Author's Note: Hello everyone! Welcome back to "Sounds of Silence!" =D I don't really have much to say at the moment, so I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. =)
Chapter Fourteen: Key Information
Their attack was a shock to them. They came armed and ready, and they swarmed the Dragon Riders like pillaging termites.
When the first man charged, Hiccup whipped out his sword and attacked alongside the others. Adrenaline ran and pumped up and through his veins as he swiped and slashed his sword at oncoming enemies. He parried with every blow that came at him, sliced at those who came to close. The young viking's emerald, green eyes flashed fiercely as he continued to battle on; his blade looking like nothing but a silver blur in the air.
The other Dragon Riders fought bravely as well. The twins battled with their usual, unprecedented bursts of energy. Tuffnut had carried his prized mace, Macey, along with him, and he hacked and bashed every man with it, cackling as if he were mentally disturbed. Ruffnut hacked and poked at the armored men with her spear, landing multiple punctures on them until they chose to retreat. Despite the intensity of the battle, the twins laughed and cackled on whenever they landed a blow on their targets. They were an unstoppable duo, and the Dragon Slayers become more wary of them when they sent many of their men running in the opposite direction.
With his large, stone hammer, Snotlout swung and beat several Dragon Slayers to the ground. They toppled to the ground like cans, unconscious, and Snotlout would brag and taunt about his victories. He taunted the Dragon Slayers pompously (at least, it looked like he was taunting them), riling them up enough that they would charge and attack him. Then, the Jorgenson would land hsi blows, and they'd fall over like stones. It was an interesting tactic, one that Hiccup didn't think would work, but Snotlout was doing just fine every time Hiccup glanced his way.
Fishlegs' attacks were calculated and planned, and his large form gave him the advantage when he knocked over multiple men. He had brought along a dagger—he had been hoping that he and the Riders wouldn't get caught. But now that he was standing in the middle of a heated fight, Fishlegs used his single dagger to slash and parry attacks that were launched on him.
And then there was Astrid. Astrid…
Hiccup had seen many warriors run into battle. But none looked as majestic and bold as Astrid Hofferson. The girl looked like a she-wolf as she swung, slashed, and crushed with her favorite weapon at every man who came close to her. The Hofferson's stunning blue eyes flashed with pure determination with each calculated strike. Her swipes and blows were charged with power; she never hesitated or tarried. She dodged under swords, ducked under maces and hammers. Very few Dragon Slayers managed to land a blow on her. Astrid gritted her teeth and scuffed her boots in the dirt before throwing herself at the Dragon Slayers with her well-known battle cry. Her braid billowed behind her like leaves in the wind, her steps and movements lighter than air and quicker than the wind. Hiccup had to rip his gaze away from Astrid so that he wouldn't fawn over her in the middle of the fight.
Hiccup and the Dragon Riders continued to surge through the mob of angry Slayers piling over them. Hiccup knocked away one of Hilmar's men and looked around for Rin, only to find that she had disappeared. Anger twisted the young viking's insides at the thought of the woman tricking. He couldn't believe he had fallen for her…And she was so convincing as well!
Suddenly, Hiccup saw a flash of black, and three men fell to their knees, clutching their sides. The shadow moved quickly, a sliver of silver accompanying it as it weaved and glided through the crowd like a raven. A cloak billowed behind the figure as she gracefully kicked and punched at the men. Her hood flipped off her head as she fought, revealing Rin with her jewel encrusted sword, swiping at her own kind. The black-haired woman's hair was frazzled, looking like a untidy nest, and her storm-grey eyes flashed like lightning, as if there were a thunderstorm living within them.
Some men were stunned to see the daughter of their leader fighting against them. Rebelling against them. Rin showed no sign of regret for her decision, and the Dragon Slayers' surprise quickly disappeared as they began to attack her two. Rin's lips curled back in a sneer, and she pounced like a mountain lion.
