I'm so sorry for not updating yesterday! I had a crazy busy day at school and I was completely exhausted when I came home. But now here it is! With the help of a long time in the train. The chapter some of you have been waiting for! And it's long! The longest chapter I have ever written.
Enjoy!
Chapter 28 Dragon riders
He sat up, startled. He looked around the room. Berk. He was on Berk. In his room. Light was peering through the window. He looked at Wrenlou. Still no change. He frowned. What had woken him? Then he heard it. A loud banging coming from downstairs. It sounded like someone was trying to break down the door. He grunted and grabbed his prosthetic. As he walked down the stairs, the banging got louder. He yanked the door open.
'WHAT!?'
Astrid was standing in front of the door, her hand raised. From the look on her face it was clear she hadn't expected his outburst. He sighed.
'Astrid. What is it?'
'You should come to the plaza. Right now.'
There was something in her voice that spiked his curiosity. He followed her. The plaza was filled with people. It seemed like all of Berk had gathered there. He pushed through the crowd. Even though he was no longer the small boy he had been, he was still smaller that the vikings. When he reached the front of the crowd, he saw why they had all gathered there and his jaw dropped.
'Broghan! Leila! Sharon, Susan!'
The dragon riders looked up when they heard his voice and dismounted the dragons.
'Hiccup!'
'What are you guys doing here?' Hiccup asked while he was embraced by Leila, before being buried under Night Fury kisses.
'Well, we just wanted to see how things were going. That's when we decided to come and visit.' Broghan said while he put his helmet on Moonchaser's saddle.
'What if we hadn't succeeded? You would have been shot out of the sky!'
'We had faith in you.' Leila said, pulling her dragon away from Hiccup. 'And in Wrenlou of course.'
'Speaking of Wrenlou.' Broghan said, looking around. 'Where is he?'
Hiccup's face dropped and he stared to the ground. The brief moment of joy had been crushed again.
'Hiccup? Where is he?'
'I... I'm so sorry...'
Broghan grabbed his shoulders, shaking him slightly. 'Where is he! What happened!'
Hiccup could hear the panic seep into Broghan's voice and he looked up. The man was staring at him, his brown eyes wide with fear. Leila was standing next to her dragon, here eyes wide with shock.
'There was a Titan Wing.' Hiccup mumbled. 'We... we fought it...'
'You fought a Titan Wing with just the two of you? Why would you do that!'
'It's not like we had a choice! It would have killed them. All of them. It would have killed my father if Wren hadn't...'
'If he hadn't what? Hiccup, what did he do?'
'He... he saved my father, but...'
'Is he alive? Hiccup, is he?'
Hiccup nodded. 'Barely. That dragon... It.. it nearly killed him. It just... I couldn't...'
Broghan took a deep breath. 'Hiccup, where is he?'
'In my house. Well, my father's house. Come on.'
The crowd parted to let them pass, most likely because of the four Night Fury's trailing the men. When he opened the door, Toothless came bounding towards them, happy to see the other riders. He was acting so goofy, Hiccup couldn't help but smile. He led the other riders to the door to his room, stopping before he opened it.
'He's unconscious. He has been ever since it happened, but please, be quiet anyway.'
The others nodded and he opened the door. Snowflake looked up the moment they stepped in, crooning softly.
'Oh my gods... Wrenlou!'
Broghan rushed to the bed, falling to his knees at his brothers side. Sharon and Susan stood frozen. Leila gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Hiccup couldn't blame them. Wrenlou was just as pale and unmoving as he had been a week ago. His black hair was a sharp contrast against his white skin. Broghan looked up, tears in his eyes.
'When...?'
'About a week ago.' Hiccup said while taking his place at Wrenlou's side again. 'The healers feared he might not make it the first night. It's a miracle he's still alive. Broghan, I'm so sorry...'
'Don't be. It's not your fault.' He wiped a stray tear from his cheek. 'What happened with that Titan Wing?'
'We killed it. Toothless and I. We killed it.'
Broghan nodded. He might be a dragon rider, but there was one kind of dragon he didn't like. That none of them liked. The Titan Wings couldn't be trained or controlled. They set a goal, and went for it. Even if that meant leveling entire cities. He took a shuddering breath, his hand hovering over the bandages around Wrenlou's chest and shoulder. Silence filled the room as they sat around Wrenlou. Broghan had grabbed Wrenlou's hand, gently stroking the back of it, his eyes never of his brothers face. Hiccup was on the opposite side of the bed, stroking Snowflake, who had her head next to Wrenlou's head. The three girls had sat down at his feet, staring at him with worry in their eyes.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Astrid was confused.
