Authors Note: Hello! :) :) ;) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) ;) :) :) :) :) :)
Disclaimer: I still own nothing! :)
Chapter 4: Peace Or War?
When we land next to the forge a little less than an hour later I hear my dad's booming voice ring through the air. "Ha, ha there she is the pride of Berk." Normally, my heart will leap into my chest from the title every part of me screaming with silent joy. I wanted nothing more than acceptance five years ago and now I have it. The words hardly process in my brain going through one ear and out the other. I rip off my helmet and shake my head softly sharing a look with Asher before leaping off Toothless and racing towards the forge.
"Who finally decided to grace us with her presence at work, yay." Gobber says with thick sarcasm. I shoot him a sheepish smile and dodge his hook as it's waved at me.
"Sorry, got held up." I call towards him hardly paying attention to the blacksmith weaving through the organized mess towards Dad. I reach his large figure and burry the pulsing worry digging through my insides. Dragon army, dragon army, dragon army. "Dad can I have a word?" I ask and he turns to me resting his large hands on my shoulders his fingers twitching slightly.
"Something you're itching to tell me?" I glance left. Oh great.
Dad steers me to the window one arm around my shoulder, "Uh, not quite the the itch you're thinking of, but yes." I answer. He removes his hands and rubs them together shooting me a happy smile as he grabs an apron and tosses it to me.
"Good," he says. I shove the fabric onto the wall and he turns lifting up one finger.
"Lesson one: A chief or chieftess' first duty is to their people so," Dad says and grabs a wooden piece from off the wall where it's hanging next to the window staring at the number inscribed for a second. No, this is not at all what I need to tell you! I scream mentally and bury the panic building because of this, chieftess. No, no, no, no.
"Well I-" I start to say.
"FORTY ONE!" Dad shouts cutting me off. I glance around us trying to get his attention back towards me and convince him to let me talk.
"Can we just talk in private?" I beg. He ignores me.
"FORTY-" Dad starts.
"OH! That's me! That's me!" Someone yells, "I'm next!" Dad turns to me and winks. I groan softly biting my lip so heavily I taste blood.
"If we could just-" I start.
"Excuse me! I've been here all day." A man says and shoves his way to the front reaching the window. I get a glimpse of him, Ack. Ack the Quick. He's titled that because when he we were at war with the dragons he was generally the first to catch or slay one. His face breaks into a smile as he slams his hands down on the window sill looking more like it's Snoggletog morning instead of just ordering a saddle, "Okay, okay. I want one of the high seaters, with lots of spikes, and big storage compartment." He says drawing out the word big.
"Absolutely, you got it." Dad says and turns away from the window walking past me again. Ugh! Would it kill him to stop and make sure this is what I'm trying to say? I look up at the ceiling with an irritated expression before I start to hunt him across the forge again. Dad raises two fingers at me a large smile on his face as he turns to look at me.
"Dad-" I try again.
"Lesson two: No task is too small when it comes to serving your people." He practically sings then raises his hands in surprise as he runs into Grump. "Oops! Excuse us, Grump." He says a pats the sleeping dragon's head. I sigh at his back. Why is it so hard to tell him things? I feel like I'm talking to a brick that is overly excited about something I'm dreading with my whole being.
"Can we please just talk-" I start again but am yet interrupted again for the umpteenth amount, this time by Gobber as he calls from nearby. I let my hands fall to my sides in defeat and frustration, am I ever going to get this across!? I'll have to shout it at the top of my lungs before they even give a hint of their attention towards me.
"Ah! Grump! You let the forge die cold again!" Gobber shouts. Grump opens a half eye before he turns his dozing body to the fire and sleepily aims. He blasts right next to the fire, missing the hearth and hitting behind Gobber. The explosion causes me to leap several steps forward hands shooting to my chest as I release a startled cry. Gobber, unaffected, turns and pulls on the fire line and the flames let out a large amount of steam as it starts to die. I race after my father. "THAT'S IT GRUMP, YOU'RE GOING UP FOR ADOPTION-" Gobber starts I tune out his threats to his dragon as I turn to Dad. He starts to pull various tools of the wall's and where they're scattered across the the desk.
"Hold these." He says and hands me the box he was using filled with tools.
"Dad-" I say.
