Author's Note:

Sorry for taking so long with the chapter!

Thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter!

Time to find out if it was a trap...

With the moon acting as their lantern, they charged across the plains, Hiccup leading them to the North of Berk. Careful to avoid the farmsteads and late-night travelers, he kept them away from the roads.

With the town's shadow falling over them, they hitched their horses beneath a ridge and set up a defensible position.

Bedrolls laid out in a circle, they left the comfort of their camp and climbed to the top of the ridge, settling down in the dried grass.

Leaving Eret to keep watch, Snotlout, Heather, and Hiccup turned their eyes toward the town. Peering through binoculars, Berk twinkled like a lighthouse amongst a dark ocean. From their spot, they could see the town center, string lights dangling from building-to-building to illuminate the streets below.

Many of the stores were closed, but people milled around on the cobblestone streets, enjoying the warm night air.

Hiccup zoomed in, his binoculars focusing on the government building situated at the end of the street. Centered in a grassy courtyard, construction workers were putting up the final touches of the hanging gallows.

"There." Hiccup said, pointing toward the building. "They're building the gallows."

The other two shifted their focus, eyes landing on the same platform.

"Flyers everywhere," Heather mumbled.

On every corner and entrance to the town, a man in a black and red uniform stood, gun in hand.

"What can you see?" Eret asked.

Hiccup offered the man his binoculars.

Settling on the ground beside them, the dried grass crunched and snapped as Eret put his weight down. He looked where Hiccup directed. Then, with a quiet whistle, he lowered the binoculars. "That's a lot of men. What did this Dagur fellow do to piss so many people off?"

"He killed half the town's police." Snotlout said.

"Set the place on fire, too," Heather added. "He caused the distraction that helped us escape."

"Regardless, Governor Haddock loves revenge. He loves shows like this." Hiccup said.

"It's like they're taunting us." Heather seethed, her hands gripping her binoculars tighter.

"So they're expecting us. What do we do now?" Eret asked.

Shaking his head, Hiccup sat back on his heels, boot spurs digging into the hard ground. "No, I don't think they're necessarily expecting us—"

"—guards are everywhere. Of course, they're expecting us!" Snotlout hissed.

"No, but they are taunting us." Hiccup said. "Governor Haddock is smart. Smart enough to know that Viggo treats everything like a game and smart enough to know that Viggo wouldn't risk himself for Dagur."

"So, what's his endgame then? If he knows Viggo wouldn't attempt a rescue, what's the point of all these men?"

"It's a show," Heather said, catching on. "A warning to other outlaws that this is their fate if they mess with Berk."

Hiccup nodded. "It makes the people of Berk feel safe. But Krogan is there. I know it. And he'll be looking for us."

"He won't find us," Heather said firmly. "A high-ranking man like him is likely asleep at this hour. We should slip into the jail and grab Dagur while they're sleeping."

"We don't even know if Dagur's there." Hiccup said, shaking his head.

"Where else would they be keeping him?"

"Governor's Hall. There are cells in the basement."

"So we don't even know where he is

there are guards on every street corner?" Snotlout groaned. "Great. That's just great!"

Heather stood up, dusting grass and dirt from her front. "I'm going down there and finding him."

Hiccup grabbed her wrist, pulling her to a gentle stop. "You'd be shot on sight, Heather."

Ripping his arm away, she walked down the ridge, taking her rifle from its holster on Windshear's saddle. "We're wasting time just sitting here, Hiccup."

"We don't even know what we're facing. Just wait, Heather. Please." Rubbing his hand across his jaw in anxious thought, he stared out toward the lights of Berk. Beneath his fingers, peach fuzz tickled his palm.

In his mind, he saw the posters from Basheem. No doubt, it would be the same, if not worse, in Berk. He looked back toward Heather. Her dark hair was braided over her shoulder in the same manner as the day they attempted to rob Berk. If she were to be spotted, she would be killed on sight. "We need to know what we're facing. Then we can rescue Dagur." Hiccup stood up, turning to offer Eret a hand. "Eret can go to town, get us an accurate idea of how many men they have and where Dagur is being held."

