Seeing Berserker shores lifted her spirits as did it lift the crews' spirits. All had been anxious to get home to share the news. Iris personally was eager to get back and see how things were going. The crews from the Icer tribe had been there for over a week. Hopefully their people hadn't pestered them too much.
People were already gathered at the docks as they came up. She recognized most of the faces but there were some she didn't. They looked different.
"Welcome back Chief," Rohan said eagerly as they walked down the gang plank. "There is much to fill you both in on. But first, meet Arlx and his men. He has been waiting to meet you."
Rohan getsured to the taller man next to him. He had dark hair and olive skin as did the other men that were with him. His dark eyes were rather emotionless as he bowed to Dagur. Never before had she seen people like him and his crew.
"Greetings," he said, his voice surprisingly deep. "The Dragon Tamer called Hiccup had told us we possibly find a home here. We were seperated from our fleet and became lost in these strange lands. A strange creature had attacked us but thankfully he and his Riders showed up and saved us. We told them our plight and he said we should come here as speak with you. Unfortunately you had left already so we have been waiting."
"I think we can make room," Dagur said. He glanced at her before looking back at Arlx. "So long as you are willing to live under our laws. If that is a problem then you can board your ship and leave." Arlx shook his head.
"We have no qualms living under your rule," he said. "Your elder spoke highly of you and your woman." Iris mentally rolled her eyes. One of those people? Really? "There is no need to worry about us leaving. We had been separated from our fleet for months before managing to get here. The Archipelago I've been told."
"Very well. Welcome to Berserk, tribe of the most crazed, insane, and deranged Vikings in the Archipelago!"
She nodded at them, which they all ignored, and rolled her eyes openly this time. There was about nine men that were with Arlx, all sharing the same dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. However only two were stockily built. The others were of average height and more slender build. It was obvious in their faces though that they had been lost at sea for a time. There was a sunkeness that could only because caused by borderline starvation.
"Rohan," she said. The elder looked at her. "Make sure they are fed. We don't need visitors thinking we are starving our people. Make sure they are instructed on how to properly act. Such as how to properly interact with everyone and not just a select few."
"Your woman speaks rudely," Arlx said to Dagur.
"She is not my woman," Dagur said with hostility. "She is my bride to be and the chieftess of the Berserker tribe. Treat her with respect or I will cut off a hand."
"You let women openly speak with men?" Arlx asked.
"Men and women are equal in the Archipelago," Iris answered. She grabbed Dagur's hand and gave it a squeeze. "If that bothers you, the offer for you to leave peacefully still stands." He frowned at her but she stared right back. She wasn't going to let a stranger try to bully her.
"It is no bother," he said slowly. "Chieftess." She gave him a humorless smile. This was going to be fun, not.
"Come on," Dagur said. He ignored Arlx and focused on her. "I'm sure everyone is eager to see you. They all like you more."
Iris laughed at his words but followed him down the docks. She heard a thud and a grunt behind them and glanced back. One of the women crew mates threw a large sack at Arlx, glaring at him. One of the men crew mates made a remark he and his men should unload the ship if they had enough energy to be disrespectful.
They had just stepped on the shore when a scream drew their attention to the ship again. One of Arlx's men was sitting on the dock staring in terror at Jager, who was looking at him curiously. They drew their weapons only to stare in shock as the other Vikings drew their weapons and pointed them at them. It was a stand down but with far more on Jager's side.
The dragon snorted before lifting his head. He chortled, which Enigma answered when she stepped onto the deck. Without any warning he spread his wings and slammed them down. The sudden breeze he caused made Arlx and his men panic. Dagur laughed maniacally as Jager and Enigma took to the air, roaring happily.
"Should have warned you," Dagur shouted. "We like dragons here! Get used to it!"
"You're terrible," Iris chuckled as they continued onward.
"I don't like how they were treating you," he growled. "I should tell them to pack up and go. We don't need people that badly."
"They'll get over it," she said softly. "Besides, the rest of the tribe doesn't agree with their way of thinking. They'll make sure to set them straight. You know the crew is going to tell everyone what happened and how they were acting."
Dagur grumbled but didn't say anything. Not that he had a chance. Villagers crowded around them the moment they stepped into the festival grounds, all eager to welcome them home. Iris smiled and embraced her friends as Dagur spoke to some of the other villagers that gathered around him.
The small market place had grown since they were gone. The Icer tribe members had set up temporary shop, eager to barter it seemed, and caused trade to flow in the village again. The dragon stable had been finished while they were gone as was the new storehouse. New clothes adorned the villagers, making everything brighter and cheerier, and it looked like the whole village had been given a makeover from its original slightly dreary appearance.
