PART 1: A STORM ON THE HORIZON

Chapter 1: Treacherous

Alvin the Treacherous stood on the edge of Outcast Island, watching the approaching boat as it sailed towards him. Standing to his right was Savage, his second in command. On his left was a teenage Berserker warrior, one of the ones that had stayed with him after Dagur's defeat. The Outcast Chief narrowed his eyes to try and see the sail better, but he couldn't make out if there was a design on it or not.

"Here, sir," the teenage Berserker handed him a spyglass.

Alvin took it and raised it to his eye, focusing it with some trouble. His realized his guess about his visitor's identity was correct. There was a Skrill crest on the sail.

"Berserkers," he muttered.

Alvin saw the young Berserker tense up. He glanced at Savage. "Ready the men and defenses and make all otherpreparations. Best tell the Berserkers they've got kin comin'."

Savage saluted. With a "yes sir," started a brisk run back to the Outcast settlement.

"Merrik," Alvin said.

The Berserker looked his way, a lock of his long blonde bangs covering his eyes. He shook his head to get it out of his face as he replied, "yes sir?"

"Go saddle your dragon," Alvin ordered. "I want you in position when that boat docks. You're one of my best archers."

Merrik hesitated as he looked at the ship coming closer filled with his fellow Berserkers. The arrows in the quiver that was slung over his right shoulder clicked quietly from the movement and his longbow made of dragonbone was in a hand.

"Is there a problem?" Alvin asked.

"No sir," Merrik shook his head.

Briefly, he glanced at the spyglass Alvin had, but the Outcast was looking through it again. Clearly he wasn't going to get it back anytime soon. He saluted instead and started to walk back down the way he came as Alvin watched the boat.

Alvin watched Merrik for a bit and then looked back at the boat. Truthfully, Alvin wasn't that surprised by his visitors. It had been nearly two months since he and Stoick had made peace and Dagur had been brought down. He had gotten his island back and even got to keep the Berserker warriors that Dagur had brought with him. Best of all – he had gotten to keep Dagur.

He looked back to where Merrik was walking. That boy was one of his greatest allies and one of the biggest risks. Merrik was the only Berserker Alvin had ever met who didn't have a temper. The boy simply never got upset and an aura of calm surrounded him. Alvin's wild dragons had picked up on his calm and responded to it, and so Alvin had made Merrik his chief dragon trainer.

In fact, Merrik was the only one on Outcast Island besides Alvin who had a dragon he could ride. His mere presence was often enough to stop arguments and soothe ruffled feathers. The boy had undeniable potential, but he had also hesitated when Alvin had ordered him to get into battle position against the Berserkers.

Because Merrik had been training the Outcast dragons for most of this month, he had learned a lot about them. Clearly, the boy still had loyalty to his Berserker tribe and if he chooses to defect then they would have all of his knowledge. The last thing Alvin wanted was for Berserkers to be on dragonback before his Outcasts were.

Another risk was likely riding on the ship towards him right now. Alvin raised the spyglass to the ship again. It had drawn closer. Something reflected on the ship and he looked to it. The reflection was very bright and he winced before taking another look. Sunlight was reflecting off of an ornate metal shield. There was a Skrill painted on it that mirrored the one on the sail.

Alvin narrowed his eyes. The Berserkers had told him about Kata, Dagur's younger sister. They said that she had her own tamed dragon. Oh, the girl only had a Terrible Terror but she had tamed it as a child with no injuries and no help. Between Kata's natural knack with dragons and Merrik's knowledge there would be a good chance of the Berserkers taming dragons.

The Berserkers had said that Kata had an ornate shield just like the one sitting in the boat leaned up against the mast. He caught a flash of movement and saw a young girl with red hair vanish belowdeck. Alvin frowned and lowered the spyglass. Was that really Kata?

He chuckled to himself and started walking down towards the docks where the boat would pull in. If that was really Kata then this had become much easier. The girl he had just seen was even younger then Hiccup. There wasn't anything to worry about.

Well, nothing to worry about unless they found out the truth about Dagur.

Alvin had been shocked by just how strong of bond there was between Dagur and his Berserkers even after everything Dagur had put them through with the war with Berk and the hunt for Toothless. In order to "help" things along he had faked the death of Dagur the Deranged.

As far as all of the Berserker warriors and the rest of the archipelago knew, Dagur the Deranged had been killed by some of Outcast Island's feral dragons when he had tried to escape one month ago. Without their chief, the Berserkers had indeed become more tractable. Now, Dagur was safely held in an empty wing of dragon pens.

