Chapter 3: The Hours After Midnight

The rest of the evening had gone by fast for Hiccup. The Mead Hall was not much different from the one back on Berk, besides it being smaller and less formally built since it was meant for an informal audience of mainly teenagers. Gobber's promise that the turkey would be the best part of the dinner meal was indeed no lie, and Fishlegs was one of the first of the Hooligans to fall into quick love with the food. Soon enough the twins and Snotlout were ravishing all that they could get their hands on as well, even trying to nab a secret stash back to their respective Viking huts. They had stuffed their fur coats full of them, making them look bigger than usual- - and lumpier. Hiccup wasn't surprised that Gobber found them out easy, before they even left the Mead Hall, as it was near impossible to pull the wool over that old Blacksmith's trained eyes.

Otherwise nothing else all too exciting happened during supper. Hiccup had sat among his friends, as most of the tribes had done, not quite wanting to integrate with the other teenagers. A fistfight just two tables away from theirs nearly broke loose between a helpless-looking fellow and one of the Meathead Tribe's teenagers, one which Hiccup recognized as Beckett's "stocky crony" from the bonfire, which fried Gobber's nostalgic mood as he had to literally tear the large boy off of the rather terrified one. Even though the encounter did not directly affect the Berkian teenagers, the six of them shared uneasy glances about how impulsive the Meathead had shown himself to be, and Hiccup hoped that because the crony was one of Beckett's friends he wouldn't be trying to provoke any of them.

The Vikings were filing out of the Mead Hall in one large group, although pretty much everyone stuck around their tribe-members. They dispersed into separate ways once the steps leading down the Mead Hall ran out into three dirt paths through the woods, one that led back to the bonfires while another path led to the Viking huts, the remaining going deeper into the woods where Gobber pointed out was a hiking trail.

"It goes throughout the majority of the woods area, and there's even a nice swimming lake that you'll be able to participate in later on in the weeks." The Berk Blacksmith was explaining to the teenagers as they walked down the steps from the Mead Hall. "It goes around a few miles, but if you keep turning to the trails on the right you will circle back around to the bonfires; so don't worry about gettin' lost."

"That sounds fun," Astrid commented, looking to her group of friends for approval.

The boy Thorston nodded his head rapidly. "Yeah, we should hike down there sometime."

Gobber chuckled. "There ain't no bedtime at this here Viking Camp; if you Vikings-to-be want a little adventure through those trees, have at it. I'm going back to the bonfire to catch up with some ol' friends- - jes' don't stay up too late, ye hear? All of you will be on your toes tomorrow."

The six called out obedient acknowledgements at Gobber's exit, the bulky Viking limping after the rest of the crowd down the bonfire path. As soon as he had disappeared with the rest of the Vikings, Ruffnut broke the comfortable silence between them by fangirling about the meal they had just finished.

"Okay, am I the only one freaking out right now? That food was so good! So much better than the boring mutton back on Berk!"

Slightly surprised yet getting just as excited as her, Fishlegs said with a little hop, "I know, right? We should definitely start raising turkeys back at home. That would be so great."

"Sure," Tuffnut added, but he sounded much less enthusiastic. "…as long as someone else has the job of caring for them."

"You know what else would be great," interrupted Snotlout, who was looking rather impatient and uninterested in the conversation, "For all of you to stop talking! Come on, who wants to go back to the bonfire with me?"

The twins crowed their agreement and Fishlegs nodded, not looking as if he cared one way or the other. Hiccup was about to comply too but paused when Astrid shrugged in disagreement. "Eh, I don't know guys. I think I'm going to hike down the trail; you know, to get a look around the camp, find the perfect place for axe throwing…"

Hiccup, feeling like he'd rather be with Astrid than left alone with the other four teenagers, quickly spoke up in support of her idea. "Hey, what a coincidence; I was thinking the exact same thing." He looked to the rest of the Berkians. "What do you guys think?"

"Yeah, I like that better." Tuffnut admitted. Ruffnut agreed with the new plan as well, and Fishlegs only went along with it so that he could stay with the majority of their group. The five turned expecting glances Snotlout's way, and the Jorgenson groaned in defeat.

"Fine. But my bonfire idea? Still good."