Sweat dripped down Hiccup's brow as he continued to fight. The Dragon Slayers had both brains and brawn; they were trained warriors, and while Hiccup had been practicing his swordsmanship, he knew that he wasn't fully skilled. The young viking's breaths grew labored as he parried and fought against the men that assaulted him. His movements were slowing down, and his arms felt like rubber. His legs felt like they were moving through water. It wouldn't be long until the Riders would run out of energy; they needed to escape before they were completely cornered.
What Hiccup lacked in hearing he made up for in his other senses. Hiccup was easily able to spot the enemies who charged at him, and he rolled out of the way to throw them off course or evade one of their fatal blows. Astrid stayed close to his side, there wasn't a moment Hiccup didn't see her fighting either behind or beside him. She had been assigned to make sure that he didn't get hurt, so standing by him in battle allowed her to take that duty even further.
Hiccup wondered if Hilmar was even present at this base. The turmoil and battle swirling around them caused enough uproar to wake the dead. There was no sign of the leader of the treacherous group, so Hiccup once again stirred his focus to the skirmish, his mind racing to come up with a plan to get him and his friends out of there.
When his chance came, Hiccup let out an urgent Night Fury call, alerting Toothless to get the other dragons so they could escape. With his sudden roar, he shocked many of the surrounding men, including Rin herself. She stared at Hiccup for a fleeting moment before returning her focus to the fighting.
The Dragon Slayers continued to wash over the Dragon Riders and Rin. They huddled up together in hopes to make a stronger defense against their attackers, but it was no use. They were overwhelmed. The other Riders didn't know the woman who had suddenly stepped in to help them, but there was no time to inquire her as the armored men began to surround them.
Hiccup gripped the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning whiter than a ghost. He chewed his lower lip nervously and looked up into the night sky. Come on, Bud…Any moment now…
Hiccup's emerald-green eyes landed on a black form at the edge of the gorge. Toothless. The Night Fury locked his eyes with him, his red-finned tail swishing behind him. The silhouetted figures of the other dragons stood behind him. Hiccup felt a brush of relief at the sight of them.
With a quick movement of his hand, the young viking performed the hand signal for a plasma blast. Toothless translated it immediately and her roared, blasting three shots at the men swarming the Dragon Riders. The Dragon Slayers immediately backed away, looking up in the sky in horror at the sight of a Night Fury's plasma blasts. They other dragons rained their fire down at the men as well, a combination of Gronckle, Deadly Nadder, Monstrous Nightmare, and Zippleback fire lit up the area below. A few men were hit while many managed to escape. Hiccup straightened out and hand signaled for toothless and the other dragons to come in pick them up. The Night Fury bounded down the stairs. The rest of the dragons hovered above the group.
From behind him, Rin was still fighting off men, but Hiccup quickly beckoned for her to run over. She faltered for a moment before running over; Hiccup assumed that she was apprehensive about riding a dragon. The other Dragon Riders mounted their dragons, and Hiccup was just about to run over to Toothless when a sharp, searing burst of pain erupted from his upper arm. The young viking felt his throat burn as he screamed. He fell to the ground, squeezing his eyes shut as his arm burned with pain. The young viking opened his eyes to see a dagger digging halfway into his skin. Blood spilled from the wound and leaked down his arm all the way to the ground, gathering up in a small pool. A hand was still gripping the hilt.
Hiccup looked up to see the same man who had nearly choked him to death. The man who had long ago tricked him back in the wounds, which cost him his hearing. He smiled sadistically as he ripped out the dagger. Hiccup let out another sound of pain. He gripped the wound tightly in an attempt to stop the blood flow.
The man moved in to stab Hiccup again, but Toothless was there in an instant. The Night Fury lashed out on the man, kicking him aside with his tail and giving him a good scratch on the arm. The Dragon Slayer stumbled backward, stunned as he watched Hiccup weakly climb on to his dragon. Rin hopped into the saddle shortly afterward, concern swimming in her eyes as she watched Hiccup slip his prosthetic and boot into the stirrups. Toothless was skeptical of the new human, but he sensed that she meant no harm, so he allowed her to mount.
