Archive of Our Own

"Someone! Stop that thief!"

It was a familiar sentence for Hiccup to hear. 

Given that they were in the Northern Markets, pickpockets, thieves, and swindlers were an everyday hazard here. Always searching for a distracted target to strike before slipping away in the thick, bustling crowds.

However, most of the others shopping in the market didn't even look up at the yell, content to ignore the commotion unless it affected them personally.

But Hiccup wasn't like that.

Sometimes, he wished he could be. His father and friends definitely wished that Hiccup would stop butting his nose into every problem or concern that came his way. After all, they already had more than enough trouble in their daily lives as Vikings and with fighting Dragon Hunters, but if Hiccup had the power to help someone... he would.

Even if it did bring a fair share of headaches.

Scanning the area, Hiccup quickly caught sight of someone sprinting in their direction with a larger Viking chasing them from far behind. The likely thief wore a tattered cloak that concealed most of their body, save for a pair of bare feet. It was a bizarre sight given the Archipelago's regularly freezing climate, but Hiccup had seen stranger things.   

Beside him, Astrid rolled her eyes, already anticipating her friend's next move as Hiccup lunged forward to block the thief's path.

To the thief's credit, he was remarkably agile, twisting away with a fluid grace that Hiccup had never seen before. It reminded him of leaves dancing around in the wind.

But the agility was short-lived.

The moment the thief threw his weight on his left ankle, he hissed in pain. Looking closer, it was obvious that the thief's ankle was swollen and inflamed.

That single, stumbling hesitation was all Hiccup needed to lunge to the side, snagging a handful of the cloak. He pulled the thief backward, placing a firm grip on their arms and pinning them securely to the spot.

"Not so fast," Hiccup said with a teasing, scolding tone. He reached up towards the hood of the struggling thief. "We don't take kindly to thieves here. Your ankle looks like it hurts, so you really should just give up–"

Pulling off the hood, Hiccup froze.

It was immediate that this person he'd caught was not from the Barbaric Archipelago.

Or at least not anywhere he or the other Dragon Riders had ever explored.

Because Hiccup would've definitely remembered seeing someone who looked like...

This.  

Unlike the giant, heavily muscled builds of the surrounding Vikings, this stranger was... delicate, for lack of a better word. And even shorter and smaller than Hiccup, despite appearing to be a similar age.

The thief possessed a striking, almost ethereal beauty, defined by sharp yet soft angular features that looked as though they had been chiseled from ice. His skin was impossibly pale – a flawless winter-like complexion. Instead of the usual broad and crooked Viking nose, his was straight and narrow as if it'd never been broken before. His nose slanted down to thin, delicate lips that seemed far better suited for a cheeky smirk than his current scowl.

If the thief's features weren't unusual enough, his hair and eyes were utterly...

Fascinating.

Soft, unruly brown locks framed the stranger's face. While that wasn't odd, the strands of white hair interwoven with the brown were. But the strands weren’t white like Gothi’s or other elder Vikings. These strands were... almost silver and reflective in quality? Gleaming like rays of pure moonlight on ice.

Then his eyes... they were the most alluring feature of all.

His eyes were a mesmerizing clash of amber and blue, swirling together with an artistry that Hiccup thought only possible when mixing paint. Maybe not even then.

His eyes were a rich, liquid amber, glowing like golden tree sap caught in the sun. But on top of that amber was a brilliant, glacier blue pattern – perfectly mimicking the crystalline shape of a snowflake. The wispy edges of the snowflake bled outwards like tendrils of frost.  

Hiccup could only stare.

He wasn't sure how much he still believed in Viking myths or Gobber's wild stories of trolls, fairies, vaettir, and other magical creatures, but seeing this person in his arms... he couldn't help but wonder if even the wildest legends carried a grain of truth after all.

Hiccup wasn't the only one to be shocked by the thief’s appearance.

The moment the hood fell away, Astrid and the curious onlookers also instantly locked onto the thief's striking features. Whispers immediately erupted around them, with some of the nearby traders having looks on their faces that Hiccup didn't like. The boy grimaced, clearly wanting to yank his hood back on, but Hiccup's firm grip kept him rooted to the spot.

