Chapter 20: War, Why do You Come?
"There it is!" Astrid shouted. "Bog Burglar Island is dead ahead! Everyone pull up!"
Five dragons adjusted their wings and recoiled as the wind stuck them, holding them in place in the sky. Slowly, they hovered together, close enough for the riders to talk. All eyes were directed towards a black mark in the distance – Bog Burglar Island. In a twinkling six scopes were trained on the horizon, at the target. The dragons growled in anticipation. Battle was coming.
"All right, there's no sign of reinforcements from anyone," Fishlegs muttered, from his position atop Meatlug. "I'm surprised, I thought at least the Murderous tribe and the Outcasts would have arrived to help them by now. But whatever, the Boggies are still on their own. If we had launched an attack with all of our dragons from Berk, we might be able to destroy the Boggies right now. We should have done it."
"Well, we didn't, genius," Tuffnut replied with a sneer, staring at the island. "Now, is it just me, or does it look like they have a LOT of dragon killing weapons on this island?" Tuffnut seemed almost excited.
"They sure do," Astrid snapped, gripping Stormfly's saddle tighter and lowering her scope. "And if we aren't careful, they'll see us and sound the alarm. But we timed this trip perfectly, Fishlegs. It will be darkest in a few minutes, and that's when we need to strike. What's the plan?"
"All right, here's the plan," Snotlout said, puffing out his chest. "We will go in there and -"
"Snotlout, don't even START to pretend like you're running this," Heather snapped, from her saddle on Spike. She pointed a finger at Snotlout. "You are not telling ME what to do, that's for sure." Heather turned to look at Meatlug. "FISHLEGS, what is the plan?" she asked pointedly.
Fishlegs lowered his scope, a strange gleam in his eyes.
"Well, the first step," he said, "is I'm going to draw and map out all the defenses on this island. So we are going to stay here for a few minutes while I do that." He pulled out a pencil and a paper and began to draw hurriedly.
"Wait, we're DRAWING the island?" Snotlout sneered. "Why don't we just ATTACK!?"
Fishlegs didn't even look up. "Because I was ordered by chief Stoick to do this," he stated simply, his hand dancing skillfully across the paper. "And besides, after this little map I'm drawing is done, I'll be able to determine the most efficient way to check for Hiccup and Toothless and still do as much damage as possible." He continued to draw, sparing no glance for Snotlout.
"All right, let's get prepared while we're waiting," Astrid commanded, her voice authoritative and harsh. "Make sure your black cloaks are on and your weapons are ready. And cool your nerves. This is no longer a silly practice raid like we've done a thousand times in Dragon Training. This is the REAL thing. We will DIE down there if we are not careful. Ruff, Tuff, I'm looking at you." Astrid pointed her axe at the twins.
"Hey, we're here to blow stuff up," Tuffnut grinned, pulling out his spear. Astrid raised her eyebrows in surprise. Tuffnut actually looked quite menacing in his black cloak and his hair pulled back in a long blonde ponytail. Black war paint was striped across his face. Astrid had to admit that he looked like a ferocious warrior.
"Blowing stuff up is our expertise," Ruffnut added. She was wearing the same black war paint that her brother was, and looked almost as fierce. "Don't worry about us, Astrid. You need to worry about yourself. You've never been in a real battle before, either. I mean, where we have to kill people. You be careful, too."
Astrid nodded. "Thanks, Ruff. But don't do anything stupid."
Tuffnut grinned. "Sometimes the stupid stuff is the best stuff to do," he stated.
Astrid was about to laugh, but then checked herself. 'Maybe they're right,' she said to herself. 'That might be a good battle tactic sometime. Just do what the enemy least expects.'
"All right," Fishlegs said. "Everyone get close."
The five dragons veered so that everyone in the group could see Fishlegs in the dim light. He held up his notebook, which had a very detailed drawing of the island and its defenses.
"So here's the plan," Fishlegs said. "We have two goals to meet during the course of this raid. The first one is to ensure that Hiccup and/or Toothless are NOT on the island, and if they are, to free them. The second is to destroy as much useful stuff and dragon-killing weapons as we can. So here's what I propose."
Fishlegs looked at Astrid and Heather.
"You two." He pointed at them. "You will be in charge of searching the island for any sign of Hiccup and Toothless. Your main objective will be to get to the dungeons of the Bog, which are located here." He pointed to a spot on the map, on the west side of the village. "To get there, you can't fly a dragon, it'll be too conspicuous. You need to be on foot."
Astrid and Heather shared uneasy glances.
"Right. I picked you two to do this dangerous task," Fishlegs went on, "because you are the two most intelligent women in this group."
"Hey!" Ruffnut snapped.
Fishlegs looked at her disdainfully. "And ALSO because Ruffnut is better at exploding things than you two are."
"Oh, OK," Ruffnut said, consoled.
"That will be the first segment of the assault," Fishlegs went on. "Snotlout, the twins, and I will be the second segment. Our job is a trifle less difficult but a little more dangerous. We will be striking the island with impunity, and not undercover, like Astrid and Heather. That means we will be shot at. A lot. So I am making that clear right away. You understand?"
Everyone nodded.
"Anyway," Fishlegs went on, "this is what will have to happen. You two will have to look as much like Boggies as you can. That means wearing your hair in a ponytail, and Astrid, you take off that headband. Boggies don't wear those."
Astrid and Heather nodded.
