There were few things Hiccup Haddock disliked more than dragon trappers.

Unfortunately, dragon trappers seemed equally determined to dislike him.

It was a rather mutual arrangement, really.

And judging by the state of the vessel currently rocking beneath six very irritated dragons, that arrangement wasn't likely to improve anytime soon.

"SNOTLOUT! THE SAILS! NOT THE ENTIRE SHIP!"

"WHAT? YOU SAID DISABLE IT!"

"I SAID DISABLE, NOT INCINERATE!"

A tremendous burst of flame erupted from Hookfang's jaws, swallowing the upper rigging in a spectacular display of orange.

Hiccup groaned.

"Oh, brilliant. Wonderful. That's exactly what we needed."

Above the chaos, Stormfly shrieked as Astrid swooped past the mainmast, sending a volley of spines into the mechanisms of the remaining ballistae. Wood splintered, iron buckled, and several trappers abandoned their weapons altogether.

"You're welcome!" Astrid called.

"Yes, thank you! Very helpful!"

A short distance away, Fishlegs and Meatlug had successfully blocked the vessel's escape route, the Gronckle hovering stubbornly beside the damaged rudder.

Meanwhile, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were doing something involving a tangled fishing net, three terrified trappers, and an increasingly enthusiastic Barf and Belch.

Hiccup decided not to ask.

Some questions were better left unanswered.

"Right, bud. Let's finish this."

Toothless answered with an eager growl.

A brilliant blue plasma blast struck the final operational ballista, reducing its firing mechanism to smoking wreckage.

The battle was nearly won.

Most of the trappers had surrendered, several were attempting to hide, and the remaining few were rapidly discovering that fighting six experienced dragon riders was a remarkably poor career decision.

But the ship's hold remained unexplored.

And judging by the muffled roars beneath the deck, there were still dragons waiting to be freed.

Hiccup guided Toothless down onto the battered vessel, boots striking the damp wooden planks.

"Astrid! Keep an eye on the crew! I'm checking below!"

"Don't do anything stupid!"

He flashed her a crooked grin.

"Wouldn't dream of it!"

"That's what worries me!"

Toothless snorted.

"Not you too."

Together, they disappeared through the hatch.

---

The sounds of battle dulled as Hiccup descended into the hold.

Above, the occasional crash of splintering timber and shouted orders still echoed through the ship. Below, the air was heavy with salt, damp wood, and the unmistakable scent of frightened dragons.

Hiccup's expression darkened.

Iron cages lined both sides of the passage, their occupants shifting restlessly behind reinforced bars. Chains rattled against wooden beams. Somewhere in the darkness, a dragon released a low, miserable whine.

"Yeah, I know," Hiccup murmured, approaching the nearest cage. "We're getting you out. Just hang on."

Toothless pressed his snout against the bars, offering the imprisoned dragon a reassuring chirp.

Hiccup worked quickly, breaking open the first lock before moving farther down the passage.

"Fishlegs!" he called toward the hatch. "We've got quite a few down here!"

"I'M COMING!" came the distant reply.

A particularly loud explosion followed.

"...AS SOON AS THE TWINS STOP DOING WHATEVER THAT IS!"

Hiccup sighed.

"Fair enough."

He continued forward.

Then stopped.

At the far end of the hold stood a cage unlike any of the others.

It was enormous, constructed from thick iron bars reinforced with additional plating. Heavy chains were wound around its frame, and several locks secured the door. Deep scratches scarred the surrounding timber, while the floor bore signs of considerable damage.

Hiccup frowned.

"That's... a bit excessive."

Toothless approached cautiously, ears lifting as he studied the strange enclosure.

Hiccup stepped closer.

And froze.

There was someone inside.

Not a dragon.

A person.

For several seconds, he simply stared.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

His disbelief quickly sharpened into anger.

"Oh, that is low. Even for these people."

He approached the bars, crouching to examine the locks.

"Hey."

His voice softened considerably.

"I'm Hiccup. That's Toothless."

The Night Fury gave a small rumble beside him.

"We're not with the trappers. Actually, we're sort of the reason they're having such a terrible morning."

A faint, crooked smile crossed his face.

"Anyway, I don't know what their excuse is for keeping you in here, but I'm fairly certain it's not a good one."

He reached for the tools at his belt.

"Let's see what we can do about these locks."

A sharp metallic click sounded as he inserted a pick into the first mechanism.

"DON'T!"

The shout tore through the hold.

Hiccup jerked his head toward the stairs.

A broad-shouldered trapper stood at the bottom of the passage, one hand clutching his bleeding forehead. His clothes were torn, his breathing ragged, and his face had gone alarmingly pale.

"Step away from that cage, Haddock."

Hiccup blinked.

"...Sorry, are you giving me orders?"

