Before beginning I would like to say two things;
Firstly, if you guys like elves and Lord of the Rings, then rest assured, you will probably enjoy this chapter.
Secondly, if you would like a better reading experience for this chapter, I recommend listening to some elvish music with a pair of ear/headphones.
Either way, I hope you all enjoy!
Astrid let out a deep breath as the light of the sun shined against her face. The sound of the loud peaceful birds had awoken her like the blowing of a horn, and as a response to the sunny brightness, the lass gently rubbed her eyes as she allowed herself to adjust to it. When the moment passed, she slowly began to open her eyes…
Though it took a few blinks, her sight eventually cleared up, and as it did, her eyes suddenly widened.
The first thing she was met with was a white-stoned ceiling standing over her, and upon sitting up, her gaze fell upon the soft bed that laid beneath her, as well as the small yet cozy room that surrounded her.
She then noticed that her hair was loosened, down to her upper-back and shoulders. Along with that, she also saw that she was no longer wearing her usual attire, but rather a white short-sleeved gown that stretched down to her knees.
"...Where am I?" she asked herself confusingly, once again looking back at her surroundings.
But as she glanced to her right, her eyes fell upon an arched opening that seemed to lead outside, and like so, Astrid flipped aside the blue silk blanket laying over her, and proceeded to swiftly stand up from her bed…
...But upon doing so, an aching pain suddenly struck against the left side of her chest, causing her to hiss from it. As such, the lass decided to take a slower approach, taking her time to stand.
As soon as Astrid was on both of her feet, she slowly began making her way towards the opening, wondering what she would be met with on the other side. After all, she needed answers as to where she was.
...And upon stepping through, she was met with a fancy stone balcony on the other side, overlooking one of the grandest and most beautiful sights she had ever seen…
A great valley laid below, with green forests scattered across the region, and blue rivers running throughout it. To add on to this spectacle, snow-top mountains that surrounded it all, and the smell of the air was as fresh as the morning dew, which was accompanied by a calm breeze that blew like the winds of spring.
It was perfect.
"Unbelievable…" she gasped, grinning. "It's like spring here."
"...That is because it is."
An unfamiliar voice suddenly shot up into Astrid's ears, startling her. But upon turning her head to look back, her eyes caught sight of a tall elf, with long hair as black as night, and eyes like the sky. He was geared in a silvery-colored set of armor with outlines of gold. From his shoulders hung a sapphire-blue cloak that ran down his back, as well as a mantle of white fur.
"The magics of Nordell keep this valley in a state of eternal spring," said the elf, slowly making his way towards her. "As such, the season here will never change, but the weather is allowed to stay itself."
"Nordell…?" asked Astrid, facing back towards the valley. "You mean- I'm in Nordell?"
"Indeed you are, Astrid Hofferson," nodded the elf, now standing beside her as he too looked out towards the valley. "You stand in one of the largest cities in all of Valnr; a city of over twenty thousand people. As of right now, we are in the Tower of Healing."
Astrid raised a brow, looking back at the light elf. "How do you know my name? How did I even get here?"
"Your friend Hiccup told me about you, young Astrid," said the elf. "You were dying, and so he brought you here. However, you were unconscious for a whole week."
"What-?" she asked, gazing back with shock.
"You need not worry though, Astrid," the elf replied, turning to face her. "We managed to save you before you could succumb. The blade that stabbed you had drained you of your life, but we managed to reverse its effects. As for the wound, it too will heal in time, but it will leave a scar upon you."
"So that's why there's an ache in the side of my chest…" sighed Astrid, placing her hand over it. "But I must ask; where are the others? Where is my dragon? ...Who are you?"
The elf smiled, chuckling. "Your friends are waiting for you at the palace, and your dragon, Stormfly, is at the landing along with the other dragons. As for who I am, my people address me as their king, but for you, you may address me as a friend..."
"...I am King Elendar, and I welcome you to Nordell, Astrid Hofferson."
…
"Oh… thank the gods you're alive, Astrid."
Hiccup let out a sigh as both he and his lover embraced one another. After being given proper clothes, Elendar and a few of his royal guards personally escorted Astrid to the keep in the center of the city, and as she made her way through the wide and heavily populated streets of Nordell, she bore a reaction from which she felt beyond words.