"Next, you will have to discard your black cloaks as soon as you enter the village," Fishlegs instructed. "We will be surprise attacking them, and no one on that island will have time to don a black cloak, so you don't want to look suspicious. So make sure you do that, too."
Astrid and Heather nodded again, and began to fix their hair. Fishlegs went on.
"Now that that's taken care of, here is the general plan. Stormfly and Spike are the two stealthiest dragons. They will fly with Heather and Astrid around the island and approach from the behind. Astrid and Heather will get dropped off right outside the village and then search the prisons for Hiccup. As soon as they reach the dungeons, we attack." He paused. "Stormfly and Spike will swoop in from behind and fly low. They will hit everything they can in the village, especially the forge and the armory. Then they will retreat to the south, and meet up with Astrid and Heather behind the great hall. Meanwhile, we draw attention away from them." He gestured to the other Vikings. "Barf and Belch will blow a massive ball of gas, in a position so that the wind will carry it directly over the village. This will occur at about the same time that Stormfly and Spike attack from behind. When they do, Belch will ignite that gas ball, and scare the piss out of everyone on this island. Then we use their terror against them and attack the defenses for exactly five minutes. We can't linger any longer than that. So Astrid and Heather, you will have to be in and out in that amount of time, because I won't be able to guarantee your safety after that. You understand?"
Astrid nodded. "We've got it, Legs. When does this begin?"
"Right now," Fishlegs replied. "You have three minutes to get into that village before it reaches the darkest point of the night, which is when we want to strike. So move. Are you ready? Stormfly and Spike, do you understand your jobs?"
"We are," Heather said quietly. She pulled her bow over her shoulder. The two Nadders squawked in acknowledgement of Fishleg's plan, and then seemed to converse with each other in Dragonese.
"Then go." Fishlegs commanded. "And remember – this is NOT a joke. If you get stopped, you don't hesitate. Hit to KILL."
Heather licked her lips. "Right, Fishlegs. Astrid, let's go. We'll count the minutes before the attack. Come on."
With a tap on the backs of Stormfly and Spike, the two Nadders zoomed off into the black skies. Barf then began to spew out a massive ball of gas, which the wind quickly began to take towards the island. Astrid felt the breeze whistle through her hair as the two dragons sped quietly around to the back of Bog Burglar Island. Heather was counting under her breath.
"One," she whispered. "Two. Three. Four. Five."
"Six," Fishlegs said. "Seven. Eight. Nine." Barf was still blowing a massive ball of gas. Fishlegs guessed it would pass over the village in two minutes. Astrid and Heather would need to be on the ground and they would have to be ready to attack.
Snotlout drew his sword with a ring.
"Snot," Fishlegs said, turning to the big boy. "Swords aren't going to do you a thing. Use your bow and arrow. We'll be attacking from the sky, not the ground, so you want a distance weapon. And what on earth are you doing with that scroll?"
Snotlout looked up, and hurriedly tucked a rolled up piece of paper back in his pocket. "Umm, nothing," he stammered. "But I think I need this sword. I may have to land, you know, and Snotlout will kick some Boggies around with this bad boy!" He did some complex moves with the weapon.
Fishlegs shook his head. "Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen."
"Seventy-two!" Heather snapped. "Drop now, Astrid!" The two Nadders, flying low over the trees, came up to the edge of the village and dropped the two riders into the soft moss below. There was a final whiz of air as the two dragons flew overhead and began to circle towards the main street. As soon as they attacked, the battle would begin.
"Let's go, Heather!" Astrid said, flinging off her black cloak. "Let's get to the village and strike!"
Heather doffed her cloak as well, still counting the seconds softly under her breath. The two Viking warriors ran through the dark trees and towards the faint lights of the village. Looking above her, Astrid could scarcely distinguish a giant green ball of gas that was floating over the harbor. Spike and Stormfly would attack at any minute now.
Fishlegs snapped his spyglass to his eye, still counting steadily. "Ninety-one. Ninety-two."
He caught a glimpse of two dark dragons, swooping around the swamps to get to the main part of the village. They were riderless. Heather and Astrid must have already dropped off. Fishlegs did some hasty calculations as he saw the Nadders begin to curl towards the attack point. They would be there in exactly 10.43 seconds.
"Get ready to light that gas!" he snapped at Ruff and Tuff, lowering the scope. "Ten seconds! Then we attack!"
"Ten seconds!" Tuff replied. He was keeping a steady hand on Belch's neck. "Get ready to make the biggest blast you've ever done, Belch!"
"Get ready!" Fishlegs hissed, dropping the scope into his bag and grabbing his crossbow. He saw two dragons thunder around the rocks and enter the street of the village. They were now easily visible in a dim torchlight, even though they were daubed in black paint. Together, Spike and Stormfly opened their mouths to blow fire.
"DRAGONS!" Someone shouted from the island, and then Spike and Stormfly struck. Fire roared from their mouths and hit houses and trees as they darted through the village. Explosions and screams began to follow.
"NOW!" Fishlegs shouted to Tuffnut. "Blow em UP!"
Belch spat a giant spark into the air. It hit the trail of gas that led from Barf's mouth to the giant ball of gas that was now directly above the village. There was a hiss as the spark flew up the gas, and then it hit the massive area of green. Fishlegs ducked and covered his ears.
BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!
It was an explosion loud enough and long enough to keep the twins quiet for a full year. The air itself seemed to shake, and the few people that Fishlegs could see on the island were flung to their faces. Cries of terror and pain echoed from the island, and most of the Boggies thought the end of the world had come. It was time.