Now that they had their dragons under them, Hiccup and the Riders had an advantage. The dragons continued to spew their fire at the men surrounding them. Stormfly whipped out her tail and fired her spines at those who drew near. Hookfang, drenched in flames, used his tail and wings to push the men back. Barf created billowing gas clouds that Belch lit with his sparks, and Meatlug used her boulde -like tail to knock out multiple Dragon Slayers at once and used her lava to drive the men away.
Hiccup looked around, noticing that there weren't as many Dragon Slayers as there had been before; the Riders now had an opening, and Hiccup was keen on taking it.
"Let's take to the skies, everyone!" yelled Hiccup. And in an instant, the Dragon Riders shot into the air, leaving the burning Dragon Slayer camp behind them.
Everyone was tired. Beaten. Bruised. Hiccup's arm still leaked with blood, and he had trouble focusing on flying. Astrid glided by his side and pointed at a large sea stack that laid a few ways away. Hiccup let out a heavy, exhausted breath; he desperately wanted to get some rest.
The young viking turned around to look behind him. Rin was looking back at the base that they had just absconded; she appeared to be deep in thought. The other Dragon Riders stared at her suspiciously.
Hiccup sighed; he would have a lot of explaining to do. He just hoped that it wouldn't be difficult to get a word through.
…
Once the Dragon Riders had landed on the sea stack, they proceeded to make camp with the materials that they had. Astrid gathered up as many dry sticks as she could and set them up in the center to start a fire. She gave Stormfly a pat on her side, and the Deadly Nadder spat out a small stream of flames, lighting the sticks immediately.
Astrid leaned against her dragon's warm scales and scooched closer to the fire. She pulled out an extra stick and speared one of the fish that she had brought with her at the end of it. She held over the fire, cooking it until it was nice and tender. Then, she took a bite, but she wasn't all that hungry.
Astrid glanced at the woman who sat farthest away from the group. She turned to Hiccup who sent occasional glances in her direction. Astrid pursed her lips and set her stick of fish to the side, wondering who this woman was and why Hiccup had saved her. The young viking was now staring into the flames. Fire danced in his eyes and Toothless curled around him protectively as Hiccup bound his wounded arm with gauze.
Snotlout fidgeted where he sat. "Okay, I'm not the only one wondering who she is, right?" The Jorgenson pointed at the woman who was staring out into the horizon, her hood concealing her face.
"Nope," said Fishlegs. He rubbed Meatlug's head. Whether he was comforting her or himself, Astrid couldn't tell. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Well, Hiccup's the one who brought her here," remarked Tuffnut. "Why don't we just ask him?"
Ruffnut tapped Hiccup's shoulder, and the young viking turned to her. "Hey, Hiccup. Who's the lady over there?"
The young viking blinked at her. Tuffnut rolled his eyes.
"Uh, have you forgotten already? His deaf, genius," the male Thorston said bluntly. Ruffnut glared at him.
"I knew that!" snapped Ruffnut. " It's just that I'm used to asking Hiccup a lot of questions, like why he didn't ask Astrid out to the Snoggletog Dance last year."
Astrid facepalmed, hoping that her cheeks were still their usual peach color instead of an uncomfortable shade of red. "You guys, why don't you just use that Hiccup Speech of yours?"
"Exactly what I was going to do." Tuffnut smirked and he turned to Hiccup, using his hands to form words into sentences for Hiccup to comprehend. Without looking at the cheat sheets, Hiccup answered.
"Her name is Rin the Ravenous," the young viking replied, using the same title that the black-haired woman had introduced herself as back at the camp. "She's the one I encountered on the boat back when we were attacked on Berk."
Hearing the voice of her acquaintance, Rin turned around and nodded. "It is true," she confirmed. "Although Hiccup couldn't hear what I was saying. I never meant to harm him."
The Riders eased, but only a little. Astrid's brow furrowed.
"How do we know if we can trust you?" she asked. The twins Hiccup Speeched the question to Hiccup, and the young viking rubbed the back of his neck. He opened his mouth to respond when Rin quickly stepped in.
"I know that you may see me as the enemy—" started Rin.
