slender, but it was only a trick of the eye : if his limbs looked long, it was because they were skinny. Bony, even. It was even more visible due to the long nightgown he was dressed in, too large for him. The sleeves were falling over his hands and were so large he could have easily fitted three arms inside. The collar had the tendancy to slip on his shoulders.

Resting his bare feet on the cold wooden floor, he let the chill run up to his knees and reverb along his back. It was nice for him, it helped him wake up properly. After yawning and stretching, he pulled off his nightgown and went to search for other clothes. Heading towards the chest in which he kept his belongings, he walked next to the mirror but averted his eyes from it.

Seeing his pale and bony frame from the corner of his eye was already too much for him, so he quickly rummaged in his clothes and put on the first ones he caught. The beige tunic was floating a bit but appart from that, it was fitting him. The bottom of the dark brown pants was ripped, making him sigh. He was convinced he had already sewed that back two days prior, unless it was other trousers ? He only had three, but they were identical, so it was easy to mistake them.

He decided to ignore this and instead ran his hands in his hair to brush them. He was only doing this for his personal comfort, since he would spend his day hiding them under a hood, like usual.
Once satisfied with his hair, he grabbed the brown cape hanging behind his door and quickly put it on, pulling the hood over his head, before stepping outside of his bedroom. The warm air in the corridor mugged him, instantly he started to sweat and felt the urge to leave the house. But before that, he had to face them.

He forced himself not to look at the closed door located in front of his own and headed to the old wooden stairs. The steps didn’t even creak under his poor weight, he climbed down and hoped to reach the living-room without being noticed, but he was.
There was a woman sitting in a rocking-chair next to the fireplace, knitting a new shawl. This one was white and seemed already half-finished. The woman had a slightly tanned skin, her ovale face and thin lips making her look soft and kind. She was humming a song while the fire was drawing reddish highlights on her chestnut short hair.

The teen remained still in front of the stairs, silently staring at her, marvelling at the small smile on her lips. It had been so long since he had seen her smile, and he had dearly missed it. But once she spotted him, the smile disappeared, and she blenched. Stopping her kniting, she tensed and became nervous, barely able to look at him.

“O-Oh, it’s you.” She stuttered, “You scared me. Do you need something ?”

The boy lowered his head and quickly averted his eyes. He knew it was unsettling for her to meet his eyes, but it was hard for him not to look at her. He missed the warmth of her hazel eyes, and the kindness of her gaze.

Instead of speaking, he replied with a shy nod of his head, saying ‘no’. From the corner of his eye, he saw the woman moving like she was about to get up, but she changed her mind and settled back in her chair, going back to knitting without a word. Footsteps could be heard from the other side, forcing the boy to hold his breath. He glanced to his right and saw a pair of dark boots stopping a few steps away from him.

“Everything’s alright, honey ?” A throaty voice asked.

“Of course, dear,” the woman replied with a much warmer voice.

“Hum,” was all the brown-haired man said back.

He nodded and looked back to the smaller hodded figure down the stairs. Both remained still, not looking directly at the other, tensed. The man was quite bulky, his brown shirt’s sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing toned and hairy forearms, foresaying all the work he was doing at the farm. He cleared his throat and made a gesture towards the front door.

“’You can go now. The sheep are in the pen, as usual you have to bring them back at sunset.”

The boy gave a large nod so he could be seen under his hood. He mentally thanked the piece of clothing to hide his face because he knew his eyes were puffy from crying in the night and the morning. His nose was itching as if he was going to tear up again.

Not giving himself time to shed any other tear, he rushed to the door, grabbing on his way the shepherd crook resting next to the door, along with the piece of bread left there for him. He was in such a hurry he didn’t took gloves nore shoes, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was leaving this house as soon as possible.

He let out a long sigh when the door closed behind him, but the tears were still blooming in his eyes. Once, this house had been just the best place in the world for him. But it was before the accident. Everything went down since then. Now, the only comfort the young teen could find was spending his days outside in the mountain, bringing the sheep to the grazing. Away from the village, away from those he once called his friends, away from those he once called his parents.

* * *

The wind was blowing softly over the moutain snow, carrying a crisp ocean breeze with it. The wind didn’t know boundaries nore limits. Despite the obstacles, it went on and raced endlessly, freely.
Wrapped up under his cape, squeezing the hood around his face and neck, the boy was staring at a few leaves soaring in the gale. He had stopped to watch them swirl, wondering how far the wind could carry them, wondering what it would feel like to float like this. He secretly wished to become one of these leaves so he could fly away, far away from his problems.

He came out of his reverie as he heard a sheep bleat next to him, so he quickly focused back on the herd he had to look after. Instinctively, he searched for each of them and counted them out. He would have troubles if he ever lost even one of them. When he reached fifteen, he sighed in relief. They were all there. Some had gone a bit farther, but they still were all gathered on the green path. No wonder, despite their whool, the sheep were pretty skittish and didn’t like spending too much time in the snow, unlike the boy.

He could walk barefeet in snow without being cold, without frostbites. His pale skin would only slightly turn blue but he would not feel the cold. It could be handy during winter, when he had to work at the farm despite the harsh cold.

The boy sat on a log so he could keep an eye on the herd, absentmindedly staring at the whoolen beasts and the landscape. The chilly mountain air always used to lift his spirits up, giving him the feeling he could escape from this life he had come to dread. Up there, he could imagine having another life, being another person.

Right in this moment, without evidence to say otherwise, he could imagine going back at night to a warm home, his parents smiling and hugging him, asking him how was his day and congratulating him for his hard work. He could imagine his little sister asking him to play with her or telling her a story by the fireplace. He could imagine the neighbours visiting and sharing diner with them. He could imagine his house filled with laughter and good mood…

“Hey, look ! That’s the White !”

The boy abruptedly came back to his senses as he heard this voice, and steps coming closer. He turned his head to spot a group of five teens slightly older than himself. Recognizing them, he worried.
It was Franc, the chief’s son, and his friends. The three boys and two girls were all bulky and strong despite their young age. One of them was working to prepare and become chief while the others trained hard so they could fight back invaders later on.

The hooded teen stood by reflex as they came closer, but even standing he remained shorter than four of them. Soon, they circled him.
“What are you doin’ here ?” Franc teased, “are you planning to trigger an avalanche upon the village ?”

The others snickered while the boy tensed. He wondered if it was a good idea to talk back to them, still he wanted to defend himself rather than let them accuse him.

“I’m keeping my father’s sheep.”

“Your father ? Ha ! You must be the only one left to still think you’re his son.”

When Franc nodded to the taller and bulkier guy of the group, said guy stepped in with a glare and grabbed the boy’s hood to pull it down, and reveal the unusual appearance that ruined his life. Unlike all the others who had tanned skin, hair going from dark chestnut to jet black and dark eyes, the boy was very pale, eyes blue like glacier and, above all, his hair was pure white, as if sculpted from snow.

As soon as his face was uncovered, the boy struggled and tried to replace his hood, but Franc blew his fist in his skinny belly, making him drop on his knees. The teens laughed at the display, making fun of his pain.

”You’re not a boy, you’re just a anomaly. You better have drowned in that pond with the brat !”

A sob escaped the boy, earning him nothing but more sneers.

“Oh, is the baby gonna cry ?”

“What a maggot, seriously.”

“Looser.”

“Huh… guys ?” A much shyer voice asked.

All the teens turned to the shorter girl of the group, and shyer one. She was nervously piking at her own fingers, her body trembling.

“Don’t you think we should leave him alone ? I mean…”

Hope sparked in the white-haired boy’s heart. Was he dreaming ? Was someone really still caring about him ?

He gritted his teeth while keeping his arms wrapped around his aching middle, trying to lift his head and look at the girl, but all his hopes died as he saw nothing but fear on her face.

“We could get in trouble,”she added, “he’s gonna curse us or something.”

“So what ? Are you scared ?” The taller snorted.

Her cheeks turned red with the comment as she clenched her fists. “What if I am ? You should be too ! I don’t want to wake up with frostbites or loosing a limb due to the cold ! What if all the village gets sick because of him ?! What if he unleashes a snowstorm on us ?! Have you thought about that ?!”

“She’s right, Franc,” the other girl hesitated.

“Pff. If you’re that scared, then leave. Bruno, you stay with me.”

The taller boy, Bruno, simply nodded before he turned back to the pale boy on the ground. The other three didn’t waste time to flee.

“Back to business, you Curse.”

Bruno snickered and kicked the boy in the ribs, stealing his breath away and paralyzing his whole body. The boy could have hoped his pain would have stopped the bullies, but that only prompted them to continue. Blow after blow fell upon the skinny boy, his ears ringing with the chief’s son laughter.

He couldn’t do anything but withstand it in silence. It was not the first time these teens came to beat him up, and it would certainly not be the last time. Among all the people feeding his bad reputation, Franc was one of the worst. If most of the village didn’t dare to go after him for fear of a curse, Franc was convinced they had to get rid of him as soon as possible. If the white-haired boy was allowed to stay, it was only because the actual chief was afraid of a curse too.

But the boy was not happy to stay. What’s the point in being allowed to stay if it was to be shunned and cast away ? Everyone was giving him looks, if they dared looking at him at all. He was blamed for evry incident at the village, even those he had no power upon. The milk spoiled ? It’s because the White came too close to the cows. Someone got sick ? The White touched them. A fox broke into the hen and killed all the chicken ? The White wanted revenge from the owners. He had even been blamed for the snowstorm which struck the village and destroyed half of it.

Even his own parents couldn’t look at him in the eye nore treat him as a son anymore. Barely as a human, more like a creature they were afraid of. And the worst part of it all was his name. He had had a name, before, given by loving parents. But it had fallen into oblivion since the accident that turned him into… this. Now, he was only called with these horrid nicknames. The Anomaly, the White, the Cursed. White the Cursed.

All that because he had not drowned in the pond with his little sister, that day. Both children had been playing on the frozen body of water, ice-skating, until the ice cracked. The boy had tried to save his sister, bring her back towards the shore where she would have been safe, but the ice had not handled both their weight, and both had fallen in. In the midst of winter, the water was that cold people didn’t have the time to drown, because they were freezing to death first.

The boy remembered clearly the feeling of cold bitting and eating his skin, his body, his lungs. He remembered the feeling of dying. It was haunting him at night, dreadful nightmares bringing him back in dark waters, next to the lifeless body of the one he had most cherished in his life. The one he had vowed to protect… and failed.

Maybe this was why he had survived, why his chestnut hair had turned snow white, his chocolate brown eyes turned ice blue, why his body became as cold as if he was hypothermic.
Maybe the villagers were right, after all ? Maybe he did was cursed ? Maybe it was his punishment for not saving his little sister ?

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

SHAME OF THE TOWN

ᛋᚺᚨᛗᛖ ᛟᚠ ᚦᛖ ᛏᛟᚹᚾ

“”

The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon but there was still enough light to see where to go when the boy brought back the sheep herd to the farm. Like every day, he had counted them before leaving the mountain, and did so again as they entered the pen. After making sure he had not lost a single one of them, he went back to the house.

He was planning to do like every day : leaving the shepherd crook by the door, picking up the plate waiting for him on the floor by the stairs and rush to lock himself in his bedroom before he could come across one of the persons he used to call parents. He hoped not to see Jonathan, or else he would be forced to talk to him, telling him everything went fine with the herd. He knew how much the farmer and woodcutter hated hearing his voice. If he was fast enough, they would barely have time to notice his return before he reached his bedroom.

It was his plan, at least, but it didn’t go as planned. Indeed, as he approched the front door, he heard voices from inside. Three voices. He recognized Jonathan, Mary and… Niel, the town's mayor. His heart shrunk and his shoulders tensed in worry. Had Franc said something to his father ? Wasn’t it enough for him to beat up the white-haired boy, he had to tell lies to his father too ?

Anxious, the boy debated if entering the house was a good idea, so he took the risk to eavedrop them, tring and figuring out why the mayor was there.

“I’m counting on you, they must not see him,” said man stressed.

“Don’t worry, sir,” Jonathan assured. “He’ll spend the day in the mountains with the sheep, like usual. No one will know he’s even here.”

“This commercial visits from Burgess are extremely important for our village. It’s thank to them we can procure the tools and food we need to survive winter. Without these exchanges… I can’t take the risk, who knows how they’d react if they see him.”

“I understand, I–”

“Then find something, Jonathan. Anything. Lock him in, if necessary.”

“There’ll be consequences if I do…”

“Make him stay home, then–”

“No !” Mary shouted.

The loud crashing of a plate on the floor echoed in the house, her outburst followed by an ominous silence. On the other side of the front door, the boy felt his heart break just like the plate, hearing his mother object so vehemently to his sole presence in the house for one day. She really hated him now, huh ?

“There’s no way I’m staying in the same room as him !” she insisted, her voice laced with a despair the boy had never heard before.

“Mary, I understand it must be hard on you and your husband but–”

“No, sir. With all due respect, you don’t. You’re not the one who lost your children. You’re not the one who has to face this demon. Every. Single. Day. You’re not the one who, when you see him, don’t remember right away he’s not your son. Every time, he tricks me. Every time, during the first seconds, I see my boy, I think he’s still there, as well as Emma… Then I see this cold gaze and I remember it’s not him, it’s nothing but a monster tourmenting me ! And his voice… Oh God, his voice…”

She trailed off as the sobs overcame her voice, stinging the eyes of the boy outside. He pressed a hand to his mouth to try and hold back the sounds. So that was what she was thinking of him ? He had hoped she was only troubled by grief and uneased in his presence. He had hoped that, beyond the grief of Emma, she was still seeing him as her son and that, with time, she would come back around to him and get used to what he had become. He had been wrong. So wrong. She was just like the others. Why had he been hoping, exactly ? It was obvious no one was ever going to accept him.

Refusing to listen to anything more they had to say, sniffing and wiping his face, he pushed the door open. As expected, everyone went silent once the door started to creak. He closed it slowly and rested the crook against the wall, then rushed to the stairs. He only picked the plate by mecanism.

Without even glancing at the people in the living-room, he climbed the stairs by two and locked himself in his room, slaming the door behind him. Once safe in the small room, he rested his head against the door and bit his lips, holding his breath, trying to hold back the tears. Sobs were tightening in his throat, burning it, until salted water pearls started to roll down his cheeks.

Then the flood gates opened. Dropping himself against the door until he was sitting to the ground, his plate left untouched as he folded onto himself, brow on his knees, arms wrapped around himself tightly. Once again, he cried his heart out while trying all his might not to make any sound. The wooden floor around him started to get covered with silvery, sparkling frost patterns, but he couldn't care less.

That night, like many others, the boy didn’t eat anything and cried himself to sleep on the floor. Somehow, he dreaded the following day even more than usual.

* * *

The next day started with the same routine he had gotten used to since the accident. Getting up and dressed in silence, avoiding his reflection in the mirror, nipping at the diner he didn't touch the previous evening, hiding his hair and face before leaving the room, going downstairs trying not to disturb Mary, waiting for Jonathan to get the permission to go to work…

Except that, when he reached the bottom of the stairs, he found the dark-haired man waiting there for him. The boy stopped in the middle of the steps, his head hanging lower to make sure his face was not visible. He didn’t dare to speak and simply waited for instructions.

“There’s a change of plans, today,” Jonathan said, his voice devoid of any emotions, as if he was afraid to show any tot he being he clearly didn't recognize as his son. ''You won’t be taking the sheep to the pasture. Instead, you’re going to pick firefern in the forest.''

The boy froze. He could understand why Jonathan was sending him in the forest instead of the moutain - Mayor Niel’s visit on the previous evening was clear enough. The village was having business visitors from Burgess, the neighbour city, and wanted to make a good impression by making sure the ‘ice demon’ was hidden. What better place to do so than the heart of the forest, then, where no one dared to go except for hunting parties. However, from all the excuses Jonathan could have used to send him there, he had to pick the firefern. This medicinal plant was only growing by elm trees, and the only place within the woods to find some… was near the pond. The pond. The young teen started to shake from head to toes.

“N-Not there, please…” He whisper-begged, his voice as shaky as his shoulders.

His eyes were already stinging from unshed tears - that he desperately held back - but that only made Jonathan angry. He was always getting angry when the boy was expressing emotions.

“Don’t play that game with me, demon ! I don’t know why you’re doing this, but I won’t be fooled ! I know you’re not my boy, and monsters like you are unable to feel anything, so stop playing already and be gone !”

The boy flinched and quickly obeyed before he could shed tears in front of the man who used to be his father. He didn’t dare imagine what Jonathan would do if he really happened to cry in front of him, or even worst : if he happened to manifest the strange powers he had developed after the accident. The couple and the village were already scared enough, he couldn’t afford proving them he actually had influence over snow and ice. They would certainly try and kill him for that, burn him to the pyre like a witch.

Rushing past the tall man and bumping the door open, he ran away towards the forest. He ran as fast as possible so he could get as far away from this place that used to be so warm and comforting but had become so cold and distant. Tears kept rolling down his face, drawing silver spirals of frost where they landed on the ground.

He went deeper into the woods without looking where he was heading, and ended up slowing down until complete halt. Catching up his breath while still trying to sooth down his sobs. Adjusting his hood on his head, he kept his pale hands on the collar, tightening it around his neck, trying to find some comfort in it.

He didn’t want to go anywhere near the pond. He didn’t want to go back to this cursed place, full of dreadful memories and tragedy. Why had Jonathan sent him there ? Was he trying to punish him even more ?

He came out of his thoughts and turmoil as he slipped on moss. Barely catching himself on the nearest tree to avoid falling, and remained there. Fingers digging into the bark and panting, he broke down in tears. That far from the farm, the people he used to call parents couldn’t hear him, and he was sure no one was there in the woods, especially if having visitors from Burgess. Everyone surely was too busy preparing the village.

The boy remembered the last visit of the merchants. It was rare for them to come to the village, usually it was villagers going to the city. It was five years prior. He had helped for the preparations, back then. Cleaning the streets, push the ploughs from the walking path, adorning the wooden houses with flowers and other decorations to make them look finer than they were… Everything was in appearances, every time. Back then, the boy hadn’t paid attention to it, but now that he was part of the things that had to be hidden… he couldn’t unsee it. Especially now that he was the first thing to hide.

On one hand, he could understand : who knew how their neighbours would react seeing him ? They could declare war to the village for witchcraft. On the other hand, it was painful. Being rejected by everyone, by his own family, it was unfair.

The boy startled as a bunny hoped next to him but quickly turned around to run away. A part of his mind tried to convince him it was just the bunny’s instincts towards humans in general, that it would have reacted the same way with anyone else, but it was hard to believe it completely. Sighing and wiping his face with his sleeve, he got back to his feet. Glancing to the sky, he tried to estimate how much time had already elapsed.

The sky was blue, devoided of any cloud, the sun was bright without being blinding. He had already lost a few hours, but there were still time before noon. The boy took a deep breath in try to gather his courage.

He really didn’t want to head to the pond, he also knew it was only an excuse to keep him away from the village, still he would get in trouble if he came back to the farm empty-handed. Jonathan only beat him once in his life, when a prank of his had turned bad and ended up burning a stock a food. It had only happened once, but the memory was carved in him. Granted the man had not dared hit him since the accident, but the boy didn’t want to risk it. Maybe the man would not dare to hit him, but he would certainly find other ways to punish him : like locking him in or even out for the night, starve him... Not that it would make such a different, it wouldn't be worst than being ignored and denied his own identity.

However the boy had left in such a rush he had not taken any basket or anything to pick the plants. There was no way he was going back to get some, so he had to make a new one. Resigned, he dragged his feet into a quest for long and solid herbs. He could pick and braid it without any tools, and there was plenty of it in the woods. Finding a glade of long grass didn’t take a lot of time, picking it neither, but making the basket did. It kept him busy for hours.

Soon, his stomach started to grumble and reminded him he only had a meek breakfast and hadn’t bring anything for lunch. The troubled boy decided to ignore his insisting hunger and this cramp in his stomach, he wanted to finish the basket first. That’s only then he started to search for berries or nuts. Without tools, he would only dream of hunting or fishing and didn’t have the time to build something else, it was taking even longer than a simple basket.

When he finally found a bush full of eatable berries, he took his time to munch them, trying to convince his brain he was eating more heartily. He still knew it was not enough and he would still be hungry after finishing the last one. All the same, he went to work. The berries would have to do.

His grasp on the handle was tightening increasingly, turning his knuckles white and starting to distort the handle. The grass was too fragile for this kind of nervous use. The more he was nearing the pond, the more he doubted the basket would survive. The more he doubted himself would survive. His throat was tightening, making gulping as well as breathing difficult. His chest was getting heavier, to the extend another cramp hit him in the sternum. His hands were sweating as he started to shake.

He hoped he would find elms before he reached the pond, he chanted this prayer again and again while fighting back the memories trying to submerge him. Finally finding the trees he was looking for, he almost collapsed from relief, and even more as he saw the long reddish serrated plants at its bottom. The pond was still at a comfortable distance, he was saved… well, hoping he would pick enough fern so he didn’t have to come closer.

He started his harvest by searching for the largest elm leaf he could find. The firefern was an efficient cure for several diseases, especially flue and hypothermia, but as long as it was not peeled and boiled, it was toxic. If someone was to touch it with bare hands, their skin would turn red and swollen. The easiest and quicker way to avoid that was to use elm leaf as to not touch the fern.

The young boy gathered several of these reddish plants and made sure to pile elm leafs inbetween them inside the basket as protection. He didn’t know how much he was supposed to bring back, he just knew he didn’t want to face Jonathan’s wrath, so he gave himself the goal to entirely fill his basket, which was an appreciable size. He just wished he would find enough elms without having to come closer to the pond.

Going back to that glade was the last thing he wanted. He had not returned there since the accident because he was too scared. Scared of the memories, scared to find in the water some evidence of what had happened that fateful day. But most of all, he was afraid he would see ghosts there. Either of his little sister… or of himself.

Truthfully, what was really scaring him was to find a proof confirming what everyone was saying out loud. A proof that he was not himself anymore, but a demon which had possessed the dead corpse of a boy. As he slowly made his way towards the pond, his fears turned real as he heard laughter.

It was coming from the pond, undoubtedly. What kind of sorcery was that ? No one dared coming there since the accident, people were saying it was the demon’s den and that it would possess whoever ventured too close.

Fearing someone else could undergo the same curse as him, he forgot his fears and quickly ran to the glade. The more he was nearing, the more he could discern the voices. There was two of them, maybe three. It sounded young and girly but older than him.

He stopped dead in his tracks at the tree line, frozen by the sight. Just seeing the pond flooded him with sensations he had wished to forget. He could almost feel the biting cold on his skin and inside of his lungs. He could almost hear his sister screaming his name, along with splashing water engulfing both of them.

He blinked and, all of a sudden, the gruesome sight of two chestnut-haired kids ice-skating got replaced by something completely different. The pond was no longer frozen, a warm authumn sun bathing the whole area, and there was not two, but three persons playing in the water, splashing each other. The boy couldn’t believe his eyes, he found himself unable to move, and all he could do was watch them, gaping.

The young ladies were all dressed in humble clothes, long dresses with aprons. Their hair was braided, as the last Burgess fashion. Their colorful dresses proved they were from the city, not the nameless village in the woods. It explained why they weren’t afraid of the pond, because they didn’t know what had happened there. The village had kept the secret.

The three young women, who seemed to be friends instead of sisters according to their lack of physical similarities, were splashing each other and laughing, playing water war. It was very joyful and warm, the complete opposite of what the pond was making the boy feel. The laughter, the high-pitched squeaks and splashing sounds were echoing in the glade, and ended up getting mixed with those still remaining in the boy’s memories.

“ _a_, you’re too fast ! Ha ha !”

“Try an’ catch me, come on !”

“Wait for me !”

“C’mon, slow poke ! Winner gets looser’s dessert !”

“Oh you're so on ! I'm gonna win this !”

Pain bloomed in the boy’s chest, but it also was filled with a soothing warmth he had not known for months and months. Years, actually. Since the accident. For a moment, he swore he had just been brought back then, before that tragedy. He could almost feel his little sister’s hand in his, pulling his arm to drag him towards the pond they used to play at all over the year. The faintest of smiles pulled at his pale lips, but it vanished as he heard a shout.

He blenched as he noticed the young ladies had stopped playing. Another woman was standing by the shore, screaming at them and waving at them frantically, “Get out of this pond, you fools ! Get away from the water, you shouldn’t even be here !”

“We were just playing. We’re not doing anything wrong.”

''Get out before it’s too late !”

The three eyed each other quizzically before stepping out of the water, trying to dry off their skirts. Once they reached back the shore, they gathered their shoes, hats and satchels before joining the woman. She checked them for injuries, almost like a mother would do, but it was obvious she was not related to them. The white-haired boy recognized her as a villager. She was the baker, Ludivine.

“How oblivious are you, exactly ? Don’t you know this place is cursed ?” Ludivine chastised the oblivious young women.

“Cursed ?”

“Two kids died here, no one must go back near this place. You girls are extremely lucky ! Now hurry up and go back home ! Luckily he wouldn’t know you came.”

“Who’s ‘he’ ?”

Ludivine didn’t answer and pushed them towards the trek. The boy hidden by the treeline watched from afar, disappointed their joy had left this ominous place. Complains and grunts followed their departure, wondering what was wrong with that woman, talking about Ludivine. The boy had the answer. What was wrong with her was what was wrong with everyone else in the village : fear. Though he understood that fear, because he was feeling it too. He didn’t know either what had came out from the pond, that night.

As the young ladies left, taking their lively vibes with them, silence crept back, gloomy and oppressive, forcing the boy to leave too. He still had firefern to pick after all, still his attention got caught by the pond as he saw something move. A soft gale had just blown and lifted a piece of paper which was now swirling above the grass, towards the water.

Only by reflex did the boy rushed to catch it before it could get drenched. The three young ladies must have lost it in their hasted departure. He wondered if it was safe to follow them to give it back to them, but the idea vanished as he looked down at the paper. It was an advertisement, and the message on it piqued his curiosity. A travelling circus had stopped by Burgess for three evenings of performance. Some of the acts were listed to attract customers. There was pyrotechnics, stunts, knife throwing… and dragons.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

THE TRAVELLING CIRCUS

ᚦᛖ ᛏᚱᚨᚹᛖᛚᛚᛜ ᚲᛁᚱᚲᚢᛋ

He was feeling bad. He was feeling really bad. He had not known such guilt in years, but still it was drowned under the thrill of adventure, prohibition, and this surge of freedom.

He had kept the circus ad on him and had waited to go back to the farm in the evening so he could think it over.The village wanted to keep the secret of what had happened to the pond, they didn’t want rumors to spread about a curse or the ‘ice demon’. So going to see the circus was risky, and dangerous. Then why did he want this so bad ? To commit the forbidden ? In try to escape, if just for one night, this cold and hostile mood he had been living through since the accident ? Or simply just for fun, to prove himself he was still alive ?

He didn’t know why exactly, only that he had taken the risk. And here he was in the forest, at the beginning of the night, walking the path heading from his village to Burgess. He was wearing the same outfit as usual, the same pants ripped at the bottom, the same strippes around the calves to try and keep the pants in place, the same a-bit-too-large shirt, the same hooded cape to hide his face. But what was making him feel so guilty was the handful of coins he had stolen from Jonathan, along with the dye for clothes he had taken from Mary’s belongings in try to make his hair look a natural color.

He was afraid of the following day. He was afraid Jonathan would notice the missing coins – if the boy managed to not spend everything at the circus – and he was afraid the dye would not wash off. This brownish color had turned his hair almost back to their original color, and he knew looking that much like their supposedly-deceased son was not going to please the couple. He was fearing a violent reaction from Jonathan, and he didn’t want to see Mary’s heartbreak. It was because he was scared out of his mind of the following day, that he decided to fully enjoy this night.

When he was younger, on several occasion he had accompanied his mother to the city, so he knew where to head, even if the forest was dark and gloomy by night. It didn’t took long for him to cross it and follow the city’s lights, however he didn’t need to enter it as he saw people leaving it to follow another path to the woods. A distant music was playing, and other lights piercing through the trees. It had to be the circus.

A large smile spread on the boy’s pale face, before he swiftly followed a five-person family on the path. The kids seemed to be roughtly ten to twelve years old, except for the younger who was six at most. He felt his heart sink as he compared the excited giggle of the girl to Emma’s own laughter. She also had the same way of pulling her mother’s hand in try to go on an adventure.

The boy lowered his head and slowed down his steps so he could put some distance between this family and him, hoping that would be enough to sooth his nostalgia. His thoughts roamed so much he ended up loosing the group. He sighed and told himself it was no big deal, he didn’t need them to find his way to the circus. He just had to follow the lights.

So he kept on walking the path, slowly growing back to enthusiasm and thrill as the music was getting louder. Soon, two tall torches came into view, marking the entrance of the circus judging by the signs they were lighting up. His smile came back to life and he quickened his steps to enter, but someone stepped in to block him.

The young woman, who seemed in her early twenties, was not much impressive. Granted she was taller than the boy, but she was not very large. Okay, she was clearly larger than the skinny boy, but she was far from bulky. Her long braided blond hair reeked fish oil and her smirk didn’t seem a good omen.

“Hi kiddo, you seem young for a circus like this. We don’t do child price.”

The pale boy felt a bit relieved this woman could be part of the circus troup, for a second he had thought she just wanted to mug him or extort money from him. Still he didn’t like her last statement. He knew he had juvenile traits that made him look younger than he was, but still he was seventeen. He was not a child anymore. By the way, he would turn eighteen in a couple of months, even if he knew noone at the village would throw a party for his birthday. His parents would light up a candle but it would only be to honour their dead son. Ignoring the stinging pain these thoughts was waking up, he clenched his fists and focused back on the present.

“I’m not a child,” he muttered.

“Good,” the blonde snickered as she presented him a jar full of coins. “If you insist, kid, it’s four copper per entry.”

“Oh, the entry… Of course…”

“If you don’t have money–”

“I do, I do.”

He rummaged under his cape in search for his purse. The blonde eyed him, blased, and even forced a yawn to rush him. After finding and counting the coins, the boy felt bad as he realised he didn’t have enough. Among those he had taken from Jonathan, there were only three coppers, and as much silvers.

“Huh… Do you have change ?”

The blonde lifted an eyebrow and just shook the jar in reply.

“I don’t, silver will do.”

“But you just said it was four coppers per entry, one silver is worth ten ! You have enough change in this pot to–”

“I know.”

It was hard to imagine one word would contain so much meaning, but this woman managed to. In just one word, she made it clear she had enough money to give change, but was not willing to do it.Her smirk widened and the boy realised that, despite working for the circus, she was still aiming to extort money from him. He rolled his eyes. Well, at least there was less chance Jonathan would notice one missing coin – even silver – than four. The worst part was that he knew his father would have gladly given them to Emma and him so they could see the circus. But that time was done.

So he gave in and dropped the coin in the jar. The blonde snickered and stepped aside, mimicking a bow.

“Have fun, kiddo.”

He barely managed to bit back a curse. After all, he had came to have fun, not troubles. So he decided to forget this mishappen and took a deep breath before making his way to the tall tent where cheers and applauses could be heard. The show was starting, visibly, he could only hope not having missed much.

He ran as fast as he could to reach the tent at the end of the path, surrounded by torches and lantherns which seemed to mystify it in the night. He entered and spotted the crowd surrounding what lookd like a circle traced in the dirt. Logs had been cut and placed all around it in rows, used as seat by the sparse audience. By the other side of the circle were hanging reddish curtains, certainly leading to the backstage.

A woman was standing in the middle of the circle, speaking loud and clear to greet the public.

“Welcome tot he Hooligan Circus ! Welcome all to the most amazing night of all your life !”

The boy didn’t wait longer and swiflty made his way so he could find a seat as close as possible. The first row was complete, so he resigned on second row but tried to find a place behind someone shorter than him so he could see the show. When he finally settled behind a couple in which the man was a head taller than him – it was the least bad place he could find – he leant a bit on the side to look at the speeching woman, and marvelled at her appearance.

She was tall and slim, elegant, and her face was radiant despite a few wrinkles and greyish hair adorning her dark-auburn braids. The braids were uneven but still beautiful, and so long they were hanging behind her back, falling down to her knees.

Her clothes were humble but different from the ones that could be found at Burgess. It was made of leather, green whool and a dark fur was wrapped around her right shoulder and her waist, kept in place by a belt with celtic patterns. Her pale skin was clearly not used to the sun and gave her some noble and delicate flaw. As her eyes, it was filled with kindness but authority at the same time.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with greatest pleasure that we present you our artists tonight. Starting with Snotlout, the strongest man of the world !”

“Snotlout, Snotlout ! Oi, oi, oi !” A man chanted as he pushed through the curtains.

The hooded boy watched him in amazement. The dark-haired man didn’t seem tall, he barely reached the woman’s shoulders, but he was nothing if muscular. The thickness of his arms and the widst of his shoulders were living up to the title. He took a few minutes to stroll around the stage, showing off his muscles and basking in the public’s praises. He seemed a bit full of himelf and really enjoyed the cheers, to the extend the woman had to discreetly prompt him to start his act.

The young boy got impressed more than once, especially when the man broke a log with his bare hands. He ended his act by carrying the ringmistress on his shoulder, lifting her as if she was a feather. She seemed amused while he was roaring this praise he seemed to want the public to chant. The boy joined in the other spectators, clapping and chanting and cheering.

“Snotlout, Snotlout, oi, oi, oi !”

The bulky man flexed his arm and kissed his biceps before winking to a group a young women swooning at him, then he disappeared behind the curtains.

“Now presenting Astrid and Eret, our talented knife throwers ! Beware their perfect aim !”

Two people entered the stage. The woman had thin arms but they were sculpted like stone, her rounded face was graceful but threathening with her scowl and piercing eyes. Mid-long blond hair was hanging in a braid on her back. The man was tall and large, he had a lot of muscles but it was obvious Snotlout had more (judging by their height). His tan skin, jet black hair and darker eyes proved he was not coming from the same region than the others, and certainly not from Burgess.

The boy then wondered where this circus was traveling to, how many places they had visited, if they had already explored the whole world or were wanting to. This kind of life had to be wonderful, always on the go, noone to tell you how you have to behave, noone to know your past or be afraid of a supposed curse… He was so deep in thoughts and daydreaming he missed the two firsts throw of knifes. He could only see the result. The man had placed himself in front of a wood-board painted with a target, a knife was jabbed next to his left ear while the second one had stabbed an apple balanced on his right shoulder.

The young blonde woman, Astrid, threw three other knives scaringly close to her teamate, including one in-between his legs, before they exchanged their spots. The following throws were as impressive, stabbing violently the wood, so close to the woman it was a miracle she had not been scratched in the process. It was dangerous, but no accident occured. It was obvious they mastered this art. Torrent of applauses and cheers filled the tent when the two performers bowed and left.

Other shows followed, there was a redhead man juggling with flaming hoops, a raven-haired woman dancing with a long inflamed staff, making it twirl around her. The spectators were halfway between hysteria and wonder when the ringmistress came back to the stage to present the following act.

“Thank you so much for this warm welcome, dear public. We have one last performance to present to you, but I would rather warn you first. This one is dangerous and will require your participation. It is important you stay afar and avoid any sudden movement.”

Some whispers began in the crowd around the boy, he heard a few words and understood people were excited about this show. The couple in front of him was almost writhing in anticipation. The ringmistress opened up her arms wide and smiled.

“And now, please welcome our dragon tamer, Horrendous !”

The boy held his breath without his control. It was the dragons’ turn, he couldn’t believe it. Actually, he couldn’t believe he would see real, living, flesh and bones dragons. He had always thought they were just legends, even if many stories were talking about them, some of them pretending a lot of them were living in the northern territories. While the circus’ ad was clearly mentioning dragons, the boy had expected it to be creatures looking like dragons, not real dragons.

When the curtains opened up to reveal another performer, the man surprisingly wasn’t living to the title of dragon tamer.Like the other performers, he seemed to be in his early twenties. One could say it would take someone as tall as Eret and as strong as Snotlout to tame a fire-breathing, flying creature, but the young man who had just stepped in was nothing like this.

He was tall, not as much as Eret, but still, but he was more like the lanky type. Still, looking closely, his frame was athletic and strong enough to make a skinny boy like the white-haired one, jealous.The tamer’s unruly hair made him look rebelious, the torches shining in his auburn hair. His face was dotted with an impressive among of freckles, and his eyes looked a lot like the ringmistress’. Actually, his whole face did. The hooded boy could have wonder if they were related, if only he was not gaping at this young man. His heart had strangely started to bounce and beat faster, as if he had run without moving.

When the dragon tamer started to speak, his voice surprisingly soft but still clear, a bit nasally, he instantly caught the public’s attention.

“Welcome all ! The following act is extremely dangerous, it can even cost lives, so I’m asking you to not try and reproduce it ! The gods gifted me with this gift, and I have practiced for years. Now, please keep in mind our ringmistress’ warnings : keep your distance, stay calm, no sudden moves and no loud noises.”

Then the dragon tamer starter his show, and the young boy didn’t loose a second of it. The curtains opened up wider and a cage came in, pushed by Eret, Snotlout and Astrid. The three seemed barely strong enough for the weight of what was hidden inside the veiled cage. When the device found its place next to the tamer, he pulled at the slightly smoking fabric and unveiled the creature.

The cage seemed a bit small for such a huge beast, bumping its sides against the bars while roaring and grunting. All the spectators could really see of it was its huge size, red scales adorning black stripes, and two big ember eyes. The beast wiggled, bumping so hard the cage nearly toppled over. Horrendous waited for it to tire itself before cautiously stepping closer, lifting a hand and presenting his palm.

“It’s okay,” he said, his voice so soft the hooded boy felt like melting.

He wondered how it was possible to have such kindness and compassion in one’s voice, and adressing it to a creature that seemed that wild and ferocious. Although… looking closely at the dragon, the boy thought he could see another kind of behavior than fury and barbary. He saw something more like discomfort and a bit of fear. Though that fear disappeared from the yellow eyes as they landed on the tamer’s opened hand, now that close to the cage the dragon could have easily biten it off if he had wanted to.

Much to the public’s astonishment, the dragon and the tamer stared at each other, then the beast lowered its head, closing its eyes, allowing the young man to rest his hand on its snout. A common gasp echoed among the crowd, all captivated in a mixture of horror and wonder as the tamer opened up the cage.

He freed the beast, which stepped calmly out of it, following the hand still resting on its snout. Once fully out of the cage, unveiling its huge stature – giant in length, width and wingspan – Horrendous lowered his hand, guiding the creature to lay on the ground, where it remained obediently. The way the beast dropped its head almost looked like it was blased.

Horrendous then flashed a smile and allowed the crowd to applause lowly, calmly enough not to scare the beast. And the show was not over, because the tamer climbed on the dragon’s back and made it took off. They swirled above the crowd, taking use of the tent’s height, before landing back at the stage, where the cage was being put away behind the curtains. By the end of the show, Horrendous even made the dragon bow, the beast seemed to enjoy the praising cheers following.

Then, all of a sudden, Horrendous flashed the brightest smile and asked with a lot of enthusiasm :

“Now who wants to pet a dragon ?”

Instantly, the public fell silent and froze in fright. Everything was soundless and unmoving, save from a young hooded boy who lifted his hand without the slightest hesitation, almost bouncing on his seat.

“Oh, me ! Me !”

However his smile vanished as he noticed everyone had turned to him, wide eyed and shocked. He tensed and shrunk on himself, checking his hood by reflex as he worried someone had seen his unusual hair. Until he reminded himself he had dyed it in brownish chestnut. When he met the astonished gaze of the tamer, he realised this reaction was not due to his unusual-but-still-hidden appearance, but to him volunteering with such excitement. Where everyone was reluctant and scared, he had almost begged to volunteer. It was a shock for the crowd, and a pleasant surprise for Horrendous judging by his smile. It looked like he was expecting nobody to want and come near the dragon.

“Come on here, then,” the tamer claimed. “Let’s see if you’re still that brave up close to the beast.”

His tone was full of teasing, still his smile was saying how pleased he actually was. The boy felt his heart skip a beat and didn’t wait to join the stage. However, he suddenly felt nervous as he found himself in front of Horrendous. Granted the young man was lanky and seemed thin from afar, but up close it was clear he was working out. More than the boy had suspected at first. Up close, the boy could see his forest green eyes sparkling, along with constellations of freckles dotting his sunkissed cheeks and nose.

The auburnet was taller than him, to the point the ice blue eyes were aligned to a pair of thin lips surrounding slightly crooked teeth. Above all, the boy was so close he could smell the tamer’s scent. It was peculiar, Horrendous was infused with the smell of pines, of fresh leather, and some smoked smell that surely came from the dragons. Mixed with the warmth coming from the tamer’s body, this smell made the boy a bit dizzy and tainted his face with a light blush, though he tried to keep his composure.

Horrendous seemed completely oblivious of it and gave him a welcoming smile, extending his hand for a shake.

“What’s your name, kid ?”

Once more, the boy winced at being called like that, so he frowned a bit as he shook this hand, and marvelled at how warm it felt compared to his.

“I’m Jack.”

His own answer stunned him. It had been so long he had not heard his name, it had fallen into oblivion after the accident and had been replaced by so many mean names, but still it had came out of his mouth effortlessly, as if he had never forgotten it. The name seemed to come back from the dead, spreading an odd warmth in his chest. He tried his best to hide these inner thoughts and stay focused. He didn’t want to attract attention by reacting this weirdly to his own name. So he squinted his eyes and smirked before adding :

“And I’m no kid.”

Horrendous chuckled at that before releasing the boy’s hand, not making any comment on how cold it was. Something shone in the green eyes, something the boy couldn’t explain.

“Fine, Jack. What do you feel about dragon ?”

“They’re incredible ! Especially this one. It’s the first time I see a flesh and bone dragon but there’s even more impressive than I thought they would be.”

He wanted to come closer to the dragon, but said beast met his eyes and growled lowly, efficiently stopping him in his tracks. Horrendous got amused but placed a hand on his mouth, visibly trying to hide his smile and stay serious.

“If you really think so, then it would be my pleasure to help you pet this one.”

The boy looked back to the tamer, a wide smile lighting up his pale face while excitement and joy were growing back inside of him. The auburnet noticed it and chuckled again, Jack found the slightly nasally sound charming and calming, but he didn’t have much time to appreciate it as Horrendous turned to the dragon.

“Stay where you are, Jack,” he instructed over his shoulder. “I’ll bring him to you. Huh… You should remove your hood, the dragon will feel more at ease if he can see your face.”

The boy tensed by reflex, before reminding himself he had dyed his hair. Granted he had hidden the weirdest trait of his uncommon appearance, but he was still as pale as death and still having unusual ice eyes. He felt the weight of the public’s stare on his back as well as on the tamer and dragon. He felt more and more self-conscious, but still obliged. After all, Horrendous was right : the dragon must be wary of his hidden face, but wouldn’t he be even more of his icy gaze ? He tried to convince himself the tamer was going to make sure everything would be alright.

He took a deep breath and lowered his hood. The lack of gasps or horrified scream from the crowd reassured him about the credibility of his dye, and helped him gather his courage. His heart was racing in his chest, he tried all his might to contain his nervousness and focused on Horrendous and the dragon. Maybe he could forget his discomfort if he imagined there was only the three of them in this tent ? Soon, his gaze left the beast to wonder on the young man caressing it to sooth it.

Horrendous was more mature than Jack, that for sure, still he didn’t seem older than twenty years. Twenty one at most. Surely the maturity was due to his lithe muscles and the few scars adorning his chin and hands. Looking closely, Jack noticed there was something odd with his boots. Actually, it was not even a boot the tamer was wearing on his left foot. He didn’t even have a left foot, but instead some piece of metal, leather and wood which seemed to replace a missing foot. The boy wondered what had happened to his leg before blushing harder as his eyes wondered by the tamer’s butt.

He quickly averted his eyes as his heart decided to make a few loops. As he managed to focus back on the dragon, he noticed it had pressed its snout against Horrendous’ palm, who was smiling at him over his shoulder. Jack marvelled at how this simple smile managed to ease down his embarrassment and nervousness. He even found himself smiling back.

“Now present him your palm, and close your eyes. You have to show him that you’re not a threat, and that you trust him.”

The boy nodded and obeyed. Despite himself, his heart rate quickened as he closed his eyes and was surrounded by darkness. The feeling of cold grew around him as grim memories were trying to creep back. The biting cold, the pressure of water all around him, forcing its way through his nose and mouth, in his throat and lungs. His body tensed and his shoulders went rigid as fear was slowly folding its cold claws in his flesh. He completely forgot where he was, it felt like going back through time to this tragic moment when his life had been completely turned over for the worst. For a second, he swore he was back in the depths of that frozen pond.

Until the feeling suddenly vanished. The cold got wiped away by a warm aura coming near him. Instantly, the tension left his body, he almost blenched as he heard Horrendous’ voice speak to him, very close, just to his left.

“Do you trust me ?”

Jack softly blew the breath he had held without noticing, then nodded as a reply, whispering ‘yes’. He smiled faintly as he heard another chuckle from the tamer, the warm breath tickling his temple and ear.

“Good. Don’t move and, above all, don’t startle, okay ?”

“Okay.”

The young boy did as he was told and remained perfectly still. He didn’t have to wait for long before something warm and coarse pressed against his palm. Even though he had never touched a dragon before, nor even seen one in flesh and bones, he knew it was the creature’s snout.

He made sure to keep a steady breath and not to move, then felt the snout press harder against his hand. His fingers slowly closed around it, he could feel the heat radiating from the dragon along with vibrations coming along a soft noise it made.

Before Horrendous could allow him to open his eyes, he did so and met the dragon’s gaze. The big ember eyes were staring back at him, pupils wide and rounded making it look more cute than feral. It made him smile, and even more as he noticed Horrendous’ hand was gone. The tamer had brought the dragon to him and estimated there was no danger to let them both together. He was still standing next to Jack, slightly behind him, but he was giving them their moment. Jack could still feel the young man’s heat behind him, giving him chills along the back and the arm. His heart beat faster, filling his whole chest with warmth unknown for years.

“Do you feel it ?” Horrendous asked in a whisper.

Jack looked at him, puzzled. He was not sure what the tamer was talking about, but his eyes were shining and so full of emotions, and hope. The light from the torches and lantherns was flickering in the green irises, making this gaze more intense. Jack was rendered speechless, it felt like Horrendous was inspecting his whole soul, searching for something. As the boy was not answering, the tamer insisted.

“Do you ?”

“I…”

A quick look at the dragon proved that Horrendous was talking about it, so Jack focused back on it, while it was still staring at him. For a moment, he dove into the amber yellow, which he found less intimitating than the tamer, but just as intense. He got astonished as he realised they also were full of emotions, and intelligence. He realised the creature in front of him was more than a beast, an animal, it was an intelligent and sensible being.

“Wow…” he breathed, smiling. “Hi.”

The dragon slowly blinked and let out another vibrating sound. The lack of reaction from Horrendous was a good sign, still Jack could still feel the gaze weight on him. Remembering the tamer’s question he had left with no answer, he tried to put his swirling thoughts into words, and that came out as a whisper.

“I feel… His strength, his intelligence… I feel… I feel some kind of… connexion. A soul.”

He cast a curious glance to the tamer to check his reaction, and saw his green eyes light up, just before he flashed a bright smile. He seemed more than pleased with Jack’s answer, then stepped back and turned to the public, opening his arms wide in a gesture that reminded Jack of the ringmistress.

“The dragon has been tamed !”

The spectators cheered anew, visibly flabbergasted by the success of the act, as if they had been expecting it to go down. Horrendous bowed and focused back on Jack, a huge smile on his face as he made a gesture towards the crowd, inviting him back to his seat. The boy hesitated and looked back to the dragon, he still had his hand on his snout. He met his eyes and, for a second, he swore he had seen sadness in the amber eyes.

Horrendous softly took his hand off the dragon, who straightened his head and long neck and found himself so tall both young men in front of him had to lift their head to look at him. Jack’s jaw dropped in wonder and the dragon seemed to take it as a compliment because he warbbled. The tamer smiled and patted his flank, then turned to the crowd and lifted Jack’s hand in triumph. More cheers errupted, then Horrendous pulled at Jack’s wrist to prompt him.

“You can go back to your seat. Thank you for volonteering.”

The boy’s heart skipped a beat as he sensed the genuine gratefulness in the tamer’s voice, making him smile.

“Thank you for letting me pet him,” he replied trusthfully.

Something in Horrendous’ smile made Jack feel like he had said just the right thing, the moment suspending as another connexion seemed to have just formed, this time with the auburnet. For a second, he thought he saw the green eyes shift lower on his face, but he convinced himself it was just his imagination. Because there was no way it had really happened. And even if it did, that wouldn’t lead anywhere.

Even if the tamer could happen to like him this way, he would certainly change his mind once he learnt what Jack was, once he learnt about his curse, once he learnt he was potentially a demon having possessed a drowned body in a frozen pond. This thought broke his heart and killed his mood. As he let go of Horrendous’ hand to go back to his seat, the lack of warm aura gave him the feeling of diving back into the freezing depth.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4
THE NIGHT IS YOUNG, PART I
ᚦᛖ ᚾᛁᚷᚺᛏ ᛁᛋ ᛁᛟᚾᚷ – ᛈᚨᚱᛏ ᛁ

The show was over, all the artists came back to the stage for a final bow. The ringmistress thanked the visitors and wished them a good night, before reminding the Hooligans’ circus was giving one last representation on the following night. The ad Jack had read was saying they were staying at Burgess for three nights. He had thought tonight was the first show, but visibly it was already the second one.

It didn’t change his disappointment to see the curtains close, and the crowd exit the tent. He took his time to follow and quickly got late. It was no wonder he was so reluctant to leave the place, the evening had been absolutely wonderful. Not only had he been able to forget all his troubles as he marveled at the different performances, but above all, during these few hours, he had only been Jack. Not White the Cursed, not the ice demon, not the miserable ghost of the pond, not the outcast of the village. Just Jack. However, now that the show was over, he had to go back to this sad life of his.

Sighing heavily as he crossed the torches and signs indicating the circus’ entrance, he stopped as he noticed there was no one left. It was odd that the entrance was not watched anymore while the visitors were leaving. Where was the blonde woman with fishy smell ? He looked around to try and see if he could see her, two men bumped into him but left without even an apology.

He didn’t pay attention to it and started searching the area. He was not exactly worried, just curious and wanted to make sure nothing happened to this woman. Even if her hair was reeking and she had extorted money from him, he would feel guilty if he didn’t check. And he was not expecting to have a good intuition on this before he heard noises coming from bushes just a few steps away from the entrance of the circus.

It sounded like a punch, then he heard voices. He stepped closer and managed to discern words even before he could see anything. The first voice he heard was the blonde’s.

“You call that punching ? Ha ! Even my brother hits harder than that.”

“Will you shut up ?!”

Jack froze as he heard this familiar voice, quickly followed by snickers. These sneers echoed in his head, mirrors from taunts and bullies he had been through. Peeking around the bushes, still hidden from view, Jack then got a visual confirmation of what he suspected : it was Franc. Franc and his friends. Just his luck.

“Where’s the money ?” Franc barked, hovering above the fish-smelling blonde who was down to the ground, surrounded by the group.

“As if I’d tell you,” she snickered, wipping the blood from her nose.

“Hit harder, Bruno. Will, hold her arms.”

“Oh yes Willy, hold me close !” She teased as Will did as he was told, wrenching her arms behind her back, or was she actually flirting ?

“Shut up !”

Jack flinched as they punched her again, but she was only laughing at it, as if she was having fun. Since Franc and his friends were asking for money, he assumed she had gouged them too. Despite of this, the boy couldn’t resolve himself to just leave her like this. For all the times he had hoped to see someone help him when he was himself bullied and beaten up, he couldn’t just leave her.

So he gathered his courage and skirted the bushes, and before he could realise it, he found himself in front of the group. The scene was almost comical as everyone just stopped, all eyes turned his way. The blonde from her kneeling position that couldn't be comfortable judging by how Will was pulling her arms. Will who was still holding her down. Bruno with a clenched fist frozen up as he was about to punch the blonde, the other hand gripping the collar of her green tunic. Even Franc, standing tall with is arms crossed, observing from a distance like the coward he was who didn't want to get his hands dirty.

With all eyes on him, Jack tensed. His bravery had already fled and left him, but now it was too late to turn around. So he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

“Leave her alone,” he tried, and he cringed at how shaky his voice sounded. It was pathetic.

Franc snorted and Bruno let go of the blonde’s collar to face him.

“Aw, look at this. A knight in shining armor coming to your rescue, Fishy ? Who’s that, your boyfriend ?”

Jack blushed in shame while the blonde eyed him quizzically. She seemed confused for a second, then something sparked in her greyish blue eyes. Jack knew she had just recognized him, still she shrugged. “Don’t know that guy.”

“Oh,” Franc smirked, “so he’s just a good-doer ?”

It was Jack’s turn to be confused. Granted he had dyed his hair but, despite of this, Franc and his friends didn’t seem to recognize him. Either White the Cursed or Jackson Overland. Granted these guys had never paid him much attention even before the accident, but it seemed they didn't pay attention to his face either. Good. If they didn't recognize White the Cursed, then they wouldn't out him for sneaking out of the village. That didn't mean they wouldn't beat him up for interrupting them.

He swallowed hard and reach for his belt, unstrapping his pouch. “If… if it’s just money you want, you can take mine. Just– don’t hurt her.”

Normally, Jack would have done everything to keep this money. Not just because it was not his, but also because it was impossible for Jonathan not to notice all these coins missing. One could pass, but five ? No way. Jack didn’t want to face the farmer’s wrath, neither his punishment, but he knew he would handle it easier than the guilt of not trying to help this woman. Even if he doubted these coins would suffice Franc, he had to at least try.

His offer, and his shaking voice, made the bullies laugh again, then Franc snatched the pouch from him, smirking. His satisfied smile dropped as he checked on the sparse coins.

“Are you kidding me ? Were you really expecting to buy me with that little ?”

He dropped everything, letting the coins scatter in the most haughty way possible. Jack’s eyes followed the coins disappearing in the grass, then looked back up to Franc’s face, who was still smirking.

“I got a better idea. What if we smash your face instead, little good-doer ?”

Jack couldn’t get the chance to answer before Franc kicked him in the guts, winding him. The boy dropped to his knees, gritting his teeth as he wrapped his arms around his aching middle. Trying to handle the pain while the bullies were laughing around him. It was nothing, he told himself. He'd been through this kind of pain and humiliation for a moment now, countless times. He could handle it. However there was one thing different this time : among the snickers, he heard the blonde intervene.

“Hey, asshole ! What about you pick someone your size ?” she barked despite her arms still being pulled by Will.

Franc barely stopped laughing, “What, you jealous, Fishy ? Rather be the one I kick ?”

“Usually bullying and scaming are my things, you know. Especially on my brother. What about you come here and we see how you handle the punches, huh ? I wanna bet you never even got slapped in your life and you would cry like a baby if that happened.”

“Shut up already, for God’s sake !”

Jack panted as he looked up. The kick from Franc had weakened his skinny body, he could barely move, paralyzed and shaking, but that didn’t mean he was going to let Franc go after her. Even if that seemed more like sport than being beaten up for her. She laughed as Franc pushed Bruno aside to punch her square in the face. Her laughter infuriated even more the mayor’s son, so he hit her again and again. Jack gritted his teeth and picked up a peeble before throwing it on Franc, who yelped in surprise.

“Argh ! Just you wait, you ass ! Bruno, break him in two, I got the bitch.”

“Bitch yourself, bitch !” The blonde spat. “Hey jerk, are you always picking on smaller than you ? Such scarridy cats, really, and I know a lot about scarridy cats : my brother’s the worst of them !”

The mayor’s son roared in fury but Jack couldn’t do anything to help the blonde as Bruno’s imposing frame closed in on him, his fist striking down his shoulder. The dye-haired boy fell to the side and could only shield his head with his arms. Hits and blows rained over him, but it was not worst than other times. Actually, Bruno was hslower than usual and his hits didn't feel as strong as usually, his panting telling Jack that the bigger boyprobably was tired after already picking on the blonde - for a moment, knowing Franc. Jack saw his chance in it.

If Bruno was tired, maybe he had a chance to escape him ? Moreover, the guy may be following blindly Franc’s orders because the mayor’s had influence, the big guy still was scared of the ice demon. It was hard for Jack to think that, for once, this fear would come handy.

He had to act fast. If Bruno was to hit him in the head, he was sure to be knocked out cold, and then he would be useless to the blonde. So he acted fast. Waiting for Bruno to prepare another blow, he swiftly dodged to the side, letting the boy hit the ground instead, and caught his wrist. Jack knew there was no way he could hold Bruno in place - there was no match to that guy's brute force - but he wasn't counting on it. he was solely counting on how unusually cold his skin was. As expected, the cold caught Bruno's attention. The tall brunet boy froze, his dark brown eyes widening in horror when he met Jack's eyes.

The effect was immediate. Despite being tall and bulky and stronger than any other people in this glade, Bruno jerked back with a yelp and threw himself in a fumbling sprint away, screaming, “The White ! It’s the White !”

“Bruno, what’s gotten onto you ?!” Franc barked.

“He saw the White !” Will repeated, already looking frantically around them, searching for the demon.

Noting they had not recognized him, Jack remained to the ground, laying on his side, his arms securely wrapped around his throbbing middle. Thankful for the cold to numb the pain. Closing his eyes with a huff, his ears caught the hurried fleeing of the remaining two boys, the young woman making fun of them.

“Yeah, good riddance ! And don’t come back, or else I’ll kick your ass !”

She snickered even more, then Jack heard her steps coming closer to him, feeling his presence coming to a stop by his side. Icy blue eyes opened and looked up to find her bending over him, her thin blond eyebrow scrunched in what looked like concern.

“You okay, kiddo ?” she asked, much to his surprise.

Despite his panting, he nodded in reply, flinching when she reached for him. It took a moment for him to realize she was offering to help him, and even more to hesitantly take it - wrapping his hand in his cloak as to not touch her skin. She pulled him up effortlessly but, as he found himself back on his feet, he woobled a bit. Slowly shifting his body, he took in that he wasn't much hurt, there was nothing broken but he would definitely have bruises from it. He had worst. Well, even if he had had a broken bon, it wasn’t like Jonathan would notice it in the morning, or would care.

Jack came out of his thoughts as the blonde straightened again, as if she had picked something up from the ground. A gasp escaped him as he saw her put the few coins back into his pouch.

“Here. Sorry for scaming you earlier,” she said as she gave him the pouch.

Jack hesitated a bit, at a loss of how nice she suddenly was compared to their earlier encounter. “Huh… Let’s just forget this. But you should stop doing this, you’ll get in trouble.”

”Hey, I fought worst than these assholes. And I would have been fine even if you didn’t show up.”

Jack averted his eyes, fighting the pout to his lips. He realized she probably has a point : she clearly was tough. Himself was all shaky and wincing for a few bruises to the stomach while she had been beaten for a while. She had been punched to the face with a swollen black eye and a split lip to show, and still she didn't look in pain and was even smiling - more like smirking - as if nothing had happened.

“Still, thanks for coming to my rescue,” she added while patting his shoulder, to which he startled. “I’ve always dreamt of having my own knight in shining armor. Even if I pictured him taller and a lot buffier.”

Jack blushed a crimson red at that, making her chuckle. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pressed herself against his arm. Her grip was so strong the boy doubted he could get out of it, and he had to admit this sudden touch was kind of unsettling and awkward for him. No one had touched him since the accident, this young woman was oppressing and, he had to admit, her smell of fish oil was awful.

“As a thanks, I’ll do something for you too. Come with me.”

Not giving him the chance to say no, she dragged him back towards the circus. He found himself with a bad feeling as they circled the main tent to go into the forest.

“Huh… Where are we going ?” He asked, trying to steady his shaking voice. “Is it far ?”

“Nah, don’t worry. Look, we’re almost there.”

Jack spotted a few lights and tents, looking like a camp, and the tents’ shape and fabric looked a lot like the circus with same reddish and beige pattern. Visibly, it was the troup’s camp, but that wasn’t telling him why the young woman was bringing him there. As they made their way into that camp, Jack noticed a long tent that was a bit isolated from the others, and there was someone sitting on a log next to the campfire. Though he recognized that athletic silhouette and the auburn hair, his mouth kept on following his previous thoughts.

“I should go back home–”

“Just wait a bit !” The blonde insisted, stopping in front of him, Jack definitively didn't start at the sudden stop. “We’re almost there ! You’ll see, it’s gonna be awesome !”

She smiled and placed her hands around her mouth, shouting through the camp. “Guys, come here ! I have a favor to ask you !”

Without a warning, she pushed Jack forward. Even though he suspected she had only meant to bring him closer, she had pushed too hard and he was too light, so it ended up with him shoved to the ground. He nearly kissed the ground and managed to end up on his hands and knees, protecting his face. His too-many encounters with Franc and his friends had at least developed some reflexes.

“Whoops, sorry !” The blonde chuckled, “I got carried away.”

Jack blew a dyed lock from his face and looked up, only to find a pair of unknown boots in front of him.

“What’s goin’ on, Ruff ? Wow, what happened t’your eye ?!”

Jack looked up and recognised the stocky man from the first act of the show, Snotlout. The blonde from the entrance, whose name seemed to be Ruff, giggled and shook her hand as if her wounds didn’t matter.

“Bah, don’t worry ‘bout that, just a tiny fight. Can you put him back to his feet, please ?”