The thief tried to pull Hiccup's hands off, but the effort was weak. He looked entirely too exhausted to fight back. Up close, dark bruises and smudges of grime marred his pale skin, and he looked like he hadn't eaten properly for who knows how long. It made Hiccup's stomach churn with an unexpected pang of guilt.

There was the sound of someone running up next to them, then victorious laughter.

“G-Got you now, thief!” crowed a large Viking man as he caught his breath. He came up and clasped Hiccup on the shoulder. “Great work, Haddock! I thought you Dragon Riders only knew how to make messes, but it seems you know how to clean some up too.”

Hiccup rolled his eyes. He was about to respond when he heard the thief mutter to himself, but the words that flowed off his tongue were certainly not the Norse tongue.

“Great. Looks like even the fellow troublemakers have it out for me," the thief clearly complained even though Hiccup could not understand a word he said. "I never thought I’d miss being invisible… I can just hear Bunny saying, 'I told you so' now.”

Hiccup stared, even more intrigued now. What kind of language was that? He’d never heard anything like it, even amongst all of his travels across the Barbaric Archipelago and interactions with traders. Maybe Trader Johann would know it?

He’s definitely from outside of the Archipelago, Hiccup thought with certainty. But then he recalled the situation, and frowned. Too bad he’s a thief… otherwise I’d love to ask him some questions about where he's from. If we could even communicate, that is.

Hiccup brushed off the trader's hand, frowning as he had to yank back the thief who tried to use the distraction to run. As he did, Hiccup was immediately confronted with how light the other boy was. He barely felt as heavy as a sack of barley.

I never thought I’d meet someone skinnier than I used to be, Hiccup thought, a faint trace of worry rising up despite himself as he scanned the thief's exhausted and thin form. Maybe he was stealing food? Honestly, he looks like he could use a meal or two. Or a dozen.

“What did he do?” Astrid asked. Her tone made it obvious that she was far less sympathetic of the thief's state, more casually curious than anything.

The Viking trader grinned, showing off yellow teeth and a stench of alcohol that inwardly made Hiccup grimace. The thief very outwardly showed his disgust, uncaring as the trader glared at him before turning back to Hiccup.  

“This little freak stole some of my best merchandise,” the Viking man lamented. “Let loose my entire pen of future workers!”

He held out a hand, clearly expecting for Hiccup to promptly hand over the thief.

However, Hiccup didn’t let go of the thief quite yet. Instead, his eyes sharpened at the man’s words. An uneasy suspicion began to crawl into the dragon rider's thoughts.

“By pen of future workers…” Hiccup began cautiously. “Do you mean livestock? Like he released a bunch of cattle or sheep?”

The Viking man laughed. It wasn’t a pleasant sound, making both Hiccup and the thief grimace. Astrid was watching with caution, her eyes narrowing with a similar suspicion as she adjusted the grip on her axe.  

“Cattle would be far easier to manage!” the trader chortled before glaring once more at the uniquely looking thief. “No, this little fairy-faced bastard somehow freed no less than a dozen of my slaves! Half of them had just become old enough to work!”

The thief snarled. "You bastard. No one deserves to be owned, but kids? You whipped that girl just for crying! And stomped on that boy's hand when he tried to comfort her! If I hadn't lost my staff when Pitch threw me into the past, I would’ve frozen you into a popsicle!"

While Hiccup didn’t understand the thief's words, he absolutely understood what the older Viking had said. A sinking pit filled Hiccup’s stomach.

I just stopped a guy who freed child slaves, Hiccup thought, inwardly kicking himself for not minding his own business for once. I’m a monster.

The slave trader simply rolled his eyes at the thief's unintelligible tirade.

"I swear, no matter how much I whip this one, he never shuts up! Just keeps on speaking in that nonsensical tongue of his. Oh well." The Viking man held out his hand to Hiccup expectantly, looking impatient now. "Hand him over, Berkian. Don't expect a reward for stopping him. I would've caught up to him eventually."

The thief rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. You broke my leg and I'm still faster than you." He sighed, looking painfully resigned. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with..."