"Yeah. We definitely do," blurted Tuffnut. His twin sister whacked him across the head with the but of her spear.
Rin frowned and she continued. "As I was saying…I wouldn't think of trusting me either if I was associated with a group like the Dragon Slayers…But the only reason I requested Hiccup to bring me with you was to aid you in stopping Hilmar…My father."
In perfect unison—excluding Hiccup—the Dragon Riders all drew in sharp breaths.
Rin chewed her lower lip. "Yes, I know…" She sighed and proceeded to tell them about her father's backstory. His plans. How the Dragon Slayers was birthed, and everything that she had told Hiccup back at the camp when they had first met. The Dragon Riders listened intently, their mistrust slowly melting away if not completely.
"My father is mad," said Rin. She pulled off her hood and crossed her arms. "And I want to stop him before he can harm any more dragons and people."
For the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs, that was enough for them to trust Rin, but Astrid still remained wary. The last time the Riders had stumbled upon a mysterious girl had led to her dragon getting stolen along with the Book of Dragons. While the situation ended on a happy note, Astrid had learned to be careful, especially with what was going on right now. Still, she decided to give Rin a chance, as she seemed like she had been through quite the heap of trouble as well. There was a scar that ran down through her eye and to the left side of her lip. It glowed mysteriously in the firelight and stretched like string whenever she spoke. Rin did mention that she and her father had been through several gruesome dragon raids. Perhaps even worse than the ones Berk had experienced.
Rin dropped some more wood into the fire and sat in between Hiccup and the twins. She tended to the flame and continued to tell her tale.
"I have lots of information that can help you stop my father," Rin explained. She looked at everyone and continued. "You all are probably wondering why he's using dragons to attack villages when he's completely against them…"
"It is rather strange," said Astrid, nodding in agreement. The other Riders nodded too. Hiccup did as well once Ruffnut and Tuffnut Hiccup Speeched Rin's words for him. The ex-Dragon Slayer seemed bemused by the twin's actions, but she didn't stop to question them.
"The only reason why my father is using dragons to attack villages is to frame them," said Rin gravely. "When a dragon raid occurs, no other people are present. No one would think that a person would start a dragon raid. No one knows how that could work, and those who tried have failed…My father sends the dragons attacking the villages, and the people think that it's just the dragons that are pillaging them. They don't see the cruel men behind the act, only the innocent creatures who are being forced to do it."
"That's horrible!" commented Astrid. She rubbed her own dragon's head. Stormfly had once been a victim of the Red Death's orders. She had been forced to collect food for her against her own will, but all she had seen was a Deadly Nadder attacking her home. Since the Red Death had been vanquished, Astrid had wondered how many dragons that attacked their village had been used by the Red Death, and how many had come on their own accord. Not many, she thought.
"But what's Hilmar using to control the dragons?" asked Hiccup. He rubbed his arm, which was still sore. Astrid handed him some herbs to help with the pain. The young viking took the gratefully. "The Red Death is gone, so how is he using them?"
"Another Red Death?" prompted Tuffnut.
"That's impossible," said Fishlegs. "Red Deaths lay eggs every once in a few decades. Maybe even centuries. The chances of finding another rone are incredibly slim."
Rin nodded. "The Dragon Slayers aren't using a Red Death to the control the dragons. It's another species of dragon…one that's been believed to have gone extinct by many, but it is still very much alive to this day."
"What dragon is it?" asked Snotlout.
"The Foreverwing," Rin replied.
The Dragon Riders' eyes widened. Foreverwings were an incredibly rare species of dragon, and during their time in the Great Beyond, they hadn't stumbled across one. Foreverwings were large, graceful giants that looked like mountains, and were covered with plant life. They were said to be even bigger than the Red Death! To encounter a Foreverwing was like stumbling across a Changeling nest…They easily blend in with their woodland environments, and some vikings had even walked right on top of them thinking that they were mountains, forest, or rocky pieces of land.
"A Forevering?!" Fishlegs exclaimed. He laughed. "That explains so much! Foreverwings have the ability to control dragons too, but they don't abuse it like the Red Death. They're very gentle creatures by nature."