Under the shine of the moonlight, the six friends hiked their way down the hiking trail, walking deeper into the unfamiliar woods that circled past the Mead Hall in places they've never been before. For a while they resorted to silence, taking in the environment and enjoying the light evening breeze as well as the beautiful picture of open stars above. Throughout the journey Tuffnut found some poison ivy and tried wrestling Ruffnut into it, but the girl twin ended up throwing her brother into a thorn bush instead, giving them all something to laugh good-naturedly about. After Tuffnut had plucked all the thorns off his body they continued with their hike, filling the gaps of quiet with their jokes, laughter, and small talk. Never did Hiccup imagine that they would be able to have so much free reign, considering the adults couldn't care less where they went in the camp no matter what the time of day was. Hiccup was about to mention this to Astrid when Fishlegs had abruptly stopped walking, attracting the other's attentions.

"Did you guys hear that?" he asked quietly, standing stock-still as he only moved his eyes frantically into the dark woods on either side of the trail.

Really loudly Tuffnut responded, "Hear what?" only to get smacked across the mouth by Ruffnut to shut him up.

Snotlout shushed the two violently then tensed. "Listen…"

The six held their breaths, and just when Hiccup was starting to wonder if Fishlegs was only imagining things from his fear of the dark they heard the crackling of a twig go off in the shadows, a few crumble of leaves and undergrowth confirming to them all that someone- - or something- - was walking through the forest very slowly, and very close by. Fishlegs started to whimper and the twins darted to look left and right to identity what it was. Snotlout held his breath while Astrid tensed, preparing for a struggle if it turned out to be anything dangerous. Hiccup didn't dare blink or breathe as he waited for the inevitable to happen to them all.

At that moment three shadowy figures from behind the group leapt out of the woods, releasing blood-curdling screams. The Berkians shrieked and leapt away from the figures, namely Fishlegs and Snotlout who were closest to the invaders. Further up the path three more figures crawled out of the pitch-black forest onto the path, trapping the six dragon riders between them all, making strange growling noises and lifting their arms to seem bigger and more intimidating. While the twins, Fishlegs and Snotlout squealed uncontrollably at the unexpected attack, and Astrid looked plainly shocked, Hiccup started to frown at the figures, recognizing one of them when they stepped into the moonlight.

"Guys," Hiccup started, not taking his eyes off the one person as he tried calming his friends down. "Guys!" It proved fruitless, however, when his calls were drowned by their screams. However Astrid put her attention to Hiccup and started to realize what he had seen, too, but before they could do anything about it the shadowy figures that surrounded them all started to transform their growls to howls of cruel laughter- - the kind of I-just-played-a-joke-on-you cruel laughter rather than the kind of I-am-going-to-kill-you-and-enjoy-it cruel laughter. This turn of event caused the Berkians to seize their cries immediately, their fears being replaced by utter confusion. And, just as Hiccup and Astrid had discovered, the familiar face of Beckett appeared in front of the rest of the Meatheads, who had all dispersed past the Berkians to the head of the trail by their tribe's heir with tears of laughter rolling down their faces.

"That was incredible," Beckett said with a superior gleam in his eyes. "Who knew that Berkians had such girly screams?"

Tuffnut, wanting to retain some dignity said, "If that's the case, it must've been Snotlout you heard." He earned quite the punch across the arm from the Jorgenson for that comment.

Astrid looked furious, and she looked ready to rip the Meathead's head clean off his neck. "What is wrong with you Vikings? Do you have any idea how late it is?"

"That just makes the joke even funnier," Beckett reasoned calmly. "Besides, I had to get 'Snotlout' back, being my new enemy and all…"

Hiccup, although still bewildered from the situation, felt more irritated than anything at this point. He gently pushed Astrid back so that she wouldn't be tempted to smash a rock over Beckett's nose and stepped in front of his friends. "Oh, would you knock it off? We never meant to cause any trouble with you guys in the first place." His friends gave him surprised looks, not expecting him to confront the Meathead. But they quickly recovered and joined Hiccup's side, instantly voicing their agreements to back him up.

Beckett also appeared off-guard to be stood up by a runt. He looked tempted to laugh, but instead he leaned forward, his expression unimpressed. "And who," he demanded quietly, "are you?"

Hiccup felt a terse wave of insecurity and felt himself blushing, beginning to regret bringing attention to himself. He stuttered, his face turning even redder when the five Meatheads behind Beckett started sniggering at his doubt. Thankfully the Berkians did not put up with any of their rudeness, and turning the favor over to Hiccup they proudly presented him forward with their chins sticking forward.