Jack gulped as he saw the black-haired guy look down at him, his sharp blue eyes positively glaring. He seemed angry, surely because his friend had been hurt, but this anger seemed to be directed right at the hooded boy for some reason. He almost choked when Snotlout grabbed his hood and pulled on it to bring him to his feet. But it didn't stop there as Snotlout then pulled him off the ground. Okay, maybe the guy wasn’t pretty tall, he was even a bit shorter than Jack, but his arm was stretching high enough to lift the boy effortlessly.

Jack found himself hanging by his hood, kicking his feet in the air as much as he could because of the numbed pain in his middle, his hands busy pulling at his collar so it wouldn't strangle him.

“Whad’ya want me t’do with ‘im ?” Snotlout gruffed.

“What ? What’s wrong with you, put him down !”

“We should throw ‘im inha river.”

“What a dumbass, you get it wrong !”

“Or at least giv’im back your black eye, huh ?”

Jack tried to reassure himself that this was just a misunderstanding and the stocky guy was not really going to harm him, that didn’t mean he was not freaking out, especially seeing Ruff was not convincing him. He tried to keep calm, to keep his emotions in check because there was no way he was risking loosing control over his strange snow powers. If the young woman managed to dissipate the misunderstanding, then they wouldn’t harm him. However, if they discovered he was some kind of ice demon, then they would definitively try and murder him. He had to keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm.

“Are you even listening, you big moron ?!”

“Oh, I know, I’m gonna cut one of his fingers, that way he’ll rem’mber it.”

“What ?!” Jack spluttered in horror, even more so as he saw Snotlout pull a knife from his belt. The shining blade caught his attention and sent his already-panicking heart into another loop, the poor boy now shaking from head to toes. If he had been touching the ground, frost would have certainly started to form around his feet. The knife was dangerously coming closer to him and he could feel the temperature drop around him.

“Waah wait wait wait !” He tried, struggling even more.

“Stop that already !” Ruff insisted, punching the stocky brunet's broad back.

“Hey ! What are you doing ?!” Another voice called from behind them.

“Oh shit,” Snotlout muttered, quickly retrieving his weapon.

Jack tried to take a look behind his back, but his hood was blocking out his field of view. Still the nasally voice was enough to tell him who just stepped in : Horrendous. Snotlout’s face turned dark and, without letting go of Jack’s hood, he spoke over the boy's shoulder.

“Get lost, Hiccup, that’s none of your business.”

“Don’t tell me you’re mugging someone again ? Valka was clear enough about this, you–”

When the Dragon Tamer came into view, his face shifted from a disapproving scowl to shock as he met Jack’s eyes. The boy knew he had just been recognized.

“Hey, that’s the boy who tamed Hookfang !”

“What ?!” Snotlout started.

With a start, the stocky guy dropped Jack, who met the ground for the third time in the night. Snotlout quickly recovered from his shock and kicked the boy with his foot.

“An’ y’dare beat up Ruff after that ?!”

“Seriously, what a duhbrain !” the blonde groaned, “I never said he did it ! He even helped me and that’s how you thank him ?!”

“He helped… ? But– Why the Hel didn’ you say it right’way ?!”

“Because you didn’t let me, duh !”

While the two kept arguing, Jack huffed as he sat up, an arm wrapping around his middle. Snotlout’s kick wasn’t helping his forming bruises, still this was nothing compared to Bruno's - the guy clarly hadn't meant to hurt, this time. That’s when Horrendous crouched next to him and gave him a hand.

“You okay ?”

“Huh yeah… Thanks…” Jack nodded and he was pulled up, the auburn-haired young man even brushing off some dirt from his cloak, before facing the arguing duo.

“Now explain yourself : what happened, exactly ?”

Jack was astonished by how adamant he sounded, which was stark contrast with the kindness he had shown during the show.

“We weren’t rubbing him !” Ruff claimed.

Horrendous gave her a deadpanned look, crossing his arms over his chest. “Really ? So what were you doing, exactly ?”

“Well, huh… Okay, I admit I may have increased prices for some of the customers but, clearly, they asked for it with all their fancy clothes and attitude. Some of them took it bad and caught me at the exit. They beat me up a bit because I didn’t agree to repay them. Then this nice kid came to my rescue. Since I scamed him too, I thought it would be nice to bring him here to show him a bonus show. You know, as thanks ?”

“A ‘bonus show’ ? Are you serious ? What would that even have been ? Knives throwing ?” Horrendous almost spat as he gestured to Snotlout’s dagger. “Astrid and Eret are the ones in charge of that, not Snotlout and you. We don’t even have other shows, and it’s not like he would be interested in seeing my other dragons.”

Jack perked up at that. Actually, yes, he was interested. Granted, at first he had not been thrilled when this Ruff girl dragged him to the camp, but that was because he didn’t know what she wanted. Nnow that he knew she just wanted to offer him another show as thanks, especially if it included dragons, now he did was thrilled.

“Come on,” Horrendous told him, his voice closer to the one he knew because it was softer. “I’ll walk you back to the exit… before those nitwits try something else.”

Without further words, just a glare sent to Ruff and Snotlout, the Dragon Tamer dragged Jack with him. He had just gotten the boy out of troubles and was really walking him back, but Jack found himself wanting to stay. No, actually it was not surprising. He could easily wait to go back to the village, and if he had to be honest with himself, he wanted to get the chance to spend some time with Horrendous and, if it really was possible, see other dragons.

“Wait,” he ended up saying, stopping in his tracks.

Horrendous stopped too and Jack saw his green eyes fill with worry. “You okay ? Did they hurt you ?’’

Those vivid green eyes caught him off guard when they dropped to his waist, from which Jack quickly retrieved his arm. “What ? No ! But I… Huh…”

He thought fast, his heart pounding in his chest as he didn’t have the slightest idea how to ask. How was he supposed to ? Should he be direct and admit he didn’t want to leave ? Should he find some excuse ? As silence was lasting and Horrendous’ worry clearly increasing, Jack panicked and ended up blurting out the first thing he could think of. “Well… You… Do you really have more dragons ?”

The boy tensed even more as he saw the tamer blink repeatedly, then frown. “Why ?”

Jack looked down from the hardened stare, hope now mixing with guilt. He still didn’t know how to ask, and now that Horrendous seemed suspicious, it was turning into a mess. “Huh… Well, your friend did mention a bonus show and… I-I did pay more at the entrance, so-” Oh God now it sounded like he was doing this for money.

“We can repay you, that’s not a problem,” Horrendous assured, then spoked louder as he looked behind the hooded boy, “Right, Ruff ?”

“Okay,” She groaned in reply, her steps leaving. “I get it, I’ll bring the jar.”

Jack bit his lip, eyes cast down as he realized it probably was better not to insist. A fleeting moment of self-indulgence wasn't worth the trouble for the circus, even if the idea came from one of them. With a repressed sigh, he resigned to just go along with it, get Jonathan's money back and go back before they noticed he was gone.

“Yeah, I suppose that’s the best thing to do…” He muttered, unable to contain his dissapointment.

Heavy silence loomed around him as he was staring down as his feet. He just waited for Ruffnut to come back with the money, silently accepting that after this, he was just going back home. Well… to the roof over his head more than a home.

“Wait, you…” Horrendous asked, his voice higher from surprise. “Are you really interested in seeing more dragons ?”

Icy blue eyes hesitantly peeked up, finding the Dragon Tamer with an open expression of surprise. Why did Jack feel like his curiosity seemed to be a good thing for him ? Well, if it was his chance, then... He nodded.

“Those things are dangerous,” Ruffnut said, though her smile showed the idea seemed to please her.

Jack started at her voice, having not noticed she was already back, but here she was with the jar of coins in her arms. Meeting her twinkling greyish blue eyes and her smirk that reminded him of lil' ol' Jackson Overland, he felt a smile tug at his lips.

“I doubt that,” he assured, thinking back to his encounter with the red dragon on stage.

“You could get hurt,” Snotlout butted in, his meaty fists on his hips as he looked confused.

Jack didn’t know why, but he found funny that they were trying to deter him. Maybe it was because of Ruff's smirk, though it clearly screamed trouble in a way Jackson Overland used to know very well, the prank-type trouble.

“I doubt that too. Horrendous would be there, I’m sure he will make sure everything’s fine, just like during the show,” the boy countered, gesturing towards the young man still standing next to him.

Young man who was staring at him intently with his vivid green eyes, as if he was trying to see something in the hooded boy, a smile grazing his lips. Jack was wondering what was going on in his head when the Dragon Tamer crossed his arms and just said, “Okay.”

Jack wasn't the only one to gap at that.

“You serious, Hiccup ?” Snotlout hissed.

“I am,” the auburn-haired young man replied with a smirk of his own. “Someone has to clean Ruffnut’s mess, especially if she had plenty coins to give him change.”

The blonde groaned and rolled her eyes, fingers tapping the full jar.

“I don’t think you guys want this boy to tell his family of the travelling circus scaming him… then mugging him for no reason.”

Jack hastily grabbed Horrendous’ sleeve to catch his attention, “I wouldn’t–” he tried, only to be hushed by the tamer, who adressed him a knowing smile before resuming his stern face.

So the boy realised Horrendous was just trying to scare the others, obviously so they wouldn’t do something like this again.

“There would be repercussions, his parents would be furious.”

Jack gulped to the simple idea of Jonathan’s anger.

“So better give him a reason to like us, huh ? For the circus and its reputation.”

The two artists in front of him were speechless, Snotlout's mouth gaping like a fish out of water.

Horrendous nodded his head, looking satisfied. “Good. Since we all agree on that, I’m counting on you to keep an eye on Valka. She won’t be happy to learn we let someone in the camp.”

He looked intently at Ruffnut, as if to add a silent point. The meaning was lost to Jack but not to the blonde seeing how she shrunk on herself, hugging the jar close to her chest. None of her or Snotlout protested, the stocky guy even giving a slight nod of his head, his sharp blue eyes remaining on Jack for a moment, like he was trying to determine if the boy was going to cause troubles or not. A few years before, Jackson Overland certainly would have, but 'just Jack' was goign to make sure he didn't cause more troubles than he already had.

It didn't change that his heart soared in his chest when Horrendous beaconed him to follow him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5
THE NIGHT IS YOUNG, PART II
ᚦᛖ ᚾᛁᚷᚺᛏ ᛁᛋ ᛁᛟᚾᚷ – ᛈᚨᚱᛏ ᛁᛁ

It didn’t take long for them to reach Horrendous’ tent. The camp in itself wasn’t that big for a circus, despite the number of performers, but the tents were wide set and some were so big Jack couldn’t fathom them not to be sed by several people, especially the big one in the center of the camp, and the one he had spotted Horrendous in front of earlier. The latter which proved to be their destination, as the boy realized when the Dragon Tamer opened it and invited him in. Jack stepped in with apprehension, though icy blue eyes blinked a couple of times seeing the inside.

Granted the circus wasn’t fancy, the fabric of the tents was tarnished and patched up, the performers didn’t have any costumes on stage, but Jack hadn’t expected the artists’ loges to be that cheap. Empty, even. Horrendous’ tent clearly was where he was sleeping, and even though himself had been deprived of a lot of things since the accident, Jack’s own room was more furnished than this tent.

Blankets and furs were piled in a corner and looked like it was the bed, a small wooden box placed beside it with a lit lanthern on it casting a soft glow in the small space. Beside it was a large flagstone which could have been a table if not for the odd black stains covering it in shapes of circles, looking like someone burnt it – maybe it was a worktable, then ? The only thing that actually made the tent look like a real private bedroom was the three crates placed next to each other and overflowing with parchments, making it look like a desk. And Jack supposed it was seeing the small bench peeking from some papers. There even was a bowl with a spoon on top of it.

A glimpse of the sketches covering the papers caught Jack’s attention on a charcoal representation of a dragon that didn’t look like the one he had met on stage. His body started moving towards it when Horrendous walked past him, pulling the hooded boy from his reverie as the Dragon Tamer headed for the back of the tent, pulling at what looked like curtains.

Oh, this was leading to another part of the tent, which made sense since this small room couldn’t represent more than a quarter of the whole tent. Did that mean the rest of the tent was for the dragons ? Jack doubted it, or it meant that Horrendous had a bunch of them because, even if the red one had been big, the tent was big enough to host at least five dragons that big !

Leaning to the side, Jack tried to peek into the adjacent room, but Horrendous was blocking the view and only pushed the curtain open an inch, turning to give Jack a somewhat sheepish smile.

“Wait here, I’ll bring them one by one. You can take a seat, uh… Jack, was it ?”

Jack’s heart skipped a beat hearing his name on the Dragon Tamer’s lips. It seemed too good that the auburn-haired young man would remember the name of a stranger among countless others who went up the stage to pet a dragon, surely it was happening during every representation of the circus and Jack didn’t even try haphard a guess at to how long the show has been going on. Still, even if it probably was nothing for Horrendous, it was a big deal for Jack. Someone remembered his name.

Fighting the smile tugging at his lips, Jack gave a nod to Horrendous, who then disappeared into the other room.

“Your parents aren’t hunters or poachers, are they ?” the Dragon Tamer asked from across the curtains, his steps giving Jack an idea of how big the other room was.

“No, why ?”

“Not a lot of people actually want to see dragons, even less from that close–” a loud clang resounding from behind the curtain had Jack jump, then relax as he heard an amused chuckle and deep vibrating sounds that didn’t match any animal the hooded boy knew.

“Hey, Bud,” Horrendous chuckled, which earned him another… rumble ?

It made something warm spread in Jack’s chest knowing that auburnet was talking like to his dragons : like a friend would do, not a master. He seemed to have a good relationship with that ‘Bud’, even if it sounded agitated if those bangs and thuds were any indication. It almost sounded like a very big dog was hopping around and toppling things over– including a box full of tickling metallic objects it seemed.

Jack fought not to snort at Horrendous hastily hushing the dragon and the sound of the metal objects being hastily pushed back together or pushed aside.

“Usually people are scared of dragons, you know,” the auburnet said louder, continuing their previous conversation as if trying to hide the mess that clearly happened there.

“Huh… Should I be ?” The boy asked as he looked around the room.

“Oh no no, no you shouldn’t, really,” Horrendous hastily assured. “Actually, it’s nice to meet someone interested in them instead of thinking they’re just some blood-thirsty beats.”

Jack smiled for himself but that quickly faded as he looked around to find a seat like Horrendous told him. There was no chair aside from the bench completely drowned under papers, but Jack guessed it was okay to fetch it out ? If he wasn’t distracted when his eyes caught some of the sketches adorning those papers. These ones weren’t portraits but rather rough sketches and plans with lots of annotations, though Jack couldn’t recognize what it was supposed to be. Did Horrendous draw all of this ?

Even if everything was a mess there, he couldn’t bring himself to just push the papers off, instead he hefted the pile and gingerly piled it up the desk, only for it to crumble down onto his feet. Flinching, he checked the curtains to make sure the Dragon Tamer hadn’t heard him – which was unlikely over the noise the young man was himself making with these metallic things. With the bench now free of papers, Jack picked it up and placed it away from the paper chaos, only for someone else to be pulled with the seat.

The cloth flopped down, revealing smears of dried blood all over the tunic.The boy stared at it, a knot forming in his guts as he tried to guess what had happened. One thing for sure : the amount of blood wasn’t anodine, it had been a serious wound but, at least, it seemed old.

“Huh… Horrendous ? Your tunic is blooded…”

Another clang came from the other room, then the auburnet’s head popped from between the curtains, vivid green eyes finding Jack with the small bench still in his hands, then looking down to the stained cloth by his feet.

“Huh… Did one of your dragons did this ?… By accident, I mean.” Jack added, not wanting to sound like he was accusing them of attacking their tamer.

The young man smiled softly and Jack wondered if it was because he asked of his well-being, or if it was because he had assumed it was an accident instead of an attack.

“No,” the tamer explained. “It’s not my blood, actually. It’s a ‘gift’ from proachers in the woods.”

“The woods…?” Jack couldn’t help but shiver. Granted there was a lot of trees and forests on this island, all around Burgess, but the largest one was the one surrounding his village. The idea of Horrendous coming across hunters from his village gave him unpleasant chills, not only because he knew how violent they could be, but also because he was afraid the Dragon Tamer could have heard things about him, about the pond curse.

“What happened ?”

Horrendous shrugged as it was no big deal, leaning against the beam supporting the tent next to the curtains. “Dragons don’t like staying indoor, they prefer open spaces so they often go around. One of them got hurt by a trap. I intervened and tried to stop the proachers from taking her. It’s her blood on the tunic.”

Jack felt a pinch in his chest at the idea of a dragon getting hurt. Despite not knowing said dragon, he had a vivid image of the scene forming in his mind, picturing a dragon similar to the one he had met on stage with a wolf trap stuck to its– her, apparently – wing or leg. “Is… Is she alright ?”

Auburn eyebrows shot up at his question, then a bright smile pulled at Horrendous’s lips, reaching his eyes. “Oh yeah, she’s all good now, right Stormfly ?” he asked as he pulled the curtain open, revealing a dragon that stepped in.

Jack froze as he saw the new dragon. A really different one from the one he had seen during the show. Where the first one was red with black stripes, had a long, thin neck, four twisted horns and was leaning on his wings as if it was front legs, this one had different colours and looks. Standing on two large and powerful clawed paws, a round head adorning a crown of horns, the snout looking more like a beek with oversized nostrils and teeth, a long tail covered with spikes. Blue scales were decorated with yellow dots on the wings. The left paw was wrapped, covering a wound that didn’t seem to bleed anymore seeing the lack of red stains on the cloth, and the complete lack of limping from the graceful creature.

Despite being smaller than the one Jack had petted on stage, this one still was tall enough to have to lean down to look at the humans. She even turned her head to the side, observing the boy with one bright yellow eye as if her giant snout was obstructing her vision. Then she shook her wings while producing a cackling sound that made Jack think of an oversized chicken.

“Wow…” Was all the boy managed to say – rather breath – and that made Horrendous chuckle. “She’s beautiful.”

The smile dropped and that odd surprised expression was back on the tamer’s face. Instead, vivid green eyes seemed to shine as he asked, “You… You really think so ?”

Was it that rare for people to like dragons ? Jack could see that dragons were clearly armed to defend themselves – like, look at their fangs and claws and all – but one couldn’t deny how magnificent they also were !

“I do ! She’s so colorful and elegant, look at her, she looks like a noble or something.”

The auburnet blinked, then looked at the blue and yellow dragon, only to see her lift a wing so she could scratch her armpit with her overgrown teeth. Jack could have taken back his previous comment but he didn’t because, strangely, even while doing this she managed to be graceful. When she was done, Horrendous approached her with a light chuckle in the chest and gently ran his hand along the side of her neck, which she liked judging by how she closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, new cackling sounds vibrating in her throat, the spikes on her tail puffing up like a bird’s feathers would. It was funny to see her act like this despite her imposing size.

“She’s a Deadly Nadder. The one you met on the stage is a Monstruous Nightmare.”

“Those are different species, then. How many are there ?” Jack nodded as he plopped onto the bench, his body vibrating with the new information that led to other questions.

When Horrendous hesitated, the boy wondered if he was too pushy. It would be a shame, though, because he really wanted to know more about dragons. He never paid much attention to those creatures before, because he thought they were just stories, but now that he could see them live, he wasn’t just curious about them ; he found himself fascinated by them. The one on the stage, the Monstruous Nightmare, had been huge and an example of strength – something he could sense just by looking at his muscles twitching under the bright scales – and seeing this one being different in so many ways was just feeding his growing curiosity and enthusiasm.

But maybe he was pushing his luck too much. It was already a miracle that dragons happened to exist and that a traveling circus decided to drop by his lost village. He had been lucky to be picked to go on stage and pet the Monstruous Nightmare. It was only thanks to a turn of events that he had been led to the camp and offered to be shown the other dragons – well, he had asked so he had already been pushy here, though it clearly was causing trouble for Horrendous, Snotlout and Ruffnut. So no, he realized he really shouldn’t pry more than he already had.

And yet, as Horrendous stared at him, icy blue eyes caught a glint in vivid greens. And the tension Jack felt creeping in the air all but vanished when the Dragon Tamer’s lips curled up into a smile that was different from the other ones Jack had seen so far. It didn’t look like the polite smile he had on on stage. Neither the small but soft smile the auburnet showed on several occasions. This one was bright, if not beaming, and it seemed to unleash something as the Dragon Tamer’s whole body seemed to relax, to the point the young man started moving his arms around as he spoke faster.

“There’s a lot of them, actually. I’ve been studying dragons for years now and you wouldn’t believe just how many of them there is out there. But even if I’d like to have more with me, these companions take a lot of space and need attention,” Horrendous explained animatedly, but Jack’s attention got caught mid-way when icy blue eyes caught the Deadly Nadder’s head following Horrendous’ waving arms.

The lump in Jack’s throat cleared as he realized he wasn’t pushing his luck and that the Dragon Tamer actually was as eager as him to share his knowledge about dragons. It lifted such a burden from his shoulders that he almost felt like flying, positively bouncing on the bench as he asked, “Really ? How many do you have here ?”

Horrendous rubbed the back of his head, shrugging, “Six for now.Stormfly here, Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf and Belch, Sharpshot and Toothless.”

Jack couldn’t help but snort at the odd names. But then again, seeing ‘Horrendous’, ‘Snotlout’ and ‘Ruffnut’, it seemed the dragons weren’t the only ones with weird names.

“Those names are funny, but wait… you said six dragons, why seven names ?”

If Jack thought Horrendous looked bashful when admitting how many dragons he had, now he definitely was, tensing and giving an akward chuckle,“Barf and Belch are the same dragon, actually, but the twins made a joke by giving them two names. I guess it just stuck.”

“Why two names ?”

The Dragon Tamer stayed silent for a few seconds, pressing his lips as if holding back laughter. “I’ll show you.”

Jack nodded and watched asHorrendousguided Stormfly back to the other room. The blue and yellow dragon trotted after him in such a way that Jack couldn’t help but picture again an overgrown chicken, though this one could clearly bite if you crossed her. Another clang echoed from the room, along with a muffled yelp from the auburnet, and Jack was once again tempted to peek, once again blocked out by the curtains.

When Horrendous came back soon after, he brought another dragon with him. Once again, this one was nothing alike the others. This one was a vibrant green adorning lots of red and yellowish spots, his body was larger but also flat, four short legs making him look shorter with two long and slim tails, and two long and slim necks. Yes, two, because that dragon had two tails, and two heads. Each head was roundish, with two straight horns along with a curved one on the snout. The head moved like slytherin snakes, quick and sharp movements making two pairs of yellow eyes land on the hooded boy.

Horrendous looked incredibly badass as he posed in front of the dragon, the two heads lowering to each of his sides. “I present to you the Hiddeous Zippleback : Barf and Belch,” he said proudly, fists on his hips.

Jack was too amazed to laugh at the fact the dragon had a name per head, instead he gaped as he looked up the two-headed dragons. He pretty much gaped at each dragon Horrendous showed him, really. Like the auburnet had said, he brought them in one by one, and if he had seemed tensed at first, now he was completely relaxed and progressively turned the introductions into another show, showing off some tricks they could do.

Barf and Belch were good with tricks using their divided attention, and were hilarious with hoops around their two necks. Stormfly made a coming back for Horrendous to show her play fetch – which proved a big trying in such a small space, and Jack burst out laughing when the Dragon Tamer just threw a piece fo chicken to him and Stormfly came begging him for it, making herself small and wagging her spiked tail.

Next dragon to be presented was Meatlug. As a Gronckle, she was shorter but massive. Her skin seemed to be rough as rock, her leaden body was adorned with rounded spikes and a thick tail that visibly served as a mace. Her wings seemed tiny, conversely to her mouth full of sharpened teeth popping out. The detail Jack liked the most about this dragon was her two tiny ears in the shape of wings, and the fact – despite clearly being a strong and solid creature – he couldn’t not compare her with a puppy with how cheery and affectionate she was. She was nothing but an overgrown softie. Horrendous explained that she knew less tricks than the other dragons because she was super clumbsy and too often ended up knocking furniture over – something she proved with a loud crashing sound when the auburnet brought her back to the other room.

After this, Jack met again the Monstruous Nightmare, who left the Dragon Tamer’s side to come to Jack and nudge him, the boy almost toppling from the bench had Horrendous not coaxed the creature known as Hookfang back. Though Jack was laughing of it, Horrendous still explained it was affectionate – as if the boy couldn’t tell with the deep vibrating sounds echoing from the red dragon, which could only be purrs. And Jack was mystified that dragons could purr.

By then, Jack was starting to think that dragons could be both magnificent and cute. Stormfly in the way she had leant into Horrendous’ scratching. Meatlug in how she had wagged her tail with her tongue out like an excited puppy. They were magnificent in their appearance, they were cute in their behaviour. And then came a dragon Jack almost cooed at when he saw him, because he was cute.

Small in size, barely the size of an adult cat and nestled in Horrendous’ arms, the boy nearly took him for a hatchling. With scales a mixture of green and brown, he matched the Dragon Tamer’s leather and green tunic, though his sunflower eyes spoke of a completely different personality. His twisted horns reminded of Hookfang’s horns but his roundish head and belly and the arrow-shaped spike at the tip of his tail spoke of a different species, especially when Horrendous introduced him as a Terrible Terror.

Jack asked about that name and the Dragon Tamer warned him not to underestimate these small dragons : they could still be dreadful and extremely sly. It was then Jack realized that, despite the small size, this dragon did was an adult. He seemed rather calm in Horrendous’ arms, but Jack felt something in the way the dubbed Sharpshot looked at him : there was mischief in there.

Overall, Jack was amazed with each new dragon presented to him – mourning when they left even if replaced by another wonderful dragon. He could understand that Horrendous didn’t want to overwhelm him with all the dragons at once, but Jack couldn’t get enough of them.

“What about the last one ?” Jack asked after Horrendous came back from the other room where he had deposited Sharpshot, the small dragon still hissing from behind the curtains since the Dragon Tamer had brought him back – uh, dragons clearly didn’t like cramped spaces. “You said you had six dragons but we only saw five of them.”

Horrendous’ whole body tensed, and Jack flinched too, wondering what he had done wrong. The auburnet scratched his cheek, reverting back to how tense and reluctant he had been when they arrived in the tent.

“Huh… I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” he eventually provided.

Jack’s mile dropped. “Why ?”

“You see… Toothless is a special case. He’s a Night Fury. These dragons are known as the ‘Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself’, the most dangerous and deadly of dragons,” the Dragon Tamer explained with a grimace – an awkward tentative smile – looking like he was expecting Jack to freak out and scream or something.

After seeing the other dragons, it was the last thing Jack wanted to do. Stormfly was covered with pointy spikes. Meatlug had a maw full of sharp teeth that could shatter bones – and she had the strength to since Horrendous said she was eating freaking rocks. Barf and Belch had two heads and two tails to help trap a rey if they wanted to. Hookfang had talons and teeth cut like razors. Even Sharpshot looks like a little demon planning tricks. And Jack hadn’t been scared of any of them. How could this Toothless be that frightening ? Nope, Jack didn’t believe he was dangerous. He was sure that Night Fury was as magnificent and soft as the others Horrendous was taking care of. More so, Jack was convinced of it, because he hadn’t seen yet the one the auburnet had called ‘Bud’ with so much affection. It must be Toothless, then.

With a smile, Jack assured, “I’m sure he is really nice, especially if he’s your friend.”

Once more, his answer seemed to take Horrendous aback. The auburnet looked up at him with a slight start to his shoulders. Jack was waiting for his eager smile to return, but the tension remained. With a sight, the Dragon Tamer looked down, shoulders dropping.

“Yes, he’s my friend. My best friend, actually. He is really important to me. All my dragons are, but he’s special.”

Oh.

Well, Jack could understand that. It was obvious that Horrendous cared a lot for his dragons, he clearly was accustomed to people fearing these creatures so much that Jack being curious about them seemed to be alien for him. Showing off his dragons on stage was a thing, one at a time in front of a public kept at a distance by the stage, was supervised and safe. Calling for a volunteer to pet the dragon was also supervised, especially if the other circus artists are around to help.

But here in this tent, there was only the two of them, and despite Horrendous being taller and larger than Jack – hense easily stronger – there was still a risk. They just met, Jack could be trying to trick him to get to his dragons. He did ask the boy if his parents were proachers, after all. It could be easy to attack the dragons under Horrendous’ nose – even though that’d be stupid because the dragons could clearly defend themselves and Horrendous could react afterwards so the proacher wouldn’t get away with it anyway.

As if Jack wanted to hurt those amazing creatures.

There was no way, he would rather be hurt instead. However, as much as Jack was intrigued by this Night Fury, once again he found himself not daring to push his luck. He had already been introduced to five incredible specimens, what was one more or one less ? And still, he must be greedy, because he really wanted to meet Toothless. Probably because he seemed that important for Horrendous that the auburnet hesitated to show him.

“It’s okay,” he found himself saying, trying for a smile when vivid green orbs looked up at him. “You don’t have to show him to me if you don’t want to. I already got to see the others, and that’s five more dragons than I could have dreamt of. So, thank you already. Trully.”

That was it, then, Jack guessed. He had had his tour at the circus, got an extra from Ruffnut and got to spend more time with Horrendous and see his dragons.

“I guess I’ll just go back, then,” he added, standing up from the bench.

“Wait !” Horrendous exclaimed, jumping forward but stopping when Jack did. Widened vivid green eyes blinked and the Dragon Tamer quickly stepped back, rubbing the back of his head while averting his eyes. “Err, I mean… If you trully like dragons that much, who am I to deprive you, right ?” He tried for a smile that proved lopsided, showing crooked teeth, but Jack found it quite charming.

It pulled at his own lips, and the hooded boy nodded eagerly. Horrendous’ smile softened as they just stayed there, staring at each other. Jack felt like melting everytime he was seeing this peculiar smile. It suited Horrendous, emphasizing the kindness in his eyes. It really was something unique Jack had never seen in anyone else before. Well, actually, maybe. It reminded him a bit of his mother’s gentleness back when she still considered him as her son.

Thinking back to his mother reminded Jack of his situation, reminded him of the slight itch to his scalp due to the dye. For all this moment with Horrendous was warm and nice, it was just a fleeting moment. If the Dragon Tamer was that nice to him – to the extend of showing his dragons to him and even one who was that important to him as Toothless seemed to be – it was only because the auburnet thought Jack was human. Just a regular boy, not a demon possessing a corpse. Jack had no doubts this fleeting moment, as beautiful as it was, would just go up in smoke if Horrendous knew.

Luckily, Horrendous didn’t have to know. Not now, not tonight, and probably never since they were not going to see each other again after this. So this little lie didn’t matter.Jack could just go along and enjoy the moment, for as long as it would last.

Icy blue eyes watched as Horrendous left one last time to the other room, his sole presence creating various sounds from the dragons. This time, Jack didn’t try to peek, instead he listened. He could already pick the sounds from a dragon to another, seeing how unique each of them was. The cacklings sounds were from Stormfly, the snake-like hissing from Barf and Belch or Sharpshot if high-pitched, Meatlug was making guttural gurgles. There was a vibrating sound that reminded Jack of Hookfang but he was sure it wasn’t from the Monstruous Nightmare – it wasn’t as deep, and was quickly followed by some kind of clucking, right before Horrendous’ voice rose, “No, wait Bud !”

Jack was wondering what was that ruckus when a dark mass popped out of the curtains and bounced in the middle of the room. The sudden appearance had the hooded boy startle so hard he lost his balance, the bench supporting him wobbling dangerously. By the time he managed to right himself, icy blue eyes looked up to see Horrendous had joined them and wrapped his arms around the thick neck of the black dragon to hold him back. Once more, Jack found himself gaping at the new dragon.

This one was shorter than the others, reaching Horrendous’ height and overall was sleeker. Four legs, two large wings, he also had fins on the hips as well as at the tip of his tail. His head was large and flat, with appendices all around, including two longer that looked like ears. In all the ebony mass could be seen two big acid green eyes with big rounded pupils.

“Sorry about him,” Horrendous apologized with a sheepish smile, still holding the dragon who was huffing like he had run for miles or something. “He’s usually energic, he didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I’m not scared, I… he took me by surprise, appearing out of nowhere and all,” Jack brushed off, chuckling.

Chuckles that Horrendous shared, “Yeah, he tends to do that.”

Toothless completely ignored the auburnet’s babbling as he was staring intently at Jack. He seemed curious, wiggling his snout like a bunny and trying to come closer despite the restraint Horrendous still had on his neck. The auburnet noticed his scaly friend’s insistance and his green eyes looked back and forth between Toothless’ curious demenaor and Jack’s amazed smile. The boy could read his dilemna on his whole face, until the auburnet spoke with hesitation.

“Huh… Do you… Do you want to pet him ?”

“Can I ?” It took Jack by surprise, the offer being a shark contrast to the Dragon Tamer’s previous reluctance. “Really ?”

Horrendous smiled, shrugging, “Looks like you intrigue him. He wants to get to know you.”

As if to confirm, the black dragon let out a vibrating rumble, nudging his scaly head towards Jack.

“I’d like to get to know him, too,” the boy smiled.

“Alright, then do as I showed you on stage. No sudden move, present him your palm and show him your trust.”

Jack nodded and placed his palm toward the dragon, whose eyes widdened and sparkled. Much to the boy’s surprise, the Dragon Tamer released Toothless’ neck and let him go closer by himself, without supervision. Until then, the auburnet had made sure to keep the dragons a safety distance from the hooded boy.

“Is it really okay ?” Jack asked, wanting to make sure Horrendous really was comfortable with this.

“It was safe on stage too,” the Dragon Tamer smiled, visibly not getting Jack’s question. “All my dragons are friendly, I wouldn’t take the risk to act with a wild or moody one. It was just to spice the show. Gobber’s idea, actually. Said people wouldn’t come and watch my show if they knew how nice dragons actually are.”

Jack chuckled at that, guessed this Gobber person had a point, then he focused back on Toothless who was now sniffing his pale hand. The boy smiled even more and closed his eyes. He could feel the body heat from the dragon, coming closer to his cold hand, and soon a hot breath tickled his skin, just before a warm and slightly wet snout pressed against his hand. He cracked a broad smile before he cracked his eyes open. Toothless’ own eyes were closed as he was producing a soft, vibrating noise that sounded like a purr. When lime green eyes opened, Jack retreated his hand. The dragon stepped even closer and started to sniff his face and hair, which tickled him, tearing a bubbling laugh from his chest.

“Wow,” Horrendous breathed. “He likes you.”

“You think so ?” Jack perked up, struggling to keep his balance as the ebony dragon was insisting on sniffing him all over – making the boy wonder if he was smelling bad or if the dragon was maybe upset with the sour odor of his hair dye ?

Toothless eventually stepped back and warbbled, hips shaking as he too wagged his tail like a puppy. The big rounded eyes also reminded Jack of a puppy, tentalizing him intopetting the Night Fury. Ever so gently, cautiously, he laid a hand on Toothless’ brow and ran it slowly on the scales. The dragon closed his eyes and pressed his head against the cold hand, asking for more. Jack chuckled and obliged, starting to scratch the scales, much to the dragon’s delight judging by his warbles and purs getting louder.

“He’s incredible, Horrendous !” Jack beamed at the Dragon Tamer.

Dragon Tamer who was now leaning against his busy desk, just observing them with a smile on his face. Horrendous stared for a moment more, then spoke softly, “You can call me Hiccup.”

Jack, despite his fingers still scratching and petting Toothless, now under his chin, felt his heart skip a beat when he noticed the auburnet had this soft smile on his face again.

Seemingly sensing the boy’s confusion, the auburnet added, “Horrendous is my stage name. You can call me Hiccup.”

Oh.

It was another silly name, but it sounded better than Horrendous, actually.

“Hiccup… Suits you better than Horrendous,” Jack mumbled, suddenly feeling shy and using the dragon melting on his lap as an excuse to avert his eyes.

Icy blue eyes still looked up when the Dragon Tamer came closer, running a hand along Toothless’ side, who shook his head from Jack’s scratching and then rubbed it against the auburnet.

“There must be something special in you for the dragons to like you that much,” Hiccup mused.

“Huh… You think so ?”

Jack didn’t know if it a good or bad thing, if Hiccup was talking about his personality or if the dragons were able to sense he was different. For the umpteeth time of the night, Jack felt the back of his head to make sure the dye was still in place. The slight roughness told him so. The auburnet didn’t seem to notice his sudden uneasiness, or he took it as embarrassment, because he gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s a good thing. First Hookfang, then Toothless… Sharpshot seems to like you too.”

“Does he ? How can you tell ?”

Hiccup nodded towards the curtains and, there, was the Terrible Terror. Half-hidden in the folds of the fabric, staring at them with wide sunflower eyes. The small dragon flinched at the sudden attention, then seemed to take it as his permission to join them. Trotting in a zigzag path to them, he stopped a few steps from them and tilted his head on the side, tongue popping out like a snake would do, as if asking permission to come closer. Hiccup smiled at him and bent to pick him up, before he sat next to Jack.

The boy blushed as he felt Hiccup’s knee brush his tight, but he forced himself to remain calm and looked at the small dragon staring back at him.

“Do you want to hold him ?” Hiccup asked.

Jack spluttered, “Really ? Can I ?”

The Dragon Tamer chuckled, “Of course. Actually, I think he’s asking for it.”

He held him out to Jack, who reached for the dragon even if he wasn’t sure how to hold him. He found himself carrying him by the armpit and tensed, which amused Hiccup. The small dragon seemed to find this funny too judging by how he hung his tongue and shook his pointy tail. After a long hesitation, Jack tentatively put him down on his lap, then carefully let go of him. The Terrible Terrormade a circle and stood on his hinder legs to put the front ones on the boy’s chest, sticking out his tongue like a snake and sniffing him insistantly. It was Jack’s turn then to give a nervous laugh as remained tensed.

“Relax, he’s just picking your scent,” Hiccup reassured. “Dragons have a memory based on smells. Once they got yours, they will remember it their whole life. According to your behaviour with them, they will associate your smell with danger or safety. Don’t worry, as long as you don’t outright attack him, he won’t harm you. And you clearly won’t.”

“I don’t doubt that he’s safe, I just… I’m not used to it.”

“To dragons ? Or to pets ?”

Jack hesitated, not sure if he wanted to admit it, but he guessed it wasn’t fair to leave Hiccup in the dark after the Dragon Tamer had opened up that much to him and showed him all his dragons. “… to being touched.”

Jack instantly regretted admitted it when silence fell. His shoulders tensed as he kept averting Hiccup’s eyes, icy blue orbs instead looking down at the small dragon that he tentatively petted. His hand strangely fitted over Sharpshot’s back if he avoided the brown spines. His scales were not soft, but they were smooth and warm, if was pleasant compared to his cold skin. Feeling Sharpshot’s purrs vibrating in his small body was nice too. While the boy was slowly getting lost in his thoughts, he could feel Hiccup’s eyes burn on him. After a moment, he gave him a questioning look, and got surprised by the expression on the freckled face. There was a part of confusion, but mostly this kindness and… empathy ? And what was this gleam in his eyes, like some kind of determination ?

The feeling of connexion he had perceived on stage came back to life as he dove into this intense forest that were the auburnet’s eyes. The more he was staring, the more Hiccup’s face seemed to be close, as if his vision was tunneling on the Dragon Tamer, as if their faces were inching closer. But what it really just ‘as if’ ? He was certain not to move, so was it Hiccup closing the distance ? It was proven right to him as he started to fell the young man’s breath brush on his face, and that rendered him a bit dazed.

A part of his mind tried to wake him up and back, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to stay there, basking into the warmth of these three bodies around him, especially the one coming from Hiccup. This aura seemed to fill him and chase away the cold living within him and haunting him since the accident. While Hiccup’s eyes started to flutter shut, Jack closed his too, and the breath on his face grew closer, more intense, stealing his own breath away and sending his heart into pounding loops.

“Hiccup !” a voice shouted from outside.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6
MESS AND TROUBLES
ᛗᛖᛋᛋ ᚨᚾᛞ ᛏᚱᛟᚢᛒᛚᛖᛋ

“Hiccup !”

The sudden voice, though coming from outside, made everyone jump. All eyes turned towards the entry while Jack’s arms instinctively held Sharpshot closer to him, Toothless moving in front of the two humans like a bodyguard shielding them with his body.

Next to him, he felt Hiccup shift nervously. “It’s Valka,”the Dragon Tamer tsked,“Ruffnut and Snotlout were supposed to– Argh, I knew I couldn’t count on them.”

“Are we in trouble ?” Jack hesitated.

“Not yet, but we have to get you out of here before she sees you.”

The hooded boy couldn’t utter a word that Sharpshot was taken from him, the auburnet holding the small dragon with one arm and using his other hand to take Jack’s, pulling him to his feet. One glance towards the entry and the boy was dragged along to the other room, with the other dragons, Toothless behind them. Jack wasn’t even surprised to notice the dragons weren’t in cages. Stormfly was laying in a corner, lifting her spiked head to look at them, revealing that she was actually perched on the back of Meatlug, the Gronckle sound asleep and snoring audibly. Next to them was a dark mass of tails and wings of different colors, indicating it was the other dragons piled up much like kittens.

An amused smile tugged at his lips but he was quickly reminded of the urgency of the situation when as Hiccup’s warm hand let go of his to grab his shoulder instead.

“Look Jack, I’ll try and distract them. Use the backdoor, no one will see you and you’ll be able to go back home.”

The boy hesitated, feeling like he was running away like a thief. Just leaving like this felt bad, he wanted to at least thank Hiccup for showing him his dragons. “What about you ?” he found himself asking instead. After all, it looked like the auburnet was going to have serious troubles.

The smile Hiccup gave him made him feel like it was worth it, still he felt bad for leaving the Dragon Tamer deal with this alone.

“Don’t worry about me,” the auburnet assured, nudging Jack towards the backdoor. “You should worry about yourself, right now.”

“Hiccup ! Son !” The voice called again, and this time the woman sounded closer.

“Go, now,” Hiccup stressed, gesturing to the backdoor with his free arm.

Jack nodded and followed his instruction. The backdoor proved to actually be just an curtain-like opening like the one at the front, but this one was larger, clearly sized for dragons. The boy grabbed the curtain and was about to open it and leave when he felt a warm hand wrap around his wrist. He turned and looked at Hiccup, who was still frantic but also seemed nervous and… reluctant ?

“Wait !” The auburnet said, “Wait a second.”

Jack felt once again the urge to stay, but he resisted it. Hiccup was caught up in the mess Jack created by staying when he shouldn’t have, and the boy was sure to have to face his own troubles if he wasn’t back to the Overland farm before sunrise. His face paled as he imagined how people would react if he was to be suddenly gone. Jonathan, Mary, even Mayor Niel. It would be frantic panic at the village, everyone would be freaking out and preparing for a terrible curse. He would be blamedfor the most wicked witchcraft and, worst of all, if they learnt he had went to Burgess… It couldn’t end up well.

But still Hiccup’s eyes were enough to tilt the balance. No, no, he couldn’t give in. He couldn’t risk it. Who knew what could happen to the Hairy Hooligan Circus if the villagers convinced themselves Jack had put a spell on them, or cursed them. Hiccup licked his lips anxiously, seemingly searching for what to say. When Jack tried to pull back his wrist, the auburnet held him back and spluttered, “Will I see you again ? I’d like to, tomorrow night, please ?”

Jack hesitated. He wanted to accept right away, but he wasn’t sure he had any right to. It wasn’t like the ones who used to be his parents were watching him at night, but he already had taken a lot of risks by coming here tonight. Someone could spot him in the forest, on his go or back, and who could say which kind of accusations paranoia could make them utter. Could he really take the risk two nights in a row ? But at the same time, he realised he really wanted to see Hiccup and his dragons again. Especially Hiccup. The auburnet had been so kind to him, and was the first person to be since the accident.

He had not known such warmth and kindness since the accident, and it had already been three years. Almost four. Almost four years without any touch, any smile adressed to him, any comforting word, anyone caring. Almost four years drowned in the cold, it had digged a hole deep inside of him, a hole he had barely noticed before that night. Moreover, the Hairy Hooligan Circus was only staying at Burgess for three days, and it was already the second night. The following day was going to be his only chance to see Hiccup again, before he left forever.

So yes, he had to take the risk. He opened his mouth, meaning to accept coming back, but his voice caught in his throat as the backdoor suddenly opened, revealing the ringmistress. Her eyes widened as they landed on Jack, then she frowned and shouted, “Here !”

Hiccup quickly pushed Jack outside, the boy almost tripping before he caught himself and aimed to flee. However, he barely had time to take a step as someone caught his collar. Hoisted him backward and thrown him to the ground. Once again. Just the fourth time in the night. Jack was getting a bit too intimate to the ground for his liking. He rolled on his back and looked up to find a young man towering over him, angry and threatening. He looked a lot like Ruffnut, as tall as her and with the same thin but strong build, but his hair was groomed into blond dreadlocks. Even his face looked like hers with a long chin and close-set eyes. Without a word, he grabbed Jack’s arm so harshly the boy thought he wanted to break it.

“Tuffnut, leave him alone !” Hiccup shouted, coming out of the tent after them.

The Dragon Tamer aimed to step in but was held back by a hand on his shoulder.

“Hiccup !” the Ringmistress called, “Son, are you alright ?”

“Mom, what… ?”

“Tuffnut told me everything.”

“Told you what ?”

“Let me go !” Jack squeaked, trying for a glance towards the Dragon Tamer.

All he was met with was a dark look from the Ringmistress, who stepped in front of Hiccup. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this,” she said, anger burning in her voice.

Jack couldn’t help but gulp. He had no idea how things turned out this way but it screamed troubles. Both the Ringmistress and the blond guy seemed to be fuming with anger, not unlike Snotlout had been when Ruffnut brought him in the camp. The hooded boy hoped it was only due to another misunderstanding, hoped it could be sorted out by talking, but a part of him doubted it. Maybe the Ringmistress was just always angry this way – a fuming wrath burning in her eyes and clenched fists – but even if he didn’t know her it seemed graver than just an intruder in the camp.

As the Ringmistress approached him, Jack felt more like a prey about to be devoured. Struggling against the restraint, Jack found he was completely helpless. The blond guy was undeniably stronger than him – despite his thin stature it was clear his arms were even buffier than Hiccup’s, and even if not matching Snotlout’s it was still more than Jack could ever dream of.

His limbs were so thin the blond could break it easily, easier than Snotlout had smashed that log on the stage. Jack doubted he could make it out of this without injuries, and that would only bring him more troubles at the village. He could already feel pain bloom in the wrist Tuffnut was holding, along with his middle trapped in the guy’s other arm. He tried to kick his legs but he was only beating himself each time he hit the blond’s legs.

“How dare you ?!” the Ringmistress barked, her once nice visage shadowed by a glare, “how dare you go after my troupe ?! Beat up Ruffnut, blackmail her ?! Threatening to ruin my circus’ reputation ?!”

She looked like a completely different person than she had been on stage, like a lioness ot of her den to protect her cubs from a predator.

“Wait, mom, it’s a misunderstanding…” Hiccup tried.

“Hiccup, help !” Jack begged, still stirring in Tuffnut’s grip.

“This circus is all we have left,”the Ringmistress added, she sounded even more furious. “All that’s keeping us alive, all that’s protecting our dragons. I won’t let you ruin this !”

“I vote we get rid of him,” Tuffnut growled.

Jack’s whole body froze, cold dread pooled into the pit of his stomach. “You… You’re going to kill me ?!”

“No !” Hiccup protested.

Jack started to tremble uncontrollably. He knew he had to keep his composure, but knowing the artists wanted to kill him… Fear took the best out of him, like an exploding volcano, and the simple thought of going back to this cold abyss only to come back once more, surely even more abnormal and cursed… He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t stay calm. And while his fear exploded, his powers did too.

A strong gust of wind and snow envelopped him, hitting and ejecting Tuffnut, who quickly let go of him before falling back on his rear. Once Jack touched the ground, the grass around him covered in a thick layer of frost and ice. As he realised what was happening, his fear only grew more intense. Hiccup and his mother stepped back while Tuffnut sat up, his face and hair covered with snow and ice. Ruffnut and Snotlout, visibly alerted by all the commotion, had arrived to see the explosion, and also got some damages from it. Especially Snotlout. Covered head to toe in snow, the stocky dark-haired guy pointed a finger to Jack.

“M-M-Magic !” He screamed. “It’s magic ! He’s a freaking warlock !”

Jack shrunk on himself as the wind was still blowing hard and howling around him, wipping his hair, his cape and the grass, as if trying to keep the troupe away from him. He hugged and rocked himself, trying to calm down and get a grasp on his magic. But nothing was helping, because he couldn’t calm down. How could he as they had just found him out ? They were going to consider him a monster, too, even attack him. They were going to talk about it around them, rumors would spread to Burgess and reach the village, reach Mayor Niel. Jack didn’t dare imagine what was going to happen after this, which was only feeding his fear and panic.

However, all of a sudden, everything stopped. When a warm hand touched his shoulder, a soft voice talking to him.

“Hey, calm down. It’s okay, Jack.”

He sniffed and looked up to meet a pair of vivid green eyes. The eyes were full of confusion, but no trace of fear. The raging wind lifted instantly, though frost and ice didn’t melt, and Jack started to shiver, just like he did everytime after his powers went berserk like this. He was cold. His skin always was, but after every single use of this strange magic, he was feeling this cold.

Jack remained still for a moment, then he closed his eyes and folded on himself, hiding his face in his arms, refusing to look at Hiccup. No doubts the Dragon Tamer just needed a bit of time to digest his initial shock and get afraid of Jack, and turn his back on him.

“What just happened ?” Valka hesitated.

Jack shook his head in his arms, he didn’t want to answer their questions, he just wanted to disappear. Hiccup’s warm hand didn’t seem wanting to leave his shoulder, and soon something else touched him. A heavy, rough mass pressed against his back, so heavy he almost toppled forward. Hiccup caught him and Jack looked behind him to see Toothless, who was watching him with concerned eyes. Sharpshot was there too, he climbed on Jack’s lap and nudged his arm, whining faintly. The boy sniffed again but couldn’t bring himself to react.

“I don’t understand…” Valka breathed.

Hiccup, thought he was still supporting Jack, both his hands on the boy’s cold, rubbing hisshoulders, gave a pained look to his mother. Still struggling with his panting breathing, Jack barely dared take his eyes from the ground, iicy blue eyes glued to the frosted patterns staining the grass. He flinched when a clapping sound was heard, but it became obvious it was Ruffnut who hit someone as she grunted, “What did you tell her, you idiot ?!”

“Ow !” the blond named Tuffnut yelped, “What ?! This kid beats you up and blackmails you to see a bonus show for free, was I supposed to just let it go ?!”

“That’s not what happened, moron !”

“How was I supposed to know ?!”

“By asking me, duh !”

While the two started to argue and even come to hands, Valka gave an annoyed look at Snotlout. He got the message and went to the two blonds to separate them. Grabbing them both by the collar, he easily plucked them off the ground even if they were taller than him. It barely stopped them as they started to punch and kick the air towards the other.

“The three of you, in my tent,” Valka ordered. Then she turned to Hiccup and Jack. The frown on her face eased but was still present. “You two as well. You owe me some explanations.”

Jack guessed they did. The Ringmistress clearly wasn’t just an important figure on stage, she seemed to be in charge of the circus – and Hiccup’s mother, on top of that. While the auburn-haired woman turned around and headed away, probably towards her tent, Snotlout and the twins hurried after her, but Hiccup didn’t make a move to follow. Instead, he remained crouched next to Jack, addressing him a reassuring smile. Silently telling him it was okay to take his time to calm down, and the hooded boy would have lied saying he didn’t need it. Only when his breathing was back to normal did the Dragon Tamer offered a hand to help him up.

Though Hiccup’s slight grimace drove Jack to quickly retrieve his hand, obviously too cold for the warmer body. Jack hid them under his cape, rubbing them though he knew it was hopeless. The auburnet didn’t comment on it and Jack followed his lead to the tent of dread, his stress increasing as they neared it, then entered it. There, Valka was leaning on a wooden desk that took most of the room, arms crossed over her chest. The three others remained standing by the entry, sheepish.

Jack’s eyes barely dared roaming over the room to take details in, his gaze was mostly glued to the ground, hesitantly peeking at the other persons inside the tent. Hiccup lead him inside and he could feel all eyes on him, feeding the sentiment of being in big troubles. A chair was offered to him right in front of Valka, mirroring another time he had been in a similar situation.

Jackson Overland had been in big troubles one time when an elaborated prank involving most of the children in town ended up with him in the Mayor’s office. It had been nothing serious, really, Jack always made sure his pranks were fun and wouldn’t hurt anyone. Back then he didn’t understand why Mayor Niel was that mad that the kids had fun throwing snowballs and building snow forts in the streets, turning the whole village into an epic snowball war. He still didn’t understand now. It wasn’t like there had been Burgess visitors that day or that Jack hadn’t waited for the kids to finish their daily chores. So really, what had been the matter with this ? Still, Mayor Niel had been furious and had dragged Jackson in his office to scold him about being irresponsible and immature for his age – hey, he had been twelve back then, still a child and allowed to play games, right – and it turned into an earful for a whole hour before the Mayor himself dragged Jack back home by the ear, making sure that Jonathan and Mary would also scold him then. They hadn’t, but Jack still had had a few extra chores on the following day. Even though Emma had participated, she had escaped punishment – lucky brat – and still she had come and helped him with cleaning the goat pen – the little angel.

Jack started when a pint of water was offered to him, curtesy of Valka whose face had softened even more. She didn’t look angry anymore, but still a bit upset. With a smile, she offered the pint and Jack hesitantly took it – hoping some fresh water would help him calm his remaining nerves. That would have probably helped if his lips made contact with fresh water instead of solid ice. Flinching, he lowered the pint and tried to hide its frozen content with his sleeve, revealing frosted patterns blooming onto the battered leather.

Great, even with simple nerves his powers were showing. Though, deep down, he knew it wasn’t just nerves. His breathing may have stopped panting but his heart was still hammering in his chest, blood rushing right in his ears and fingers frantic on their grip on the tip. Then again, how was he supposed to be calm ? It wasn’t about having another misunderstanding making at odds with the circus artists trying to hurt him for – supposedly – hurting the others. That he could understand. He had been there himself, wanting to protect his baby sister even if it never came to hands, but he knew the sentiment. No, all of that he could let go. What he couldn’t let go was the undeniable fact that now they knew about his cursed magic.

Now the problem was : what were they going to do about it ?

Jack’s body was so tense he wondered if he’d turn into stone, his grip tightening increasingly around the poor frozen over pint, so much he flinched when the Ringmistress eventually started talking.

“I have to say I was taken aback by what happened outside,” Valka said, her voice bitting despite her calm appearance. “But it doesn’t discharge you, boy. Now, I want answers. Who are you, and why did you threathened my circus and troupe ?”

Jack gulped, thoughts swirling in his head. When had he threatened the circus ? He had been dragged in the camp by Ruffnut and, when about to be led back, had asked if he could see the dragons. Hiccup had all the rights to refuse, Jack didn’t force him. Then again, the Dragon Tamer had made it sound like they had to please Jack to keep a good reputation to keep Ruffnut and Snotlout in check, the young man called Tuffnut probably had overheard them and misunderstood. That was the only explaination Jack could think of, especially seeing how Ruffnut had been scolding the blond she couldn’t be the one who warned Valka of Jack’s presence. Icy blue eyes hesitantly glanced towards Snotlout, who was crossing his arms and sporting a disgruntled pout, and so the hooded boy decided the stocky guy couldn’t have snitched either.

Even though, even if the idea wasn’t his at first, Jack still felt like he had force the Dragon Tamer, that he had taken advantage of Ruffnut scaming him. Moreover, despite the first misunderstanding that had nearly gotten him stabbed by Snotlout, the artists had been kind enough to allow him in the camp and did offer him a private show of Hiccup’s other dragons. And now they were in trouble for that. Jack felt like he should repay the favor, taking the blame to spare them the troubles he indirectly got them into.

“I… I didn’t mean it to go that far,” he ended up saying. “I just wanted to see Hiccup’s dragons, but…”

He gulped and hunched his shoulders the slightest, searching for what to say. If he mentioned the scaming, Ruffnut would be in troubles. If he mentioned she had been mugged by Franc and his friends, Valka would surely want to know why and then the scam would be out and the blonde would be in even more troubles. But how else to explain why she had brought him in the camp in the first place ? He could pretend having sneaked in and asked Hiccup to show him his dragons, but then the Dragon Tamer would be the one in troubles for accepting. As it was, if Jack wanted to shoulder all the responsability – even if that would go back at him because Valka was sure to want to tell his parents – then he had no choice but to go along the blackmailing thing.

Bracing himself, he took a deep breath in and opened his mouth, still searching for his words but he knew he had to talk at one point. “I–”

“It’s my fault,” Ruffnut stepped in, much to his surprise.

Wide icy blue eyes looked up at the blonde still standing by the entry. Arms crossed, she was looking down and kicking a peeble with her overlarge boot. The blond guy looking so much alike her eyed her as if she had grown a second head. Snotlout, on his part, looked away with his shoulders squared, a guilty frown on his brow.

“I’m the one who brought him at the camp and offered him another show, just for him,” Ruffnut insisted.

“Why would you do that ?” Tuffnut gasped, only to be quieted when she socked him in the arm.

“He saved me, okay ?” she barked, adding another punch for good measure, “Some dickheads from the village cornered me. They were taller and stronger than him, but he still came to my rescue and got beaten in the process. I just wanted to thank him, that’s all. Poor kid, you guys didn’t go easy on him, first Snotlout and now you !”

Well, looked like Jack’s plan of shouldering all the blame had gone to waste. At this point, he wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or not. If anything, that made him feel even more guilty, reminding him that none of this would have happened if he had just refused to follow Ruffnut and went back home as planned.

“Sorry for these idiots,” the blonde told him, as if it was their fault. This mess was all on him, after all, the others shouldn’t have to pay for his mistake and whim.

Eyes cast down, Jack slowly shook his head. “Sorry…” he mumbled, the words stuck in his throat.

There was a beat of silence, then Valka’s voice filled the room once more, her stern tone reminding him of his mother back when she was still acitng as such.

“And can we know why these kids went after you in the first place ?” Valka inquired, confirming Jack’s guess that Ruffnut’s scam was about to be exposed.

The blonde gave a sheepish laugh, scratching her jaw. “Huh… I… They wanted to steal from me ?”

The auburn-haired woman clearly wasn’t convinced as she crossed her arms over her chest and addressed a deadpan look to the blonde – one that ressembled the one Hiccup gave Ruffnut and Snotlout earlier when he helped Jack out of the first misunderstanding. Yep, those two definitively were mother and son.

Ruffnut met the stare dead on at first, but quickly deflated, her long arms flopping alon her body with a long-suffering groan. “Okay, I scamed them at the entrance and refused to repay them when they confronted me.”

Valka didn’t look surprised at that, a sigh heaving her flat chest. “And I suppose they’re not the only ones you scamed.”

It was insane how her voice remained calm but held so much reproaches and underlying scolding. If she managed to make Ruffnut that uncomfortable with this, Jack didn’t dare imagine what it would be like if the Ringmistress were to actually get angry. The blonde clearly wavered under such a gaze, her clear eyes glancing at Jack, who couldn’t bare meet her eyes and quickly ducked his head. Somehow, he could feel Valka’s gaze burning on him.

“I see,” she simply stated.

See what ? Jack looked up at her, noticing the sudden change in her demeanor. Her whole face and eyes had softened, so much that Jack recognized the gentle woman from stage. Maybe it wasn’t just fro show and that was how she actually was when she wasn’t pissed off. Squirming on his seat, Jack barely dared look at her in the eye, wondering what conclusion the woman had drawn from the small exchange with Ruffnut. Did she somehow guessed that Ruffnut had scammed him too ?

“It’s really noble of you to have helped her despite of this. You didn’t have to, especially since she scammed you too,” Valka added, her voice much calmer and softer than before.

Jack couldn’t help but flinch. No, it wasn’t noble. Despite scamming him, Ruffnut didn’t deserve to be beaten up by Franc and his friends. They were bullies, they just needed an excuse to go after someone, and having been too often on the receiving end of this, Jack just couldn’t let it go. Not that being saved by a demon would do Ruffnut any good. Speaking of which, Jack couldn’t fathom that Valka was being kind to him despite having witnessed his curse. She had seen his magic, how come she wasn’t afraid ?

A hesitant glance towards her revealed her smiling at him. “And I’m sorry for earlier. For threathening you like this. I didn’t really mean to hurt you, just scare you… I’m sorry, really. It’s just that… we already have had problems in the past. This circus is all we have left. Granted we don’t have luxurious life here, we’re always on the go, but we gain enough money to eat and this place is like a home for each of us. We can’t afford to loose it.”

“I understand…” Jack mumbled.

He could even relate, actually. Jackson Overland had always been protective of his own, especially his baby sister, and now that Jack had no home or family left, it only fed the desire to protect it should he could have it back. So really, Valka protecting the circus and the troupe – her family – wasn’t far-fetched. He was actually surprised that she hadn’t meant hurting him, just scaring him like she pretended. But then again, she had a son who wasn’t much older than Jack, so maybe the mother in her held her back ?

Which… didn’t explain how calm they were right now, after having seen Jack nearly freeze to death three of them. None of them was pointing it out, nore the frozen pint Jack was struggling to hide and even less the frost still creeping on his cloak. They were dead set on the other part of the incident, apologizing to Jack as if he was just a victim there. After thinking it through, he decided it was best to address it than dwell on the scenarios running through his head.

