"What's wrong with him?" Dagur exaggeratedly whispered to Iris.
Gustav poked at his food, looking exhausted. Iris just gave Dagur a smug smile that made his hair stand up. Whatever she did he did not want her to do it to him. It completely drained the wild Berkian boy.
"Something called math," she said smugly.
"Math isn't that hard. Anyone can-oh! Did you teach him your math?"
"Just multiplication and division." Gustav shuddered at those words. "I'm surprised at how easily the kids picked up on it though. They didn't want the lesson to end! We are all meeting again tomorrow for a test to see how much they remember after a night's sleep."
"No more," Gustav whined. "I'll pay attention, I'll listen, please just no more!"
"Not until Iris says otherwise," Dagur said. "You're her charge now."
"Wait until we get to the harder stuff," she said dangerously. Gustav whimpered. "Figuring out the height of a tree by using the sun and its shadow, figuring out how large an island is by only knowing how far it is to the center, oh there is so much more."
"You're evil," Gustav whined.
"Of course I am! I'm the Berserker chieftess. I know the best ways to torture someone without lifting a finger."
"You are wicked," Dagur snickered. Iris just grinned at him.
He hated to admit it but before Iris took over he was at a loss over what to do with the boy. Gustav had heart but he lacked focus. It felt weird saying that about someone but it was true. Even the most crazed Berserkers could focus enough to know who and where to attack. Gustav, well, he'd try to do something and decide to do something else halfway. It affected his flying and fighting abilities. Some mental work might help with that focus.
Five days later and Gustav seemed to be a different Viking. He was more focused, more eager to listen to direction, and was willing to do something as he was told. Iris had sent him out to help at the tannery for a day and out to forge with the other kids the next day. Dagur couldn't be prouder of his wife.
"It's a miracle," he said as he watched the boy fly with the other Riders. "Five days ago I would have said it was impossible but ope, there he goes."
"He still gets too excited when it comes to flying," Iris grumbled.
"That's something we will work on," he commented. They watched Gustav, who managed to crash Fanghook in the only tree in the practice ground, check over his dragon. "So far he isn't doing too bad though."
"That's because he's got you to yell at him," Iris teased.
"Only because you took over and whipped him into shape," Dagur drawled. He grinned at his slightly blushing bride. "Eventually he'll have calmed down enough we can send him back."
"Good because I think the tribesmen will start a revolt if he stays here forever," she said. He just laughed.
Which lead them to this moment. Dagur glared at Savage and the few Vikings that stood with him smirking. In the cell next to him Iris glared just as viciously, her hands and feet bound and her mouth gagged after she swore at them for five minutes straight.
This wasn't what he expected when he invited Hiccup and the other Riders to celebrate Gustav leaving Berserk with new knowledge under his belt and a better understanding how to stay calm after spending a month here. They had just got ready to start celebrating when Savage appeared behind Iris and another Viking behind Astrid, knives at their throats. Furious Dagur ordered the other Berserkers to stand down as Savage threatened their chieftess' life.
"Well isn't this lovely," Hiccup grumbled. "Thought you had everyone under control Dagur."
"So did I," Dagur snarled. He stared at Savage. "How nice to see there are still turncoats among us."
"Its all your fault," Savage laughed. "If you and that foreign wench hadn't been so hellbent on making Berserk civil this wouldn't have happened. Besides, I haven't forgotten the abuse you put me through being your first mate."
"So you threaten my wife to take control?" he snarled. The Viking just laughed. "Coward!"
"Says the fool in a cage," one of the other Viking laughed. Dagur knew him, he had been part of the Warog family but married into the Rodson family.
"You're the cowards who had to tie up women," Astrid spat. She was in the same cell as Iris, also tied up along with Ruffnut and Heather.
"Shut up," Savage growled. "We'll be taking over now. Those idiots outside will listen to everything we say to keep you lot alive. Too bad it won't work forever."
Iris growled as the man turned and left with the small number of Vikings loyal to him. She had been trying to get out of her bindings but all it did was make her skin rub and bleed. The sight of her bleeding made his rage well up but he kept it down. All he needed was to lose his top.
The only brightside was that Gustav and annoying Snotlout had escaped capture. Savage had ordered some men to look for the two Vikings but so far it seemed they hadn't found them. If Snotlout was good at anything besides being annoying it was hiding.