"Oh, he's only Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son of Stoick the Vast, heir to the throne of Berk." Astrid stated with a challenging look in her eyes. Snotlout nodded and put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, glaring at Beckett with a guise that said, 'Whatcha gonna do about it?' Ruffnut and Tuffnut crossed their arms, nodding their approval while Fishlegs shot reproachful glances at the opposing teenagers. Hiccup did not look very excited at the prospect of being placed in the center of attention, but he did deeply appreciate the support his Berkian peers were giving him; just a few months ago, he never would have imagined them being proud of him as their chieftain heir.

However Beckett was still not moved in stature. He frowned deeply and shook his head, his expression still radiating off with a feeling of superiority. "You're the heir of Berk?" He then snorted in amusement. "Can you even lift a fork?"

Astrid tore her way in front of Hiccup and stared Beckett down. "Can you keep your ugly mouth shut?" she retorted furiously.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, lass," Beckett eased, his smile not leaving and his friends not stopping their laughter. "I'm just making a joke."

"You wanna talk about jokes now?" Snotlout snapped, also pushing to Astrid's side. "Cause I've got a lot of jokes I can give you- - and you're the punchline!" he cracked his knuckles to make his point.

Beckett took a step away from Snotlout, his amusement turning to disgust. "Hey, watch it! An heir deserves some space."

Hiccup could hardly believe how quickly their situation had escalated. He tried to break the two groups apart with a few futile exclamations when Tuffnut reciprocated with a growl, "If an heir deserves some space, then maybe you'd give our heir some more respect."

Beckett shot a hateful look Hiccup's way. "If you ask me, he doesn't even deserve to be an heir."

That was when the two opposing groups snapped. The Hooligans were just about to attack the Meatheads when Hiccup broke between the teenagers, holding his arms out at either side. "Stop!" he shrieked.

Surprisingly it had the desired effect and the Hooligans backed down, but Beckett and the Meatheads still looked tense. Hiccup continued, sounding rather breathless. "Look, pointlessly arguing in the middle of the woods won't solve anything; it's due time we headed back, and cleared our heads."

Beckett did not appreciate the way Hiccup's words gave the Hooligans recognition of his authority. He noticed in shock that even his own tribe members started to calm down because of him, making his anger burn even more. However he was at a loss as what to say, and settled for staring coldly into the smaller boy's eyes, though Hiccup did not look at all frightened- - he was just calm, and it frustrated Beckett beyond end.

In silence the two tribe groups traveled down the hiking trail together, though they refused to join ranks. Every once in a while Beckett would catch Hiccup's gaze, trying to provoke him with that challenging superior gleam, but Hiccup would only focus on where he was walking and ignore his unspoken threats. He hardly cared about what Beckett thought of him at this point; all that Hiccup was moved by was how his friends had stuck up for him. It meant so much more to him than they would ever know, and that was all that had mattered to him at the moment.

It took probably half an hour before the bonfire clearing was in sight, only the fires were out now, leaving just a bed of ash behind in each pit. Beckett summoned the Meatheads to follow him away from the Hooligans once they entered the clearing, adding over his shoulder to them as a passing threat, "This isn't finished." They then dispersed towards the Viking huts.

Hiccup jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Astrid's grin. "Hey, that was really cool that you managed to control the Meatheads," she said approvingly. She then added, looking slightly guilty, "Sorry that I almost lost my head at them; that Beckett-guy just makes me want to slice my axe across his throat."

Hiccup chuckled slightly and looked down, absently staring at his prosthetic leg. "Yeah… thanks." He had wanted to thank them for standing up to him, too, but his words were caught in his throat and he couldn't bring himself to say anything else. He just hoped that his grateful smile was enough to give them the message.

Ruffnut suddenly stretched her arms in a yawn. "Well… I'm drained. See you guys tomorrow." She started to walk in the direction of the girl's huts, tapping Astrid's arm as she went. "Coming with me?"

Astrid nodded and followed in her step, looking to the boys one last time. "Night, guys," she said before leaving in Ruffnut's step. "See you at breakfast!"

Hiccup watched Astrid go, a rather stupid dreamy look lingering on his face for a moment. He shook out of it when Fishlegs, Snotlout and Tuffnut started to exit the bonfire clearing back to the huts where they figured Gobber was waiting for them since no one was down there anymore. He went to catch up with them, his stomach tightening in anxious excitement at the urgent want for the next day to come. Even though he was sure to hate the activities of the Viking Camp, he was elated that he would be spending it all with Astrid and the rest of his friends. The only regret he had was that he couldn't have Toothless with him.