But he didn’t have a chance to ask as Valka turned towards Ruffnut. Her gentle demeanor hardened back to her previous stern stance as she fixed the blonde with a darker stare.“Now, Ruffnut…”

The blonde’s whole body tensed and her face paled.

“I thought I had made myself clear last time. What’s gotten on you, for Thor’s sake ? Is it that hard to just give change ?”

Ruffnut averted her eyes, but didn’t answer. She only drew circles on the ground with her foot. After a few seconds of drawn out silence, Valka sighed and pinced her nosebridge. “I’m seriously tired of constantly repeating this to you. Your brother, Snotlout and you have broken my rules several times, but this time it’s enough. I already told you we were running a honest business, I don’t want any of your fights, robs and even less scams ! You put our whole circus in danger. If people linked these mugs to us, they won’t come anymore and we’ll loose our jobs, and the protection for our dragons, and for ourselves ! You put all of us in danger for a couple coins !”

“But we need that money !” Ruffnut argued, but Valka didn’t bulge.

“No ! What we need above anything else is our public ! I’m tired of moving heaven and earth for the three of you. I want you to leave.”

If Jack thought that Valka’s voice had boomed in the tent at this, the silence that ensued certainly did. Heavy silence that burdened over their shoulders and even Jack’s even if he wasn’t the one who’d just been kicked out.

“What ?!” Tuffnut and Snotlout blenched.

“You can’t do this, Valka !” Ruffnut begged, gesturing wildly. “You promised to look after us !”

“And you promised to follow my rules and protect our family,” the auburn-haired woman contered. “You didn’t.”

The blonde gasped, then positively threw herself to Valka, kneeling and pressing her forehead to the ground. “Please Valka ! It won’t happen again, I swear ! Just give us another chance !”

“It’s too late, I already gave you several chances. I’m sorry, Ruffnut, but it’s over.”

The blonde remained to the ground, shoulders shaking as muffled sobs started escaping her. Her brother crouched next to her, slowly wrapping his arms around her but silent as a grave. Icy blue eyes watched with a painful pinch to the chest, the scene hitting too close to home for comfort. Glancing back to Snotlout, the hooded boy noticed the stocky guy was frozen, his sharp eyes wide. Jack doubted he had even realised what had just happened. It only worsened the constricting sensation in his chest.

Jack barely noticed Hiccup dropping his own stance next to his mother, the auburnet turning to face her.

“Mom–” he started, only to be interrupted as Jack stood from the chair.

“Wait !”

Fumbling with the frozen pint he dropped onto the seat, Jack tensed as all eyes were now on him. The sudden attention was enough o fray his nerves, but he had to push through. This mess was his doing, there was no way he was letting Ruffnut, her brother and Snotlout pay for this. Even less such a high price as loosing their home.

It was all on him.

“You can’t just kick them out like this,” he argued, holding from stepping too close to the woman he didn’t want to hurt with his cold aura. “They belong here !”

There was no way Jack was just watching as someone was goign through the same thing he did. He had to at least try. Valka’s water blue eyes blinking at him in utter confusion only spurred him on. “You said yourself that this circus was a family, their family ! You can’t just abandon your family ! Please, keep them !”

Valka’s hesitation and the tense way her way glanced towards Ruffnut and Tuffnut still kneeling down was a good sign for the hooded boy, who kept pinning her with begging eyes, hoping the unusual color wasn’t ruining the effect.

“Uh… I…” the auburn-haired woman stuttered, teeth clenching as she visibly made an effort to avert Jack’s eyes, and failing. “I suppose…” she let out a sigh, her shoulders slaging. “The boy is right… Fine, I allow you guys to stay.”

“Really ?!” The twins gasped, both perking up with wet but sparkling eyes.

Valka rolled her eyes and pointing a stern finger at them. “Yes, but I swear to the Gods, Ruff, if you ever do something like this again–”

“Thank you, Valka !” The blonde yelled as she threw herself at the woman’s neck.

The Ringmistress was rendered speechless, even after the blonde let go, bouncing excitedly on her feet as she turned towards Jack. “And you !” She exclaimed before she hugged him too, wrapping her arms around his lithe frame and even hefting him from the ground, spinning him around while barking laughters. Jack remained tensed from head to toes even after she put him back down, even more so as her brother rushed in and wrapped them both in a bear-like hug. “You’re really my hero ! You saved me twice tonight !”

Jack wasn’t sure if he was still breathing, be it from the fierce double-hug or by how tense he was that he was holding his breath. He barely relaxed when Hiccup stepped in, coaxing the twins to release him, an amused chuckle on the lips.

“Easy guys, you’re going to choke him,” the auburnet tried.

“Not sorry !” They snickered in chorus.

Jack’s body barely relaxed when they released him from the bear embrace. He flinched still as the blond with dreadlocks patted a hand on his shoulder.

“Seriously, thank you kiddo,” Tuffnut added, his clear eyes identical to Ruffnut’s boring into Jack’s.

Both twins were smilling brightly at him, eyes twinkling with tears still stuck there, and Jack was glad they were allowed to stay, but he didn’t think he deserved their thanks. He put them there, the least he could do was fix his mistakes. And despite their beaming faces, all he could see where the frostbites dotting their skin, some ice was still clinging to the leather ribbons tied in their hair.

A tap to his shoulder had him jump, turning around to be met with Snotlout. Just like the twins, his face was stained with frostbites, but he seemed to have taken it worst than Tuffnut, probably because the blond had been pushed down rather quickly while it took more to topple over such a buffy guy. The brunet’s bushy brows were so furrowed he looked like he was about to punch the taller but slimmer boy, and Jack guessed why.Giving him a sheepish smile, a nervous chuckle bubbled out of him as he apologized for the icy treatment.

“Right, huh… Sorry for earlier… I hope I didn’t hurt you ?”

Bushy brown eyebrows rose up and that alone seemed to completely change the image the brunet was giving off : from threatening to just… normal. Sharp eyes averted his for a second, large shoulders shrugging.

“M’fine, no probs. Actually, I wanted t’say sorry. And… thanks.” He patted the boy’s frail shoulder. “You’re a good guy.”

The words struck Jack. It surely was meant as a compliment, but all the boy could made of it was fake. His ears buzzed out with countless memories of the past four years, all the means words and names thrown at him, all the awkward and heavy silences surrounding him and those who used to be family… and all of the sudden Snotlout’s words became bittersweet. Like a lie which was nice to hear, but far from the truth.

“Uh… Thank you,” Jack mumbled, shying away from the larger guy.

With his eyes downcast, the hooded boy missed how Snotlout stared at him, arching a single eyebrow.

“Alright,” Valka said as she clapped her hands to catch their attention. “Now that this problem is solved, I’d actually like to make an offer to you.”

Jack couldn’t help but tense, stepping away from Snotlout and the twins who, he realized, were too close for comfort – weren’t they indisposed by the chill surrounding him ? Looking towards Valka, he noticed she was far more relaxed than before, looking just as kind and gentle as she had been on stage. She was even smiling a him. That peaked his curiosity : what was that offer ?

“What you did with this magic was really impressive,” she started, oblivious of how her words only worsened Jack’s tension.

All his muscles just locked into place while his heart started beating a frantic tattoo. So they really were addressing that matter now, huh ? Worst part was that Valka didn’t seem afraid of it, rather impressed, clearly not realizing that it was evil.

“Have you ever thought of having your own show ?” she asked with that smile into place.

Jack’s eyes bulged. “W-What… ?”

“I’d like you to join our troupe.”

The hooded boy just stood there, icy blue eyes blinking owlishly, then ehsitantly glanced to the others, trying to make sure he had heard it right. Looked like Valka’s proposition wasn’t a surprise just for him, seeing as the four artists also stared at her with surprise plastered all over their faces.

Then, as if the simple proposition wasn’t alien enough, everyone beamed. Hiccup’s smile was the first to catch Jack’s attention, quickly followed by the twins nodding their head frantically, and Snotlout giving him an expectant look.

“Oh yeah, that’d be awesome !” Ruffnut approved, grinning madly, clenching her fists as she hoped a couple of times.

“A show of magic, wicked !” Tuffnut added, before throwing his head against his sister, bonking their skull so hard Jack could only wince, but they both seemed fine.

“Y’have t’come with us !” Snotlout urged as if there was nothing to discuss about.

Once again, Jack felt warmth spread in his chest, swelling it pleasantly. Their excitement to see him join them was a nice change, but a foolish one.Even if they seemed to think his magic was something good, he suspected it was only because they didn’t know how he had gotten it. If they knew what he was, how he had become this, there was no doubt they would be scared off and reject him, just like everyone did at the village.

After all, who would possibly want the company of a demon possessing a dead, frozen corpse ?

Knowing this, there was no way he could accept their offer. Seeing them turn their back on him would be too painful – he doubted he could handle another rejection, even from people he just met – and he knew he wouldn’t be able to lie to them for long. The weight of what happened that day at the pond, and during the almost-four following years, it was too much of a burden to be hidden.

Moreover, who could say how the village would react to his missing ? And what if the word spread in the world ? If someone from Hawthorne was to meet the circus elsewhere ? Having a demon in their troupe would ruin the circus’ reputation and would condemn them all. They didn’t deserve this.

So, soon, the faint smile on Jack’s lips dropped, as well as his head and gaze. “I can’t,” he mumbled to the ground.

“What ?” was the chorus reaction of the five other persons in the tent.

“But why ?” The twins pressed on, taking a step closer and Jack stepped back in a flinch, effectively stopping them.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he started, feeling the urge to not make it sound like a rejection, like it was their fault. “I… I’d like to come with you, trully, it’s just…”

He grimaced as his thoughts raged and swirled in his head, words tripping on his tongue as he struggled to find an excuse that would not hurt them, nore reveal the truth about his curse. If he told them the real reasons, he was going to scare them off, they would call him a monster and reject him, and he didn’t want this to be their last conversation. So he searched for the only other excuse he could think of.

“I can’t just leave like that. I can’t leave my family.” Which was a big lie, seeing that he didn’t have any family left, and that he was sure they would be better off if he was to disappear from their lives.

“S’no probs, they can com’along,” Snotlout shrugged, as if that was solving the problem.

They were insistent, it seemed, so Jack had to be too. “They won’t, they… They won’t abandon the village nore the community.”

And they would certainly never want to come with Jack, or rather, the monster that killed both their children and was haunting them with the image of their deceased son. Jack couldn’t even blame them.

Once more, silence loomed in the whole tent. Icy blue eyes were still fixed to the ground, unable to look up in fear of meeting someone’s gaze, one he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold. He didn’t want to see their expressions, the disappointment he could feel thick in the air. It would make this even more complicated. They were so nice, he didn’t want to hurt them. That was the reason why he was rejecting them, they just couldn’t see it.

In the end, Valka was the one to break the silence. “I understand,” she said softly.

Judging by the others’ silence – and how the twins lowered their head with a sad face and pout, like they could do nothing about it – the Ringmistress definitively was in charge of the circus, so much that her word was final for the others. Though, despite his refusal, the auburn-haired woman kept her warm smile. She passed by Ruffnut and came in front of Jack, putting both her hands on his shoulders. He tried not to tense, taking in the pleasant warmth coming from her slim but strong hands.

“Still, know that, if you ever change your mind, my offer still stands. We could really gain from having someone like you. All you have to do is find us,” she insisted, her water-blue eyes meeting his dead on as if to convey how much she meant this.

Jack had to force a smile. He didn’t want to seem inpolite or ungrateful, but as much as he suspected she was genuine in this moment, he knew it was only because she thought he was just a boy. If she ever knew of his true nature, she was sure to change her mind.

With that gentle smile, she nodded and dropped her hands from his tensed shoulders. “Now, it’s getting late, I suppose you’d like to go back home, right ? It’s pretty dark and easy to get lost in the woods, so I should probably–”

“I’ll walk him back !” Hiccup stepped up to them.

Valka’s eyes blinked a couple of times. “Huh, yeah, okay.”

After bidding goodbye to the artists and the Ringmistress, Jack followed Hiccup outside. Walking back the other way around the camp felt completely different than when Jack had walked in with Ruffnut, especially as both Toothless and Sharpshot tagged along. There was no more dread of what the blonde wanted to do with him, no unknown destination, and it was way warmer with the friendly company of the Dragon Tamer walking by his side, the Terrible Terror having decided that his shoulders were a good perch, and the Night Fury rubbing his head against his arm insistently, Hiccup telling him Toothless wanted to be petted.

While balancing the small green and brown dragon on his shoulders and scratching the ebony scales of the demanding Night Fury, Jack listened to Hiccup regalling him with stories about his dragons, the conversation dissolving from the boy’s comment on how affectionate both dragons were. Apparently, all dragons were quite cuddly if they liked someone, but the auburnet admitted it wasn’t often that Toothless trusted someone that easily.

Jack savored the moment and asked a lot of questions, including how he had met the dragons he had in his tent. Most of which weren’t very fond memories since Hiccup had found most of them wounded. He had brought Meatlug on a market where she was being sold as a tool to make a special ore named Gronckle Iron. Barf and Belch had been fred from a traffic of dragon skins. Hookfang and Stormfly had both been found stuck in traps that had wounded them, Sharpshot keping company to the latter. As to Toothless, he had been left to die after a trap had torn half his tailfin and left him flightless.

None of these encounters were happy moments but Hiccup quickly brushed it off with happier memories on how he got to bond with each of his dragons, arms flailing and beaming smile and passionate ranting. Jack found it charming.

When they reached the entrance of the circus, about to leave the camp, Hiccup stopped his story so he could ask the dragons to wait for him there, but none of them seemed to like it. Sharpshot refused to climb down Jack whent he Dragon Tamer coaxed him off, even wrapping his tail around the slender pale neck to show he wanted to stay with the boy. One could have been uncomfortable to have something wrapped around their neck, but it didn’t bother Jack. Actually, it made his chest buzz with warmth. The dragon wasn’t even squeezing, anyway, unlike how hard he was rubbing his head against Jack’s cheek, squishing the pale skin against hsi vibrant scales.

Hiccup smiled at the display of affection. “He really likes you.”

“I like him too,” Jack smiled as he scratched the tiny beast’s chin, making him purr.

Only then did the Terrible Terror accept to remove his tail from the boy’s neck, purring louder when he was scooped up in Jack’s arms. After some pets and cuddles, the hooded boy looked up to Hiccup and met his eyes. The Dragon Tamer seemed lost in his thoughts, vivid green eyes looking at the equally green dragon, so Jack asked him what was going on in his head.

“What about you keep him ?” was blurted out as if it was nothing.

Jack blinked once. Then twice.Replaying the words in his head to make sure he had heard right. “Huh ?”

Once again, Hiccup gave him this peculiar smile and Jack quickly closed his gaping mouth, blushing uncontrollably.

“It’s obvious Shapshot adores you. He bonded to you, the same way Toothless did to me. He clearly wants to stay with you.”

“But you… You would let him go ?”

Hiccup shrugged, “I never forced a dragon to stay if he didn’t want to. Each of my dragons is free to leave whenever they want – Thornado did in his time – and I’m glad Sharpshot would be with someone like you. Someone who will take good care of him and treat him like a friend, not just a pet.”

Jack’s heart skipped a beat at the fond look the Dragon Tamer was casting on him, icy blue eyes shyly averting vivid green to look down at the small dragon. Sharpshot’s big yellow eyes stared back at him, forked tongue peeking out. Jack would lie saying the idea wasn’t tempting.

Bringing Sharpshot back home with him, to keep him company, to accept him despite of what he had become… having a warm and friendly presence by his side, for the first time in almost four years… It really was tempting. But was he really able to take care of the dragon properly ? Would the farm be a good place for him ?

Jack paled thinking about it. What would Jonathan and Mary say ? A fire-breathing dragon in a wooden house, in a farm full of chickens, sheep and other animals he could scare or even hunt ? No, it would be chaos, they would try and chase him off, and how would the villagers take White the Cursed having a dragon ?

Misery filled his heart as he realised he couldn’t accept. Even if this small dragon was a promise of so many beautiful things for him, he could only bring pain to this marvelous creature. He was sick to the idea of the villagers going after Sharpshot, hurting him, even trying to kill him. This sensitive creature seemed to feel his sorrow as he started to whine. Jack closed his eyes and hugged him close, before holding him out to Hiccup.

“I can’t. My parents won’t accept him, and I doubt he’ll like living at the farm. He better stay with you and the other dragons.”

Hiccup hesitated, his smiling face falling as Jack placed the small dragon in the auburnet’s arms. Sharpshot didn’t agree and wiggled, holding his paws towards Jack. It was breaking the boy’s heart, because it was hurting the dragon too. Everything would have been so much easier if that accident had never happened. Then he would have been able to bring Sharpshot home with him, Emma would have adored him and would have helped him convince their parents to keep him, and the four of them would have taken good care of him, as part of their family. But there was no family left for him to join.

Toothless proved a big help to calm the small dragon down, even if flopping down onto the much smaller Terror wasn’t the most gentle way to handle it, it worked. Sharpshot’s whines and protests continued even after the boy apologized and Hiccup missionned the Night Fury to look after the small green dragon. The auburnet then hesitantly took Jack’s hand and led him away into the woods. The warm hold onto his frozen fingers felt like a balm and helped Jack detach himself from the demanding dragon he wished he could have bring with him. He was sure he would hear the pitiful whines all night long in his dreams.

And just like Sharpshot couldn’t come home with Jack, Hiccup couldn’t walk him back all the way either, despite how adamant the auburnet seemed to be. The dragon would be perceived as a threat, a demonic ally of White the Cursed, and Hiccup would surely be deemed possessed by the demon or something. But convincing the stubborn Dragon Tamer proved tricky.

So Jack invented an excuse that he had sneaked out of his house while he was grounded and thus wasn’t supposed to go see the circus. It wasn’t that far from the truth, since he really wasn’t allowed to go out like this, and actually Hiccup was amused by that rebelious side of the boy.

It helped light up the mood. The auburnet accepted to only walk Jack back to his village, but he assured – turning it into a fake threat – that he wouldn’t leave him beforehand. Jack chuckled at that, far from complaining about the Dragon Tamer’s company.

On their way, Hiccup told him a few more stories about his dragons, he seemed to be picking the most entertaining ones, including the time he had been entirely covered in slubber on stage when Toothless had decided to tackle him and shower him with ‘dragon kisses’. It was merely a show of affection, but the public was convinced it was an attack at first. Jack had not laughed like that in years, it was giving him stomach ache and he had to wipe several tears of laughter.

“You know,” Hiccup mused, ‘’I think this is the first time I meet someone who’s as fond as dragons as I am. Even at the circus, the others don’t really understand. I mean, they like dragons, yeah, but they’re not really interested in them and tend to think of them as pets rather than sensible creatures. They don’t see how each dragon is unique. Well, Fishlegs likes them and helps me study the different species we can encounter and hear of, but he’s the only one.”

Jack arched an eyebrow. “It’s hard to believe that. I mean, it’s hard not to like them. They’re impressive, and powerful, and when you get to know them, there’s so much more to see. They’re softies, inside.”

Hiccup’s steps faltered, making him come to an halt. “Not everyone can see it,” he murmured, all traces of his previous smile and good mood now gone.

It probably had to do with the dragons he had rescued, most of them having been hunted and hurt like wild and dangerous animals. Jack wondered if it was like this everywhere, if everyone people just thought of them as predators.

It made him sad to think that no one could see how incredible dragons were. Somehow, it reminded him a bit of his own situation, except that the fear people had of him was justified. But dragons ? No. “I think you make it easy to see.”

Hiccup averted his eyes and scratched his cheek. Jack realised that the Dragon Tamer, behind his assurance and being tall and athletic, was actually kind of nervous, which resulted in a few tics. Scratching his cheek, rubbing the back of his hair, pulling at one of the small braids behind his right ear, gesturing with his hands while talking, shrugging his shoulders… He had a lot of ways to manage his nervousness. Jack had a few tics of his own, but his consisted in running a hand through his hair, or fiddle with his clothes.

“I know I can get too passionate, sometimes, Hiccup said, ‘’and boring too–’’

“Not at all. There’s nothing boring in being passionnate.”

They smiled at each other, and Hiccup’s kind eyes woke up Jack’s urge to stay. He really wished he could just accept Valka’s offer and leave with the circus, but he also knew it could only end badly. For him, for Hawthorne, and mostly for the circus.

He had to go back to the village, and stay there. As they were walking, this time in a comfortable silence, Jack found it harder to keep on moving, harder to convince himself he had to–wanted to–go back. Then came the moment he had come to dread. He spotted the first wooden cabins of the village, poking between the trees, a few bonfires lighting up the streets in the chilly night.

“We’re here,” he murmured.

“Yeah, huh, looks like it.”

Awkward silence loomed around them. It lasted a moment before the both of them started to speak at the same time.

“I should go–”

“You should probably go–”

“Not that I want to–”

“I don’t mean–”

They stopped as they realized they had talked at the same time, and almost said the same things. That made them laugh.

“Well, huh… So… Will you come back tomorrow night ?” Hiccup asked, rubbing his nape.

Jack didn’t manage to answer right away. He really wanted to say yes, but he doubted it was a good idea. It was already hard enough to deny Valka’s offer, to refuse taking Sharpshot with him, and say goodbye to Hiccup in this moment. He had a feeling it would be worst if he was to see them again. Still he really wanted to.

“Sharpshot would be enchanted to see you tomorrow, you know,” the Dragon Tamer added, and it was unfair to use Sharpshot.

Though, Jack felt like the auburnet wasn’t really talking about the Terrible Terror. He seemed to imply that the small green and brown dragon wouldn’t be the only one.Well, Jack would have lied saying he himself wouldn’t have been ecstatic seeing the mischievous dragon again, and Toothless, and Hiccup.

“I… I’ll think about it. I don’t make any promises.”

Hiccup smiled a half-smile which didn’t reach his eyes, visibly not satisfied with the answer. Jack forced a smile too, because he felt like someone was ripping his heart apart. He really was a bad liar, huh, but at the same time he couldn’t bare just rejecting the auburnet by outright saying he’d never seen him again. The thought depressed him, making his smile and head drop.

Then icy blue eyes landed on his hands, still wrapped in Hiccup’s. He had not noticed they were holding hands, the auburnet’s skin pleasantly warm against his cold fingers, making the cold melt away and reminding him just how much he yearned for warmth he had been deprived of since the accident. Hiccup’s hands were warm, large, they were engulfing his own thin, fragile ones. Soft enough not to hurt him, strong enough to show he didn’t want to let go. Jack stared at their hands for a moment, noting the difference of size and complexion. Hiccup’s skin was freckled and sunkissed whereas Jack’s looked like a snow sculpture, flawless but pale as death.

When he looked up, intense vivid green eyes stared back at him, the gaze stealing his breath away. The auburnet was staring right at him with such intensity he seemed to be scanning the deepest part of his very soul. Jack felt like he couldn’t hide anything to him, he felt exposed, vulnerable, with nothing to hide behind. It could have been scary, especially with his dark secrets, but it wasn’t. Actually, it was nice. It was nice to be seen, actually be seen.

While he was diving into that vibrant forest, Hiccup’s face inched closer to his. Just like back in the tent, Jack was dazed as he felt this warm breath brush his face, his fingers squeezing the Dragon Tamer’s hands by reflex, who came closer and started to close his eyes. Jack really wanted to just let him close, he was dying for it, but he knew he couldn’t.

“Please, don’t,” he choked on his tight throat.

That efficiantly stopped Hiccup. He opened his eyes and leaned back, his face now bright red. “I’m sorry, I– I didn’t mean to push you. I just– I thought you…”

Jack sighed and lowered his head.“What’s the point ? You’re leaving, anyway.”

For a moment, Hiccup didn’t say a thing, then he let go of one of Jack’s hands to brush his chin, gently tilting his pale face up. When they eyes met again, Jack saw a soft smile on the freckled face.

“Our last representation is tomorrow night, but we always stay one more day before leaving. To rest and pack up. We still have time, you know. Maybe enough to convince you to come with us.”

Jack felt his heart swell painfully. Not trusting his voice to remain steady, he slowly shook his head no. Hiccup’s smile dropped instantly.

“I really can’t change your mind, can I ?” the auburnet stated, but there still seemed to be hope in his voice.

“It’s not up to me.”

“Of course it is. In the end, the choice is yours.”

Jack wanted to believe it. From all his heart he wanted to. If he had always been a normal human, maybe it would have been possible, but now… He felt like he had no control over his life anymore. His death had been stolen away from him, and now he was barely alive. For almost four years, he had just been roaming, completing tasks mindlessly, suffering stares, the lack of acknowledgement and love in his parents’ eyes, the blames of killing his baby sister and the boy they thought he was not.

He had not felt warmth nor joy for four years, but they had came back tonight, at the circus, with Hiccup and his dragons. If he had the choice, Jack would have held onto this warmth, this light. He would have held on and never let go. But he didn’t have a choice. The villagers didn’t dare to kill or throw him out, but they would certainly neither accepted him to just go missing. They would stir up scandal, saying the demon was spreading his curse and would warn the neighbour big cities. The circus would end up hearing about it, and the white-haired demon would be recognized sooner or later.

And Jack doubted he could bare living in a lie, constantly dyeing his hair to look normal and showing off a magic that brought so much death, despair and misery.

Accepting Valka’s offer, accepting to follow Hiccup, would be putting the whole circus in danger. It would be selfish. So, in order to protect this marvelous light which managed to warm up his frozen heart, he had to give up on it. He had to go back in exile in cold and darkness.

“I really should go, now. It’s been a pleasure to meet you and your dragons.”

“You too,” Hiccup replied, though his voice sounded flat.

He gave a gentle squeeze to Jack’s hands, the boy finding it increasingly hard to go as Hiccup was trying to hold him back. He tried not to show any emotion as he pulled his hands away from the warmth, instantly feeling the biting cold back on his skin, in his chest. He stepped back and started to leave.

“Goodbye.”

“See you tomorrow, Jack.”

The young boy froze in his steps, taken aback by the hope shining in Hiccup’s voice. He didn’t dare look over his shoulder, because he knew that, if he was to meet these kind vivid green eyes one more time, he wouldn’t be able to leave at all.

“Good night, Hiccup,” he whispered before taking off into a sprint, fleeing into the night.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7
BETWEEN ICE AND FIRE
ᛒᛖᛏᚹᛖᛖᚾ ᛁᚲᛖ ᚨᚾᛞ ᚠᛁᚱᛖ

Jackson Overland was no stranger to sneaking in and out of his own house, being the local prankster he more than once ended up pursued by angry villagers who didn’t appreciate having their belongings changing location behind their back, their animals freed and roaming their house or workshop, or simply having their socks and boots missing so they were rendered to go barefoot. Hense, the brunet boy was in constant need of an escape plan, a safe hideout, and going unnoticed.

Jack was glad that the accident didn’t strip him from this ability.

It helped him immensely when coming back from his forbidden excursion to the circus. Sneaking past the slumbering animals of the farm was no problem for him. Opening the creaking door of the old cabin proved a bigger challenge, but the worst part was climbing the groaning wooden steps of the stairs. Still, Jack managed to slip back into his room unnoticed, where he hastily changed into his nightgown and slipped under the covers. The sheets left unoccupied for the night felt colder than usual, but it surely had to do with how warm Hiccup and the dragons had felt, teaching him once more what it was not to be trapped in bitting cold all day long.He missed their warmth already.

Thinking about them made his heart burn, as if someone was spilling acid in his chest. He didn’t want to dwell on it for too long, didn’t want to mourn that this wonderful meeting would stay at that, the wound of the separation was still too fresh, but he hoped that, with time, he would cherish that memory and that it would help him through with his cold and lonely life.

Burrying himself in the blankets, he tried to close his eyes and catch the few remaining sleep he could get before going on with a new day, but sleep eluded him. Especially when his coarse hair rubbed onto his forearm, remindidng him of the dye still covering his whole head. Holding back a groan, he sat up and saw the stains standing out despite the darkness. Great, he would have to clean that, but first he had to clean off the dye, hoping it would come off easily. He was too tired for this.

Still, he had to.

Dragging himself from the comfort of the bed as well as the few hours of sleep he could have had, he undid the pillowcase and gathered it with the stained blanket, a towel and his cloak. Jonathan wouldn’t be happy to find him in the bathroom, using their rainwater, so the boy didn’t even try and, instead, went for the basin outside.

The way down the stairs was just as precarious as the way up, but Jack managed all the same. The front door in view, he glanced towards the closed bedroom to make sure he had not be heard, only to startle with the loud clatter of a plate coming from the kitchen, echoed with a gasp. Whirling around, Jack froze as he came face to face with a shocked Mary. Her nightdress and the mess of her tossled short brown hair indicated she had been up not for long, but the boy wished she had still been asleep.

Especially with the look she had on him, her warm brown eyes wide as if she had seen a ghost. But then again, wasn’t it what she was seeing for the past four years ?

“J-Jackson…” she gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Tears shone in her eyes by the candle light on the table, and Jack swore he had stopped breathing. He found himself unable to move, all he could do was staring back at his mom. His mom who was finally recognizing him. He wondered what had changed for her to finally see him, to remember who he was, until the dye popped in his mind. Granted the color was a bit darker than what he had had before, but the dim morning light was probably making it look close enough.

The hope making his heart pound died down, and he knew it was just a matter of time before she realised he was still the ‘ice demon who took possession of her son’s corpse’. He didn’t want to see realisation dawn in her eyes, not while she was looking at him with this look every mother had for her children. He closed his eyes in a grimace and rushed to the door, almost dropping half of his load in the process.

“Wait !” Mary called after him.

Not waiting for her, he hastily pulled the door open and slammed it shut – not hearing the sound as she caught it, her steps running after him, her voice still calling him.

“Jackson, wait ! Come back !”

“No !” he cried over his shoulder.

“Mary, what’s going on ?” Jonathan asked from the door, and it was just Jack’s luck that the commotion has woken up the man.

The boy fled from them, fled from the house, towards the barn where he hoped he could put some distance between them and him, but it was without counting on a stray chicken running right into his path. Tripping on the traitorous chicken, he sprawled onto the dirty ground, sheets and cloak scattering around him. Mary’s steps caught up with him and, soon, he felt two thin, warm hands cup his face. Squinting his eyes shut was all he could do to make sure she wouldn’t see them, knowing perfectly the icy color would broke the spell.

“Jack, sweetheart, you okay ?”

“Don’t touch me,” he barked as he pushed her hands away. “How dare you ?!”

“Jackson, what’s wrong ?”

“So now you remember my name, huh ? After four long years, how handy it is !”

“Jack… ?” Jonathan’s voice so close to him made jump away, having not realized the woodcutter and farmer had also rushed after them.

But here he was now, his presence all the more obvious to Jack who remained purposefully blind. He hated the confusion in the man’s voice, and the fact he didn’t already outright outted him as the ice demon to pop the illusion. Somehow, Jack wanted to enjoy that illusion, the illusion of his parents recognizing him as Jackson Overland once more, giving him back his identity and life ; but at the same time it was too painful to handle and he wanted to end it to go back to the cold and distant treatment he had known since the accident.

Them acting again as parents was hurting more than anything, because it felt insincere.

“Jack, my boy, is that really you ?” Jonathan asked, the dirt crunching under his sole as he crouched closer..

Jack backed farther from him, tears brimming behind his eyelids and he could feel his throat tightening around the building sobs. When he felt the callous, large hand of his father land on his arm, he pushed it away too. “You abandoned me,” he blamed.

“Oh no Jack,” Mary assured, her voice wavering and faltering. “We would never do that, sweetie.”

The sobs eventually came out, his whole body trembling and saggering. He was so tired of it he didn’t even find the will to push her away when Mary scotted closer and pulled him into her arms, holding him close just like she used to how so long ago. Resting her cheek against his head and brushing her fingers along his hair, hushing him. It only fed his sobs, through which he forced chopped words.

“You left me all alone, you rejected me, you have refused to see it was still me…”

“What are you talking about, Jack ?” Jonathan hesitated, also touching the boy as he put his large hand on the top of his head.

“God, you’re freezing, sweetie,” Mary added, rubbing his back and arms. “Come inside, we’ll warm you up.”

Leaning out of the embrace, she took his hands and started to stand up, but he pushed her arms away, along with Jonathan’s hand. The man startled and stepped back. The silence that followed was heavy, so much that Jack could feel the air shift around them, the tension rising. And it had nothing to do with the light of the rising sun carressing his face, coloring his closed eyelids.

Then, like a bucket of ice thrown at him, Jonathan’s voice was heard, cold and harsh as Jack had got to hear it since the accident.

“Mary, get away from him.”

‘’What ?’’ She asked, confused.

“Get away from him ! It’s not our boy !” a yelp from the brunette woman indicated that her husband pulled her away from the crying boy.

Crying boy who realized the illusions was gone for the woodcutter. Then there was no point in keeping his eyes closed.

Slowly opening them, he glance dup at the couple, to find the man who used to be his father standing tall with a three-steps safety distance between them, keeping a strong hold around Mary’s arm as she was place behind him. Mary’s face was of utter confusion and tears. Jonathan’s was of seething anger. The man’s right hand was covered in brownish stains, the same color of Jack’s dye. Huh, oh, so that’s how he realized the illusion was one.

Mary’s brown eyes glanced back and forth between the two men of her family, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. “Jonathan, you–”she tried, only to be ignored as her husband barked.

“How dare you, demon ?! Why are you tormenting us like this ?! We already lost both our children, why do you want so bad to take his appearance ?! Leave our son rest in peace, for God’s sake !”

Mary grabbed his hand when he raised it like he was about to strike Jack. “Stop it, Jonathan, he’s our son–”

“No, Mary. It’s not Jackson. This monster is not him. Show your true form, demon !”

Somehow, strangely, all the pain ripping Jack apart vanished in this moment. It was like going asleep with hypothermia, everything numbing to the cold, slipping into a pit of darkness. There was nothing left behind, just a huge hole, one he knew he would never fill again. Still sitting to the ground, his head dropped limply, his voice slipping through his teeth effortlessly, but with no emotion, because he didn’t have any left inside.

“For almost four years I’ve been waiting. I’ve been hoping you would recognize me, realise that, behind these new colors, it was still me. Looks like I was wrong. You will never understand. Franc was right.”

“Franc ?” Jonathan growled, more like he was expecting Jack to curse the name.

“It would have been better for everyone, especially me, if I had just drowned with her that night.”

One last tear rolled down his cheek but he wiped it away with his sleeve. He also pushed the bangs out of his face as he looked up at them, making sure they could see what his eyes became, those pale icy blue pools adorning a snowflake pattern.

Mary let out a distorted noise that sounded like the mixture of a yelp and a hiccup, making it clear that, now, the illusion was gone for her too. Jack was sure he would never forget the horror on her face. He was so tired of this, it had to end now.

Slowly, heavily, he rose to his feet, facing them as their wide eyes were on him.Clenched fists and set shoulders, he told them, “You were right when you said I was cursed, but not in the way you meant. I’m not cursed because death rejected me, nore because I left all my colors and warmth in the pond. I’m cursed because no one can see me anymore. No one recognizes me. Not even my own parents.”

Mary burst in tears, falling to her knees, but he knew it was not because of his truth. It was because of theirs, because she realized that her hopes of finding her son back were crushed, replaced by their proof that he nothing but a demon. Not their son. Jonathan tried to catch her before her knees touched the ground, wrapping an arm around her even as he was clearly reluctant to let the demon out of his sight. Clearly terrified of the short, skinny boy in front of him. Clearly terrified of his own flesh and blood that he didn’t even consider as such.

“You may have lost your daughter that day, but I’ve lost everything. I’ve lost my baby sister, my parents, my friends, everyone I knew, even my home… everything,” Jack added, though he doubted that they could see from his eyes.

“You never had any of that in the first place, demon !” Jonathan barked. “Now stop playing around, our world has nothing for you, just go back to the hellhole you’re coming from and Leave. Us. Alone !”

Jack wasn’t even surprised by the new rejection, nore how harsh it was. It wasn’t the first time Jonathan would vent his anger at him, trying to chase him off. Still, like every time, the man’s words cut like knives and hit like punches.

Then Jack realized, there was just no use to continue this mascarade. He had been deprived of his own identity, so there was no reason to keep on pretending he still had it. Like Franc had said, he was the only one left to still think he was Jonathan’s son. With this said, why keep trying ?

His chest heaving with a shaking sigh, he lowered his head. “Then I’ll leave, I–”

“No !” Mary shouted, shaking and crying. When she tried to stand up and reached for Jack, leaving the boy confused, Jonathan hurried to hold her back.

“Mary, dear–” he tried, but she cut him.

“No, you can’t leave– Jack ! I’m sorry… I’m so sorry !” she wailed, more and more tears flooding her face.

Jonathan held her close, burrying her face against his chest as he glared daggers to Jack. “Despite all the wrongs you do us, you know we can’t afford to let you loose. The only way for you to leave here is to free our boy’s corpse. And you better not curse us or the village. You harmed enough descent people here, and stop poisoning my wife’s mind !”

“Jonathan…” Mary struggled between heavy hiccups, visibly struggling against his hold but he kept her from looking towards the boy. “Jack…”

Jack whose heart seemed frozen, painfully still and solid as he couldn’t tear his eyes from his mother. She called his name again. Was she in denial or was she finally seeing the truth ? His hopes shone through the pain, but Jonathan was an effective wall between him and the hopes of his mother coming back to reason. Coming back to him.

“We want our son back !” the man shouted, tears brimming in his furious eyes. “Give him back to us ! Let him rest !”

Jack realized that, if Mary was maybe on the right path, it was a lost cause concerning Jonathan. And as long as the man who used to be his father thought of him as a monster, there was no way he would allow Mary near him. Which made it even worst. No matter his hopes about his mother, the man would snuff it out with his narrow mind. Would snuff out any lights from Jack’s life.

“I hoped for so long you’d see me, Dad–”

“Don’t you dare call me that !!”

Jack winced and averted his eyes, whole body flinching back from the angry man. After a few seconds, he added, “I was hoping that, if you were keeping me, it was because, deep down, you knew it was me.”

“Oh, please, drop the act,” Jonathan scoffed, and Jack had never heard so much hatred and disgust in someoen’s voice before. “I knew from the start that you were a monster. You may have taken his face, but you’re nothing like my boy. My boy was always so lively, so mischievous, so full of life. You’re nothing but death. You look dead, even your eyes are dead. You never managed to to reproduce that glint he had in his eyes.”

Jack’s fists curled tights as his silver eyebrows frowned. There was so much he wanted to throw at Jonathan’s face. Sure, the cold had made him as pale as death and the pale color of his eyes did was a shocking contrast to his previous brown irises, but for the liveliness and mischief ? Seriously ? Jackson had drowned and lost his sister, was he supposed to be all bubbly about it ? Were Jonathan and Mary the only ones allowed to mourn Emma’s death ?

As for the rest, did he really need to go on about all they themself put him through ?

“You’re probably right,” he settled down, trying to reign in the swirling emotions constricting his chest and making the air grow rigid around him – the morning sunlight fading behind thick clouds. “This light is long gone, now. It died with Emma, and you never helped revive it.”

And then, a miracle occured. A miracle occured as Jonathan faltered. His fists enclenched and his whole face softened in hurt instead of anger. Jack’s heart leapt at the possibility that the man could also see him. It would be nice, he thought, but he doubted that, even with this, the couple could ever atone to the damages they had done, could ever repair what they had broken.

“There’s nothing left for me here, I can see that,” Jack added, resigning himself to just let it go. There was no use to hold onto that feeble hope, burning like a flickering campfire in the dead of a winter night, waiting to die down in the cold winds. “So I’ll just leave. Don’t worry, there won’t be reprisals. Not on you, neither on the village. I’ve never been able to spread diseases nore trigger an avalanche, anyway.” He turned their back on them, facing the woods as he tried to put behind him that life that didn’t want him anymore. “Plus, you guys are already hurting yourself and one another just fine on your own.”

And with that, he picked up the sheets on the ground and rushed to the forest line, letting his tears fall freely and flood his face. His ears tried to deafen any sound the couple could make, still he heard the gut-wrenching wail Mary let out, and how Jonathan cursed him, cursed the demon.

Jack left everything behind.

The roof shielding him from the rain, he had once called home. The couple hosting him and feeding him – sparsely, but still – he had once called parents. He left behind his happy childhood and sweet memories of loving family. He wanted to also leave the bad memories from the almost four years, unfortunately those ones stuck to him. He knew it would follow him wherever he could end up, would haunt him forever.

He ran and ran into the woods, not knowing where he was going, not knowing where to go. There was nothing left for him outside either. No shelter, no comfort, only the promise of an even bigger solitude. At least, maybe a complete loneliness, without anyone around him, would make things better ?

No one to stare at him. No one to talk behind his back. No one to give him mean names. Maybe it was for the best. The villagers would finally be ridden of the demon haunting them for four years, and he would be ridden of their fear, paranoia and reject.

He did what the village never dared doing themselves in fear of his curse : he banished himself. That day, in the pinkish light of a new dawn, in the same woods that already saw his last day, Jackson Overland died a second time. White the Cursed was born anew, but it was a name Jack he didn’t want. He wouldn’t have a name anymore, like all banished people. The village had already stripped him from his identity anyway, what more could it do ? Jack No-Name was still better than the other names they gave him.

After what felt like hours but probably were just minutes, he stopped running. He just stopped. Standing in the middle of the woods, bare feet digging into the soft dirt and grass, he looked down and contemplated what he was carrying. He had just lost everything, and the few he had left was there, in his arms. Just a few fabrics. His overgrown nightgown falling down to his knees, his battered and patched-up hooded leather cloak, and a stained blanket. He sighed and wiped his face on his sleeve, before putting on his cloak, then folded the blanket.

He hugged it against his chest and looked up around him. Having spent so many times in these woods since his childhood, then as he helped Jonathan as a shepherd during teenage years, he knew this forest like the back of his hand. But that also was the case of the woodcutters and hunters of the village. He could try and hide, they would end up finding him and, now that the constant threat of his curse was gone, he knew they wouldn’t be afraid anymore to kill him.

There was only one place he knew where they wouldn’t dare go and bother him. Even if he hated this place – hated from the bottom of his heart while being scared out of his mind of it – there was no other shelter for him. So he made his way towards it by dragging his feet. The closer he was getting, the tighter he was hugging his blanket, as if it was a stuffed animal that could comfort him, protect him.

He froze as the pond eventually came in sight. Its slightly cloudy water was shining and reflecting morning sunlight like a mirror. It didn’t look like water, more like liquid silver, both blinding and as dark as abyss.

Jack slowly made his way to the shore, icy blue eyes fixed on the water. While the frozen tears were starting to melt and dry on his cheeks, his heart hollow, dark thoughts arose. Snickers from Franc and his friends, hurtful words from Mary and Jonathan, his own thoughts echoing with it…

Everything would have been so much easier for everyone, including him – especially him – if he had just drowned in this pond with Emma. He knew it was the best solution, that it would solve everything, but at the same time, he was scared. He knew this kind of darkness, he knew it too well from coming too close to it. Complete darkness, the bite of the cold all over his body, outside as well as inside, in his throat, in his lungs…

It was this memory feeding his fears, and the thought of going through this again was far from appealing. Still, it could end all of his suffering… But was it really going to end it ? Death had already declined him once, what stopped Her from rejecting him again ?

Taking a deep breath in, still hugging his blanket, he rose a feet towards the pond. Eyes squeezed shut and whole body tensed, he was about to step into the water, but he stopped at the last second as a voice emerged in his head, tuning out the others.

“See you tomorrow, Jack.”

His whole body stopped moving. Hiccup’s voice acted like a fire in the middle of the night he was lost in, beaconing him in. He wanted to reach for it, warm up to it, seek in it comfort and the promise that everything would be fine. He winced and shook his head to chase it away –because nothing would be fine – listening instead to the snickers and scorns.

“You’re just an anomaly.”

“There’s no way I’m staying in the same room as him !”

“Hey, look ! That’s the White !”

“The Cursed touched her ! She’s gonna be sick !”

“Don’t let him touch you !”

“What a maggot, seriously.”

“Looser.”

“There’ll be repercussions.”

“He’s gonna curse us or something !”

“What if all the village gets sick because of him ?! What if he unleashes a snowstorm on us ?!”

“I knew from the start that you were a monster !”

“Just go back to the hellhole you’re coming from and Leave. Us. Alone !”

‘“You better have drowned in that pond with the brat !”

He nearly choked on his own sobs, tears flowing over his grimacing face. He was grimacing so hard it was hurting, and yet still not as much as this pain piercing his chest, consuming his heart . He kept on moving his foot forward, using each of the mean things told to him during the past almost four years to forge his resolve.

“He really likes you.”

And yet, o nce more, Hiccup’s voice still found a way to the forefront of his mind, tun ing out the others. Jack’s body tensed even more as, all of the sudden, all he could hear anymore was the auburn-haired, freckled Dragon T amer’s voice.

“There must be something special in you for the dragons to like you that much.”

“It’s obvious Sharpshot adores you.”

“He wants to stay with you.”

Slowly, the voices of the other artists joined in. Valka, Snotlout, the twins…

“I’ve always dreamt of having my own knight in shining armor ! You’re really my hero !”

“It’s really noble of you to have helped her.”

“Thanks, you’re a good guy.”

“Y’have t’come with us !”

“We could really gain from having someone like you. All you have to do is find us.”

“I really can’t change your mind, can I ?”

A bigger sob forced its way in his throat, shaking him so hard he lost hi s balance. He manage d to steady his feet and stepped away from the pond, clasping a hand to his mouth before dropping to his knees. His whole body trembled while his eyes turned into waterfalls. Wincing even more, he wailed like a kid, folding in on himself, hugging and rocking himself, wrapping himself all around the blanket.

How much he wanted to accept Valka’s offer and join the troupe, join Hiccup and his dragons, why not making friends among them, take Sharpshot with him and take care of him… How much he wanted this to be possible, but it wasn’t. White the Cursed had managed to leave his village, though he suspected it was going to come back at him, but he couldn’t join another one. Thinking Jack No-Name would have a chance at another life was foolish. He would never be able to just be Jack No-Name, he would always be White the Cursed. Wherever he was going to go, his past and his curse would follow, and would hurt people around him. Hiccup and the others didn’t deserve this.

Dying in that pond was the best option for him. F or the village. F or the circus. F or everyone. Still he was scared. He didn’t have the guts to do it. Not yet. In the middle of all his turmoil and cold winds whipping around him, that sweet warmth he had found at the circus – with the D ragon T amer and his marvelous winged friends – was still there, poking at the walls he was trying to erect .

Then Jack made a decision : if he was sentenced to sink into frozen abysses, he first wanted to feel this sweet warmth again . One last time.

“Sharpshot would be enchanted to see you tomorrow, you know.”

He also wanted to see the small dragon again. At least one last time. He wanted to feel these warm scale s under his fingers, this small but strong body pressed against his chest, this small horned head rubbing against his cheek and licking him with that tickling forked tongue . He wanted to bask in the body warmth of Hiccup and Toothless, dive into the vivid forest green eyes of the auburnet , compare his freckles to a nightsky full of stars, hear this funny and pleasant nasally laugh of his, and see that tender smile.

One last time. One last touch of warmth before the eternal cold. His death had waited three years, almost four, if could wait one more day, right ? And maybe, after feeling this warmth once more, its memory would be enough to give him the strength to go back and face his fate, to accept his death.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8
THE LAST HURRAH
ᚦᛖ ᛚᚨᛋᛏ ᚺᚢᚱᚱᚨᚺ

Spending the day outside proved harder than Jack had thought. It wasn’t the first time it happened, though, hit should have been fine. Jackson Overland had spent days long in the woods, collecting mushrooms and herbs for Mary, learning hunt and wood-cutting with Jonathan, playing with Emma and other young kids.

Well, maybe it was because of that : Jack had never found himself in the woods alone and with no task to complete. And he always had had the Overland farm to go back to. Now that he was completely alone and had nowhere to return to, it made things daunting. Not that Jack had much to expect anymore from life. He had made his decision : one last time at the circus, then he would end his curse.

This day was his last day. This night would be his last night.

The night was the only thing left he was waiting for. The only thing left for him, really.

But he had to go through with the day first.

With nothing to occupy himself and hours to waste, he decided to just sleep off most of the day in hopes that time would flee and he would have enough energy for another sleepless night. Closing his eyes with broad daylight shining upon him wasn’t an easy feast, still he managed all the same.

Emma was in his dreams. Just like she was when she was alive. Her big jolly smile of missing teeth. Her bubbly laugh when eh told her jokes. Her cute pout when he teased her and she pretended she was miffed, a smile eventually betraying her actual good mood. Unlike most nights when the visions of her turned into nightmares, this time there was daunting memory of the accident. No gruesome and heart-shattering vision of her lifeless body sinking into the cold waters of the pond.

She was alive, she was happy, and she was reaching for him, beaconing him to come and play with her. She told him she was waiting for him, with open arms and a bright smile, and Jack knew that she wasn’t talking about playing in the dream. She was talking about him joining her in death, at the bottom of the pond.

It would have been scary and gloomy for anyone else, but Jack held onto that notion, it gave him comfort that, unlike in life, he wouldn’t be alone in death. She would be there for him, like he had tried to always be there for her when she was alive. Though it seemed unfair that she wanted to be there for him while he had failed her.

When Jack came back around, a few hours of sleep behind him but barely rested – feeling the bags under his eyes – the sky was shining a nice mid-afternoon sun. There was still quite some time before sunset, but at least most of the day had slipped by. Good. And he still had a few hours to get ready. Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and noticed they were puffy, like he had cry in his sleep or something. Well, it didn’t matter. Now he had to get ready for the circus.

Which wasn’t going to be that easy as he realized when he pulled himself from under the blanket and stood up. God he was a mess. Dress only with a nightshirt that had been stained by the remaining dye – crap, he had forgot to wash it off – and sleeping in the grass. His eyes were puffy and probably red, his hair must be a messy bedhead and he didn’t even have shoes. The blanket wasn’t cleaner and, though he could have cut it into pants, he didn’t have anything sewing materials so that went out of the window.

Well, at least he had a whole pond to get water to wash his face and shirt. A sigh escaped him when he splashed water on his face. Though it was only the beginning of fall, temperatures were already low, and his cold hands made the water even colder, freezing even. It soothed his puffy eyes nicely.

Though the calming effect vanished when he happened to run a hand into his hair, and his hand came up covered with diluted dye. He winced and hastily checked his reflection in the pond. It was hard to see properly, his own shadow casting onto the reflection due to the sun lowering behind him, so he wasn’t entirely sure of the damages. Bitting his lip, he pondered for a moment : should he wash it off and find more dye to freshen it ? Or should he play it safe and try and keep as much as dye as possible ? But he didn’t have anything to fix it since he didn’t have access anymore to Mary’s workshop.

Jack pondered for a long time, not wanting to ruin his last night, his last chance. It was the last time he was going to see Hiccup and the others, and he didn’t want his last memories of them – or their last memories of him – to be the discovery of his curse, the arguing that would follow, nore the rejection. Another glance at his reflection from another angle, one in which the sun wasn’t obscuring the image, had him fully take in the damages on the dye. He still coudln’t see as clearly as in a mirror, but it was better. The dye was still there, still seemed dark enough to be natural. Granted it was not the same dark chestnut as the previous night, it got lighter and some locks above his right ear had turned a lighter hue , but at least it was not white. Not close.

Sighing in relief, he used the blanket to dry his face and carefully pat his hair. More stain s spoiled the beige fabric, so he quickly st opped before ruining it all . He had no choice but to let it dry by itself, it seemed, but he had to be careful not to touch his head in the mean time.

Now onto his clothes. With only a nightshirt, a cloak and a blanket left, he wasn’t faring well, and there was no way he could decently present himself dressed like this at the circus. Granted he would be hidden in the crowd at first, but if he was going to visit the artists afterhand, he neede d pants. And some coins for the entry.

Which meant he had to go back to Hawthorne, some way or another. Jack had never stolen before, even the few coins from Jonathan were actually coming from his previous pocket money, from when he was Jackson Overland. He had always been honest, the worst he had done was temporarily take things for a prank but he always returned it to their owner in the end. So having to steal something – even something as insignificant as a pair of pants and four coppers – it was gnawing at him. But what choice did he have left ?

Well, maybe he could do without having to steal ? Hopefully. He had to try.

Washing and folding the blanket, it took the article with him, hoping he could trade instead of stealing. Even if it was drenched and a bit wrinkled and all the dye hadn’t come off, a woolen blanket as such was worth a pair of pants and maybe even two coppers with it if he was convincing.

…

Who was he kidding ? Nobody would want to trade anything with a ragged wanderer like him, even if they didn’t recognize White the Cursed.

Still, he had to try.

Making sure to pull the hood of his cloak over his head, he headed back to the village. Hidden by the treeline, he watched as people went of with their own day, their own chores, their own lives. He eventualy found something interesting behind one of the cabins : a rack of drying clothes. Old Agatha – one of the oldest ladies in the village – was sitting on a bench near by and knitting a scarf, but aside from her there was no one in this backyard. She was the only person who might see him, the only person he needed to distract.

Perks of having years of pranking experience : he didn’t need much time to come up with something, especially as he spotted a plant pot mere steps away from the old lady. He picked up a peeble and aimed. Years of snowball fights made a bull’s eye as he swiftly threw the peeble and hit the pot, successfully toppling it over as planned. What wasn’t planned was the clay pot shattering at the impact with the wooden floorboard, the earth and flowers spilling.

Old Agatha jumped on her seat and lumbered to the mess, looking around her for the culprit. Jack shuffled hid behind a tree, holding his breath as if the old lady could hear him from the distance. Instead, he heard her croaky voice scold, “ Bloody brats ! Go back home right away before I catch you ! ”

Grumbling, the old lady shuffled back and Jack heard the creaking of her door, indicating she was back inside, probably to get a broom and what she needed to clean the borken pot. Jack had an opening of only a few minutes, then.

He wasted no time and rushed into the backyard, towards the rack. In a rush, he took the first pair of pants he found – it most likely won’t fit him but he couldn’t afford to be picky – left the blanket in exchange and hurried back tot he safety of the treeline, just as fast as he came.

Dashing in the woods, he made sure to be away from any prying eye of the villagers and out of hearing range, then quickly slipped his thin legs into the newly-acquired article of clothing. As expected, it was too large, but also too short. It ended just under his calves, exposing his ankles, so he rolled up the bottom to make it look like he did it on purpose. However, it was slipping on his hips and looked quite baggy. Huffing a groan, he decided to tear off a band froom his nightshirt to turn it into a belt. Even with that, the nightshirt was still too long to look like a regular shirt, so he tore another band and pushed the rest in his pants.

Jack knew he looked like a kid in adult clothes, the fabric all too large for him and making him smaller and thinner than he probably already was, but it wasn’t like he could do much better. At least, the cloak hid the worst of it, he convinced himself of. It was as decent as he could manage. As for his obvious lack of boots, well, he couldn’t do anything about it.

There was only the matter of money left, and he knew it would be easier to get his hands on some in Burgess than in Hawthorne. So there he went. And the more he was getting away from the village and closer to the city town, the lighter he felt. It was like leaving a burden behind, or maybe it was because he knew that, where h e was going, no one knew about White the Cursed, so he would easily go by unnoticed there. Something that was proven right when he reached the paved streets, there were so many people there that no one paid him any attention.

Somehow, this kind of invisibility suited Jack. Jackson Overland, naturally cheery and social, had never liked being ignored, but Jack who had despite himself gotten used to being shunned, liked this kind of ‘left alone’. It had nothing to do with the one he had undergo since the accident. Hawthorne shunned him because of his demonic appearance. Burgess shunned him just because people were too busy to mind. There was nothing personal here, it wasn’t meant for him, so it didn’t hurt. Jack liked it. It made him feel like any other person in this street, his body relaxing and a light, bubbly sensation fluttering in his chest. With a shy smile on his lips and a bounce to his feet, he started searching for money.

With how distracted people were, Jack supposed they would be clumbsy enough to loose a few coins he would only have to pick up after they left, so he decided to go to the market place where there were even more people, so even more chances to find lost coins.

However, the smels from the market – especially those of warm bread and baked goods – reminded him of how empty his stomach was. The last food he had had was a mere sip of water from the previous night, and a few bites of dry mashed potatoes from that evening. He had not eaten anything in the whole day, and now that there were smells of food his body told him of how hungry he was. Grumbles and a stomach ache then followed him around, catching unwanted attention from bystanders and traders. It took long hours of meticulous scanning of the ground for Jack to finally get his hands on an abandoned coin, which he didn’t wste time to pick up . The copper was quite battered and a bit rusty – probably had been there for days – but it was a copper all the same. With a broad grin on his face, Jack put it in his pants pocket and went on with his search, optimistic that it wouldn’t take that long to find the three others.

A second one was found even faster, but as Jack picked up a third one, a voice had him start and drop his catch, the coin tickling away on the pavement .

“Hey, kid !” the trader from the stall Jack was passing by – a man in his early fifties with a lanky silhouette – called, his voice gruff and his dark eyebrows drawn so tight the winkles looked painful, “What do you think you’re doing ?!”

J ack hesitated. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, so why was the man seeking trouble ? Said man was glaring at him as if Jack had stolen from him, which obviously wasn’t the case. The boy hadn’t even gotten near the stall, way out of arm’s reach, and still the trader was pointing an accusing finger towards him.

“Stop lurking around my stall, you’re scaring off my clients !” the man groused.

Oh, right, because of course seeing a guy picking up abandoned coins would scare off people. Jack wanted to scoff, but he decided to keep hi head low instead, not wanting to get into trouble before he got what he came for. As he was about to turn his heels and just head off, the woman browsing by the trader’s stall chuckled, waving her hand.

“Calm down, Rupert,” she told the trader.

And judging by how quiet that Rupert guy became at her words, she not only was a regular client of his, but also a woman he fancied. It was almost pitiful that such a loudmouth would make himself small in try to make a good impression in front of her. Still, Jack was thankful for that. Thankful for her intervention. Even more so as she didn’t stop at talking down the trader.

“This poor boy is hungry, is all,” she added with a smile, walking towards Jack and producing an apple from her basket, which she offered to him. “Here, take this.”

Jack blinked at her. Her smile didn’t waver as she patiently waited for him to take the apple, which he eventually did, ducking his head and mumbling a weal ‘thank you’, tight in his throat.

“Why, you’re much welcome, my boy,” she chuckled, her voice a warm blanket drapping over him.

She was so kind, so much it was no wonder that the trader fancied her, then. Jack hoped that her influence would at least make the grumpy man a bit nicer. A side glance towards him only showed frowned eyebrows and a clearly disapproving look on Rupert-guy’s face. More like Grumpy-guy, then, uh. Well, Jack wasn’t going to search for coins near that stall, that for sure. With a nod to the kind woman, the hooded boy left, not wanting to linger anywhere near that Grumpy Grump. Instead, he picked up the coin he had dropped from his earlier jump and took his leave.

That made it three, only one left to go and he would be all set up for the circus .

Yet, the fourth copper eluded him. If finding the second and third had taken mere minutes, the fourth one looked like it was going to be as difficiult as the first one, and Jack hoped it wouldn’t really take hours because he was slowly starting to run out of time : the afternoon was slowly morphing into evening, and soon enough twilight would come and the circus show would start, with or without him.

And the more tha coin eluded him, the more he lost time, the more his presence in the market was drawing unwanted attention. Indeed, Grumpy proved not to be the only trader whose eyes kept following him suspiciously. Granted Jack could see why they didn’t like a barefoot wanderer lurking around their stalls, but made sure to stay clear from their goods and their clients to purposefully show that he wasn’t stealing anything nore anyone. Still, that wasn’t enough. Even stopping to just sit down and peacefully munch on his apple didn’t help qwelling the glares he received. And he took his sweet time to eat that apple, trying to convince his brain that he was eating something heartier. He ate as close to the core as he could – almost choking on a pip – before throwing the remains in a crat full of rotten fruits. Despite that crate clearly being wastes, the trader still glared at Jack for daring to throw his thin apple core there. A part of the boy wanted to glare back, but he knew not to stir trouble that close to his goal. Instead, he averted his eyes and adjusted the hood over his head, moving on, ignoring the glare he could feel burning holes on his back.

He had one more coin to find. Just one. Then he could leave and go to the circus and this would be all behind him.

The sun was starting to set, casting long shadows into the tiles of the market ground. Jack had gone through the whole plazza three, even four times, a pout appearing on his face as he came up with nothing. Looked like his constant lurking had the customers keeping a closer look at their purses. His ears perked as he heard metallic tinkling on the pavement, but when he looked around and found where it came fron, he saw a chubby man bending to pick up the three lost coins. None rolled farther, none escaped the man’s vigilance.

Jack’s lips pursed into a pout and he burried his hands in his pockets as he ressumed his search. A glance upa t the sky showed him purplish colors, reminding of hhow little time he had left. Less than an hour, now, he had to hurry up. The market place clearly didn’t have anything anymore for him, the clients had gotten sparse as they left, even the traders had started to pack up, so Jack had no reason to stay further more. Heaving a sigh, he tried to convince himself that he would be lucky on the way to the circus, that he would find the last coin there.

A part of him wondered if Ru f fnut would let him in even if he missed a coin – especially as she scammed him the day before – but he knew that she had been driven to such extend b e cause the circus needed that money. Plus, if he was given a special entrance fee, that would bring trouble in the waiting line as other visitors would ask for a reduced price as well. Which would mean less money and more trouble for the circus, something eh couldn’t afford seeing the mess he had already done the previous night.

Well, he guessed that, if eh didn’t have enough money, he would just have to skip on the show, and show up at the camp afterwards. That would be a pity, but at least he would still see Hiccup and the others afterwards, so… it wasn’t such a big loss. He guessed.