However, Hiccup’s hand only tightened around the thief. The faerie-faced boy paused, looking at him curiously.

“Hurry up, boy!" the slave trader demanded. "There's an auction later today that I can't miss. Auctioning off a pretty, foreign freak like this one might make me back half of my investment from the slaves he set loose, but we'll see.”

The Viking man gave a disgusting grin, making both Hiccup and the thief shudder. “Of course... I’ll have to beat some more manners into him first. I'm sure the buyers will understand. They'll thank me even, once they learn what a handful he is."

This time, Hiccup stepped firmly in front of the thief, glaring at the slave trader in warning. He was still holding onto the pale boy's arm, but his grip was loose. If the foreign boy wanted to, he could absolutely break free and make a run for it.

Hiccup kind of wanted him to.

However, the alluring thief just looked at Hiccup with tired, but intrigued amber and blue eyes.

“What do we have here? A fellow heroic troublemaker?”

Again, Hiccup had no clue what the thief was saying, but something about his suddenly chipper tone only made the dragon rider feel more protective.

Does he even know what'll happen to him if I hand him over? Hiccup thought gravely. Given his bruises... maybe he does, but it looks like he still refuses to give in. Even without freeing the other slaves, I can tell he’s one to make trouble. Slaves who make trouble… don’t survive.

(Or worse.)

Hiccup remembered the first time he’d seen slave owners come to Berk. While Stoick did not like… employing… slaves, sometimes Berk had no choice. Especially in winter when all the damage caused by dragons could lead to starvation and villagers freezing to death if not enough work was done as soon as possible.

At the time, Hiccup had been young. Not even seven years old.

He hadn’t understood why these people were in chains. Or why they’d be randomly whipped for no clear reason. They had all looked exhausted and in pain, with bruises and injuries covering their body, but no one would give them a break. The food and water they ate was even worse than what was given to the yaks, but the slaves still gobbled it down desperately.

Most members of Berk wouldn’t even look at them. They'd keep their children away, turning their heads away and pretending that nothing was remiss as they went about their daily lives.  

What had haunted Hiccup the most was the eyes of the slaves.

Their eyes burned with a numb terror. A depth of despair Hiccup had never witnessed. Not even from warriors facing the crushing jaws of a monstrous dragon.

But it was the eyes of the older slaves that had bothered him the most.

Their stares were hollow pits.

Broken down by a cruel world until no shred of hope remained.

Lifeless.

They... they looked like the corpses after a battle. But with a lingering, breathing horror that somehow made their living state infinitely worse.

And no one seemed to care.

Or if they did... they just looked away in the end.

The treatment of the slaves had seemed bizarre to Hiccup. Even if he was bullied and ostracized for being so small and weak, he'd still grown up in a village where, despite all the inner grudges, they always worked to protect one another. Stoick had tried to keep Hiccup from going near or watching the slaves, but also hadn’t refused his questions when asked.

“They’re slaves, son,” Stoick the Vast had said with surprising heaviness and solemnity. The kind he only spoke with when counting up the dead after a battle. “They do not get to choose their lives.”

Hiccup still hadn’t understood.

But in the following years, and his travels across the Archipelago... he’d grown to understand the grave reality of what his father had meant.

Of what being a slave meant.

The idea that this thief – with his bright, beautiful, and defiant eyes – would be beaten down again and again until he became just another broken, hollow shell...

Hiccup couldn’t stand it.

"You’re not getting him," Hiccup said firmly, seeming to shock both the slave owner and the pale boy alike.

Astrid looked a bit exasperated, but ultimately not surprised. She already knew how much Hiccup despised the slave trade. How he couldn't turn away when he saw any form of injustice.

But while they could fight Dragon Hunters all they want, fighting against the well-established slave trade of people was… much more complicated.

Fishlegs had run the numbers. Ten percent of the Barbaric Archipelago was run on slavery. Slaves were apparently ‘essential’ for the economy and work.

(Apparently, it was unfathomable to get by on your own hard work or the paid work of others.)

Ironically, while most Vikings were willing to listen to Hiccup’s pleas about allowing dragons to remain free and treating them with compassion, they got extremely defensive and even violent at the thought of liberating their slaves.