It wasn't often that she was confused, but now she was. She had awoken to the thought that she would go talk to Hiccup, but she hadn't even made it out of her house when she had heard Gobber's shout. She had run outside, towards the plaza, and here eyes nearly popped out of her head.
There were four dragon riders on the plaza.
Each of them was wearing the same kind of suit Hiccup had been wearing. Each of them had been riding a Night fury.
She had run towards the house on the hill, and banged the door until Hiccup had opened it. It was clear to hear that he had been asleep, but he had followed her. She had watched as he greeted the riders, knowing them by name. She had seen him smile, seemingly happy, until she had heard Wrenlou's name.
In an instant, the mood had changed. Hiccup's posture had crumbled, his expression had changed to fear and worry. The riders that had just arrived all seemed shocked, their faces mimicking Hiccup's. He had led them to the house and they had entered. The dragons had piled up besides the door, laying in a tangle of limps. The vikings had scattered, not much wiser about the identity of the newly arrived riders. The only thing they knew was that Hiccup knew these people.
She had watched the house for a while. Hiccup had come out a few hours after the dragon riders had arrived, followed closely by Toothless. She had followed him, to the Great Hall. Now she was pondering wether she should go talk to him or not. The Night Fury that lay curled up on the floor behind him didn't help. The decision was made for her, when one of the female dragon riders, a girl with long brown hair, had walked up to him. Astrid grunted and hid behind one of the pillars, unintentionally eavesdropping on Hiccup and the girl.
0-0-0-0-0-0
He looked up when Leila sat down next to him brushing her hand over his shoulder.
'Shouldn't you be with Wrenlou?'
She shook her head. 'Broghan wanted some time alone with him. Hey Toothless.'
The dragon growled softly from his spot in the floor behind Hiccup.
'So where are the twins?'
'I believe they went exploring, whatever that means. They wanted to get to know the place you grew up in. Don't worry, they'll be fine.'
'It's not them I'm worried about.'
She sighed and bit her lip. She knew what he meant. They had only just arrived, but already they were afraid they would have to leave one man short.
'I know. But Wren... Wrenlou is stubborn. Too stubborn to die. He's a fighter Hiccup, and he won't take no for an answer.'
Hiccup gave her a weak smile. 'But he's been like that for a week. No improvement what so ever. What if he never wakes up again.'
'When he was younger, he fell from a cliff. He was unconscious for weeks. I was so worried he would die, but he didn't. And when the wounds had healed, he went back to the cliff. Back to the edge.'
'I know, he told me. How do you know?'
'We grew up together. He lived three houses down. Wrenlou, Broghan and I, we used to play together when we were kids. After Wrenlou's accident, Broghan never was the same again. He became protective, even more then he already was.'
'I can imagine.'
'After we were chosen to be dragon riders, we thought we wouldn't see him for a long time. And even when it was his turn, the chance that he got a dragon was very small. But Snowflake had other ideas. She wanted him to be her rider. Him and only him. We stuck together, the three of us. And then he found you, on the beach. He told me he liked you from the moment he saw you.'
Hiccup looked up when she started fumbling with his hair, twisting the auburn locks around her finger.
'Did you know that he was never supposed to stay with you? He was supposed to bring you to Dragoncity, then come straight back to Learners Bay. But once he had dropped you off, he refused to go. He told them that he was the only one you had seen and that he wasn't leaving you with a bunch of strangers you didn't understand.'
'But I understood him. He spoke Norse!'
'Yes, you know why? You had said just enough so that he could figure out where you were from. So after they had reluctantly given him permission to stay, he went to the library. He went through the library. He collected every singe book about the Northern Lands, every book that might help him learn your language. And he read all of them while he was watching over you. It couldn't have been easy, but he persisted. Because he didn't want you to wake up in a city full of people that didn't understand you. If there was just one, just one who you could talk to those first few months, he knew settling in would be a lot easier.'
'I never... he never told me that.'