"Won't they be suspicious of a stranger riding into town this late?" Eret asked, pulling himself up.

"There's a hanging tomorrow. I'd bet my last leg the town is full of people coming to watch. One more stranger won't draw attention."

"Saloons full," Snotlout commented, peering through his binoculars at one of the brighter-lit buildings. The only one still on the ground, he sat up, brushing his front of the dust that had pressed into his vest.

"I…I suppose we can wait." Heather said, "But just until Eret gets back and we know what we're up against. Dagur only has so much time."

"It's fine." Hiccup reassured. "We'll get him. Don't worry." He joined Heather at the bottom of the ridge, a comforting hand resting on her shoulder. "Eret, it's early enough that walking into town shouldn't turn heads. Go straight to the saloon, order a drink or two, and keep your ears to the ground. Nobody gossips like drunks."

"Aye, Chief," Eret said, unhitching Skullcrusher. "I'll be back before the sun is up. You can count on it."

"Good. Then we'll get Dagur out and Berk will never see us again. It's a big Archipelago after all."

"And Hiccup?" Eret asked, looking down at him from Skullcrusher's saddle. "Try to get some sleep, yeah?"

xXx

"You guys are really unpopular in Berk," Eret said, his cheeks flushed. Walking with a relaxed swagger, he arrived back at camp before the sun had risen, just as he had promised. In tow, Skullcrusher followed dutifully, looking tired and annoyed with his new human.

Hiccup yawned. "Tell me about it." Stretching his arms above his head, he sat up on his bedroll. "How much did you drink?"

"Enough to be believable."

Eret hitched Skullcrusher with the other horses and settled onto the grass beside Hiccup's bedroll.

"What did you see?" Heather asked, sitting up from her own bed. A thin blanket fell around her and her hair stood out at odd angles, but her blood-streaked eyes showed that she hadn't slept in his absence.

"Security is everywhere. In the bar, on the streets, at every entrance to the town. Flyers, lawmen, bounty hunters…even a few soldiers. And your faces are plastered all over the place." Eret dug through his satchel, producing two posters. On the yellowed paper, the same black and white images from Basheem were printed.

"Any posters of me?" Snotlout asked, entering the lantern light, his rifle slung over his shoulder from where he had been keeping watch.

"No, none for Snotlout," Eret said. "Though I did see a few posters for somebody named Snothat…Is that a relative of yours?"

"What? Why! I…It's Snotlout! Snotlout!"

"Oi. Oi. Oi." Hiccup monotoned, grabbing Snotlout by his elbows and pulling him down onto the bedroll beside him. "Did you get eyes on Dagur?"

Eret shook his head. "I scoped out the jail, but I don't think he's there, Chief."

"So if he's in the Governor's Hall, what do we do?" Heather asked.

"Hiccup can break him out." Snotlout volunteered.

"No, Hiccup cannot." Hiccup replied quickly. "We're not going anywhere near the manor."

Heather opened her mouth to argue, but Hiccup's glare was so absolute that she shrunk back. "Then what do we do, Hiccup? How are we going to get my brother?"

He didn't have an answer for her.

Sitting in uncomfortable silence, the three of them kept their gaze on Hiccup. Lost in thought, he stared past them into the darkness.

It was a fool's errand to even attempt to break into the Governor's mansion. He knew every room and window and stairway of the house and he still didn't feel comfortable attempting a break-in with Krogan and his Flyers using the place as headquarters.

He knew Dagur's cell would be in the deepest part of the manor, likely guarded with men armed to the teeth.

Furthermore, the manor was likely where Stoick was. And if his father were to catch one of them…if his father was to catch him.

If only there was a way they could steal Dagur when none of them would expect it…

Hiccup ran a tired hand through his mess of hair, pushing it out of his face. Then, looking quickly to Heather, an idea formed. "Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" He repeated.