Houses had been cleaned up, new decorations placed, even flowering plants were planted everywhere. It looked as though new stone had been placed on the walk ways to freshen things up. Over all, the whole village was more colorful and happier feeling.
"You're finally here," one of the Icer tribe members, Logr, called. "We thought we'd end up leaving before you ever returned! How does it feel?"
"Everything is different," Iris commented. "It feels brighter, more colorful. What's the occasion?"
"Your people wanted to prepare for future visitors," Logr laughed. Dagur was still speaking to a few men, his face frowning. "Looks like not so good news. I'll share my news with you then. Those dragon cages that are here, we can break them down."
"Really?" Iris asked. That was a surprise.
"Yes sir! Not only that, we can get them workable enough to make different things. Took the opportunity to revamp the cells under the Great Hall. Your blacksmith can reuse those metals for a better purpose and now you have dragon proof and escape proof cells. The green really brightens up the place too I might add."
"Think you could make something to reinforce the Great Hall doors?" He looked at her curiously. "I've been thinking during our trip home. The largest building that can fit everyone is the Great Hall. I was it structurally sound enough to withstand most attacks if possible. We can always rebuild a village but we can't easily rebuild people. So having a place for our people to hide-"
"I see what you're saying. Give me a few days. I have some ideas I want to put on paper and get the other crafters' opinions. That is a very logical idea and a good use for the remaining dragon cages."
With a nod he left, heading straight for his people. Iris watched him before looking over at Dagur, who was still speaking to the three men he had been speaking with earlier. The look on his face wasn't good. She wondered if she even wanted to know.
"Welcome home Chieftess," Ellie said eagerly.
"It's good to be home," she said with a sigh. "And I'm not Chieftess."
"With what you have done you are," Ellie argued. Iris decided to just let it go. "Have you heard the news?"
"Is it what's got Dagur so angry looking?" Ellie nodded. "Not yet. Do I want to know?"
"Two of the traitor families took their ships and left two days after you did. They claim they will return with allies and reclaim Berserk. They weren't able to leave with much. The rest of the families stood up to them when they tried to steal from the treasury and storehouse. That's when we learned about their plans for rebellion."
"What families?"
"The Slange and Warog families." Iris winced. Those were two of the more powerful families on the island. "Don't worry Chieftess. They won't be able to find allies. Though we maybe looked at with disgust, we are the most powerful tribe in the Archipelago. Now we have three sets of allies. No one will be willing to face our Chief's wrath either."
Except Dragon Hunters, Iris thought. Those would be the only people they could ally with that could impact Berserk. However Iris knew from the story Viggo wasn't stupid. He'd know there was a reason for them being punished and why they were bitter. He could take advantage of that though and use them as cannon fodder. They could attack them, weaken them just enough for the Dragon Hunters to swoop in and claim victory with their numbers. That was not a pleasant idea.
Their best bet would honestly be to increase their aerial prowess. They needed Dragon Riders of their own to defend the island. Hiccup and the others were able to thwart Viggo time and time again with their wits, strategy, and, of course, dragons. Enigma and Jager were a good start but two dragons couldn't take on an entire fleet if that came knocking. They needed a type of dragon that could handle the Berserker fighting mentality.
"More Fury Howlers would be helpful," she muttered to herself. "Don't worry, just talking to myself."
"You should go rest and get cleaned up," Ellie said. "There will most likely be a war council to discuss possible attacks."
"Dagur needs to get cleaned up too then," she said. "Wait. Where did he go?"
While she had been thinking somehow Dagur disappeared without her. Ellie lifted her shoulders in the universal no idea gesture. With a groan Iris rubbed her face and decided to just head to their house. She'd get changed and then go hunt him down.
However she was stopped by people almost every step of the way. One of the farmers eagerly wanted to update her about the crops as well as the Gronkles clearing another field. He also said three people had been picked to try their hand at being a Gronkle Rider. So far the Gronkles accepted their chosen Riders and enjoyed the attention.
One of the village women stopped her to ask about the status of a healer. Her son was sick with a fever and a heavy cough. Iris had her lead her to her home to see the boy. Inside was a five year old little boy, his face red and heavy bags under his eyes. Iris felt his forehead before instructing the woman to strip him out of his sweat soaked clothes, wipe him down, and get him dressed in fresh dry clothing. Meanwhile she went outside and stopped a passing woman. Iris instructed her to bring some mint, rosemary, sage, and hyssop from the storehouse. The mother had honey and a kettle to begin boiling water.
Iris took a damp cloth and laid it on the boy's forehead. He gave her a weak smile that she returned. His poor cheeks were red and his cough sounded hoarse already.
"You'll be better in no time," Iris said gently, pushing his hair back like her mom used to when she was sick. "Then you'll be out running around, playing and causing all sorts of trouble."
"Really?" he asked softly. She nodded.