Partially, it was probably because dragons were far more dangerous and difficult to control than humans. Unless you had strength like Hiccup’s father, you could just slap a pair of chains on a slave and barely have to worry about them ever escaping.

(Plus, humans were a lot easier to harm without retribution in comparison to a rampaging dragon.)

But mostly, Astrid had said it was because most slaves were prisoners of war, criminals, or descendants of either. A slave's work, and the work of their children, was seen as an honorable way to make up for their past crimes.

Hiccup saw no honor in it. Slaves were treated as personal property. No, worse. People were upset when they broke a plate or one of their yaks hurt their foot.

With slaves… they’d scoff.

Or even yell at them for causing 'trouble'.

It was sickening.

Maybe I can’t stop the slave trade, Hiccup thought. But it doesn’t mean I will just walk away now. No one deserves to live and die in chains. Especially not someone whose crime was saving others.

"I'm not handing him over," Hiccup said firmly.

The slave trader's eyes narrowed. "You looking to steal my merchandise too, Haddock? You might get by with stealing dragons, but your 'heroics' aren't going to fly with me, boy."

A part of Hiccup wanted to immediately say "Yes, I am stealing him", but Astrid threw him a warning look.

If Hiccup stole a slave, they'd be banned from the Northern Markets. It didn't matter that it was a cruel practice, or that this 'thief' was probably just some innocent foreigner unlucky enough to be caught by slavers. Only the slave running away and Hiccup's defiance would be recognized as a crime.

Being banned from the Northern Markets would make it very difficult when gathering information on the Dragon Hunters and resupplying the Edge... but Hiccup would be able to manage.

However, it wouldn't just be Hiccup and the Riders who were punished.

All of Berk would probably be banned as well since Hiccup was the well-known heir of Stoick of Vast. This slave trader would probably also use this as an excuse to extort Stoick for every piece of gold he could in order to 'smooth things over'. Maybe he'd even use this as fodder for their enemies to run Berk's name through the mud.

(And they had a lot of enemies.)

Hiccup glanced at the thief, wondering if he would be able to run again if the dragon rider were to conveniently lose his grip entirely.

But while the pale boy watched the standoff with sharp curiosity, his physical exhaustion was undeniable. The bruises on his face and his swollen – likely broken – ankle looked even worse than before. And that wasn't even counting the injuries that were surely hidden beneath the tattered cloak and clothing. It was a miracle that the young man had been able to run and go so far with such injuries as it was.

Maybe the pale boy would be able to escape if Hiccup let go... but maybe not.

Even worse, with exotic looks like his... it was unlikely he'd be able to avoid capture for very long.

There would be nowhere a foreigner this striking could blend in. Not with hair and eyes like that. And unlike Hiccup and the Riders, most people would gladly hand the pale boy back to his masters than offer him a place to hide or rest.

Or even sell him themselves.

Hiccup clenched his teeth.

I hate it. But hating it won't help this boy now.

"I... am willing to pay," Hiccup forced himself to say. "Name your price."

In the corner of his gaze, Hiccup saw the thief's eyes widened. Maybe he did understand some of the Norse language?

At Hiccup's words, the slave owner moderately relaxed. He studied Hiccup with consideration before giving him a look up and down. He leered, making Hiccup's skin crawl.

"Ah, I guess I shouldn't be surprised," the slave trader said with a sickening yellow grin. "You are at that age, after all. The little faerie-faced bastard is more trouble than he's worth, but he's a pretty, exotic thing, isn't he? Once he's been beaten down enough, I'm sure he'd do whatever you want."

Hiccup clenched his teeth harder, but he forced himself to speak as calmly as possible.

"Price."

The slave owner laughed. "So impatient, Haddock! And here I thought you Berkians were too proud for such things. Now, as you've heard, the boy's caused me quite a bit of trouble..."

It took quite a bit of bargaining, mostly done by Astrid as Hiccup became too angry to speak, but they eventually came to a... compromise. It required Astrid to run off and find the rest of the Riders to pool together all their money – Snotlout was sure to whine about this later – while Hiccup waited with the slave owner and so-called thief.