"That also tells us why it's difficult to track down," mused Hiccup, holding the Hiccup Speech sheets in his hands. "The Forevering can blend in with nature, so Hilmar must be hiding it in plain sight."
"Actually, it's sequestered deep under an island," said Rin. The other Riders turned her focus to her. "Under three layers of underground. It's completely trapped, and hasn't seen the light of day for months on end."
"We need to find it," said Astrid determinedly. "It's the only way we can stop these dragon raids from continuing any further."
"If you free the Foreverwing, the raids will surely cease," said Rin. "The freeing of it would completely incapitate my father and the rest of the Dragon Slayers…" She sighed, fingering the dragon tooth clasp that held her hooded cloak together. "But I'm afraid doing so will prove to be more than difficult."
"Pffft," Snotlout stood up and crossed his arms. "We've freed hundreds of dragons before. A Forevewing is just another one to add to the list. We can free it in no time!"
"Do you even know where to start?" asked Rin with a raised eyebrow. Snotlout chewed his lower lip and sat down. Hookfang chortled with laughter.
"Shut up," he muttered.
"Where do we have to look?" asked Astrid.
"The real Dragon Slayer base," answered Rin seriously.
"But I thought the place we just left was the base," said Tuffnut in bemusement.
"That was just one of the many camps that my father has set up," Rin explained. "The real base, the heart of all the action, is far beyond the archipelago's borders. I know where it is, but I warn you, it'll make the camp that we just left look like a playground."
"Then we'll have to be careful," said Hiccup. "And find a way to free the Foreverwing before Hilmar abuses it even further."
Astrid nodded. "Then we should get some rest while we can. We can discuss a plan in the morning."
After chatting a little bit more, the fire dwindled to embers, and the Dragon Riders made themselves comfortable. The twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs fell asleep against their dragons while Rin used a blanket that she had brought with her as a pillow. Everyone was sleeping…except for Hiccup and Astrid.
Hiccup looked in her direction, a small smile crawling onto his face. "You should be sleeping," he said.
Astrid pulled out the notebook and scribbled something down for him. She handed it to Hiccup.
I oddly don't feel that tired… Astrid had written. I'll fall asleep eventually, though.
Hiccup hummed, satisfied, and the two stared up at the stars, which hung above them in the sky. Hiccup looked peaceful in the moonlight, and Astrid was glad. He had been so stressed for the past few days…
The Hofferson wrote out another message for the young viking. I know that Rin just gave us a ton of information about Hilmar and the Dragon Slayers, Hiccup, but I still think we should be wary of her. Just in case.
Hiccup sighed. I know, but I really do think that she's being honest.
Do I have to remind you what happened with Heather? Astrid said with a small smirk. Hiccup rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless.
Even Heather turned out to be good in the end, said Hiccup. I'm sure the Rin's on our side. I mean, who would want to work for a crazy, half-deranged father?
Hiccup did make a good point there.
Alright, said Astrid. I'd still be careful, though. We should probably get some sleep. Before we know it, it'll be morning and we'll be off to save the Foreverwing.
Yeah. Goodnight, Astrid.
Night, Hiccup.
Hiccup rolled onto his side and snuggled into Toothless' warm scales. Astrid walked back over to Stormfly and leaned against her Deadly Nadder, her eyes weary. She stared at the moon above deep in thought. With a sigh, she eventually allowed her eyes to close.
She profoundly hoped that Rin wouldn't betray them.
Author's Note: So a Foreverwing, huh? They're actual dragons in the HTTYD franchise, except they only appear in the comics and the game Rise of Berk. =) I stumbled across it on the wiki one day, and it was actually this dragon that kind of sparked this entire storyline. X) I did my best to describe it, but if you want an actual image of this majestic dragon, I suggest hoppin' over to the good ol' HTTYD wiki. They got some great pictures of the Foreverwing on there. =D
And...that's all I got. Man, I feel like I've been at a loss for words lately. XD I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one! =D
Until the next chapter!
~BeyondTheMoon1203