Heaving another sigh, Jack turned his heels and headed out of the market, but then voices aroused behind him.

“There he is ! Look, he’s trying to escape !”

Jack groaned, rolling his eyes. Oh great, it was Grumpy-guy again. What did he want this time ? Looking over his shoulder, the boy deflated as he spotted the trader pointing directly at him, gesturing to two people who made him freeze. Granted, Jack hadn’t visited Burgess a lot of times in his life, and even if such a system didn’t exist in Hawthorne, he did know about this milicia-like organization in the town. There was a group of men and women – though mostly men – who volunteered to solve disputes, muggings and catching thieves. They were recognizable with that white armband they were wearing to their right arm.

“Kid, stop !” one of the two men called, his colleague and him rushing towards him, and they looked angry.

Jack’s brain went into a frenzy as he triedto find a way out of this. He could only think of two plans. One, running away but these ‘guards’ would easily catch up with him and running away would only prove he did something wrong – he wasn’t sure what Grumpu Grump had told them but that couldn’t be good. Two, he tried and play it cool, would probably see his mere coins be confiscated and then he was sure to miss the circus show.

Then he thought : what was worst ? Being caught and brought to the hometown for a correction, probably staying there all night and missing botht he show and seeing the artists afterwards ? Or just miss the show.

Well, the choice was easily made.

So Jack just stood there, letting the three men catch up with him, trying not to gulp as the two authortity figures towered over him, looking down at him.

“So,” the first guard said – the taller of the twos, and the one who looked meanier, “we’ve been told you’re robbing money from the clients, kid.”

Great, just his luck, he wasn’t even surprised Grumpy Grump told them that. He resisted the urge to glare at the trader and instead stood his ground.

“I didn’t,” he almost deadpan. It wasn’t like he had a pouch or something to hide stolen purses and jewels inside. He only had the pockets of his pants and they were small.

Obviously, the men didn’t buy it that easily and the shorter one gestured towards Jack’s belt. Okay no, the boy took back his previous comment that the talller one looked meanier : this short bearded man had daggers isntead of eyes.

“Empty your pockets,” he ordered, and his voice had a commanding tone that spoke of troubles if he wasn’t listened to. “We’ll give this all back to this good folk.”

There was something about that commanding man that reminded him of Jonathan and that made Jack bristle. “ I didn’t steal anything ! I was just picking coins from the ground. ” he argued, but the short man just rose an eyebrow, extending his palm in a ‘give me that’ sign .

“Of course you were,” he just drawled, looking unimpressed. “Empty your pockets, now.”

It took a lot of willpower for Jack not to roll his eyes and groan loudly. A huff still escaped him before he dove his hands in his pockets, grabbing at the fabric to pull them inside out and shove in their faces that he had nothing but those three poor coppers. He placed them in the awaiting palm, then gestured an obvious, albeit a bit unpolite, ‘see, duh ?’ He even pushed his cloak over his shoulders to show the blatant lack of purses and satchels that could hide the presumed stolen goods.

Even the dumbest idiot would see he didn’t have anything on him, and the two men in front of him proved not to be idiots. Good for them. Short Meanie still took a moment to check the coins, taking in how worn down and dirty they were from their stay on the ground. One more proof that Jack hadn’t stolen : if he had been a thief, not only would there be way more than three coppers, but they would be well-cared for from their owners.

That much was obvious, even for Short Meanie, who exchanged a look with Tall-Less-Meanie, and Jack felt better at the side glance they both cast towards Grumpy-guy. Little justice. Then Short Meanie cleared his throat and handed back the money to Jack, something the boy hadn’t hoped for, actually.

“Looks like it’s a mistake. Sorry, kid, you can have it back.”

Blinking, Jack hastily grabbed it back, burrying it safely in his pocket, as both guards remained in front of him. Uh, was he okay, then ? Was he still in trouble for some reason ? Hestarted when Tall-Less-Meanie leaned a bit, speaking in a low, soft voice that constrated with the frown he had had on earlier. Uh, maybe he wasn’t that mean, in the end.

“Looks like you’ve not been roofless for a long time, boy,” he spoke softly, almost as if he was hiding from Grumpy Grumpr who still stood a few yards behind them.

Jack hesitated, casting a glance towards the trader, then nodded to Not-So-Meanie. Then he saw something change in the man’s eyes, as if a spark suddenly went out.

It mostly showed on the words he addressed the boy next, “ Picking up lost coins won’t be enough to feed you. You should try to beg, instead. You’ll find plenty of people would help if you asked. ”

“Well, not all of them,” Short-Meanie grumbled, not-so-subtedly nudging his head towards Grumpy Grump.

Jack couldn’t help but chuckle at that, and felt warm inside when both guards smiled. “Thank you, but I don’t need much. Just four coppers for tonight.”

The two men exchanged another look, seemingly at a lost, then Short-Not-So-Meanie asked, “What are you expecting to do with only four coppers ? It’s not even enough to buy bread.”

Jack guessed there was no harm in telling them, especially seeing as they were so nice, actually. “ It’s for the circus. ”

He didn’t really know what to expect from these men, but if he had had to guess, he would have lost. Tall-Not-Meanie reached for his own purse and produced something he threw to Jack. The boy caught it, opening his palm to reveal coins. Four coppers, and a silver on top of that. Jack must have looked like an idiot, staring and blinking at the coins, and it lasted a moment until he looked up at the guards. Both were now openly smiling at him.

“Go have your fun, kid,” Tall-Really-Not-Meanie told him. “And get yourself a nice stew with that silver, okay ?”

Jack’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, making a convincing immitation of a fish out of water, the words tripping over each other in his mouth, “ I– I can’t– This is too much, I– ”

“Go on, have it,” Tall-Really-Not-Meanie insisted, patting Jack’s head as he and Short-Not-Meanie left, heading back to a gaping Grumpy Grump who started arguing but the men led him away.

“Thank you !” the boy called out, but he wasn’t sure the guards heard him.

Jack stood there, dumbfounded. Several minutes had him still blinking owlishly down at the coins in his palms, trying to process what it meant. His heart pounded from such generosity, but a part of him couldn’t help but think that this kind man had wasted his money on him. Jack only needed one more copper for the circus. Now he had three coppers and a silver that would disappear with him in the pond by the end of the night. Well, Jack guessed he could slip it into Ruffnut’s jar so it would profit to the circus. They needed it.

Without waiting, he slipped the coin in his pocket with the others and dashed away, towards the city gates. His heart was pounding wildly, a silly grin plastered on his face, he ran so fast he didn’t watch his breath. His hood was toppled in his rush but he didn’t mind it. Night was starting to fall all around him as he was travelling the path hugging the edge of the forest before entering it. He saw other spectators and, soon, spotted the torches at the entrance of the circus.

There was a waiting line, so he decided to go along with it and wait for his turn. He could hear chatting around him, and recognized a few faces from the previous night. Looked like there was a lot of new spectators, but still a few coming back for a second time, perhaps a third time. It didn’t surprise him, the show was that good, and since it was the last representation, it was logical people wanted to come back to see it one last time before the circus left.

While waiting, Jack pulled out the coins and tried to clean them a bit with his cloak. He used the battered fabric to scratch and scrub the copper, hoping to take out the slightly wet dirt, while the line was moving. Tickling sounds echoes as Ruffnut was shaking the har of coins, increasingly louder as it was being filled, but it was mostly her voice that could be heard. Unlike the previous night when she had sounded and looked utterly bored and in a bad mood, tonight she was loud and cheery, welcoming the visitors and announcing the price for entry, before wishing them a good show and good night. What a change, Jack thought.

When he got close enough to spot her between the visitors, he noticed it wasn’t just her voice : she did was in a good mood, flashing toothy grins and waving and even bowing as she invited the guests to towards the main tent. Surely she was that happy because there was more spectators than the previous night. The line was moving slowly but Jack remained patient. The more he was getting closer to the entrance, the more he felt the smile pulling at his own lips . He wondered how blonde would react when seeing him, and quickly got the answer as her eyes landed on him. Her grin widdened and her greyish-blue eyes filled with sparkles. She rose her free arm and started to wave wildly at him, so much she nearly slapped a man in the face, who jumped away with a confused glare.

“Jackie Boy !” she downright yelled.

The nickname had the boy stock still for a few seconds, icy blue eyes blinking a couple of times before the movement of the crows had him being pushed forward. Ruffnut kept waving at him until a visitor caught her attention, shaking the coins in front of her face. A jump and she gave the old woman a lopsided grin, presenting the jar and nodding as thanks. As soon as the coins were in her possession she mumbled a ‘have a good show’, already looking back towards where Jack had been, clearly searching for him once more. It went on for a moment, her eyes barely leaving the boy, to the point that she wasn’t even checking if she was given the right change.

And when Jack eventually reached her, giving her the coins – all the coins – he yelped as she wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him in for a hug.

“That’s so good you came ! I know some ones who’ll be ecstatic to see you ! You have to come and see us after the show !”

“That was part of the plan,” he admitted with a chuckle, his hands awkwardly hovering aboce Ruffnut’s back but not daring hugging her back.

“That’s awesome, I’m so happy !” she cheered, a muffled cry as she positively vibrated, shaking the boy in her arm.

Someone cleared their throat beside them, “ Excuse us, miss ? ”

Ruffnut let go of Jack and both turned to see a couple looking more refined than the other farmers. Both were looking expectantly at the blonde, the man with an arched eyebrow as he gestured towards the jar of coins, his payment in hand.

“Right, sorry !” The blonde chuckled before holding out the jar, “enjoy the show my good sir !”

The man rolled his eyes, huffing a scoff, deposited the coins and pulled his spouse along with him, skirting Jack while avoiding to touch him as if he was infected or something . The boy was u s ed to this kind of behavior, but at least this time it was just a wealthy man avoiding to touch a ‘poor’. Jack had to admit he looked a bit raggedy, with his oversize d clothes stained by some dirt after sleeping on the ground and his barefeet . Okay, he looked downright like a vagrant. So he let it go and focused back on Ruffnut, who was still grinning at him.

“We’ll talk later, okay ?” She winked at him.

He smiled and nodded before following the line inside the circus tent , leaving Ruffnut to her job, noticing her cheerful voice grew even louder and che e rier now.

Finding himself back inside the giant tent was kind of weird, it was both familiar and foreign at the same time. It was the same tent, but it was arranged differently. There was one more row of logs and the others were tighter. Jack suspected it was due to having more visitors. He found a place by the third row and sat between a fat woman smelling like floor and a broad-shoulded man dressed with a patched shirt. The woman was accompanied by a younger one who seemed to be her daughter, the man had two ten years old kids with him. Said kids were chatting excitedly, speaking so fast Jack couldn’t catch half of their words. It didn’t matter, it was lively while waiting for the show to begin. And when it did, Jack held his breath in anticipation .

He was amazed seeing how the show was both alike and different from the first one he had seen. Valka showed up first with a welcome speech, announcing the acts in a rather similar way than the previous night – if not line-to-line except for the order of the acts . The speech was identical, but her energy was different. She seemed tired but more joyful, more emotional . This time, Snotlout didn’t pass first, the show started with a parade. The redhead guy and the black-haired woman entered first, swirling inflamed staffs in each of their hands. Snotlout was just behind them, lifting a hug e rock painted with an angry face and knotworks . Hiccup followed with Sharpshot perched on his arm as if he was a bird of prey, and finally the two knife throwers ended the parade while jiggling with their daggers.

Jack joined in the round of applause filling the whole tent, then to each preceeding and following the different acts. He made sure to cheer super loud to intice the children next to him to do as well, driving most of the spectators to follow.

Eret and Astrid were still as impressive with their accurate throws of knife. They even stabbed targets swinging by a rope. Snotlout showed off his strength by lifting heavier weights than the previous night, including the empty dragon cage. The Fire Dancer named Heather seemed tired but it didn’t stop her from smiling and looking graceful in the middle of the flames. Dagur, the other Fire Master, scared the crowd when he suddenly stopped his jiggling to jump through his ignited hoops. Something that was even more impressive seeing the tight loops and his square shoulders that shouldn’t have fitted but still did.

And when Hiccup’s turn came, Jack was vibrating onto his seat, leaning forward and cheeks aching from smiling too much . Now that he knew the dragons were already tamed, he saw details he had not noticed during the first act. The dragon shown this time was Stormfly, described at the ‘beautiful but dreadful Deadly Nadder’. Jack noticed that, while tossing in the cage, she looked more annoyed than furious, her tail twitching like an irritated cat but she wasn’t roaring nore even making loud sounds.

She calmed down instantly as she saw the Dragon Tamer who had removed the blanket drapped over the cage. Jack also noticed her round pupils following each gesture Hiccup was doing, even before he sarted pretending to soothe and coax her. She was forcing herself to keep calm but wanted to play, it was visible by her wagging spiked tail that was making harsh stops. But the most obvious sign, which should have put the bug in Jack’s ear in the first act, was the total lack of discomfort when Hiccup climbed her back, showing she was used to it.

And when the Dragon Tamer flashed that bright enthusiastic smile while asking who wanted to come and pet the dragon, it demanded tremendous will for Jack not to volunteer right away. Of course, he would have been glad to join the auburnet on stage once more, and approach Stormfly again, but he wanted to let someone else get this chance too. If someone had the courage to ask, that is. If no one was going to, then he would, but not before. His eyes scanned the crowd and only found reluctant, scared expressions. One little girl still decided she wanted to try, but her mother quickly pulled her hand back down, hushing her and scolding her lowly. Jack’s smile dropped seeing this. Then Hiccup really hadn’t exaggerated when he said people were always afraid of dragons. Pursing his lips, Jack waited a bit longer while silence was stretching, and noticed on Hiccup’s face how the Dragon Tamer was used to this kind of reactions. He seemed jaded, the corner of his mouth twitching as he kept plastering a smile on his face anyway.

“That case,” he stated, already turning back his attention onto Stormfly, a hand reaching out to pat the side of her neck, “we’ll just continue and–”

“Wait !”

Jack looked around towards the source of the voice and spotted the young woman it belonged to. She looked in her early twenties, dark-brown hair and slightly tanned skin, the archetype of a B urg ess inhabitant. She stood and smoothed her hand on her yellow and white dress, before adjusting her white lace cap.

“I… I’d like to try,” she claimed with a wavering voice.

Jack’ s smile returned , icy blue eyes looking back to Hiccup to check his reaction. The young man’ s smile was now back to genuine as he extended his hand towards her while climbing down Stormfly’s back.

“Then come over here.”

The young woman walked down the rows and reached the dirt circle, placing herself next to Hiccup, casting hesitant glances towards the Deadly Nadder over the auburnet’s shoulder.

“What’s your name ?” Hiccup asked.

“Am– I’m Amelia.”

“Have you met dragons before, Amelia ?”

“N-No, it’s the first time… Oh my God, it’s huge…”

“I know she can be impressive, but don’t worry. She won’t attack unless she feels threatened.”

“’She’ ?”

Hiccup gave her a reassuring smile before approaching Stormfly, stroking the dragon’s side. The blue and yellow Nadder shook her shoulders and cackled happily before her big yellow eyes landed on the young Burgess girl. Well, eye, since she was turning her head to look from the side. Jack chuckled again at this detail, Stormfly did have a big snout . Hiccup kept on stroking her to keep her calm and took his time to reassure the intimidated young woman. Ameli a looked like she was about to run away in the second, or faint from the pressure.

“Alright Amelia, try not to move, I’ll bring her to you. Present her your hand, like this.”

He showe d her the appropriate gesture he had already shown Jack twice and Stormfly cackled before instantly pressing her big, horned snout against Hiccup’s freckled palm. She looked more like she was asking pets than performing a trust test, still t he dark-haired young woman tensed, her fists firmly pressed against her chest in fear.

“Extend your hand and close your eyes, that way she’ll see you’re not a threat and that you trust her,” Hiccup adviced patiently.

“She’s not going to bite my hand off, is she ?”

Hiccup chuckled, though Jack noticed the sound was really different from the ones he had heard before. This chuckle was fake, if not pained.

“Don’t worry, she prefers chicken.”

This answer earned a few laughter in the crowd, and that seemed to give courage to Amel ia . She took a deep breath in and held her hand towards Stormfly, closing her eyes. Her whole body was still tensed. Jack watched attentively while Hiccup was coaxing Stormfly closer. The dragon followed with bouncing steps, visibly happy to play, but she didn’t seem much interested in the young woman in front of her. After one more prompt from the Dragon T amer, the Deadly Nadder blew from her nostrils and lowered her head to press her snout against the slightly tanned palm. Ameli a jumped and almost backed, Hiccup starting as he had been prepared to intervene should she panick for real.

Jack then noticed Hiccup was keepin g his distance, keeping closer to the dragon than to the volunteer, contrary to when the boy had himself been on stage. He recalled Hiccup standing very close to him, reassuring and encouraging him, but in this moment the auburnet was keeping a closer eye on Stormfly. Jack wondered if it was because himself had been eager to meet the dragon and Hiccup was hloding him back from rushing Hookfang, or if Hiccup was making sure Stormfly was calm enough not to scare off Amelia.

“It’s okay. You can open your eyes, now,” he reassured the young brunet woman who was still as tensed as a pole with her eyes shut closed and her teeth gritted.

Ameli a obliged and stared wide eye d at the dragon against her palm. The big yellow eyes were closed too, and the Nadder was taking deep, slow breaths. Stormfly was very calm – impossibly so if Jack trusted the impression he had on the previous night with the lively Deadly Nadder always moving about and preening and taking a peculiar, repetitive care of grooming and cleaning her scales – still that wasn’t enough to ease the young woman’s fear. Jack then understood why Hiccup told him not everyone was able to see dragons as sensitive beings. Visibly Ameli a , even though she had volunteered to come and pet Stormfly, was still afraid of her. Hiccup stepped closer and spoke lower, but Jack had an idea of what he was telling her. Or rather, asking her. Because he had done the same with him, the previous night. Surely he was asking her if she was feeling this conne ct ion with the dragon , if she was feeling Stormfly was more than just a beast, just an animal . But it didn’t look like so . Ameli a was still tensed and didn’t wait to retreive her hand, rubbing her fingers as if she had touched something unpleasant.

“She’s coarse,” she said.

Jack spotted how Hiccup’s face fell . The auburnet’ s gaze lowered and seemed to repress a sigh, before he softly patted Stormfly’s cheek. The Nadder lifted her head and shook her wings and back, then the Dragon T amer turned to the crowd and opened his arms wide.

“The dragon has been tamed !” came the catchphrase concluding his act.

New cheers erupted but Jack didn’t join this time. He was too distracted as he met Stormfly’s eyes. The Deadly Nadder’s big nostrils flared as she stared intently at him, cocking her head to the side and wiggling her wings, giving a sharp squawk. Jack grinned realizing she had not only seen him, but recognized him as well. The best part was that Hiccup remained oblivious of the exchange, too buzy politely sending Ameli a back to her seat.

The show ended the same way it did the previous time, with a gathering of all the artists of the troupe, Valka’s thanks – which seemed greater this time, surely due to it being the last night at Burgess – then the curtains closed and the visitors were invited to leave. Jack remained on his seat as long as possible, a smile playing on his lips as he stared at the tent emptying. He waited until he was the last one left, then got up to exit the tent. Just in time as he saw a stout man with an impressive blond mustache limp inside, giving him a court nod as the boy left – his clothes made of leather and furs told he was part of the circus and Jack supposed he made a round inside the tent to make sure everyone had left.

Outs id e, the boy spotted Ruffnut at the entrance, saying goodbye to the visitors, then Tuffnut joined her and helped her closing a fence between the two pole supporting the entry signs, before blowing out the lantherns and torches.

The twins turned around and Jack grinned as he stood in the middle of the way. Ruffnut snickered while her brother’s jaw dropped, then the dreadlock guy shook his head and threw himself in a mad dash to the shorter boy. Jack didn’t react first, expecting him to slow down and come to a stop in front of him, but he realised his mistake as the blond threw himself at him. Jack got tackled to the ground, huffing as he found himself engulfed in a bear hug .

“Jack ! I’m so happy to see you, dude !” Tuffnut all but shouted in his ear.

The boy chuckled and tried to catch his breath as the blond decided to let go of him, then pulled him up on his feet just as easily as he had hoiled him off the ground the previous night.

“We’ll throw a party,” Ruffnut explained. “We always throw one for the last night, you have to join us !”

“Okay.”

“Wicked ! Come on !” Each of the twins grabbed one of his arms and dragged him along in another mad dash, so fast he nearly tripped on his own feet. He shook his head in amusement, snorting at their antics.

The night was promissing to be more entertaining than he had thought.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9
LAST NIGHT
ᛚᚨᛋᛏ ᚾᛁᚷᚺᛏ

With the sun dipped low behind the treetops, the forest was slowly reversing to its shadowy alter ego that pushed the Hawthorne habitants to hurry back to their house and the nice glow of the fireplace. Tales of monsters and disappearances were made up from those looming woods, and though Jack grew up in those tales made to keep children in line, he only really developed a fear of the forest at night since the accident at the pond.

Tonight, though, there was nothing to fear of. The night air was chilly, sure, the trees were big and dark and opposing, no doubt, but the torches lit all around the circus and camp cast a warm glow over the shadows, cutting the ominous shapes into recognizable trees, trunks and leaves. The night was far from silent as well, what with the rumors of conversations that could still be heard from the visitors striding down the path back to Burgess, and that awesome smell of roasted chicken filling the air.

As Jack let the twins guide him towards the camp – his arms trapped in their grip and they were holding onto him as if they were afraid he would up and vanish on them – it felt both similar and different from the previous night. Immensely better than the previous night. This time, he wasn’t being unwillingly dragged to a shady transaction with a young woman he barely knew and who scammed him, he was following two friendly acquaintances to see other friendly acquaintances.

Both Ruffnut and Tuffnut were babbling excitedly around him, talking over one another so much that Jack struggled to keep up, he only caught that they wanted to introduce him to the other members of the troupe he had yet to meet. Names were thrown in the lot, including some he had not heard on stage : Mala, Gobber and Fishlegs. It took a lot for him not to snort at the weird name, and he guessed that – especially seeing the twins’ names, Hiccup and Snotlout – it seemed to be a tradition in the Hairy Hooligan Circus. He hoped it was all stage names and not their real names. Or at least nicknames.

[end of the revision)

When the camp was in view, Jack noticed a tall bonfire in the middle, the other artists gathered around it with a couple other persons. There was music, and a few smaller fires where full chicken were roasting, and a few silhouettes dancing. Jack smiled as he spotted Stormfly and Toothless next to a campfire, the blue and yellow tall dragon eyeing the food while Toothless was laughing at Meatlug, sprawled on a fire, rolling happily in the flames as she was extinguishing it, her tongue hanging out of her big mouth.

The twins sped up and Jack thought he was going to fall.

“Hey guys !” Tuffnut shouted, “look who we’ve found !”

The group closer to them, three persons sitting on logs around a barril, turned to look at them. Jack recognised Snotlout and Valka, along with the knife thrower Eret.

“Jack !” The stocky dark-haired guy exclaimed as he stood.

He dropped his pint and pushed Eret to skirted the log. Not minding at all the twins, he shoved them out of his way before wrapping his thick arms around the thin boy. He hugged so hard Jack huffed before being lifted from the ground.

“Easy, Snotlout,” Valka chuckled.

The stocky guy put back down their guest. Jack chuckled despite being breathless, then smiled as he met Valka’s kind eyes.

“It’s really good to see you tonight, Jack. I admit that, with what happened yesterday, we were not sure you would show up.”

“You had one more show tonight,” he replied as casual as he could and shrugged. “I couldn’t miss it.”

Valka smiled, amused, then Eret joined them, a curious look on the boy.

“So, you’re the Jack ?”

The boy had to lift his head to meet the hazel eyes of this tall young man. Seriously, he was even taller than Valka, which was already a good half-head taller than Jack. Eret was about to start a conversation but Astrid erupted from thin air, grabbing his arm and leaning towards Jack as if she wanted the taller guy to stay quiet. Her ocean blue eyes were filled with curiosity and some sort of fascination.

“Oh, so this is the famous Jack ? We’ve been hearing about you all day long.”

“R-Really ?” The boy hesitated.

“Hiccup says dragons like him,” Eret explained to the blonde.

Astrid scoffed. “Yeah, the dragons aren’t the only ones liking him, if you know what I mean.”

Jack felt his face heat up. He wondered what she was meaning by that, and his heart skipped a beat as he imagined she was talking about the tamer. He didn’t dare hoping he had made such a good impression, especially seeing the circumstances. The twins high-fived before Ruffnut left them, turning just to explain where she was going.

“I’ll get him, he’ll be soooooo happy to see you.”

She winked at Jack and skimmed away. While the others laughed, he was confused. Valka invited him to join them and he found a seat on the log, next to Snotlout, who picked up his pint before filling it again. Jack didn’t recognize the golden-colored liquid, but it smelt of alcohol.

“Did you just arrived ?” Valka inquired as she filled another pint of water to offer him.

He took it and thanked her before replying. “No, I watched the show.”

“Oh, really ?” Erek asked, “Didn’t you get bored ? You know, since you’ve already seen it yesterday.”

“Not at all ! Even if you had done exactly the same show, it would have never been boring.”

The artists in front of him smiled at that, pleased. Astrid in particular seemed proud.

“Thanks,” she said. “We try to change it so we don’t always perform the same things. Mostly for ourselves, so we don’t get fed up of it.”

“Yeah, I can imagine always repeating the same thing can be tiring, in the long run.”

The ocean blue eyes of the blonde squinted with amusement and a bit of mischief.

“You get used to it, don’t worry. You develop different tricks, and travelling between two performances helps to get some rest, too.”

“I say Hiccup has th’most diversified act,” Snotlout grunted while diging his chin in his palm. “He has sev’ral dragons, and each can do diff’rent tricks. Easy peasy.”

“Yeah,they’re the funniest too,” Tuffnut agreed. “Oh, remember that time when Hookfang burst in flames and ignited the whole stage ! That was awesome ! We had to stop the show and get everyone out to put out the fire !”

The group laughed at that, including Jack. He could easily imagine the auburnet’s panic.

“Or that time when Meatlug jumped in th’crowd ‘cause she really wanted t’hug that fat boy ?” Snotlout snorted.

”Not mentioning when Stormfly erupted in our act and imitated us by throwing her spikes to the targets,” Eret added, laughing so hard he was clenching his sides.

“Hey !” Astrid slapped his arm, “Don’t talk down on it, that was our best show !”

They laughed even more, Jack was starting to get stomach ache from it. He was trying to catch up his breath when Ruffnut came back with Hiccup, who smiled brightly as he met Jack’s eyes. The boy smiled back but didn’t have the time to say a word before something smashed in his face. It was so strong Jack fell backward and hit the ground. He vaguely heard yelps around him but couldn’t care about it, too distracted by the small creature glued to his face, licking his cheek while chirping and warbbling happily.

“Sharpshot, it tickles !” Jack laughed.

The small dragon didn’t listen and kept on licking and nudging him, purring loudly. Jack grabbed him and hughed him, still laying on his back with his legs over the log. Looking up, he found several faces bent over him, with different degrees of worry and amusement.

“You okay, Jack ?” Valka asked.

“Told you he would be sooooo happy,” Ruffnut giggled.

“Ouch. Is it Sharpshot who’s that strong or you who don’t weight anything ?” Tuffnut wondered.

Jack thought about it and convinced himself it was a mix of the two. After all, even if Sharpshot was the size of a cat, he did was as strong as a big watchdog. His eyes softened as he saw Hiccup’s embarrassment over the tiny dragon. The tamer quickly rushed to help him back up.

“Oh gods, I’m so sorry Jack, I wasn’t expecting him to tackle you like that. I didn’t even notice he had left the tent.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Hiccup didn’t seem convinced and gave him an apologetic look, thought he ended up smiling back. Jack then focused back on the small dragon wiggling and warbbling in his arms.

“Oh, did you miss me that much ?” He teased, scratching the dragon’s belly. “I missed you too, little buddy.”

Sharpshot basked in the petting, then he ended up climbing on his shoulder, before slipping into his hood. The sudden weight made Jack sway backwards while he heard the front button crack. Luckily, it didn’t snap, and Hiccup quickly caught Jack before he could loose his balance. Once again, the boy got a bit dizzy as he felt warm arms around him and, for a second, he found himself unable to look away from the forest green eyes staring back at him.

He searched for something to say, anything, even something silly, just something to break the silence. It wasn’t some ramble from him which did so, but Astrid clearing her throat to catch their attention. Both looked at her and found a teasing smile on her face.

“Do you two want to be left alone ?” She asked as she wiggled her blond eyebrows.

Jack straightened and Hiccup quickly let go of him, taking a step sideway. Before Jack managed to find something to say, his stomach growled loudly. If he had thought he was blushing before that, now he was sure he had turned crimson red.

“You must be starving, Jack.” Valka inquired.

He forced a smile, running a hand in his hair. “I… I spent the day outside.”

It wasn’t a lie, but it was far from implying he was also going to spend the night outside. His stomach growled again and he wrapped his arms around it, hoping to make it stop. Astrid shook her head and shifted on the log, pushing Eret a bit, so he could sit next to her.

“The chicken is almost ready, take a plate.”

Jack smiled and nodded as a thanks, before he sat next to her. He pulled at his collar since the cape was strangling him a bit because of Sharpshot’s weight. The dragon hadn’t move since he had settled there but Jack wasn’t worried because he could hear a calm breathing and slight snoring. Astrid’s soft smile after she had glanced at his hood confirmed him the Terrible Terror had fallen asleep. That proved just how much at ease he was with Jack.

Another conversation started around the barril, good mood reigning as the artists were having fun asking tricky questions to Jack, like which of their acts was his favorite. He didn’t dare answer at first, not wanting to vex them. They noticed it and laughed it off, telling him they wouldn’t get offended but were curious. So Jack admitted that, the previous night, his favorite act had been Hiccup with Hookfang.

“Typical,” Snotlout snorted. “Who wouldn’t be awed by this beast ?”

There was underlying affection in his voice. Then Jack told them that the act he had liked the most this time was Heather and Dagur. He found the mix of graceful dance and dangerous flames captivating.

“What’bout my raw strength ?” Snotlout insisted, sounding a bit disappointed.

Jack gave him a sheepish smile as an apology, before pulling once more at his collar.

“Speaking about Heather !” Astrid exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “We should introduce you to the others.”

She didn’t give him time to answer she grabbed his wrist and pulled him with her, gesturing for Hiccup to come along. The auburnet put down the pint he was drinking in and followed them, while the group was still chuckling. As they were getting away, Jack heard a few teasing words from Eret.

“Looks like our dragon trainer found a new one to tame.”

Snotlout and the twins giggled.

Astrid dragged Jack to the bonfire where a group of three people was dancing. He recognized the red-head fire juggler with a stubble and a long scar along the side of his face, the black-haired dancer, but it was the first time he was seeing the tall woman with short strawberry-blond hair. She was a bit taller than Dagur and the fact she wasn’t batting his hand away from her hip was a clear sign of their relationship.

“Guys !” Astrid called out, “there’s someone I want you to meet !”

The three of them stopped dancing and smiled at the approaching trio, before their eyes filled with curiosity as they landed on Jack. Heather noticed the sleeping dragon snuggled in the boy’s hood, mostly because his green scaly tail was hanging over Jack’s shoulder. Something shone in her bright emerald eyes and she pointed at him.

“Ah ! You, you’re Jack, right ?”

“Huh… yes ?”

He didn’t know what to think of the fact she already knew his name. Just how much had Snotlout, the twins and Hiccup told the others about him ? Dagur seemed to have the same awakening as her because he started and his equally green eyes widened.

“Oh, oh ! You’re the boy who came to the stage with Hiccup yesterday, and who saved Snotface and the two hystericals’ ass ?”

“In terms of hysteria, I think you’re number one here,” Astrid snorted.“Jack, these are our fire masters, Dagur and Heather, and Mala, she’s in charge of providing food as well as supervizing the installation of the show tent.”

“Good evening, Jack,” The tall blonde smiled, stretching her hand to him.

He smiled and shook it, but she quickly pulled it back after a bare touch.

“Your hands are freezing,” she chuckled. You should warm them up at the fire.”

“Sorry, they’re always cold.”

“Is it because of your magic ?” Dagur asked.

Jack froze at that, both horrified and bewildered. Horrified he knew about this, but bewildered by his lack of fear. The read-head didn’t seem afraid at all, actually he seemed intrigued. Jack tried to keep his composure, but thinking rumors about his strange powers could spread at Burgess wasn’t comforting.

“How do you know about that ?” Hiccup inquired, “Valka wanted us to keep this to ourselves.”

Dagur shrugged. “Snotface must have missed it because he’s not stopped talking about it. Usually it takes a lot to impress him, you managed a great deed here, Jack.”

The boy’s shoulders tensed, and it didn’t went unoticed by the five persons around him. Dagur’s smile dropped.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. We can talk about something else if you want.”

“I…”

Jack hesitated, his eyes scanning the others’ faces. None was giving him looks, on the contrary, they were treating him like a normal person.

“Aren’t you afraid of it ?” He asked lowly, unable to speak louder as he was too troubled.

“Are you kidding ?” Astrid laughed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

The friendly touch bothered Sharpshot, who wiggled and groaled, forcing the blonde away. She rose her hands in surrender and apologized to the small creature while Jack pulled once more at his collar.

“Why would we be afraid of your magic ?” Heather added, her voice soft and cautious, as if fearing to rush him.

Because it’s demonic magic, maybe ? Jack thought. He couldn’t tell them this, but he didn’t know what else to say. Hense when he replied, he stuttered because he was making sounds without knowing what he wanted to mean nore how to phrase it.

“It’s… I… At the village, they say… Huh… Let’s just say it’s frowned upon.”

He tensed even more and lowered his head, fidgeting with his sleeve. He felt a bit better when a warm hand touched his arm. Hiccup’s hand. Jack looked up and met kind forest green eyes.

“People tend to fear what they don’t understand, just like with dragons.”

The auburnet smiled and squeezed gently.

“Would you say dragons are bad ?”

Jack bit his lip and shook his head no. On the contrary, he thought dragons were wonderful, but he just couldn’t apply the same thought to his powers.

“Magic is rare, but it can show up anywhere. We’ve already met people with magical powers. There was this healer who could treat every wound with her powers.”

“Or this guy from the Southern Mountains who could shapeshift at will,” Mala added. “He could shift into any animal, really, and it was funny because, not mattered his shape, his tattoos would always remain.”

“Yeah, I remember that one,” Dagur giggled. “His half-shark was sick.”

“Do you mind showing us, Jack ?” Heather asked.

Her tone and the way she had phrased it made it clear she was only asking, not pushing. Jack felt like she would accept if he said no, still their curiosity and complete lack of fear encouraged him. He wondered if, for once, his powers would really be met with wonder instead of the usual horror. He wanted to know.

So he took a deep breath and lifted a hand. With a swift flip, a flickering snowflake popped in his palm, sparkling shyly in the bonfire light. It swirled around his fingers and grew a bit, taking more complexed and detailed crystallized shapes. Jack focused on it but still checked the others’ reaction. He only saw shining eyes, Dagur and Astrid gapping.

“Wow, incredible !” An unknown voice suddenly exclaimed.

An imposing silhouette appeared in front of Jack, making him blench. Instantly, the snowflake exploded and Hiccup stepped back as the cloud of mist engulfed his face. Jack tensed while the others burst in laughter. Indeed, the tiny explosion had blew the auburn hair back and froze it in frosted spikes at the top of his head. Hiccup remained still for a few seconds, then opened his eyes again. Jack, gritting his teeth, gave him an apologetic look. Hiccup just smiled and rubbed his hair to chase away the ice, then the new arrival stepped between the two.

“It was wonderful, how did you do that ?”

Jack started when this large young man – more chubby than bulky – grabbed his hand to inspect it, flipping it, pushing around his fingers. Jack first only saw the large silhouette dressed in a long furred brown tunic, then a short tuft of blond hair, then a rounded nose under a pair of greyish green eyes intently staring at his pale palm. Then he noticed that his own right hand, the one that guy was holding, had dye stains on it.

He recalled running this hand in his hair and worried about his camouflage, quickly pulling back his hand and discreetly wipping it on his cape. The chubby blond rose his in peace and quickly apologized, his round cheeks tainted a dark pink.

“Oh, sorry, I tend to get carried away when I’m enthusiastic ! It’s not everyday you can witness true magic ! It really was extraordinary ! So you have ice powers ? Can you make ice sculptures ? Some snow, maybe ? And can you–”

“Slow down, Fishlegs,”Hiccup cut him, chuckling.

“Sorry, sorry !” The chubby blond replied, hiding his blushing face in his hands.

“Aye, Fishlegs’ right, t’was somethin’, lad.”

Jack turned his head towards this unknown voice with a thick accent, and spotted a man making his way towards them. He was older than the troupe, he seemed in his fifties like Valka, even a bit older than her, and his appearance was far from usual. Built with as much fat than muscles, his asymetrical jaw was adorned by a stone teeth popping out of his mouth. He was bald with a long braided blond mustache hanging down to his belt. He also had a hook replacing his left hand, along with a piece of wood as right foot.

Jack barely had time to wonder who this man was before Astrid wrapped again her arm around his shoulder – once more bothering Sharpshot who ended up leaving the hood to instead take shelter in the boy’s arms – and the blonde made the presentations.

“Jack, let me introduce you to the last members of our troupe : Fishlegs and Gobber. They’re in charge of our advertisement, our trip itinerary and, with Valka and Mala, they also negociate with the places we stop by to find a place to stay and price the entry according to local wherewithal.”

“I’m also the accounts keeper,” Fishlegs corrected, trying to make himself sound important.

“Aye,” Gobber agreed. His thick accent was completely foreign to Jack but still melodic to listen to. “The circus’ well-going is on us and Valka. We’re like the puppet-players in the shadow, but it’s our artists attracting the public. Speaking of this, I have ta say a talent like yer own would be a valuable addition to our skillset, lad.”

“Huh…”

Jack glanced towards Hiccup, the only one in this group to know the events of the previous night. But the auburnet didn’t seem wanting to help as he just smiled at him, as if expecting Jack to accept. The boy had already denied the offer but, visibly, the dragon tamer had not given up on changing his mind.

“Valka already offered me to join yesterday, but I declined…” Jack admitted.

“Ah, what a shame,” Gobber huffed. “Would have been refreshing ta have a new head around. Well, I suppose ya have good reasons.”

Jack didn’t reply. He did have reasons, but he couldn’t describe them as good reasons. While Gobber moved on a new topic, complaining that no one was dancing or listening to the music he was playing, Jack checked Hiccup’s reaction to his new refusal. He met his eyes because the auburnet was staring at him, looking disappointed and thoughtful.

“Food’s ready !” Ruffnut yelled.

“Finally, I’m starving !” Dagur exclaimed.

He let out a loud, hysterical giggle that sounded inhuman before running at top speed to the closer campfire where he found a skewer of three fat chickens, along with Eret and the twins trying to keep Stormfly away from it. The others followed and took a share, Snotlout and Dagur each taking a full chicken for themselves, one biting directly in it and the other using a dagger. All the others took smaller parts. When Jack had filled his own plate with a chicken leg and wing with a pint of water to go with, he found a sit on a log, next to Hiccup, both of them facing Eret and the twins who were having fun listing the incidents during Hiccup’s act with dragons. Jack listened to them and laughed while slowly eating, letting Sharpshot steal his chicken wing.

Soon, Eret and the twins were so engulfed in their conversation and laughter nothing else seemed to matter for them, leaving Jack and Hiccup in silence. It lasted a moment, and Jack wondered if he should start another conversation, just with him. The tales being told in front of him rose a question.

“Looks like it’s rare for you to have volunteers on stage.”

Hiccup sighed and lowered his head, tightening his grip on his pint.

“Yeah. Like I told you, people tend to fear what they don’t understand. They see dragons as ferocious and extremely dangerous beasts. As long as it’s a professional tamer making tricks on stage, they can watch and be fascinated, but once it’s their turn to come closer… they just pass.”

“Now I see why you’re so surprised each time someone actually volunteer. I mean, you looked astounded when I did, yesterday.”

He met the tamer’s eyes, and a smile.

“What astounded me was your excitement. You looked like a kid whose dream came true.”

Jack grinned at that, then shrugged. “It kind of did, actually. I’ve heard so many stories about dragons, but up until yesterday I thought it was just that, stories. It was a shock to see Hookfang on stage, but a good shock you know. So when you offered to come and pet him, I couldn’t miss that chance.”

The tamer’s face softened and Jack recognized that tender smile making him feel like melting inside. He still had troubles grasping how Hiccup was doing this.

“I have to admit I secretly hoped you would spring up from nowhere and volunteer too, tonight,” the tamer added before taking a sip of his pint.

“Nah, I rathered letting someone else enjoy it. Amelie took profit of it, right ?”

Hiccup choked in his drink, coughing before staring wide eyed at the boy. “You were there ?”

Jack grinned and nodded. “Yep, saw the whole show.”

The auburnet coughed once more, then smiled. “She didn’t enjoy seeing a dragon from that close, not as much as you did. She was still scared and, unlike you, she didn’t feel this connexion.”

“Stormfly wasn’t helping, she seemed bored out of her wits.”

Jack wanted to laughed at it, but Hiccup’s gaze tuned him off.

“”You noticed,” he smiled.

The boy swallowed hard, trying all his might not to blush. He could feel his face heat up and the air seemed to get hotter suddenly. Averting his eyes, fidgeting with his pint, he tried to remember what joke he wanted to say.

“You really pay attention to them.”

Jack could hear in Hiccup’s voice how much he was impressed and glad of it. It made him even more embarrassed and didn’t know what to do, what to say. Luckily, he got saved from that awkward silence as he felt something pull at the bottom of his pants. Looking down, he found Sharpshot chewing on it.

“Shoo, it’s not food, you know,” he tried to scold him but still sounded amused.

The small dragon stopped and sat, looking intently at him with big puppy eyes. Jack shook his head and threw him a piece of chicken, which the Terror caught mid-air and devoured happily.

The rest of the diner went on like this, in good mood and companionship, especially when Toothless joined them and tried to hog Jack’s attention by resting his large, heavy head on his lap. That earned him Sharpshot’s jealousy and, soon, it was getting really hard for Jack to eat or chat with Hiccup with two dragons snuggling against him.

Jack found extremely funny to tease the tamer about the incidents the others were talking about, Hiccup’s embarrassed face and stutter were priceless. It was the most entertaining and cute thing Jack knew. There was a kind, soft and slightly awkward person behind the imposing title of dragon tamer.

Once Gobber had emptied his plate, he went back to his rebec and played a new song. Heather beamed and got up, dragging Dagur and Mala along to go back dancing by the bonfire. Toothless chirped and left Jack’s lap to follow them, bouncing, joining Stormfly as she was taking giant steps in try to imitate them. The twins found it funny and imitated her as well, which produced a particularly ridiculous dance.

Snotlout and Astrid burst in laughter while Valka and Eret clapped in rythm as cheers for the dancers. Fishlegs ended up joining the twins, presenting his hand to Ruffnut while it was obvious it was asking all his might and bravery to invite her for a dance. She didn’t wait to accept and left her brother behind. Tuffnut pouted for a moment before fetching Snotlout, who gladly joined the imitation of Stormfly. He was even more ridiculous than Ruffnut and Jack swore he would die of laughing.

He wiped a tear of laughter and calmed as Hiccup got up and outstretched his hand to him.

“May I have this dance ?” The auburnet asked.

Jack hesitated and looked back to the dancers. Appart from Tuffnut and Snotlout playing dumb, the others looked like they were dancing a specific choregraphy, surely according to the music.

“Huh… I don’t know this dance.”

“Do you really think they do ? Come on, you can’t possibly be a worst dancer than me.”

He chuckled and gestured to his left leg. Jack’s eyes followed to land on the peg leg he had noticed when on stage with him. From up close, it really was nothing like a foot. It looked like a sophisticated device. Hiccup’s smile dropped all of a sudden, as if he was fearing dragging attention to his missing limb had been a mistake. Jack suspected he must be self-conscious about it, and maybe even be worried about the boy’s reaction. Though said boy was aiming to surprise him. After all, if Jack was never going to do something, it was judge someone. With everything he was himself going through, he wasn’t going to reject someone because of something that unimportant.

“You’re right, I’m pretty good at it, actually. You’re just going to make a fool of yourself.”

His joke aimed right because Hiccup’s smile returned. The tamer’s eyes glinted as he offered his hand once again.

“I’m willing to take the risk.”

Jack rolled his eyes good-naturedly and took his hand, following him towards the bonfire. They didn’t let go as they faced each other, then started to dance. Jack had no idea how he was supposed to move on this music, but it soon completely slipped his mind. He took some malicious delight at dragging Hiccup into unpredictable steps, not holding from laughing whenever his dancing partner was loosing his balance or tripping on his own feet. At first, Hiccup seemed a bit abashed first, but then he joined in and tried to trip Jack too.

The young boy laughed harder, it was really uplifting after so long, and the last time he had danced had been with Emma. The both of them also used to make a fool of the other like this. Jack could almost feel like going back through time to that mariage when he had play-danced with his sister all party long, but the young man in front of him was nothing like the eleven years old girl.

Jack came out of his thoughts and memories when Hiccup took a step backward, pulling at his hands to drag him along. The boy tripped on his own feet and fell forward, but he could count on the tamer to catch him. Hiccup kept his pale hand in his own, his other arm wrapping around the boy’s waist while said boy’s face pressed against his shoulder. Jack’s chuckle was muffled by the brown tunic and leather, and despite how nice that warmth was, he quickly straightened.

Hiccup had a large amused smile on his face, while Jack pouted as he noticed some darker stains on the auburnet’s collar and neck, coming from the dye. Without thinking, the boy tried to wipe it, startling Hiccup. Realising how intimate that touch might have seemed, Jack quickly pulled back his hand, his cheeks turning pink. It took a moment for him to find the guts to look back at Hiccup, only to find out the tamer had not looked away.

This forest green gaze was staring intently at him, as if he could scan his very soul, and Jack found himself completely helpless, lost in this spell. As he was diving into this forest, his body stopped dancing, slowing down to a simple swinging movement following Hiccup’s lead. They stared at each other for a long time, without a word, until the auburnet started to lean in.

Jack was dying to just close the gap between them, but he couldn’t forget the troupe was going to leave, and that he had to go back face his fate. Giving in to this urge was a terrible idea, as tempting as it was. Hiccup seemed to read his reluctance in his eyes, for the only touch they shared was the tip of their nose brushing. Jack, not used to physical touch, tensed by reflex. He then felt the hand resting on his back starting to rub gently, as reassurance, making shivers run down his spine. His mind fogged and resisting suddenly became harder.

His remaining thoughts asked him to drop his project, to give up going back to the frozen abyss calling him, so he could instead remain in this soothing, wonderful warmth. He had hoped seeing Hiccup and the dragons again would give him the strength he lacked to face his fate and death, but suddenly, he realised it had had the opposite effect. He had wanted to have a better memory of this warmth so he could face the cold, but tasting it again gave him the need to stay forever in the warmth.

As his eyes laboured to remain open, the urge to feel warm lips pressed upon his own growing stronger and stronger, his thoughts getting louder and louder, he ended up voicing them. He did it in a whisper, afraid the slightest sound could break the spell.

“You really meant it when you said you wanted to change my mind ?”

Hiccup smiled at that. “Is it working ?”

“I’d like to.”

“We always have the choice, Jack. It’s not like we wouldn’t come back for you to visit your family. What’s holding you back ? What’s keeping you here ?”

Nothing. Nothing was keeping him at Burgess, and that’s what was making it even worst.

“It’s not what keeps me here, it’s what keeps me away from the circus. I can’t come with you, or rather… you can’t take me with you.”

Silence fell as the two kept on swinging slowly. Then Hiccup smiled again.

“Then, I guess I’ll have to stay.”

Jack froze and even backed. The mist fogging his mind suddenly lifted, chased away by a splash of freezing water. Hiccup closed his mouth and pressed his lips, seemingly holding back inner panic, as if fearing he had went too far, if he had made a mistake. Jack stared in silence, shocked and confused, before he shook his head. Why would Hiccup want to stay ? Leaving the circus, the troupe who was his family, even leaving the dragons ? No, that couldn’t happen. Especially if he was staying for Jack, for Jack was not going to stay.

He had already made up his mind. This night was just suspended sentence. He was going to throw himself in the pond as soon as he was going back, but Hiccup was making things so complicated. Why was he making this farewell so hard ? He was crambling Jack’s resolve, he was making him want to stay, rather the warmth to the cold claiming him. Jack had to resist, he had to leave while he still could. Shaking his head again, clenching his fists, he did the only thing he could. He ran away.

“I have to go,” he muttered before taking off.

“Jack, wait !” Hiccup called out.

But Jack didn’t. He ran away in the night, without looking back, without a goodbye, not even a greeting to the others, nore for the dragons, nore for Sharpshot. He let them all behind, because he knew it was better this way. He had to protect them while he could. He had to protect them from White the Cursed. He didn’t want to hurt them like he had hurt his own family. His curse had lasted long enough, and hurt enough people.

He ran breathlessly, not minding his surroundings, the tree branches whiping him on the way, the stitch forming on his side, not noticing the frosted path he was leaving on his wake, not wondering if the wind blowing around him, seemingly pushing him so he could flee even faster, was natural or not.

Soon he lost himself in the heart of the forest and reached this cursed place which had ironically became his last shelter, and would be the last place he was going to see. The water was unbelievably calm and clear, reflecting the shy light from the stars and moon. It looked like a veil made of satin. Soft, welcoming, calming. Jack had stopped by the treeline of this small glade, and walked slowly towards the pond.

He was still panting from the running, each breath out turning into mist in the chilly night air. His hands were sweaty and shaking as he closed the distance between him and the dark but shiny water. Once his bare feet reached the wet and soft dirt of the shore, he stopped again, eyes focused on the water.

The water calling him. The water demanding what belonged to it. The water which had consumed the life of the one person he had cherished the most in his short life. The water which had tried to consume his own life. The water left hungry since its food had been taken from it. For almost four years, it had been waiting. For almost four years, it had been demanding the life promised to it. But as Jack was about to finally give it its due, he hesitated.

His thoughts were swirling, thundering in his head, turning into a raging storm. Multiple memories emerged and mixed together, memories from two completely different lives. A colorful one, happy, warm, with his sister by his side, with his parents looking at him with love and proud. An empty one, drowned in cold and darkness, rythmed with distance, looks, hurtful words, mean names, fear, and reject, and unbearable loneliness.

He closed his eyes as a lone tear rolled down his cheek, so cold it seemed to burn his skin. He couldn’t chase Hiccup from his mind. Hiccup smiling at him, offering his hand, holding his, looking at him with those intense, colorful, caring eyes… And that smile… And the warmth of his hands and arms… Hiccup who seemed to do everything he could to drag him towards this fireplace while the deadly, freezing winter kept on calling him.

Hiccup was really making it hard, having gone back to see him had been a terrible mistake. Still Jack couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Still it hurt so bad. In the morning, he had convinced himself it would be better for everyone if he could just disappear in this pond, like he had been supposed too almost four years prior. Now, he was thinking about Hiccup, the dragons, and the other artists of the circus. They all had been so nice to him, to the extend of saying his magic was wonderful, not something wicked.

He couldn’t help but think about them. If they learnt about his death, they wouldn’t understand. Jack convinced himself that, if they were to ask around, searching for answers, the villagers would make them see. They would tell them the story of Jackson and Emma Overland, drowned in that merciless pond, the story of the ice demon who brought them to their death and then possessed the boy’s corpse to wander this earth like a frozen ghost. And how the demon had just returned where he came from, in the depth of the pond.

Jack could already picture that his death would give back to his body its original appearance, slightly tanned, freckled skin, chestnut brown hair, chocolate eyes thought they would be dull.

One last teardrop and he took a deep, shuddering breath, closing his eyes, lifting his feet forward.

“I’m coming, Emma.”

He stepped into the water.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10
WHY, PART I
ᚹᚺᛁ – ᛈᚨᚱᛏ ᛁ

Jack took a step forward, eyes closed and fists clenched. He was expecting to feel the bite of the cold on his feet, eating it up to the ankle, and he wasn’t disappointed by the stinging, burning sensation. He winced but ignored it as he kept on moving. Strangely, he couldn’t feel the water rising around him, so there was nothing to stop him now. He kept on moving forward, again and again, forging his resolution with each step.

The cold didn’t matter. The pain didn’t matter. He knew he was doing the right choice. He should have never survived, he was supposed to have drowned with Emma, that day. He still didn’t know why he hadn’t died, nor what had brought him back and changed him like this. He didn’t know why or how, or if someone, god or demon, was behind this. He only knew it should have never happened, and the time had come to fix this mistake.

Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and was about to let him fall backward in the water, when he noticed something was off. He was sure he had walked to the middle of the pond, water was supposed to reach his chest by now, but he couldn’t even feel it on his legs. Confused, he looked down and horror struck him as he realised he wasn’t even in the water. His feet were resting on the surface of a thin layer of frost, sparkling by the starlight. His weightless body was visibly not enough to break it.

His heart sent in a pounding loop, the frost thickened in response, turning into ice. He looked up around him. He was right in the middle of the pond, the exact place where Emma and him had fallen in, and a frosted path was linking his position to the shore.

“No…” He whispered, heart pounding faster in his trembling chest.

He looked back down and tried to take a step into the water, outside of the ice plate. As soon as his toes brushed the surface of the water, ice and frost formed to carry him.

“No, no…”

He took another step, then another one, he tried to jump farther, but nothing did. Once again, the pond was rejecting him. Death was rejecting him.

“No !” He cried in despair.

New tears escaped his eyes as he started to sob. Falling down to his knees, he tried to punch to ice, hoping to break it, hoping to fall in. Each punch and hit aiming to weaken it only seemed to make it stronger. It even started to thicken, to spread in the depth of the pond. Despite of this, he couldn’t stop. He kept on punching the ice, punching so hard it was painful, sobbing and wailing, his voice getting higher as he was now screaming.

“Why ?! Why are you doing this ?!”

He looked up to the sky and cried even more, voice twisted and trembling with rage, pain and despair.

“Why don’t you want me ?! Is this a punishment ?! For not saving her ?! WHY ?! Why can’t I just go with her ?!”

His tears submerged him. He collapsed on his side, folding on himself, hiding his face in his arms, knees pressed against his chest as his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. His turmoil kept on feeding the ice spreading around him, to the extend the whole pond was soon frozen solid to the bottom. Jack didn’t care, he kept on crying and wailing, his heart bleeding out through his stinging eyes. He cou l dn’t stop anymore. Everything he had been through and accumulated for three long years of loneliness and rejection, it all came back. Each memory, each rejection, each heartbreak was beating him up, beating up his heart and soul, with utmost violence.

He couldn’t say how many time passed like this, it could have lasted ages, or just seconds, or eternity. That’s when he heard it. A high-pitched noise, like a whine, then something pressing on his back. It felt like two small paws trying to catch his attention. Ignoring it, he burried his face deeper in the shelter of his arms, until another whine reached his ears, and this time he recognized it as a dragon whine.

He sat up in a start and turned to find a small creature he wasn’t expecting to find there. Sharpshot. Sharpshot was there, standing on the ice, looking at him with big, round, golden eyes filled with heartbreaking sadness. Jack was far from having calmed down, still sobbing, and the dragon being here only sent him into another turmoil.

“W-What are you doing here ? How… ?”

The green and brown dragon whine d and took a step closer, hesitantly, asking permission. Jack couldn’t find the strength to push him away. Instead, he burst in new tears and took the small creature in his arms, hugging and burrying his face against a warm back. Sharpshot whined even more and snuggled against him.

“Jack ?”

The boy tensed and cried even more, shaking from head to toes. That was just what he needed. Sharpshot finding him there was not catastrophic enough, there had to be Hiccup too. He ignored the auburnet, trying to convince himself it was just his imagination and that this vision would just go away. T hat’s when he hea r d hesitant steps on the ice, two feet making different sounds, one muffled like a boot, the other clinging like metal. Jack winced, unable to hold back his tears, as a warm aura came closer to him. Familiar, comforting… but unwelcomed. He didn’t want this warmth. He didn’t want Sharpshot being here with him, even if he was clinging on the dragon as if his life depended on it. And he surely didn’t want Hiccup being here with him.

Said tamer knelt next to him and slowly slipped his warm hands between the dragon’s back and the boy’s face, finding his cheeks covered with cold tears, so he could lift the pale face towards him. Jack swallowed as he met a heartbroken and confused pair of green eyes. He closed his, feeling thumbs brushing his skin, trying to wipe the countless tears.

“Oh, Jack… What happened ? What’s wrong ?”

The boy frowned and shook his head, biting his lips in try to hold back more sobs. Still Hiccup didn’t give up and even scooted closer.

“Please, talk to me. Whatever it is, you can’t keep it in, it’s going to eat you from inside. Please. I just want to help you. Let me help you.”

The more Jack was shaking his head no, the more Hiccup was clinging on him, his voice growing softer, but also desp erate . Jack couldn’t bare hear him like this, but when he tried to tell him to go away, nothing but a sobbing whimper came out of his mouth. Then the boy found himself in a strong but caring embrace, his face pressed against a toned chest, basking in the warmth, this dazing smell filling his nose,.

He cried even more and did the only thing that seemed making sense at the moment, he held to the dragon tamer, burrying his face in the leather equipment, letting loose of his flowing tears.

“I should have died with her,” He wailed like a child. “I should have…”

Starting to chant these words that were ripping his heart and guts appart, he let out his sorrow without paying attention to the rest. His mind was getting blank, he coul d n’t think about something else than how bruised and scarred he actually was inside, and how no one had allowed him to mourn his sister, since everyone was refusing to see he still was himself and had real emotions.

As he was crying his heart out and trembling, producting sounds that were less and less making sense, Hiccup said nothing. He remained silent, by his side, holding him close, stroking his hair and back in try to comfort him. The onl y sound he made was when he started to hush Jack, rocking him gently. Sharpshot stayed on Jack’s lap, snuggling against his belly and chest, half-trapped in-between the two young men. As to Toothless, whom Jack just noticed being here too, he layed next to them and wrapped his tail around them, along with a protecti ng wing.

Hiccup kept on holding and rocking Jack with patience, and the boy had to admit it was helping, even if his mind started to wake up and ask questions. Like what the tamer and his dragons were doing here ? He convinced himself the auburnet had followed him, worried by his sudden runaway, and surely it was thanks to the dragons and their smell that he had found him. Jack knew he must be confused of what was happening, but the boy was not in the shape to explain it to him. Actually, even if he had been, he would not have told him much. Hiccup was so nice to him, he didn’t want to see him turn his back on him too.

This problem turned even more pressing as the tamer was stroking his hair. Jack had no doubts the gesture was wiping away the brownish dye, surely already covering Hiccup’s hand. Moreover, seeing how observant he was, there was no doubts he had already noticed other things.

Like the fact Jack had no money at all on him whereas, on the previous day, Ruffnut had scamed him. Like the smell of the dye. Like the fact h e was starving, since his stomach had the delicacy to make it clear to everyone at the circus. Like his oversized clothes, not even mentioning the nightgown. Surely the tamer had also noticed the dirt stains on his sides and back, proving he had slept on the ground, outside. And he didn’t dare to imagine what the tamer was thinking about finding him here, in the middle of the forest, instead of the village.

Jack had no doubts Hiccup had noticed these clues, he could only hope he had not drawn conclusions from it yet, and would not . Or else he would ask questions, questions Jack had not the will to answer to . Not if it could scare off the tamer. This fear was feeding his despair and keeping him from calming down. However, he had troubles thinking it was a bad thing, because it gave him an excuse to remain in this warm and comforting embrace. Moreover, just letting all his pain out was relieving. It had been so long since he was keeping it all in. No one had let him express it, after all.

A shiver ran down his spine as the temperature around them seemed to drop and the ice was cooling his knees. He felt Hiccup shiver too, and realised the tamer must have been freezing cold, even more than Jack. When he found the strength to open his eyes, despite the countless tears blurring his vision, horror struck him. It was snowing.

Despite the usual cold weather and the fact they were in mountains, it was too soon in the season for snow. It was the middle of authumn, they had to wait two or three months more before the first snow days over the village. Jack winced and squeezed the tamer’s sleeve, new turmoil arising in him as he just started an inner struggle to keep a hold on his emotions. The wind was blowing softly around them, lifting swirls of snowflakes, he had to calm down before his strange powers started a real storm.

He had always found ridiculous that the villagers blamed him for triggering avalanches but, in this moment, he really feared causing a snowstorm. His thoughts suddenly came to an halt as a bell echoed in the air. Jack blenched and trashed again, but the auburnet’s arms tightened around him.

“What is it ?” Hiccup asked.

Jack bit his lips and shook his head, refusing to even think about it. This bell was not just the average bell indicating the hour of the day or the end of the religious office. No, this bell was the one the village used to warn the inhabitants of a danger. As far as he could remember, Jack had only heard it three times. Once for a wolf attack, once for the avalanche that almost engulfed one third of the whole village, and once for the night he had came out of the frozen pond and dragged himself back to the village, disoriented and shivering from head to toes while leaving a path of frosted ice behind him.

This bell was bad omen, and Jack knew what it meant, th is time . He had left the Overland farm in the morning, surely Jonathan and Mary had finally warned chief Niel , then the villagers had noticed the unusual snow and were now preparing retaliation. Jack’s hypothesis was proven right as shouts started to echo in the woods, war cries quickly followed by drums. From afar, they could already see some lights flickering between the trees. Jack held back new sobs as he realised what they wanted to do. He straightened and pushed Hiccup in try to get out of his embrace, earning a worried and confused gaze from the tamer.