"I'm warning you!"

"Yes, I gathered that from the shouting."

The trapper staggered forward.

Toothless immediately stepped between them, lowering his head with a threatening growl.

The man stopped dead.

Hiccup rose slowly, keeping the lockpick between his fingers.

"Look, I've had a very long morning, and I'm not particularly interested in taking advice from someone who makes a living kidnapping dragons."

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it."

The trapper's eyes flicked toward the cage.

Something in his expression changed.

Hiccup had encountered plenty of dragon trappers over the years. Angry ones. Violent ones. Men who threatened him, cursed his name, and swore they'd mount Toothless's head above their fireplaces.

But this man wasn't angry.

He was terrified.

"That cage stays shut," the trapper whispered.

Hiccup's jaw tightened.

"Funny. You people seem awfully fond of saying that."

"Please."

That stopped him.

Not the warning.

Not the threats.

The please.

The trapper swallowed hard.

"You came here to save dragons, didn't you?"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"That's generally the idea."

"Then take them. Take the whole damned cargo. Burn the ship if you want."

A strained silence followed.

"Just leave that cage alone."

Hiccup stared at him.

For once, he didn't immediately have a clever response.

The man was willing to surrender everything.

His cargo. His vessel. His livelihood.

All to keep one prisoner behind bars.

"...Why?" Hiccup finally asked.

The trapper said nothing.

"Why shouldn't I open it?"

Still nothing.

Hiccup's patience thinned.

"Right. Well, that's very convincing."

He turned back toward the lock.

"HADDOCK, PLEASE!"

The trapper lunged forward.

Toothless snarled, his jaws parting as a faint blue glow gathered in his throat.

"Toothless, easy!"

Hiccup stepped back, one hand raised toward his dragon.

The trapper stumbled to a halt.

And then, from above, came another voice.

"HICCUP?"

Astrid appeared at the bottom of the stairs, axe in hand, her expression immediately sharpening as she took in the scene.

"What happened?"

"Apparently," Hiccup replied, gesturing toward the trembling trapper, "I've committed the terrible crime of trying to unlock a cage."

Astrid glanced toward the enclosure.

Her expression shifted.

"...Is that a person?"

"Yep."

"Why are they in there?"

"Excellent question. I've been trying to get an answer."

The trapper looked between them, breathing hard.

"Don't let him do it."

Astrid turned.

"Do what?"

"Open it."

Something about the man's voice made her pause.

Hiccup noticed.

"Astrid..."

"Hiccup, wait."

He exhaled.

"Not you too."

"I'm serious."

She studied the trapper, then the heavy chains surrounding the cage.

"Look at him."

"I am looking at him."

"No. Really look at him."

Hiccup fell silent.

The trapper's hands were shaking.

His face was bloodless.

And despite Toothless standing only a few feet away, despite the chaos overhead and the fact that his entire crew had effectively lost the battle...

His eyes remained fixed on the cage.

Astrid lowered her voice.

"Hiccup, I don't trust him either. But I've never seen a trapper look this frightened of anything."

A dull crash echoed from the upper deck.

"SNOTLOUT!" Fishlegs shouted somewhere above.

"IT WASN'T ME!"

"IT WAS ABSOLUTELY YOU!"

Under different circumstances, Hiccup might have laughed.

He didn't.

His gaze returned to the cage.

Then to the trapper.

"You're asking me to leave someone imprisoned," he said quietly, "and you won't even tell me why."

The man opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Hiccup shook his head.

"Then you're not giving me much of a choice."

"Hiccup," Astrid warned.

"I know."

He did.

That was the irritating part.

He knew something wasn't right.

The reinforced cage. The excessive locks. The trapper's desperation. The complete absence of anything resembling an explanation.

Every instinct told him there was more to this than he understood.

But he'd spent years watching people call dragons monsters simply because they were frightened of them.

He wasn't about to make the same mistake with a person.

Not without giving them a chance.

Slowly, Hiccup crouched beside the lock again.

The pick remained in his hand.

He didn't turn it.

Not yet.

Instead, he lifted his gaze toward {{user}}.

"All right."

His expression softened, though his eyes remained attentive.

"I've heard his side."

A faint, humorless smile tugged at his mouth.

"Well, I've heard him attempt to have a side."

Behind him, Astrid shifted her grip on her axe.

Toothless remained close, watchful and silent.

And the trapper...

The trapper looked as though he might be sick.

Hiccup tilted his head.

"So, how about yours?"

He raised the lockpick slightly.

"Because I'm finding it a little difficult to believe that an entire ship full of dragon trappers is terrified of one person."

A brief pause.

"Although, admittedly..."

His eyes flicked toward the trembling man behind him.

"...you're making a rather interesting first impression."