She nodded. "Of course I do. But what is this about?"

"I know how we're going to get Dagur, but it's going to be risky."

"What's the plan?" Snotlout asked, scooching closer to Hiccup.

"They'll have Dagur guarded every moment until he's on the platform with the noose around his neck, right?"

"I guess so?"

"So," Hiccup started, eyes lighting up as his thoughts whirled faster than his words. "It doesn't make sense to try and break into the governor's hall. There are too many guards and even if we made it out with Dagur, we'd have to fight off the entire town."

"So what's your plan? We can't just leave him there."

"My plan is to get him before they pull the lever. It's when they'll have their guard down and our best chance to strike—I'm sure of it. We get him down, disappear into the confused crowd, and we're gone before they realize who we are."

"One problem," Snotlout said.

"What is it?"

"How do we get him off the platform?"

"Someone shoots the rope." He said as though it was obvious. Around him, the faces of his friends were a mixture of confusion and shock. "We'll have someone—probably Heather—planted in the crowd to grab Dagur when he falls, and we'll have another person ready with the horses."

"And who's going to take the shot? If they miss it's game over." Snotlout said critically.

"Hiccup should take the shot," Heather said. "He's our best marksman by far."

Snotlout scoffed.

The gang gave him a hard look.

"Snotlout, do you want to take the shot?" Hiccup asked.

"…No, but I think it's unfair to place such a high burden on one member. Think of the pressure, Hiccup!" He said crossing his arms.

"Can you make the shot, Chief?"

Hiccup nodded. "I'll make the shot. Just be in position when I do."

xXx

Walking through the streets of his childhood home, Hiccup had never felt more like a stranger. He had lived in Berk for so much of his life and yet, he felt as though he were visiting the town for the first time.

The dirt and cobblestone streets beneath his feet were unfamiliar and the people who pushed their way toward the city hall were strangers.

Keeping Toothless to Hookfang's right, Hiccup and Snotlout had slipped in with the crowd, right under the nose of the Flyer who was stationed at the gate.

"I've never seen it so crowded before," Snotlout said, eyes wide and elbows tucked close to his body as led Hookfang through the crowd.

"That's because you've only ever been here to rob the place." Hiccup whispered back.

"Yeah, but I didn't even know Berk had this many people!"

"They're not all from Berk. Merchants and tourists flock to towns like this when there's a hanging."

"You mean this a normal thing?"

Hiccup shrugged, shoulder brushing against Toothless's neck. "The crowd is bigger than normal—probably because it's Dagur. But yeah, people love watching these things. Dad used to make me attend them all the time as a kid. Said it was important that those who make the laws are there to see justice carried out. I always hated it."

"Your dad made you watch people being hanged? And I thought my dad was bad!"

Brushing off the conversation, Hiccup turned down a side street, the sounds of merchants pushing their wares filling the air. "The larger crowd is good, though. Fewer people looking our way. More people to get lost in, more people to block the path of the law when we run away."

They passed by a bakery, the warm smell of freshly baked bread filling the air. Outside, picnic tables had been set up and families were eating their lunch. Children, hands full of sweets, darted in and out of the store, laughing as they waived between people's legs and dodged horses' hooves.

Snotlout, catching Hiccup staring at them, put an arm on his shoulder. "Does it look familiar?"

"The town?"

"Mhm."

Hiccup shrugged under the weight of Snotlout's arm. "I mean…between Dagur and I, we burnt down a third of it…But yeah, I suppose. Some of it. I recognize the streets and store names and some of the people…" His eyes fell to the end of the street where the blacksmith's forge was located. The closer the walked toward it, the louder the beating of a hammer grew. "But…I also feel like it's a different town. With different people. It's not my town. Not anymore." He took a shaky breath, the beating of the hammer too loud for his ears. Grabbing Snotlout, he pulled him into an alley, leading him to a new street, away from the blacksmith. "Other times...It feels like someone will recognize me at any moment."