The structures of the city were unlike anything she had ever seen. Every tower and building was made out of white stone, with their tops as blue as sapphire. True to the word, they were taller and grander than anything she had seen before.
Yet as large as Nordell was, it was also surprisingly not difficult to get around, for the city had but a single flat level. As such, it did not take long for Astrid to reach the front of the elven palace, where Hiccup and the rest of the group were, waiting for her.
She sighed as her lover's arms grasped around her, all before letting out a chuckle as the two separated. "I would punch you for nearly losing me, but after all we went through, it's not worth it."
"Heh, well at least you got a new look," said Ruffnut, motioning towards the blue tunic and brown leggings that she now wore, as well as her loosened hair. "But uh- it seems very… elf-like."
"Yeah, but you gotta admit, the gold trims on the tunic look nice," added Tuffnut.
Astrid nodded in agreement. "I like them very much. I think I'll wear them for a while…"
"What about your old clothes?" asked Hiccup. "Don't you want to wear them again? Elendar stored them in the armory along with your gear if you ever want to-"
"Well considering all the battles we've been through, and the little protection it's given, the chances of me wearing my old clothes again are unlikely… at least for now. But I'll make sure to drop by to pick them up."
"Now that you mention it," began Arn. "Our gear has been getting battered up over the past month. I think a few of my scales on my mail have fallen off, and I can tell you for certain that the sleeves on my tunic have a few holes in them..."
"Then mayhaps you should consider getting your gear repaired."
The familiar voice of Elendar caught everyone's attention as they looked past Astrid's shoulders, spotting the elven king approaching from behind her. As such, the lass turned around, greeting him with a bow of her head.
"There's no need to bow," said the elven king as he came before the young vikings. "So tell me, my friends, how are you enjoying your stay in Nordell so far?"
"It's unlike anything we've ever seen before, King Elendar," responded Hiccup. "I've read a lot of books about the light elves' cities- but I never imagined them like this. It doesn't match what the stories say…"
"That is because most of the light elves on Midgard tend to build their realms within thick forests. Up here on the cliffs however, it is different. Before Nordell was even here, this place was but a piece of land covered by grass and enchanted trees. But with the use of stone and magic, we raised a great city and sculpted it out. That was nearly eight hundred years ago."
"Whoa. You've been around here for that long?" asked Fishlegs.
"Indeed," nodded Elendar. "Has young Arn not told you about this?"
The blonde lad shook his head with a sigh. "I was telling them a story about Valnr's past, but they were already asleep once I finished."
The elven king lightly chuckled. "Well, that isn't the first time your stories have sent people to sleep, son of Lothar..."
"...Now then, shall we go inside? There is much to discuss."
"Of course," nodded Hiccup. "Take us to the throne-room."
…
Though the sunlight emanating within the throne-room appeared as white as the clouds, the spectacle was a view to behold.
The ceiling above them was high and tall, colored in blue with a map of Valnr painted onto it, whilst the white floor beneath them was smoother than any that the young vikings had ever seen, made out of a mineral that the light elves called marble.
Meanwhile on both sides of the large room, a dozen tall pillars of white stone held up against the high ceiling, each with an elite elven guard standing before them at attention, cladded in well-made armor and royal blue cloaks, along with spears and shields in their grip.
"Intriguing, is it not?" asked Elendar, standing in front of his throne with the group gathered around him. "This throne-room has stood for nearly eight hundred years, and it still looks like how it was when it was first built…"
"...Regardless however, we have more important things that we need to discuss. During the time that Astrid was unconscious, you had already mentioned to me that the Dark Legions had attacked Votunheim, and that now, they plan to siege Nordell. However, we never spoke deeper on the matter, and as such, I want to know more about it, for it now concerns me, more than ever."
"So tell me, what can we expect from the enemy?" he questioned, gazing at Hiccup. "I would like to hear it from you, Hiccup Haddock."
"Ah great. Battle-talk," sighed Ruffnut as she rolled her eyes. "Just what I needed…"
The young viking gave no immediate response, placing his hands behind his back as he narrowed his eyes downwards in thought, uncertain as to how the elven king would react if they were to go further into depth. Reluctantly however, he gave his response.