"Glad we could come to a fair price!" the slave owner said with a slimy smile.

The slave owner had looked a bit annoyed at how Astrid had haggled him down, but there was no denying he'd gotten at least ten times what a normal slave would cost. They'd also had to pay for the cost of the other slaves that the thief had freed as well as other 'damages' incurred during that time.

(Hiccup would definitely have to cut down on his inventing funds for a while... his everything funds, for that matter.)

"Right," Hiccup said with gritted teeth.

"Oh!" the slave owner exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering something. He reached into his side bag, bringing out a pair of iron shackles and chained collar. Hiccup immediately wanted to throw up. "You'll be needing these–"

"Yeah, no," Hiccup said firmly, standing even further in front of the faerie-faced slave. But he knew the pale youth must've seen the chains given the way he tensed. "I'll be fine on my own."

The slave owner looked at him like he was a naive child. "Pretty arrogant for a little hiccup, aren't you? You might be an expert at breaking wild dragons, boy, but this slave has caused me more trouble than any dragon has, I'll tell you! I don't want Stoick the Vast to harass me later, saying that I didn't give his heir the proper tools to contain his prize."

"I'm not taking the chains," Hiccup hissed, unable to hold back any longer. "Listen here, you miserable scum. What you do is vile. But if you're going to trade human lives for profit, the least you could do is treat them with the bare amount of dignity. They're people."  

The slave owner scoffed, looking heavily insulted. "They're slaves. Not people. And this little foreign bastard isn't even one of our own, so what do you care?"

"It doesn't matter!" Hiccup shouted, getting the full attention of the onlookers now. "I don't care where he's from, he doesn't deserve to be treated like this! No one deserves to be treated like this!"

"Wow, he'd fit right in with the Guardians," the boy murmured. "I wasn't expecting a knight in dragon armor when Pitch sent me to this terrible time, but I'm not complaining. And he's rather easy on the eyes now that I’m looking, isn't he? Then again, heroism has always been attractive. Case in point, me."

Hiccup glanced at the thief, wishing more than ever that he could understand what he was saying. More than that, he wished he knew whether or not the pale boy understood a single word he was saying.

What if Hiccup tried to take him away, and he freaked out and tried to run again?

The pale youth deserved to be free, but freedom in the brutal Barbaric Archipelago without the proper weapons, resources, and allies was... a death sentence.

Maybe Hiccup was a bit conceited to think he was capable of offering that kind of protection, especially with how hectic his life was in fighting and being chased by Dragon Hunters. And even if he could explain such things, why would this foreigner have any reason to trust him?

To the pale youth, Hiccup was just another slave owner.

He'd already watched Hiccup hand over all the gold on his person as a 'down payment' – further proving his 'sale'.

But Hiccup... he didn’t know what else he could do.

Fortunately, the pale teen didn't look like he was about to run. He looked closer to falling asleep than anything. A bone-deep exhaustion seemed to be quickly catching up with him. As well as the pain of his injuries, if the grimace on his face was any indication.

He's probably freezing cold too, Hiccup fretted as he studied the pale boy's tattered cloak and still bare feet. If we weren't extremely out of money, I'd buy him better clothes. Or at least shoes. It'll have to wait until we're back to the Edge and can tailor our clothes to fit him... if we can even get him back there. It's going to be hard enough to convince a terrified slave to come back with us with the language barrier, but onto a fire-breathing dragon too? Has he even seen a dragon? Does wherever he comes from have dragons like we do?

Hiccup forced the mounting questions out of his head. Now wasn't the time to indulge in his endless curiosity for the world outside of the Barbaric Archipelago.

(Even if, for once, the answer could prove quite useful.)

Fortunately, it was then the heavy thud of boots announced the return of Astrid and the rest of the Dragon Riders. As expected, Snotlout looked very sour as he dumped out all of the gold in his pouch into Hiccup's hand, but he also didn't object. Not even once.

His cousin would complain and hold this debt over Hiccup's head forever, but when it came down to it, Hiccup knew that Snotlout hated slaver scum just as much as the rest of them. He'd even punched a few, though he always claimed it was an 'accident' afterward.