"Let them know we're here!" Fishlegs shouted, turning to Snotlout. "Berkians! Attack!"
Snotlout raised the Berkian war horn to his lips and blew a long thunderous blast. The noise echoed over the water. The Berk – Bog war had begun.
Astrid and Heather found themselves at the first house of the village. Immediately, Astrid stopped running and began a calm, collected walk, trying to look like two Bog Burglar sentries on patrol. Heather did the same, although she was still muttering the time under her breath. Stepping out in front of the house, they saw a few guards patrolling the area and a few torches were lit. Astrid nudged Heather and pointed ahead of them.
"There are the dungeons, right ahead," Astrid muttered. "If the Gods are willing, Hiccup is in there somewhere."
Heather nodded. "Ninety-seven. Ninety-eight."
The green ball of gas was now almost directly overhead. Astrid tugged on Heather's sleeve.
"Run! Now! To the dungeons!" The two Vikings, hair billowing, burst into a run, and no sooner had they done so when a shout came from the east side of the village.
"DRAGONS!" a Bog Burglar screamed.
There was a roar and a burst of flame as Stormfly and Spike thundered into the village, flying side by side. Liquid flame shot from their mouths and raked the houses along the main village area. Screams of fear and agony began to start from the house that had been hit.
Then there was a crack of fire in the north and then a roaring explosion as Belch lit the gas ball on fire.
BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!
A deafening explosion rocked the island, shaking the air and hurling Heather and Astrid to the ground. Then dragons roared and fireballs came from the sky, smashing into dragon defenses and weaponry. Fishlegs and his squad was attacking.
Astrid leapt to her feet. Pandemonium was breaking out on all sides of them. Houses were being lit up and Bog Burglars were bursting out of their homes, with weapons in hand. Then came a sound that Astrid knew well; the Berkian horn.
"Attack!" A Bog Burglar shouted. "Berk is here! We're under attack!" War horns were being blown all over. Female Vikings were pouring out of their houses with bows in hand.
This was the point where Heather and Astrid's disguise was vital. They were now in the middle of a crowd of Bog Burglars. If it wasn't dark outside, they would have been spotted immediately and killed. But in the thick of a chaotic mess, where everyone was running to defend the village, they blended in perfectly. Together they sped towards the dungeons of the Bog. Heather had her black, spiked bow in her hand, and an arrow was nocked. She raised the bow and let fly, apparently at one of the dragons. But instead the arrow swooped down from above the hill and landed directly in a crowd of Bog Burglars. There was a scream, and a woman fell, a black arrow jutting out of her thigh.
"Nice shot!" Astrid grinned, as they approached the dungeons. "Too bad you didn't kill her!"
"I did," Heather replied quietly. "I coated the tips of my arrows with Jotun Oil. It was poisoned. She'll die in a few minutes."
Astrid stared. Heather was absolutely expressionless. She showed no fear or regret that she had just killed a person.
"I've never heard of Jotun Oil," Astrid stated, as they continued to run to the dungeons. "Is it deadly? Where is it from?"
"It's from Jutonh -" Heather began, and then stopped. "You wouldn't know it. It's not from around here."
Astrid was about to ask where Heather had acquired such a lethal poison, but then the two Vikings reached the iron door that led to the underground dungeon. Reaching for the handle, Astrid found that the door was locked.
"Thor damn it!" Astrid swore. "It's locked!"
"Who goes there?!" Someone shouted from inside. Astrid froze.
"We were sent by Chief Bertha!" Heather shouted, cupping her hands against the door. "She ordered us to come in and ensure that no prisoners escape in the course of this attack!"
"All right," came the answer from inside, and then the lock rattled and the door swung open. Inside was a large, dirty Bog Burglar women dressed in grey clothes. She held up a lantern.
"Who are you?" she demanded harshly, peering at the Berkians. "I've never seen you two before -"
Astrid raised her axe and slammed the blade into the woman's upper chest, right below the neck. The Boggie gurgled and screamed as she fell the floor, dead, blood pouring from the mortal wound. Astrid stood rooted to the ground in shock as the woman died. It was the first time she had ever killed a human being. It was a sickening feeling.
Heather, unmoved, grabbed Astrid's sleeve.
"Let's go, Astrid!" she snapped. Reaching down, she pulled the ring of keys off of the Boggie's belt. Grabbing Astrid, the two warriors leapt into the darkness of the dungeons and down the black stairs.
"You check the right side, and I'll get the left!" Astrid shouted to Heather. "If Hiccup's down here, he's in one of these cells!"
Camicazi, heir to the Bog Burglars, leapt from the front steps of her home, her bow in hand. As soon as she had heard the shouting, she had woken up, and had then been instantly hurled to the floor by an enormous explosion.
BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!
For a second she thought the entire island had been blown up. The ground was shaking and her ears were vibrating with the shock of the loud sound. While her thoughts were still clouded, she wondered what had occurred, but then the Berkian horn blew. It was just the beginning of a dragon raid. They were under attack.
"Get the defense running!" Camicazi shouted, ignoring the ringing of her ears. "Man the nets! War! Battle! Attack!"
Bog Burglars were pouring out of their houses in response to her call. Roars and bellows echoed in the night sky, and balls of fire were released from the sky, striking weaponry and houses both.