"Gone on, have away." He interrupts. Fine! I lean down and pick up several tools from the floor adding them to the pile.
"But seriously." I say and pull a few things of the self adding a new one with every word I speak. "I really need to tell you about this new land we came across." I say picking up the tool box and chasing after him across the forge for the third time in the last two minutes.
"Another one?" Gobber asks in surprise giving me a half glance.
"Ooh! Any new dragons?" Fishlegs asks and she slips into the shop. I give her a half glance the conversation with Erika replaying in my head. I shake my head. Nope, unless we had plans to get our heads whacked off.
"We didn't stick around to find out." I admit and walk after Dad my long skirt dragging on the ground as we head towards the leather. "These folks weren't big balls of sunshine and cheery weather."
"Oh really?" Gobber asks sarcastically,"Your Night Fury and Deadly Nadder didn't bring them cheering to the rooftops?"
"No! This was different." I say ignoring the thick sarcasm in Gobber's voice. Turning to the leather that's wrapped around a barrel that we are making into Ack's saddle, I run my hand along the leather frosting it slightly everything replaying over and over in my head. "Not the standard run-for-the-hills who ha I've come to enjoy." I say smiling faintly, turning away from the soon to be saddle to look Gobber in the eyes."No, these guys were trappers." I turn my head to look and Dad before adding, "Dragon trappers."
I glance at Asher as he adds, "You should have seen their fort, all blown apart and stuck in giant spikes of ice it was weird."
"I've never seen anything like it, except from me," I say looking at Asher before looking towards Dad and Gobber. "And worst of all they thought we did it."
"Well not to hard to make the connections, Snow Queen, giant spikes of ice, Snow Queen..." Fishlegs says and I give her an annoyed look. At it, she shrugs."What? I would have thought it was you too!" She argues. I shake my head softly, my braids and Lighten bouncing on my back slightly.
"You know, you two are going to get yourselves into serious trouble one of these days," Gobber says pointing at me and Asher with his hand brushing his mustache with his prosthetic with his other before he adds, "Not everyone appreciates this way of life."
"Oh, aye. Gobbers right Iyn, best we keep to our own," Dad says walking away heading to the saw, with the saddle as he says, "'sides you'll have more important things to do with your time." He sets the leather down and I walk up to him. "Once we make the big announcement!" He says nearly to the point of jumping up and down with excitement. I bristle, why won't he listen!? I storm over the saw and slam my hand down on the lever the blade and everything on the saw getting covered in ice or frost.
I look up at Dad unblinking, "They are building a dragon army." I say dangerously calm and pull my hand back from the lever as I see I have finally grasped his attention. "Or at least the guy he works for is, "I say and wave my hand back and forth. What was it? "Uh, Dargo Boot-vist or something." I say with a shrug. Dad breaks the eye contact and shares a panicked look with Gobber.
"I'll bloody his fist with my face if he tries to take my dragon." Tuffnut says from behind Gobber. I give him a startled glance, I hadn't realized he or the twins and Snotlout are in here. Then again I have the brain of a half dead yak today. Panic and stress do that.
"Or mine!" Ruffnut quickly adds.
I look over at the twins biting on my lip slightly. "Guys same dragon." I point out.
"Right." Tuffnut says.
"Ugh, you're such a moron." Ruffnut groans, looking at Tuffnut.
Fishlegs playfully whacks his arm,"A handsome moron." Snotlout nudges his other side.
"Yeah.." She adds.
The only response both girls got is, "Ugh." Wow we should just put those two incharge of flirting lessons, they are queens of it.
Dad grabs both my shoulders stopping my amused staring at Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins and I look up at him,"Bludvist?" He murmurs."Drago Bludvist?"
"Uh, yeah, that sounds right." I say and nod before I freeze and look up at him,"Wait, do you know him?"
Dad stares up, eyes haunted, giving no response, he races out of the forge without a word, "What!" I demand and take off after him Asher, Gobber and the other riders echoing me. Dad races across the village weaving through the Vikings easily several dodging to the side to avoid him. I echo his path my eyes narrowing in confusion as I see he's headed towards the stables. What is he doing!? Dad is not a person to rush off on Skullcrusher when he's stressed or angry. Something is very, very wrong.