(Those were some of the few times Hiccup was extremely proud to have Snotlout as his cousin.)

The slave owner slowly, meticulously counted every coin – much to the annoyance of Hiccup and the other Dragon Riders. Tuffnut and Ruffnut even seemed to be whispering about how they were going to tie him up in a tree if he took any longer.

(If they did... Hiccup would definitely look the other way.)

However, finally, the slaver put the payment into his own, now bulging, coin pouch. He grinned broadly, giving a mocking bow to Hiccup.  

"Pleasure doing business, Heir of Berk." He dangled the chains, making the thief flinch behind Hiccup at the sound of the rattling. "Are you sure you don't want–"

"No!" echoed Hiccup and the rest of the Riders.

The slave owner seemed a bit surprised at the others chiming in, but he just sneered and turned around. He walked very quickly, as if worried that Hiccup would change his mind and demand to return the 'troublesome slave'.

The only thing that Hiccup was debating was whether or not he and the other Dragon Riders should come back later and secretly cause a few mishaps in the slave owner's business. It would be a huge risk... but probably worth it.

When Hiccup glanced back at the pale boy, seeing his tired, bruised faced and broken ankle, he thought it would be very worth it.

Hiccup breathed out, trying to calm himself now that the slave trader was gone. Then again, this might be the most difficult part of the situation yet.

"So... got a plan?" the slave asked, raising a tired eyebrow. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he didn't try to run. "Or can I go? I could really use a snowbank to heal in. Or at least a tree to sleep in. I probably need to get pretty far from this place too if I want to avoid any more slavers. You guys have way too many slave owners in this time period. Or maybe I just attract them somehow. Sounds like my luck."

Fishlegs's eyes widened at the foreign language. "I don't recognize that language! He really must be from outside of the Archipelago–"

Snotlout snorted. "Oh, please. You don't need to read any of your boring books to know that, you numbskull." He gestured wildly at the boy's face. The slave didn't flinch, just raised a single eyebrow. "Just look at him! He's a complete freak!"

"Snotlout!" Hiccup hissed, looking at the boy apologetically. However, it seems that the slave really didn't understand what they were saying because he only looked amused. "Outsider or not, he's now our responsibility."

Tuffnut groaned. "You're telling me. I had my eye on a very nice yak-herding whistle, but then Astrid stopped me! Said that we needed to donate all our gold to your newest 'pity project'!"

Hiccup sent a look at Astrid. She shrugged unrepentantly.

Ruffnut nodded solemnly. "It was a very nice yak-herding whistle." She looked at the slave quizzically. "I wonder if he can herd yaks..."

Hiccup glared. "He is not your servant."

"Isn't he?" Snotlout asked in a drawl. "Regardless of your bleeding heart, you could only buy him with our money combined."

Hiccup huffed, putting a hand to his face. The other hand was still holding the boy's wrist. His alarmingly small, delicate-looking, and soft skin wrist.

"You know I'll pay you back, Snotlout."

"Obviously," Snotlout said, rolling his eyes before smirking. "But if you really want this slave all to yourself, I'm going to be expecting a daily interest– ow!"

Hiccup glanced over to where Astrid had smacked Snotlout across the head.

"Thank you, Astrid."

"Anytime," Astrid quipped, but she also looked very serious. "But, Hiccup, repayment aside, I think we have more important things to discuss." She glanced over at the slave, looking suspicious. "Or, rather, to try and discuss. Has he spoken our language at all?"

"No," Hiccup shook his head. He turned to the pale boy, finally letting go and trying to keep his movements as gentle and careful as possible. "Can you understand me? Can you speak our tongue?"

The pale teen studied him for a moment.

"I can, but I think it'd be better to keep pretending that I don't," the slave said, still in that strange language. "You seem pretty decent so far, but we'll see."

The other Dragon Riders stared blankly at the slave before turning back to Hiccup.

"Was that a no?" Fishlegs asked hesitantly.

"It sounded like a no," Tuffnut chimed in.