Looking ahead, Camicazi saw her mother, Big Boobied Bertha, already getting the Boggies into position. With a quick, practiced eye, Camicazi caught faint glimpses of black dragons darting in the sky. They all had riders. Berk was here.
"Cami! Get down!" Someone screamed at her, and Camicazi turned to the street. Coming directly at her were two Nadders, both painted black and flying only six feet off the ground. They were flying expertly in tandem, wings overlapping, and spraying the main street with hot molten fire. Suddenly, both dragons turned their heads on the forge and blasted. A giant ball of flame hit the forge, and it went up in flames with a roar of heat. The Bog Burglar's trusty forge was gone. In a rage, Camicazi grabbed an arrow and fitted it to her bowstring. The dragons were flying directly above her. Raising the weapon, she aimed for the riders on the dragon's backs.
But there were none.
Camicazi was hurled to the ground by a blast of air as the two dragons thundered overhead. With a few final shots of fire, they vanished into the forest behind the Great Hall. Leaping to her feet, Camicazi looked around at the chaos. Grabbing her unfired bow, she bent it and released the arrow at a fiery Monstrous Nightmare that was plaguing the Eastern defenses. She couldn't tell if she hit it.
Flames were erupting all around her, and Camicazi realized that soon the whole island would catch fire. Grabbing a nearby bucket of water, she flung it on a burning house. It did little, but it was a start.
"Get water!" She screamed. "Put out these fires! And kill the dragons! Make Berk pay!"
Around her, Bog Burglars rallied to her cry. Buckets of water were already being handed around, and fires were being doused. The old experience from the dragon raids they used to deal with was returning.
Then a thought came to Camicazi. Why had the two Nadders been riderless? If they were Berkian dragons, then they should have had soldiers on top to guide them through the battle. What had happened to the riders? As Camicazi pondered, she began to grow uneasy. The dragons had been flying low. The only reason they would have done that would be to drop someone off in the village, since being lower meant being more of a target. But who had they dropped off, and why?
Camicazi whirled and directed her gaze towards the dungeons. There were two women in front of the door, each armed. As she watched, the dungeons opened, and one of the women swung her axe. It smacked the door warden in the chest, and blood sprayed. Camicazi drew her sword and spun to see how many Boggies were with her. There were three.
"Come with me!" She roared. "There are Berkians at the dungeons!"
With angry shouts, the Bog Burglars sprinted down the hill to the jails.
Together the two Berkian warriors sprinted down the passageway, looking into the cells as they passed. There was no Hiccup or Toothless. However, in the last two prisons, there were two beaten and ragged Bog Burglars. When they caught sight of Astrid and Heather, they leapt to their feet and sprung to the bars of their cells.
"Save me!" one of them shouted.
"Let me out!" cried the other.
"Stop that shouting!" roared Heather, and drew a long thin, knife from her belt. Leaping forward, she slammed the blade into the first prisoner's eye. Gore splattered as the woman staggered back, clutching her face. She fell to the ground with a thud. Before Astrid could do anything, Heather leapt across the passageway and reached through the bars. Grabbing the second prisoner with one hand, she slammed her against the iron bars and held the bloody knife in front of the frightened Boggie's face.
"Not a sound or I'll gut you," Heather said, her voice icy as death. "How long have you been in this cell, you bitch?!"
The Boggie looked terrified. "I've been in here for a month," she gasped, staring in horror at the knife. Her eyes shifted to the dead prisoner in the other cell. "Please don't kill me!"
"Was a boy, around my height, with brown hair and green eyes, ever put in any of these cells?" Heather demanded, pricking the skin below the Boggie's eye with the tip of her blade.
"No!" the Boggie screamed, terrified. "Never! I have never seen anyone like that since I have been in here!"
Heather smiled. "Thank you," she said, and then drew the knife across the Boggie's throat. Astrid gasped as blood splashed over Heather's face. The prisoner's scream was cut off and she fell, blood gurgling from her neck. Astrid stared in horror at the gruesome image, and Heather merely wiped her knife clean on her skirt.
"Why did you do that?!" Astrid demanded, grabbing Heather's arm. She gestured to the dead prisoners, watching as the blood pooled around their heads. "They were defenseless!"
Heather looked steadily at Astrid, drops of red blood dripping down her face.
"This is war, Astrid," she said quietly, and without emotion. "We had no intention of freeing them. If we had let them live, they would have alerted the others that we were in here, hoping to earn favor and gain their freedom. They had to be dispatched. Besides, when the war begins in earnest, the Boggies won't care if they have criminals, they'll free them so they can fight against us. We would have had to kill them in a later battle."
Astrid frowned. "But they were unarmed. It wasn't fair to kill them like that. You should have just knocked them out."
Heather shrugged, and sheathed her knife. "It's war, Astrid," she said. "And war isn't fair. You'll get used to it. Come on, Hiccup's not in here. Let's go."
"You're going NOWHERE!" a sharp female voice shouted, and the two Berkians snapped their heads up to look at the entrance. Standing in the doorway, with her hands on her hips and flanked by three Boggies, was Camicazi.
Heather yanked an arrow from her quiver and let it fly. It was heading straight for Camicazi's chest, but the girl skillfully ducked and the arrow smacked into the shoulder of one of the other women. The Boggie who got hit screamed, and her eyeballs bulged. She started to convulse and then fell down the stairs, flapping her arms and legs around like a fish. The poison on Heather's arrows was apparently quite effective.