"An army bigger than what attacked Votunheim," he finally uttered, looking back at Elendar. "I already told you before that the orcs are spear-heading the assault, but I suspect there will be others among them. Dark vikings, trolls, you name it. Although I don't know the exact count, what I do know is that their army will be large. It could be ten thousand. Maybe more, even."
The elven king came to a pause, responding with nothing at first as he turned his back to face the throne, looking upon it with a frowned-like expression, almost as if there was a seed of doubt planted within him.
"This is more troubling than I anticipated," he finally said. "We have been fighting this war for five years, yet I never imagined that the enemy would throw this much at us. An army greater than ten thousand is too much for this city to handle. That is more than twice the realm's host. Should the Dark Legions break in, we'll be routed."
"You won't be alone in this fight, my king," added Hiccup with an assuring tone. "You still have us to assist you, including our dragons."
"You and your friends may not be enough, young chieftain," replied Elendar, spinning his head back to face him. "The Dark Legions are craftier than you believe them to be. Although the dwarves from Dalgard have suffered from their assaults the most, we too have had our battles outside of the valley, and even near the city's gates… but never on this scale."
"It's not like they rely so much on strategy, though," said Astrid. "From what we've seen so far, the Dark Legions, and the orcs especially, have relied heavily on brute force."
"That is until you encounter their warlocks," responded the elven king. "They are as cunning as they are destructive with their use of chaos magic. With a mere ritual and a flick of a wrist, a few warlocks can summon up a portal for their forces to come flooding through like a tide."
"We don't doubt that, my king," spoke Fishlegs. "We encountered an orc warlock a while ago. They took control of a mountain troll and used it in an attempt to kill us. Were it not for Astrid's lucky arrow, we wouldn't be here."
"Hm. So your friend here is an archer as well?"
Astrid shook her head. "Not exactly. I've taken a few archery lessons in my lifetime, but I'm nowhere close to being one. I rely more on my axe, and that's enough for me to crack open any orc that tries to step foot into this city."
"Your enthusiasm for fighting the enemy is appreciated, but you are not ready for a battle," replied the elven king, inspecting the lass up and down. "Your skin has not returned to its full color, and that shows that you are not fully healed. You still need a little more time to recover."
Astrid let out a sigh, nodding her head as she crossed her arms. "Very well."
"Now then," said Elendar, once again looking back at Hiccup. "There something else that I must know... how long until they get here?"
Hiccup merely shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure," he said unsuringly. "It could be either tomorrow or the day after. I was told that their march would take two weeks, and nearly two weeks have passed since then."
"Let us hope our allies from Aesilgard and Dalgard arrive today, then," the elven king replied. "Their assistance will definitely make a change in this fight."
Hiccup arched a brow. "Wait- you called for aid?"
"Indeed," nodded Elendar. "After you and your friends told me about the inevitable siege, my concerns suddenly arose, thus I called for a discussion with Arn. After coming to an agreement, we both sent out letters to the dwarves and the Alsworn vikings, calling for reinforcements. Kharinz said he would send a hundred Ironbeards to help us, but no more."
"The Alsworn accepted my call as well… without objection," Arn added. "They promised two hundred men as I requested, as well as a little something special that will make the orcs' lives a pain in their necks. I would've asked for more warriors, but I don't want to risk my people's safety."
"It's good enough either way," nodded Hiccup. "Besides, I believe this battle will be a perfect test to show the orcs what humans, elves, and dwarves can do together. The last time my tribe fought with them against the enemy, we dealt great damage and sent them fleeing back across the sea."
"I'm afraid that retreat cannot be an option for the orcs," said the elven king, glancing between each of the young vikings. "If word of their defeat makes it back to whoever leads them, then they might continue to attack us again and again, until too few of us are left to stand in their way."
"We must-"
Before Elendar could finish however, the sudden slam of the doors to the throne room opening caught everyone's attention as a robed elven messenger came walking in with haste, along with two blue-hooded rangers by her side.
As both she and the rangers came before the elven king, they greeted him with a respectful bow.
"Your grace," she began. "I apologize for the interruption, but we have another visitor in our city. She arrived at the landing and claims to be a friend of Hiccup Haddock."
The entire group, except for Arn, suddenly tossed glances at one another. Their faces expressed shock, and at the top of their heads, they hoped that the stranger was who they thought she was.
"What does she look like?" immediately asked Fishlegs, being the first to speak up. "Did she give a name?"
