Author's Note: Hey, guys! =D Welcome back to another chapter of "Sleepless Nights on Dragon's Edge!" =D I don't really have much to say at the moment, so I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! =)
Chapter Eight: A Defense Gone Wrong
Something was wrong. She could feel it. The Dragon Hunters weren't giving much of a fight, and while that may be relieving to another, it was deeply troubling to Astrid.
Whenever the Dragon Hunters attacked, they struck with the power of a thousand vikings. They went full out with their weapons as if they were on a battlefield instead of a miniscule attack. Even if they were fighting a small army, troop, or fleet, they fought with fury and power. The Dragon Hunters never backed down and they always fought to get what they wanted, and they didn't care if they left behind mass loss or destruction.
As Astrid and the Dragon Riders battled the Dragon Hunters below, she quickly noticed that they weren't fighting with their usual amount of vigor. They were hardly giving a fight. They weren't even trying.
In a shocking instant, Astrid realized that the Dragon Hunters were distracting them, but from what? Suddenly, Astrid felt herself tumble to the side. She cried out in surprise as she grasped for the saddle horn. Stormfly had barrel rolled out of the way of a large boulder that Astrid hadn't even seen coming. Astrid let out a relieved breath, glad that her dragon's quick thinking had allowed them to avoid both of their demise.
Stormfly let out a slightly agitated squawk. Astrid wasn't paying much attention, and she had been trying to get her focus for the past few minutes. Astrid patted Stormfly's head.
"I'm sorry, girl," she said. Stormfly let out a curious chirp, wondering why worry was laced in her rider's voice. Astrid chewed her lip as she further thought about her epiphany. If the Dragon Hunters were drawing her and the Dragon Riders away from Dragon's Edge, that only meant one thing.
There were Dragon Hunters lurking around on the island. Most likely where Hiccup, Toothless, and Midnight were
Astrid's sky-blue orbs filled with alarm, and she turned around to see the Dragon Riders still fighting the Hunters down below. During that small moment, they had reloaded their weapons and were now firing like mad at the Dragon Riders. Rocks and boulders flew through the air like uncontrollable asteroids, and dragon root arrows ripped through the sky like missiles. The Dragon Hunters had just begun to fight harder, and it grew increasingly difficult to dodge the flying projectiles and several arrows that sailed dangerously close to the Dragon Riders and their dragons. The more ships that the Riders destroyed, the more that appeared and took their place. There had only been eight ships when the attack began. Now, there was sixteen.
"Stormfly, spineshot!" yelled Astrid. The Deadly Nadder flung her tail and four perfectly pointed spines knocked away four dragon root arrows that had nearly hit her and Astrid. The shieldmaiden decided that it was time to come up with a new plan, and she flew through the chaos to reach the riders.
"Head to the clouds!" ordered Astrid. "We need to regroup!"
The Dragon riders obeyed immediately; they all wanted to get away from the harshness of the battle. The shouts and yells of the Dragon Hunters below faded away as the dragons flew into the clouds to take refuge. All was calm above the white cotton clouds, and the Dragon Hunters below were barely audible. If Astrid thought hard enough, she could almost convince herself that they weren't even there. Unfortunately, her mind knew otherwise.
"Why did you drag us away from the fight, Astrid?" demanded Tuffnut. "Ruff and I were just about to blow up another ship!"
"You always have to butt in on our fun, do you?" Ruffnut said tartly. Astrid rolled her eyes.
"Guys, this is serious," the Hofferson explained. Astrid gestured to the ships below. "There were only eight ships here before. Why are there sixteen now?"
"Because we destroyed all the other ones. That's why," said Snotlout smugly. Ruffnut and Tuffnut leaned over and gave him high fives.
Astrid shook her head. How she wished the Thorstons and Jorgeson paid more attention to detail. "Yes, most of those ships replaced the ones we sunk, but the Hunters didn't fight us as hard as they did before. Now, they're launching every single weapon that they have on their ships at us."
"What are you saying, Astrid?" asked Fishlegs nervously.
"That this was all a trick," Astrid said bluntly. The Dragon Riders faltered in shock. "A plan, a scheme, a distraction to pull us away from the island so that it's left vulnerable." Astrid paused. "So that Hiccup is left vulnerable."
"So there are Hunters lurking around in the woods," Snotlout said. "So what? We can just go and warn Hiccup now and shove Midnight back in the cave."
"You don't understand, Snotlout," said Fishlegs. "Hiccup, Midnight, and Toothless are on the other side of the island. Meaning—"
"Meaning that if one of us leaves, the Hunters will get suspicious and follow us," Tuffnut interrupted.
"And if they follow us, they'll find Hiccup, Midnight, and Toothless, and possibly capture them all," added Ruffnut.
