It has been too long since I uploaded a chapter! For the past few weeks I've been focusing a lot on college due to finals, but with the semester ending, I can hopefully get back to this at a more regular weekly pace.
On a last note however, I'd like to point out that this chapter will have a bit of a Hiccstrid moment at the end. It had to come sooner or later! :)
Either way, I hope you all enjoy!
The main entrance of Nordell, located to the north of the city, was a grand approach. It was guarded by two large gates; an inner gate, and an outer gate, with ramparts standing tall at their sides.
Between the two gateways, there laid a large stone-paved courtyard, filled with dozens of elven guards, as well as siege weapons. After all, it would be improper if a city's gates were left unguarded.
And yet, it was outside those very gates where the elves' viking and dwarven allies were, waiting patiently for their entry into Nordell to be given...
As Hiccup and his friends landed their dragons in the courtyard, Arn, who sat behind the auburn lad, was the first to dismount upon spotting Elendar, and as such, he hurriedly made his way over to the elven king's side. It was quite obvious to the others that he was eager to see his people again.
"I've never seen him this gladdened before," said Hiccup, dismounting Toothless with both brows raised.
"He's happy to see his tribe again," replied Astrid. "I mean- he hasn't seen them for months."
"Eh, I'd be the same if I was in his shoes," said Ruffnut, arms crossed. "Reminds me of when Tuffnut once left Macey back at our hut during the days of the Edge. Heh- he was freaking out. But when we got back, he hugged the dirty thing like it was a stupid-"
"HEY," her brother interrupted. "I'll have you know that Macey was a good mace!"
"Yeah. One you broke," she replied in a chuckle, to which her brother angrily grunted.
"Can you two like- not argue about this?" asked Heather. "There are more important things to do than to argue about a mace that's been long brokened."
"She's right," Hiccup nodded. "We'd best get at it. Everyone dismount!"
By his word, the rest of the vikings swiftly dismounted their dragons, calmly making their way towards Elendar and Arn, both of whom were standing closest to the gate.
A moment of silence followed as they gathered around the elven king, who glanced back at them with a nod of approval. With everything and everyone in place, it was clear that they were now ready.
"My friends. You have arrived just in time," the king said, staring back at the gate.
"I assume the guards are waiting for your command to open the gate?" asked Hiccup.
"Yes," responded the elven king. "Though I believe it's been long enough. We had better get on with it. Open the gate!"
As his voice echoed out in command, the only response that was given was the blow of a reverberating horn as the great gate started to creak. Slowly did it begin to open, with the sound of chains and cranks snapping and clinging as they worked to raise the massive door. Eventually, the colors and banners of the vikings and dwarves on the other side became revealed, and like so, they began making their way forward.
As the group squinted their eyes, they were able to make out their figures more clearly.
The great bearded and stouty dwarves of Dalgard were cladded from head to toe in dwarven plating, thicker and tougher than the strongest iron. Their armor was several tints darker than what the elves wore, but their outfits still bore color, for their metallic round-shields and cloaks were colored in either royal blue or maroon.
The Alsworn vikings on the other hand bore similar gear like Arn did, but of somewhat lower ranking. Their sleeveless chest-guards and leggings were scalemail. Their gloves and boots were leather. Their cloaks, round-shields, and wool tunics were azure, like that of cloudless skies. And their capelets of fur were grey, like that of a wolf.
Of course, like the dwarves, they either had helmets or not helmets at all. However, some of them bore horns, whilst others did not.
Even then, the sight of the two races marching together was quite a sight to behold...
As the viking and dwarven forces calmly made way through the gate, the Alsworn suddenly turned their eyes onto Arn, who had stepped forward from the group to make his presence known, and as such, he quickly began towards them.
Like a pack of wolves rallying around their alpha, all two hundred pairs of feet began marching ahead of the dwarves as the scale-cladded vikings swiftly closed in on their future-chieftain.
Upon gathering around him, the warriors and shieldmaidens all came to a silence, staring down the lad with surprised gazes. It had been too long since they set eyes upon him.