“You have to go,” The boy prompted, his voice hoarse from all the crying. “Go with the dragons, hurry up before they see you guys.”

“What’s going on, Jack ? What’s this bell ?”

“Troubles.”

He sniffed and wiped his face on his sleeve before pushing again the tamer, who only backed by reflex. His expressive eyes were staring at him, at a complete lost.

“Save yourself,” Jack urged. “You have nothing to do with this.”

“I can’t just leave you–”

“You have to.”

Jack pushed him harder and aimed to get up, but a weight on his lap held him back. Looking down, he found Sharpshot laying there. The dragon whined, giving him a pleading look the boy couldn’t bare. Jack winced and took him by the armpit to lift him, and give him to Hiccup, but the small dragon started to wiggle and jabbed his claws in the cape and tunic, trying to hold on the boy.

“Stop it, Sharpshot !” He cried. “Don’t you see it’s best for you ?!”

The dragon froze for a moment, eyes wide, before trashing again, but Jack ignored him and pushed him into Hiccup’s arms, the poor tamer even more confused. Jack stood and, when Toothless came closer, he pushed him too, prompting them to leave. The Night Fury lowered his head, whining softly, his round eyes just as unbearable as Sharpshot’s. Hiccup finally came out of his dazed trance, standing as well. Jack barely dared look into his eyes.

“Come with us,” the tamer insisted.

The boy shook his head and instantly felt a warm hand taking his.

“No matter what’s going on here, no matter the troubles you’re into–”

“It will follow me wherever I go. I can’t impose this upon you guys.”

“You’re not, we’ve offered it to you.”

The more Hiccup was insisting, the more Jack had to put efforts into resisting. Th ese pleading green eyes, so full of concern, this saddened expression on his face, his warm hand holding into his own, the whines of both dragons… It really was hard to ignore it. It was aiming right to his heart, stabbing him, hurting him so much he just wanted to give in. But he knew he couldn’t.

“Why are you insisting this much ?” He snapped, wincing and closing his eyes so he wouldn’t see the other’s face.

He asked out of frustration and irritation, because he had an idea of the answer, but he didn’t want to believe it. Actually, he didn’t want to hear Hiccup’s reply, even less if it was confirming his hypothesis. Because that would only make them suffer even more. There was no place for anything near ‘like’ for them. So he tried to find another explanation, something else he cou l d easily argue back to push away the tamer.

“The circus can do without this advertising. You can do without–”

“It’s not for the circus, Jack,” Hiccup barged in, waving his hands animatedly.

The boy risked opening his eyes again, and immediatly met intense green eyes. Hiccup looked desp erate and was holding onto his hand tighter.

“I know a lost soul when I see one, and it’s obvious you need this company way more than all we can gain from your presence. No matter the troubles you’re into here–”

“You can’t say that. You don’t even know what I did.”

“It doesn’t matter, really.”

At each of his retorts, the tamer seemed to tighten his grip, as if each refusal was only strengthening his resolve not to let go. It felt like, no matter what Jack could tell him, he wouldn’t give up. The boy’s heart skipped a bit to that idea, however he was not going to give up either.

“I could have committed a crime.”

Hiccup squeezed his hand, his eyes not wavering as they looked directly at him.

“I could have killed someone.”

Hiccup smiled as he looked almost amused. “ Judging by how vividly you defended the twins and Snotlout, I highly doubt that. ”

“My magic could be evil.”

The auburnet’s smile dropped and he frowned. “ Do you really believe that, or is it what you’ve been told ? ”

Drums and voices kept on approaching and, now, even footsteps and barks from dogs would be heard. Jack knew that the villagers were coming, and that Hiccup and the dragons had to leave. It was getting increasingly urgent. He shook his head no, holding back new tears, this time fed by worry for the trio in front of him.

“I’m cursed, Hiccup.”

“I can’t believe that.”

“I’m not asking you to believe it, just–!” Jack tore his hand from Hiccup’s, clenching his fists, before he took a deep breath in try to calm down. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer but still pressing. “I don’t want you to get involved in this, nore the others, nore the dragons. Please, just go.”

Something changed in the tamer’s eyes. It was obvious he was hurt and, strangely, it hurt Jack even more. The boy felt like he had just been hit harshly in the guts, stealing his breath away and leaving him with the urge to disappear, to crawl away in a pit and rem a in there until the pain subdued.

“I can’t leave you like this,” Hiccup murmured.

Jack’s first reflex was to ask him why, but asking would only make them loose even more time. The villagers were dangerously close, almost there, and this stubborn tamer was still not leaving. Jack didn’t know anymore what to do to chase him away, until a soft breeze blew next to them. Then he knew what to do. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For the first time, he willingly drew on his magic.

Shivers and prickles filled his fingers, going up along his arms, up until his back. The temperature dropped around him while he could feel this energy build up within him, spreading around him. The wind answered the call and changed its direction, now blowing on the tamer and his two dragons.

“Jack, what are you doing ?”

It was working, visibly, so the boy focused and put more will and efforts in the wind. He could feel it blew harder in his back, parting just behind him to not hit him, unlike the dragons yelping in surprise. As ice blue eyes opened again, not dropping his focus, Jack saw a powerful gust of wind blowing on the trio, efficiantly pushing them away, forcing them to back.

“Stop it, please !” Hiccup called out, his voice trying to rise above the howling wind.

His broken and panicked voice drew a piercing pain in the boy’s chest, still he didn’t stop.

“I’m doing this for you ! They won’t listen to anything I’d say to defend you ! If they find you here with me, they’ll think I put a spell on you or, worst, that you also are a–”

“There he is !” a voice boomed from near by, a voice Jack recognized with dread.

Shock wiped away his focus and, instantly, his magical energy dropped, along with the wind. Despite the out-of-control shivers wreaking his body, Jack – as well as Hiccup and the dragons – turned their head towards the group of villagers crossing the glade. All had weapons with them, torches and forks. They looked like they were going on a witch hunt, except Jack knew they weren’t hunting a witch, but a demon.

Chief N iel was leading the group, closely followed by Jonathan himself. The town’s mayor pointed to Hiccup and the dragons before shouting : “ The demon called its kin and summoned another one  ! Catch them ! ”

Jack panicked and his eyes darted between the few villagers approaching with torches, and Hiccup with his dragons, more confused than ever.

“No, leave them alone !” the boy shouted, placing himself in front of his friends.

The five villagers stopped as a gale blew around the boy, ice spreading from his feet. Jack could see anger, but mostly terror, in their eyes. The way they were tightening and fidgeting with their weapons proved they were frightened of him.

“They have nothing to do with this ! Leave them alone, I’m the one you want !”

“What are you waiting for ?!” Mayor Niel barked, “catch them !”

Jack stared as the men and women in front of him, they seemed frozen on spot, not daring to move. Limbs shaking and eyes averting his, they stood in front him, not even daring to step on the frozen pond.

“Useless fools. Archers !”

Jack’ s face turned whiter than it already was as a group of archers stepped in front of the group, aiming and shooting instantly. The few villagers in front of him quickly ran away as arrows rained over them. The boy stepped back to avoid one, another hissed dangerously close to his ear and a last one pierced his cape, igniting the fabric. He put out the fire with ice and, forgetting his enemies for a second, turned to check on his friends. Hiccup and Sharpshot had disappeared behind Toothless, the dragon shielding them with his body while arrows simply ricochetted on his skin. The dragon roared and hissed as a purple-blue light shone in his wide-opened mouth.

Jack ducked in a start as the light suddenly shot and exploded next to the villagers, who screamed and tried to back.

“Toothless, no !” Hiccup panicked, trying to wrap his arms around his best friend’s neck to stop him, but the Fury trashed ferociously.

“Archers ! Aim for the demonic beast !”

Jack’s heart rushed under adrenaline and fear, even more so as a new volley of burning arrows aimed at them. He turned and screamed “ N O  ! ” while outstretching his hands to Hiccup and the dragons. Toothless was building another blast and Sharpshot seemed ready to fire too.

Everything happened fast and Jack couldn’t even picture how he managed to do it, all he had been thinking about was to protect his friends. A blinding blueish white light emitted from him, then a wall of ice suddenly burst in-between him and the trio, rising like a frozen wave in which the arrows jabbed.

Jack barely had the time to be relieved, before he got dizzy and felt his legs give in. He fell to his knees, panting heavily and feeling nauseous, as if something had suddenly drained all his strength. His vision got blurry, his whole body shivering uncontrollably, colder than he had ever been. He swore he could just faint, but he shook his head in try to clear his mind. Looking up to the ice wall, he smiled as he saw shadows moving on the other side, clear sign that Hiccup and the dragons were fine. Another hissing blue light warned him Toothless was going to make the wall explode. What a stubborn dragon, just like his tamer.

Jack tried to get up, aiming to reinforce the wall, but he didn’t have strength left. He was exhauted, his limbs feeling numb, unmoving, and that’s when something wrapped around his neck. The rope squeezed and tore a strangled yelp from his lips before he got dragged backward.

The ice wall exploded before his eyes as he was dragged on the ground, towards the hollering villagers. He tried to get a hold of the rope, trying to loosen it, but he couldn’t even slip his fingers between the rough material and his compressed throat.

He spotted some ice debrits falling around them before dark forms closed around him, filling his ears with insults and others shouts he didn’t want to hear. Too loud, too confused, too many of them… It was weakening him, along with the heat radiating from the torches. It was increasing his shivers and making his eyelids heavier. However, the pain from his throat was keeping him awake.

“Let him go !” Hiccup shouted, “leave him alone !”

“Get back, demon !” Niel retorted.

Between two villagers holding him, Jack spotted the large, grey-haired chief facing Hiccup, a torch brandished in the tamer’s direction as if it would keep him at ba y. Hiccup was holding Sharpshot securely in a arm while his free hand was pressed against Toothless’ chest, keeping him still.

“Come on, I’m not a demon ! Look at me, I’m as human as you, for the love of Thor !”

“Then why are you trying to help this thing ?”

Jack didn’t need to see the condescending gesture Niel made towards him to know who he was talking about. Despite the pain and overwhelming fatigue, he couldn’t help but notice the new name. He had already been called countless time with mean names like ‘abomination’, ‘creature’, but never before ‘thing’. That was telling a lot about his reputation still dropping.

“Because Jack is my friend !”

Hearing this, Jack felt torn. On one hand, he was touched Hiccup thought he was his friend despite them only meeting one day prior. B u t on the other hand, he was uneasy. Because it was not really friendship going on between them, nore what Jack would have liked to see bloom between them if he had still been human. And because the tamer would change his mind once he learnt what Jack really was.

His wandering thoughts came to a halt as he heard chief Niel sneer.

“My poor boy, looks like you have been fooled too.”

“What ?” Hiccup hesitated.

A s the rope around his throat went loose, Jack took a deep breath in and started to cough violently. He pulled at it to free his throat. Still weak and dizzy, he managed to see the villagers step aside, following their chief ’s order judging by his raised arm towards them. Still facing Hiccup, the chief stepped aside to point at the laying boy.

“This abomination here looks like a human boy, but I can assure you it’s not. Jackson Overland died three years ago, drowned in the very pond you’re standing on.“

Hiccup hesitated and looked down to the ice carrying him, before looking back at Niel, then Jack. The boy didn’t dare to move, even if he had the strength to.

“The following night, this monster came out of the water, as cold as Death, imbued with dark magic, parading in Jackson’s dead body.”

Jack closed his eyes and held back a strangled sob, refusing to see realisation dawn on Hiccup’s face.

“And tonight, we are going to send the demon back to hell ! Brothers, hang him !”

“What ?! No !” Hiccup protested.

Jack didn’t have time to do anything as the rope tightened again around his neck, tearing another strangled yelp from him. Once again, he was dragged on the ground, then lifted from it, hung. He trashed and kicked the air in panic, trying to claw at the rope. The burning sensation was covering his throat, just under the jaw, and got mixed with another pain stiffening his nape and back, as if his weightless body was still trying to tear off his head. He couldn’t breath anymore and his vision was blurring again. Black spots invaded the edges of his vision, slowly darkening, his throat and head ready to explode, and his lungs screaming for air.

The sensation seemed both familiar – reminding him of his drowning – and stranger, because it was not exactly the same. Still the almost-familiarity gave him some comfort, making him stop fighting. It was not exactly the death he had been expecting, the death waiting for him for more than three years, but it was doing the job.

So he closed his eyes and stopped fighting, accepting his fate, one name on his lips.

“Emma…”

He didn’t have to wait long until darkness engulfed him once more.

Chapter Text

Chapter 1 1
WHY, PART I I
ᚹᚺᛁ – ᛈᚨᚱᛏ ᛁᛁ

“Jack.”

A familiar voice. A familiar laugh. His sister’s.

A light feeling. Like floating. No more pain. No more cold. No more heat either. He was feeling good. He was feeling … at peace. At last.

“Jack, wake up.”

Faint prickles bothered his eyes, like when one is too tired to stay awake. Or when one is about to wake up. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids were too heavy, his mind too foggy.

“Everything’s gonna be okay. You can wake up, now.”

“Emma…” He croaked.

A throbbing pain filled his throat and made him cough. His whole body shook as the pain didn’t want to subdue. A warm hand came to rest on his nape, gently lifting his head up . Disoriented, he didn’t fight back, and soon the corner of a bowl pressed against his lips, fresh liquid brushing against his skin. He tried to hold back his cough and opened his mouth to let in this fresh water. It soothed the throbbing, but only inside of his throat. His skin was burning up , especially under the jaw.

Coughing again, he tried once more to open his eyes. His vision was so blurry he couldn’t make out anything. His ears buzzed as voices spoke around him.

“Jack ? Jack, can you hear me ?”

He blinked laborously, trying to clear his vision , but it didn’t help. All too s oon his eyelids dro o ped back, the warmth around him dissipating as he fell back into the depth of unconsciousness .

“Jack, get down from here, you’re gonna fall and get hurt.”

“Not at all, look ! Hop, without the hands !”

“Ha ha, you’re ridiculous. Look like a monkey.”

“What are you talking about ? Have you ever seen a monkey that handsome ?”

“Ha, silly !”

“That’s how you love me, Em’ !”

“I tolerate you, you mean. I’m forced to since we live in the same house.”

“Ouch, now you wound me. And here you were yesterday, saying I’m the best big brother ever.”

“I never said that.”

“Did too. You can’t take it back.”

“You can’t prove it, Jack.”

“Don’t challenge me, kiddo.”

“I’m not afraid of you, nasty trickster !”

“Okay, war is on, then. Brace yourself because I’m coming with my ultimate weapon… the tickles !”

“Nooooo Jack, not the tickles ! Hahaha !”

“Say you’re sorry, then. Say I’m the best big brother ever.”

“No, haha ! I’m not– Hahaha ! I won’t give up !”

“It’s up to you. Just know I can do that all day long.”

“Ok– Hahaha ! Okay, okay ! You’re the best brother ever !”

“And you’re the best sister ever.”

“I’m just the best.”

“Very humble, I see.”

“Look who’s talking !”

“Hum… Okay, you got me on this one.”

“I always win, you should now that by now.”

“You sure do, Em’.”

The first thing Jack felt as he woke up was this nice warmth surrounding him, especially under his right arm. The second thing he felt, however, was far less pleasant. Pain. A burning sensation all around his neck, just under his jaw. His neck was stiff, too. He grumbled an d winced as he tried to sit up, but he was too weak for that, his body barely moving. It was numb, as if still sleeping.

Something moved against his arm. Opening his eyes tiredly, he turned his head and spotted a small green and brown silhouette. Soon, two yellow eyes opened, then a high pitched sound could be heard before something warm, wet and rough slipped on the side of his nose. Jack closed his eyes again and couldn’t repress a smile as he recognized the small dragon.

“Hi…” He croaked, his voice hoarse and scratchy, flaring up his throat and throwing him into a coughing fit that only made it worst.

Sharpshot w h ined, not leaving his side as he needed a few moment to soothe his coughing fit. Once it finally stopped, the boy met a pair of round , worried, golden eyes. His vision had cleared and helped him see properly. He smiled to reassure the Terror, weakly lifting his hand to stroke him. The dragon tilted his head and warbled against his fresh palm. Jack petted him until he layed against his shoulder, resting his small head on him. Jack’s hand dropped back on his chest, feeling the soft furr covering him.

Still a bit groggy, he looked around and was surprise d by what he saw. He was in a tent, laying on the ground among a pile of furs an d blankets. The sun was shining outside, drawing on the tent the shade of the trees, and Jack could hear birds chirping. The tent reminded him a lot of Hiccup’s judging by the fabric and how it was set, but it was smaller and arranged in a different way. It l ooked more like Valka’s.

His brain had not finished to link this tent to the circus that the curtains of the entrance w ere pushed open to let someone in. Jack blinked a couple times while observing the black silhouette of Toothless spotting him. Looking from the ground, the dragon seemed huge, still his round pupils were making him adorable. Jack smiled at the Fury, who seemed to light up at it. He trotted closer, chirping and n u dging him softly on the cheek. It cou l d have amused the boy if his head’s movement had not triggered the pain in his neck and throat, making him wince.

Toothless backed in a start and whined as an apology. Jack held his hand to stroke his head, trying to reassure him, but this pain was perplexing him because he couldn’t understand where it was coming from. As he tentatively touched his skin, he winced even more. It was hurting like a bad bruise, with some scratches, but it was covering all his neck under the jaw, as if… as if a rope had been tied there and had squeezed too hard .

Memories rushed back to Jack. The villagers coming to the pond, armed with torches and forks as if hunting witches. The rope around his neck, strangling him and lifting him above the ground. His clan had tried to hang him. Hiccup, Toothless and Sharpshot had witnessed it. The boy’s heart pounded with anxiety and fear as his eyes landed once more on the black dragon.

Had Hiccup and the dragons saved him ? Or was it that, once more, Death had rejected him ? This anguish made his back and hands sweaty, and even more as Toothless exited the tent, surely to fetch Hiccup. Jack debated with himself. Was it better to run away ? Did he have enough strength for that ? Was it better to stay and pretend to sleep – or be dead – while waiting to know how Hiccup was reacting to what he had witnessed ?

H e had not made his choice yet as he heard footsteps and voices arriving near the tent. He recognized several performers from the circus.

“I wanna see him ! He almost died for th’love of gods !”

“Calm down, Snotlout,” Valka soothed, her voice composed but concerned. ”He needs rest after what he has been through.”

“But why did they do this, exactly ?” Tuffnut asked, he sounded shocked.

“Fear, I’d bet,” Hiccup replied, tone low and troubled. ‘’We don’t know much for now, we’ll see later if we can learn something.”

“What’s important now is Jack’s health,” Valka added, “No need to rush him, got it ?”

There was only silence as a reply, so Jack suspected the others to nod. As he was expecting them to just part ways, he heard Ruffnut talk with hesitation.

“Take good care of him, okay ?”

“Of course.” Valka replied, her voice incredibly sweet.

Jack shed a tear as he heard such sweetness. Valka, Hiccup and the other members of the troupe were incredible, they seemed to have a limitless kindness, however he knew the one adressed to him would vanish as soon as they were to learn what he was. Hiccup had heard it from chief N igel but, weirdly, he didn’t seem to have tell the others. Surely he needed more time to proceed it, to get over his shock , or was he denying ?

“Hey, you’re awake.”

Jack started as he heard Valka’s voice from inside the tent. He turned his head but winced because of the pain. Toothless entered too and blew some air in Jack’s hair, the hot breath on his face making him close his eyes but also smile faintly. Smile which dropped as soon as he met Hiccup’s eyes. The tamer remained by the entrance, in the back, hesitant. As to Valka, she came to si t next to Jack, placing her warm hand on his.

“Are you feeling okay ? Nod your head once for yes and twice for no, okay ?”

He hesitated a bit, then opened his mouth, but he only managed to let out a faint, hoarse whisper before he coughed violently. Valka took a hold of his shoulders and started to lift him, Hiccup joining in to support Jack’s head. They helped him sit up, slightly bent him forward, and Valka drew circles on his back while talking to him.

“Don’t try to talk, your throat and vocal cords are too fragile for that. Hiccup, can you give him some water, please ?”

“Of course. You’re gonna be fine, Jack.”

The boy felt the warm hand supporting his nape run in his hair as a comforting gesture. It took him by surprise because he had been expectin g Hiccup not to dare touch him, but also because there was no trace of the coarse dye. As the dragon tamer reached the other side of the tent to fill a bowl in a barrel of water, Jack started to get agitated again, running a hand in his hair, filling the complete lack of dye. He even checked his hand in search for brownish stains, but there w ere none.

“Hush, it’s okay, Jack, calm down,” Valka said as she held his shoulders. “You’re safe now, they won’t find you here.”

It was not the villagers Jack was afraid of. They even were the least in his problems for now . What he was afraid of was the two persons around him, the other s outside of the tent, the fact he had nothing left to hide his abnormality, but mostly, mostly, the fact they didn’t seem to mind it. There was problem, a huge problem and he didn’t know what to think of it and it was scaring him out of his mind because he didn’t want to be rejected again or even worst and–

“Jack, don’t be afraid,” Valka cooed.

The boy trashed anew and even tried to escape from her, forcing her to hold his wrists, which was just scaring him even more. It didn’t take long for Hiccup to notice the commotion, and he quickly took action. Abandoning the bowl of water next to them, he scooted behind Jack, kneeling against his back and wrapping his arms around him. Jack started and tried to fight back, before he was pulled backward s and pressed against a warm, toned chest. Then he felt Hiccup’s head press against his, his warm breath on his ear while he was murmuring soothing words.

“It’s okay, Jack. It’s okay. We won’t hurt you, I promise. I promise.”

The boy let out a sob. Between renewed streaming tears, he could see Valka’s face tear up.

“Oh, poor sweetheart… How long have they been hurting you… ?”

Jack didn’t answer, he didn’t even have the will to. Instead, he held to the arms holding him and turned his head so he could bury his face against Hiccup’s bicep, letting loos e of his tears . Despite his turmoil, he felt Valka’s warm hand reach for his and gently squeeze it, Hiccup pressing a kiss in his hair, Sharpshot climb ing on his lap and put ting his small paws on his arm, along with Toothless’ head press ing onto his knees. Jack didn’t realise when he fell back asleep. He onl y felt the reassuring warmth from Hiccup, Valka and the dragons.

He woke up in a start because of a sudden shake, mixed with loud but muffled bumping sound, like something heavy touching the ground. Voices quickly followed but it seemed to come from outside.

“That’s it, easy,” Hiccup said.

“Somethin’ damaged ?” Another voice asked from afar, the accent sounding like Gobber.

“No, all is good,” Valka replied louder so she could be heard with the distance.

Jack started again because her voice was closer to him. His mind slowly cleared from the sleep, enabling him to realise he was not in the same place anymore. Instead of the small tent, he was laying in what looked like a cart with a canvas roof. Wrapped in furs, he was surrounded by several wooden boxes and barils slightly woobling, as if it had been the whole cart shaking earlier, waking him up.

In this unknown place where he was, the teenage boy was a bit confused and didn’t know what to do. He slowly sat up, leaning on the closest box, squeezing the furs around him as if it could shield him. His throat was still aching, but the pain seemed numb while something chilly was tied around his neck. Pulling an arm out of the furs, he cautiously touched it to find a cold and damp clothe. It almost looked like a cylindrical sack filled with small cold rocks, or was it ice chunks ? Since this sack was tied around his neck and the cold was soothing the pain, he decided to keep it.

Letting his arm drop back to his lap, he noticed he wasn’t dressed in the same clothes. Granted he still had a nightgown on, but this one wasn’t torn off a the bottom, had shorter sleeves and was a pale brown instead of creamy white. Puzzled, he used his other hand – the one still under the furs – to feel what he was wearing. He blushed furiously as he realised he had no pants on, only this nightgown. Someone had changed his clothes while he was out.

Trying to keep his composure, he ran a hand in his hair, but feeling the lack of coarse dye only increased his confusion and growing panic. All he could think of was pull the furs over his head as if it was a hood. He hadn’t expected to think that one day, but he missed his old, patched up, scratchy cape. Hidden as he could under the furs, he got up to his feet and slowly made his way towards the front of the cart, where the canvas’ curtains were letting in some light.

He was still a bit nauseous and numb, but at least he had gotten back enough strength to stand. Slowly , watching out for the sound s outside, he made out several voices and a few bump noises. When he partially opened the canvas, he wasn’t expecting to see a sunny glade. Another cart was there, but there was no horses harnessed to it. Actually, there wasn’t even harnes, but Eret and Dagur were rolling up ropes hanging from the corners of the cart. Just behind them, Fishlegs was massaging one of Meatlugs’ wings, the dragon laying on her side in the grass, looking tired.

The boy blenched and backed as he saw a shadow passing in front of him. He winced as he bumped his leg against a box, and tensed even more as what was inside chinked. It looked like the box was filled with some metal object, probably cooking tools or even daggers from the knife-throwers’ act. He barely got distracted by this as he focused on a shadow form ing on the canvas, coming closer to take the shape of Valka, just before she opened the canvas and met his eyes. Her suspicious scowl morphed into a softer face, her water-blue eyes lighting up as she smiled.

“Hey Jack, you’re up. I bet that means you’re feeling better ?”

The boy hesitated, then opened his mouth to answer, but Valka rose a finger to stop him.

“No, don’t try to talk. Your vocal cords are still fragile, you can’t push it or else you’ll cause permanent damages. You wouldn’t want to become mute for good, now would you ?” her voice was filled with teasing, her smile turning in a slight smirk.

Jack lowered his head and slowly nodded as a reply, unable to look her in the eye, unable to even know how to behave. It didn’t take long for the gentle woman to notice how uneasy he was, her smile dropping.

“Jack, you–”

“Valka,” Snotlout called as he arrived next to her, “where d’we put th’ropes for th’tents ? Hey Jack, you’re ‘wake !”

The stocky guy beamed once his eyes landed on the wrapped up boy, but said boy backed like a scared animal. Snotlout leaned on the cart to climb in it, but Valka stopped him, grabbing his shoulder.

“Snotlout, don’t. Easy.” She gave him a stern look, making him stop in his track. He looked back to Jack, then climbed back down so he could give the boy some space. Valka patted his shoulder and gestured to something Jack couldn’t see.

“Ask Mala for the ropes.”

Snotlout’s shoulders droppe d , looking de j ected, but still accepted to leave, not before giving a sad look to Jack.

“Get well soon, kid,” he added before leaving.

Jack hesitantly took a step forward so he could look at him leaving, but Valka was still there, so he backed instantly. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes seemed elsewhere, lost in her thoughts, then she smiled again, but it was a shy smile.

“Do you want some water ? Maybe something to eat ? You’ve slept for hours, you must be starving.”

Though he was still lost, Jack nodded shyly, fingers barely relaxing their tight grip on the the furs wrapped securely around him. Valka’s smile grew bigger and she offered him a hand. “ Come, I’ll cook something for you . ”

But just as she extended her hand to him, he backed again. Once more, he bumped his leg in the chuking box and nearly lost his balance, but he managed to avoid falling. Valka rose her hands as if trying to sooth a scared animal.

“No, no, it’s okay. I won’t force you to go out if you don’t want to. You can stay in here.”

Jack felt a weight form in his chest, guilty and anguish mixing up. He couldn’t explain why Valka was still so nice to him if she had seen his abnormal hair, and if Hiccup had told her what he had heard the villagers say. Tightening the furs around him, secretly hoping it could swallow him, he heard voices outside of the cart.

“What’s going on ?” Eret asked.

“Jack wok’up,” Snotlout explained lowly, his voice sounding so down it seemed out of his usual bragging self.

“Good news, then !” Astrid smiled.

Silence followed. Heavy silence, before Snolout spoke again, sounding even more depressed . “ He looks fright’ned. ”

“No wonder, after what he’s been through,” Eret assured. “how would you react if your own village tried to kill you ?”

“I… I dunno. I just… I dunno, ‘was hoping he’d be happy t’be here with us.”

“Don’t worry Snotlout, he’ll get over it. We’ll be here to help him.”

“Jack ?” Valka asked.

Her soft voice brought him from the outside conversation, and made him realise there was a tear rolling down his cheek. Wiping it with a shaking hand, he bit his lips as he felt others forming in his eyes. Valka slowly scooted closer, as if she was expecting Jack to crumble before her eyes, and it seemed to be the last thing she wanted.

“It’s okay, Jack. You’re fine. You’re safe, now. We won’t let them hurt you. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Jack bit harder, but still it was not enough to hol d back the salted water gathering in his stinging eyes. He wiped his face again and took a deep breath. Once he deemed he was calm enough, he tried to mouth the question burning his tongue. Valka read it and her face turned from concerned to sad.

“Why ?” she repeated.

Jack nodded, a muted sob shaking his throat, making him wince. He took another step backward but bumped again in a box, in which he dropped himself to sit. Valka jumped towards him, visibly trying to catch him, but she stopped before touching him. Jack felt like she didn’t dare to, but not because of fear, disgust and reject, because she looked afraid that would push him away. Her intense eyes were enough to say she was worried about him, about his well-being.

“Why what ?” she asked, her eyes turning heartbreaking. “Why do we help you ?”

Despite his grimace to hold back his tears, he nodded again as a ‘yes’.

“Jack, come on…” she sighed and ran a hand on her face, which darkened with an angry scowl, but this anger didn’t seem aimed to Jack because she softened again as she looked back to him. “I don’t know what exactly the people of your village did to you, but you didn’t deserve it.”

A n e w sob tore Jack’s throat, starting a coughing fit. He bent forward and shrunk on himself, but instantly felt Valka’s warm arms catch him, holding him, rocking him. He wanted to give in to this warm embrace, but the spell broke as he felt her pu sh ing the fur from his head. He jumped and shoved her away, pulling back the fur to the extend he hid his whole face, folding on himself like a snail going back in its shell. Valka didn’t try again to touch him, and remained silent for a moment, until she got up and backed.

“I’ll bring you some food, and some clothes for you to change.”

Jack didn’t reply. He didn’t even look at her, he just remained hidden in the furs. He waited for the gentle woman to exit the cart, then silence came back, until he heard voices coming from the side of the cart, just outside. So close they could have been eavedropping Valka and him.

“We should have burnt down that village,” Ruffnut groaled.

“Those assholes,” Tuffnut added. “I can’t believe they did something like that to a good dude like Jack. Seriously, he’s adorable, he’s even saved us despite you scaming him and getting him beaten up.”

“Hey ! You’re one to talk, you tried to mug him !”

“Oh come on, are you going to harass me with this ?”

“Hel I am !”

Jack heard punches and grunts, clear sign s of the twins fighting. He couldn’t focus on that, even when one of them fell on the cart, slightly shaking it. His thoughts remained focused on what he had just heard the twins say about him. They were defending him. Despite seeming to know what had happened, they were still defending him. But did they really know ? Did they know what made chief Nigel and the village to try and kill him ? Had Hiccup told them everything ?

H e sniffed and slowly unfolded his cocoon while a welcoming warmth was spreading in his chest, easing a part of his troubles. Hope shone within him while he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, maybe, he finally had a chance to not be seen as a demon. Could the Hairy Hooligans’ circus see him as something else than White the Cursed ?

Chapter Text

Chapter 12
HAVE TO TRY
ᚺᚨᚹᛖ ᛏᛟ ᛏᚱᛁ

As promised, Valka came back to bring something to eat and some clothes. She didn’t dare come too close to Jack, but still talked a few soothing words before leaving again. At first, Jack remained still, frozen, hesitant, still confused and unsure. He just stared at the soup bowl and the small pile of fabrics. He remained like this for hours it seemed, his mind still flooded with swirling thoughts, weighting the pros and cons, searching for arguments to fight his fears and give a chance to the circus.

When he had gathered enough strength, he shakily took the bowl and slowly sipped the soup. It was cold, but it didn’t seem to be because he had hesitated for too long. Like the sack around his neck, it surely was to sooth his throat. Said sack was slowly warming up, getting so wet Jack knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it for long. He still waited to finish his soup before pulling it off. Once it was removed, cold air brushed his sensitive, numb skin and made him shiver.

Ignoring it, he looked at the pile of fabrics. Unmoving again, he just stared at it, almost mindlessly. It took him several more minutes to just resolve himself to do something. He sighed and finally took the fabrics, unfolding it to check it.

There was a pair of dark-brown pants looking long and narrow – that could actually match his skinny legs – a thick light blue tunic with long sleeves and a thinner creamy one without sleeves. Both had a large collar, opened in the front and tied with a leather strap. Jack also found a pair of boots, but no cape. Looking closer to the tunics, he noticed there was no hood on it, and that fed up his fears. Even if it was obvious that at least Valka and Hiccup had seen his white hair, he didn’t want to show it to the others. And he had to admit he had taken the habit to hide it in the past years. The hood was bringing him safety because it was shielding him from the stares.

After a sigh, Jack slipped on the pants, then remained standing in front of the two tunics. Nervousness was growing inside of him as he kept on staring, his arms slowly moving to hug himself. He didn’t like the idea of putting either of them on. Neither seemed right. The blue one was too thick, he knew he would be sweating and suffocating in it. As to the beige one, the complete lack of sleeves along with the opened collar made him feel exposed, vulnerable. His thin arms squeezed harder around him, he frowned and hugged himself tighter. The best option for him was to keep the nightgown, try and tie it around his waist to shorten it and not look ridiculous, and wrap himself in a fur, using it as cape and hood.

It took so long for him to decide that, by the time he eventually popped his head outside of the cart, it was nighttime. The forest around was so dark it was impossible to see anything, but the camp was lit with the soft glow of fire. A nice smell of cooked vegetables filled his nostrils and drew a shy smile on his lips. He could also hear Gobber playing his rebec, and some chatting covering it up occasionnaly, especially Snotlout’s pig-like laugh. The troupe was gathered around the fire, eating and having a good time, visibly.

Jack hesitated for a long time, unsure he actually could join them. He was feeling like an outsider, he was not part of this troupe, after all, it felt like interrupting them. He didn’t belong there, with them. Still Jack slowly climbed down the cart. As his feet touched the ground, he realised it was not the ground. It was firm but still smooth enough to cave in under his weight, making him slip and sprawl on the hard – real – ground, tearing a surprised yelp from him which felt like burning daggers in his throat.

It sent him into another coughing fit, then he felt a warm snout nudge his head, sniffing him with a whine. Jack recognized Toothless, his big lime green eyes standing out from his dark body, before Sharpshot appeared in-between them, whining worriedly with equally-round-puppy eyes. Sprawled on his belly, a cold hand wrapped around his throbbing throat, Jack remained motionless, staring up at the two dragons. Oh, so it was Toothless he had stepped on. Looked like the dragon had been lying in front of the cart, like a gate-keeper. It made him smile to think the dragon had been watching over him.

Letting go of his throat, he stroked the black dragon, who purred and pressed against the cold palm, just before Sharpshot hissed at him in try to chase him and take his place. That’s when Jack heard footsteps rush to him, the rebec gone silent as well as the chatting.

“You okay, Jack ?”

The boy started and didn’t wait for Hiccup to come closer to pull the fur over him, hiding under it. He remained there, hidden, his heart pounding like a galloping horse, his hands sweaty. He listened to the steps coming closer, feeling the urge to run away, but he just couldn’t. He was frozen. Paralyzed. His breathing was quickening now that he could feel Hiccup’s warmth aura, seemingly crouching next to him. Jack’s tension reached its climax as he felt a warm hand touch his back through the furs.

“Jack ?”

Ever so slowly, another warm hand slipped under the fur to take his arm, trying to help him stand. Jack followed until he was sitting, though he kept a hand on his head to make sure the fur remained there. He couldn’t see but, that way, he couldn’t be seen either. Even if Hiccup already knew about his strange hair color. Thinking about this made him tense again, wincing under the fur. At least, until a warm hand covered his own, on his head.

“It’s okay, Jack. You don’t have to show it if you don’t want to, but can I at least see your face ? I just want to make sure you didn’t get hurt by falling.”

The boy’s heart skipped a beat hearing this. He just had the confirmation Hiccup knew for his hair, still it didn’t seem to repel him. He even seemed to believe it was Jack not wanting to show it. The tamer’s soft voice was still filled with kindness, just like his words. So Jack decided to listen and opened the fur, pulling it closer to his face, but still hiding his hair. He doubted even his nose was popping out. It didn’t stop Hiccup, who bent his head to look at the opening. Jack started as he saw his face, and got surprised by the big smile under the freckles.

“There you are,” Hiccup teased.

Jack felt the blood rush to his cheeks, he averted his eyes hoping the shade from the fur would hide him. Hiccup didn’t say more and simply offered his hand. After a few seconds of hesitation, Jack took it and used it to get up. The auburnet’s smile widened, turning into a teasing smirk.

“Look at you, you’re still half in pajamas. The tunics don’t suit you, then ?”

Still shaken and unsure, Jack couldn’t manage an answer right away. His first reflex was to speak, but he reminded himself of Valka’s warning, so he gestured instead. Holding tight on the fur with one hand, he used the other to trace a hood around his head.

“Oh, I see.”

Hiccup gave him a sheepish smile before turning his head towards the others. Jack tensed as he noticed Valka and the twins were close too, though they had visibly kept their distance compared to Hiccup.

“Astrid,” He called out. “Do you happen to have some hooded tunic ? Yours should fit him better.”

The blonde put down her plate and got up before heading towards a tent, surely hers.

“I’ll take a look,” she said over her shoulder.

She quickly came back with not one, but two tunics in her hands. She almost ran but slowed down to stop in front of Jack, handing him the clothes with a smile that was softening her whole face.

“There. If you like them, you can keep them. They’re yours.”

Jack’s heart swelled with emotions and his eyes filled with tinglings. He needed a lot of strength and will to convince himself it was actually happening, and even more strength to simply extend his hand and take the clothes. His hand started to shake as his fingers closed over the fabric. Astrid gently took his hand, squeezing it and smiling. It took a few seconds, but Jack managed to return the smile, with a shy one, still it was enough to lit up her whole face, as well as Hiccup’s next to them.

Astrid lifted her hand but quickly put it back down, she looked like she was holding herself from doing something, and this quick glance towards Jack’s head told him it was ruffling his hair. He mentally thanked her for holding back. Not only because he was not fond of that gesture as it made him feel like a child, but mostly because he didn’t want to expose his white hair. He was not ready. He had spend so much time hiding it because noone at the village could bare see it, or was looking at it too intently, as if he was a freak.

“We’ll leave you alone so you can change, then,” Astrid told him. “Don’t hesitate to join us then, we’ll save you some soup and stew.”

He nodded as a reply, before feeling Hiccup’s warm hand softly tap his shoulder. He instantly met green eyes and found nothing but patience and kindness in it, which filled his chest with this soft warmth. Joy started to bubble inside of him, even if he was still reluctant to show it, held back by his uncertainties. Hiccup offered some help to climb back in the cart but Jack declined with a hand gesture, climbing by himself. He waited to hear the steps leave before putting the tunics on a box, next to the ones Valka had left.

The two looked alike. The first one was a greyish blue, a bit dull, with narrow long sleeves, though the shoulders seemed wide. The second one was bigger but shorter, a more colorful blue, and there was a big pocket on the front. Jack checked the clothes’ size, it was clear both had been made for the blonde young woman, for her slim but muscular silhouette, so he wondered if these tunics would really fit him.

Putting his hand on the second tunic, he marvelled at how soft it was. A small smile crawled on his lips as he dropped the fur and reached for the aim of his nightgown. Before taking it off, he felt the urge the make sure noone could see him. He had always been self-conscious of his lithe form and, since the pond, he had lost even more weight, not even mentioning his pale-as-death skin and these veins that could be seen through in some places. Jack had been avoiding his reflection at all cost since then, he didn’t want to see what he had become and certainly didn’t want anyone else to.

After making sure he was all alone, he pulled off his nightgown, a chill running down his spine, then he took the bluer tunic to put it on. Once the fabric touched his cold skin, he felt a nice warmth wrapping around him. The tunic was covering him from belt to neck and was wide enough to not squeeze him – confirming he was thinner than the blonde knife-thrower – but most of all the fabric was soft. He was feeling like he was in a cocoon and wanted to snuggle in it. Pulling the hood over his head, the warmth tickled his neck, ears and cheeks, making him grin.

Burying his hands in the front pocket, he snuggled his nose in the collar and took a moment just to enjoy it. It felt like the tunic was hugging and petting him, and it really was a nice feeling.

Scratching sounds caught his attention, like claws on the wood, making him turn his head towards the exit, only to find Sharpshot climbing in and looking at him expectantly. At first, Jack didn’t move, just staring at him, then the small dragon came closer, zigzaging until he was standing at his feet. Golden eyes looked intently into the pool of icy blue, and the boy ended up smiling as he realised what the dragon wanted. So he crouched and Sharpshot shook his tail excitedly before rising on his hinder legs. Jack took him under the armpit and lifted him, holding him close to his chest and stroking his back. The dragon warbled and snuggled against him, before sniffing his tunic and rubbing his head against it. Looked like Jack was not the only one to think this tunic was nicely soft. He smiled even more and hugged the dragon closer before exiting the cart.

Toothless was still there but had moved to the side, out of the way, his ears popped up as he heard the boy and he quickly stood with a playful glee. He bounced in front of Jack before rushing to the campfire, not without looking above his shoulder to make sure the boy was following. Jack did follow him, though his steps were hesitant and kept on slowing down as he neared the group by the fire.

“There he is !” Dagur exclaimed, opening his arms wide with a giant grin splitting his face in two.

All the others turned towards him, making Jack stop dead in his tracks, skrinking on himself. Still, he relaxed as he noticed nothing but smiles on their faces. Snotlout and the twins beamed, looking expectantly at him. Astrid, Valka, Heather and Gobber had softer smiles, the reassuring kind. Mala, Eret and Fishlegs seemed more hesitant, as if they weren’t sure Jack was really joining them. As to Hiccup, he gave him an encouraging nod, stretching a hand towards him.

Toothless nudged Jack in the shoulder, visibly trying to make him move closer. The ebony dragon cooed and bounced until he reached his tamer, dropping next him and asking for some petting, though the auburnet’s green eyes didn’t left the hooded boy. Jack swallowed thickly and took a deep breath in, tightening his arms around Sharpshot, then he took a step. Then another one. He found more and more easy to walk towards them, his fears and anxiety seemed to alleviate slowly.

He ended up sitting between Hiccup and Valka, the former smiling warmly at him, the latter offering a pint of fresh water along with a bowl of soup while Sharpshot left his knees to lay instead against his feet.

“Here, my boy,” Valka said, “it’s important for you to drink. However, in the next days, you’ll have to stick to soups and mash, you can’t eat anything that would sollicit your jaw and throat too much, okay ?”

The boy was astunned by her speech rate, still he nodded as thanks as he took the food and drink. He slowly sipped the water while observing around them, realising once more they were in a clearing, but the shape of the trees didn’t look like the forest around his village, neither was the sea smell in the air. As the others were resuming their conversation, he turned to Valka and pointed the trees around, trying to convey his question. It took merely a few seconds for the ringmistress to understand.

“You want to know where we are ?”

Jack nodded to confirm.

“Yeah, I suppose you must be confused to be here with us.”

Actually, Jack suspected Hiccup and the dragons had saved him from the improvised hanging and had brough him to their camp. Since the troupe was already preparing to leave, they must have brought him along. What the boy really wanted to know was about the village, what had happened with chief Niel and the hunters, with those who used to be his parents, how they had accepted Hiccup leaving with him and most of all, most of all, if the village was to pursue them or not.

“Hiccup told us everything,” Valka explained, “including what the villagers tried to do to you.”

Jack started and tensed, then slowly looked at the auburnet next to him, who was drinking his pint and glaring at the flames, as if he could set it on fire. The tamer’s attention was caught back to them as he heard his mother call his name, he almost instantly met Jack’s questioning look.

“Can you tell Jack what happened ?” Valka prompted.

Hiccup suddenly looked uneasy, but Jack tried to use his look to tell him how much he needed to know. The auburnet rubbed his nape as he explained. “I… I couldn’t let them kill you. What they said about you… I didn’t really get it but it was horrible, and I know you didn’t deserve to be… hanged. Still I guessed they wouldn’t just let you go so I… I had to come up with something. I used the Zippleback gas as a cover, it formed a thick fog which has blinded them long enough for me to untie you. Toothless took you to the camp while I stayed to make sure they were going to leave you alone.”

Jack couldn’t imagine how he would have succeeded in convince them, and Hiccup’s guilty look didn’t seem a good omen, especially as the tamer lowered his head, unable to look at him in the eye.

“I told them you were dead. Well, gone. I told them your ghost had past on the other side. They didn’t insist and left, they seemed satisfied with this.” He sighed and hunched even more, squinting his eyes shut. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do, it was this or just let them… I know I shouldn’t have intervened without your approval and make decisions for you. You could have wanted to stay or at least say goodbye or…”

As he was starting to ramble in an almost messy and nervous way, Jack couldn’t bring himself to know what to think about all of this. Hiccup had saved his life, though the tamer didn’t seem proud of it, even guilty as he had taken him from his home. Even though it had been a long time it was no longer home for the boy. They had spent too much time shuning him for it to be home anymore, nor his clan. They had cut their ties themselves, a long time ago.

So he only thought about making Hiccup feel better, and show him he wasn’t holding a grudge. Actually, he was thankful for what the tamer had done. Not only had he saved him whereas everyone else, himself included, wanted him dead, but the auburnet had also managed to finally tear him from the village, from this shuning cold cornering him. So Jack scooted closer and placed a cold hand over Hiccup’s warm one, which stopped the rambling and earned him a stunned, confused look. Jack was not looking directly at him, but from the corner of his eye, he could see Hiccup gaping. It looked like the tamer wanted to say something, but when someone spoke, it was Snotlout.

“Will you stop sayin’ such bullshit, Hiccup ? What were you s’pposed t’do ? Let ‘em kill ‘im ? Y’did the right thin’ and n’one shall say otherwise, or else I’ll beat ‘em.”

“Aw,” Eret teased, “look at this big teddy bear defending his friends.”

“Shut it, son of Eret, or else I beat you.”

“Don’t take it like this, Snotface,” Dagur giggled, “we already knew you’re just an overgrown softie.”

“Say that again ?!”

When the short-tempered dark-haired guy stood from his log, clenching a fist to the red-head, Valka quickly intervened, trying to quiet them.

“Okay, calm down, now.”

Jack smirked at that before focusing back on his neighbor, who was still looking down. The boy squeezed Hiccup’s hand to catch his attention, until he met forest green eyes. Then he mouthed a ‘thank you’. Hiccup hesitated for a bit, then he smiled back. Jack let go of him to pick up his spoon and start eating. He tried to focus on his food so he could swallow without triggering pain in his throat, still he could feel Hiccup’s stare on him. Silence surrounded the both of them while the others were still talking, joking and laughing. The twins, Dagur and Eret were making fun on Snotlout’s soft side and calling him a protective big brother. Jack was only half listening, and got distracted as Hiccup spoke again, low enough so just the two of them could hear.

“Jack, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to or if you’re not ready yet, but… I’d like to know. Why did they go after you like this ?”

Even though his eyes were only filled with concern, Jack couldn’t bring himself to answer that. Just like the tamer had said himself, he wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready to talk about the accident, to relive the tragedy that had led to his sister’s death, to his own death somehow, and he was even less ready to reveal what he had become, what the villagers thought he was. He lowered his head and shook it no, squinting his eyes so he would keep them shut, his hands squeezing his bowl as he was shutting himself from his surroundings. He still felt a bit better as a warm hand landed on his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Hiccup assured, “I won’t push you. I’ll wait for you to be ready to tell me.”

Jack relaxed and opened his eyes, though he kept them on his soup, noticing the beverage was covered with a thin layer of frost. He tried to ignore it and focused on the conversation still going on in front of him. He held from chuckling as he noticed the shade of Snotlout’s cheeks and ears, embarrassed and angered but the snickers from Dagur. Mala seemed to have smoldered the red-head a bit because he was now sitting, the both of them holding hands, she was leaning against his arm while talking quietly to Fishlegs.

As to the twins, they were struggling and slapping one another for some reason, and noone seemed ready to stop them, so Jack assumed it was happening on regular basis.

“Don’t worry,” Snotlout said. “You’ll be way bett’r w’out these morons from your village. We’ll make sure of it.”

Jack gave him a faint smile, moved but just as reluctant.

“Sure,” Dagur snickered. “Now you have big bro Snotface to look after you.”

The twins stopped their hand fight and suddenly looked offended. “Hey ! Why would he be Jackie’s big bro ? Why not me ?”

“Come on Tuff,” the stocky guy grunted. “You’re an awful brother. If Ruff was on fire, you’d watch her burn.”

“Yeah, true,” The blond smiled dreamily.

Ruffnut scoffed and punched him square in the face, only making him laugh, then she turned a pleading look to Jack. “You’d put out the flames, you, right ?”

Jack nodded quickly, obviously, he was horrified by the idea of someone getting on fire. Ruffnut beamed at that and pushed her brother’s face before getting up and skirting the fire so she could reach the hooded boy.

“That’s it, I’m changing my brother ! From now on, Jackie Boy’s gonna be my brother !”

She dropped herself next to him, pushing Hiccup out of the way, and wrapped an arm around Jack’s shoulders, who winced hearing this nickname the twins seemed fond of. Jack really disliked being called Jackie, it sounded like he was either a small child, either a girl, even the two actually. ‘Jackie’ sounded like a little girl’s name. Plus Jack was already a nickname, short for Jackson, so he didn’t need another one. Ruffnut was completely oblivious of that and hugged him sideway, almost as if he was a stuffed animal. Tuffnut grunted and quickly joined them, catching Jack by the shoulders so he could tear him from his sister and keep the boy to himself.

“No way, he’ll be my brother !”

“Mine !”

“No, mine !”

Jack found himself shaken up, passing from the hands of a twin to the other, torn between shock and confusion.

“Easy, guys,” Heather chuckled. “You can share, can’t you ?”

The twins suddenly froze, both still holding Jack. The boy eyed Heather, silently asking for help, but that only seemed to amuse her. He felt even badder, especially as the twins resumed their fight with a resounding “No way !”. Despite being shaken, he ended up noticing something. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were holding him firmly and pulling him towards each of them, but they were only holding his shoulders and arms and were keeping their hands away from his hood, not touching it nore his neck. This realisation killed his urge to get out of there, and he ended up playing along, leaving them be while a shy smile crept on his face.

Looking around them, he met Sharphot’s sunny eyes, sitting in front of him and tilting his head in confusion and curiosity. Then he met Hicup’s eyes, the young man seemed to have conflicting thoughts. He looked entertained and worried at the same time. Jack ended up giving him a bigger smile, efficiently pulling the tamer out of his reverie since he got up and came to this rescue, putting a hand on each twin’s shoulder.

“Calm down, guys. We’re supposed to go easy on him, remember ?”

It was way more efficient to stop the twins than Dagur and Snotlout’s teasing nore Heather’s try to calm them down, and it proved Jack how attentive they were of him and his wounds.

The rest of the meal went on with this jolly and energic ambiance, though it was slowly getting quieter as the troupe was getting tired, until they decided to call it a day. Since only two tents had been mounted, most of the beds got sprawled on the ground around the campfire. Eret and Astrid disappeared in one tent, Valka in the other. Jack found himself laying between the twins, the three of them squeezed in the same ‘bed’. Tuffnut clung on his back and pressed his head against the thin shoulder-blades while Ruffnut held Jack’s head against her shoulder, as if it was a plush, keeping his hood in place.

Jack was surrounded by their body warmth, along with Sharpshot’s who had decided to find a place between the boy’s calves. While everyone was falling asleep around him, some snoring echoing in the night, he remained awake a bit longer. Because he already had had plenty of rest during the day, but also because he was thoughtful about the recent events.

He had left his village. He was finally free from the cold and paranoia haunting him for three years, and he was sure the villagers were not going after him to claim his head.

Hiccup had heard them talking about a demon but he didn’t seem to have taken it seriously, didn’t seem to believe it.

The circus was welcoming him as promised, and Snotlout and the twins especially seemed to like him – he suspected it was because he had convinced Valka to keep them instead of kicking them out.

But if he was perfectly honest, he had to admit he liked them too. Snotlout and his soft side burried deep under this mountain of muscles and grumpiness. The twins and their clinginess and funny weirdness. Valka and her kindness. Hiccup and his sooth words, smile and warmth. The amazing dragons who accepted him as he was.

He didn’t know yet the other members of the troupe, but they seemed quite welcoming too. Astrid was nice.

The day before, he had attempted to end his days to go back to the cold calling for him since he had gotten out of the pond. He had wanted to die, by drowning again or letting the villagers hang him. That’s what he had wanted, but as Hiccup had saved him and brought him to the circus, as the other performers had brought him along on their journey, without any hesitation… Now that he was with them, and that he was basking in this sweet, sweet warmth, he found again himself not wanting to go.

It was more than comforting for his wounded heart, frozen by distance and fear. He had found a place where he felt good. Even if fear was still anchored deep inside of him, fed by his reluctance to share his story with them, the accident, what he had become though he had been supposed to die, and how the villagers had treated him since then… Even if he was still afraid of how they would take it, afraid of loosing them, he made a decision.

He closed his eyes with a small smile, promising he would give himself a chance to enjoy this. To give it a try.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13
A NEW BEGINNING
ᚨ ᚾᛖᚹ ᛒᛖᚺᛁᚾᚾᛜ

A new routine had started for Jack as he was now traveling with the wandering circus of the Hairy Hooligans. He was still recovering from his throat, Valka was very attentionated for him, giving him medicine and making sure he was getting plenty of rest. Still he wanted to help. He wasn’t strong enough to carry a lot of equipment during the travel nore help to put it all in and out the carts, mounting or dismounting the camp, so he was making up to it by cheering the others up and cooking.

Usually the members of the troup were taking turns, each day it was someone different preparing the meals, ending up in pretty much different results. Gobber liked to cook hot, fat brews and stews. Each time Valka or Astrid wanted to cook, the others w ould find excuses to stop them. Hiccup warned Jack to avoid a drink made by Astrid, something she had called Yaknog and that she liked to do as tradition by the end of the year during the winter celebrations. Apparently, Valka’s fish skewers were just as deadly, promissing indigestion and a sour stomach to whomever was risking a bite. Excepts dragons, strangely. D ragons were fond of her cooking.

Dagur used to cook rosted chicken or any kind of grilled food but was only caring about meat, always ‘forgetting’ about vegetable s or sides. Snotlout even more though he was a good cooker. Eret used to cook meals with raw fish and not-enough cooked vegetables. Fishlegs was only cooking vegetarian meals but it was healthy and always perfectly well cooked. As to the twins, they had the nasty tendancy to use too much salt, making their meals difficult to eat – if it wasn’t disgusting.

The meals Jack prefered were those made by Mala, Heather and Hiccup. Mala was offering various and very healthy food, Heather was a champion when it came to chicken and yak steaks, and Hiccup was really good with grilled fish and bread.

As for Jack, once he had introduced to them some old recipe s he used to cook with his mother, as long as spices and aromatic h erbs, everyone agreed that his cooking was the best. To the extend they decided to mak e him the main cook.

The wandering circus had left Burgess to travel eastward and down south. After five days of traveling, using the dragons to carry their luggages and carts, they had stopped for three days in the port town of the Howling Reef, no doubt the largest and most impressive place Jack had ever seen. Granted, he had not seen much before, always stuck in his village.

This stop allowed him to discover the backstage of the show he had seen two times. It was quite the sight to witness everyone working alongside to mount up the tent, place the seatlogs, and see Tuffnut – who seemed so careless – be in charge of something as important as lighting during the whole show. Jack ha d not watched the performance, instead he had kept company to Ruffnut at the entrance and helped her collective entry prices before the two of them had joined Gobber and Mala patrol ing around the main tent to make sure noone was sneaking in during the show.

The troup was really patient and kind with Jack. Although they had offered him to join them because they wanted him to make a magic show, they were not pressuring him to do it. Actually, they had not even came to the subject with him, nore between themselve. When Jack was happening to eavedrop conversations about him, the Hairy Hooligans were only talking about their concern for him, if he was healing from his wounds and coping the events that had torn him off his home. None of them was pressuring him to talk about it, but they kept on wondering about it while they thought the boy wasn’t hearing them.

The night after the last show, they went to bed early because they were exhausted. It was always the case after a representation. Still Fishlegs took some time during the meal to count down the money they had earned. While he didn’t have his own tent, Jack was sharing the twins’. They had insisted on it, and Sharpshot had decided to tag along. Since Jack had joined the troup, the small dragon was never leaving his side.

In the night, before blowing out the light, t he twins used to love hav ing a chit-chat laying on their bed , and it was mostly thanks to them Jack was learning about circus life and the other members of the troup. He was talking to them and getting to know them, yes, but the twins were telling him a lot of stories – especially the embarrassing ones. That night, Tuffnut decided to talk about the troup’s love life. As an eternal single, like he l ov ed to call himself, he was enjoying intruding into other’s business.

“Astrid went out with Hiccup but now she’s with Eret. Dagur and Mala’s been fiancees for a moment now but they want to wait until spring to actually marry, don’t ask me why. Heather and Fishlegs had a thing but it didn’t last. Snotlout and him used to be in competition for Ruff. For a whole year, can you believe that ? Those morons.”

The blond smirked at his sister, who was laying behind him and burried her head in a pillow, grunting.

“Stop with that !” She groaned, “Snotlout moved on a long time ago, anyway.”

“What about you ?” Jack asked.

As days were going by, h is throat was getting better and allowed him to talk again, though his voice sounded hoarse and scratchy, making him cough occasionnaly. He still had to go easy on it.

“Pff, I’ve always liked Fishlegs better. I can’t resist the soft guys. Still I liked it when both were fighting for me, when I had all their attention and they were doing all their might to please me,” she threw her pillow and sat up with a large devilish smirk. “They were like my harem, I felt like a goddess, you know.”

Jack smirked at that. Ruffnut layed back down and closed her eyes, folding her arms under her head, though she was still smirking. “Tell him about Heather and Snotlout, Tuff.”

“Oh yeah, that’s the most juicy part ! They got together some time after he had dropped Ruff. It lasted what, three months ? Then they broke up but then, surprise ! They got back together. Then they broke up again. We’re making bets on when they’ll do it again. Seeing how they’re dancing around each other, in my opinion, it’s going to be real soon.”

Jack chuckled but forced himself to stop because of his throat, massaging it in try to soothe it. “You’re making bets ?”

“Yup,” Ruffnut snickered. “I waggered twenty silvers for in a month.”

“Same but in two weeks ! You should bet too, Jack.”

“No thanks, I don’t even have money.”

“No big deal, you can cook instead.”

“I already am.”

“Yeah and you’re the best at it !” The blonde girl exclaimed, pointing her finger at him.

He shrugged innocently, but the twins didn’t let it go that easily.

“Seriously, where did you learn to cook that well ?”

Jack hesitated. He didn’t want to think back to Burgess nore his village, but nostalgia took him anyway as memories crept back into his mind, memories from before the accident. Memories from when he was a pre-teen boy cooking with Mary and Emma. They were laughing and playing fight with some of the food, until their mother would scold them and chase them out of the kitchen.

“I… I used to cook with my mom and…”

He closed h is mouth before he would think too much about the chestnut haired girl with sparkling mischievous hazel eyes, but her face was already forming in his mind, her laugh in his ears. He closed his e yes and shook his head in try to chase her away, a hand placed on his head to maintain his hood in place. Hood he hadn’t left for a second since his arrival at the circus. He turned on his side, away from the twins, before mumbling a weak “ I’m tired, guys, can we go to sleep ? ”

Though he couldn’t see them, Jack doubted the twins’ silence was proof of their confusion. Surely they were looking at each other with a lot of questions, surprised and confused by his sudden change of mood. He didn’t blame them for wondering what had gotten on him, but despite them growing closer for the past days, he still didn’t want to talk about his village. Actually, he used to do everything to avoid the subject.

“Okay, see you tomorrow, then,” Tuffnut said lowly, hesitantly. “Good night, Jackie Boy.”

The boy couldn’t even reply, too busy fighting back his memories. But it was clinging to him, promissing to haunt him the whole night. He closed his eyes with a wince, already knowing he was going to have a nightmare. He was expecting it, he was just not sure of how intense it would be.

Jack’ s heart was pounding in his chest, reverberating in his chest under the rush of panic he was trying to keep in. He put down his skates on the ice and looked at his sister, just a few steps away from him.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he assured. “Don’t look down, just look at me.”

“Jack, I’m scared.”

She glanced down at her feet, forcing her brother to do so too . The cracks were a shark contrast o n the ice, and the faint noise was echo ing perfectly in his two ears.

“Yeah, I know. I know.”

He took a step towards her, but stopped dead in his tracks as it cracked under his feet too. He took a glance around them to see if he could spot someone. The pond was a bit far from the family farm, but their father had assured he was going to cut some wood near by. Still he was not near enough, he was not there to help them, nore was their mother. It was on Jack to find a solution, and quick. Thinking fast, he tried to buy some time to find an idea, and he also wanted to reassure his sister, chase away her fear.

“But you’re gonna be fine. You’re not gonna fall in, huh… We’re gonna have a little fun instead.”

“No, we’re not !”

“Would I trick you ?”

“Yeah, you always play trick !”

‘’No, well, yeah but… Not– Not this time, I promise.”

He bent a bit so he could level their eyes, looking intently into her hazel orbs.