Everyone blinked in surprise. The twins' random bouts of intelligence was something that none of the Riders would get used to.
"But we still have to go after him!" exclaimed Fishlegs after a few moments of silence. "Hiccup doesn't have a weapon, and we don't know how many Hunters are out there. Toothless could run out of shots, Midnight hasn't shown any sign of firepower, so they're sitting ducks out there!"
"But we can't just leave the Hunters," Snotlout pointed out sharply. "They'll destroy the Edge!"
If there was one thing that Astrid wanted to do at that moment, it was to scream at the top of her lungs and pull her hair out. There were so many things to think about, so many dangers and risks…It was very difficult for the eighteen-year-old girl to process. Still, Astrid collected herself and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Whether she got hurt or not, she was going to rescue Hiccup. Her eyes narrowed in determination.
"I'll go and save Hiccup," said Astrid in a strong, bold voice. Before anyone could protest, Astrid gave each of the Riders a look that told them not to convince her out of it. Her mind was set. Ready. Firmer than stone, and she wasn't turning back. Not with her Dragon Boy out there in danger.
"You guys hold Dragon's Edge," Astrid said in a serious voice. One mistake could cost the Riders the Edge and possibly Hiccup's life. "I know you all can defend the Edge for a little longer. Can I trust you guys to do that?"
Slowly, each of the Dragon Riders nodded. Astrid's chest swelled with pride. She gave a firm nod.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," said Astrid. "Good luck, you guys."
"Stay safe out there, Astrid!" Snotlout called back as Astrid flew away. The blonde looked back to see the Riders flying back toward the ships below. They were slowly inching their way towards land, and Astrid hoped that the Dragon Riders would be able to prevent them from touching the beaches. Astrid steered Stormfly toward the forest that laid behind Dragon's Edge, her thoughts racing like a river. She hoped that Hiccup was okay…He was tired and he needed rest. Even though he wasn't under the effects of Dream Deprivation, he wasn't able to sleep due to the action that was taking place.
Astrid urged Stormfly to go fast. The Deadly Nadder squawked and beat her wings against the rushing air. Astrid's braid blazed behind her as she and Stormfly sailed over the canopy of trees. Astrid gripped the saddle horn, praying that Hiccup would be okay.
…
He had no weapon, but he still fought.
Hiccup's knuckles turned white as he clung to Toothless' saddle as the Night Fury twisted and writhed. Toothless used his plasma blasts wisely, only using them to force the Hunters back when they got too close. When the telltale boom of a plasma blast sounded, a bright flash of purple light filled Hiccup's vision. After it cleared, Hunters were either knocked to the ground, stunned, or running through the bushes, fleeing the fight.
Midnight used her thick, feathered tail to knock several Dragon Hunters unconscious. One whack sent the Hunters toppling down like wooden figurines, and it took them quite a while to recover from such a blow. Midnight's tail feathers were beautiful yet large, making it the perfect weapon to attack rows of Hunters at once. About midway into the battle, she surprisingly revealed that she had firepower. Hiccup yelped in surprise when a burning, searing hot blast of teal fire burst forth from Midnight's mouth as she fired at the Dragon Hunters who had the audacity to come near them.
Hiccup guided the two dragons as they fought on. When a Hunter came too close, Hiccup called them out, and either Toothless or Midnight would fire at them. When there was a clear shot toward the Dragon Hunters, Hiccup would tell Toothless to shoot at them. Some of the Hunters made the smart choice of running away, but there were the adamant ones who stayed behind, believing that they could defeat the Dreamcatcher, Night Fury, and Leader of the Dragon Riders. The thought of capturing them was irresistible, like a pile of glittering gold on a beach. And the Hunters knew that if they caught these three, they'd be awarded more than gold. Diamonds, gems, oceans of coins…Their greediness for these things fueled them as they continued to fight against the young viking and his two dragons.
As Toothless fired another plasma blast, Hiccup knew that it wouldn't be long until the Night Fury would run out of shots. He didn't know how much firepower Midnight had, left before they would be completely and utterly defenseless. The saddlebag that contained the Dreamcatcher's eggs thumped and beat against Hiccup's leg as Toothless snaked between the Dragon Hunters, whacking his tail against them and knocking them unconscious. Midnight was holding up well, but Hiccup could tell that she was getting tired. They needed to get out of there. Now.
"Think you can get us an opening, Bud?" asked Hiccup over the shouts and grunts of the Dragon Hunters. The Night Fury nodded tersely, and his eyes narrowed in determination as he let out a loud roar. The Dragon Hunters covered their ears, but as they did so, Toothless had fired a plasma blast at the group of them, sending them tumbling to the ground. Midnight sent a huff of fire toward the Hunters in the opposite direction, and she quickly joined Hiccup and Toothless where they were standing.