"My chief..." spoke one of the warriors. "Is it... really you?"
Arn responded with an assuring nod. "Aye, it is me. It's been too long since we've spoken face-to-face, brothers and sisters. But even then, I am not your chieftain… at least not yet."
"Heh. You're our chieftain to us, son of Lothar," replied a nearby shieldmaiden. "Ever since you left Valnr to sail south, we were all worried you would never return. But here you are… mostly unscathed. Hopefully now we will be able to put a stop to the enemy. They have been warring with us for long enough."
"Aye, they have," said Arn. "And there's no doubt we'll make a change with the upcoming battle…"
"...Though- we appear to be one short of our group. Where is-?"
"Still on his way, chieftain," replied one of the vikings. "Hopefully he will arrive soon, and once the siege begins, the orcs will flee at the sight of him."
Arn gave a smirked look, crossing his arms as he glanced between his men. "Then let's hope he gets here either today or tomorrow. We will cut the enemy down like butter, and send them running back! It's either victory or Valhalla!"
"Hah! Now that's what I call being a chieftain," chuckled one of the larger warriors, swiftly removing his helmet. "I say this calls for a celebration tonight! Three cheers for our chief's return! GLÄTHMÆLTR!"
Like a booming roar, the Alsworn vikings cheered for their leader, filling the courtyard with hearty applause, all while Hiccup, Elendar, and the riders watched on.
"Alsworn," sighed Elendar with his hands behind his back. "Always the hearty folk. They always have the need to celebrate something when it seems appropriate."
"I don't know about you, but that's what I call a reunion," responded Heather. "They seem really happy to have him back."
"Uh… but what about the dwarves?" asked Fishlegs. "Shouldn't we greet them-?"
"We're right behind ye, ye tall meatheads!"
The sudden voice of a dwarf immediately startled the young vikings as they quickly turned their backs, only to see the dwarves lined up in formation before them.
"That was… a fast line-up," spoke Ruffnut, placing her fists against the sides of her waist. "I dunno about you guys, but something's wrong with this image. Either they are quick, or we're slooooooow."
As the group stared down the dwarves, their attention was seemingly caught by a warrior standing at the front of their ranks. The warrior was a blonde-bearded dwarf who wore a helmet with somewhat large horns, along with a cloak that was both blue and maroon, and a well-made set of plate armor - trimmed with gold and covered in glowing white runes.
It was all too obvious to the young vikings that he was in command.
"Before I say anything else, I demand that ye tell meh this;" began the dwarf, making his way forward a few steps. "Which one of ye buggers knows where the elven king is?"
"I am right here, master dwarf," nodded Elendar as he too took several steps forward, bowing his head respectfully to the dwarf. "I am King Elendar of Nordell. Now if I may ask, who might you be?"
"I'm the dwarf that's gonna send ya right back tae sleep with a head tae the face, ye slacked-jaw daffodil!" responded the dwarf, and as such, Elendar and the young vikings looked back at one another, baffled by his reply.
"Wh- What…?" uttered Snotlout. "Who the Hel decided it was a good idea to send someone like him here!?"
It appeared as if Snotlout was about to go on a ranting tantrum. However, it was then that the blonde dwarf slowly began to giggle, and before they knew it, he was howling out in a hearty laughter, cracking up like a drunken patron who drank one too many pints of mead.
"Ah…" he sighed, looking back at the elven king and the young vikings with a warm grin. "No worries, lads and lasses! I am only messin' around with ye! Anyone who's a friend of King Kharinz is a friend o' mine. I am Beldrak Ironbeard, one of the thanes of Dalgard, and the leader o' the Ironbeards… and I am at yer service!"
As the dwarven thane gave them a low bow, Hiccup and the others once again glanced at one another. They were relieved, but still slightly shocked from the dwarf's initial greeting.
Nonetheless however, Elendar gratefully accepted his salutations.
"It is good to meet you, Thane Ironbeard," he said. "Now how about we get you and your warriors settled in?"