“I’ll get you out of here, okay ? Do you trust me ?”

His sister observed him for a moment, then she nodded shyly. She seemed a bit more calm and confident, which made him smile. Looking around them, he spotted a small pile of wooden sticks near him. A few steps would be enough to reach it, but it wouldn’t get him closer to Emma. Still he suspected he c ould find a stick long enough to reach her. All he had to do was keeping Emma calm. He smiled as an idea popped in his head.

“What about we play hopscotch ?”

Hearing him speak about her favorite game, the little girl’s face lit up, widening her brother’s smile.

“It’s as easy as huh… One…”

He took a step on the side, but the ice cracked under his toes. He waited a bit for it to stabilize, then focused back on chasing away his sister’s fear, so he guffawed and faked loosing balance, making huge gestures to make her laugh. It worked.

“Two… Three !”

He grined victoriously as he reached the safer area, where the ice was thicker. Bending, not taking his eyes away from Emma, he rummaged through the branches and found a long one with a crooked end. Perfect.

“Okay, now it’s your turn.”

He crouched and held the staff with both hand s, the hook towards her. He was a bit too far, but it was just a matter of two or three steps. If she could take these steps… He had to keep her calm, only one false step and she could fall in. Weather had never been merciful in this part of the region and, during winter, water was so cold people didn’t have the time to drown before they would freeze to death.

Jack gave another reassuring smile to his sister, and she smiled back brightly. He was confident, if they were taking it easy, they could do it. So h e started to count. Emma took a first step, but the web of cracks under her spread a bit.

“That’s it, that’s it,” he encouraged.

The second step had the same effect, which started to worry Emma again, but she was now close enough, so Jack quickly hooked the end of the staff around her waist and used his own body weight as balance, sending her away towards the shore. He had put so much weight he lost his balance, but he only cared about her, not his own falling. Laying on his back, he quickly sat up to make sure she was fine. She had fallen too, sprawled on her stomach , and glanced up at him, a bit shaken, before she smiled a bright, goofy smile. Jack stood up with a chuckle. He couldn’t believe it, he had saved her !

H e wanted to join her and celebrate, already thinking about some shadow-theater show to retale his deed, but he only got the time to take one step towards her, before everything was turned upside down.

The ice gave in under him, sending him into the water s . His elbows smacked the edge of the hole but he pushed away the pain so he could hold on. His heart pounding wildly, his breath quickening, he held desperately on the ice, though his grip was slipping and the cold water was bitting his legs and body up to the chest.

“Jack !” Emma panicked.

“No, stay back !”

He may was panicking to the point of forgetting to reassure his sister, that didn’t mean he had stopped protect ing her. Despite the pain and bitting cold starting to paralyze his limbs and making breathing hard, he only thought about Emma and her safety. She had to stay safe. She had to stay away, back where the ice was thick enough to carry her.

“Hold on, Jack !” Her soft features were scrounched and flooded in tears. “Mommy !” She screamed, looking around them, “Daddy ! Help !”

Jack couldn’t feel his legs anymore and his body was shivering uncontrollably, but he kept on holding on. Emma called out their parents several times, but she didn’t get any answer, feeding her growing sobs.

“Hey Emma, look at me.”

She tried to calm down and looked at him with red and swollen eyes, sniffing and wincing to hold back her tears. He force d a smile even though his breath was shaking and his teeth chattering.

“I– I’ll be fine, okay ? G-Go get help at home.”

He was mostly saying this because he wanted her away, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold on for long, and didn’t want her to witness this. But she was stubborn and shook her head no.

“No, I don’t wanna leave you !”

She clenched her small fists and took a step forward, keeping an eye on the ice and spreading her arms for balance.

“W-What are you d-doing ? Emma, n-no !”

“Hold on, I’m gonna get you !”

“Stop ! I-I don’t want to bring you down with m-me ! Go back t-to the shore !”

“I won’t leave you !” Fresh tears streamed from her hazel eyes and her voice got distorted, getting higher than usual.

“Y-You have to, d-don’t risk your life for me.”

She stopped and gave him a ripped look that felt like a stab in the heart for him. Tears started to pearl in his own brown eyes.

“You have t-to live, Em’. Who’s gonna tell my jokes and adventures if not you ? W-Who’s gonna m-make the kids laugh ? Emma, you have t-to live and laugh.’’

The girl sobbed again, but Jack kept on smiling.

“P-Promise me you’ll laugh for me.”

“No, I don’t wanna lose you !”

“P-Promise me, Em’.”

She cried even more and lowered her head, her small fists clenched to her chest. Jack was sure he had managed to c o nvince her, explaining he was still forcing this smile despite his face numbing. It was getting difficult to hold on to the edge of the ice, to move, to breath, and even more to keep his eyes open. He could feel his eyelids getting heavier and trying to cover his eyes.

“Jack !” Emma screamed.

He flinched and that managed to wake him up a bit, but also making him realise his sister was not giving up. Actually, she was even getting closer to him, but he didn’t have the time to scold her and tell her to live because she spoke first. “No one’s gonna tell your jokes better than you ! I don’t want to tell them in your stead ! You have to do it, Jack !”

“E-Em’, n-no…”

His voice was breaking and weakening while his strength was abandoning him, eaten away by the icy water. He coul d n’t feel anything anymore under his chest while his arms were getting numb too. Despite of this, he still held on and fought.

“G-Go back to the shore… E-Em’…”

The more his voice was muting, the more it seemed to feed his sister’s will not to listen. She was getting closer, taking small and cautious steps while her eyes were looking back and forth between her feet and her brother. She kept on moving forward, ignoring his pleas growing more and more desperate, but the only thing that made her stop was a new sound of cracking ice.

Emma froze, horrified wide eyes searching for her brother, equally horrified brown eyes staring back at her, then she fell in with a loud yelp. Jack’s brain stopped thinking as he let go t o dive in after her. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, surely he had thought he would be able to swim after her, catch her and bring them back to the surface so he could hoist her on the ice again.

Maybe he would have been able to, had not his body been that numb and unresponding. Jack had hoped to swim, but the only thing he could do was sink like a rock, unable to move, and now unable to breathe.

His frantic eyes remained focused on the small silhouette floating next to him, close enoug h for him to see, yet to o far for him to reach. Emma wasn’t moving and was sinking just like him, some red sipping out from her head. She must have hit her skull on the ice when she had fallen in, and if she was unconscious, she was already drowning. Jack clenched his teeth and tr ied all his might to will his body to move, but sai d body had let him down.

Weather had never been merciful in this part of the region. In winter, water was so cold people didn’t have the time to drown before they would freeze to death. The blue shade tainting Emma’s skin was proof enough that she had already succombed to it, right in front of his eyes. However, Jack didn’t have that chance. The cold was certainly biting him, but it paralyzed him without killing him. The water did. And all along his agony, he kept his eyes trailed on his sister. He was still hoping beyong hope, praying all the universe’s mystical forces to see her move, wake up, and swim up to the surface.

His own fate didn’t matter to him, all that mattered was his sister. His beloved baby sister. His deceased sister, whose empty, dull eyes w ere going to haunt him for the remaining seconds of his life.

And every single night of this delay he had been cursed with.

Jack woke up in a jolt, sitting up and coughing wildly because of the scream this nightmare had torn from him. It took him a bit of time to notice the lantherns in the tent were lit and that the twins were awake, around him, looking panicked and holding him as if they were afraid he would collapse in front of them.

Trembling from head to toes, he remained folded on himself, letting the twins hold and hug him. One of them was rubbing his back but he couldn’t tell which one as he k ept his face burried against his knees, hidding in the hood Valka had added to his nightshirt. Once his coughing fit finally soothed down, his throat was throbbing and burning, as if the skin inside had been shredded . Even swallowing was painful. That’s when his ears started to catch the soft whispers the twins were adressing him, especially Ruffnut. Soothing words, telling him he had nothing to be afraid of, that he was safe with them, away from this damn village.

So he realised they were surely convinced he had dreamt of the moment his clan had tried to hang him. To be honest, he would have rathered dream about this, it was less hurtful and less scary than seeing Emma’s lifeless face. He held on the first arm he found and squeezed his grip on Ruffnut’s nightgown, s o hard he distorted the green fabric, but the blonde didn’t mind it and kept on holding him, just like her brother was doing.

They remained like this for a long, silent moment, then Tuffnut was the first to let go so he could leave the tent. Jack was first afraid he was leaving to tell Valka, but the blond with dreadlocks came back soon after with a pint he gave the shaken boy. It was filled with some water. Jack nodded in thanks and took slow, cautious sips. His burning throat thanked him for that.

Heavy silence loomed in the tent while Jack kept on sipping slowly, the twins sitting close to him, Sharpshot pressing against the boy’s tight, looking worried but mostly tired. The small dragon drifted back to sleep before Jack emptied the pint, all the while the twins remained silent, just watching him, as if expecting him to burst in tears.

Jack wanted to tell them he was fine, even if it was a lie, just so they would stop making such sad faces. He ended up glaring at them, annoyed, and that managed to pull them out this transe. Tuffnut blinked and looked away, looking uneasy, while Ruffnut scooted closer and asked him in a whisper “Jack… Who’s Emma ?”

If the boy had almost gained back a good mood seeing their embarrassed reaction, it vanished instantly. Horrified that he had talked in his sleep, at least a few words including his sister’s name, he realised the twins might have heard something else. That made him sick. He winced and vividly shook his head, silently telling them he didn’t want to talk about it. Like at all. He didn’t even let them insist as he got up and left the tent. They didn’t try to follow him, and he mentally thanked them for that. However, he heard Tuffnut punch his sister, who grunted back at him.

“Seriously ? You had to ask ?” He groaned.

“What ?”

Jack ignored them and headed to the campfire circle d by the different tents. Despite how late it was, the fire was still crackling, though it was more embers than flames. The boy sighed and picked up a few small logs to put in, along with a metal stick. He sat on a stump and mindlessly started to shake the embers, trying to revive the fire. It was still nighttime, it was pretty dark, surely there was still quite some time before dawn, still he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep anymore. It was always the case after he was reliving the accident, just like it was usual for him to feel this hole in his chest, or these shivers run n ing under his skin, reminiscence of the bitting cold water s .

Jack rem a ined sitting there for a long moment, eyes wandering over the embers and flames mindlessly, thoughtlessly, fighting back the shivers. On several occasions, he was tightening the fur blanket around him, burrying his nose in it, adjusting the hood on his head. He listened to the night sounds, some owls, distant waves, crickets , a few snores coming from the tents. Most of it was coming from the dragons in Hiccup’s tents, but also a few from other tents. The one Dagur, Heather and Mala were sharing. The one in which were sleeping Goober, Fishlegs and Snotlout . But mostly the one Jack had just left. So the twins were back to sleep, and it made Jack feel even more lonely. Despite the six tents surrounding him, despite the twelve persons and six dragons in it, he was all alone outside.

He sighed heavily as he realised it was not really different from what he was used to. The only difference was that the village had not given him a choice, while here he simply had to ask for some company. He still had troubles accepting that Valka and Hiccup were still kind to him even after seeing his weird hair. Sometimes it felt like they had never seen it, but Jack knew better. And that was what was keeping him away from them. Granted he was already reluctant to wake up someone just to have some company, plus he wasn’t going to be able to have a conversation, even if his throat was fine. But mostly, he still had a lot of difficulties to open up to them.

He couldn’t talk about Burgess or his village, he was never mentioning the family he used to have, nore the farm or how he used to get along with the other villagers, before or after the accident. If he was talking about it, it was only generalities, only a few things, and always related to his previous life, before that fateful day at the pond.

As he was remaining there, lost in his thoughts, time flew by in a strange, distorted fashion. It seemed so fast and so slow at the same time, as if frozen, as frozen as the pond still hanting him and taking form in the flames. Jack wasn’t seeing the fire, he was not seeing its color, nor e feeling its warmth. There was nothing in his mind and eyes than icy, dark water, and the bitting cold. He could barely hear sounds anymore, the owls, the wind softly blowing, the crackling log fire or the crickets singing. He didn’t hear either the soft ruffling of fabric behind him, nore the pouncing steps in the grass.

He didn’t realise there was someone else, until Toothless came into view, his large ebony head popping in front of him and blowing in his face, sniffing his pale cheek with the dragon’s usual good mood. Jack blenched and dropped the metal stick.

“Toothless,” a voice called out in a whisper. “What are you doing, Bud ? Oh…”

Jack turned his head as he heard other steps, and found Hiccup. Despite the dark, the fire was enough to lit up the tamer, dressed in some leather equipment that almost looked like an armor. The auburnet cautiously walked to him, he looked surprised to see Jack outside, but still notic ed the boy’s low mood since his smile faltered.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” Jack replied, his voice low and a bit hoarse.

Forest green eyes trailed to the tent where the boy was supposed to be sleeping.

“Are the twins snoring too loud ?” He joked.

Jack appreciated the joke, but though he would have liked laughing, he couldn’t. “No, they’re fine,” he coughed a bit and cleared his throat in try to sooth it, then talked again, so low it was almost a whisper. “I just had a nightmare.”

For a moment, there was only silence. Hiccup got closer and sat next to Jack, while Toothless was pouncing around the fire, playing and trying to catch some sparks.

“Do you want to talk about it ?” the tamer asked cautiously.

Jack remained silent. At first, Hiccup just waited, then he changed the subject. “Or we can talk about something else to change your mind, if you prefer ?”

The boy smiled at that, giving him a thankful look. It was still astuning him how much Hiccup c ould be kind and gentle, and how he always seemed to know what to do or say.

“How is it going with the twins ? I know they can get super loud and all when they want to, I hope they’re not being too much.”

“I like it, actually, they’re lively. They talk a lot too, I think I learn a lot more about the circus with them than during the day.”

Hiccup chuckled at that, running a hand in his auburn hair. “ Yeah, they love gossip ing . I suppose they told you a lot. Like th at time Gobber had erupted on stage during Astrid and Eret ’s show. Drunk. ”

This time, Jack managed to chuckle . “ And when a woman in the crowd flirted with Snotlout and he was so flustered he didn’t know what to do. ”

Hiccup laughed but tried to hold back, not wanting to wake up the others. This sudden laugh caught Toothless’ attention, who trotted back to them and asked for some petting. Hiccup ran a hand along the dragon’s side while Jack scratched him under the chin, which seemed to be Toothless’ favorite pet because he was always rolling his eyes in delight. Soon, the dragon layed next to them and kept his head on the hooded boy’s lap.

“They also mentioned the bet going on about Heather and him,” Jack added.

“Oh yeah, a few in the troup have bet a lot.”

“Did you too ?”

“Yes, but I’ve already lost. I had bet five coppers on last week.”

“Only five coppers ?”

Hiccup shrugged with a smirk. “I rather spend this money taking care of the dragons, or buy some material for my inventions.”

Jack couldn’t disagree on that . If, the first night when they had met, when he had visited the tamer’s tent, nothing had told him the young man was an inventor, Jack couldn’t miss it since he had joined the circus. The auburn et was keeping all his work in books and a few rolls, but the prototypes were always kept in his luggages and in Goober’s workshop, that the troup liked to call their ‘travel smithy’. Jack and him had talked a bit about it, the boy had heard about spyglass and Hiccup’s prostetic. He wanted to know more about other inventions but Toothless seemed to get bored as he suddenly stood back on his paws, making his ‘pillow’ start. Then the dragon nudged his tamer, visibly trying to make him stand up.

“Yeah, easy Bud, we’re going.”

“Going where ? What are Toothless and you doing up this early ?”

“We like to get up early to go flying. We always do it in nightime to avoid being seen by locals.”

Jack thought about it, wondering why they were trying to hide, before remember ing what Hiccup had told him on several occasions about dragons. The boy still couldn’t believe people couldn’t accept dragons. Obviously, he knew these creatures were impressive and a bit intimidating, but it was just taking knowing them a bit to see they were actually kind-hearted and a ffectionate.

“I guess seeing a dragon wandering about might scare some people,” he murmured, his voice full of regrets.

Once again, Hiccup had this peculiar smile he seemed to have only with Jack, and the boy couldn’t help but think it had been a while since he had last seen it. Since the tamer had saved him from being hung, actually.

Toothless warbled, calling for his morning flight, and Hiccup gave in to him. He stood and picked something he had left behind the stump where Jack was sitting, surely when he had arrived. The boy glanced at it but couldn’t identify the object, not before the auburnet put it on the dragon’s back. It was a saddle.

Hiccup fastened it with some straps around the dragon’s neck and behind his front legs. Once it was in place, Toothless shook his back et opened up his wings, as if stretching. Big round lime eyes looked at Hiccup, but the tamer seemed to hesitate before climbing on. He remained standing next to the dragon, then turned to Jack before asking “ Hey, wanna come with us ? ”

The hooded boy blinked. “I… You sure ?”

“Of course. What do you say ? Ever wanted to fly ?”

Hiccup offered his hand with a slight smirk, teasing but mostly defiant, so Jack contemplated the idea. Flying on a dragon’s back, with Hiccup ? How could he say no to that ? He smiled, his first genuine smile since he had been rescued from Burgess, and took the tamer’s hand.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14
TO THE SKY
ᛏᛟ ᚦᛖ ᛋᚲᛇ

Jack had to admit, at first he was scared. Terrified, even. I t reminded him a bit of the first and only time he had found himself on a horse’s back, when he had been eight. Granted Toothless was smaller than a horse, but being on his back made Jack dizzy. The dragon barely moved his back to be more comfy that Jack quickly wrapped his arms around Hiccup’s waist and squeezed with distress. The tamer chuckled and patte d his arm, looking at him over his own shoulder.

“It’s okay, don’t worry.”

Jack swallowed and tried to relax, nodding in understanding. He knew he had nothing to worry about, but that didn’t mean he managed to really act confident and relaxed. Hiccup proved himself patient with him, giving him reassuring smiles and a few advices so he wouldn’t get frightened by the height.

Little by little, Jack managed to relax, then appreciate the flight. Once he was at ease, Toothless made a couple aerial stunt to entertain him, which allowed Hiccup to hear the boy’s laugh. They spent a good hour in the sky, flying above the forest and around the island, until dawn caught up with them, signaling them to go back to the camp. In the end, Jack had liked this flight so much he couldn’t help but smile and bounce on his feet when Hiccup offered to come with them too on the following day.

And he came along the next day as well , and soon it became an habit between the three of them. Sharpshot tagged along too, either by flying with them, either by snuggling in Jack’s arms, who was making sure not to crush him between Hiccup and him.

At the circus, noone questioned this new habit. Actually, Jack doubted anyone had noticed since the tamer and him were always the first ones to get up in the morning. He liked this idea, it felt like he was sharing a secret with Hiccup, and most of all he could enjoy some quality time with him, just the two of them… well with the dragons, of course, but still. With this he felt closer to the tamer, and it was during these moments he could see this peculiar smile of Hiccup’s. Jack liked this smile and, with time, it was making him smile too.

Jack really liked these morning flights. The scenery was changing with each location of the circus – which was making the boy loose the smallest landmark he could have – but Hiccup and the dragons being here with him, along with the clouds surrounding them, it felt familiar, and it felt like freedom.

He was feeling free since he had left Burgess and his village. Surely he was still hidding his appearance and was still plagued with nightmares, but at least the circus troup w as n’t treating him like some leper they didn’t want to touch nore come too close to, even less look at. No, the troup was treating him as a human, even as a friend.

Moreover, these morning flights were ben e fic for his nightmares as it was bringing him dreams instead. Peaceful dreams in which he was flying among the clouds, above cities and their light in the dark. Sometimes, Jack was wondering what it looked like by daylight, or lit by sunset or sunrise. These dreams were making his nights more bearable and allowed him to drift back to sleep even after a nightmare, thing that he had never managed to do beforehand. Now, once the bad memories were haunting him, he could fight them back, he just had to think about flying or hug Sharpshot closer to him.

Little by little, he could sleep better and it was visible during the day because he had more energy and merrier mood. Jack started to go see others more easily, constantly helping with luggages and tools – in the extend of what he was able to carry – with mounting and dismounting the tents, he was cooking almost all the meals and was sometimes caught humming while doing so.

The day Valka told him he was doing a lot of work, maybe too much, he shyly responded that he felt indebted to them and wanted to pay them back, somehow. For saving him, but also for taking him in with them. That day, Jack saw an expression on the ringmistress’ face that left him puzzled and a bit guilty : Valka looked like she was moved but saddened by his thankfulness. Their conversation ended up in a hug, which Jack returned, and a few words assuring him the circus was his home too, now.

Then it was Jack’s turn not to know if he had to be moved or sad. Having a place he could call home was heartwarming, but at the same time he couldn’t get rid of the anguish that this beautiful dream would shatter once the troup learnt about his history. It was a problem he was constantly trying to delay, but he didn’t know how long he needed to gather the courage to face this reality. Undoubtedly years wouldn’t be enough to prepare him.

* * *

Jack woke up with so much energy it surprised himself. Another nightmare had tried to torment him during the night, but he had managed to fight it off by dreaming about another flight on dragon back. However, the prospect of doing another one was worrying him more than making him excited. Or rather, the idea of taking a flight in this location.

The troup was about to give their last representation in the region of the Windy Mounts, a mountain chain with pretty wet weather and a lot of strong winds, especially during winter. The four places they had visited in the area had allowed Jack to discover a bounded population who used to cheer up from the bad weather by having a lot of parties and celebrations. The Hairy Hooligans circus’ last stop had brought them in Nordé mountains, where lived the Screechin g Eagles clan, arriving right on time to celebrate the marriage of the chief’s nephew.

If the brand new show of the twins – who had spent it fighting over a shield instead of really performing their jigling – was met with quite a success, Hiccup and his dragons were less appreciated. There was a few wild dragons in the mountains and the clan was not fond of them. Actually, they were hunting them. Jack was heartbroken to hear dragon hunting was one of the Screechin g Eagles’ favorite hobby.

That was why Jack was so reluctant to take a morning flight there. He had shared his worrie s with Hiccup the previous evening, and did so again in the morning. Hiccup just smiled at him and reassured him with added arguments to the ones he had already told him the day before. Toothless and him were going before dawn specifically not to be seen. Moreover, the local weather was helping them hide thanks to this constant fog covering the mountain, the Screechin g Eagles’ village and its surroundings. Not mention the clan had accepted to stop hunting dragons by the time the circus was there specifically to avoid mistaking one of Hiccup’s dragons for a wild one.

Jack tried to convince himself that Hiccup was right and careful enough, but he couldn’t shake the feeling away. He had a bad feeling about this. As he was standing awkwardly, nervously fidgeting with his sleeve s , Hiccup could clearly see he was still reluctant. His amused smile dropped.

“You don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to. I won’t force you, you know.”

Jack hesitated. Granted he didn’t want to take the risk, but it was obvious that Hiccup and Toothless were going to. So the boy sighed and gave in.

“I can’t just leave you too alone. What if something happen ?”

Hiccup let him climb on the saddle behind himself, staring at him without a word. Once Jack was settled, he pouted, making the auburnet chuckle. Hiccup bent on his dragon and patted his flank, meeting lime eyes.

“You hear that, Bud ? Jack the Knight’s gonna watch over us.”

The boy instantly felt red creeping on his cheeks up to his ears. Unable to retort, he looked down and pull ed on his hood in hopes to hide these unwanted colors so subtly betraying his embarrassment. Despite of this, nostalgia took over. Jack remembered a time when his mother and sister would call him that, especially when he was helping his sister escaping from some bullies, or when he was defending his mother from gossiping old ladies who were only jealous of her once perfect family .

Jack came out his thoughts back to the present when Toothless took off. By reflex, he squeezed Hiccup’s middle, the tamer bent forward to follow his dragon’s movements. Sharpshot had not come with them this time because Jack had not wanted to wake him up. Despite how much the Terrible Terror seemed to love Jack, he could still prove himself quite grumpy if someone was interrupting his night or naps. Jack had learnt it the hard way, his forearm was still adorning the fresh scars from the scratches he had gotten that day.

The fog was so thick around them that Jack could barely see anything. Toothless, for his part, seemed perfectly fine to fly and avoid the obstacles. He was baffingly able to see the trees before his passengers could. As they had just avoided a particularly tall pine, Jack looked back at it, thoughtful.

“How does Toothless manage to see in this fog ?”

“He’s a Night Fury,” Hiccup explained, his voice filled with a light chuckle but mostly pride. “These dragons live by night, usually. They have developped a few ways to sense their surroundings without sight. Do you hear these vibrating sounds he emits ?”

Jack quieted and strained his ears. Between the sound of beating wings and the wind blowing in his face, he still managed to discern some low noises coming from the dragon.

“He uses it to sense the obstacles and avoid them,” the tamer added.

The boy smiled and let go of one hand so he could stroke the dragon’s side, who turned his head to look at him. He purred as he saw Jack’s smile.

“Tooth’ is really impressive.”

Hiccup looked over his shoulder, looking even more proud. “He never ceases to amaze me.”

Jack smirked and felt like joking. “Anyway, I already knew he was the real mastermind, here.”

Hiccup laughed too, while the dragon warbled, soun d ing both pleased and teasing. Jack petted him a bit more and Toothless obviously liked it as he beat his wings with more energy and joy, getting higher in the fog. Then a comfortable silence surrounded them. All they could hear was the wind, some early bird s chirping, the beating of wings and the dragon’s breathing. Soon, Jack closed his eyes, tilting his head backward so he could relish the caress of the wind. He took a deep breath, savoring this feeling of being weightless. Everything seemed so peaceful, up here in the sky.

During their first flight together, Hiccup had told him that, for him, nothing could compare to flying on a dragon’s back. Back then, Jack had been too scared to really comprehend his words, but now he couldn’t agree more. Even memories from his old life couldn’t compare with how good he was feeling during the flights. Never before had he felt so free and serene, or lighter.

I t was as if all his troubles were stuck on the ground, unable to follow him up high. He coul d forget everything, forget his past, forget about the accident, about his strange magic. Nothing mattered but the dragon carrying him and the young man accompagnying him. Jack felt like nothing could reach him when he was flying like this-His train of thoughts died as Toothless halted without a warning.

Jack blenched and squeezed his arms around Hiccup, who seemed just as clueless as him. A noise reverberated under them and Jack got alarmed to see lights through the fog, some voices coming along.

“What’s going on ?” He asked.

“I don’t know, but it can’t be good. Toothless, you have to get us out of here, Bud.”

The dragon shook his head while growling before he swiftly turned around. As he was planing quickly, he found himself forced to dodge what looked like projectiles. The objects were passing to o fast in the fog so Jack couldn’t really see them, but he swore there was ropes and arrows among it.

Toothless’ dodges were so sudden and harsh, Jack had no way to anticipate it and even had troubles holding onto Hiccup. Several times he was sure he was about to let go and fall. The auburnet seemed to notice as he ended up letting go of a handle to wrap an arm around Jack.

“Hold on tight !”

“I’m trying !” He boy replied, tightening his grip as he could.

On Hiccup’s front, he found a belt and wrapped his fingers around it, hoping it would be an easier grip. He felt the tamer’s arm leave him, surely to hold on the saddle again, but he could only guess because his face was pressed against his friend’s back, squinting his eyes in fear.

Shivers started to run down his back and arms, he coul d feel the air getting colder around them. A part of his mind knew what that meant and was asking him to calm down, to keep his powers in control, but this thought couldn’t really reach him, coul d n’t pass through his fear. He didn’t even realise when the wind started to blow around them, as if trying to push them and quicken their flee. Jack’s breathing was trembling while his limbs were shivering. Hesitantly, he cracked an eye open and found with horror there was frost covering his tunic, along with Hiccup’s back.

Instincts told him to let go and avoid freezing him, but he cou ld n’t move. He was paralyzed. The only thing he m anage d to do was looking back behind him to check on the supposed hunters, but that prevented him from seeing the upcoming dodge.

“Watch out !” Hiccup shouted.

Toothless roared as he was suddenly propelled on the side, his trajectory changing so harshly that Jack swore once again he could have let go. He pressed himself closer to Hiccup, everything spinning around them, gravity taking a hold of them while pulling them at top speed to wards the ground. Despite his fright, Jack still understood that Toothless had been hit by something, that they were now free-falling and that, soon, they would be crash-landing.

The poor dragon was not just falling, he was spinning uncontrollably, shaking his passengers all about. Their fall got slowed down as they went through the trees, hit ting and crash ing in several branches. Toothless yelped and whined a few times, Hiccup and Jack receiving some blows themselve, and when they finally reached the ground, the dragon sprawled on his side. Jack’s left leg got crushed under the winged creature’s weight, his arm on the same side receiving the same treatment with Hiccup’s body.

A few seconds were required so the boy could clear the dizziness. His blurred vision came back to focus, allowing him to take in where they had crashed. In the middle of the forest, surrounded by trees. Thankfully for them, the soil was quite mossy and that had smoothered the ir crash. Jack shook his head to clear his mind and tried to straightened, only to wince as he got held back by his two left limbs. Toothless grumbled and flapped his wing and head in try to get back up. He seemed dizzy too.

Jack wanted to help him but he was stuck. With his free hand, he pushed against Hiccup’s back in try to free himself.

”Hiccup, I’m stuck,” he groaned.

He tried again to push, but stopped as he noticed the auburnet didn’t react. Wasn’t moving at all . “ Hiccup ? ”

No response. The boy’s heart launched into a worried pounding and all thought concerning his arm left him. He stopped pushing the tamer so he could instead shake his shoulder.

“Hiccup ?!”

Toothless turned his head in try to see what was going on, whining, while Jack shook him even more. The tamer was not responding at all. The boy ended up pulling at his shoulder so he could try and turn him on his side. The athletic body followed limply, and Jack spotted a thin trickle of blood on his forehead. Despite this, he was still breathing. Jack caught the breath he had been holding back, sighing heavily, but he couldn’t just relish in the good news. He quickly reassured Toothless.

“It’s okay, he’s just knocked out.”

The dragon whined in response and started to bostle again. Jack tried to help him getting up by pushing the ground. The task proved to be hard but not impossible. After some struggles, the dragon managed to roll onto his stomach. Still tied to the saddle but his lifelines, Hiccup remained sat there, swaying a bit, while Jack stayed on the ground, wincing as a sharp pain jolted in his ankle as soon as the weight of Toothless’ warm body left it. He couldn’t help but yelp in pain, making Toothless jump. The ebony Fury nearly lost his balance, unable to keep it as long as his paws and tail were entangled in these ropes.

Jack gritted his teeth and sat up, looking down at his ankle. Despite darkness and the fog, he noticed a dark bruise standing out on his pale skin. Jack had happened to get hurt at the farm, on several occasion s , he had a broken arm and Emma had sprained her ankle one time when she had f allen from a ladder. Basing on his memories, judging by the aspect of the wound and the pain, he concluded that his ankle was just sprained, maybe twisted, but definitively not broken. That ought to reassure him a bit, but that didn’t mean he would be able to walk with this .

Pushing this aside, he crawled to Toothless. He hurried to help him out of the ropes, looking around them to make sure whoever had attacked them was not coming. He tried to convince himself it was the Screechin g Eagles mistaking them for a wild dragon, only it was just a theory. Quite likely, but still just a theory that he couldn’t prove right or wrong. Plus, t here w ere more pressing matters to attend to f irst. He had to free Toothless from the ropes, then the dragon could fly and bring them back to the camp, with some luck they could go back before dawn. That’s only then they would be able to tend to their wounds.

Hiccup was right, darkness and fog was their best cover, they had to take advantage of it while it was still there. When Jack finally managed to free Toothless, the dragon hurriedly stretched his legs, wings and tail, then got back on his paws, turning his head so he could check on his rider. He was whining and shaking his back, visibly trying to wake Hiccup up. The dragon tamer must had had a hard blow on his head because Jack could see a bump forming. That didn’t deter the dragon from trying to wake him up, even using his tail to push him.

That was when Jack was faced with bad news. There was a problem with Toothless’ tail. One of the fins seemed twisted, a piece of flesh hanging loosely, lifelessly, obviously broken. The boy panicked and dragged himself closer, catching the dragon’s tail so he could get a closer look at it. He realised that Toothless was actually wearing some sort of equipment on his tail. A piece of leather with a solid frame was secured around the tail and li n king a peg settled on the right fin, to a metal and leather fake fin on the left side.

Jack wondered how he had not noticed that before, but it looked like Hiccup was not the only one having a prosthetic. Toothless did too. He had no left fi n at all, entirely replaced by the contraption. The good side of the story was that it was actually the prosthetic which was broken, not the dragon who was wounded. The bad side of the story was that Jack had absolutely no idea how to fix it . But Hiccup must know. It was obvious this fake fin was part of the numerous inventions he had made, even if Jack had only seen a few until then, he could recognize Hiccup’s crafting.

Toothless’ ears popped up on his head with a start as they heard a stick snap in the fog. The lack of torch light seemed to prove it was a n animal, not the hunters, but that didn’t mean they weren’t lurking close by.

“We should move,” Jack whispered to the dragon, “do you know where the camp is ?”

Toothless looked at him with round eyes, tilting his head on the side. Despite how smart dragons were compared to animals, it was clear they couldn’t really understand what he was saying to them. It didn’t stop him from talking to them anyway, maybe he was doing this because Hiccup himself used to ? Toothless and him were always giving the impression of understanding each other, but since the tamer was unconscious, it was up to Jack to find a solution.

Gritting his teeth, he leant on Toothless’ hip in try to get up. He groaned in pain and quickly lifted his feet as soon as he put weight on it. That was bad, he really couldn’t walk like this. Toothless lowered his head to his swollen ankle, sniffing it and whinning. He too seemed to understand that Jack wasn’t going to be moving around with this. The boy winced again as the dragon licked his injury, but despite that he patted his friend’s scaly head.

“Thanks Tooth’, but I’m not sure it’s gonna help.”

The dragon whined again and rubbed his head against him, it looked like a sign of apology and comfort. Jack smiled, but it quickly faded as he looked back to Hiccup. Still sat on the saddle, he was bent in t w o, arms hanging loose and head tilted so low it was brushing Toothless’ nape. The boy couldn’t help but think his friend was going to have back ache when he would wake up, along with the headache and the bump.

“Come on, we have to move.”

Jack softly pushed Toothless, who started to walk without protesting. H e had to lean on him because he was limping, he could barely put his feet down. He didn’t know where to head to, but he still made them move. Luckily, Toothless seemed to understand they had to go back to the circus. His ears up, he was searching for sounds, Jack could hear him produce these vibrating sounds, and the way his nostrils were moving indicated he was also checking the smells. Hiccup had told him that Deadly Nadders had a really great smell, so the boy could only hope that Night Furies also had some, at least enough to find the way back to the camp.

As soon as the dragon started to walk again, changing their direction, Jack followed him while still leaning on him. Limping like this, especially on an uneven forest ground, it quickly tired him. He was leaning more and more on Toothless, slowing him down. Jack thought about climbing on his back, behind Hiccup, but the dragon was already carrying a limp body, he didn’t want to burden him further more .

They kept on walking slowly, getting lost into the woods. The fog all around was blinding them, and also covering their bodies with droplets of water. Toothless shivered and sneezed a few times, unable to mute the sounds. Most of the droplets covering Jack were turning into pearls of ice, slightly pricking his skin. And it was not helping them being discreet, because once the sun started to rise, the faint light piercing through the fog was reflecting in the ice, making it glitter in the blurred half-light.

Jack had no idea how far they still were from the camp, but one thing was certain : the sun was rising, they had to hurry up. He tried to quicken his steps, but his ankle was hurting more as he was forcing on it, and his other leg was starting to tire and getting cramped. His ragged breath was turning into small clouds in the crisp air, and even if Toothless was taking short pauses – surely so the boy could take some rest – Jack was instantly pushing him so they could continue.

His legs were starting to shake when they found themselve at the bottom of a slope. The dew on the mossy ground was making it as slippery for the boy as for the dragon, slowing them down even more. One of Toothless’ paws slipped and the dragon bostled about trying to catch his balance. Jack backed by reflex and saw Hiccup swaying on the saddle. The tamer fell on the side and the boy lunged in try to catch him. Even if his legs had been perfectly healthy, he doubted he could have done anything really. He barely heard the life lines snap before the unconscious body of Hiccup collapsed on him, laying them both in the moss and tearing a surprised yelp from him.

Jack grunted under the larger body, trying to push him away from him, not to avail.

“Toothless… Help ?” He gasped, out of breath.

The dragon chirped, seemingly finding the situation funny, then he nudged the rider. He barely moved before the dragon lifted his head in a start, on guard. Jack glanced in the same direction and paled as he spotted lights in the mist. He couldn’t hear any steps in the wet moss but he swore he could discern a whispering voice.

”I heard something over there.”

It was certainly not a voice from the circus troup. Jack still didn’t know if these hunters were from the Screeching Eagles or if they were poachers passing by, but what he was sure of was that they wouldn’t listen to him if he tried to talk them into leaving Toothless alone. Panicking, he placed a hand on Toothless’ leg to catch his attention, then hissed to him a ”hide, Tooth’.” Said dragon tilted his head to him, confused.

“Come on, go,” he prompted, not daring to speak louder.

A quick glance towards the lights showed him they w ere getting closer. He tried to push Toothless’ paw, who lifted it in surprise and took a step back, then the boy struggled in try to get out from under Hiccup, pushing all his might. The auburnet’s back was crushing his chest and his head was resting next to his, just as still as before. Jack winced as he kept on pushing. Maybe the hunters would be lenient if they only found two strangers in the woods ? This reassuring thought vanished from his mind as he reminded himself of his unusual hair color. No, the hunters would definitively not be lenient, they must were going to see him as a demon or a warlock, just like everyone was assuming with just a glance.

“What are you waiting for ?” He hissed at the dragon who was still next to them.

Jack gave him a panicked look and waved his arm s in try to chase him, but the dragon proved to be quite stubborn. His lime green eyes hardened and, when he finally decided to move, he skirted Jack so he could reach behind his head. The boy rolled his eyes but didn’t have the time to prompt him as he felt the Fury bite his collar and pull at him. Jack yelped without meaning to as he was pulled from under Hiccup. Since the hunters were still coming, the boy quickly wrapped his arms around his unconscious friend so he would be dragged along with him.

Toothless backed, dragging the both of them, until the threesome found themselve hidden in a thick bush. T he faithful Fury layed behind Jack, pulling him until he was sat against his side, then he rested his head on his paws, a grumpy but worried look darting around them, tail and wing circle d around the two young men he was protecting . Jack’s heart was pounding loudly in his chest, he tried to take a hold on his fear and squeezed Hiccup against him. His thin arms were wrapped around larger and athletic shoulders while the auburn head was resting against his collarbone, some strands tickling his neck.

He didn’t mind it, neither Hiccup’s leg weighting on his wounded ankle. He could only focus on the whispers coming closer to their position, frames getting clearer in the fog. The ambient light was slowly increasing, piercing the fog and lifting it, threatening to expose them even more . Jack held his breath as one of the hunters turned towards their bush. He felt Toothless tightening his tail around him, his lips lifting in a silent snarl.

And that was this exact moment Hiccup choose to wake up. The auburn- haired grunted and winced while moving weakily. Jack started and squeezed him in his arms, hurriedly placing a pale hand on his mouth and hushing him. His whole body tensed as the hunter seemed to have heard them, turning sharply towards them. Jack stayed as still as he could, holding his breath to the extend he thought his heart had stopped too. Hiccup had frozen in his arms, look ing like he had caught up on the situation and realise d their predicament , maybe he even also had his eyes on the hunter Jack was surveying.

Said hunter scaned the area around him, on guard, but he didn’t seem to know where the noise had come from. After what felt like forever but had mostly be en a couple of minutes, dawn shining brighter around them, the hunter ended up giving up and following the others who were calling for him to move on . Jack waited to not see them anymore, nore the light from their torches, then he sagged against Toothless’ flank, sighing heavily, arms dropping on each side of him.

Toothless huffed with satisfaction and nudged Jack’s cheek, then Hiccup. The auburnet smiled and stroked his best friend’s head. “Yeah, I’m fine, Bud.”

Aside from that, none of them moved. They remained snuggled against one another, in the mid th of this bush. Without confering, without talking, they just stayed there, as if feeling the same fear of the hunters coming back if they dared to move or speak too loud. In the end, Hiccup was the one t o break the gloomy silence.

“So…” he whispered, “I think I missed something here.”

“Yeah,” Jack replied, speaking just as low, voice slightly shaking.

He boy tensed as he noticed frost had spread on the ground around them. Though it was light and starting to melt, he couldn’t help but worry that the hunter could have seen it.

“Hey, you okay ?”

Jack’s thoughts died as warm fingers brushed his face. He looked up with a start and met Hiccup’s eyes. The rider had sat up but was still close to him, almost against him. The proximity and the warmth emitting from his body made the boy a bit dizzy, helping him to forget his previous fright.

“Huh, yeah, I’m… a bit shaken is all.”

Hiccup nodded, thought he didn’t seem completely convinced, and Jack felt the warm fingers brush his face again, brush his cheek. He closed his eyes by reflex, but it turned into a wince as he felt burning tingling on his cheekbone. Checking by himself, his hand met Hiccup’s, who quickly retreated it. Jack tr ied to swallow down his embarrassment, then ran his fingertips on what felt like scrapes. His cheekbone was covered of it, surely from their fall when they had hit all these branches.

“It looks nasty,” Hiccup mumbled, his concerned green eyes not leaving Jack.

The boy shyly looked at him, hand pressed on his own cheek, then pouted as he noticed his friend was not in better shape. “You have a few too, not mentioning this big bump here.”

He pointed to the auburnet’s forehead, who patted it. Once he touched the bump, he gave Jack a sheepish grin.

“What happened, exactly ? I only recall we were avoiding projectiles but, after that, nothing…”

Jack bit his lips, a new pout creeping onto his face. “ One of them  hit Tooth’ and we fell. You got knocked out and his fake fin broke. ”

“Now I understand why we haven’t taken off yet.”

He seemed like he wanted to laugh it off, but Jack kept on pouting. He even crossed his arms and averted his eyes, quite annoyed. “I won’t say ‘I told you’, but I’m thinking it pretty loud.”

Hiccup chuckled and scooted even closer. Jack instinctively closed his eyes and felt the tamer press a kiss in his hair.

“It’s gonna be fine, don’t worry. We went through worst than that. All we have to do is go back to the camp.”

For a moment, Jack melted to the warm and reassuring touch, until his brain caught up and made him notice something. Hiccup had kissed his hair. His hair . He instantly panicked and quickly pulled his hood back on his head, wide-eyed and breath quickening. He knew it was no use, not only because Hiccup had already seen his hair, but mostly because he had known for a while. Still he couldn’t help but hide in his hood, trying to shelter himself in it, willing the fabric to protect him and make the unatural color disappear.

Actually, this incident was remind ing him this question plaguing him since he had joined the circus : Hiccup and Valka both knew about his abnormal appearance, but none of them had said anything about it . Jack was afraid about what they were thinking about it, it was filling him with anguish each time he was thinking about it.

That’s why it took him a lot of courage to hesitantly meet the tamer’s eyes. Hiccup was still close to him, thought he had backed a bit when the boy had put on his hood. Much to Jack’s surprise, the freckled face was tainted with sadness, though Hiccup gave him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything.”

Obviously, both of them knew it was a lie, still Jack appreciated this effort to make him at ease, even though he didn’t understand why Hiccup was doing this. He couldn’t see how Hiccup could still be treating him the same despite knowing he was not normal. Maybe it had something to do with his open mind, which had made him able to accept and like dragons whereas everyone else was seeing them as blood-thirsty monsters ?

T he auburnet smiled at him and checked their surroundings before he got up, and offered him a hand. “ Come on, we should leave before they come back. ”

Jack hesitated, then he accepted the help to get up. A sharp pain in his ankle reminded him that he was injured and tore a muffled groan from his lips. Hiccup started and squeezed his hand, quickly wrapping his other arm around the boy’s waist when he swayed.

“Jack, you okay ? Are you hurt ?”

Toothless whined and stood too, rubbing his head against the boy’s back, who was trying to straighten without putting weight on his left leg. Hiccup, still holding him close, looked down and saw the state of his ankle.

“What happened ? Is it from the fall ?”

Jack, thought he was still wincing, forced himself to nod. It was still painful, but he noticed it was a bit better than before. Something fresh was surrounding his ankle and was soothing the pain. C u rious, he also looked down and marveled as there was some kind of an ice block around his feet, like a translucent cast. Was it him who had done that ? With his powers ? Without even realising it ?

“One more reason to go back and take care of this,” Hiccup prompted.

Jack was about to let go and handle himself on his own – he could feel that this ice cast was lessening the limping – but Hiccup wasn’t willing to let him do so. Keeping Jack’s hand in his, he put the boy’s arm around his own shoulders and pressed him closer.

“Lean on me.”

“Uh, no, it’s okay, really–”

“Jack.”

The boy’ s mouth snapped shut as he met an insistant glare. There were reproaches in these vibrant green eyes, but behind that there was only this concern that was warming Jack’s heart up . So he didn’t insist, and leant on Hiccup as the tamer started to walk. Toothless quickly followed, keeping close to them while watching their surroundings and glaring at anything making noise.

Dawn was slowly turning into morning and the fog had almost entirely lifted up, exposing them and filling them with a anguish impression of constant danger.

“What do we do if we meet these hunters ?” Jack asked in a whisper.

“I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding. The Screeching Eagles must have mistaken Toothless for a wild dragon. I’m sure they would leave us alone if we explain–”

“How can you be sure it’s the Screeching Eagles ? Maybe they’re poachers ? They said there was a lot in the area.”

Hiccup didn’t answer right away, and Jack knew that was beause he had a fair point.

“We’ll see if we cross their path. Either case, when we’ll get back to the camp, we won’t have to worry about it anymore, they won’t dare come too close to it.”

Jack only hummed in response, because he didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t reassure himself completely, but Hiccup being awake was making him feel better.

Just like before the auburnet had woken up, Jack followed Toothless who seemed to know where he was going, and silence loomed around them. Jack didn’t like it. Sure he knew they had to be discreet, but silence had something menacing on its own, as if it was a pred a tor ready to claw at them.

After a while progressing between the trees, Jack felt the urge to talk, to break this sickening silence, even if it was just with a whisper. “Do you think the others have noticed our missing ?”

“Since the sun has risen, definitively. Usually, Toothless and I are back by that time. I apologize in advance for the commotion, the others can get hysterical when worried.”

“That bad, huh ?’’ Jack hesitated, now only focused on this other problem.

Hiccup chuckled softly. If he wasn’t holding the boy’s arm and his waist, Jack knew he would have been scratching his cheek or rubbing the back of his head as the tamer seemed nervous. He could feel the auburnet’s fingers fidgeting.

“Last time something like this happened, Astrid punched me so hard she nearly broke my arm. Then Dagur and her spent the following week trying to stop us from going back on a flight”

“Toothless must have not been happy about that.”

“You have no idea.”

He chuckled again, and Jack had to admit that, picturing the violent blond e and the crazed redhead being that protective of Hiccup and Toothless, that ought to lift up his spirit s .

“I don’t dare imagine Snotlout and the twins.” The dragon tamer added, “seeing how they grew on you, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ruffnut mothering you for the following days.”

Jack shivered at the thought, earning a louder chuckle from the tamer. Though, if he was really thinking about it, the boy didn’t see why it would be such a bad thing. Even if he hated being treated like a child, he kind of missed motherly attention, and receiving some from Ruffnut was evidence of the friendship he had build with her.

The nostalgia showing on his face vanished as Toothless rushed past them, bouncing and warbling, disappearing between trees.

“Here’s the camp. Ready for the big chaos ?”

Hiccup’s voice was full of teasing but Jack stayed mute. He was torn between the different emotions filling him. The relief from escaping the hunters and being back at the camp, nervousness from how the troup would react, recurring worry about Hiccup and his thoughts about Jack’s white hair, and remains of fear from what he had felt in the woods, while hiding from the hunters. He was a bit shaken.

Jack didn’t say anything and followed as Hiccup half-carried him towards the tents they could spot among the trees. Before they get there, they could already hear the worried and frantic voices of the troup.

“I can’t believe it !” Dagur brawled, “If Toothless’ here, they have to be somewhere !”

“Let’s split up,” Valka ordered, “that way we’ll cover more ground and find them faster.”

“What’s going on in here ?” Hiccup teased.

The group turned hearing his voice, but relief barely tainted their faces before their eyes widdened when landing on them. Toothless warbled, already laughin g at the upcoming outburst, sitting next to Fishlegs who had a hand on his side as if he had been trying to calm him down.

‘“What happened to you guys ?!” Astrid exclaimed, “where were you ?!”

Jack flinched in anticipation.

“Look at you boys…” Valka lamented as she came to them. She ran a hand in her son’s hair to get a closer look at his bump, then gently took Jack’s face to examine his scrapes.

“Just a small accident in the forest,” Hiccup explained. “We crash-landed.”

“Aye, I can see that,” Gobber huffed, “Toothless’ tail is dead as a dodo.”

“Jaaaaack !” Ruffnut shouted.

The young blonde woman pushed Valka out of her way and threw herself in Jack’s arms, tearing him off Hiccup. The boy’s breath got stolen by the impact that made him sway backward, almost tripping. A serie of chopped ‘ows’ escaped him because of his ankle, making Ruffnut start. She barely let go of him, keeping her hands on his shoulders, as she apologized profusely.

“Aaaah sorry sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you but we were sick worried you know we couldn’t find you this morning and no way to know where you were and when we saw Hiccup and Toothless were gone too but not Sharpshot we panicked and– Jack, what’s wrong with your foot ?!”

The boy sputtered, taken aback by such an amont of words but also the concern pouring from her restless voice. He rose his hands as if trying to sooth a wild beast and tried to s ay something as the blonde was still rumbling frantically.

“It’s okay, Ruff, I’m fine ! It’s barely sprained, really.”

The blonde winced as if she was holding back waterfalls in her eyes, then she pulled Jack into a nother bone-crushing hug. It looked like she was aiming to comfort herself more than him, rubbing his back so hard she was actually shaking him. Jack gave a distressed look at Hiccup, silently asking for help, but the auburnet only smirked, and even more when Tuffnut joined his sister. Or rather, when he pushed her aside so he could choke Jack himself. The boy huffed and rolled his eyes, before hearing Hiccup yelp in pain.

Jack looked back to him and found Astrid next to the tamer, glaring at him, clenching her fists while he was holding his arm as if she had punched him. Jack had no doubt it was what had just happened.

“That’s for scaring me,” She growled.

Hiccup opened his mouth, about to protest or make a joke, but got cut as Snotlout did the same as the blonde, punching him in the shoulder. Jack gritted his teeth seeing this.

“An’ that’s f’hurting Jack ! ” The stocky guy added.

Hiccup looked offended while the dark-haired guy turned to the twins. Tuffnut was still clinging to Jack and his twin sister had wrapped her arms around the both of them. Snotlout couldn’t care less and grabbed them both by the hair so he could remove them. The boy dressed in blue hooded-tunic tensed, not sure what he had to expect from their Mister Muscles. Granted he was soft inside, but that didn’t mean he was gentle and knew how to control his anger… or his strength.

His annoyed glare softened as it landed on Jack, then he took the boy’s arm to put it around his broad shoulders, inviting him to lean on him just like Hiccup had done just before .

“Cm’on,” he said with a surprisingly friendly voice and, for once, without grunting. “Let’s take care of you b’fore they d’mage you ‘ven more.”

Dagur and Heather both awed and teased him “ aw w, big bro Snotface taking care of his mentee. ”

“Shut up, you two.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile at that.

* * *

Just like Hiccup had said, the troup could get hysterical when worried for one of them. It proved how close they were and how much of a family they actually were. Valka was the autority figure as well as kindness and a really good confidante. Gobbe r was like the excentric uncle, Mala was like a big sister a bit too mature to be accomplice but who was still watching over the others. Astrid, Heather, Fishlegs and Eret were like the elders of the groups, wiser than the other siblings. Hiccup, Dagur (though he was actually Heather’s big brother) and Snotlout were the rebelious second borns, and the twins were the youngest constantly playing mischief around.

As to Jack… He was surprisingly feeling like a part of them. They all cared for him and were treating him like on e of their own. He felt like he was kind of the youngest of large siblings, everyone wanting to protect and watch over him. It was not displeasant, he had to admit.

Valka and Fishlegs took care of his ankle, confirmng it was twisted and that it would take one to two weeks for him to recover completely. The circus was supposed to leave Windy Mounts on that day, but with what had happened in the morning, they had decided to stay one more day, even if staying longer in these woods infested with dragon hunters didn’t sound like a joyful idea.

Jack spent his day being smothered by the twins and Snotlout. They were constantly following him, offering an arm to lean on when he wanted to move around, doing his chores for him, cooking on his stead… He almost felt oppressed and disabled but forgot this idea as Sharpshot joined him and found a permanent place in his arms. It was obvious the small dragon had been frightened by Jack’s missing and wanted to make sure he was taking it easy on his wound. Jack couldn’t be more moved by such concern, it was the complete opposite of what he had lived in his village.

So, after a moment, he stopped being grumpy and decided to just appreciate the help. Actually, he even found it funny starting from the moment he prank ed the twins and Snotlout. He sent the threesome back and forth in the camp to fetch various items. The recurring excuses were drinking water and items to take care of Sharpshot. Since the moment he had recovered from his village’s attack which had led him to the circus in the first place, Hiccup had been giving him precious tips to take care of a dragon, and it was the perfect excuse to fool around Snotlout and the twins. A clamp to trim Sharpshot’s claws, a brush to clean his teeth after the treats he had sent the twins to bring back, oil to massage the small dragon’s paws…

He also could have fake d being in pain with his ankle and send them fetching cures, but he didn’t want to fake this kind of things. If there was something the last four years had teached him, it was silent suffering. Plus, he knew that would only worry them.

On several occasion s , he could see the others – mostly Astrid, Dagur and Fishlegs – smirk or even laugh from his little game. The funnier part was that none of Tuffnut, Ruffnut nore Snotlout was realising he was fooling them. That was hilarious. The threesome only realised it when Dagur tried to mimick Jack, but he was far from being as subtle as the boy, and Snotlout and the twins were far from liking him as much as they liked the mischievous boy.

When evening came by, Valka insisted on treating Jack’s ankle again. He knew he could n’t skip this, and he didn’t really want to since saying her ‘no’ would only make her worry. So, after she had applied medicine and replaced his bandage with a new one, she told him to go take his din n er with the others while she was cleaning. Either way, since he was still limping, he doubted he would reach the bonfire before her.

She was not done when he arrived, still he could n’t bring himself to join the others right away. As he was nearing the group gathered around a legume stew made by Fishlegs, the hooded boy stopped and hid behind the nearest tent. He felt bad for eavedropping without them knowing he was there, still he couldn’t help but doing so as it was him they were talking about.

This was his shot to finally know what they were really thinking about him. Did their kindness and friendship were really genuine ? Were they secretly afraid of him and his powers ?

He didn’t know what he had to expect, he wasn’t even sure of what he wanted to hear them saying. On one hand, he wanted to believe in their sincerity, that he could once again live surrounded by people seeing and treating him as a human. But on the other hand, he couldn’t help but think that it was too good to be true, or that they were having other goals behind it, for instance wanting to use his powers.

So what he heard surprised him, since the conversation was actually about his hair. It sounded like Hiccup had told them how Jack had quickly hidden in his hood as he had realised he had lost it in their fall. Jack was uneased that the auburnet had told the others, and he was dreading their reaction. That’s when Heather asked something he wasn’t expecting.

“What does it look like ? His hair, I mean. Valka and you have already seen it back when you saved him from his village, but now he’s always hiding it.”

“True,” Tuffnut approved, “even for sleeping. He always hides in his hood. Ruff and I never got to see it, like at all.”

“I’m curious too,” Fishlegs added. “There must be a reason for him to cover it all the time. I’m sure it’s related to his village, but… what is so special about it ?”

Silence loomed for a moment, for Jack it felt like his heart had been stuffed in a bag, it was suffocating. He tried to take a discreet peek to the group, but all he could see from Hiccup was his back. He couldn’t see his face. All he could see was the fact that the auburnet’s head was low, surely staring at the fire or the pint he had in his hands.

“It looks like it’s made of snow.” Hiccup said, “it’s white, but not just that. It’s not some plain white, it’s full of colorful highlights. Blue, silver… It’s glittering, as if there was frosted sparks on it. It’s like staring at a blanket of freshly fallen snow in smooth winter light.”

Jack blushed without meaning to, his heart sent in a new loop, beating so strong and fast that his chest was aching. His breath had troubles keeping up to this speed. Not only had Hiccup just made a beautiful and po e tic depiction of his hair, usually scorned at and poorly looked, but he also did so with such a fond voice, admiring and almost dreamy. It was more than enough to prove how much the tamer was meaning his words. Jack heard one of the girls sigh dreamily, then Snotlout was the one to talk.

“D’you think he’ll ever be ready t’show it t’us ?”

“I don’t know,” the auburnet admitted, “but I hope so. That would mean he’s finally able to move on from his past and open up to us.”

Jack remained hidden in the shadow, a fist pressed on his chest where his heart was still goi n g crazy. He slightly bent to he could take another peek of the group, observing how they seemed to sooth down their own thoughts so they could move on another subject. This one, ô surprising, was about dragons. The twins were rambling about the next prank they were planning with Barf and B elch, aiming to prank Dagur and Mala. Astrid and Hiccup tried to deter them while Snotlout laughed at them, claiming he wanted to witness the redhead’s retaliation. As to Eret, he was simply chuckling while Astrid was leaning against him, her head resting on his large shoulder.

Jack contemplated the prospect of joining them for a moment, even pulling off his hood. If it truly was how Hiccup and the other s were seeing his white hair, then he didn’t have to be afraid of showing them. Despite of this, he was still afraid. It was too soon for him, he was not ready. He had spent too much time hiding it to just suddenly let it go. So he rathered giving himself some time to really digest what the tamer had said, giving it some time to melt away his last hesitations.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15
THE COUNTY OF BROCH
ᚦᛖ ᚲᛟᚢᚾᛏᛁ ᛟᚠ ᛒᚱᛟᚲᚺ

The country of Broch. It had been days Jack had constantly been hearing about it. The Hairy Hooligans Circus was still traveling and slowly going back up north, aiming to go to Broch’s country festival. It was a large gathering of the four clans living in this region, filled with loads of games and tournaments, various sport contests and spectacles going on for two weeks long. The circus had already joined it two times and the performers were always welcomed like kings and queens.

Hiccup and Astrid were even friends with the princess Merida, whom Snotlout had tried to woo several times . Despite the ongoing bets on when he would get back together with Heather, the twins couldn’t help but make new bets about him trying to get the hot-tempered princess’ hand in marriage once more.

Every time the troup was talking about the princess, it was with admiration. Astrid liked her hot temper and her love for weapons and fights. Heather was looking up to her bow skills as well as riding horses. Snotlout was praising her beauty, always talking about her fir ing hair, fair skin and long neck . The twins an d Dagur were mostly talking about the princess’ younger brother s , mischievous triplets whom Eret and Fishlegs were complaining about while Gobber was comparing them to Tuffnut and Ruffnut. Valka was talking about Merida and her mother, queen Elinor, with much respect and friendship. As to Hiccup, he took a great time telling Jack about some adventures he went on with Merida when they were younger and just as rebelious as the other. They had a lot of escapades in the forest on Angus – Merida’s horse – and Toothless’ back.

Jack could hear the affection pouring from the tamer’s voice when he was talking about the princess. She was obviously a precious friend for him, and Hiccup was happy to see her again. The boy even wondered if there was something more than friendship going on between these twos because, judging by how Hiccup was talking about her and how many things they were doing together, they obviously were really close.

The closer they were getting to the coun t ry of Broch and king Fergus’ castle, the more the troup was talking about them, getting more and more excited. They were planing the things they would be doing at the festival, be it their show or the contest they were going to compete in. Snotlout bragged that he would beat everyone at the log throwing, Fishlegs spoke his doubts regarding if logic games were still up or had been remove d for lack of action . Mala wanted to compete in the tournament of swords and spears. Astrid, Eret, Heather and Dagur talked about the bare hands fights.

In the middle of all this good mood, Jack felt foreign. With what the troup was telling him, the festival was an outdoor one with a really large amount of people. More than in his village, and no doubts more than in Burgess too. Finding himself in such a crowd, risking loosing control on his magic and expose his abnormality to so many people was scaring him. Little by little, he couldn’t sleep again, ending up in several early morning meetings with Hiccup, even before their morning flight with Toothless.

It didn’t take long for the tamer to notice something was bothering Jack, but it took longer for the boy to admit it when asked and share his anguish. Hiccup tried to reassure him, telling him his magic was nothing to be ashamed of, no matter if Burgess’ people had told him otherwise. But Jack couldn’t be convinced. The kind words from his friend couldn’t ease him, and all his swirling thoughts ended up bringing back nightmares.

Only on the day of their arrival did Jack finally felt better, and that was only thanks to another conversation with Hiccup. After their last night at their camp, the performers were packing their belongings for the last flight to the castle. Jack, left alone in his tent since the twins were busy loading the carts with the others, was almost done packing clothes from the three of them when Hiccup came in to visit him.

The boy, not knowing why, got flustered being alone with him in a tent. Surely it was because Hiccup seemed nervous too. He was carrying a scelled vial and was twirling it in his hands, surely to keep them busy out of uneasiness. When he finally decided to speak, he handed the vial to Jack.

“Huh… here, this is for you.”

The boy warily took it. “ What is it ? ”

He removed the lid and checked even before hearing the answer, only to find some sort of brown liquid which perfume smelt familiar.