"No one's going to notice you." Snotlout comforted. "You worry too much. You need to focus on the mission. It would be really embarrassing for you if you missed and Daugr chhhk!" Snotlout pantomimed someone being hung.

"I'll make the shot." Hiccup said bitterly, swatting at Snotlout's hands until he stopped his choking noises.

Snotlout clasped Hiccup on the shoulder. "Besides, with me beside you, no one would waste their time looking at you."

Despite himself and despite their circumstances, Hiccup laughed. "Yeah, okay, Snot."

The closer they walked to the main street, the thicker the crowds became. With their horses, it was becoming too difficult to push through the streets. So, pulling them to a stop behind the last building on the street, Hiccup handed Toothless's reins to Snotlout. He pulled a scoped rifle from the saddle. Tucking it over his shoulder, he patted Toothless. "I think it's best we split up here. I can get a good vantage point from the roof. Just make sure when I whistle, Toothless can get to me."

Snotlout nodded, tucking his hat down to hide his face, fingering his shirt collar for his handkerchief. "I got it. Be careful, Hiccup, okay?"

One arm on the fire escape, Hiccup reached out, embracing Snotlout's forearm tightly. "You too, Snot."

xXx

Constructed in front of Berk's city hall, the gallows stood as a symbol of justice and retribution for the people of Berk.

Spectators swarmed to the hall's courtyard, bodies packed in as they pushed closer and closer to the wooden platform. Fathers lifted their children to sit on their shoulders to offer a better view. Merchants weaved through the crowd, carrying baked goods and freshly cooked meats.

On the edges of the crowd, uniformed men kept order.

Stationed on the roof, directly across from the gallows, Hiccup could see them all. Settling in on his stomach, he put the scoped rifle into position and looked down the sights. Near the front of the crowd, Heather's familiar black hair could be seen. Positioned in the front, she would be the easiest for Dagur to recognize.

Toward the back of the mass, Hiccup watched as Eret leaned casually against a lamppost. The trapper was watching the armed guards, likely keeping a mental tally of where they were and how many there were.

Swinging the barrel of the gun around, he looked toward his former home where tall trees led up to the manor. Through the trees, he could see Krogan leaned against one of the marble columns. Tanned hat shading his face, the man appeared relaxed as he waited. Across from him, an empty transport wagon sat, the door to the cell opened in preparation.

Anxiety prickled at the back of Hiccup's neck. Like little mosquito bites, the fear of failure bit at him. Fighting back the feeling, he watched Sheriff Hofferson and his deputy appear from the side of the manor, the bound form of Dagur in their arms.

Wrists tied and a sack over his head, the outlaw could only struggle as they pushed him down the granite steps and into the transport wagon. Haphazardly tossed, Dagur scrambled to his knees, likely yelling obscenities at the men.

Einar climbed into the front of the wagon, his deputy banging the butt of his gun against the cell before joining him.

Words unheard were exchanged and Krogan pushed off from the column, climbing into the saddle of his horse. Then, the reins of the wagon were whipped and the carriage darted forward, Krogan and two of his Flyers following behind.

Hiccup lifted his black handkerchief to cover his face, breathing in the familiar smell of the fabric and using it to steady himself. Adjusting his position, he turned away from the oncoming wagon and focused on the gallows.

His eyes scanned the platform, looking for his father. "Where is he?" Hiccup muttered to himself, eyes darting to the crowd. At nearly seven feet tall and with a bright, red beard, his father was not the kind of man who could slip by unnoticed.

Cheers from below told Hiccup that the wagon had reached the city, and as the crowds parted to allow the transport to the platform, his father appeared from city hall. Dressed in a formal suit, he looked older than Hiccup remembered. His face was wrinkled and grey streaks ran through his breaded beard.

Following at his side was Astrid. Ax holstered on her back and pistols hanging from her waist, she looked more like a savage bounty hunter than the daughter of a respected lawman. Her lips moved, speaking quietly to Stoick.