That idiotic trader Johann had come after Dagur's "death" and had spread word across the archipelago of Dagur's demise. In response, some of the other Berserkers had come to bring their armada home. Alvin was not about to lose half of his forces.

What would happen with Dagur's sister about to dock? Dagur had named Kata temporary chief of Berserk while he went to Outcast Island to reclaim the Skrill that had been found frozen and she had remained Chief. With Dagur's "death" she was Chief – but she was also just a little girl. As long as Dagur's survival remained a secret, Alvin should have no trouble shooing her away.

Merrik walked quietly to the blacksmith where his dragon's saddle was. He didn't care much for the blacksmith, but his saddle had needed repairs. It was a small relief that the forge was empty and he was able to sling his longbow over his left shoulder and pick up his repaired saddle unhindered. Next was the dragon pen.

Outcasts… Merrik couldn't stand being stranded here on Outcast Island with Alvin and he couldn't understand how the other Berserkers could either. He would have thought – hoped – that some of the Berserkers would have left Alvin by now to go home, yet none had.

Not even Captain Vorg, the Berserker who was something of a foster father to Dagur and Kata. Okay, Dagur had been pretty rough on Vorg during the Berk War, but he couldn't understand how Vorg could abandon Kata. Surely, he had thought, at least Vorg and the rest of his crew of the Wolfwind would leave Alvin. He was wrong.

Alvin's orders for Merrik to get "into position" would work in his favor. His position would be above the visitor's in his dragon's saddle. More likely than not Alvin the Treacherous was going to betray Kata and he would be in a perfect position to help his friend.

Merrik's dragon was in the Southern Pens with Alvin's Whispering Death and some of the other semi-tamed dragons. The wild dragons were kept in the East Pens, and the West Pens were the prison. They also had a series of North Pens to be used for whatever was needed, but they were empty right now.

A door in the mountain side opened suddenly and Savage walked out. Merrik blinked in surprise. How had he gotten in front of him? Then he realized that he didn't want to talk to Savage and ducked behind some of the many black rocks. Savage closed the door behind him and locked it before quickly hurrying on his way.

Merrik ducked further out of sight as Savage ran past his hiding place, holding his right arm to his chest as if it had been injured.

"Okay," Merrik muttered, "that was weird."

What was weirder was that this was the entrance to the empty North Pens. He glanced down as he stood and realized that the ground was colored with drops of fresh blood.

Was Savage bleeding? His arm, what happened to it? Merrik narrowed his eyes. This didn't make any sense, the North Pens were supposed to be empty. He looked curiously at the door. Before he had a chance to step towards it a horn sounded, announcing the arrival of the Berserker ship.

Merrik sighed dramatically and reluctantly turned away from the door. He would need to hurry to get his dragon saddled and ready. After all, he did have to keep up the appearance of a good, loyal Outcast for a while longer. Whatever was in the North Pens could probably wait.

Kata took a breath as one of the crew of the ship she was on gave her back her shield. She nodded at him and slung it over her shoulder much like Hiccup did. Shivering, she rubbed her hands together, glad that she had the foresight to bring her jacket with her. Outcast was far North of Berk and Berk was quite a ways North of Berserk, and it was cold!

"Trick," Kata called quietly.

A heap of yellow and red scales that had been sitting on the deck raised its head and turned its red cat eyes towards her. Trick stretched and then flew over to her and landed on her arm like a hawk. Kata smiled as she scratched her Terrible Terror under his chin. He made a purring like noise and walked up her arm to drape around her shoulders just like he always did. The added body heat of the small Stoker-Class dragon helped warm her up.

The Berserker who had handed her shield frowned. "Are you good?"

"I'm alright Arin," Kata sighed.

Arin shook his head. He had grown up with her just like Merrik had and he knew better.

"I'm alright enough," Kata corrected quietly. She looked down and made sure she had a dagger on each thigh nervously. After a moment of fussing and Arin watching her, she rolled her eyes. "I'll deal with it all right, Arin? These goons are the reason Dagur's dead. Knowing Alvin's temperament he was probably torturing him."

Arin sighed but agreed silently. He didn't say it out loud though, for fear it might encourage her. "You sure it was a good idea to come here? Word is Alvin's got a whole pack of trained Whispering Deaths."