Camicazi wasted no time. "She has poisoned arrows!" She shouted, drawing her two swords. "Watch out, Bog Burglars!"
With a battle cry Camicazi leapt down the stairs, followed by her two soldiers. Heather, having no time to reload, dropped her bow and drew a short, curved sword from her belt. Yelling, the three Bog Burglars attacked. Camicazi held two thin, curved blades, and she led the charge. Spinning around expertly, she swung one blade at Heather and the second at Astrid. Heather ducked under the hack and came up to meet one of the other soldiers. However, Astrid raised her axe and blocked the blow. While Camicazi's left side was still spinning from the sword that missed Heather, Astrid spun around herself and kicked Camicazi in the side with her leather boot. The force from Camicazi's spin, combined with Astrid's strong kick, carried her through, and she slammed against the iron bars of the prison, falling on her face and losing her swords.
However, Astrid's move got her off balance. The second Bog Burglar jumped at her and swung her blade. Astrid raised her axe to block it but the force of the attack knocked it out of her hands, and she fell to the ground with a crash. With a shout of triumph, the Boggie leapt at her with her axe raised. Astrid rolled over and the axe struck the stone floor next to her with a crash. With another skillfully placed kick to the Boggie's kneecap, Astrid sent the Boggie falling forward. Jumping to her knees to finish the job, Astrid looked ahead and saw Heather get thrown against the wall by the other Bog Burglar.
"Watch out!" Astrid screamed, and flung her throwing knife at the Boggie fighting Heather. It struck the woman in the back of the head and sunk all the way to the cross guard. The woman collapsed to the ground, and Astrid leapt to her feet, looking concernedly at Heather. But Heather's looked transformed from relief to horror as Astrid looked at her. Heather grabbed Astrid's axe and leapt at Astrid, swinging it.
"Duck!" She screamed.
Astrid did not need to be told to duck. Heather was swinging her own axe at her face. She hurled herself to the ground and felt blood splash all over her back as Heather's swing hit home. The Bog Burglar that Astrid had kicked had tried to get Astrid from behind, and Heather had saved her. Astrid sprung to her feet in time to see the Boggie falling, dead as a post, Camicazi staggering to her feet, blood dripping from a cut on her chin. She grabbed one of her swords that had been knocked to the floor.
Heather tossed Astrid's axe to her and picked up her own fallen sword.
"Heather, get out of here," Astrid commanded, taking her axe back from her friend. "Go to the Great Hall and get picked up by Spike. Tell Stormfly to get me here." She pointed her bloody axe at Camicazi. "We have business together."
Heather looked at Astrid and, sheathing her curved, wicked sword, nocked another arrow to her bow.
"I can kill her right now," she said to Astrid, drawing back on the string and pointing the arrow at Camicazi, who stiffened. "Come on, let's both go."
"NO!" Astrid snapped, grabbing Heather's bow arm. "She's the heir to the Bog. I need her alive. I need her to talk to me." She paused. "About Hiccup."
Heather looked at Astrid's determined expression and then nodded. She took the arrow off the string and threw her bow over her shoulder.
"All right, if you're sure you don't want help," she said. "But one of us has to be in the right place or things will go really wrong. Hurry up and kill her, Astrid. Stormfly will be coming in a few minutes."
Heather turned and sprinted to the stairs, leaving Astrid and Camicazi facing one another in the dungeons.
"Watch out, Meatlug!" Fishlegs shouted, just in time. A net careened over their heads and whizzed into the darkness. Meatlug replied angrily by firing a large ball of fire towards a wooden tower on the shoreline. It struck home, and Boggies screamed, leaping from the flaming wreckage.
"Nice shot!" Fishlegs shouted. "We're whipping them! Keep it up!"
Raising his crossbow, Fishlegs aimed for a group of Bog Burglars that were firing arrows up and Barf and Belch. With a twang, he released the arrow and watched it whiz through the night sky. Fishlegs thought that his aim was horrible, but to his great surprise, the arrow thudded right into a Bog Burglar's face. Fishlegs shouted in dismay as the woman pitched the ground with a shriek, blood pouring from her mouth and ruined head. It was Fishleg's first kill.
"Get higher!" he shouted to Meatlug, still shaking with horror at what he had done. "Get out of range! We're vulnerable here!"
Meatlug, on command, veered away from the attack and flapped up to where Bark and Belch were retreating after laying waste to the defenses on the Northern shore.
Tuffnut had blood spattered all over his armor and face, and he was leering a big, warrior like grin.
"This black paint is working!" Ruffnut shouted, happily. "They can't see us at all!"
"I know!" Fishlegs shouted back. "I knew it was a good idea, didn't think it would work so well!"
"Well, we've got a minute left!" Fishlegs shouted. A net, fired from the island, flew past, clipping Meatlug and causing the dragon to yip in pain.
"Where's Snotlout?" Fishlegs shouted, as Meatlug recovered.
"Over on the west side!" Tuffnut shouted, directing Belch back down to the action. "And he was in trouble, last I saw. You should go help him, Legs. Ruff and I will attack to the east."
"Good thinking, Tuff," Fishlegs said. He tapped Meatlug's side. "Let's go, girl! Find Snotlout!"
Meatlug flapped quickly through the black night and swooped down to look for Hookfang and his rider. Meanwhile, Fishlegs heard shouts from the other side of the island as the twins struck.