"Her eyes are as green as trees, and her hair is as black as nightfall," the messenger responded detailingly. "She wears a leather harness, as well as a set of blue-tinted armor that matches the very dragon she landed on."
"She only went by one name; Heather."
…
"Heather!"
Fishlegs's excitement had bursted from the inside-out. As the young vikings made their way to the city's landing that stood along the cliffs, they soon spotted Heather by the edge of the large platform, admiring the grand sight of the green valley down below, along with the mountains around it.
But the moment she heard Fishlegs's voice, she turned around and ran into his arms.
For a long moment the two held each other, and after a minute passed by, they both separated, gazing back at one another with heart-warmed grins.
"I- I can't believe you came back to us after all of this time," sighed Fishlegs. "I never thought I'd see you again."
"It's good to see you too, Fishlegs," smiled Heather, glancing back at him and the others nearby. "I didn't come too late, did I?"
"On the contrary, your timing couldn't have been any better, Heather," chuckled Astrid, stepping forward as she presented herself. "It's been a while."
"That it has," she nodded as she swiftly approached the blonde viking, greeting her with a hug. "By the way, that new outfit and look suits you well. I really like it."
"Thanks," replied Astrid. "The elven king gave it to me since my old gear is in bad shape, but I think I'll get some armor to cover this soon."
"...Also, I've got to admit, you haven't changed a bit."
Heather gave a smile to the lass, warmed by her best friend's words.
After giving her pleasantries to the rest of the dragon riders, they went on to greet and hang around with their dragons who stood nearby, including Astrid, who missed Stormfly dearly.
With the time they had, Hiccup took the opportunity to talk with Heather about the recent events, all while the riders were focused on their dragons.
"So tell me, Heather," he began, staring out at the valley with the lass. "How were you able to find us?"
"It wasn't easy, but were it not for the sheer luck I had, it probably would've taken forever," replied Heather with her arms crossed. "I flew for more than a week across Valnr, going from forest to forest, mountain to mountain, and village to village, all while remaining out of sight. At first the search seemed hopeless…"
"...But then I finally found my lead."
Hiccup nodded slowly, heeding her out. "Go on."
"During a cold night, I came upon a town known as Daneshire, and I decided to take shelter at the inn there. While I was eating, the innkeeper and I had a talk, and asked me if I was another traveling viking. At first I was unsure how he even knew I was a viking, but then he mentioned that a group of Non-Alsworns recently passed by, heading for the city of the elves. The real giveaway however was when he mentioned your surname; Haddock."
"Hm. Well, I did tell him that," nodded Hiccup. "But I didn't think he'd remember me or the other riders. Though then again, we do stand out to the people of this continent."
"Is that why he called me a Non-Alsworn?" asked Heather.
"Indeed," suddenly replied Arn from nearby, catching her attention. "The Alsworn vikings bear azure colors along with specific sets of armor. I know this because I'm actually one of them, but they thought I wasn't since I covered my identity... My name is Arn Lotharsson, and I am the Alsworn's heir."
"A pleasure," smirked Heather with a bow of her head.
"So then," continued Hiccup. "Now that we know how you managed to look for us, the question is, why?"
"It's… a bit complicated."
The lad shook his head, eager to hear her out regardless. "Don't worry. I won't lash out at you."
To that end, Heather gave a nod as she proceeded to clear her throat, before turning her head to look back at him.
"...I was sent by Gobber and the rest of the Alliance's council to look for you," she began. "They wanted me to help you with your mission, to make sure you were alive - which clearly appears to be the case. By now though, I can only assume that both them and our fleet of a thousand ships have landed on Valnr by now, considering the time that has already passed."
"...Our?" asked Hiccup. "Since when did you join the Alliance? And since when did we get so many ships? A thousand!?"
"Since Dagur and Alvin joined it," she replied, to which the other vikings nearby immediately turned their heads, giving off surprised looks to the Berserker.
"Okaaay," said Snotlout. "I think I misheard that."
Hiccup momentarily glanced back at the others, and then to Heather. "Wh- What changed?" he asked. "I thought those two hated our tribe."
"Well, were it not for your mother, our tribes would've never united," smiled Heather.