"Aye!" nodded the dwarf.
…
Back at the palace, Hiccup, Elendar, the riders, and the dragons, along with Beldrak, the dwarves, and the Alsworn gathered in the large meeting hall near the throne room, and there, the main figures all sat around a large table of stone with elvish runes carved into it.
Aside from the dragons who stood near their riders, of whom the king sat besides, only the Alsworn vikings and dwarven ironbeards remained standing, positioned behind their leaders, both of whom were softly discussing amongst some of their men.
The only issue however was that it had been going on for a while...
"Gah. What's taking so long?" asked Hookfang in Dragonese, gazing over at Toothless. "Can't they just start already?"
"Give them some time," replied Toothless with a huff. "They're probably just coming up with things that they want to say. Important things. After all, you can't go into a meeting unprepared."
"Like what?" questioned Barf and Belch in unison.
However, before Toothless could give an answer, the murmurs coming from the Alsworn vikings and dwarves came to a stop as they turned their attention to the rest of the inhabitants within the room. It was obvious that they were now ready.
"I think we should proceed with the meeting now," spoke Arn.
Elendar gave a nod and proceeded to stand to his feet. He gazed back at the dwarves to his right, then to the Alsworn vikings on his left, and then to Hiccup and the others that sat near him. With the room in utter silence, he proceeded to clear his throat before finally speaking...
"Dwarves of Dalgard. Vikings of the Alsworn," began Elendar. "As you know, you have all been summoned regarding a desperate matter. A legion of orcs march on this very city, and you have answered the call to arms."
"...However, this battle can only be won by our strength in unity. The only way we can achieve total victory is if we fight as one, and that goes for the rest of the war. Even if we win here and slay every single foe, the enemy will still continue rampaging across Valnr."
"But do ye know their numbers, master elf?" asked Beldrak, his calm yet strong voice echoing throughout the chamber. "Ye never wrote tae King Kharinz about how many are marchin'. Fer all we know, they could be in their thousands."
"And you would be correct, master dwarf," replied the elven king. "My young viking friends here told me that the Dark Legions sent an entire army of five thousand to invade Votunheim, which was defeated thanks to them... But the one marching towards Nordell will be bigger. Most likely more than twice the size, if not more."
Beldrak crossed his arms, letting out a muffled chuckle. "Maybeh even fifteen thousand," he added. "Fer all the years my people fought against the orcs, not a single one of 'em was able tae breach the gates o' Dalgard. First they came in warbands by the dozens, then they came by the hundreds, and then the thousands. Fer every one of us dwarves they slew, twenty of 'em fell before our feet like the buggers they were!"
"Yet imagine what you could do with the elves and vikings on your side, mighty thane," said Elendar. "As such, that brings me over to Arn."
The elven king's blue glowing eyes fell onto Arn, motioning with a hand for the lad to stand as he raised a brow.
"Arn," he said. "The day you and I met to discuss the call to arms, you told me that there is something great enough to defeat the enemy permanently. A coalition under one banner, as you worded it."
"I did," he responded, turning his gaze back at the dwarves, as well as his own men.
"If you all still believe to be the only ones fighting the Dark Legions, know that this is no longer the case... You see, when I went south all those months ago to look for the Wings of Midgard, my journey brought me to a small island. It was on that island that an alliance was formed between dwarves, elves, and humans. Even dragons became a part of it. We called it the first Alliance of Midgard…"
"...They landed on Valnr as of a week ago with over a thousand ships. Hopefully the Dragonskarn were able to meet up with them, as they too became part of the Alliance."
The dwarves raised their brows, and so did the Alsworn, for they did not expect this. For hundreds of years their continent had remained isolated, and now an alliance of multiple races, one that was so great, had landed on their shores.
Thane Beldrak Ironbeard looked up at Arn with a curious gaze. "And do ye lead this alliance?"
The blonde viking shook his head. "No. I'm not the leader," he said, spinning his head towards Hiccup as he pointed a finger directly towards the auburn-haired lad.
"He is."