"Or maybe an explanation on how to cook mutton," Ruffnut said thoughtfully. "I doubt he's as good of a cook as Heather, but we'll see."

Hiccup sighed, wondering what he got himself into now.

He didn't regret it though.

"We'll worry more about the language barrier later," Hiccup said finally. "If nothing else, we can try to teach him."

"Teach?" Astrid's eyes widened. "Just how long do you expect to keep this guy with us, Hiccup?"

"We can't just leave him on his own!" Hiccup protested, gesturing at the injured youth. "Just, look at him."

They all stared at the unnaturally beautiful and unique foreign boy. Then nodded in unison.

"Oh yeah, that'd be a mess," Tuffnut agreed. "He wouldn't be able to go ten feet without causing a scene."

"And that's coming from us," Ruffnut said with a nod. She peered at the boy closer. "Whoa, his eyes are so cool!"

Fishlegs looked closer too, eyes widening. "That's incredible! I've seen individuals with two different eye colors, but nothing like this! It's as if Odin himself drew snowflakes in his eyes! And his hair, is it dye? How is it mixing between colors like that? It can't be natural, can it? Oh, I wish I could ask him–"

Snotlout pouted, crossing his arms petulantly. "I'll never understand how Hiccup finds all the pretty ones..."

"Stop crowding him!" Hiccup scolded, waving his hand and making the Riders back away. He looked at the pale boy apologetically. "I'm sorry about them. They're... a handful, but I swear they mean well. They won't hurt you."

Something must have translated because the boy grinned.

"Sounds like fun! You're definitely better company already than the jerks I've been dealing with for the past few months."

Hiccup relaxed. At least the boy didn't seem scared. If Hiccup was in the foreign boy's situation where he'd been stopped from escaping, bought, and then surrounded with a screaming herd of chaotic Vikings... well, Hiccup would definitely be freaking out. The boy's composure was honestly impressive.

Suddenly, Fishlegs let out an empathetic hiss. "Ooh, we need to get him bandages for that ankle. And look over his other injuries. With the way he's leaning, I'd bet his ribs are hurt too. If not more."

Astrid gave a nod, but also frowned. "If he really can't understand us, how do you expect us to do that? If I was him, I wouldn't let my new 'master' or his friends touch me for any reason."

"Do not call me that," Hiccup scolded. "As far as I'm concerned, he's a freed person."

Snotlout raised a brow. "A freed person that we're keeping with us."

Hiccup flushed. "J-Just until we're sure that he can speak our language! And won't get captured by slavers again!"

Snotlout snorted, rolling his eyes. "Maybe the language thing is possible, but the latter? There is nowhere in the Archipelago this guy is going to be able to go and not have people trying to capture him. Or worship him as a demigod or something weird like that."

The pale boy looked worried at that. Or maybe his exhaustion was just taking over.

"We'll figure it out," Hiccup said firmly. "Let's just do one thing at a time."

He turned back to the boy, hesitant to touch him again. But how else was he supposed to take him with them?

Suddenly, Hiccup wondered if the boy had bruises from where he'd caught him earlier. His skin definitely looked like it injured easily, and Hiccup hadn't been... as gentle as he should have been at the time. The idea made him feel even guiltier.

As well as determined to make things right.

"I'm not sure how much you understand," Hiccup said again, ignoring the way Snotlout let out another snort. "But we're not going to hurt you. We want to treat your injuries, and then we want to take you back to our base."

The foreign boy only stared back. Hiccup slowly reached out. He wasn't sure if he was happy or not that the pale teen didn't resist, letting Hiccup carefully take his hand and pull him towards the forests where they'd left Toothless and the other dragons.

Hiccup tried to ignore how unexpectedly cool and soft the pale boy's skin felt against his own. The pale teen's palms carried distinct calluses, hinting at a regular familiarity with some sort of weapon, but also lacked the rough, weather-beaten dryness that characterized the skin of every Viking in the Archipelago.

Another point to him secretly being a fairy, Hiccup thought, trying to find some lightheartedness in the situation. Or at least from somewhere else with far different weather. Or maybe he's secretly a noble prince who lived a life of luxury before getting shipwrecked here. The possibilities are... worryingly endless.