Hiccup nodded. "Good, now let's get out of here," he said. But before Hiccup, Toothless, and Midnight could take off, Hiccup suddenly felt himself being shoved off of Toothless' back. The young viking crashed to the ground with a cry, and looked up to see a boot being pressed against his chest.
"Stay down," the Dragon Hunters said, his accent full and thick. "If yeh know what's good for you." He held up a sword and Hiccup drew in a shaky breath. From the corner of his eye, he could see Toothless desperately trying to get to him, but one of the Hunters had managed to shoot a dragon root arrow in his leg. Toothless screeched and his eyes grew wild. The Night Fury collapsed to the ground, disoriented and in pain.
Midnight let out a high-pitched scream and blasted at the Dragon Hunters advancing on her. She tried to make her way to Toothless (or her eggs. Hiccup couldn't tell), but the Hunters were already upon her. Midnight shrieked when a dagger was jabbed just above the wound that was on her hind left leg, and the majestic creature collapsed to the ground with a sickening thud, eyes closed.
Hiccup's heart leapt to his throat. "NO!" he shouted. The auburn-haired boy made a move to get up, but flashing silver took over his vision. Hiccup screamed and he fell to the ground, bringing a hand up to his forehead. When he brought it down, he found that it was stained red. Blood.
The Dragon Hunter made no sign of remorse. "I told yeh to stay down."
Hiccup gritted his teeth. "Let them go! You have no right to take them."
"And who said I'm supposed to listen to yeh?" the Hunter snarled. Hiccup flinched. "I only take orders from Viggo. Not a tiny, sad excuse for a viking."
Hiccup clenched his fists and he slowly got to his feet, but the Dragon Hunter kicked him to the ground. Pain blossomed in Hiccup's chest, and another cry escaped his lips. The Dragon Hunter grunted.
"Pathetic," he muttered. Then, he walked toward Midnight and tied her up with the others. A different Dragon Hunter passed over Toothless.
"Ey, are we takin' this one too?" he asked.
"No," said another with a grunt as he helped shove Midnight into a cage. "Just this one. Don't know why, though. The Night Fury is worth more."
Hiccup pulled himself up from the ground, legs wobbling. Acting entirely on impulse, the young viking made a beeline for his dragon. Before he could even reach the saddle, he felt the hard, rough surface of wood forcefully being knocked against the back of his head. Hiccup fell unconscious before he hit the ground, and the last thing he heard before darkness whisked him away were Midnight's pleading cries as she was dragged away.
…
When Astrid and Stormfly landed, the Hofferson was more than shocked when she saw Hiccup's condition. The young viking and his dragon were lying on the ground, unmoving. Astrid nearly thought that they weren't alive until she caught the almost imperceptible sight of their chests rising and falling.
Astrid ran over to Hiccup and kneeled down, rolling him into her lap so she could get a good look at him. The young viking's face was dusted with dirt, and his face was tightened in pain. There was a rather ugly gash across his forehead, and fresh blood seeped through it. Astrid moved her hand to run through Hiccup's hair, but she quickly withdrew it when she felt a wet, sticky substance. Astrid brought up her hand to find it covered with blood. Hiccup's auburn hair was caked with blood, and Astrid hissed at the sight of it. The shieldmaiden turned to Toothless, who was lying on the ground nearby. She immediately spotted the dragon root arrow that was protruding through from his leg. Midnight's eggs were still attached to his saddle, but the Dreamcatcher was nowhere in sight.
The Dragon Hunters had captured her.
Hiccup groaned in Astrid's arms and she looked down. Hiccup weakly opened his eyes. His usual bright green orbs were glittering with pain. So much pain.
"A-Astrid…?" Hiccup said hoarsely. He winced. "What are you—"
Astrid pressed a finger to Hiccup's lips. "Shhh…You need to rest. You took quite a blow to the head."
Hiccup's head lolled back with a moan. "Don't remind me…" he griped. "I can feel it throbbing as we speak…"
Astrid nodded, and she ran a finger across Hiccup's cheek. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
"Hiccup, your head…what happened?" Astrid asked.
Hiccup cracked an eye open. "I thought you said I wasn't supposed to speak."
Astrid shook her head. "Just tell me what happened, you muttonhead."
And Hiccup explained everything. He told Astrid how the Dragon Hunters had been waiting for them, and the long, exhausting fight that had taken place. Astrid was surprised that Hiccup, Toothless, and Midnight had lasted for so long. When Hiccup told Astrid that a Dragon Hunter had cut his forehead and knocked him out with the butt of his sword, Astrid's face contorted with anger.