All eyes in the room fell onto Hiccup with surprised gazes. The dwarves and Alsworn appeared slightly skeptical of the lad. After all, they did not know who he was. The young Berkian was but a stranger to them.
"Uhh... Hiccup?" asked Snotlout. "They look a bit uncertain."
Hiccup let out a sigh as he stood to his feet, giving off a nod. "He's right," he said aloud, causing few to speak up in question. "...But I don't consider myself above the other leaders. As large as the Alliance is, leading it all directly would be a burden for me. Yes, I make the decisions, but not without the opinions and help of the other leaders. And even then, that does not stop any of them from acting as they wish, as long as it's for the greater good."
Beldrak squinted his eyes in question as he glanced at Arn with a gaze of wonder on his face. "Ye can't be serious about this. Why would ye put yer trust intae this outsider tae lead and decide fer yer alliance, Arn? Why didn't ye-?"
"He's no outsider. He's the leader of the Wings of Midgard," he immediately responded. "Even now, they stand in this very room with him. Without them, none of this would have been possible."
The room suddenly went quiet for a moment upon hearing those words come from Arn's mouth. At first, Hiccup and the others sat in embarrassment as they assumed that the dwarves and the Alsworn did not believe it… However, that all changed when they began talking excitedly amongst one another, with surprise and interest in their voices. For centuries they had known about the Wings of Midgard through many tales and sagas, as did the rest of Valnr. The seven vikings were legends, and now, they were here...
Beldrak placed his elbows upon the meeting table, crossing his hands as he stared at Hiccup, inspecting him up and down with a fixed gaze. It seemed as if his view towards the lad immediately changed. Despite his appearance, the dwarf saw something within him that proved the truth in Arn's words.
The dwarven thane gave a grin.
"Young lad," he said. "Usually I wouldn't dare tae trust a stranger so quickly... but I feel an aura surrounding ye. If Arn says yer the leader o' the Wings of Midgard, then I will stand by his word and believe him. But what of yer six friends here-?"
"Not me," spoke Heather. "I may be his friend, but I'm no spell caster. I only found out today that they can… well- do that."
"She's right. There's only six of us," added Astrid. "Only one of us remains to be found, and we have no idea where to look. All we can do is wait and hope."
"Hm, I see…" sighed Beldrak. "Well then… if the six o' ye have a moment o' time tae spare, please, tell us yer tale; yer story! Ye have no idea how long we've all been waitin' fer this moment tae finally come! Tae see the Wings o' Midgard face tae face!"
"Aye! Tell us!" responded several more voices.
Soon, more and more ayes began shouting throughout the meeting chamber, until it was nearly every voice. They all wanted to know what the group's journey was like, as well as how they came to discover themselves as the Wings of Midgard. Even Heather wanted to know; the other riders could see it in her eyes.
"It's… kind of long," said Hiccup, snapping his fingers as he immediately summoned up a small flame, flickering on his thumb like a candle. "But we'll tell you everything…"
…
Nightfall eventually fell over the elven city. The group had spent much time explaining their story to the point that dusk eventually broke. Afterwards, their meeting finished with a few yet important words, and after that, Nordell and the Alsworn officially joined the Alliance of Midgard.
Only the dwarves did not join however, for only their king could make the decision...
However, as of the moment, that was beyond Hiccup's mind.
The viking let out a sigh as both he and Astrid looked down at the valley from the balcony they stood upon. The two of them were given a place to stay for the night, and as such, they took what time there was to be together...
They grinned in astonishment at the sight of the valley. The nightly atmosphere felt completely different from that of the day.
The trees and rivers were illuminated with a night-blue glow, as bright as the starry sky above them. To the two vikings, it felt as nostalgic as home. Although this was not the first time they had a moment like this, it was definitely the best by far.
While looking down at the valley, the sound of both their dragons snoring in the large room behind them caused them to softly chuckle.
"Ah…" sighed Astrid happily. "I really miss having nights like these. Reminds me of the time when you and I flew away from Dragon's Edge, just so we could be alone."