'Not a lot of people knew. They all knew he was there, but nobody really knew what he was doing. The ones who did called him crazy. Why go through all that trouble for a boy you didn't know? That's what they told him. He would just shrug. And it worked. It wasn't perfect when you woke up, but you could talk to each other. You had someone to answer all of your questions. And when you were fully healed and came with him to Learners Bay to join our group, the Terrific Three turned into the Fabulous Four.'
Hiccup smiled when he remembered the welcome he had been given. They had welcomed him with open arms, even if he didn't understand them. The first few months the only one he could talk to was Wrenlou, and they went every where together. Even after he had learned the language of Night Fury Island, Wrenlou had not deserted him.
'Why are you telling me this?'
'To show you who he is. You might have known him for ten years, but I've known him for all my life. I know how he is. After he fell from that cliff, he somehow pulled through. He refused to let his fear take the upper hand and went back there, again and again and again. He was too stubborn to leave you on your own, in a city you didn't know. He managed to teach himself a language, just by reading books. I told you before and I will say it again, Wrenlou is too stubborn to die.'
Hiccup took a deep breath. 'I really don't want him to die.'
'None of us wants him to die.'
Leila put her head on Hiccup's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. It was silent for a while, both dragon riders lost in thought and worry.
'You know, you and Wrenlou are the bravest people I know.'
'Me? Brave? Leila, I'm not brave.'
'Yes you are. Hiccup, bravery isn't just about having no fear. Bravery is being afraid of something, and doing it anyway. Bravery is being the only one who knows that you're afraid. Wrenlou was afraid to go back to the cliff after he had fallen off, but he did. You were afraid to come back here, yet you did. That is why you are brave.'
'I guess I never thought of it that way.'
Leila didn't answer, but started to fumble with his hair again. She sat close to him. He could feel the heat from her body through is clothes. He looked at her. In many ways she reminded him of Astrid. They even had the same eyes, bright blue, shining like stars.
'I've loved him since we were kids.' She mumbled suddenly.
Hiccup looked up, surprised. He had seen the way she had looked at Wrenlou, but he hadn't realized she loved him. She pulled away from him and looked at him.
'Does he know that?'
She shook her head. 'I've never told him, I don't think anyone knows. Maybe just my mother.'
'Why didn't you tell him?'
'Because it would complicate things. We're in the same patrol group. I have to know that if we are ever in danger, that he won't put me over the others. I am not his assigned buddy, you are.'
'But what if he dies and you never told him?'
She looked down at the table, a single tear falling on the wood. Hiccup lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.
'Why don't you tell him now?'
'But he's unconscious. He can't hear me.'
'You don't know that. And besides, would it make a difference? If he dies, you know you told him. If he survives you can tell him again. Or keep it a secret for the rest of your life.'
'But I...'
'Bravery is being afraid of something and doing it anyway. Someone told me that.'
She smiled weakly. 'Using my own words against me. But you're right.' She took a deep breath. 'I suppose I could start by going back to the house. I'll see you there?' He nodded. 'Okay. Bye Toothless.'
Hiccup sighed as she walked away and started tapping the table. Toothless moved from his spot on the floor to a place where he could put his head on Hiccup's lap.
'Hey.'
He looked up when Astrid sat down next to him. 'Hey.'
'Who are they?'
'They're my friends. Broghan is Wrenlou's brother. They're also the rest of my patrol group.'
'Patrol...?'
'Yes. We patrol Titan Island. There are tons of regulations and having six men groups is one of them. And because you have to be able to fully trust each other, those groups are often made up by close friends, because they already know and trust each other. Wrenlou, Broghan and Leila were the ones that stood by me the first few months in Learners Bay. That's how we because friends.'
'What is Learners Bay?'
'It's the place were new riders and their dragons go after the Choosing...'
'Okay, slow down. What's the Choosing?'
Hiccup sighed. 'Night Fury's choose their riders, not the other way around. The Choosing happens every five years, when the eggs hatch. The dragons choose their riders and the riders take the hatchlings to Learners Bay. There, both dragon and rider learn to trust each other, how to work together as a team. They learn to be dragon riders. After three years Night Fury's are considered adults, and that's when the dragon riders take the oath.'
'Then how did you fit in? Into the class in Learners Bay I mean.'
'They were already in their final year. And I didn't have much of a disadvantage , because Toothless and I had flown together already. The most I had missed was the history, but I made Wrenlou tell me that. We often stayed up until dawn.'
'So, you took that oath as well?'