Whatever she had said caused the man to laugh and he clapped her on the back as they ascended the platform together.

Standing at attention on the gallows, Astrid's cold eyes surveyed the crowd with diligence. If anyone were to notice Heather in the crowd, it would be her…

But despite himself, Hiccup grinned, imagining the look on Astrid's face when—if—they were able to accomplish their mission. Stealing Dagur right out from under her nose…In his mind, he could see the wrinkles on her forehead as her brow furrowed and he could see the whites of her teeth as she curled her lips up in an angry snarl.

Eyes like ice, hidden beneath the blonde silk of her bangs, burning into his back as he rode away…

Hiccup shook the thought from his head, admonishing himself for getting distracted.

In the courtyard, the wagon had come to a stop, Krogan's Flyers ordering the crowd to step back as Einar rounded the wagon to unlock the cell.

Hiccup moved his scope to focus on the wagon, watching as Dagur was grabbed by Einar's solid hands and pulled from the cell.

Clothed in rags, Dagur looked thinner than Hiccup remembered him, but the purple tattoos that were scattered across his pale flesh assured him that it was really his brother.

"Murderer!" A voice from the crowd called.

"Thief!" Came another.

Hiccup saw a flash of grey fly through the air, striking Dagur on the side of his head. The rock thudded to the ground, and Hiccup swore under his breath in fear that Heather would rush from the crowd to protect him.

Undefended, Dagur dealt with the blow on his own.

Einar pushed him toward the stairs.

With blind, clumsy steps he ascended the gallows with less fight than expected, though Hiccup could see his hands wringing behind his back as he struggled to find a way out of the ropes. Positioned over the trap door, Dagur's chest heaved as he came to a halt.

To a roar of applause, Einar ripped the canvas from Dagur's head, revealing the carrot-topped outlaw to the crowd. Squinting against the sun, he stared out into the throng of people.

Through his scope, Hiccup took Dagur in; cuts and bruises riddled his face but amongst the scruff and the hard-edges and the bruises, he still cut an imposing figure on the gallows, instilling fear in the people of Berk.

The crowd's applause turned to quiet anticipation as Dagur glared out at them and Stoick stepped forward.

"Today, Berk gets justice!" Stoick shouted arms spread and a proud smirk on his face. "This man, stands before you a thief, an arson, and a murderer. He along with the rest of Viggo Grimborn's ilk brought destruction upon Berk and today we get justice."

Hiccup's eyes stayed on Dagur. His eyes were hard, his shoulders shifting as he pulled at the ropes. Then, as though a weight was pulled from his bones, Dagur's face relaxed. Green eyes frozen on the second row, he had found Heather amongst the crowd.

"…But the people of Berk are good and hardworking. We have overcome trial after trial and…" Stoick's voice droned on, Hiccup zoning in and out as he cleared his mind in preparation for the shot.

Snotlout was right about the pressure. Hiccup felt like he was drowning. Stones tied to his ankles, he was pulled deeper and deeper into the water. He worried about missing the shot. He worried about his friends who were relying on him to get them out of this town safely. He worried about his father finding him…He worried about what his father would think of him.

Subconsciously, his eyes roamed to Einar's hands, where the hangman's noose rested.

"Dagur Oswaldson," Stoick boomed, pulling Hiccup back into focusing on his brother. "Before Odin and the people of Berk. I, Stoick Haddock, sentence you to hang by the neck until dead for your crimes. Do you have any last words?"

Hiccup, unable to hear Dagur's response, raised the scoped rifle, eyeing down the sights.

Einar lowered the noose over the man's head, tightening the knots at the base of the neck until Dagur's look of anger became a look of panic. Suddenly, it was very real for him. Hiccup watched his eyes dart between Heather and Einar.

Stepping to the side, Einar's hands gripped the wooden lever, and with the roar of the crowd at its peak, pulled it forward, dropping the trapdoors to send Dagur to his death.

Breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth to settle the spinning world, Hiccup took his shot.