"I'm going to make that Hunter wish that he'd never been born, when I find him," Astrid growled. Hiccup took Astrid's hand.
"We have more important things to think about, milady," said Hiccup weakly. "Midnight's been captured, the others are still defending the Edge from the Hunters and…" Hiccup's eyes suddenly widened, and Astrid thought his pain had increased. He had trailed off so unexpectedly, and worry began to bubble within Astrid's chest.
"Hiccup? Hiccup, what's wrong?" asked Astrid anxiously.
"Are the Dragon Hunters still at Dragon's Edge?" asked Hiccup.
"Yes," Astrid responded in bemusement. "But what does that have to do with—"
"Help me up," Hiccup interrupted. Astrid blinked and she slipped her arm behind Hiccup's back to support him as he shakily got to his feet. Once he was standing, Hiccup walked over to Toothless and yanked the dragon root arrow out of his leg. The Night Fury stood up and shook off its effects, and Hiccup climbed onto his dragon's back. Toothless crooned in concern and Astrid was shocked.
"What are you doing?" Astrid exclaimed.
"I'm going out there to save Midnight before the Hunters leave the Edge," Hiccup responded. Before he could take off, Astrid grabbed Hiccup's arm.
"Are you crazy? They'll kill you!" she said.
"Not if you have my back," said Hiccup. Astrid's grip on Hiccup's arm loosened and she softened. She sighed, knowing that Hiccup wasn't going to turn back no matter how hard they tried to convince him.
"Fine, but you have to be careful," said Astrid. Hiccup nodded, and Astrid mounted her own dragon. She promised that she would make sure that Hiccup didn't get himself killed.
Soon, the two took to the air, heading toward Dragon's Edge where the battle was still taking place.
…
The Dragon Riders had held up for as long as they could, but Astrid could tell that they were losing. The Dragon Hunters drew closer and closer to Dragon's Edge, still firing at the Dragon Riders who were swerving up above. Their movements were slow, and they seemed tired. Astrid and Hiccup dived into the battle, and Hiccup's eyes picked out Midnight on the deck of a ship.
When the other Riders spotted Hiccup, they immediately wondered what had happened. He definitely didn't have a gash across his forehead when they had last seen him.
"Whoa, what happened to Hiccup?" asked Tuffnut.
"It looks like he found himself in a sword fight without a sword," commented Ruffnut.
"Astrid, what happened?" asked Snotlout.
Astrid shook her head. "We'll explain later. Just cover us for now!"
Hiccup and Astrid dived toward the ship that was holding Midnight hostage. Astrid and Stormfly fired at the arrows that were shot in Hiccup and Toothless' direction as they navigated their way in between the boats. Toothless opened his mouth and fired a plasma blast at two Hunters who were firing arrows at them, and the two dispersed immediately before the bright ball of fire hit them. A large scorch mark was left in their place.
The remaining Dragon Hunters on the deck pulled out their own arrows and positioned themselves at their catapults and began to fire. Astrid covered Hiccup while the young viking dashed across the water and came up from behind. Hiccup gripped Toothless' saddle as the Night Fury aimed for Midnight's cage.
"Shoot it, Bud!" shouted Hiccup. Toothless fired a plasma blast toward Midnight's cage, and the burning, bright purple ball burned through the air and knocked against Midnight's cage. Too late did Hiccup and Toothless discover that the cage wasn't a regular one…it was dragon proof, like most of the cages that the Dragon Hunters made. Hiccup slammed his fist against Toothless' saddle; he should've thought of that sooner! There was no way they could get to Midnight like this!
Astrid let out a sudden scream as an arrow scratched her leg. Meatlug was consuming rocks and boulders at a fast rate with Fishlegs' encouragement, and Hiccup could tell that she was getting tired. The twins and their explosions weren't as energy-filled, and Hookfang's fire had become nothing more than a spark. Toothless crooned and Hiccup looked down at him. The Night Fury warbled sadly. Hiccup closed his eyes dejectedly, knowing what he had to do.
Hiccup let out a heavy sigh and he flew toward the Dragon Riders. "Retreat! Everyone retreat!"
"What?!" exclaimed Snotlout.
"C'mon! We almost have these guys!" Tuffnut protested, but even he sounded exhausted.
"We can't win like this," said Hiccup. "If we're going to save Midnight, we need to come up with a better plan."
As the Dragon Riders flew back to the Edge, Hiccup glanced back at the departing ships one last time. Midnight was throwing herself against her cage, screeching in pain, fear, and desperation. Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut and turned away, promising himself that he would save that dragon.
But right now, he and the Dragon Riders needed to patch up their wounds and rest on Dragon's Edge until their lost energy was restored.