"Chieftess," a voice said. It was the woman Iris sent to the storehouse to get the herbs.
"I'll be right back," she said to the boy as she got up. She headed out of the room and into the kitchen. "Thank you."
"Will this really help?" the woman asked. The boy's mother hovered anxiously.
"I've had this same treatment when I was a child," Iris said confidently. "It tastes disgusting, that's how you know it works." Both women chuckled at that. "Here. Take one bundle of rosemary, some mint leaves, some sage leaves, and a couple hyssop blooms. Toss them in your pedstle and give them a good grind to open up the herbs. Fresh is better but dried works just as well. Add them to a cup." She put the mix in a wooden mug. "Pour boiling water over it." The cup steamed from the hot water she added. "And add a good helping of honey. Stir it all together well and let it steep until the color is dark."
They waited a few minutes, watching the cup. The women muttered in awe when Iris took some of the now hydrated herbs and pressed them against the side of the mug to release more of the tea. She would have to figure out tea bags for future use. Carefully she poured the now dark gold liquid into another cup, using the spoon to keep the herbs from following the tea water.
"Have him drink all of this," she instructed the mother. The mother nodded and took the cup to the room he was in.
Iris followed, having promised to see the boy again. He was sitting up and eyeing the cup warily. She didn't blame him. The smell was intense but she knew it was offering relief already.
"You have to drink it all," she said gently. He looked at her, eyes wide, and she nodded.
Taking a deep breath the boy nodded. He took the cup from his mother, gave it another wary look, and started drinking it. His shoulders trembled but he continued drinking it with his eyes pressed shut. Soon he was done and only mildly gagging.
"That will help you get better," Iris told him. "Get plenty of rest and I will see you again."
"Thank you Chieftess," the mother said. "I'll be sure to tell the other mothers. Fever and coughs have been running rampant and not much is helping. Not even our old remedies."
"The body gets used to certain fixes after a time," Iris explained. "Keep using different methods instead of the same over and over." She wasn't about to try and explain virus and bacteria resistance. They would surely think she was insane. "Make sure to change him out of his sweaty clothes and wipe off the sweat before putting him in different clothes. Being wet will make it easier for his body to chill and get weaker."
She stepped out of the woman's house. Her neck felt tense and she really wanted to take a bath. This time no one was stopping her from reaching her house.
"Iris!" She groaned but turned around to face Heather who raced towards her. "You've been busy since you got back! Dagur too!"
"Can you walk and talk?" Iris asked. "I really want to get home and cleaned up. Maybe put on some more comfortable clothes before dealing with anything else."
"I can," Heather said. "I heard three Berserkers bonded with the Gronkles. I'm glad." Iris snorted. "Seriously! I am! This will help change the Berserker image. Do you think anyone else would want to become a Rider?"
"I hope so," she said with a sigh. "But the problem would be finding dragons that would fit in."
"Well you're in luck." Iris glanced at her as the younger girl grinned. "Hiccup and the others found a breed of dragon that might be a good fit for the Berserkers. They need a new territory to live on since a titan Murderous Nightmare took over their island. There's six of them in the pack."
"What kind of dragon are they?"
"Windstrikers."
Heather filled her in on what was known about the Windstriker dragons. They were a fiercely loyal dragon that wasn't bothered by a busy and wild lifestyle. They actually seemed to thrive off it. Outside of battle they were playful and eager to please but during battle they became extremely aggressive. Similar to how the people of Berserk were. Currently they were staying at the Edge but they needed their own territory soon. They were getting antsy about settling down.
"We'll have to ask Dagur," Iris said as she opened the front door. A roar was followed by a throwing hatchet burying itself in the doorframe. "I think he's home."
Inside was Dagur and a few other men and women, the family heads, along with Rohan and another Elder. Dagur's face was red with rage as he slammed his fist against the wooden table that now dominated what she called the living room. A large map was anchored to the table. At least now she knew where he was.
"What did I say about throwing hatchets in the house?" Iris asked in the scolding tone her mom had often used on her.
"Not now Iris," Dagur snarled. Damn, he was mad. "Does anyone want to explain how these traitors managed to sneak anti dragon equipment onto their ships before they LEFT?!"
"It wasn't guarded," the Hargin head said quietly. "None of us thought to guard it. Just the armory and the storehouses."
"I ordered guards FOR A REASON!" The heads all flinched.
"Dagur," Iris started gently. He growled. "Don't you growl at me. Take a minute to breath. Scaring them all isn't going to change what they have to say."
"I can start chopping off fingers," he snarled. She walked over and stood next to him, placing her hand on his fisted one.
His anger was justified, that much she agreed with. It wasn't going to help much though. Whatever happened already happened, not that she knew exactly what was going on. However looking at the map, it looked like none of it was good.