"Heh, I remember that," smirked Hiccup, leaning with his arms over the stone deck. "We flew as high as the clouds that night, and the northern lights glowed down on us as if Freya herself applauded it."
"I wouldn't count on it," giggled Astrid. "Though I will say, it reminds me of the first time we flew together on Toothless."
"And what about this?" asked Hiccup, pointing out the valley's nightly atmosphere and starry sky. "What do you think of this scene?"
"Honestly- I barely have any words," smiled Astrid, gazing from tree to tree, river to river, and mountain to mountain. "All I can say is that it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life."
"Well, that's an elven realm for you," chuckled Hiccup. "No other place on Midgard can compare to the lands of the light elves... Gods, who knows what they're like on Alfheim?"
Astrid giggled, glancing back at Hiccup as she said flirtingly, "Not as beautiful as you."
"Oh stop it!" he replied, causing Astrid to belt out in laughter, before letting out a sigh.
After calming herself, the two took a moment to glance back at one another before a peaceful silence soon followed. Hiccup huffed, crossing his hands as his mind and thoughts began to wander. In that moment, there was a sudden change in his expression. However, Astrid was quick to notice this change. She saw that his eyes, narrowed down onto the valley, began to show more of a serious look.
"Something on your mind?" she asked concerningly.
"Yeah," nodded Hiccup. "I'm just wondering… does your wound still ache? Does everything feel alright?"
"Huh-? I'm fine Hiccup," she replied. "The only thing that feels unusual is this brisk feeling I've had all day, but that's alright... Why do you ask?"
"It's just that-" he began, abruptly stopping as he allowed the thought to sink in. "I regret ever leaving you alone on that day, Astrid... If I wasn't a fool, your life wouldn't have been at risk. If I was there, all of that would've never happened to you. My decisions have left you scarred, and you nearly died because of me and my-"
"Hiccup-"
"But it's true!" he added. "Astrid, what if you never made the journey? What if you succumbed to that dark viking's weapon and died in my arms? All of Berk would've been-"
"Hiccup!" interrupted Astrid, finally grabbing his attention. "This was something that none of us saw coming. None of this was your fault; you've done nothing wrong... You have to understand that if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here. I've stared directly into the face of death many times in my life, and nearly every time, I was saved because of one person that guided me through. One light."
"...And that light was you. For every day that passes by, I am grateful that you're here with me. If you weren't here, I wouldn't be either."
Hiccup sighed, spinning his gaze back towards her as he placed the back of his hand against her cheek, lightly rubbing it. Her words had filled him with awe, as deep down, he knew that she stood right. Almost every time that her life was threatened- or at risk, he was the one who would be there to save her, just as how she had done the same for him during similar circumstances. If either of them were on the verge of losing everything, they would be there for one another.
They survived the grasp of death because of their belief in each other. Because of their love.
"Do you trust me, Hiccup?" asked Astrid, staring at him with a smile.
"I trust you more than anyone," the lad replied.
With that, it felt as if his worries had gone away in an instant, and the only thing he could focus on was Astrid. She was a beautiful sight to him. Her loose blonde hair blew against the light breeze as it lit up from the starlight in the night sky, all whilst her sky-blue eyes reflected its glow as if they too were like the stars above. Everything about her illuminated. He gazed upon her as if she was more heavenly than the most beauteous of elves. In his eyes, she was no mere shieldmaiden, but a valkyrie.
Slowly but surely, as the two continued jointly staring, they both found themselves moving closer to each other, until finally, their lips suddenly met in a long, loving kiss, followed by their arms wrapping around one another. It was the first time that either of them had kissed in a long while, and in that moment, it felt perfect.
As the two of them split, they turned back to admire the view of the elven valley, and as such, Hiccup wrapped his arm around Astrid's back, to which she then laid her head against his right shoulder.
"Hiccup," she said.
"Yeah, Astrid?" he asked.
"I really wish this night would never end," she replied. "I want it to go on forever."
"Me too, Astrid..." he nodded grinningly.