Snart's Saga, Part I Chapter 26

A confused knot of dragon riders and land warriors met him when he finally landed. Stoick was trying to bring order, but everyone wanted to talk to the chief at once. As Snart dismounted, everyone suddenly wanted to talk to him instead.

"Everybody quiet down!" Stoick's bellow finally brought some order. "Snart, tell me what happened out there."

"Chief Stoick, I am pleased to tell you that your dragon warriors have completely turned back a Berserker raid. All enemy ships were badly damaged; at least two have sunk so far. No enemies got through to Berk. Our casualties were light: one man wounded."

Stoick finally let himself smile. "Those Berserkers would have outnumbered us by over five to one if they'd landed. We never would have had a chance. All you dragon riders should be very proud!" Everyone cheered.

"Stoick, how is the wounded man, Efelburr?" Snart had to know.

"Gothi has bandaged him up. He still has feeling in his arm, so he shouldn't lose it, but he'll be out of action for quite a while. I'd like a piece of whoever threw that axe at him."

"Chief Stoick, I can give you your wish. Ruffnut, Tuffnut, bring your prisoner forward."

The crowd parted to let Barf and Belch through. Tied to each of their necks was a rope; the other ends of the ropes were tied around the wrists of a very wet, very angry young man. The natural bobbing and weaving of the Zippleback's heads meant that he was jerked from side to side with every step they took. This did not help his mood. Stoick stared at him.

"Dagur?"

"Untie me at once, Stoick! Show respect! I'm a chief!"

"You are a prisoner!" Snart retorted.

"I am Dagur the Deranged!"

"You are Dagur the Defeated!" The crowd laughed at that.

"Enough!" roared Stoick. "Are you the man who wounded my warrior when we were trying not to kill anyone?"

"I knew you were raising a dragon army against me! I knew it all along, and now you've proved it!" Dagur was almost hysterical. "My ships will be back for me, you watch and see! I will own this island, Stoick, and I'll take every dragon head home and hang it on my wall! Right next to yours!"

"Perhaps some day, Dagur, but not today," Stoick growled. His eyes narrowed. "Have you forgotten all your Viking traditions, like what I should do to a Viking chief who tries to raid my village and fails?"

Dagur finally went a little pale. "You wouldn't! I'm chief of the Berserkers! You couldn't!"

"All right," offered Stoick, deceptively calmly. "If I couldn't, then what should I do? Snart, what would you do with this prisoner?"

"I hate killing if it can be avoided," Snart said, "but it's the Viking way, and he is too dangerous to let live. If you strike him down here, his tribe will come back to claim his body and burn everything on Berk to the ground. I would take him far out to sea with one of the dragons he hates so much, take him high up in the air... and drop him."

"You would do that, you troll, you dragon-friend!" Dagur spat out the words. "You don't have the guts to spill my guts! You don't deserve to be called a warrior! You let a... a dragon do your fighting for you! You're no Vi— OWW!" His rant was cut off as Barf and Belch spread their heads apart, nearly pulling Dagur's arms out of their sockets.

"I've heard worse ideas, Snart," Stoick nodded. "Would you be willing to do that?"

"I'm not a killer, Stoick, but he is. I'll do whatever is best for Berk."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Tuffnut interrupted. "Why should he get to drop the chief? We captured him, and we owe him — he tried to kill our dragon once."

Everyone stared at him, amazed at his audacity, even Ruffnut. Snart gazed at him evenly. "Are you claiming right of vengeance over me?"

After a long silence, Ruffnut stood up for her brother. "Yeah, we claim... what you said."

"He did try to kill your dragon," nodded Snart, "so you do have the right of vengeance over me. The only one with a better right is Efelburr, and he's in no condition to claim that right. Stoick, do you approve of this plan?"

"It's tradition for the winning chief to kill the loser in a raid," Stoick began. "But, as you said, if we kill him here, his tribe will come back for him, to make sure he is escorted to Valhalla. I approve."

Snart nodded. "Okay, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, tie him hand and foot and get ready to take him west. I'll fly along as a witness."

"And me," Snotlout chimed in suddenly.

"All right, two witnesses. Let's get this over with. Astrid, Fishlegs, try and arrange some kind of victory celebration for our dragon trainers. We'll join you as soon as this... deed is done."

"Don't worry about the victory celebration, Snart," Stoick chuckled. "The whole village will celebrate tonight! We've never seen a victory like this, and we have you and your dragon riders to thank for it! I only wish Hiccup was here."

"He'll be back in a few days, Stoick. As for us, we'll be back in an hour or so."

The three dragons flew steadily west. They stayed low, so whenever Dagur started ranting, they could shut him up with a quick dip in the sea. The riders remained silent for quite a while.

At last, Tuffnut said, "Snart, you really scared me back there. I thought you were going to make me look bad in front of the whole village."

"Did you think you were right, Tuff?"

"Yeah, I did."

"That was a teaching moment. Don't ever be afraid to stand up for what you think is right, no matter who you have to stand up against."

"You mean, if we think you're wrong, we can say so, and you won't get even with us for it?" Ruffnut wasn't quite sure she was understanding this.

"I'd rather you didn't do it in front of the whole village, but yes, if you really think I'm wrong about something, I want you to tell me about it. I'm not perfect, and I don't want to wind up like some chiefs, who are so full of themselves that they won't listen to correction."

"That's why Berk will never be great," Dagur interrupted from below them. "You don't rule with an iron hand; you let your underlings tell you you're wrong any time they want. That's not how the Berserkers do things these days, and that's why we're going to wipe Berk off the map some day!"

"No, don't dip him, Ruff, Tuff. I think we've gone far enough. Let's gain height and let Dagur enjoy the view. Lout, fly in a big circle; look for ships that might fish him out, then fly up and join us." The dragons rose up steadily, leveling off about three-quarters of a mile up.

"Look around, Dagur. See the clouds, the ocean, the horizon? We dragon trainers see this all the time. This is what the world looks like, to people with imaginations and open minds. This is what the world could have looked like to you, if you had something on your mind besides stomping on your neighbors."

"You might kill me," Dagur raged as Hookfang joined them, "but I will never be forgotten! I will be avenged! My descendants will dance on your graves!"

"You never will be forgotten, I agree," said Snart coldly. "The great haters in this world get a name for themselves, while good men and women get forgotten. But when people speak of Dagur the Deranged, they will spit, and curse, and do everything they can to keep their children from growing up like you.

"Hate is all you've got left, Dagur. It's all you ever had; it's totally consumed you. So take your hate with you to the bottom of the sea. Ruff, Tuff, on three."

The twins counted to three together, and shouted, "DROP!" Barf and Belch released their human burden, who tumbled toward the water far below. He shouted something as he fell, but none of the witnesses could understand him. They watched until, far far below them, there was a tiny splash.

They glided onward for a few seconds. Finally, Snart broke the silence. "I think the world just became a more peaceful place. Let's go home."

o

A/N This chapter was written before anybody knew that Dagur the Deranged would be coming back in the next season of the CN series.