It took a little while for the boys to remember which hut was theirs. They had traveled to the wrong one at first, having walked clear inside the room only to discover a group of strangers staring at them as if they were the dumbest Vikings in the world. The four had just as awkwardly left and went searching again, and thankfully Fishlegs remembered Gobber mentioning earlier that they had 'hut four.' So, using only a few more minutes, the four boys had finally found the correct sleeping quarters and went inside, Snotlout having peeked his head in first to make certain it was theirs. Seeing Gobber and their familiar bedding and belongings, they entered the hut in single file, only realizing there were several familiar teenagers in respective bunks after Tuffnut had shut the door behind them.

"Ah, you're back," Gobber greeted; he was running a rag across his prosthetic hook while sitting on his bed, his helmet placed idly beside him. He gestured briefly to the rest of the room where the waiting teenagers were for the Berkians to see. "I've been told you've already met."

And as luck would have it, there in the room before them was Beckett and his five cronies, all sitting in the last few bunks left for them to choose, looking at the Berkians curiously as if the encounter in the woods had never happened. Fishlegs gave the Meathead boys a wide-eyed look while Snotlout and Tuffnut stared back at them with scowls. Hiccup glanced from his friends to the Meatheads uncertainly, his previous hopes about not running into trouble with them again being flushed out of his mind.

The Berkian boys reluctantly stepped to their individual beds, Snotlout and Tuffnut refusing to defuse eye contact with them. However they had to for a few moments when they settled themselves in their own bunks, yet returned to stare again, Tuffnut even twitching a crazy eye a few times, making one of the Meatheads cringe. Fishlegs and Hiccup didn't bother with the pointless staring contest and simply settled themselves in their respective bunks, waiting for Gobber to finish polishing his hook and douse the lanterns hanging off the room walls.

Beckett had his bed on the top bunk that was placed in the center of the room, where Snotlout was residing on the bed underneath him. Hiccup knew that was never going to end well since the two had started off on a bad note. To the far left corner of the room Tuffnut was sleeping on the top bunk and Fishlegs below him, so that wasn't much of a problem for them, but the bunk next to them against the same wall resided two of the Meatheads, who had introduced themselves as "Hairyfist," the bulky one on the top, and "Oscar," who was skinnier yet still tough-looking on the bottom. A Meathead named "Erling" was above Hiccup on the far right corner and the last bunk on the right side held "Grid" on the bottom and "Gangar" on the top. Soon after making these observations Hiccup glanced up to attention once Gobber blew out the lantern lights and blackness fell upon them all in the hut. He started talking to them in the dark.

"Ye ain't allowed out after the lanterns are out," Gobber forewarned with meaning in his tone. "…unless you need to get to the outhouse. But you'd better come straight back here afterwards, or there will be consequences."

The old Blacksmith made move to climb into his bed and go to sleep. A thick silence settled between the teenagers, all feeling detached with the darkness keeping them from being able to see anything around them. However as time gradually started to slip by Hiccup could hear people starting to snore, the first being Gobber's unmistakably heavy breathing and the next few unidentifiable under the cover of night. Hiccup tossed and turned in the corner of the room, unable to get himself to fall asleep. He could not get his mind off Berk, as he couldn't help but wonder what his dad and Toothless were doing at that exact moment. He wondered how they were getting along in the village and if Toothless was still able to get his daily flying exercises during Hiccup's absence. The mere image of the two he left behind made his heart twist and he found himself missing their presence already. As quietly as possible, Hiccup rolled the upper part of his body over the edge of his bed, reaching an arm down to the floor where his bag was with his belongings stashed inside it. After a bit of fumbling around he find what he was looking for and pulled out the red jewel that was encased between two curved rings, the locket which his father had given him at the docks before they left, and thinking back on it Hiccup felt like it had been forever ago rather than just that morning. He enclosed the red jewel in his fist and moved back on his other side, facing the wall and closing his eyes. His dad was half-right on what he said about the jewel; Hiccup never knew his mom, but it did make home feel a little bit closer.

A/N: This seems slow-paced to me, so I hope it wasn't boring for you guys. Originally this chapter was going to take place in the Mead Hall during the first meal at the camp, but I had such a hard time coming up with a good scenario of how "The Confrontation" would play out in that setting, so I dropped the ball. I really wish I could have shown it in that scene, but the plot just would not fit with it. The next chapter is going to include a lot more action, I promise.

Thanks for reading- - please drop a review so I know if people are actually reading this; I don't mind if it's short. :)