"Those bastards managed to take two dragon proof cages, five dragon proof nets, and some vials of concentrated dragon root," he ground out. "Along with five ships, two dragon resistant from my time with the Dragon Hunters. All that work to keep that stuff out of dangerous hands, gone!"
"And no one was guarding it?" He shook his head, glaring at the people before him. "Why?" Iris looked at the heads before them as she asked.
"We never thought they'd want dragon hunting items," one man said. He was the Rodson family head. "If they wanted revenge, we figured they would want weapons for battle."
"Why didn't any of you join them?" She looked at the four remaining heads from the currently traitor classed families.
"We want to prove our loyalty to Chief Dagur and Berserk," one young man said proudly. "None of us have anything to do with the Slange and Warog families anymore. Even our kin who married into their families left them when they began speaking about treason."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" She ignored Dagur's growling and slamming his other fist onto the table as she looked at the young man.
"We didn't think they were serious," he admitted. "Many grumbled about being punished for what happened. None of us thought they were serious about betraying Berserk and attacking their fellow tribe members. It wasn't until they tried to storm the treasury we realized what they said was actually true and it was too late. They already had most of what they needed."
"So we need a counter attack in place." The heads agreed with her. "Dagur, what are our options?"
"I'd prefer we had more warriors," he growled. "Even our own Riders would be better than nothing."
"Then I think you should listen to Heather." She looked at her future sister in law, who was watching her in awe. Heather blushed at the sudden attention.
"Ahem. That's right! I have some news from Hiccup. Currently there are six Windstriker dragons looking for a new place to call home. We thought that maybe Berserk would be a good option. They'll suit the attitude of most Berserkers at least and you'll have a group of Riders of your own."
"That's the best news I've heard since we got home," Dagur snarled. His eyes were hard like emeralds and he was still scowling at the family heads. "I want six volunteers to become Dragon Riders. Make your decision by tomorrow or I will decide for you." He stared at the table, still glaring, while the heads looked anxiously at each other. "Why are you all still here? GET OUT!"
That was the fastest Iris ever saw people move. They were gone and out the door, even Rohan and the other elder, before Dagur could throw his second hatchet. He snarled, slamming his other hand on the table again.
Iris looked at Heather and tilted her head to the door. The other girl nodded and quietly slipped out, leaving them alone in the house. She could feel Dagur's hand tremble. Slowly she moved her hand to wrap her arms around his neck. He didn't look at her, just stared angrily at the map before him.
"What's going on?" she asked quietly as she looked at the map as well.
"The Warog and Slange families approached the Dragon Hunters," Dagur ground out. Her stomach felt like it dropped. "Two of the families with the most warriors now with one of the most dangerous fleets in the Archipelago. With supplies I didn't want the Hunters to have. From what the scouts have said, they are staying with the main fleet near Grimbeard's Despair where they are based." He growled again. "Almost seventy ships armed to the teeth."
"We need to let Hiccup and Berk know."
"I know. This isn't the message I wanted to send them." He slammed both fists on the table with a snarl. "Those fools don't know what they are facing. They'll be tossed to the wolves the moment they are of no use to the Hunters. How do they expect to keep their women and children safe? Those men have no morals."
Iris just nodded. She moved her arms to hold his hand, forcing him to open his fist so she could lace her fingers with his. His grip was gentle as he placed his other hand over hers. Still anger consumed his expression.
"This isn't what I wanted. We should be planning our wedding, inviting our allies and friends, getting ready for the most important day of our lives. Instead I have to plan a possible battle with people who were once my own people!"
"Its okay," Iris said gently. Her heart hurt, she wanted the same thing as him, but she had to be the rational one right now. Later in private she could cry. "Let's send work to Hiccup and Stoick, start planning Dragon Rider training, and getting our people ready. Hiccup and the others will help keep an eye on the Hunters while we prepare. Once we get our people trained, they can take turns spying on them."
"When did you get so rational?"
"When I decided to leave everything and come here with you." He shifted to face her.
The anger was finally gone from his face but he looked drained. It was like all the fight he had in him was gone. She felt his hands cup her face, his thumbs brushing against the apple of her cheeks. She smiled up at him and returned the kiss he placed on her lips.
"Part of me wonders if we should have stayed." She raised her hands to press against his. "Thank you. I mean it. Thank you for coming with me, for being with me. Without you, I don't know what would be happening now."
"I wouldn't trade being here with you for anything in the world." He rested his forehead against hers with a heavy sigh. "I think we both deserve a good wash, some comfortable clothes, and at least one whole day without dealing with anyone."
"The day alone will have to wait."
"At least I got two out of the three." He chuckled. "Dagur. I love you."
"I love you too Iris. Forever."