Snotlout huffed. "I just want it known that this is a bad idea that's going to blow up in our face later."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Thank you for your amazing insight, Snotlout."

Snotlout puffed out his chest. "Obviously– ow!"

Hiccup snorted as Astrid smacked Snotlout again. He turned back to the foreign teen, trying to look as calm and kind as possible.

"Right now, we're heading back to our dragons," Hiccup said before taking on an apologetic tone. "Unfortunately, all of our medical supplies are in our packs with them. Are you okay to walk that far? Or do you want one of us to carry us?"

The other boy's eyes widened, but there was no indication of whether her understood or what he wanted.

"Dragons?" the pale boy said in a questioning, but excited tone. "I've heard they're common in this era even for non-magical folk, but that jerk slave owner called you a Dragon Rider? That was literal?"

Astrid glanced over, frowning at the slave's ankle. "His foot is looking pretty bad... and where's his shoes?"'

Fishlegs frowned. "Maybe they were taken away by the slave owner? To make it more difficult for him to run away?"

Astrid snorted. "Not that it seemed to help. If Hiccup hadn't caught him, Snowflake here would've been on the other side of the markets by now."

Hiccup winced. "Thank you for reminding me of how I stopped an innocent person from escaping."

Astrid snorted, but gave Hiccup a sharp look. "Snowflake here might have freed other slaves, but that doesn't mean he's innocent, Hiccup. We know nothing about him. For all we know, he's only pretending that he doesn't understand a word we're saying."

"You're too suspicious, Astrid!" Ruffnut chortled. "We're amazing conversationalists! If he could understand us, he'd definitely be talking!"

"Yeah," Tuffnut agreed. "Who wouldn't want to talk to us? That's crazy talk."

Astrid's expression fell into a deadpan. "I take it back. If he is pretending, he's smart. Because it means he doesn't have to converse with these idiots."

The twins protested dramatically, but Hiccup just let out a chuckle.

"There's a lot we don't know," Hiccup agreed. "But we can just learn along the way. I doubt he's a threat."

Astrid gave him a sour look. "You never do until it blows up in our face. Literally, most of the time."

The pale boy snickered, making them all look at him curiously.

Astrid huffed. "He definitely understands some of what we're saying, but it's impossible to say what. Meanwhile, we still know nothing about him. Not even his name."

Hiccup was about to object before pausing. He stopped walking, making the boy also pause and look at him curiously.

"My name is Hiccup," Hiccup said, gesturing to himself. "Hiccup. Can you... tell me your name?"

The pale teen stared at him for a moment before tilting his head.

"I'm Hiccup," the dragon rider repeated, really wanting to get this across for some reason. "Not master or whatever else the slave owner would’ve told you to call me or anyone else. Hiccup."

"...Hiccup," the pale teen repeated finally.

His accent was thick, tripping slightly over the syllables and butchering the pronunciation in a way that made Fishlegs wince and Snotlout snort rudely.

And yet, hearing his name roll off the boy's tongue made Hiccup's heart skip a beat. He felt... captivated by the sound. Like he could listen to the foreigner speak all day, likening his voice to that of chimes in the wind.

Swallowing, Hiccup gestured to the boy, hoping it was clear the wanted his name now.

The young man pointed at himself. "I'm Jack. Jack Frost."

"...J-Jokul?" Hiccup tried, struggling to repeat the foreign sounds. "Jokul Frosti?"

The faerie-faced boy snickered and shook his head.

"Jack."

"J...Jayck," Hiccup said finally. "...Jack?"

A strange, warm flutter kicked up in Hiccup's chest as Jack's expression lit up completely. His bright smile turning eager and brighter than ever before.

It was a far cry from the frigid resentment and caution his eyes had shown earlier when Hiccup had first captured him.

Hiccup smiled back, something inside of him settling. Nothing had changed, not really, but he suddenly felt like... they would be able to figure things out. He wasn't sure what he'd gotten his team into, or what chaos this 'purchase' would inevitably bring the Dragon Riders in the future and vice versa, but he still knew he would make the exact same choice all over again.   

"Nice to meet you, Jack."