An outcast among the Outcasts ch 13
Revised
Chapter 13: Battle
"What's it going to be Stoick?" Alvin sneered at the Hooligan Chief, "your island or your people's children? Make your choice."
Stoick was getting ready to surrender for the sake of the children when a different voice answered Alvin instead.
"Neither!" It called out clear and strong. Looking up they saw Nightshade and Shift carrying Rue, Akiran, Rocktooth, Gustav, Snock, Griz, Rozie, and Mary. The villagers of Berk cheered as they flew over head.
"CHARGE!" Stoick yelled as the Outcasts where distracted by the dragons overhead.
"ATTACK!" Alvin shouted back.
The two groups of Vikings met each out her with such a mighty clang of metal on metal that they say the very ground and sky shook from the force. And a massive storm began as they fought.
Akiran directed the dragons to where those who couldn't fight where kept out of the way. They landed and the children rushed to their families.
"Thank Thor your safe."
"Where have you been?"
"What where you thinking?" Where exchanged among the families.
Mildew looked over at the teens before shouting, "they brought an Outcast with them! Quick somebody restrain him!"
Many of the men that where put in charge of protecting the weak or injured raised their swords and charged. Rue stepped in front of them with her arms out stretched.
"Stop! He's my brother!" She shouted. They slowed but kept their weapons raised. Akiran drew his sword and stood in front of Rue.
"He's changed sides, he doesn't want to be an Outcast anymore." Akiran explained. The men listened, ignoring Mildew's shouts to continue. After the explanation they lowered their weapons but kept them out.
"We don't have time for this!" Rue said, getting on Shift's back once more. She was about to launch into the air when Akiran caught her hand.
"We need to plan this out." He said calmly. Rue's eyes flared with a fire he had never seen before, it was something like the want of revenge and the will to prove yourself all rolled into one.
"I already have a plan," She said, pushing his hand away, "Fight! Take Rocktooth and get back to the battle. I'll be back."
She launched into the air with a small backwards glance.
"Akiran I love you!" She called a tear falling from her eye, masked by the pouring rain.
"I love you too!" She heard him call back. She smiled, her heart felt hotter than a dragon's fire. She felt as though she could do anything. Her mind drifted back to something her mother had once told her.
*memory*
"Mom, why does dad act nice around you but not around anyone else?" A young Rue asked her mom, looking up at her with big innocent eyes.
"Well Rue, when two people who are right for each other meet, they bring out something inside each other. I bring out the kindness in your father." She explained.
"And what does he bring out in you?"
"He brings out my laugh." She said, running a brush through her wiggling daughter's hair.
"Will I meet someone like that one day?"
"I know you will." Willowrose said with a kiss on Rue's forehead.
*end memory*
"You were right mom. I did meet someone, and he brings out my courage." Rue whispered to the sky.
Akiran and Rocktooth where about to leave when a party of Outcasts arrived.
"Well, look what we have here," An outcast with horrid black teeth said, "looks like Alvin's son is just as treacherous as he is."
Rocktooth set his jaw and drew his sword. The Outcast's charged, the men of Berk retaliated. Swords clashed, shields banged, spears cracked, axes sent sparks flying. The women and children backed farther into the cave. A few terrible terror's added their small fires to the fray, attacking Outcast's who got to close. Mary squealed as an Outcast almost fell on her, jumping out of the way just in time, but also separating herself from her family.
"Gotcha now girly." The Outcast with bad teeth growled and lunged for her. Mary yelled and ran. She didn't get very far before she was caught in a pair of strong arms.
"It's ok little one, I've got you." Rocktooth said, swinging her up onto his back. Mary just held on tight and closed her eyes. Rocktooth and the Outcast locked eyes. Without a word they charged each other. Their swords sending sparks through the air as they collided. Rocktooth swung furiously at the Outcast he now recognized as Crookednose. Crookednose made a swipe at Rocktooth's legs but he dodged away nimbly.
"Will… you… just… hold… still!" Crookednose said in exasperation as Rocktooth easily evaded each strike he threw.
"But that wouldn't be fun." He said with a smirk which fled quickly as he stood, his back against the cave wall. Crookednose smiled and raised his sword to run both him and Mary through when Akiran parried the blow.