Then Fishlegs saw Snotlout and Hookfang. He gasped in amazement. Hookfang had landed on the island! In fact, he had landed right on top of the Great Hall! He was perched on the beam that held up the building, launching fireballs into the village at random.
And Snotlout wasn't there. Someone else was.
Grabbing his scope, Fishlegs looked at the Hall. Standing directly below Hookfang on top of the Great Hall was Heather, her black hair billowing in the breeze. Her bow in hand, she was kneeling on top of the Great Hall, firing arrow after arrow into the village, combining with Hookfang to make a truly dreadful assault.
Then Snotlout burst out of the Great Hall, wielding his sword. With a war cry, he struck down a Bog Burglar and leapt down the stairs.
"Hookfang!" He shouted, over the roar of the battle. "Get me! Come on!"
As he heard his rider's cry, Hookfang immediately came down from the roof of the Great Hall and scooped up Snotlout in his claws. Together they swooped high into the sky, arrows and nets quizzing after them. Fishlegs noted that Hookfang was riddled with arrows. He had been hit many times.
Fishlegs wondered what in the name of Thor Snotlout had been doing, risking his life by entering the Great Hall. But now was not the time.
Concerned for Heather, Fishlegs directed his gaze back at his soldier on top of the Great Hall. Even as he looked, two Bog Burglars sprang up from a hole in the burning roof and attacked the raven-haired girl.
Heather reacted. She whipped her last arrow from her quiver and, without drawing it, slammed it into the first Boggie's side. Then she spun around and drew her curved blade, which was already stained with blood. Faster than Fishlegs guessed was possible, she slashed it across the second soldier's face. Blood sprayed, and the Boggie fell to the shingles, rolling off the roof and catching fire as she did so. She hit the ground with a thud, her body now a mass of flames. Fishlegs expected Heather to finish off the Boggie she had stabbed with the arrow, but instead she ignored the woman and ran across the roof to the backside of the Great Hall. Fishlegs stared at the woman Heather had stabbed. Instead of simply being injured, like Fishlegs expected, the woman was screaming and convulsing, her arms and legs flapping around.
"Whoa!" Fishlegs cried, staring in shock as the Bog Burglar seemed to shake herself to death. "Poisoned arrows! She didn't tell me about that, Meatlug!"
Meatlug didn't answer. She only swooped lower and fired at a net-launching machine below her. Fishlegs kept his eye on Heather, and he saw that she jumped off the Great Hall onto a black dragon, and immediately flew away. Fishlegs made himself a mental note that Heather was a deadly warrior. Not only had she kept her cool and killed a lot of enemies, she had also done her task properly.
But where was Astrid?
Camicazi raised her curved sword and smiled viciously at Astrid. Taking two steps to her right, she tried to circle. But Astrid refused to be tricked by the move. She had to stay between Camicazi and the door, or else she would have no way out. So she simply stepped back. Camicazi was a smart girl and a skilled fighter. Astrid knew that she had to be on her guard to beat her.
"What did you to Hiccup?" Astrid snarled, taking up a fighting stance and raising her axe. Camicazi smiled.
"Oh, that's right. You're his precious little girlfriend, aren't you?" She taunted, moving closer. "I almost forgot." Her smile was maddening, and Astrid had to resist the urge to leap at her and chop her head off. Instead she controlled herself and spoke.
"Don't start this nonsense," Astrid snapped. "Because I AM his girlfriend, and I'm going to avenge him." She raised her axe threateningly, blood still dripping from the blade. "What did you do to him, you filth!?"
Camicazi's smile only got bigger.
"So you ARE his girlfriend," she teased. "Wow. I thought you were just joking at first, lovey-dovey. But your dear Hiccup didn't care about you at all. At least, he seemed to forget ALL about you once I got a hold of him."
Astrid's fingers tightened on her axe, showing white knuckles. "You're lying," she whispered. "You killed him."
Camicazi laughed, and took a casual step forward. "Your dear boyfriend was a pretty good kisser," she said. "And he was even better in bed. Why should I kill the best man I ever fucked?"
Astrid's eyes widened, and she lowered her axe. "You WHAT?!"
Camicazi kept her mocking grin on her face. "Oh, yes," she said, still slowly creeping forward arrogantly, her hips swaying underneath her skin-tight black leggings. "It was amazing. His strong shoulders and abs, his chest, oh, it was a dream. Those muscles aren't big, but they're lean and strong. By the Gods, it was so much fun."
"YOU LIE!" Astrid screamed.
"We Bog Burglars lie a lot, it's true," Camicazi smirked. "But how could I ever fake that? I can still remember the night we had. The smooth muscles, him crying out my name, it was unforgettable."
"LIAAAAAAAAARRR!" Astrid shouted, and leapt at Camicazi in a rage. "Die, you little Bog Burglar bitch!"
She hacked at Camicazi wildly with her axe, and then realized in horror what had happened. Camicazi had galled her. Camicazi was expecting her to attack in anger, and she was prepared. Astrid's heart nearly stopped as she saw Camicazi coolly duck under Astrid's attack and swing one of her curved swords at Astrid's chest.
Astrid would have died then and there if it hadn't been for the woman that Heather had killed. The blood had oozed all over the stone, and as Astrid's foot landed, she slipped, involuntarily falling away from Camicazi's blade. The sword missed her chest and glanced off her shoulder armor, sending sparks flying. Astrid landed on the floor and rolled over in the blood, springing to her feet.
"Lucky little whiner," Camicazi said, twirling her swords. "You're about as talented as a baby goat."