"Dagur assigned me as acting Chief before he left," Kata said quietly, "and with him gone, that means that I am Chief. The Berserkers are my responsibility. Having them all on Beserk instead of having half there and the armada on Outcast would help."

She snapped the last sentence.

Arin held his hands in surrender. Wow, she was in a bad mood. Normally, she was more stable than Dagur but ever since her brother's death she had been steadily degrading. Dagur always was more stable when Kata was around him and it seemed that was mutual. With the siblings separated, both of them were getting worse. Now Dagur was dead and without him Kata…

"Once I get the rest of my tribe back together I am going to show Alvin what happens when he messes with my family," Kata clenched a hand into a fist and looked to the growing shape of Outcast Island.

Arin was taken aback by the bloodthirsty note in Kata's voice. "Kata, you know that's not-"

"No," Kata interrupted, "you're right. It's not all Alvin's fault. Berk is the real problem. Stoick let Alvin keep Dagur and it was Hiccup who defeated him. I suppose it's only fair to attack Berk first."

"Kata!" Arin interrupted in exasperation.

Kata looked up from her musing. "Yes?"

"Do you hear yourself?" Arin asked. "You sound like Dagur! Usually, you're the sane one keeping him in check."

"Yes and Dagur's dead!" Kata shouted loudly.

The crew working the ship fell quiet and Kata could see them glance over at her. She looked at the floorboards of the ship, letting the wind tug at her short hair.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm just upset. Outcast is as responsible for his death as Berk and now I have to stand before Alvin. He's going to be pleased that Dagur's gone."

"You'll manage Kata," Arin said confidently. "You always do. You'll get our warriors back and we'll recover. We'll find a way to cancel the advantage of dragons that both Berk and Outcast have, and then we'll plan a strike."

The sound of a horn from Outcast Island accented Arin's words and the crew turned their heads to the ever-looming Outcast Island.

"Sounds like that's our cue," Kata said grimly, trying to lighten her words to no avail.

"Yep," Arin sighed, "Kata."

"Hm?" Kata asked and ran her fingers across the throwing daggers she had stashed around her body.

"You know that no matter what, you've got our support," Arin spoke in a serious tone, one Kata wasn't used to hearing from him.

"My little brother's right about that," another crew member called out to her.

Kata glanced over at an older Berserker. Where Merrik and Arin were her age, this one was Dagur's age and one of his closest friends.

"Thanks Willem," she told him.

Willem nodded and went back to helping work the sail.

"Yeah," Kata nodded and tried a smile. It was a little better. She looked back at Arin, her little Terrible Terror on her shoulder chirping. "I wonder about Merrik though, he's on Outcast."

"Yep," Arin gave his trademark mischievous grin suddenly and his eyes brightened dangerously. "And I have to admit, knowing him, I feel a little sorry for Alvin. Merrik's probably pretending to be a loyal lieutenant and waiting for a chance to strike back."

Kata sighed, "I could see him doing that."

Trick nibbled on her hair lightly and she reached up absent-mindedly to scratch him.

Don't worry Dagur, Kata promised silently. I'll take care of the village, and once I'm able, I'll teach Berk and Outcast a lesson they won't soon forget for letting you die.

"By the way Kata," Arin added as the ship pulled up to the rusty metal dock. "Do you have a plan?"

"I'm going to talk the Berserkers into coming home," Kata replied simply as the gangplank was lowered.

"And if that doesn't work?" Arin asked worriedly.

"Then I'll go onto Plan B," Kata assured him.

She didn't elaborate so Arin snipped, "mind telling me what Plan B is?"

"Um," Kata paused as she thought about it. "It's probably best you don't know. With luck I won't have to use it."

Arin narrowed his eyes, but by that point Savage had walked over and Kata had no choice but to walk off the boat to greet him. Savage's presence guaranteed that the conversation would come to an end.

Yeah, Arin thought, she just needs a little luck. Asking for a little luck when you trusted in Loki– the God of Mischief – might not be the best plan.

Like it? This takes place two months after the end of the Defenders of Berk season. It is confirmed canon the Dagur has a younger sister. Dagur says himself in the Night and the Fury that his sister had an ornate shield like Hiccup's. I know now that Heather is Dagur's sister, but I never liked her character and although i'm going back and rewriting the chapter I did not know her true when I started writing this.

Dagur might have been deranged but he and Kata were really close (more information on that forthcoming). Because of her brother's "death" she wants blood and the archipelago is in trouble, especially if she can get her armada back. Yes, she's small, she's thirteen.