'Yes. It's basically an initiation into Dragoncity.'
'And when you take the oath, you can get send out on patrol?'
'No. To go on patrol you have to be part of the Guard of Dragoncity. To be part of the Guard of Dragoncity, you have to make it through an intense selection process. When you are selected, there are two years of pretty rough training to go through. When you make it through those two years, you are initiated into the Guard. To be send on patrol, there is another year of training.'
'And you are going on patrols... you have been through all that?'
'Yes. We all have. It's really the highest you can achieve. It's a display of discipline, trust. Trust is the foundation of dragon riding. If there is no trust, there is no bond. If there is no bond, there can't be a dragon rider. To get into the Guard and be send on patrol is really the greatest honour a dragon rider can get.'
'So, that what you said on the sea stack, Captain of the Guard of Dragoncity, that wasn't just something you made up? That's actually your rank?'
Hiccup chuckled. 'Yes. Wrenlou and I were promoted last year. Broghan is our Commander, the leader of the group. You wouldn't believe how many rules and regulations there are to follow as a member of the Guard. Even more as Captain.'
'You... you've achieved so much over the past few years. I can't believe it.'
'Why, still see me as weak and useless?'
'No! Gods no. It's just... you've changed so much these past few years. You've turned into something none of us could have imagined. I mean, Hiccup, Captain of the Guard of Dragoncity.'
'Dragon rider, dragon trainer, inventor, blacksmith...' Hiccup added.
'Blacksmith? But I thought...'
'You thought patrolling was a full time job, didn't you? Well, it's not. Every three days a group is send out. And it's all carefully planned. Under normal circumstances we had to go on patrol once, maybe twice a month. When we weren't patrolling, we did other things. I'm the blacksmith.'
'How about Wrenlou?'
Hiccup took a deep breath. It was hard to talk about Wrenlou while he didn't know if the man would survive.
'He's a healer. There are to kinds of healers. One for the riders and one for the dragons. He decided to join them when after the Titan Wing attack left a Night Fury with a wing torn off.'
Astrid sat silently next to Hiccup for a while, who resumed tapping on the table. All the things he told her spun around in her mind.
'What about that girl?'
'Girl? Leila? What about her?'
'Is she your girlfriend or something?'
'No. Why would you think that?'
'She was playing with your hair. And hugging you.'
'How would you... Astrid! You were spying on me!'
'No! Yes! Maybe I was.'
'She's not my girlfriend. It's just something she does. If she's nervous, or scared, or worried, she starts playing with your hair. That's it. Why? Are you jealous?'
'No! I'm not.'
'Yes you are. You are jealous.'
She looked at him. There was a twinkle in his green eyes she hadn't seen before. His lips were twitching, as if he was trying not to smile.
'Yes, I was.'
The smile broke through, lighting up his face, before he placed a quick kiss on her cheek.
'I have to go back. Come on Toothless. See you Astrid.'
She stared at him as he walked away. He had just opened up to her. He had answered her questions just like that. And than he had kissed her. Just her cheek, but he had kissed her. She smiled and stood up herself.
0-0-0-0-0-0
It was already getting dark outside. He couldn't believe he had been in the Great Hall for hours. He made his way over to the house, stepping past the Night Fury's curled up next to the door. When he opened it, he found his father sitting at the table. He gave the man a quick nod, before heading upstairs.
He found Broghan, Leila and the twins around Wrenlou. They looked at him with weary eyes.
Hiccup, do you think your father will let us set up camp behind the house?' Broghan asked as soon as Hiccup had sat down.
'I'm not sure. You should ask him. Although I think he will prefer the Night Fury's outside the house instead of inside it. I mean, Snowflake and Toothless are already taking up most of the space.'
'I will go ask him then.'
Broghan left and Hiccup glanced at Leila. She had been crying, he could see it. She looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. Moment later Broghan got back, with the announcement that Stoick didn't mind if they set up camp behind the house. The riders left, Broghan last. Before he excited the room, he grabbed Hiccup's arm.
'Has she been eating?' He asked with a nod to Snowflake.
Hiccup shook his head. 'Not since it happened.'
Broghan sighed and left without another word. Hiccup knew what he was thinking though. It took about a month for an adult Night Fury to die of starvation. If Wrenlou didn't wake up soon, chances were he wouldn't have a dragon anymore. Hiccup did not want to see that happen.