Astrid took two deep breaths. She could not let Camicazi rile her again, because she was right. Astrid had gotten lucky. But she replied haughtily.
"I'm talented enough to beat YOU," she smiled. "Your only talent lies in trickery and deceit. You have about as much skill with a blade as I've got in my little finger. Come at me."
Camicazi laughed. "I was talented enough to kill your boyfriend."
Astrid gasped. "You killed him? What did you do with him?"
Camicazi kept laughing an evil laugh. "I slit his throat. Slowly. He died a long and agonizing death. Then I burned the body to get rid of the evidence."
Astrid trembled with emotion. "You killed him," she whispered. "Why?"
Camicazi shrugged, stepping forward. "Because I wanted to. I want to kill a lot of people, including – YOU!" She swung her swords again. Astrid, stunned with the shock of Camicazi's claim, was off guard again. However, she managed to deflect the attacks with her axe, dancing backwards as Camicazi pressed the attack. She was good with a blade.
Fishlegs, from his authoritative position above the battle, couldn't find where Astrid was.
He had naturally assumed that Astrid would check the dungeons for Hiccup, but since he had seen both Heather and Astrid dropped off there, and Heather had made it to the rendezvous point on the Great Hall, then Astrid had either been killed or had stayed behind to do something. It could even be a good sign, Fishlegs mused. If she found a clue that Hiccup was here, she might stay to see what she could find. Maybe if Fishlegs looked around, he could locate and perhaps help the blonde Viking. After all, he had promised Hiccup to keep her safe.
Meatlug seemed to sense her master's concern, and moved faster. Fishlegs ordered her to stay out of the range of the bows, but they were still a target for bolas and javelins, which Fishlegs had noted were being fired from net launchers. Glancing around, Fishlegs gasped. What he saw shocked him. Raising his scope to his eye, he gaped at the training ring that the Bog boasted.
The dragon cages were filled.
Fishlegs was beyond staring. He was appalled. Why would the Boggies be capturing dragons? If they truly opposed the beasts, like he had assumed, then why would they be capturing them? To learn to fight them? That didn't seem to make sense, since they hadn't been doing that earlier, and these dragons were not kept in closed doors. They were being given every kind of comfort and even being allowed some fresh air. The Bog Burglars were treating them with respect. His mind abuzz with questions, Fishlegs turned his gaze to look for Astrid once more. He didn't see her, but he did see a black shadow darting through the village.
It was Stormfly, on her way to rescue her rider.
With a clash, Astrid's and Camicazi's blades locked, and their faces came within three inches of each other's.
"You're going to die," Camicazi snarled, spitting in Astrid's face. "Just like your boyfriend."
Astrid glared back at Camicazi, her eyes boiling with rage and Camicazi's spit trickling down her face. "I'm not dying, YOU are!" she hissed angrily. "Don't think you can get away killing any Berkians, especially the heir!"
Camicazi laughed and shoved Astrid backwards. The weapons untangled.
"Heir or not, he's dead," Camicazi grinned, stepping back. "And you will be, too, once I'm done with you."
There was a squawk from the doorway. Camicazi glanced up, her menacing façade vanishing and being replaced with fear. Astrid, knowing exactly what the noise was, smiled.
"I don't think so," she grinned. "Stormfly, fire!"
Astrid hurled herself to the ground as a boiling hot ball of fire whistled over her head and straight at Camicazi. With a yell of pure terror, Camicazi leapt to one side, but the fireball struck the wall next to her and the explosion hurled her six feet away. She crashed brutally against the iron bars of the dungeons and lay still, her black suit smoking and her straight blonde hair singed. Astrid wasn't sure if she was dead or not, and she didn't wait to find out. Stormfly was vulnerable, just sitting in the street in front of the dungeons.
Astrid leapt to her feet and dashed for the door, where Stormfly was anxiously waiting. The color of the dragon was visible on her head, for all the fireballs had melted the black tar off her scales. She squawked desperately for her rider. Leaping up the stone steps of the jail, Astrid jumped over the dead bodies of the Bog Burglars she had killed and scrambled onto the back of her dragon.
"Let's go, Stormfly!" she shouted. "Hurry! We're out of time!"
Boggies were running from all around at her. Stormfly was now a sitting duck in the middle of the village. Boggies were grabbing their bows to shoot at her.
Spreading her black wings, Stormfly tensed and hurled herself into the air. Astrid heard twangs as bowstrings were released and Stormfly roared in pain as the whole volley smacked into her neck and side. Astrid shouted in anger as grey-feathered arrows jutted from her dragon all over. Stormfly faltered in her flight, dropping down and almost hitting the houses below her. Astrid frantically leaned forward to encourage her dragon.
Then liquid fire shot through Astrid's side, and she screamed in pain, arching her back.
Looking down with a gasp, she saw a grey-feathered arrow sticking through her blue shirt, just above her right hip. Blood was already pouring from the wound and staining her spiked leather skirt. Another arrow whizzed past her face, and another glanced off her spiked skirt, just below where she had been hit. Then Stormfly regained her balance, and she hurled into the night sky, with helpless shouts of Bog Burglars echoing behind them.
With another stifled scream, Astrid looked down at her wound. The pain was agonizing. With a quick glance, Astrid saw that the wound was not serious, just incredibly painful. The arrow had sunk in right above her hipbone, and every time she moved her leg, it jostled the arrow and made it feel like a thousand daggers were being shoved into her waist.