“It’s… dye,” Hiccup hesitated.

Jack blinked a couple of time, eyes focused on the liquid, unable to find something to say. His silence seemed to feed the tamer’s nervousness as he started to scratch the back of his auburn head.

“I thought back to what you told me, and it would be unfair if you couldn’t enjoy the festival because of this fear, so… I thought it might help you to dye your hair ? You know, like you did the night we met. That way you could think about something else, and have fun. You wouldn’t have to worry about your hood… Well…”

Jack remained speechless, motionless, just staring at the dye. He just couldn’t move, speak nore think. Once again, Hiccup was showing him the extend of his concern and care, and once again it filled his chest with this lovely warmth. A small smile played on his pale face, but Hiccup didn’t seem to see it and rather take his silence has a bad reaction.

“Of course, you don’t have to if you don’t want to… I’m sorry, it probably was stupid, can we forget I said that ?”

Jack cut him in his nervous rambling as he chuckled. When he looked up to the taller young man, he held from laughing seeing how lost he looked, and how his arm was still lifted behind his head even though he was no longer scratching the back of his skull.

“Thank you,” Jack said heartily.

It was Hiccup’s turn to be speechless, confused, until he lowered his arm and smiled hesitantly. Both remained face to face for a moment, in silence, until the auburnet pointed to the exit of the tent.

“Well, huh, I… I’m going then…”

He turned around and was about to leave, but Jack woke up and called him  ‘’ Wait.’’ Hiccup instantly stopped and looked above his shoulder, his eyes full of questions. Jack couldn’t phantom where this sudden bravery was coming from but the words came out effortlessly.

“Give me some help ?”

He didn’t even regret asking, though his heart was pounding from stress. From the moment he had heard Hiccup praising his hair to the other performers, he had started to work on his fear, trying to open up to the others and show them his hair, but he had spent so long hiding it from the villagers that it had become an habit, a need, a defense. It was hard for him to just drop it.

Howe v e r , in this moment, as he was about to hide it anew, he felt the urge to show it. And Hiccup seemed the perfect candidate to show it to. He knew he could trust Hiccup. Not only because the tamer had already seen it, but also because he knew it wasn’t repeling him. Hiccup was not afraid of him. Hiccup would not hurt him because of that.

The auburnet seemed totally taken aback by his request, and not know ing how to respond.

“You… You sure ?” He hesitated.

Jack had to force himself to keep his smile, deep down he was still a bit scared. Then he nodded. So Hiccup faced him.

“Okay.”

Jack watched as a freckled hand extended to him, and he gave him the vial. He swallowed hard and took a breath in before pushing off his hood. It took a moment for him to gather the will to look up, to look at Hiccup. The latter was frozen, looking intently at the snow hair, and there was nothing but amazement in his eyes, his kindness unwavering. When green eyes met blue ones, the tamer gave him this special smile. Jack blushed and looked down, awkwardly gesturing to a box to sit on.

Once they were settled, Jack turned his back to Hiccup to give him better acces s to his hair. He held his breath as he felt warm fingers touch his head, starting the task of covering his hair in dye. Silence was surrounding them, only disturbed by the outside commotion of the others packing. Jack’s heart pounding rapidly in his chest, maki n g him feel like he had been running. Hiccup’s fingers going through his hair, brushing his skull, was having a conflicting effect on him. It was both calming him and making him restless , but still it was nice. Really nice. To the extend he swore he could doze off.

“There you go,” Hiccup said, pulling him out of his reverie.

Jack opened up his eyes and shyly glanced at the tamer, who was putting back the lid on the vial, his hands stained with brown dye. As he gave Jack the vial back, the boy took it without a word.

“There’s enough left for you to freshen it in the next days.”

“Thank you…” Jack murmured.

Hiccup didn’t reply, and didn’t move either. They just stayed there, in silence, close to the other. So close their knees were touching. The auburnet should have already left to go back to work, Jack too, still the boy found himself not wanting to move. He wanted to stay there, to feel Hiccup’s warm and calming presence that close to him.

With hesitation, he looked up at him and instantly met his eyes, s taring straight back at him. An intense gaze, in which was swirling conflicting thoughts. There was sadness in this forest green eyes, undoubtedly, but there was also caring and fondness. Jack felt his cheeks heat up, and noticed how the tamer’s lips morphed into a shy smile, and how the air seemed to thicken around them.

His chest was heavying, his breathing deepening, his eyelids started to close by themselve s as Hiccup was slowly inching closer to him. His mind seemed to liquefy and awkwardly swim in his own numb thoughts going quiet. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Nothing but this warmth and this breath on his face.

Jack froze as a long, loud, high-pitched whine echoed in the tent. Just in front of him, Hiccup had the same expression of a deer caught in the torchlight, and both turned their head towards the entrance of the tent to find Sharpshot going in with this high-pitched complain. The small dragon zipped to their feet and, with a single agile bounce, he perched on Jack’s lap, still whistling and whining to try and catch his attention.

The boy let out a nervous chuckle and took him in his arms, scratching him on the forehead just like he knew the dragon loved. Sharpshot warbled, looking satisfied, snuggling in the boy’s arms. Next to him, Hiccup scratched his cheek with a half-smile.

“Huh, yeah, we should go back to work.”

“You’re right,” Jack agreed.

As he was keeping his eyes focused on the demanding small dragon, Hiccup remained next to him. Once more, he didn’t leav e despite being supposed to. Jack wondered what he was waiting for, asking him crossed his mind but he didn’t do so as he felt the tamer press his lips on his cheek.

The boy stilled in surprise, wide eyes looking directly into green ones, which only smiled back at him. Then Hiccup patted Sharpshot’s head and simply left without a word. Jack’s eyes followed him without a word either. He just remained there, only moving his hand to mindlessly stroke the small green and brown dragon’s back. It took a moment for him to get back to his senses, and the only thing he ma n aged to do was put his hand on his cheek, blushing as the ghost sensation lingering on his skin . It took even longer for him to actually realise what had just happened, and it made him smile.

T hat’s with a real good mood he left the tent and went back to work, emptying and tidying the tent, then help Eret dismounting it. The tall dark-haired knife thrower got surprised to see him without his wood and with chestnut hair, but he didn’t make a comment and just smiled seeing the boy in such a good mood.

* * *

The group of dragons was soaring in the sky, along a friendly wind. The air was as chilly as during winter in Burgess, but the sun was gently warming the travelers and inhabitants. As the group was making its way above a thick forest, Jack couldn’t help but stare at the landscape.

The county of Broch was a mixture of large forests, eroded mountains and huge lakes near the open sea. From above, it was looking like wild, untouched nature.

Settled behind Hiccup on Toothless’ back, Sharpshot snuggling in his hood, Jack let his gaze wonder on the other dragons. All of them were carrying luggages and the carts, as in every travel. Toothless was carrying the smaller and lighter one, while Hookfang, Stormfly and Barf and Belch, being the stronger, were having the heavier. Especially the Monstruous Nightmare.

Fishlegs was being shaken about on Meatlug’s back while Gobber and Valka were both on the cart under them, along with Mala with whom they were checking maps to guide the whole convoy. The twins were goofing around on the Zippleback’s back, forcing him from time to time to leave the group so he could catch one of them who had fallen off. That wasn’t detering them to stop their fights. Actually, there were having fun and were woohing in delight while free-falling.

As to Dagur and Heather were settled in the cart carried by Hookfang, while Snotlout was riding the dragon and trying to drive him, which was annoying the black-striped red beast. And last but not least, Eret and Astrid were both riding Stormfly. If Astrid seemed as at ease as Hiccup with Toothless, Eret was desperately clinging to his girlfriend, trying his best not to look down. Jack has troubles not chuckling at the big guy hiding his face in the thick blond braid.

He came out of his thoughts as the convoy soared above a huge lake joingin in the sea. A few ships were sailing on it, aiming to the same direction, thought they had different banners. Listening closely, despite the whistling wind and the beating wings of the dragons, voices could be heard, shouting names in chorus.

‘“Dingwall !”

“MacIntosh !”

“MacGuffin !”

”Dingwall !”

”MacGuffin !”

The voices were clearly from the sailors, as if they were having a contest between the ships, the one shouting louder winning. It also looked like they were actually racing.

“What are they doing ?” Jack asked Hiccup.

The auburnet cast a look down and smirked before explaining, “ That’s the other clans living in Broch . Don’t mind their war cries, even if they’ve been allies and friends for long, they like competition and fight ing for fun. ”

Jack chuckled at that, then gasped as he spotted the Broch castle ahead. Perched on the top of a small mountain, cliff on the side, it was looking like a lone sentinel watching over the lake. The building was made of stone, and the more the dragons were coming closer to it, the more it was revealing how big it actually was. Composed of high round towers and ramparts, it was obvious this castle had had been built to resists sieges.

The dragons slowly descended to come closer to the ground, starting to soar the castle surroundings, and that’s when Jack started to hear cheers. Looking down, he spotted busy people going around and in the castle, busy people stoping to applaud and cheer the dragon riders.

Hiccup smiled and Valka started to give other instructions. Meatlug flew ahead and guided the group towards the castle grounds. They landed in the inner courtyard where a group of people ran to them as a welcome comitee. Some of them were armed with spears and halberds, looking like guards, while others weren’t wearing armors but white aprons.

Valka went to meet a chubby woman hiding her hair and neck under a curious hood. Her rounds cheeks were pink and her breath messy as if she had been running, which didn’t hold her from speaking loud and joyfully.

“Madam Haddock ! Oh it’s so nice te see ye !”

“You too, Maud, it’s been such a long time. Two years, I think.”

“Oh yah, time passes so fast.”

The woman, Maud, chuckled with a hand over her large breast, before she started to gesture and give instructions to the other persons with aprons.

“Whatah ye waitin’ for ? Go te work !”

“Right, Maud.”

With much ease and expertise, the group spread to each cart and helped the trop to untie the dragons, then the guard took over to help unload the luggages, boxes and barrels.

“We will settle yer belongings in yer usual rooms,” Maud explained before freezing as she saw Hiccup. “Oh my, is this yer son Hiccup ?”

The dragon tamer smiled and came closer to greet her, she giggled and put her hand on her large breast as if she had just been complimented.

“My my, ye grew taller again ! Are ye goin’ to stop, one day ?”

Jack observed them with curiosity. It was clear this Maud woman and Valka were long-time friends, to the extend of adressing Hiccup almost as a child. It was quite amusing seeing how the young man was athletic and a good head taller than her. Jack’s inner comments quited down as Maud’s attention focused on him.

“Oh ? Ah dun think Ah know this young lad ?”

Valka smiled soflty and gesture Jack to come closer, which he did stiffily. He barely felt more at ease as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Maud, meet Jack. He joined us two months ago.”

The boy perked up at that. Two months ? Had it already been two months he had left Burgess and been traveling with them ? He got puzzled, surprisingly thinking it had been longer and shorter at the same time. Maud was right, time was passing fast. He tried to swallow down this thought and nodded as a greeting.

“Good morning, Maud.” He shyly greeted.

She giggled again and shook her hand to blow air in her face, as if she was going to faint. “Oh my, such charmin’ young men in yer troupe, Valka !”

Jack didn’t know if that made him awkward or unease. Surely both. Even before the accident, he couldn’t recall having been called ‘charming’, and being called that by a woman old enough to be his mother was unsettling him even more. Luckily, Maud didn’t dwell on it and focused back on Valka.

“We spotted teh lurds’ vessels on teh lake, they wun’ be long te join us so ye’ll be led directly te teh throne room. Their Majesties will welcome ye there.”

“Alright,” Valka replied, smiling warmly.

She l e t go of Jack and swiped around to the rest of the troupe, being spread here and there to help the guard s unload their belongings or taking care of the dragons in Fishlegs, Astrid and Heather’s case.

“Heard that, kids ? Let’s go greet the royalties.”

“Oh yeah !” Snotlout exclaimed, excited as he bounced on his feet.

The troupe align e d in front of Valka, but behind them, Jack noticed the guards were gathering the dragons and leading them away.

“But… What about the dragons ? Aren’t they coming with us ?”

“Don’t worry,” Hiccup reassured. “King Fergus is a friend of dragons. They’ll just be waiting for us at our rooms where they’ll get some rest and food–”

He got interrupted in his explaination when Toothless’s head bumped into his arm, the dragon warbling and licking his face, like a ‘see you later’. The tamer smirked and stroked his scaly cheek.

“Yeah, see you later, Bud.”

Toothless warbled anew and rubbed his head against Jack before trotting back tot he other dragons. The boy then realised he still had Sharpshot in his hodd, just before Hiccup lifted the small dragon.

“Sharpshot must want to go with them and–”

The Terrible Terror hissed and tossled vividly, to the extend he managed to escape, then jumped in Jack’s arms. The latter chuckled.

“Or not.”

Hiccup chuckled too, just like Valka and even Maud. Jack gave her an hesitant look.

“Can he come along ?” He asked.

“Oh, of course dear, as long as he dun’ spit fire at teh banners.”

Jack couldn’t help but laugh at her joke. “ Not a chance. I’ll make sure of it. ” He replied, stroking the dragon’s back.

The dragons cooed before climbing along the boy’s arms, dropping back into his hood where he snuggled and went back to his nap. His tail was hanging on Jack’s shoulder but that wasn’t bothering the boy, contrary to his collar pressing on his throat. Despite himself, he found back this new tic of pulling at his collar. Decidedly, when he was not wearing his hood, the small dragon was to claim it as his nest.

Maud stayed behind to supervise the unloading while the guards guided the guest s to the throne room. They went across a few corridors, then inside of the castle – which was kind of dark, only lit by torches – before they finally found themselve in front of imposing wooden gates. One of the guards slipped in-between and Jack managed to hear his voice on the other side since he was speaking loud and clear.

“Majesties, yer guests arrived. Teh troupe of teh Hairy Hooligans Circus !”

The doors then opened and Jack followed the group as they entered. The throne room was huge. Contrary to the previous corridors, it was bright since there was an openings on the higher walls, letting sunlight in. On each side of the room, behind groups of people, the stone walls were carved with smaller door, guarded by other soldiers, and at the back of the room, a few steps were leading to the thrones. There was four of them, sculpted in wood, even if one of them looked more like a bench. There was sitting the royal family.

Jack noticed the king first. He was a tall, imposing and bulky man. Over a brown tunic, he was dressed with a kilt adorning the clan’s colors, hues of blue-green, dark blue and red. He was also drapped in black fur. Just like Hiccup and Gobber, a prosthetic was replacing a missing leg. Though his looked more like Gobber’s peg leg since it was made in wood. The man had wavy greying red hair, along with a large moustache and slightly messy beard.

On his right was the queen, a tall, brown-haired woman with long green dress. Her braided hair was so long it looked like it could touch the ground. On the other side of the queen, aligned on the bench, were three young boys. They were roughtly five, maybe six years old. Curly red hair was popping on the top of their roundish head. Sitting with a suspicious angelic-like aura, you could see weapons hideen behind them.

And last but not least, on the king’s left was sitting the prncess. Her light blue dress was adorning golden patterns and she was looking really tensed and annoyed. Just like Maud, she was wearing a hood covering hair and neck, highlighting how long and thin this neck was. But unlike the chuby woman, the princess was also wearing a tiara, and the hood looked puffy, surely she had a lot of hair in it. The only hint about this hair was a lone strand of curly red hair popping out on her forehead.

Her blased face vanished as the circus troupe came closer, replaced by a smile. She opened her mouth as if about to say something, but the queen proved quicker and stood to greet the guests.

“Me dear friends, what eh pleasure te see ye today. We were not sure ye would come.”

“We would have never missed this, queen Elinor,” Valka smiled as she bowed.

The other performers bowed too, and Jack was quick to imitate them.

“Happy birthday to you, princess,” the ringmistress added as she bowed to said princess.

The young lady smiled even more, her blue eyes filling with sparks. So it was her birthday ? Jack then realised why such a festival had been organised, and why the troupe wanted so much to participate. King Fergus stood too and opened his arms, hollering with joy. Jack barely had time to wonder what had gotten onto him before Gobber did the same, and both joined to give the other a bone-crushing hug, as if trying to choke the other.

“Fergus, please, behave yerself,” the queen reprimanded.

“Sorry, me dear.”

The red-head straightened and lifted his chin, looking down on Gobber while still having this friendly smile on his face. Jack then felt a soft nudge and looked to his left to find Hiccup leaning towards him so he could whisper some explanations.

“Gobber, my dad and King Fergus were long-time friends, they used to hunt bear together. Actually, that’s how the king lost his leg… and Gobber his hand.”

“Oh…“ Jack replied, “what about his leg, then ?”

“Trust me, don’t ask him. He comes up with a new story every time.”

Both chuckled at that, before Jack focused back on the conversation.

“We hope ye traveled well and are not too tired, we were plannin’ on havin’ a welcome feast tonight.”

“Great, I’m starving !” Dagur cheered.

Next to him, Mala and Heather shook their head, looking exasperated but his behavior. The synchronisation of their gesture made Jack chuckle, but his smile faded as he met the princess’ eyes. She was looking intently at him, a confused frown staining her beautiful face. Jack suspected that, like Maud, she was surprised to see a new face in the troupe. He wondered if Valka was going to introduce him, though the idea of catching attention on him was nothing but worrying for him. Luckily, they didn’t have time for this since another guards entered the room.

“Majesties ! Now announcin’ teh lerds !”

He barely managed to finish his sentence before the doors got kicked open, ejecting him and waking up in a start another narcoleptic guard, who quickly stood on guard, brandishing his spear as if under attack.

“Who goes here ?!” He bawled before noticing the lords entering the room.

Three men were leading a huge group of men and women. The three were standing tall and trying to have a distingued walking, looking imposing, but that was not really working. On of them, having long fluffy dark hair and covered in blue paints, had knocked-knees and his legs were woobling while he was walking. Another one, with greyish-white hair, had a large belly and was more focused on maintaining his belt than making sure he was walking straight. As to the last one, he was so stiff he wasn’t even moving his bulky arms, locked in a position which was intending to show off the muscles hidden under green sleeves. He was stomping at each step, which was making his gait kind of caricatural.

Behind them, people from their respective clans were carrying banners, some of them playing noisy musical instrument that looked like a bag with pipes pointing upward. Jack didn’t recognize the device but he found the sound quite heady.

There was so many people they filled the whole room, forcing the circus troupe to step aside. Then the three chiefs stopped in front of the thrones, almost guard-like, while the music was still playing. The grey-haired man gave a glance to the others and started to grunt.

“Oi !” He called out.

A young man dressed in the same light-green kilt left the crowd and deposited a footstool in front of him, on which the chief climbed to give the illusion of being as tall as the other twos. Until then, Jack hadn’t even noticed his height, but now he struggled not to smirk at the ridiculous gesture. He pressed a hand on his mouth and hid behind Hiccup, before noticing the twins were snickering lowly, giving him a knowing look. For a second, Jack wondered if they were making fun of the chief, like him, or of him.

He let it go since he knew they were just teasing, and focused back on the meeting. The huge group of warriors gave a war cry, brandishing their weapons along the music. Some of them were bumping their chest as a virile sign which filled Snotlout’s eyes with admiration, and Astrid’s with boredom. Then, when the music stopped, so did the crowd. King Fergus stood from his throne and opened his arms wide.

“So… here we are !”

Even if he was talking loud, he was pretty much hesitant and didn’t seem to know what he had to say.

“Huh… Teh four clans ! Huh… Gatherin’ ! For…”

Jack spotted the queen sighing, running a hand on her face. Seeing how the king was struggling, she didn’t wait to take the lead.

“For teh festival of teh four clans !”

“Teh festival of teh four clans !” The king completed to make it look like he said it all by himself.

The clans in front of them started to play music again and shout as if they were preparing for war. They were howling, bumping fists on their chest or shields, slapping the ground with their spears… All this noise was reverberating int the whole room, echoing in Jack’s hears, drawing a headache. Sharpshot bustling in his hood told him the small dragon was not liking it either. Jack ended up pulling the dragon out so he could carry him in his arms and stroke his head and back.

“There, easy…” He soothed him.

The deafening sound was getting louder and it took a moment for Jack to realise that a fight had actually started among the four clans. It was merciless and filled with low blow judging by the high-pitched noises some of them were making. The boy worried, but the blazed look of the queen and the princess as well as the enjoyment of the king were showing it was usual for them. Jack noticed the three young princes had vanished. He didn’t know why, but he knew they had joined the fight. Actually, they were not the only ones since Dagur, Snotlout and the twins had left the group.

King Fergus was hollering in laughter, punching his armrest. “Get ‘em ! Get ‘em ! Thet’s teh way ye do it !”

The king stopped laughing as he noticed his spouse’s blazed expression. Then, without a word, she gave him a look.

“Alreght…” He sighed.

He stood again and puffed his chest, taking a deep breath in, before bellowing even louder, his voice booming.

“Stop thet !”

The music stopped, everyone stilled.

“Now thet’s all done, ye’ve had yer go on each other, show a little decorum and no more fightin’ !”

A metallic clang echoed in the room, followed by a pained cry, and instantly the fight started anew, just like the music. It didn’t take long for the king to actually jump in the fight. And it got even worst. Soon, benches and even people started to get thrown. One of them landed next to the circus troupe and Jack back in a jolt, keeping Sharpshot close to his chest.

“Shouldn’t we do something ?” He asked Valka hesitantly, who was standing right before him.

She gave him a slight nod to say no, her eyes trailing on Q ueen Elinor. Said queen, visibly annoyed, ended up getting up. Jack stared at her with fascination as she marched in the middle of the fight, the warriors getting out of her way as if she had an invisible shield all around her. The queen silently made her way until she found her husband, fighting with the three other chiefs.

When the queen got back to the throne, she did it by dragging the four men with her. Pulled by the moustache, ears or hair, all of them followed with tiny steps filled with painful ‘ows’, then they sighed as she finally realeased them. As she was climbing the stairs, the four couldn’t be more apologetic.

“Good Majesty, Ah’m so sorry.”

“He started it !”

‘’Please accept me deepest apologies…”

“We didn’ mean te disrespect ye…”

Fergus followed suite. “ Ah’m so sorry, m e dear, I didn’– ”

She efficiently quieted him with her silence.

“Alreght…” He added as he returned to his throne.

The queen, ever so calmly, smiled a welcoming smile. “Alreght, where were we ? Oh, reght. Toneght, we will have eh welcomin’ feast fer all our guests.”

Jack noticed the chiefs’ puzzled expression, as if they were expecting to be scolded like children.

“Rooms have been prepared fer teh duration of yer stay, and startin’ from tomorrow, teh festival shall begin !”

The crowd rejoyed, making newdeafening noise with their fists and weapons, just like the music. If it was always like this with these four clans, Jack suspected the upcoming days were about to be particularily restless and noisy.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16
A NEW KIND OF LONELINESS
ᚨ ᚾᛖᚹ ᚲᛁᚾᛞ ᛟᚠ ᛚᛟᚾᛖᛚᛁᚾᛖᛋᛋ

The welcoming feast went quite… lively. Still, if Fishlegs had not been there to talk with Jack, the boy would have grown bored quickly. The twins were too busy wrecking havoc with the three princes and starting food fights, Valka was having a conversation with queen Elinor and princess Merida was hogging Hiccup’s attention.

All Jack had to keep him entertained was eating, talking with Fishlegs, soothe Sharpshot when he was disturbed by the noise, and look at the other person around the table. From time to time, he discreetly rubbed his temple in try to ease his growing headache.

He rarely felt that tired, even after a long day of work at the farm, and the meal was getting endless. He found himself starting to doze off, earning some teasing from Astrid, sat in front of him, who noticed him, before starting to keep him awake by throwing him pieces of bread over the table. He was almost sleep-sitting when they finally called it a day. The troup greeted the royal family before a couple of guards escorted them to their rooms. Just before following them, Jack noticed the three crowned giving him an amused smile. Puzzled, he waited to exit the throne room so he could ask Astrid about it. The blonde was amused too.

“They noticed you were dozing off during the feast,” she snickered. “They were curious about you since you’re new but you fell asleep when they wanted to talk to you.”

Jack tensed and gritted his teeth, looking over his shoulder towards the closed door they were walking away from.

“My bad. I hope I didn’t offend them, that’s not polite.”

“Heh, don’t worry about that,’’ Astrid smirked and wrapped an arm around his thin shoulders, squeezing him close to her. “They found it funny, actually, and since you’re young they let it go.”

“You’re saying this as if I was a child…” He mumbled, his head low, vexed.

Astrid noted his pout and rubbed his back. It felt like she was searching for an alternative to ruffling his hair since she couldn’t risk damage the dye.

“Not a child, no, but you’re still the youngest of the troup.”

“How do you know ? I could be older than I look.”

Before the pond incident, he used to be told he was looking younger than his age. Granted he had grown up in four years, but even with his white hair, he was stil looking younger. At least, Astrid not taking him seriously proved him so.

“Then go on, tell me. How old are you ?”

“Seventeen.”

The knife thrower stopped in her tracks, forcing him to do so too. The way she was blinking proved she had not been expecting this answer. After swallowing her chock, she resumed their walk, going faster to try and catch up with the others.

“Okay, fair enough, I would have given you less.”

Her teasing smirk came back, which felt like a bad omen for Jack. “You’re still the youngest here. Before you, it was the twins, and they’re nineteen.”

“Just two years older…”

”That’s older enough.”

She rubbed his back again, so hard she actually shook him. He felt like it was waking him up, but a yawn escaping his lips proved him otherwise. They went through torch litted corridors that were all looking the same, Jack getting the impression of loosing his way, before they finally found themselve a long, straight one littered with identical wooden doors. There were their belongings, all gathered there, ready to be placed in the rooms. The troupe started to choose their rooms and the guards helped them move their stuffs. The twins rushed to the room in the back, Astrid and Eret shared one, like Dagur and Mala, and Hiccup went to the one where Toothless came out as he ehard them arrive.

All the others took single rooms, Jack too. None of the rooms had been prepared for more than two people, except for Hiccup’s since it was supposed to have a dragon in too. When Jack found himself in front of his door, his arms filled with a small box carrying his few belongings, he froze. For a long moment, he just stared inside of the room.

The place seemed comfortable. The walls were made of stone and were looking a bit bleak, but the wooden fourniture, blankets and furs were ading more colors, along with the fireplace bringing light and warmth. Jack stared at the canopy bed, noticing it was bigger than the one he used to have back at his village. Thought it looked way more comfy, he thought it was empty. The whole room was. Surely it was because he was going to be alone in it. Well, not exactly alone since Sharpshot was with him, but the twins weren’t.

Even if they were snoring and a bit too clingy, he had gotten used to it and had found comfort in it. He had found the touch and company he had been deprived for too long. So he was going to miss that company. He knew it. Especially if he was going to have nightmares again.

He started as someone approached him, Hiccup’s voice callng for him. Turning his head, he found the tamer just next to him, and noticed how the corridor was now empty. The guards seemed to be done moving around the troupe’s belongings and had left, while the performers were all inside of their rooms. Jack could hear Gobber praising how comfy his bed was, Snotlout was singing as if he was cleaning himself and the twins had started another fight judging by all the bumping noises and painful grunts coming from their room. In the corridor, their was only Jack and Hiccup left.

“You okay ?” The auburnet asked with a soft voice, full of concern. “You look… troubled.”

Jack got a hold of himself and tightened his grip on his box. He must have stayed frozen in front of his room for a long time to worry Hiccup that much. So he faked a smile in try to reassure him. “Oh yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… It’s a bit strange to have my own room.”

Hiccup smirked and crosses his arms, leaning against the door frame. “You won’t have the twins to heckle you.”

Jack tried to laugh, but the sounds felt bitter on his tongue. His smile quickly dropped and Hiccup noticed it since he straightened, his good mood dropping too. Jack sighed since it looked like he couldn’t hide anything from the auburnet. He decided to tell him what was going on inside his head.

“It’s gonna be weird to be… alone again.”

He wanted to say ‘all alone’, but it felt like saying it would make the thing real, and would make the troupe disappear. He found himself silly to think that, but at the same time, with everything the villagers had told about him, the thought of his words casting a real curse was scaring him. He didn’t want to risk it.

“Hey,” Hiccup called with such a sweet voice.

Jack swallowed down his anguish and looked up at him, meeting his eyes. He hadn’t even noticed when he had lowered his head. It had become an habit to hide his face and emotions.

“You’re not alone. We’re all here, around you. And we’re not gonna leave.”

A smile instantly crept on the boy’s face. His throat and chest squeezed with so much emotions. Once more, Hiccup seemed to be able to read his mind and know what to do about it, know what to say and how to reassure him.

“Don’t hesitate to come to me if you need to, tonight. I’m right next door, and Sharpshot is gonna stay with you, too.”

Jack looked over his shouler. The small green and brown dragon was still snuggled in his hood, sleeping for a moment now. It made him smile and want to crack a joke.

“I’m not sure you would be able to pull him out of there, even if you tried.”

“That for sure,” Hiccup chuckled. “You two became unseparable.”

Jack smiled even more and felt the urge to hug the small dragon, feel his warm body against his chest and face, hear his soothing heartbeat. Since he couldn’t do so, he tightened his arms around the small box. A comfortable silence formed around them, only disturbed by muffled noises coming from the other rooms. Some suspicious creaking sounds were emitted from Dagur and Mala’s room but Jack tried to ignore it, already feeling the blood rush to his cheeks and ears while picturing what was causing it.

He swallowed and hesitantly glanced to Hiccup, who seemed to have drawn the same conclusions as him seeing how he was rubbing his nape and looking anywhere but to the door.

“Well, huh… Good night, then,” Jack rushed to change the subject.

Hiccup gave him a soft smile. “Good night, Jack.” He answered, his fingers running along the boy’s arm.

Jack marvelled at the gesture. It was the first time Hiccup was touching him this way, and even in his oldest memories, he couldn’t recall someone expressing so much care for him with a single gesture. It was comforting and warm, and gave him a smile he kept even when he entered and got alone in his room.

Despite being tired to the extend he wanted to fall head first in bed, he took his time to unbox his clothes and change. He put the clothes he wanted to wear the next day on the chest by the feet of the bed, and placed the vial of dye on a dresser were stood washing towels and a basin full of water.

He was about to go to bed when he heard whispers in the corridor. Curious, even if he knew it was none of his business, he went to take a look. Opening his door just an inch, barely daring to pop his head out, he cast a glance and it didn’t take long for him to spot the two silhouettes by the neighbor door. Princess Merida was there, talking lowly to Hiccup. The tame had changed for the night since he was only wearing a pair of dark pants and a tunic which seemed a bit big, the collar opened to reveal his collarbone. Jack spotted a pendant there, but he was too far to see clearly what it was. As to the princess, she was still dressed the same way than during the feast, except she had removed her hood to let out an impressive bush of firing, curly red hair.

Both of them were whispering, surely they didn’t want to disturb the others members of the troupe. For all Jack knew he was supposed to eavedrop them, he couldn’t help it. He was just curious. Not about what they were talking about – he could clearly hear a few words from them, going from “I’m happy to see you again.” to “Would ye come te train with me in teh mornin’ ? Like good ol’ times.” What was really intriguing him was the princess’ body langage.

She was standing straight and tall but was looking tensed. It looked like she was aiming to sem natural and relaxed while she wasn’t. She was fidgeting and squeezing her hands too hard, as if holding back from doing something, but it wasn’t keeping her from pinching a strand of hair behind her ear. Severeal times.

Jack was not an expert, but it was obvious the princess was not indifferent to the dragon tamer. He was even liking him a lot. Conscious that he was spying on his friend, Jack decided to go back to his room and go to bed.

Much to his surprise, the night went well. Granted the walls were thicker than the tent’s canvas, still he managed to hear a few snores coming from the other rooms. These sounds along with the soft breeze and the song of crickets coming from the window he had kept opened, had lulled him all night long. Having Sharpshot in the bed with him had helped a lot too. He hoped he could sleep that well for all the other nights of their stay.

He had slept that well he had full energy when he opened his eyes, at the same time to sun was rising. Because of the work he used to do at the farm, he was used to get up at dawn, and living in the circus had not changed it even if the twins were fond of lingering in the bed as long as possible.

Careful not to wake up Sharpshot, Jack got up and cleaned himself, fixing the dye in his hair, before he got dressed. Astrid’s other old tunic was a bit thin but he fixed this by wearing his cape on top of it. Valka had patched up the few holes on the bottom and, despite trying to tell him it was too old and that he needed to change it, he had kept it. Not that he wanted something to remind him of his old village, but this cape had been a gift from Emma, so it was important for him. It was the last thing he had from his sister, the last thing that was not nightmares and dreadful memories.

When he was about to leave the room, Sharpshot woke up and asked for some petting, so Jack took him with him. The dragon was happy and perched himself on the boy’s shoulder, sniffing his hair as if puzzled by the dye’s smell, claw-sharpening on the rought and worn-out fabric, or simply looking at their surroundings, constantly going from a shoulder to the other.

Not used to the castle, Jack wandered and got lost while waiting for breakfast time. Who knew, maybe he could find his way back to the throne room by himself ? He met a few guards in the corridors and smiled at them, bowing his head as greetings. They were more or less awake, some of them not noticing him at all, a few grumbling, others smiling back and weaving. None of them stopped him on his way, proving him he was not trespassing some forbidden places.

So he kept on strolling around until he arrvied in an opened corridor, made of arcades, circling an inner courtyard. There, in front of wooden and straw contraptions painted with targets, he foudnt the princess. Her flaming hair was not mistakable, though the boy almost not recognized her as she was looking so much different than the previous day. Her dress was more modest, dark green and without embroideries, and she was carrying on her waist a full quiver while she had a bow in her hands.

And she was really good at archery. Jack got mesmerized by her skills, unable not to stare at her. Her aim, the fluency of her gestures when pulling an arrow out of the quiver and placing it on the bow, the strength in her arms while pullinng at the rope, the way she was focusing to aim, the small breath out just as she was realeasing the arrow… and how hard said arrow was jabbing in the perfect center of the target.

Clearly the princess was expirienced in archery, she had been practicing for a long time and was pouring her heart in it. After shooting three other arrows, each of them aiming at the core of the targets, she placed her bow straight up and rested the tip on the ground, slightly leaning on it while putting her other fist on her hip. Chin high with proud, she smirked at Jack. The boy froze and chrunked on himself, ashamed to have been spotted.

“How long have ye been there ?” She snickered. “Checkin’ on me archery deeds, huh ?”

Jack swallowed and slowly walked to her, fidgetting with the aim of his cape, head low as he was staring at the ground, not daring to look at her in the eye.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to spy on you.”

“Dun worry, Ah’m used te it now. There’s eyes everywhere in teh castle.”

Saying this, she gestured to the windows in the upper floors. Jack looked up and noticed people looking at them from a few. Guards, maidens. All of them faked being busy and others left quickly. Princess Merida sighed.

“They’re constantly watchin’ meh. Ah already have eh lot of troubles makin’ me mom accept this hobby of me, but teh maids, they’re always actin’ like Ah could hurt meself an’ jab ehn arrow in me eye.”

Jack held from chuckling, still he blew from his nose. Hiss mile vaished as he met piercing blue eyes, red eyebrows furrowed.

“What ?” She growled, “ye too think archery isn’t suitable for eh princess and that eh princess should focus on sewing or tapestry or somethin’ ?”

“Oh no, I wasn’t thinking that.”

“Why did ye snicker, then ?”

“I… I just thought it was ironic for them to think that since it’s clear you master your bow. I was just thinking it was more likely for them to end up with an arrow in their eye for thinking this. Intentionnaly, not by accident.”

“Oh, really ?”

She seemed taken aback, in the good way. Soon, she dropped ehr agressive stance and even smiled, before she put her bow over her shoulder so she coudl free both her hands, crossing her arms.

“So… Jack, is it ?”

“Huh, yeah ?”

She almost snickered and started to circle him, as if inspecting him from head to toes. Jack suddenly felt trapped, like an usual animal someone wanted to study, or as if he was being interrogated.

“Ye’re new te teh troupe, if Ah get it reght ?”

“I am.”

“Though it looks like ye already quite settled in. Ye look close te them.”

Jack tensed more and more to each question she was asking him, to each circle she was drawing around him. He could feel and see Sharpshot on his shoulders, moving along to follow the princess as if it was a game for them. The way he was hopping proved he, at least, was having fun. He was even warbling softly, which was not helping Jack to ease.

“Teh twins and Astrid protected ye from me brothers when ye slept during teh feast an’ they wanted te prank ye.”

Jack averted his eyes, still ashamed to have dozed off in front of their hosts. He missed the insisting stare the princess was giving him, only looking up at her when she finally stopped in front of him. She was holding her chin as if in her thoughts.

“What’s so special in ye ?” She asked.

“What do you mean ?”

“They recruited ye in teh troupe but Ah dun heard them talk about ye show. Ye dun have one, do ye ?”

“Not all of them have shows either. Mala, Gobber and Fishlegs, and–”

“But they all have eh role. Managin’ budget, travel, relationship with locals… They all have eh task te complete an’ participate. So how do ye ?”

“I… I’m cooking and helping Hiccup to take care of the dragons–”

“Dragons, let’s talk about ‘em. That’s what is putting teh bug in me ear, actually. Ah know Hiccup, Ah know him for eh lon’ time and Ah know how important dragons are fer him. So how did ye make him give ye one ?”

She gestured to the Terrible Terror still perched on the boy’s shoulders, almost massaging his thin shoulder as he was squeezing and realeasing his small clawed paws. Jack mindlessly reached to softly pat his head, the small dragon instantly forgetting about the princess as he relished in the pet.

“Sharpshot and I are friends, is all. We’ve bounded, so Hiccup thinks it’s better if he sticks with me.”

“Oh yeah ? How so ? Ah can’t believe that.”

Jack shrugged before replying. “It’s true, though.”

Merida’s eyes sharpened and she glared at him so intently he thought she could pierce him. He didn’t know anymore if he wanted to continue this conversatio or if he wanted to run away.

“How did ye met, exactly ? Tell me.”

“Why do you want to know ?”

“Ah’m tryin’ te figure it aot. Spil it.”

“It’s nothing extraordinary : the circus stopped by the island where I used to live, I went on stage during Hicup’s show to pet Hookfang–” He cut himself as he saw the princess’ eyes darken at that, then he resumed with a less confident voice. “A-And that’s it.”

“That’s it ? Ye’re kidding, that can’t be it ! They offered ye a place in their troupe, Hiccup gave ye a dragon, and ye’re telling me they just did it, and that ye left everythin’ behind, yer island, clan and family, out of teh blue ?”

Jack barely felt better, only because the scare the princess was giving him was being replaced by bad memories trying to come back to the surface.

“No, not out of the blue… I… I’ve been kicked out from my home. I didn’t have anywhere to go, so Valka offered me to come with them.”

It was not exactly the truth, but he didn’t really wanted to explain all his bad experience to this princess he didn’t even know. Still he noticed that his excuse seemed to convince her as her face softened. She even looked sad for him.

“Oh… Sorry te hear that.”

“Thanks… I guess.”

“But that ain’t explain why ye stayed with them.”

“Huh ?”

“Ah know Valka’s kindness, an’ it had its limits. If it was just that, the troupe would have helped ye find another home and left ye there. You dun seem te realise what life in eh circus is.”

Jack furrowed at that. It had been two months he was travelling with them, he was living like them, so he did know what life in a circus was. He even estimated he knew better than this princess living in a castle full of maids caring for her well-being.

“They dun have much,” Merida explained. “An’ ye dun realise what it takes te add someone te teh troupe. It’s one more mouth te feed, one more person te check on their moral and health.”

Jack would have wanted to think otherwise, but he realised that, on this point, she was right. He realised that he surely was a burden for the circus, with his fragile mindset, his nightmares, his secrets and the pain he was burrying deep inside and was not sharing with them. Not even speaking about his recovery time when he had arrived, when he couldn’t do any physical work and could barely talk. Even worse, his strange powers that could explose if he couldn’t control his emotions. Luckily, there had not been any accident yet, still it was one more fear Jack was keeping in.

He knew the performers were worried about him, he could see it day after day, in their care and the little attentions they had for him. Like how Astrid had tried to keep him awake during the feast and had soothed his worries. Like how Hiccup had checked on him before going to bed.

“”It’s eh lot of investment,” the archer princess added. “So, when they take someone with them, they have te make sure this someone gives somethin’ te teh circus. Either eh show or in workin’ force.”

Jack felt bad. Valka did had talked to him about a magic show when he had invited him to join the troupe the first time, but no one had come the subject again after this. The boy was far from being strong so he wasn’t either much of a working force. His only use to the circus was to cook, but there again all the others were able to do it, and were doing it. Suddenly Jack felt completely useless to the troupe, he was just a burden to them. Even the dragons were participating more than him to the circus since they were part of Hiccup’s show and were a huge attraction for the public.

Trying to chase away this awful feeling, and also find an explanation to Valka deciding to keep him with them, he justified himseld as he could. “They wanted to help me.”

“Ah told ye : if it was just thet, they would have found eh nice place for ye and left. No, there has te be somethin’ more.”

“Why do you think so ?”

“Nothin’ is free, people always want somethin’ in return.”

Jack didn’t agree on that and didn’t wait to tell so “They’re not like that.”

“People are kind because they want somethin’ in return. Be it acknowledgment, grattitude, te feel alive or give themselve a good reputation… there’s always somethin’ more. The question is : what does teh circus wants from ye ? What could be so special in ye ?”

The boy was rendered speechless. The prince’ss way of thoughts felt like a slap in the face for him. He had not seen things that way. When Hiccup had saved him from the hanging, he did had wondered why the tamer had done it, but then it had slipped his mind and had only focused on how thankful he was. But if his kindness and Valka’s were actually self-serving ? What if they wanted something in return ?

Thinking about it, Jack could only think about one explanation : his powers. His strange powers. When he had shown them the first time, Valka had offered him to join them and put on a magic show. Fishlegs and Gobber had been entanced by the idea and had said it would be a good advertisment for the circus. Valka and Hiccup hand not been scared by his weird white hair, but since he had never found the courage to ask them why, he could imagine anything. What if it was actually because they wanted to use his powers for the circus ?

His hopes suddenly got crushed by this idea. His dream of finally being accepted, without people being frightened of him, without him being treated differently, just like a regular human, like the boy he actually was inside, underneath this magic… it all got crushed.

He hated this idea, he hated questioning everything he was thinking about the performers, Valka, the twins, Hiccup. He hated how a simple doubt, just ingrained by the princess Merida, was already growing so fast within him, in his thoughts, in his heart. He didn’t want to believe that their kindness, their warmth and friendship, were actually selfish. That all they actually wanted was his strange magic.

But it was so much easier to believe.

It was so much easier for him to hold onto this thought than his hope, because it was closer to what he had known for the past years. Because it was closer to what he had gotten used to.

Without giving suite to the conversation, he lef tthe princess and went back to roaming the castle, mindless, his heart heavy. If it had not been for Sharpshot and his pushy complains, Jack would have mskipped breakfast, that day. Finding himself at the table with their hosts and the circus’ performers didn’t give him any comfort. Even if the twins had thrown themselve at him the moment they spotted him, hugging him to say ‘good morning’, his heart wasn’t in the hug.

During the meal, he noticed a few stares on him. The twins, Astrid, Snotlout, Hiccup and Valka were watching him more or less discreetly. It was obvious they had noticed his low mood, but none of them spoke of it. Jack tried to ignore them and focus on Sharpshot, who was trotting on the table, stepping in the plates and playing with food along the triplet princes.

That’s only when they were going back to their rooms that someone actually came to talk to him. Jack had expected it to be Hiccup, since the auburnet was always the first one to check on him, but this time it was the twins who stopped him. They let the rest of the group go first, each of the twins holding back the boy by one arm.

“Spil it, what’s wrong with you ?” Ruffnut asked bluntly.

“What ? What do you mean ?” He faked.

“Not with us, Jackie Boy.” Tuffnut insisted, “you’re depressed.”

“You… Did you have another nightmare ?”

Ruffnut seemed hesitant while asking it, as if afraid the boy would break in pieces in front of her eyes. Tuffnut got angry and punched her in the arm.

“Come on, Ruff, can’t you be a little sensitive here ?”

“You’re one to talk !”

Jack tensed and squinted his eyes shut by reflex as he thought another fight would start between the twos. He had gotten used to their wrestling but at this moment he would have rathered calm. Much to his surprise, he got it. Opening his eyes again, he met a double set of worried grey-blue eyes.

“Wow…” Tuff mused, “you really are down, actually.”

Jack didn’t reply. He just couldn’t. Merida’s words were echoing in his head, and now he couldn’t help by apply it to each member of the troupe. Valka was self-serving, she had only welcomed him in her circus to add his powers to the list of shows. Hiccup was self-srving, even if he didn’t know how yet. The twins were self-serving too. Surely they were thinking they were indebted since Jack had helped Ruffnut when she had been beaten up by Franc and his friends. Or maybe they were nice to him because Valka had asked all the performers to make him at ease and convince him to use his powers for them ?

An unpleasant burn filled the back of his eyes, foresaying tears were coming, but he refused to let it out. He refused to show it. He refused to show the pain crushing his heart, his broken hopes, his broken dreams. Trying to calm down, he ran a hand on his face and tried to find an excuse, a way to reassure them, to get rid of them and their fake worry. Nightmares seemed like the perfect dodge.

“I’m fine.” He lied, “it’s just… I didn’t sleep much this night, I’m tired.”

“So you really had another nightmare, then.” Ruffnut chirped.

“Oh, for the love of… Can’t you just shut up ?” Her twin grunted.

She knocked him in the head as retaliation, which made him quiet since he focused more on the pain than the conversation. Ruffnut stepped closer to Jack and it took a lot of will for him not to step back.

“You know, we can always share our room, tonight. If you want company, one of us can stay with you, or you can come over and we will squeeze in the bed. Can’t be smaller than the makeshift beds at the camp, and if someone fall from the bed, we’ll push Tuff.”

“Hey, I heard you !” Said brother protested, still pressing his hands on his head.

“I know, that was the point.”

In other circumstances, Jack would have laughed. But not that day. He was not in the mood. Head low, eyes focused on the ground, he didn’t say a word. Silence loomed around them, omen that the twins had noticed his mood and didn’t know anymore what to say to cheer him up. It took a moment, then Ruffnut dropped her hands on the boy’s shoulders, making him start.

“You know what ?” She asked with a voice so loud she was almost yelling, “today is the first day of the festival. I’ll drag you everywhere, we’re gonna watch all the contests of the day, do all shopping and laugh at the other guys of the troupe, that’ll be awesome !”

Jack faked a smile, far from the blonde’s enthusiasm, and far from his own usual eagerness.

“Yeah, sounds like fun.” He lied.

Despite how much there was no joy in his smile, he still managed to convince the twins seeing how they were now smiling.

“Huh I… I’m going to wash a bit first, then we can go.” He added, pointing to the corridor leading to their rooms.

Almost running did he reached his room, nearly slamming the door behind him. Leaning against the cold wood surface, the burn in his eyes came back even stronger. A heavy weight was downing his chest and his throat was tightening so much it felt like he couldn’t breath anymore. Tears streamed and ran on his cheeks without giving him time nore will to wipe them. He winced as he was trying to calm down.

His mind was racing, assaulted by conflicting thoughts, ones replaying the princess’ words feeding his fears, others still trying to feed his hopes. The fight between the two parts of his mind seemed long lost, and Jack felt like he was lost in a storm, in the middle of the sea, with only a shrunk of wood to hold on to and keep him to the surface.

He barely calmed down as he heard scratches on the door. Sniffing and wipping his face, he opened the door. It was barely opened a inch that Sharpshot squeezed in. Jack instantly closed it and looked down at the small creature loving himself against his ankles, asking for affection. The boy hadn’t even realised leaving him behind. When had he forgotten him ? At the table ? When they had left it ?

Not reacting, he just stared at the small dragon rubbing his head and back against him, then stop to sit as he noticed the lack of response. Big round golden eyes looked up at him, and when he gave the boy a worried whine, Jack’s tears streamed again. He clenched his fists and frowned.

“What ? You too ?”

just thinking that the small dragon could also want something from him, something in return of his kindness, it broke his heart. Jack winced and opened the door again. From the open window blew a strong gust of wind. It flew around Jack and blew on the small dragon, pushing him outside. A surprised yelp and Jack shut the door on his face, collapsing against it.

He dropped himself until he was on the ground, pressing his legs against his chest, burrying his face on his knees, his arms securely wrapped around himself. In the middle of his turmoil, throught the wind howling and hissing around him, he could hear faint crackling noices. He knew what it was meaning, but he couldn’t care less. All around him, be it the ground or the door, silver arabesques were spreading, winding like beautiful frosted snakes covering each other and intertwining until they were mending in a thin layer of ice. Ice getting thicker and spreading under the doorframe.

Sharpshot’s whines and him desperately scratching on the wooden door could only feed Jack’s torments, until he snapped and shouted with a broken voice. “Leave me alone !”

If the sudden gust of cold wind, the door slaming shut and the frost had not been enough to alert the others that something what going on, the shout surely did. Jack rpessed his hands on his ears in try to block out the small dragon’s calls, each of his whines was ripping out his heart even more. In the middle of all the noise surrounding him, his mind was just as loud. Merida’s words were echoing with older memories. Everything was going back to the surface. All at once.

“Are you planing to trigger an avalanche upon the village ?”

  “The Cursed touched her, she’s gonna get the flu !”

    “There’s no way I’m staying in the same room as him !”

      “Hey, look ! That’s the White !”

       “What a maggot, seriously.”

        “Back, demon !”

         “He’s gonna curse us or something.”

                    “The Cursed.”                          “–cursed–”

           “You must be the only left to think you’re his son.”

           “How dare you, demon ?!”           “–demon–”

              “What if the village gets sick because of him ?! What if he unleashes a snowstorm on us ?!”

                “He’s cursed.”                  “–cursed–”

                 “That’s not my boy, it’s just a monster tormenting me !”          “–monster–”

                  “The White ! That’s the White !”

                   “Just go back to the hellhole you’re coming from and leave us alone !”

          “–cursed–”                  “–monster–”
                            “Looser.”

                       “Jackson Overland has died three years ago–”
                                                          “–dead–”                  “–demon–”                                        “–cursed–” 

                         “You’re just an anomaly.”                                        “–monster–”

                               “–cursed–”                       “-anomaly-” 

                           “–this monster came out of the water, as cold as Death–”
                                      “–monster–”                                                   “–dead–”                             “–dead–”                 “–dead–” 

                              “How were we supposed to see you as our son, monster ?”
                                                                                         “–dead–”            “–monster–”

                                  “–imbued with dark magic–”                                                                               “–cursed–”
                                                                 “–demon–”                           “–cursed–”

                                     “Mary, get away from him. That’s not our boy !”                “–dead–”
                                                                                                        “–monster–”                                                                “–monster–”

                                         “–parading in Jackson’s dead body.”
                                                                               “–dead–”                                   “–dead–”                                 “–dead–”
                                                                                     “–dead–”                                 “–dead–”                                   “–dead–”

“Shut up…” Jack murmured in the middle of his wails, “shut up, I beg you…”                                                                        “–dead–”

                                              “Don’t let him touch you !”                     “–cursed–”      “–demon–” 

                                                  “And tonight, we are going to send the demon back to hell !”
                                                                                                               “–demon–”
                                                                            “–dead–”                            “–monster–”                                      “–dead–”

                                                       “You better have drowned in that pond with the brat !”
                                                                                    “–dead–”                                “...dead...”

                                                     “–demon–”                                                “–dead–”                                “–dead–”

             DEAD                                                “…monster…”                   “–cursed–”                     DEMON

                                                            DEAD                 “–dead–”             DEAD                           “-monster-”                          DEAD
                                                   “–dead–”
                                    “–cursed–”                              “–demon–”
                                                              “–demon–”                            “...dead...”                                   CURSED

                                           CURSED                                  “–cursed–”          “–dead–”            DEMON                                 “–cursed–” 
                       DEAD                      “–dead–”                        “...dead...”
                                                                                                       “–demon–”                      “–dead–”                DEAD             
                             “–dead–”                 “–dead–”
                                             “–Dead !”                            “DEAD !”                            MONSTER
                                  DEAD                                    DEAD                    DEAD                                              DEAD                      DEAD

        DIE               DIE              DIE              DIE           DIE              DIE               DIE                 DIE              DIE                 DIE               DIE

“JACK !”

The boy jumped when the door was suddenly kicked open. It pushed him and threw him on the ground, were he could see debrits of ice being sent in the air. Hiccup rushed inside, loosing balance in his boost, panting and eyes wide in panic. He barely calmed down as he spotted Jack. Dropping on his knees, he almost launched himself at Jack, cupping his face.

“Jack, what’s going on ?! What’s wrong ?”

The boy flinched. Despite the sweet warmth of Hiccup’s touch, he pushed him away. He didn’t want this warmth. He didn’t want to want it. Not if it was self-serving. As if he was even deserving such warmth.

“Leave me alone…”

“Jack–”

“No ! I don’t want to be a burden ! I’m just a nuisance for the troupe, I’m useless !”

Without controlling it, Jack opened a door on the tourmented maelstrom of his thoughts, and all of it started to pour out, escape and explode outside.

“You guys wanted me to make a magic show for the circus, but look at me… I can’t. I can’t help you, I’m just cubbersome, I’m worrying you… look how helpless and useless I am, you better leave me…”

Ignoring the previous rejection from the boy, Hiccup cupped his face again, forcing him to look at him. Acid, infuriated green eyes dove into the despair of arctic blue. But the anger was not adressed to Jack.

“Who’s put something like that in your head ?!”

Something changed in the green eyes, like sudden realization, then his grip on jack tightened.

“Was it Merida ? Did she tell you something ? What did she say ?”

* * *

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even the wind had stopped howling in the room. Hiccup had given time for Jack to calm down, simply staying by his side without a single word.

And now they were there, both in silence, sitting next to each other on the edge of the bed. Jack had calmed down and accepted to tel him his conversation with the princess. What she had told him, how it had echoed with his own doubts and fears, and how ashamed he was feeling for questioning his trust in Hiccup and the other performers.

Then silence had struck. It seemed to reign for decades, for an eternity, but at the same time the world seemed to have frozen around them. No, it was not silence reigning. It was entropy. Absolute void. Nothing was moving anymore. Nothing was living anymore.

Jack felt like he was encaged in ice, the feeling fed by the shivers still wrecking his body, usual remains of using his magic. Even his breath was cold, turning into mist in front of his face, into the frisk air. Despite of this, Hiccup was still there, sitting next to him. He didn’t leave his side, even if was not saying anything. Jack didn’t dare look at him. He didn’t want to see the expression on his face, he didn’t want to see hints of what the tamer was thinking. Because, in this very moment, what was going on in the auburnet’s mind was scaring him.

That’s only when the last shivers wore off that the silence was finally broken. Hiccup spoke as if Jack had just finished his explanations, making him wonder if this agonising silence had really existed, or if it had only been in his head.

“Don’t mind what she said.”

Jack’s fingers squeezed his cape, the worn off tissue really suffering from this repeated nervous treatment. Closing his eyes, his nose started to itch, this familiar burning in the back of his eyes coming back. He thought about how ironic was Hiccup’s words. How was he supposed to don’t mind what the princess had said ? How could he since it was echoing with so much thoughts he had had for a long time ?

Hiccup sighed before speaking again. “Merida had some bad experiences in her life. She’s been raised in the middle of royal politics, she virtually only met people interested in power. Even the suitors for her hand only wanted her for her crown or because they owed it to their chief father.”

Jack finally dared to look at the tamer, whose face was still upset. Was it why Hiccup wasn’t giving credits to Merida’s words ? Because he was thinking she had an faulty opinion ? The boy’s heart ponded as his beaten hope was rising again.

“So, what she said…”

The auburnet sighed heavily.

“I can’t really say she’s wrong either. Not entirely, at least. I don’t think everyone is always interested or want some reward for their actions, but I agree on the fact that people always have reasons to do something. There is a reason behind each action. It just not necessarily means these are bad reasons. We can act to defend our values, out of respect or love for people we are close to, or what we truly believe in, deep inside.”

Jack didn’t reply. He kept his head low, his thoughts wandering again. A question was burning his lips and tongue. He was dying to ask Hiccup, so he could finally know, but at the same time he was afraid of the answer. He was afraid to be disappointed, that it would shatter the vision he had of the dragon tamer, that it could forever change the way he was seeing him, and that it could hurt him. Still he needed to know. Doubts, insecurities and infinite hypotesis was just too much of a torture, and much worse thatn what the actual answer could do.

“Why…” He asked in a whisper, voice shaking. “Why did you save me, that night ?”

From the corner of his eye, he could see the auburnet’s shoulders shagger, and heard him sigh once more.

“Because of my values and my mother’s, I guess.”

“You guess… ?”

Another sigh.

“Maybe also because, back then, I already liked you. Loosing you, seeing you die like this, I… I couldn’t bare it. I suppose I also couldn’t let you go without knowing why they wanted you gone so bad.”

Jack sniffed unwillingly. Now he had his answer, but he didn’t know what to think of it. Even Hiccup was not sure of it, so it felt like he couldn’t trust this answer. However, at least, it was not because of his powers the tamer had saved him. That, that made him feel better.

As he struggled to find something to say, silence crept back. Heavy silence. Not as heavy as before, but still. Until Hiccup let out an amused breath, catching Jack’s attention. Turning his head, Jack noticed how the forest eyes were staring at the ground. Curious, he looked too and found Sharpshot. Sharpshot who was sitting on the ground, looking intently at them even though he was confused, surely since the door had been opened. He was staying there, from a safety distance, not daring to come closer.

Jack wondered what was amusing Hiccup, and it didn’t take long for the answer to come by itself.

“But if you want one good reason – only one – ; I saved you because I knew that Sharpshot would have been heartbroken if anything had happened to you.”

Jack froze, blinking owlishly. His blue eyes trailed back to the small creature, unable to look away, and that insistent look made the dragon react. As if it had been the permission he had been waiting for, Sharpshot hastily stood, swiping his tail happily, then bounced and flew right into Jack’s arms. This time, the boy gladly welcomed him, hugging him tightly, burrying his face against the smal back. The purrs from the dragons vibrated against his skin, the warmth spreading in his cold body, and tears streamed in his eyes.

Once again, the dragon’s warmth chased away the ice incasing Jack’s heart. Despite all the torments and unsecurities woken up by Merida, the small dragon seemed able to chase it all away, feeding his hopes instead.

In the middle of this cruel world, even if everyone was self-serving, or simply had reasons like Hiccup said, in the middle of all of this, there actually was being who were only feeling. No hidden schemes, no backthoughts, only emotions and feelings.

In the middle of people who seemed to only see his powers, how strange Jack was, there was a small dragon who was only seeing the boy behind it, and loving him. Then Jack knew he could never reject the small dragon again, bcause that dragon had digged himself a place in his heart, and that if he ever was to loose him, he would loose a part of himself in the process. Just like he had lost a part of himself in tha pond, when his sister had died.

Sharpshot would never replace Emma, but he would be able to fill the hole left behind her. And maybe the circus artists would be able to fill the one left by his parents ? If he could just give them a chance, if he could just believe in it.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17
THE FOUR CLANS FESTIVAL
ᚦᛖ ᚠᛟᚢᚱ ᚲᛚᚨᚾᛋ ᚠᛖᛋᛏᛁᚹᚨᛚ

Just like she had promised to, Ruffnut dragged Jack everywhere with her. The first day of the festival started with sport tournaments. Log throwing – in which Snotlout was aiming to beat all records – weight throwing, tug-of-war game – in which Eret, Astrid and Dagur spent all their day – but also calmer sports like cricket.

Ruffnut, followed by Tuffnut whow as trying to keep up, brought Jack to see as much sports as possible. Once they were spotting members of the hairy Hooligans’ troupe, they would cheer them up and shouting at the top of their lungs. Slowly but surely, Jack managed to let go of negative thoughts, revive the friendship he had with the twins. It took the whole morning and a good portion of the afternoon, but he managed to smile again, and even get fun. It made the twins even more joyful and energetic.

By nighttime, they insisted to share their room with him. Fitting the three of them ion the same bed proved a difficult task, especially adding a small dragon who hated being crushed, but they managed to by piling them on one another. Jack got woken up in the middle of the night because of another nightmare. A bad dream turning his fears into images, the fears he was still struggling to banish from his mind and heart. But waking up with Ruffnut’s arms secured aroudn his waist, along with Tuffnut’s leg over his tight and Sharpshot’s body pressing against his neck and shoulder, it helped him a lot.

He repeated himself that the twins were not self-serving, that they simply had reasons to care about him, but not bad ones. Repeating Hiccup’s words nearly became a mantra for him in the following days and, slittle by little, it managed to chase away the devastating outcomes of his conversation with Merida.

Said princess had not apologized to him. Visibly she had not been told of the consequences of her words, still sometimes she looked like she had because she was not talking to Jack anymore, barely witnessing him. When he could meet her eyes, she was giving him a friendly smile, but that was it. Jack noticed she was more busy spending her time hogging Hiccup’s attention.

If the twins were bringing Jack everywhere, refusing to leave him, Merida was doing the same with Hiccup. Just like Jack, the tamer didn’t seem to complain about it, he was accompanying her all day long with a smile. Jack could spot them from time to time, their path crossing on a few occasions. Each time he was spotting them, the princess was clinging to tamer’s arm. Though they were long-timed friends, sometimes the were looking more like a couple. Jack had noticed they were close, but he really looked like the princess was charmed.