"You!" The Outcast growled.
"Are beaten. Surrender." He said, not wavering from his stance. The Outcast looked around to see all his men dead, unconscious, or to wounded to stand. Seething, the Outcast dropped his sword, putting his hands up in the air.
Mary finally opened her eyes as her mother gently lifted her off of Rocktooth's back. She looked at him over her mom's shoulder as they walked away, smiling in gratitude. Rocktooth smiled back but it fell from his face as he heard the sound of a hidden dagger being drawn. He turned to see Crookednose throw the dagger. Everything suddenly went into slow motion as he leapt in the air and intercepted the dagger before it plunged into Akiran's heart. Rocktooth fell to the ground, the knife imbedded in his left shoulder. The lights danced before his eyes before everything went black.
Rue took a deep breathe before landing Shift at the wild dragons' temporary home. The lead Nightmare strode forward, his blood red scales glistening from rain. Ignoring the fear welling up inside her, she dismounted from Shift and walked toward's the leader, stopping a few feet away to bow deeply.
"I know that in many ways dragons can see and feel things we human's can't," She addressed the dragon, who appeared to have a look of mild disinterest, "I've heard it said that a dragon can look into the very heart of a person. So I ask you, look into my heart and help me protect the ones I care about from the ones who have wronged us both." She held out her hand and waited. Many dragon's roared, whether in encouragement or outrage, she didn't know. They where all silenced as the lead Nightmare took a step forward.
Flameout, for that was his name, looked into the human girl's eyes and was surprised to see the determined look of a dragon in them, he looked deeper and saw her fear of him and his kind but also the bravery to face her fears for those she cared about.
He looked directly into her eyes for a few more moments before pressing his snout into her palm. Rue was so surprised that for a moment she thought she would faint.
"Thank you." She whispered to the dragon.
On the battlefield, everything was chaos. Vikings to numerous to count where either dead or injured, but, as Vikings do, they fought on.
As Stoick would say, "we're Vikings, its an occupational hazard."
From the air the dragons attacked by snatching foes from the ground, since their fire breathe was temporarily extinguished by the rain. (In httyd Gobber mentions that a wet dragon head can't breathe fire.)
Hiccup looked over the scene from high above, dreading on discovering who he knew that would die in this battle. He spotted his dad on Thornado, blasting enemies with sound. The twins and their dragons where chasing a small group of Outcasts, they turned back suddenly as a larger group of Outcasts joined the small group and chased them.
"Hiccup! There're to many." Astrid cried coming up next to him.
"I can see that." Hiccup said in a frazzled voice. He had been trying to work out a strategy but every scenario he played in his head backfired. His thoughts where interrupted by a piercing shriek of a Nadder as it zipped past them, followed by a Gronkle and Zippleback. Soon a wave of dragons was descending around them.
"So did I miss anything?" A voice asked as a Nightfury stopped by Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup couldn't help but smile at his cousin.
"Where's Rue?" Astrid asked. Akiran pointed to the head of the dragon blaze. Sure enough they could see Rue, not on Shift but the lead Nightmare!
"How?"
"Ask her after we make it through this." Akiran said before charging forward into battle.
Rue held on tightly as Flameout dive bombed the Outcast's ships. The rain had stopped while she had talked with the Blaze leader so now the dragons where at their deadliest. Many Outcasts screamed as they leaped from the boats, fire often catching on their clothes too. She directed him up so they could get an overview of the battle.
"There," she exclaimed, pointing to where Alvin was sneaking up behind Stoick. The dragon narrowed his eyes and went into a steep dive.
Drawing his sword out of another fallen enemy Stoick lunged to help a fellow Viking.
"Watch out!" Stoick heard Rue scream. He turned to see Alvin ready to throw his axe right at his head.
"Duck!" Rue called again. This time both Alvin and Stoick looked up to see the nightmare plunging down towards them. Stoick ducked as the nightmare swooped up the Outcast leader. The beast roared in triumph as they flew to a nearby cliff.
Akiran finished disarming another Outcast when he saw Alvin be swept up by the dragon.