Gasping in both relief and pain, Astrid guided Stormfly over the treetops behind the village. Hanging low in her saddle due to the arrow, she didn't look up as a dragon swooped alongside Stormfly. But the voice told her it was Heather.
"You've been shot!" Heather gasped, concerned. "Astrid, are you OK?"
"I'm - good," Astrid grunted, although that was not entirely true. "Got me - in the side, the - bastards. I'll live." Ignoring the pain, Astrid spared a glance up to look at Heather. The black-haired girl was sitting upright in Spike's saddle with a concerned look on her face. An ugly cut showed above her right eye. Her quiver was empty, and her shirt and hands were stained with gore.
"How – many – did you kill?" Astrid asked in awe. Heather looked like she had walked through a sea of blood, she was so battle-stained.
Heather grinned savagely. "I got a LOT of them. They're all fools, to run around in groups. All I had to do was pump poisoned arrows into the mobs and I got at least eight doing that. Plus the one I killed in the dungeons and the one on the roof, and if you count the two prisoners, that's a dozen." Heather shrugged. "You shouldn't talk, Astrid, especially if that arrow is anywhere near your stomach. Every time you speak it will inch the arrow deeper in."
"I'll – keep – that – in mind," Astrid gasped. "Thor – it – hurts."
"Well, no shit." Heather laughed. "And what happened with Camicazi? Did you get shot while fighting her?"
"No," Astrid grunted. "Stormfly killed her, I think. She – admitted – to killing –Hiccup."
Heather gasped. "No way!"
Astrid nodded. "I think - she - exaggerated - to make me - mad, but I think - she did - kill him."
Heather looked stricken. "That does it," she whispered quietly. "The Bog will burn for this!"
Astrid nodded, and the two dragons suddenly found themselves flying over the sea instead of the treetops. Astrid tapped Stormfly's side, and the dragon squawked in acknowledgement. The two dragons turned to the South, back to where the other dragons would be retreating.
"Good – girl," Astrid said to Stormfly, patting her faithful dragon. "You were great."
Heather nodded. "Both Spike and Stormfly did an awesome job. They wrecked the forge and the armory, and then some. It was a very nice job."
She patted Spike affectionately. "I've decided I want my own Nadder, Astrid," she said. "I know this isn't the time, but when we get back to Berk I want you help me pick one out."
"Sure," Astrid groaned, and then stifled another scream as the arrow shifted in her side. She gasped for air.
"Hey, take it easy," Heather warned. "We'll land on the closest island and get that arrow extracted after we meet up with the others. And speaking of them, there they are."
Astrid looked up, and saw three dragons in the sky. Meatlug, Barf and Belch, and Hookfang were all hovering out of range of all weapons, and waiting for the two Nadders.
"We're here!" Heather shouted, as the dragons arrived.
"Aha!" Fishlegs had a triumphant grin on his chubby, sweaty face. "A complete success! Yell what I told you to yell, Snotlout!"
Snotlout Jorgenson, a big smile on his face, raised a trumpet to his mouth.
"BOG BURGLARS!" He boomed over the trumpet, as savagely and harshly as he could. "WE ARE BERKIANS! WE ARE DRAGON RIDERS! WE ARE YOUR DOOM! TODAY WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING! SOON YOU WILL ALL DIE IN FIRE AND BLOOD! NONE CAN WITHSTAND THE MIGHT OF THE DRAGONS, AND OF THE GREAT SNOTLOUT JORGENSON, HEIR TO BERK!"
The dragons all roared in reply, the sound echoing over the island. Astrid could almost feel the terror emitting from the Bog Burglars below them, and would have laughed if the arrow wasn't such a burden on her breathing.
However, despite the fear that Astrid felt from the island, there were no screams or cries of terror. Instead, there was only silence and the crackling of flames. Then a sharp voice came from the dark.
It was Camicazi.
"DIE, BERKIANS!" She roared. "YOU CANNOT DEFEAT US! YOU SURPRISED US TODAY, BUT NEVER AGAIN! YOUR DRAGONS WILL DO NOTHING FOR YOU!"
"Laugh, everybody!" Fishlegs hissed. "Laugh loudly!"
The twins were happy to oblige. They burst out in a raucous laugh that carried a long way. Snotlout boomed his chuckle over the trumpet, and Fishlegs and Heather cackled amusedly. Astrid obviously did not participate.
"WE'LL BE BACK TO KICK YOUR ASSES AGAIN!" Snotlout roared. "MIGHT AS WELL GO AND SLIT YOUR OWN THROATS BEFORE WE RETURN! BY THOR, YOU'LL WISH YOU HAD!"
"All right, that's enough," Fishlegs said proudly. "That'll make them think twice. Let's get out of this infernal place."
Turning Meatlug he glanced at Astrid and then yelped.
"Astrid, you've been shot!"
"Thank you – for that valuable insight – Fishlegs!" Astrid snapped angrily. "I am – fully – aware that – I am – shot!"
"Well, we'll have to land," Fishlegs asserted. "On the closest island. Stormfly, Spike, and Hookfang got hurt, and now you're also hit. We need to get bandaged up before the flight back to Berk."
"Right," Heather said. "And I saw an island just a little further from here. Let's go use that."
"Right," Fishlegs said. "And congratulations, Berkians, and Heather. We seriously whipped them. Nice job."
With cheers and laughter, the raiding party swooped through the night sky and towards an encampment for the night.