Somehow, he thought he was supposed to be happy for them, just like he was happy to see Astrid and Eret happy together, like he was happy and amused by how Dagur and Mala were completely lovestruck and smitten with the other, like he was smilling seeing Snotlout and Heather turning around the other or even Ruffnut and Fishlegs going all soft for the other. However, when it was coming to Hiccup and the princess, there was some kind of block. He couldn’t rejoy for them. When he was seeing them, he couldn’t help but stare. No smile, no amused thought, but an unpleasant twist in the stomach. Like some kind of knot making him loose his appetite. Jack didn’t need to think to know what it was meaning. Actually, he was perfectly aware of it.

He had been since their meeting, but with everything that had happened afterward, Jack had had a lot in his mind instead.

On the third day of the festival, Tuffnut left the trio so he could participate to the steer fights. The goal was not to hurt them but manage to push them back behind a line. Snotlout had already win three times ina row. Eret, Astrid, Dagur, Mala, Heather and Gobber had given it a try too, and that what had awaken the competitive spirit – or the ego ? – of the dreadlocked blond. At first, Jack wanted to stay and cheer him, but Ruffnut got bored and took profit of her twin’s absence to drag the boy with her.

She had promised to take him to every shop, and she was aiming to do oit without Tuffnut, just Jack and her. The shops were a large variety of wooden stalls and tents, merchants from the four clans selling producted more various than you could guess. Food, clothes, tools, jewels… There really was everything. The more they were strolling, the more Jack realized that Ruffnut was not just looking and trying out the objects for fun, she was really looking into buying something. She prompted Jack to take a good look and choose something. After a while, he ended up asking her what was going onto her.

“Ruff, it’s no use prompting me to buy something. You know I don’t have money.”

He did have a share of the circus since his arrival, but it was not much and, mostly, since he was not judging himself useful enough, he had shared it with the others. The few he had ept for himself had entirely been spent in food and tools to take care of Sharpshot.

Ruffnut snickered to his remark and, without warning, she wrapped a light blue scarf around his neck. It was coming from the booth they were in front of, full of similar articles, just as colorful as the rainbow.

“Don’t talk nonsense, Jackie, I’m buying you !”

“What ?”

“I’m buying you ! Choose whatever you want, really. Well, not too expensive still, okay ?”

“But I wouldn’t be able to pay you back and–”

She hushed him by giving him a poke on the forehead, before wrapping another scarf above the first one. This one was a dark blue with a few white dots adorning the whool, looking like stars.

“That’s called a gift, moron.”

“But I–”

“Not buts. What about this one ?”

She picked up another scarf. This one was as yellow as a sunflower, with green stripes on the edges. Jack was still trying to find arguments to try and convince her, when he felt a warm hand on his arm.

“I think white suits you better.”

The voice talking to him seemed like passing behind him and away. It didn’t change anything to how flustered it rendered him, making his heart skip a bat. He quickly looked to his left in try to see the owner of the voice, but he was already gone. Looking to his right, he spotted Hiccup on his stroll with Merida. Despite the princess still clinging to his arm, visibly busy explaining something to him, the auburnet was not listening and looking over his shoulder to Jack, winking at him.

Confused, the boy looked back to the booth. Searching, he couldn’t see white. The closest was a light yellow, and the first blue scarf Ruffnut had put on him. But no white. Thinking about it, Jack wondered if Hiccup had really talked about the scarfs. What if it actually was his hair ? Did he really prefer his abnormal white to the chestnut dye ? Granted the tamer had made him see he was not rebuked but his white hair, that he was actually admiring it, but this was different. Jack’s heart ponded to this simple idea, the simple idea of the tamer prefering this strange but natural color, to a fake one aiming to make him actually look normal.

A silly smile crept on his face, his cheeks and the tip of his ears blooming with heat as he buried his nose in the fabric, trying to hide his face. He barely heard Ruffnut’s ranting about the scarfs, it was like a bubble was forming around him.

He only came back to his senses when he saw the blonde threw three coins to the merchant, before she grabbed Jack’s arms to hurriedly drag him with her.

“That’s fire-spitters, fire-spitters !” She squeaked as she waved wildly at him, pointing to the gathering she was leading them to.

Dragged in her rush, Jack pulled at the scarfs trying to cover his whole face. When he finally managed to clear his view, they had stoped in the middle of a spectators group, and the blonde next to him was pouncing in delight, greyish blue eyes full of sparks. In front of them were three performers reminding him a bit of heather on stage. Each of them had one or two staffs which edges were ignited, then Jack saw the taller one drink from a small vial, before placing the staff near his mouth, and spit flames that made the crowd back.

”They look like dragons…” Jack gasped.

“You kidding ?” Ruff snickered, “that’s even better than dragons ! I mean, okay these guys are smaller, but they aren’t supposed to breath fire, you know.”

Jack snickered too, amused by his friend’s excitment, before he blenched at a new fire spit. This one was a bit too close to his liking. Luckily for him, the spitter stopped and let his companions twirl their staffs instead. Ruffnut was applauding and poucing as if it was the first time she was seeing this kind of performance. As to Jack, he couldn’t help but compare them to Heather and Dagur. Granted these daancers were good, but their choregraphy was way different. Theirs was more agressive, almost like a warrior parade, especially with these deep roars they were crying in synch with their movements. Way different from Heather’s grace and Dagur’s agility when he was juggling with his own staffs.

As he was loosing his gaze in the flames, Jack started to get stiffy. He removed the two scarfs from his neck, running a hand on his nape to wipe the pearls of sweat building there. He was sure it would be enough, but it didn’t. He was getting too hot. It felt like summer in Burgess, when the sun was turning scorching. Unsure, he looked up at the sky, only to find the typical automnal one. All grey and cloudy, not a trace of blue nor sun. The wind had been chilly in the morning, so why was he suddenly that hot ?

Running his hand on his nape wiped as much sweat as the first time, a dull headache started to form and breathing was getting difficult. He faked a smile when the crowd cheered for the fire-spitter coming again. The flames getting close made Jack back in a hurry, Ruffnut grabbing his arm in her own jolt. She snickered but her voice sounded strangely fogged up.

That’s only when he ran his hand on his forehead to push away a few strands that he realized something was wrong. He was wet there too, and his sigh got blurry when he looked at the droplets on his fingers. He shook his head and blinked, but it didn’t help, his breath getting heavier. Another spit of flames and Jack understood. He wasn’t bearing the heat. Surely it was due to his ice magic, the same it was making him handle cold better, it was weakening him to heat.

“Huh… Ruff ? I feel kind of uncomfortable…”

The blonde looked at him and noticed how pale he was, and how sweaty he was. Her eyes widened. “Shoot, is it too hot for you ? I’m sorry Jack, let’s get away, we–”

“No, no don’t worry. You can stay, enjoy the show, I’ll just go and sit for a bit.”

“You sure ?”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll see you later.”

Seeing how excited sh had been to this show, he didn’t want to ruin her moment. Since he was insisting, she ended up accepting, thought her eyes followed him and he put some distance between him and his show. He already felt better as he left the crowd. It was like taking a big gulp of fresh air. He walked a bit farther away and found a small group of barrils against a merchant tent. He decided to sit and wait there, laying the scarfs next to him. Sharpshot, who until then had not left the comfines of his hood, finally decided to show himself.

He jumped on the closest barrel and instantly noticed the two colorful whool clothes. Jack observed him with a smile as the dragon dug his muzzle in it, then himself entirely, snuggling in the fabric.

“First my cloak and hoods, now the scarfs ?” He teased, “I’ll end up naked if you keep on like this.”

The dragon warbled in reply as he kept on loll himself, ending up wrapping one of the scarfs aroudn him. Jack chuckled and teased him. He picked up the darker scarf and actually wrapped it around the smal body before knotting it. He made sure not to emcomber the dragon’s paws and wings, still the dragon found himself swadded from head to tail, making him hiss in protest. Jack laughed even more. As a making up, he unwrapped the cocoon and only did one loop around the dragon’s neck. This time, Sharpshot cooed and snuggled in it.

Since he was chill again, Jack put the other scarf around his neck, but not knotting it, just putting it on his nape and letting it hang on his shoulders. He then realized that, in their rush, he didn’t even get the chance to thank Ruffnut for that gift. He chanced a glance towards the fire-spitting show still going on. It didn’t take long for him to spot Ruffnut among the spectators. She was still bouncing excitedly, her braids swinging to each of her movements, and their smell seemed to make people uncomfortable around her. If Jack had ended up getting used to that fish smell, it was not the case of people not knowing her.

Jack was starting to make fun of a man slowly backing from her, his eyes following the braids, but his laugh got cut off as he spotted a familiar frame. Jack froze. His breath caught, he found himself unable to move, nor even blink. His eyes followed the frame walking by and getting away. A small frame, far from chubby but not skinny either. Mi-long chestnut hair, straight but thick. Brown dress with a band of red losanges on the bottom.

Once she got a bit farther, Jack jumped on his feet and followed her, leaving behind a dragon too busy lolling himself in the scarf to notice his companion was leaving.

“Emma !” Jack called out while going faster.

The girl didn’t react and kept on walking away, forcing him to seep up. He followed her by running and shouting her name lourder and louder. Lost on this unexpected vision, he was completely oblivious of the stares he was attracting on him, nor the questions rising. Nothing could reach him aside from this girl he was catching up with. His heart was going crazy, his breath racking, his mind fuzzing and buzzing. He couldn’t believe she was there. But she was, she was right there, in front of him, in his reach.

A few ore steps finally allowed him to catch up, and he didn’t wait to grab her wrist. He could touch her, she was not just an hallucination.

“Emma !”

The girl stopped and turned towards him, and then the spell broke. Jack had been expecting to find a face with round jaw but pointy chin, a thin nose looking like his own, slightly larger, a pair of sparkling hazel eyes half hidden under a fringe, and a large smile showing off perly white, ridiculously large teeth.

He saw none of these.

Instead, it was a pale face, dotted with freckles and beauty marks, roundish cheekbones on a ovale face, a gap between the front teeth, and two big grey-green eyes looking at him as if not knowing him. Because they didn’t know him. This young girl was not Emma. The two didn’t even share the same chesnut hair, it was only a trick of the light on this dark ginger.

Jack remained still, stunned, in front of this little girl who was as muste as him. It seemed to last forever, or only a few seconds passed before their eyes parted, breaking this transe. Their eyes partes as the girl lifted her head towards the man holding her hand, who yanked her away to hider her behind him. Jack let go immediatly, still shaken, and he wasn’t out of troubles as he saw frowned eyebrows overhanging a murderous glare on the man’s face.

“What do you want with my daughter, boy ?!”

“Huh… sorry, I… I thought she was someone else.”

“Don’t get closer, and don’t you dare touch her !”

Jack clenched his teeth, his head swallowed in his shoulders as the man shouted. Squinting his eyes shut, he barely listened to the man’s scolding, too lost in his thoughts speaking louder. How could he have been tricked like this ? Mistaking this girl for Emma could happen, but how could he really believe it was her ? There was no way it could have been her, it was just impossible. Because she was not there anymore. He could never see her again. And even if, by miracle, she was still alive, she would still be at Burgess. At their small nameless village. With their family, with their parents who would still love her and cherish her. But if she had still been alive, so it would have meant she had escaped death the same way he did, the same unexplainable and wicked way he did. So she would have been cursed too. So she would have been as feared and hated as him.

He winced even more, refusing to think about it any longer. Just thinking about his beloved sister goign throught the same treatment he had been, it was making him sick. It was hurting him more than whe nhe had lived it himself. He wanted to throw up.

When he opened his eyes agains, trying to connect back with reality, he was alone again. The little girl and her angry father were gone. Alone in the middle of passing by persons, Jack felt crushed under the weight of reality. No more little sister. No more family. Nothing left. Tears rolled down his cheeks, trying to hold them back was doing nothing. So he hugged himself, trying to find comfort where he could.

A hand on his shoulder made him start and turn around, the movement so sudden it caused the same reaction to that person. Valka retreived her hand by reflex, before putting it back on his shoulder. Her face was soft but full of worry and sadness.

“Jack…”

She didn’t seem to know what to say. The boy lowered his head and wiped his face on his sleeve, sniffing in slence. His eyes closed once more as he felt Valka’s warm finger running softly in his hair, in a gesture so soft and motherly. How comforting it could have been, it still made Jack want to cry even more, reminding him of this hole in his chest.

“You thought this girl was someone from your village, am I right ?” She asked, her voice soft and cautious.

Jack felt even badder that she had witnessed this disaster. He bit his lip and slowly nodded in reply. “My… my sister…” he admitted.

Valka didn’t reply right away but, when she did, she did it with gestures, no words. Jack stiffened as he found himself in her arms. He still had troubles to handle touch as he had been deprived of it for so long, but he was craving more and more to it.

“You must really miss your family…” she murmured, stroking his back.

Jack clung to Valka’s green tunic and hugged her back, shaking. He had to admit that, yes, he did was missing his family. His family from the time they used to be living together, the four of them, when they were happy, when his parents used to love him, when he used to play with this sister and was teasing her as much as entertaining her.

“You have no idea how much…” he sobbed.

“It’s gonna be alright, Jack. I know we can never replace them, but you’re not alone with us.”

He sighed softly, these few words soothing him way more than he coudl have imagined, especially since he knew it was genuine. Valka was really meaning it. He knew he could trust her, just like he could trust Hiccup, the twins, Snotlout, the other performers of the circus, and the dragons… Thinking about the dragons made him suddenly realise something. He started and freed himself from Valka’s embrace, looking frantically around them.

“Sharpshot ! He… Where is he ? I left him behind… Oh no…”

“Calm down, Jack, I’m sure he’s not far.”

The boy nearly ignored Valka so he could launch himself in another rush, back to where he was coming from. He vaguely heard the ringmistress calling out for him, but it didn’t stop him from running. His heart was pounding like a crazed dragon, his breath panting and exhausting him. H only managed to calm down as he spotted the group of barrils, on which was still the small dragon snuggled in the dark blue scarf. He sighed so hard his shoulders saggered, and he didn’t wait to take the small Terror in his arms. Said dragon didn’t mind and snuggled against him, rubbing his head against the boy’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry,” Jack whispered to him, burrying his face in the scaly back of the small, warm creature.

Sharpshot didn’t seem to have noticed he had left without him, which only made Jack feel worse. He didn’t dare imagine if something had happened to the dragon while he was gone, nore how Hiccup would have react to the news. Mike merida had told him, dragons were really precious to him. Hiccup had trusted him with Sharpshot, and it would have hurt him as much to betray this trust as to loose the small dragon.

“There you are,” Valka panted, stopping right behind him. “Oh, I see you found him. I bet he stayed put and waited for you here.”

Sharpshot warbled, waving his tail so hard his whole body was shaking from it, but Jack couldn’t bring himself to loosen his grip on him. He kept him the closest he could, pressing his cheek against the scales. He wanted to cry. Crying for believing Emma was there, crying for almost loosing Sharpshot, crying for how pathetic he was feeling. Valka’s warm hand rubbing his back was helping him.

“You’re been shaken enough for today, Jack. If you want to, you can go back to the castle and take some rest. It’s fine.”

“But Ruffnut wanted to–”

“She’ll understand, don’t worry.”

Jack hesitated for a long moment. Ruffnut has been so extatic to bring him see the whole festival, he was feeling bad for ditching her. Still he could picture how he could be good company in his actual state, as he was nothing but a trembling ball of nerves, ready to burst in tears. He rarely had felt this pathetic, still it didn’t feel like Valka was seeing him this way. There was no pity in her eyes, only concern and kindness. She was really incredible, her heart seemed endless, filled with a bottomless stock of support for the people around her.

After a long moment, Jack accepted her offer by nodding. He sniffed and eased his grip on Sharpshot, who decided to settle more confortably on the boy’s arms, laying on his back. Valka walked Jack back to the castle, up until his room. He was expecting her to quickly leave, but she stayed. She even sat on the edge of the bed, adjusting the furs under which he had slipped.

In the comfort of the bed, Sharpshot laying in a ball next to his head, his warm breath tickling his ear, Jack was already feeling better, and Valka’s staying was adding something more. A feeling of safety, and a presence to chase away loneliness and cold. Sitting close to him, she softly brushed a few strands away from his brow, then placed her hand on his own.

“You know Jack, if you ever need to talk, to confide, you shouldn’t hesitate. It’s not good to keep it all in.”

He didn’t dare say anything. His eyes struggled to remain on her, dropping and unfocusing as he was getting lost in his thoughts. He still felt the kind woman’s thumb caressing the back of his hand.

“Hiccup uses to talk to his dragons, mostly to Toothless. He says that, even if they don’t say anything, they are good listener. If you’re not ready to tell us anything, maybe you could start with Sharpshot ? I’m certain it would be good for you.”

Jack turned his head on the side, trying to get a glimpse of the small creature lolled in his pillow. The most he could make out was paws and a bit of the tail wrapped around, still it was enough. Sharpshot was not asleep yet, but it was obvious he was not goign anywhere. He was staying with him, watching over him. It made him smile, and how shy it was was still enough to reassure Valka. When he met her eyes again, she was smiling softly at him.

“Think about it, okay ?”

He nodded.

“Good. I’ll let you rest, then. I’ll come back around diner time if you’re not out beforehand.”

Another nod, then he closed his eyes as she leant closer. The sweet warmth pressing on his forehead felt unreal, and he only realized what it was when Valka’s lips left his skin. She leant out and gave him a last smile before leaving, slowly shutting the door behind her.

Jack’s heart flat out stopped, a single tear rolling down his cheek. A mother’s warmth. It had been so long since the last time he had felt it, that he had forgotten how good it was. That warmth spread in his chest, allowing him to close his eyes with a smile.

* * *

Jack woke up as he felt a breath tickling the side of his neck. It could seem anodyne since he was sleeping with a dragon snuggled to his head, but he could feel Sharpshot against his right ear while the breath was coming from the other side. A bit groggily, he frowned and turned his head, to freeze as he found a face which wasn’t supposed to be there. Forest green eyes looked at him with a mixture of panic and guilt.

“Sorry,” Hiccup murmured, “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Jack blinked, trying to chase away the remnants of sleep fogging his senses, and that’s when he caught up with the current situation. Hiccup was there, in his room, laying close to him, in the same bed. The boy felt his face heat up, his first reflex was to back away, but he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Hiccup was there, close to him, but not invading his personal space. He had made sure to keep a small distance between the two of them. It didn’t do much to calm down Jack, just easing his rush of panic, but his heart was still racing as if doing a rodeo. Unable to speak, just swallowing hard, he just nodded. Hiccup nodded too, as if silently saying he was understanding what Jack was telling him, that the situation – how surreal it was – was okay. A few seconds elapsed before they spoke again, still as low as a whisper. Hiccup was surely doing this not to wake up Sharpshot, though the two young men were so close that they didn’t need to speak louder. Jack liked it this way, actually, it felt even more intimate.

“Mom told me you went back early to get some rest. I was worried.”

“Yeah, I was a bit… There’s been a…”

Jack closed his eyes and sighed, unable to form a coherent explanation. He didn’t want to retale hwat had happened, he was still feeling idiot and pathetic.

“Hey,” Hiccup called him, running a hand along Jack’s arm.

This gesture, along with the undebiable tenderness in the tamer’s voice, caught Jack’s attention. His eyes trailes back to the tamer and found this peculiar smile on his freckled face, this smile he still couldn’t put a name on but which had this calming power on him. This power to alleviate his mood and make his troubles disappear. This power to unleash his heart and appease his being at the same time.

“You can talk to me, but don’t feel like you have to.”

Strangely, that actually made Jack want to talk about it. Valka had adviced him to confide, to not keep it all in, and if there was someone in the troupe with which he was feeling safe enough to do so, it was Hiccup. To whom else could he talk to if not him ?

“I want to, I just… I… It’s stupid. For a moment, I thought I saw someone in the crowd. Someone from Hawthorne.”

Jack looked down, slowly immersed back in the memories of that disaster.

“…Who ?” the auburnet hesitated.

The boy stiffened without meaning to. He instantly felt Hiccup’s hand stroking his arm, helping him to calm down once again. It was really magical how this simple touch was affecting him, just like Valka’s kiss on his forehead. No doubt it was because it had been so long since he had been touched like this, that any contact was making melt.

“My little sister, Emma.” He winced again, scolding himself for how stupid he was. “I should have known better. I should have known it couldn’t be her. I feel so stupid for that, because I knew she couldn’t be here–”

“Hush, it’s okay, Jack. Don’t blame yourself, it’s because you miss her.”

Jack sighed, this time in content. Hiccup’s caresses on his arm was really doing him good. It was not much, but it was enough to kep the bad thoughts at bay, anchoring him in the present, in this calm moment.

“Are you feeling a bit better ?” Hiccup asked, his voice incredibly sweet.

Jack nodded, before shyly putting his hand on Hiccup’s, which stopped moving. “This helps a lot,” the boy admitted.

The tamer gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged. “It’s not much.”

“It’s way more than what I had for a long time. It’s been so long since anyone touched me.”

Hiccup’s smile dropped. “At all ?”

“At all,” Jack confirmed.

For a moment, Hiccup didn’t say anthing. Jack was not expecting anything more from him, he just wanted to enjoy this moment. Keeping his hand on the auburnet’s, he felt it move to hold his own. Hiccup’s warm fingers wrapped around Jack’s cold ones, his skin was a bit calloused from all his work and crafting, but Jack didn’t mind. He didn’t mind either when the tamer pulled at his hand to get it near his chest, keeping it close. Jack could feel the tamer’s warm aura sip under his skin, warming up his bones which seemed to be made of ice.

Once again, the ressemblance between Hiccup and Valka struck him. Just like her, the tamer had an open heart and infinite support. It made him feel guilty. He felt guilty for worrying them that much.

“I’m really sorry, you know. Between this and the incident in my room, the other day, I feel like I’m only causing you guys troubles–”

“Come on, Jack… Don’t apologize for something that’s been done to you.”

Jack looked up at him, giving him a puzzled look which was far from describing how confused he was. The auburnet still managed to see it since he developped.

“All of this, what’s happening to you, the way you react and all these emotions you feel, it’s scars. Scars from wounds your people gave you. It’s not your fault, and no one is pretending that what you went through is easy to handle.”

“…But maybe I deserve it. Maybe I deserve all of this.”

“I refuse to believe that.”

“I don’t see why not.”

“You don’t deserve this, Jack. Being rejected and shuned by everyone you knew, being treated like a pariah, bullied until you can’t trust nore open up to anyone ? And being hung, by your own clan ? No, you definitively didn’t deserve this.”

The more Hiccup was insisting, the more Jack was feeling another emotion mixing with his sorrow. Anger. He was not sure why he was angry, nore with whom he was angry, but it was boiling in him, fed by Hiccup’s stubborness to believe in him. The tamer only wanted to comfort him, but it was having the opposite effect on him.

“I do.”

No, Jack. What they did was wrong. They had no right to do this to an innocent like you and–”

“What makes you think I’m innocent ?”

“Come on, Jack–”

“I killed my sister. Does that seem innocent to you ?”

Hiccup froze, eyes wide, as if he had just been slapped but couldn’t prcess it yet. He was flaberghasted. Jack’s anger grew only bigger, mixed with even more guilt and sorrow. New tears streamed his eyes but he didn’t care. Tearing his hand from Hiccup’s, he sat up in try to put some distance between the two of them.

“I killed my sister. She died because of me, and when I was supposed to drown with her, all of this happened.”

He vaguely gestured to his face and hair.

“All this magic, this is where it comes from. It comes from Death. That’s why people in the village said I was cursed. They’re right, I am cursed ! They said I was a demon which possessed the dead body of this boy, and I came to believe it too. I may have all my memories, all his memories, nothing proves I am still me. Nothing proves that I wasn’t born that night, in that pond, in the dead corpse of Jackson Overland.”

Heavy silence loomed into the room, heavier than anything Jack had ever known. Things not said by Jonathan, the lack of comfort from Mary, the insistent looks with no many non-spoken thoughts, all of this seemed dull compared to this silence. It was done, now Hiccup knew about White the Cursed. Jack could only wait and brace himself for what was coming at him. Anger. Scandal. Fear. Rejection. Tensed from head to toes, eyes squinted shut in a flooded grimace, he just wanted to disappear.

“Jack, look at me.”

The boy flinched but didn’t look up. Hiccup’s tone was tough, but not filled with anger. He strated as he felt two warm hands cut his face and make him turn to the side. Jack risked a glance and met the tamer’s forest eyes. These eyes were broken, filled with tears ready to fall. Hiccup was looking at him straight in the eye, holding his face so gently, as if Jack was a baby bird which had just fallen from its nest. Warm thumbs stroked pale skin to try and wipe part of the cold tears.

“I forbide you to think that, even for a second, you hear me ?”

A sob tore Jack’s throat, and that only saddened the auburnet even more.

“You’re not a monster, Jack. You’re not a demon nore a curse and, even if I don’t know exactly what happened with your sister, I’m sure it was only an accident.”

Jack dove deep inside this gaze, searching for the slightest hint of malice, the slightest proof that Hiccup was not meaning his words. He found none. He found nothing but the pure, absolute sincerity the auburnet had always had for him. The boy burst in tears. Hiccup wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close, hugging him, craddling him.

That evening, Jack told him everything. He broke his last walls, opening up his baten heart, broken by all the suffering he had been through after the accident, and the accident itself. Hiccup proved himself incredibly patient, listening to him as he struggled to turn his thoughts into words, even if the words were confused and chopped with sobs. He gave him all the time he needed to retale the whole story, not pressuring him, letting him go to his own rythme, hugging him or simply holding his hand when he need an anchor not to drown into the memories.

Once the whole story of White the Cursed was out, the boy felt ewhausted. He didn’t have any energy left, even his mind seemed to be floating around. Still, at the same time, he was feeling incredibly light. Valka had been right, letting it all out had done him good. It had been so long he had to keep it in, by obligation or fear. But now that it was all out, it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. And what made him feel better in all of this, it was Hiccup. Seeing how tired the boy was, the tamer helped him go back to sleep, and the last words he told him before leaving melted his heart.

“Good night, Jack.”

He had called him Jack. Not White the Cursed nore any other awful names he had shared with him. No, Hiccup had used his name, as if, even knowing his story, he was convinced Jack was still himself.

For the first time since the accident, someone was convinced he was the same person. Someone was seeing him, not the monster the pond had made of him.

For the very first time since the accident, using his name didn’t feel like a lie.

For the very first time since the accident, Jack had been given back his identity.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18
IN ANOTHER WORLD
ᛁᚾ ᚨᚾᛟᚦᛖᚱ ᚹᛟᚱᛚᛞ

Jack woke up with a smile. It hadn’t happened to him in such a long time, still he left his slumber with a good mood. Some warm aura was surrounding him. It had nothing to do with Sharpshot, he could feel on of the dragon’s wings brushing the top of his head. This aura was not coming from the small dragon, for sure. It wa ssurounding the boy, mainly on the front, but also on the shoulder he was not resting on.

Blinking his eyes open, Jack got a somewhat blurred view on a steel medallion hanging from a dark leather lace. The pendant was finely detailed and seemed to have been sculpted by hand. A round coin with carvings, a dragon figure spiralling. The shape was stylized but it reminded Jack more of Hookfang than Toothless. Jack blinked in try to clear his sight and observing the pendant, not even wondering what is was and where it was coming from. At least, until he noticed what was surrounding the object. Edges of a large V-neck red tunic, unveiling sun-kissed and freckled skin. Shadows were highlighting collarbone and the birth of a toned chest. Hiccup’s chest. Jack’s face flushed as embarrassment slapped him, his heart sent in a panicked looping that made him start. Instantly, he felt the arm resting on his shoulder lift, the body in front of him moving, clear sign that the auburnet was awake, and probably had been for a while.

It took a lot of guts for Jack to dare lift his head and risk a glance at him. He was met with a smile and squinted, amused green eyes.

“Good morning,” the auburnet greeted with a voice as soft as always.

“Mornin’…” Jack slurred.

“Did you sleep well ?”

“Surprinsingly, yes. Valka was right, it was good to let it out. Though I was not expecting to actually tell you everything. I spent so much time burrying it in that I suppose I just couldn’t keep it in anymore.”

“I’m happy you didn’t.”

Jack allowed himself to smile, “ Me too. ”

Looking down, he almost wanted to close his eyes and go back to sleep. hiccup’s warmth was like a balm he was swimming in, so comforting and comfortable he wanted to enjoy it as long as possible. The soft morning light seeping through the open window surely didn’t mean he wanted to get up. Though he didn’t dare ask Hiccup to stay with him. Even if the auburnet was not giving any sign of leaving. The both of them knew they would have to get up soon, especially when they started to hear their fellow circus members getting out of their rooms.

Someone came to knock next-door, to Hiccup’s room, and both could hear Valka’s voice ask him “ Son, are you awake ? ”

Obvisouly, no one was goin g to answer her there, but it didn’t worry the two young men. Hiccup sighed and turned his head back to Jack, tearing his eyes from the door.

“We should get up.”

Jack replied with a mutted ‘hum’, devoid of any motivation. Even if he was feeling lighter than the previous day, he didn’t really know how to deal with the upcoming day. He barely blinked when Hiccup rose from the bed, waking up Sharpshot by the matress’ moving. The small dragon hissed before slipping under the blanket, rubbing along Jack’s back. Said boy’s eyes couldn’t leave the tamer as he circled the bed, reaching for the foot of it so he could lean in and touch something there.

“Wake up, Bud, it’s time.”

A low gro w l, then a black mass moved to reaveal a large, ebony head with a gaping, yawning mouth showing off toothless gums. Jack smiled as he realised the Fury had spent the night there, with them. Toothless bounced to his paws with his usual energy and licked hs tamer’s face, who half-laughed, half-grunted in disgust.

“Stop it, Toothless, you know that doesn’t wash off.”

The dragon didn’t mind it, warbling before he bounced on the bed, nudging Jack in the hair as a ‘good morning’, bouncing again so he could bump the door open. Well, try to bump it open. Hiccup chuckled and opened it, letting his best friend out, noticing the twins quickly stepping aside befre being toppled over by the neergic, lively dragon.

“Hiccup ?” Tuffnut gawked, “what are you going here ?”

“Huh… Keeping company to Jack ?” Hiccup hesitated.

Said Jack tried all his might to prevent the blush from covering his whole face, but surely he had failed seeing the smirks creeping on the twins’ lips.

“Ooooh I see…” Tuffnut snickered.

“Then we won’t bother you any longer !” Ruffnut added.

Both left arm in arm, like accomplices just having filled a satisfying task, but not before giving a wink à Jack, only making him blush harder. Hiding his face in his hands, he tried to sooth the warmth, before letting out a loooong sigh. Hiccup had an amused smile, thought the way he was rubbing his neck was betraying his own embarrassment, his cheeks a light pink.

“Well, I’ll give you some time to wake Sharpshot up. If you can, at least. I’ll see you at breakfast ?”

“Okay.”

Hiccup nodded and opened the door again. The others had visibly left judging by the silence. The auburnet was about to leave when Jack stopped him.

“Hey, Hiccup ?”

T he tamer instantly stopped and even took a step back to get back in, giving the boy his full attention.

“If you want to tell the others, you can.”

“You sure ?”

Jack nodded, his eyes unfocusing as he layed. It lasted a short moment before he closed them.

“Since you know, I don’t see why hiding it from them. Though I don’t think I would be able to tell everything again.”

H e felt the mattress move as something heavy rested on it, near his knees, then a familiar, warm hand came to rest on his arm.

“You don’t have to, especially now,” Hiccup assured, “you’re in no rush. Telling me doesn’t mean you have to tell everyone. I can keep the secret if you want me to.”

Once again, Hiccup’s unlimited support lifted Jack’s spirits and made him smile. Blue eyes wandered back to the auburn-haired young man, revealing in the artic color a long-lost spark coming back to life.

“Thank you, but I think it’s better they know.”

“I just want to make sure that’s what you want, that you don’t feel pressured to do it.”

“I want to.”

Hiccup gave him what looked like a faked smile, running his hand on the boy’s arm. Silence flew for a moment, until that smile widened and turned genuine.

“’You don’t have to worry, they will still see you the same way.”

Jack’s heart swelled with joy. “ I highly doubt anything could help me more than that. ”

T his time, Hiccup’s smile couldn’t be truer, then something changed in the forest eyes, a sudden shine Jack could only guess being an idea. An idea that seemed to wake up Hiccup’s enthusiasm.

“You know what ? We shouldn’t go to the festival, today.”

“Should we ?”

“You need some fresh air. So today, Toothless and I will give you a tour of the best places of Broch.”

Jack couldn’t find words. He remained still, surely looking a bit dumb, while his heart was racing like crazy in his chest. He had to admit that spending the whole day with Hiccup and Toothless, mostly Hiccup, was more than tempting. He had always liked these privileged moments spent with the tamer, and he had to admit he had missed it since their arrival to Broch, so he wasn’t going to miss that chance.

He was about to gladly accept, but any attempt to open his mouth was cut short by a grumpy Sharpshot leaping to his shoulder, wrapping his lithe tail around the boy while hissing at Hiccup, who chuckled.

“Obviously, Sharpshot can tag along.”

The small dragon warbled with delight, soothing his grip on Jack, who roled his eyes with a smile before taking his in his arms, flipping him on his back so he could scratch/ tickle his belly. The Terror loved that as much as Toothless loved to be scratched under the chin.

S i nce Sharpshot was awake, Jack didn’t need much time to get ready. He cleaned himself, changed his clothes – happily finding back Astrid’s blue hoodie like he liked to call it – then adjusted the dye on his hair , and he was good to go. He met Hiccup by the entrance of the castle, the auburnet explaining him he had seen Goober and Astrid and warned them they weren’t participating in the festival for the day, then they left.

A morning flight proved to be a good starter to feed Jack’s good mood, especially when Sharpshot decided it was a good idea to challenge in a race a dragon way bigger and larger than himself. Obviously, a Terrible Terror couldn’t match a Night Fury, even if he had been as big as him, since no dragon was as fast as a Night Fury. Hiccup was constantly proudly claiming that is best friend was the fastest of dragons, almost bragging about it everytime they were taking Jack to a flight. This time was no exception, still Jack insisted on slowing down for the sake of the small dragon, he was getting anxious just by loosing sight of him.

“Relax,” Hiccup teased. “You’ll turn into a mother hen if you keep on like this.”

Jack got vexed and made it clear by slapping the tamer’s arm, only feeding the tamer’s laugh and his own pout. They waited a few more seconds before Sharpshot managed to catch up with them. Exhausted, the small Terror dropped in Jack’s arms, who scratched his neck as comfort, before giving him a quick massage of his small wings. That earned him the loudest purr the small dragon had ever expressed .

The first place Hiccup took them was an impressive waterfall. It was so high you could see the whole forest landscape of the Broch county, spot the sea in the background, reflecting the sun in shimmering glitters, but also the castle perched on its cliff. From as far as the boys and dragons were, they could hardly know there was a giant festival going on there. Even if the wind has been strong enough to carry bribes of music, Jack doubted they coudl have heard anything among the roar of the waterfall. Hiccup took profit of the waterfall’s high to show Jack one of his favorite tricks with Toothless.

Without a warning, under the widened gaze of the boy, the auburnet jumped from the top of the waterfall, letting a long shout of joy. Toothless dove in after him, head first. Jack rushed to the edge of the cliff, looking down to see them fall, swirling around one another, until the tamer quietly grabbed the dragon’s saddle to climb on his back. Toothless kept on diving, waiting for th last moment to tretch out his wings, stopping their fall, before gliding up in a spiral. Dragon and rider let out another joyful exclaim, the roar echoing in the valley.

Jack st ared at them with aw, and watched as they made other aerial tricks. Those ones were even more complex and impressive than the few ones Jack had witnesses on stage, but it was no surprise : not only did the sky was infinitively vaster than a simple stage, but he also knew that Hiccup was closer to Toothless than his other dragons.

In this very moment, while the two were swirlign and gliding freely above the forest, Jack noticed their synchronisation and the way Hiccup was following each of Hiccup’s movements, moving his body along not to make any air resistance. They were moving as one. And when the ebony dragon came back to land in front of the boy, Jack swore there was another sun on Toothless’ back seeing how Hiccup was beaming. There was no doubt the tamer belonged in the sky.

“Come on,” the auburnet chirped, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Shall we continue ?”

Jack picked up Sharpshot – until then busy with wrestling with a big fish he was trying to catch – before joining him on the saddle. They spent the day flying above various places in the forest and the county. As promised, Hiccup gave him a tour of the most beautiful places, but also his favourite ones. They glided above a long mountain chain – the only place filled with snow in this time of the year – they stopped by a particularly windy cliff where birds, but also Toothless and Sharpshot, had fun gliding and floating on the strong ascending wind current blowing there.

They spent a few hours by a beach where they fished their meal, went deep into the forest to find a large glade filled with long grass. Hiccup explained that, by nightime, it was filled with so much fireflies it was drawing streams of light on their path. None of it was visibly by daytime, but it didn’t deter the boys and dragons to race each other by foot. Sharpshot cheated as he quickly took off to zip above the grass, while Toothless had an asset in his four paws so he was winning with flying colours. However, between Jack and Hiccup, the skinny boy proved faster despite his lack of training and muscles.

Hiccup pretended he had let him win, lauching them in a banter fight as Jack insisted it was actually because of his peg leg and Jack’s incredible skills that Hiccup coul d n’t keep up.

By mid-afternoon, they had run out of places to tour, except the last one Hiccup wanted to show Jack. Since the auburnet was so convinced Jack would like this last place, he followed him eagerly in the heart of the forest. They landed a bit farther and resumed by foot since Hiccup didn’t want to spoil the surprise. And the surprise was complete for Jack when they finally reached the location.

Deep in the heart of the forest was a completely unique place. A small glade was surrounded by standing stones circling it. The stones were like guarding sentinels standing high, natural towers protecting and mystifying the glade. Inside the circle, there was not a single tree, making a clear opening on the sky, the light basking the area. Jack silently followed Hiccup and Toothless, mouth agape, nearly breaking his neck as he was lifting his head so he could stare at the giantness of the stones. However, as they passed the stones to enter the glade, Jack stopped.

Pricklings covered his skin, tickling his arms and along his back, rising the hair on his nape. There were strange waves around him, pulsating in the air and reverberating in his chest.

“Wow, do you feel that ?”

Hiccup looked over his shoulder and noticed how t h e boy was lifting his hands to check them, wiggling his fingers while he was analysing this surprising sensation.

“What is it ?” The auburnet hesitated.

Jack glanced at him and noticed how the tamer wasn’t feeling anything. There was only one explanation he could think of.

“This place… there’s something in the air, it’s… it’s…”

Hiccup’s shoulders sagged. “ Yes, it’s magic. ”

Jack froze, eyes solidly fixed on the tamer who was coming back next ot him, looking almost quilty. The boy felt the urge to run away, flee this place, but the prickling was not unpleasant. Actually, it was comfortable, and oddly reassuring. Somehow familiar. It felt like his whole being was awoken, all ears to the waves around him. that’s why he didn’t move, his eyes slowly gazing at the standing stones.

“This place is the center of several local legends.” Hiccup explained, “it’s said to be where a group of druids used to meet and practice magic through potions, and it was the place of worship of the sun and moon. It is also said that there was a few appearances of mystical beings, such as will-o-the-wisps.”

“Why did you bring me here ?”

L ooking back at the auburnet, Jack spotted something near worry in his eyes, whereas the rest of his body languague was saying nothing but determination. Especially his clenched fists.

“Because I think it’s the best place for you to understand what magic actually is.”

Jack took a step back by reflex. He couldn’t hel pit. He knew he could trust Hiccup, especially after he had told him everything about the pond and White the Cursed, but talking about magic… that was too much asking. Hiccup saw his reluctance, stepping closer to hold his wrist. His grip was firm enought to hold him back, gentle enough not to hurt him.

Jack relaxed without realising, his eyes glued to this shine in Hiccup’s own orbs, who was staring right back at him, without any trace of fear. Only that relentless, genuine kindness of him.

“The others and I have met magicians before. Like I told you, magic is rare, but it can manifest anywhere really. You have to understand that magic is not evil, Jack. Only its use can be. And, most of all, there is only two ways of obtaining it : either through a long and tiring training during several years – if not an entire life – either having it since the beginning.”

Jack’s throat tightened as his mouth became dry, his breath getting caught in it. “What are you trying to tell me ?”

Hiccup sighed and let go of Jack’s wrist, his warms fingers brushing his skin as he, instead, took his hand. The way he was holding his hand, so gently, like it could break if he wasn’t careful enough, reminded Jack of the previous night, when he was giving him an anchor while Jack was reliving the most traumatic expirience of his whole life. So Jack knew bad news were coming.

“You didn’t train, Jack, so the only other explaination is that… you were born with it.”

Cold shower. Icy cold shower right on Jack’s face. His whole body tensed and froze, the temperature even dropping around him. He was born with that magic ? So it was confirming his suspicions, the village’s suspicions. He was not born as Jackson Overland, he was born way later, when that other boy had died .

“So…” He gasped, voice and lips trembling, “so I’m not… So I really was born that night at the pond–”

“No, Jack, that’s not what I meant–”

“How do you explain this, then ? I didn’t have these powers before the accident, I was just your average human, everything went down since that night !”

f eeling anger boil inside of him, Jack tore his hand from Hiccup’s, stepping back until he was outside of the standing stones, turning his back on the tamer so he could massage his temples and try and slow down his ragging breath. Not feeling the magical waves anymore left him with an ood empty feeling, but he ignored it.

For a long moment, there was nothing else but silence, only interrupted by the two oblivious dragons whow ere playing and chasing each other, zigzaging between the stones and in the grass. Then a warm aura neared Jack’s back, Hiccup’s voice reaching him, solid but not harsh.

“Jack, I’d like you to listen to what I have to say. No interruptions, and please don’t draw hasty conclusions until I’m finished, please.”

After taking a deep breath in in try to gather his courage, Jack faced him, nodding emotionlessly. Why was he feeling so numb and empty, all of a sudden ?

“I’m going to tell you all that I know about magic.”

Jack a ccepted to listen, without interruptions, trying not to let his thoughts wander and link the new informations to what he had went through. Hiccup sat them in the grass, outside of the circle, and told him everything he had learnt from the few sorcerers the circus had met. It was mainly thanks to Fishleg’s thirst of knowledge they had gathered these informations, since none of the other troupe members had been concerned by it back then.

And what the sorcerers had told them was that those gifted with magic by birth never knew at first they had been. Because, by birth, the magic was dormant. It could awake naturally during childhood, or remain unseen. Some sorcerers discovered their powers pretty much late in their life. And, generally, it needed a push to awake this magic. A threat, a rush of fear or adrenaline, a trigger. A trauma.

“I’m convinced that’s what happened to you, Jack. Your magic was dormant during all your childhood, up until that accident at the pond. This near-death experience has woken up your magic, which protected and saved you. Your people got afraid only because they didn’t know about it, that doesn’t make you a monster. I told you, you’re not a monster, and people tend to reject what they don’t understand. You don’t have to be ashamed of your magic, even less be afraid of it.”

Eye in eye, Jack felt like he had been turned to stone under Hiccup’s unfailing gaze. These green eyes were no waggering, not averting his, not one second. Jack couldn’t see any trace of doubt in it. There was nothing but this genuine kindness and honesty. Again and always this kindness.

“You… You think so ?” He asked, his voice so small and weak, a familiar burning sensation in the back of his eyes.

Hiccup gave a firm nod as a reply, he looked almost angry, as if he was refusing Jack to think otherwise. The boy ended up lowering his head, looking down at his pale palms. Could it really be like Hiccup said ? Had he really had this magic all along, since the beginning ? Now he was thinking about it, Jack couldn’t help but search his memories, trying to find hints. And he found some. Since he was a little kid, he had always been resistant to the cold, he could go barefeet in the snow and never catch a cold. He had also always been fascinated by snow and winter, never afraid of snowstorms. His mother used to say that, when he was so small he couldn’t remember himself, he was always saying that snow was his friend.

“I… I had it in me this whole time…”

It was not a question, neither an incredulous repeat. It was an observation. The hints were proof for him. And despite how this explanation was tearing apart everything he had known and questioning his whole life, everything he had been believing in until then, and everything the villagers had been saying again and again, Jack had no trouble accepting it.

“This magic is not a curse, Jack. Far from it, it’s a gift. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Jack’s tears rolled down his cheeks, but that didn’t prevent this broad, bright smile to bloom in his lips. When arriving at this circle of standing stones, when Hiccup had wanted to talk about magic, he had almost run away, but no he was realising this conversation had brought him so much more relief than he could have dreamt of. A heavy weight had just been lifted from his shoulders, the weight of doubts and fear. It was so freeing, as if someone had just cut the last bounds chaining him to White the Cursed.

Hiccup stepped closer, rising an arm to him. Jack closed his eyes in anticipation, expecting the auburnet to take him onto his arms to comfort him. The much wanted hug didn’t came. Sharpshot did. Popping out of nowhere, the small dragon litterally jumped at Jack’s face, dropping in his arms before climbing on his chest and putting his small paws on the boy’s face so he could lick his cold tears, whining in worry. Jack burst in laughter, especially seeing Hiccup’s dumbstrucj face, then he hugged the Terror close to him, wiping his face on his sleeve.

Sharpshot tilted his head on the side, big eyes looking at him in utter confusion as his beloved human was both crying and smiling broadly. So, to reassure him, Jack gave him a rasperry kiss on the belly, tickling him, chuckling at the small dragon wiggling in try to escape the tickles attack. He managed to slip from Jack’s arms, grumbling a bit and going back to play with Toothless, away from that human madness.

Jack eased his laugher, feeling way more light and free than he had ever be after the accident. Comfortable silence surrounded them while Hiccup and him looked at the playign dragons.

“Wanna unwind ?” Hiccup offered.

Jack’s silver eyebrow disappeared somewhere under his dyed hair, curious and lost blue eyes looking at green ones. Hiccup’s small smile broadened a bit.

“I was talking about your magic. Wanna test it out, see what you can do with it ? I bet you never really had an occasion to do so.”

Jack contempla ted the idea for a moment. It was true he had never tried exploring his magic. He had never tested it, too scared to even use it. He knew he could spread frost on surfaces aroudn him while being carried away by his emotions, the wind was following too when he really was upset, and there also had been that ice explosion which had frost-bit the twins and Snotlout, the first night he had met the circus.

But aside of that, Jack didn’t know what he could do, and where were his limits. Now that he was ridden of the conviction this magic was evil, he had to admit he was curious.

“Is it really okay ?” He hesitated.

Hiccup smirked and opened his arms, vaguely pointing at the glade .

“What better place for this than a magic stone circle ?”

Jack d had to admit he had a point, there. Clenching his fists, he took a breath in and got to his feet.

“Okay.”

“Really ?” Hiccup beamed.

Jack nodded, enthusiasm building up inside of him like bubbles, making him want to bounce on his feet. Thought that enthusiasm dropped as he found himself again inside of the circle. His shoulders tensed and he shrunk on himself, gritting his teeth in embarrassment.

“Something’s wrong ?” Hiccup worried.

“Huh…” Jack gave him a sheepish smile, “I really want to test out my magic, it’s just that… I actually have no idea how to use it.”

Hiccup worry got replaced by a large smile, the way he was bitting his lips and his eyes were shining proved he was trying not to laugh. Jack could have been offended if it had been anyone else, but he knew Hiccup would never make fun of him.

“Not at all ?” The auburnet prompted.

Jack thought about it. He was not used to intentionally draw in his magic, he had only done it twice. The first time to give a small demonstration to the circus troupe, the second time in try to chase away Hiccup and the dragons from the pond, when Burgess’ village was coming for Jack’s head.

“The only times I intentionally used my powers, I wasn’t thinking. It almost worked by itself. Did your wizards tell you how it works ?”

Hiccup kept his smile and shrugged. “ I didn’t really pay attention on this part, sorry. ”

“Great…” Jack mumbled.

Il bit his lip, wrapping his arms aroudn himself. That was just his luck. For the first time he was given permission to use his magic and actually wanted to, but he couldn’t ince he didn’t know how. Hiccup shook his head and joined him, taking the boy’s hands to unwrap this limb cocoon around him.

“I don’t think there’s a manual for this, but I’m sure you don’t need one.”

“How can you be so sure ?”

“You said it yourself : it works by itself. So that must go with your instincts, right ?”

Jack took a moment to think about it. It did make sens, actually. Each time he had been distressed, desperate and had needed help, his powers had somewhat come to his rescue. The wind had blown on him to help him run away from the bullies of his village, it had also answered his call each time he had tried to chase someone away from him. There was also this time when he had tried to protect Hiccup, Toothless and Sharpshot from the arrows of his village, how he had managed to raise a wall of ice, just by the desire of protecting them.

It was not that he knew how to use his powers, that he could give it precise shape with his mind, but this magic was following his emotions and his will.

Keeping this in mind, Jack took a breath in, ready to try. He told Hiccup so, who nodded and let go of his hands, stepping back to give him some space, but still remaining there with him. Jack focused on a steady breath to keep himself calm, taking long, deep breath in and out. He closed his eyes and let his arms hang along his body, his hands slightly apart in case it was working. Cleaning his head off any distracting thought, he blocked out the sounds of the warbling dragons and their rushed stomps of paws or flaps of wings. He only focused on the magical waves of the place. He tried to visualize what his magic could look like if he really could see it pulsing within him. All he could picture was a blueish light in the center of his chest, pulsing in rythm with his heart. He imagines having control on this light, making it grow so it could spread out of his body. He was so focused he didn’t notice the crystal sounds cracking at his feet, nore did he felt the air getting colder just around him.

Only Hiccup’s voice reached him, amazed and cheerful. “ It works, Jack ! I don’t know what you’re doing but it works ! ”

Jack smiled at that, feeling his excitment bubble in him again. That’s when eh felt something brush on his face, like a feather landing on his skin. A cold, wet, really small feather. A surprised gasp coming from Hiccup prompted him to open up his eyes, enabling him to see they were now surounded by snowflakes. There wasn’t much, slowly and gracefully swirling down around Jack mainly. He tentatively lifted a hand to gather some. Hiccup came right in front of him, sparkling eyes fixed on the pale, snowlike palm, then looked up to meet equally sparkling blue eyes.

“You did it !”

Hiccup’s smile got contagious, feeding the bubbling energy in Jack. It encouraged him to try something else. The snow was quite sparse, only localized around the wintery boy, until it tickened with his surge of joy. Hiccup smiled even more, a teasing look adressed to Jack.

“Looks like your powers are linked to your emotions.”

That’s what Jack had thought too. He didn’t know why, surely it was silly of him, but the fact Hiccup and him had drawn the same conclusion made him smile. That thought died as he saw Toothless and Sharpshot stop their race, big round sparkly eyes focused on the snowflakes. It took not much than a shared look and the two changed their game, goign after the snow stars and trying to catch – or eat ? – them. Toothlees jumped and clacked his teeth in the air before dropping back, slipping on the wet grass.

Seeing the green glasse slowly disappear in the white brought back memories to Jack. Snow had always been thick during winter at Burgess, turning into the perfect playfield for children. How many snowball fights had they had in the streets or near the woods ? Emma and him used to love them, and he had claimed himself unbeated master of this discipline.

An asymetrical smirk streched his lips to the left while he got an idea, feeding even more the light snow. Snowflakes gathered to become a thick veil, thick but only contained within the Standing Stones. Hiccup ended up tearing his eyes from the wintery view to stare at Jack. Said boy tried not to laugh seeing all the snowflakes caught in the aubur hair.

“Can I know what you’re thinking about ?” The tamer asked, thought he was still smiling.

Jack shrugged nonchalantly, trying to look innocent and harmless. He burried his hands in his front pocket, turning his back on Hiccup and feigning a stroll.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

He didn’t give him time to brace himself as he quickly bent to pick a handful od snow, swiflt packing it in a ball and throwing it at him. It hit the tamer’s arm, exploding in a white splash making him start.

“That’s one for me !” Jack laughed before running away from retaliation.

Scandalized surprise on Hiccup’s face quickly vanished to give place to a smirk and defiant frown. Hicup picked some snow too, but Jack was too fast for him and, before the auburnet could pack a ball, the boy gave him a glimpse of his accute throwing. The tamer’s yelp caught the dragon’s attention, who spottd their human starting a terrible snowball fight, running and laughing at each other.

Soon, three teams were formed. Jack, more or less helped by Sharpshot who was remaining by his side but was trying to catch the balls instead of avoiding them. Hiccup on his own, nd Toothless who had unshamefully betrayed him by splashing snow on his tamer whereas said tamer thought he was his ally. Hiccup was slowed down by his peg leg, slipping on ice and digging deep in the snow, deeper than his valide foot, while Jack just seemed to float on it, as light as a feather on water. The wind was also on his side, deflecting the attacking snowballs.

Hiccup called on cheating several times, to which Jack simply replied he was using all the assets he had. Toothless was too, using his large wings and his tail to rise waves of snow on them. Jack was aiming right evey single time, having hit Hiccup once in the arm, twice in the chest, and once behind his head. As to Toothless, he had not quite liked receiving the same treatment, so he used his tail to trip Jack and lay him face first in the snow, earning instant reprisals from Sharpshot.

So Jack learnt not to mess with the mighty Night Fury and focused his attacks on Hiccup, who had as much trouble dodging than aiming his target. Jack was soundly beating him, no doubts there. At least, that’s what he thought, until Hiccup managed to sneak behind him and take him by surprise, wrapping his arms around the boy’s waist and sending them both in the snow. That only fed Jack’s giggles, even as Hiccup kept his grip and half-burying him in the white powder, the boy wiggling in try to escape, but not to avail.

“Ready to give up ?” The auburnet asked.

“Never !” Jack retorted, squirming even more, kicking some snow with his feet and sending it on the tamer’s back. “I’m the King of Snowballs, no one can beat me !”

“Looks like ‘His Majesty’ doesn’t have the higher ground here, though.”

“That’s a trick, obviously. I’m only waiting for you to let your guard down so I can use my secret weapon.”

“Are you now ? And what would that secret weapon of yours be ?”

“You asked for it.”

Jack slipped a hand between their bodies and drew it close to his face. With a soft blow, he summoned a single snowflake between his fingers. Jack smirked and knew that Hiccup guessed what he was planning. taht’s why the auburnet quickly jumped back, barely dodging the snowy explosion. He still found himself with iced spikes in his hair, which sent Jack into another laughter fit. The boy clenched his middle and wiggled his feet, rolling on his side. He was even shedding tears of laughter.

Until he noticed something. His giggle stopped as he rose his hands in front of his face, observing them.

“Wow…” he breathed.

“What is it ?” Hiccup asked, now laying beside him.

Jack was too distracted to notice, focused on his hands, wondering at their state. “ I’m not shivering. That’s the first time I’m not after using my magic. ”

“Maybe it was because, this time, you were ready to use it ? And you meant to ?”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Jack lowered his hands, resting them on his belly, his eyes lost in the small swirls of snowflakes still falling around them.

“It’s good to see you like this.”

Jack’s eyebrows shot up as he heard how calm and tender Hiccup’s voice was. Looking to his side, he finally noticed how close they were. His heart skipped a beat while butterflies suddenly filled his belly.

“Like what ?”

“Alive.”

Jack h e sita ted for a bit. The snow stopped falling and the one on the ground already started to melt as his magic received. He looked like he was living again ? No wonder, it was exactly how he was feeling since he had left Burgess, since he had joined the circus. It had taken time, especially at the beginning, but he had made huge progress recently. And he knew he owed it to Hiccup.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

“Come on, no need to thank me,” the tamer grinned.

Jack smiled back, then they fell back into silence and calmness. Both remained like this, laying on the ground, staring up at the sky, listening to so faraway birds chirping and singing while the snow was melting around them, the wetness of their clothes drying gently in the wind. Soon they were back into an ordinary glade, well if you didn’t mind the Standing Stones surrouunding it. Laying like this next to each other, Jack spotted Hiccup’s necklace had been pulled out of his tunic, surely during their wrestling in the snow. When the blue eyes landed on the pendant, the boy tentatively took a hold of it so he could watch it closely.

“What is this ?”

Hiccup sighed in a way that sounded nostalgic, his warm fingers wrapping around Jack’s to turn the medallion around so the boy could see it properly.

“A souvenir.”

Jack didn’t pry. He was curious and wanted to know more, but he didn’t dare ask. Seeing how Hiccup was nostalgic, he suspected it to be a sensitive topic. He tried to tell himself that talking about it would do good to his friend, like it did to him, but at the same time he convinced himself Hiccup had plenty of time to confide in Toothless, or his mother, or the other performers.

“Berk.”

“Hm ?” Jack started and gave a confused look to the auburnet.

It earned him a chuckle and soft smile, which teinted his cheeks with unwanted colors.

“That’s Berk crest,” Hiccup explained. “That’s where me and most of the troupe are from. We were a clan of fierce Viking warriors, and one of the first to make peace with dragons, whereas others used to fight them in war.”

T his information took Jack aback , he had to admit it. “ You… You used to fight dragons ? ”

“Yes, we did,” the auburnet admitted with guilt. “But things changed when I was a teenager and met Toothless. From the moment we made peace, Berk became a wonderful place, for both vikings and dragons.”

Jack smiled as he tried to imagine what it could have looked like. But his imagination had limits and when he was trying to picture a viking riding a dragon, this viking was instantly turning into Hiccup. He was only picturing Hiccup riding Toothless, or Hookfang or Stormfly like he had seen on stage. Picturing the stage raised other questions.

“What happened for you guys to end up here ?”

He barely dared asking. Until then, he had not realised that each member of the troupe must had left home and family to join in the circus adventure. So he wondered what were their reasons to. This question died for a moment as he felt Hiccup’s thumb caressing the back of his hand. Looking him closely, he could see melancolia flooding all his face.

“Peace was not to everyone’s liking. Other clans were too attached to traditions and prejudices to see there was another way than war. Berk got destroyed. We could save most of the dragons, but only a few of us vikings made it through.”

Jack’s heart broke hearing this, a painful pinch filled his chest, making him wonder if he was actually made of ice and had cracked.

“I’m so sorry…”

Hiccup replied with that special smile of his. Without a word, he drew their hands closer to his face and pressed a kiss on Jack’s fingers, unknowingly sending the boy’s heart into a looping fit.

“It was a long time ago,” Hiccup assured.

Jack stared at him in silence, trying to tidy his thoughts. The performers of the troupe were all looking joyful, he had troubles believing they could have such a tragic history, that they had lost home and family too, like him.

“Does this pain ever fade away ?” He asked in a whisper.

Hiccup l ooked at him straight in the eye before answering. He seemed so sad behind that calm face.

“Not entirely, no. With time, it gets easier, we manage to live with it, but we never really forget. And that’s a good thing. We mustn’t forget. We just have to focus on the good parts instead of mourning that it was over. That’s why we called our circus like this, actually. We wanted to keep a part of Berk with us, so we gave it the name of our clan.”

“The Hairy Hooligans ?”

“Quite catchy, isn’t it ?” Hiccup smirked.

“Sounds like you’re a bunch of rogues, no ?”

“Maybe, but it suits our Viking origins.”

“So, you all are from Berk ?”

“Not all of us, but the majority is. Heather and Dagur are from the Berserkers, Mala comes from the Defensors of the Wings, Eret from the Wild Sailors. And you’re from Hawthorne.”

Jack’s heart skipped another beat as Hiccup included him in the list. Surely the boy knew where he was from and didn’t need a reminder, still Hiccup had included him as a true member of the troupe, and that gave him a feeling of belonging like he had never knew before.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19
TO LIVE AGAIN
ᛏᛟ ᛚᛁᚹᛖ ᚨᚷᚨᛁᚾ

After th e ir snowball fight, and even after the last remain of snow had melted and dried, none of Hiccup nore Jack thought about getting up from the ground. They were still laying there, next to each other, finding another activity as they watched the clouds, seraching for shapes in it. Jack was seeing a lot of twisted animals, trolls fighting for a fish, a bear wearing a hat and scarf, all kind of crazed shapes trying to fit the haphzardous clouds. As to Hiccup, ‘surprisingly’, he was only seeing dragons.

Most of them, Jack had never heard about, so he could actually compare the clouds to the real thing, still it didn’t matter since the dragon names were just so funny. Hiccup told him it used to be a tradition among viking : giving stupid, ridiculous names to children to scare off trolls, fairies and spirits, detering them from kidnapping the kids, and it extended to dragons later on. They spent hours talking about dragons and Berk, and Jack learnt more about the place Hiccup was from.

He had troubles believing the part of the story in which Hiccup used to be a scrawny teenager, laughed at and rejected by pretty much everyone. It seemed so far away from the self-confident Hiccup he had next to him, thought he did recognized his friend’s clumbsiness and nervous stutter.

With this new facette in mind, he realised where Hiccup’s kindness and open-mind were coming from. It was coming from loneliness and wounds he had back then. It was said that the kindest people were the hurt ones, and that definitively applied to the dragon tamer. Jack felt a new kind of affection for him, sympathy forged in a shared story, a shared lonely path, thought it was not exactly the same one.

Despite what he had been through, Hiccup was still an optimist and was deeply convinced people could change for the better. Surely because he had seen blood-thirsty warriors make peace wih their enemy.

Trying to light up the mood, Jack asked more details about this name-tradition. Hiccup smirked before giving him a list of samples, picking the worst names even given to vikings and dragons. The boy swore he was going to have a stomach cramp with how much he was laughing. Hiccup joined too, until both noticed the change of colors in the sky, the greyish-blue getting tainted with pinkish hues. Evening was there, soon it would be time to head back to the castle of Broch.