"Akiran, what does she think she's doing?" Gobber called to him, arriving on Bone-grinder, his bone-knapper.
"I don't know but I'm going to help her." He whistled for Nightshade, hopping on as the dragon flew past him.
Flameout dropped the Outcast leader on the edge of the cliff, before landing a short ways away. Rue slid off him and gently stroked his head as she moved towards Alvin, drawing a sword from her side. He looked up and glared at her.
"A cowardly way to fight if there ever was one." He spat, "if I kill you then your lizard will just eat me."
"I'm not here to fight, just to talk. He's my insurance you won't get away." She replied coolly.
"Talk, ha. Your just like your mother."
"Funny you should mention her because that's who I want to talk about."
Alvin suddenly became very quiet.
"On the night Hiccup and Astrid escaped your home, I tried to stop them. I ended up waking up, tied up, in a cave. While I was in there I overheard you talking to someone," a memory flashed in Alvin's eyes, "asking them to, oh what was it? Ah yes, that's right, to get rid of me!" Sensing her anger Flameout let out a roar. Alvin stood to his full height, glaring down at his daughter in anger. She returned his gaze, defiance shining in her own.
"How would you feel if the only person you ever loved died? And if someone looked exactly like them and made your heart burn with pain every time you looked at them, wouldn't you want to stop the pain?" He took a step towards her, Rue didn't flinch, she only lowered her sword slightly, "not just how they looked, but how they moved, how they acted, everything about them reminding you of them?" His eyes softened for a moment as he stroked a piece of her hair. Rue angrily smacked his hand away, raising her sword again.
"Yes I would like the pain to stop, but I would look at the person as them living on. Not a constant reminder of the one you lost." She said calmly. Akiran appeared next to her, Nightshade returned to the battle. Rue kept her eyes on Alvin, although she accepted Akiran's hand in her free hand.
"No you wouldn't, you'd feel just as I do. And now you'll know… how I feel." Alvin emphasized the last few words as he drew his sword and charged. Akiran and Rue broke apart and dodged his blade. They moved in perfect synchronization as they spun back, swords raised, ready to defend each other. Alvin sliced at Akiran, causing him to take a step back towards the cliff. Rue made an attack of her own, nicking his shoulder. Alvin pivoted and grabbed her arm, wrenching it hard so that she dropped her sword. Rue kicked and clawed at her father, screeching like a wild animal. He simply span her around so his arm had her arms pinned to her side. Akiran moved to help her but Alvin raised his sword to her throat, causing Rue to gasp and stop moving.
"One more step an' she dies." He growled. Akiran froze in place, glaring at the man with undisguised hate.
"That's better, now drop your sword." Alvin smirked in triumph. Rue got an idea, it was crazy and might even get her killed but she decided it was worth the risk. She carefully raised her foot and bright it back swiftly. Alvin cried out in pain and loosened his grip a little. It was enough for Rue to wriggle free. She grabbed her sword and stood by Akiran.
"You ok?" He whispered.
"I'm fine." Rue lied, she had a small cut in her side but she wasn't about to back down in this fight.
"You insignificant little whelp! I should have killed you the day you where born!" Alvin roared and charged them both again. They dodged and Alvin over shot, ending up on a treacherous step one shove away from falling to his death below. He pinwheeled his arms, Rue tried to reach out for him. He may have tried to kill her but he was still her father. He grabbed her arm just as he started to fall, pulling her down with him. Akiran grabbed Rue's waist, and Flameout grabbed Akiran with his claws. They stopped with such a jolt that Alvin lost his grip on Rue. He screamed as he fell, such a scream that everyone stopped and turned to face the noise. He hit the water with a splash, the waves causing him to be lost from view.
The Outcasts sensed their defeat and began to retreat. The Hooligan's cheered as Flameout carried them down to the beach, gently lowering Akiran and Rue to the soft sandy ground before flying away. Rue looked up at the surrounding villagers and gave a week smile. A sudden small pain caused her to look at her side, she pressed her hand against it and pulled it away, seeing blood on her fingers. Stoick arrived in time to see Akiran catch her as Rue fell into unconsciousness.