Dad throws himself into the cave like room of the dragon stables, "GROUND ALL DRAGONS!" He roars and my heart skips a beat. No! What is he doing!?
"What!" I exclaim and he doesn't look back at me, apparently now hard of hearing, "Why?" I demand. I glance back making sure Asher and Toothless are indeed behind me before I pick up the pace and leap off the last few stairs hitting the ground with ease.
"SEAL ALL THE GATES! LOWER THE STORM DOORS!" Dad shouts and I shake my head. No, no, no, no!
"What is happening!?" I demand staring at the back of the tall red head pleading with him to stop and give me an answer with my tone. Why is he doing this!? Who is Drago Bludvist and what is so dangerous about this that we have to do this!?
"Come on you heard the man! Lock it down!" Gobber shouts behind me. The gates start to shut as the villagers began to follow Dad's commands.
"No dragon or Viking, sets foot of this island, until I give the word." Dad shouts.
"Wait! Because some guy you knew is stirring up trouble in some far away land?" I ask, pointing randomly at a spot far off. Dad whirls around and slams his heavy hands down on my shoulders me and him flinching.
"Because, Drago Bludvist is a madman, without conscience or mercy." Dad says and I stare at him and the haunted look in his blue grey eyes. My eyebrows knit together in confusion. That could in theory, be himself in the morning.
"And you have met." I deadpan and he shakes his head at my comment, face unchanging. He pulls his hands away from me.
"And if he's built a dragon army." He turns away and starts to walk away muttering a heavy curse under his breath before continuing through the stable appearing not to notice the mad dashes of people throughout it. "Get them into the pens!" He demands.
"Aye, Stoick."
"Quickly!"
No, this cannot be happening. I race after him and he turns at my approach."Wait! Let's ride back out there, we'll follow those trappers to Drago and talk some sense into him." I say. Even crazy men can change. Alvin did, so did Dagur. What could possibly be different about Drago?
"No," Dad says firmly and points down, "we fortify the island."
I shake my head my arms flying out, "But it's our duty to keep the peace!" I argue.
"Peace is over, Haedryin." He says looking me in the eyes with a stare that would encourage any sane person run for the hills he adds, "I must prepare you for war."
"War?" I breathe. "Dad, if Drago is coming for our dragons, we can't wait around for him to get here. Let's go find him and change his mind." I say, his gaze changes to sorrow.
"Some minds won't be changed, Haedryin. Berk is what you need to worry about." He says then pauses before adding, "A chief protects their own."
He turns and walks away revealing Toothless behind him. I take in a sharp breath my expression I'm sure is a frustrated angry one. My hands clench into tight fists and I toss my hair from my eyes. I can't sit and wait around for Drago to get here, if it's not Berk's duty to keep peace, it's mine. I will not, I refuse to let Drago get here and take Toothless and our dragons. It will not happen.
I start to move towards Toothless but Asher grabs my shoulder stopping me, "Haedryin don't." He hisses. I shake my head and look back at him.
"I have to." I move his hand from off my shoulder and kiss him on the cheek softly before I release him and swing onto Toothless's back. Toothless leaps into the air and I pull my prosthetic forward as he starts to race for any open exists. Come on, come on!
"HAEDRYIN!" My dad shouts. I ignore him and steer Toothless to a window, it shuts before we can reach it and Toothless twists away from it, his wings beating heavily as he races towards the main doors, the only way in out now, and we have to make it. "Come on!" I shout. Toothless picks up speed and I lower into his saddle as he spins his wings folding into his sides before he bursts out of the stable barely making it through.
I release a breath and look back at it, half a second and that would have missed it. Toothless shoots forward across the sky and I twist around in the saddle as I see Stormfly advancing on us quickly Asher on her back.
I seal my lips together tightly looking forward, I'm not stopping, if Asher wants to keep me on Berk, he's going to half to whack me over the head and drag me back himself. Asher flies into pace next to us and I glance at him. "Don't try and stop me." I command.
Asher's lips twitch on a smirk, "Didn't plan on it." He assures and my gaze flickers back towards him. I give a brisk nod, tightening my lips into a thin line.
"Thanks." I murmur.
"Anytime, Milady, now let's hunt some trappers!"
Authors Note: *Gives excited squeal* super close to the scene I'm excited for! :D :D
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