"My mother?" questioned Hiccup. "I thought I asked her to-"
"Valka did the right thing, Hiccup. Were it not for her, I wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't be getting the massive help you have now… She told us everything; the return of Drago, the orcs' true intentions, the battle of the Island of Tomorrow, your rise to chieftain, and- well…"
"I get what you mean," sighed Hiccup, knowing well that she was referring to Stoick. "Everytime I think of what happened that day, I also think of the hundreds that died, defending their families. To this day, I try to forget about it."
"Oh…" she replied. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I just need time to get over it entirely."
"Hm. Well, if you want to move on from it, allow me to show you something that I think will intrigue you," added Heather, now staring back at her dragon Windshear, who appeared to be looking out at the valley. It had been a long while since the riders gazed upon the armored-like dragon.
With a sharp whistle, the lass called forth her dragon, causing the winged reptile to go on all fours before she gladly began walking over. Upon approaching, Heather reached up for her saddle, interacting with a tight rope that appeared to be tying down a wooden box on the back of the leathery seat.
After loosening the small chest of its confines, Heather grabbed ahold of the box, picking it up from the saddle before proceeding to present it to Hiccup, who already gazed down at it with curiosity.
By that point, the rest of the vikings had also noticed the mysterious box, and thus gathered around to see what was inside.
Heather's hands were raised out as she held the bottom of the wooden case. "C'mon," she said encouragingly. "Open it."
Without question, the lad flipped the silver lock on it, before lifting up the top to reveal what was inside…
...And upon first glance, he was stunned.
The contraption that laid before him looked like a miniature dwarven cannon, except it had a strange handle of some sorts. All it took for it to be held was just one hand. Along with that, the ammunition, which was stored to the side, appeared to be as small as pebbles.
To Hiccup, this was a questioning technological leap.
"What is it?" he asked, glancing back at Heather.
"A new weapon made by the dwarves of Khaz'ardul," she replied. "Morgrim gave it a name. It's a hand-cannon."
"Marvelous," gasped Fishlegs. "This is a new advancement in technology. It's like a regular dwarf cannon, but… significantly smaller."
"Question is, how much damage does it do?" asked Ruffnut. "If it goes boom, I wanna see it go boom!"
"Yeah! Me too!" added Tuffnut excitedly. "I'd be able to blow stuff up with this thing!"
"Let's hope you don't end up shooting yourselves, then," replied Astrid with her hands on the sides of her waist. "The last time you two tried to shoot, you both had bows, and you nearly shot your eyes out.
"Pfft! You've never played "X Marks the Arrow" before, Astrid!" complained Tuffnut. "I bet you couldn't shoot that thing as far as you could shoot arrows towards a-"
"Hold on a minute!" spoke Heather, interrupting Tuffnut. "Morgrim specifically stated that this was meant for Hiccup. He said that he'd give you guys your own eventually, but until then, we'll have to wait."
"...And that especially means you, Ruffnut and Tuffnut."
"Pfft. Good enough for me," said Snotlout. "We don't need a stupid hand-cannon when we can just easily cast magic that goes-"
"Um- Snotlout!" interrupted Astrid suddenly. "I think you shouldn't say that so loudly in front of-"
"Astrid, you know I'm right!" immediately replied Snotlout, ignoring her words as he suddenly flicked his right wrist and casted up fire within the palm of his hand.
"One spell, and I could blow three orcs up at once and-"
But before he could say anything else, he heard a breathy gasp escape from Heather's mouth. That was when he came to realize that she did not know about their abilities...
As he turned his head to look back at her, he saw the shocked expression on her face, causing him to immediately fizzle out the flames in a panic. But even then, Heather still stared at him with a stunned gaze, almost as if she were about to pass out.
"G- Guys?" she finally asked. "Is there something that I don't know, or am I just dreaming?"
However, before anyone could utter a response, the sound of several pairs of footsteps coming up from behind caught their attention, and as the group turned around, they spotted the figures of three plate-cladded elven warriors approaching them, accompanied by two hooded rangers, garbed in silvery scalemail.
The warrior in the center stepped forward, bowing her head to the group.
"King Elendar requests your presence at the main gates," she immediately said. "Our viking and dwarven allies have arrived."
"Finally," sighed Arn.
Hiccup gave a nod, looking back at Heather and the others. "We'll settle this matter later. Mount up, dragon riders!"