"Get in there old man," a Viking snarled. He shoved a bloodied Rohan into a cell. "That's what you get for standing up to Savage."
"Rohan," Dagur exclaimed while Iris' shouts of concern were muffled. "That bastard!"
"I'm alright chief," Rohan said shakily. He gave him a weak grin, blood covering his teeth as his right eyed began to swell shut. "Just a little rusty. It was the only way to get down here. The dragons have been captured and tied up. Chieftess will be proud of Enigma, she fought the entire time until they threatened to kill you."
"Erm!"
"Oh," Rohan said slowly.
"They didn't like her choice words," Ruffnut snickered. "So they gagged her."
"I personally thought it was very colorful," Tuffnut drawled. He was poking at the lock with a pair of thin slivers of metal. "I particularly liked the rabid rat fu-"
"Okay let's focus here," Hiccup interrupted. "So far we know that Savage has out dragons restricted, we are stuck in cells, he's threatening the other Berserkers with Dagur and Iris' lives, and Snotlout and Gustav of all people are the only ones out there who could possibly save us."
"We're doomed," Fishlegs cried.
"Ur," Iris mumbled.
"That's right we are not," Dagur protested. "Gustav has learned a lot while he's been here! He can figure something out!"
"That doesn't sound very reassuring," Heather sighed. "Hey! Don't kick me!"
Iris glowered at Heather, giving a huff. Heather glared back as she wiggled out of reach of Iris' legs. If it had been any other situation the scene would have made him laugh. Right now though it just made him feel more irritated.
They sat in the cells, tossing out ideas of what to do. Iris sat silently, seeming to be chewing on her gag, as they all spoke. Once in awhile Rohan would offer up an idea but nothing worked. None of their ideas would work.
"Guess who's here to save the day," Snotlout sang as he slide in with a key in hand some time later. "That's right! It's Snotlout!"
"And Gustav," Gustav said proudly.
"Ugh, you ruined the moment."
"Your face ruined the moment."
"Shut up!"
"Focus," Hiccup snapped. "Get us out of here and then argue!"
"Fine," Snotlout grumbled. "Ungrateful lot."
"Give me that," Dagur snarled once Snotlout unlocked their cell. Snotlout meeped and quickly handed it over.
Quickly he unlocked the cell that held Iris before tossing the key to Hiccup. He hurried over to her, gently pulling the gag out of her mouth. She coughed and moved her jaw with a wince.
"Ouch," she grumbled. "I don't recommend that to anyone."
"That's because you gave them such a tongue lashing they had to gag you," he chuckled as he untied her wrists. He growled at how red and raw they were. "I'm going to kill him."
"Not if I get to him first," Astrid growled as she rubbed her wrists. Hiccup had untied her while Fishlegs untied Heather and Tuffnut untied Ruffnut. "How dare he use us as threats against our dragons!"
"Whoever touched Rohan I'm going to chop off their hands and beat them with them," Iris snapped. "Rohan are you okay?"
"Nothing that won't heal," Rohan chuckled. He leaned on Gustav who was looking at the injured elder anxiously.
"They are all going to pay," Dagur growled. "I am going to eliminate every member of the Warog family."
"Dagur," Iris started.
"Don't you try to rationalize this! They hurt you, trapped our dragons, and forced our people to submit. They all deserve it."
"Not the children."
Her quiet voice was as effective as a bucket of ice water being dumped on him. For a few seconds he stood there and just breathed, his fists clenched. All he wanted was to charge up there and kill them all. Anyone to do with the Warog family that betrayed them yet again. She was right though. The kids didn't deserve that and not every adult from the Warog family was a traitor. It was hard to resist the bloodlust that rose up with his anger though.
"How are we going to fight them?" Hiccup asked rationally. "We are all unarmed and our dragons are tied up. Literally. Meanwhile they might have more hostages up there to threaten us and your people with."
"I have my fists," Astrid growled.
"As much as that would be wonderful to see it won't work," Iris grumbled. "They'll use the dragons to threaten us all again. First we need to get them freed somehow and get everyone else out of reach of them."
"Hey Gustav," Dagur said slowly. "You remember what I taught you during weapons training?"
"Um maybe?" Gustav hesitated.
"Use your environment to your advantage," he said dangerously. "We all can take them."
He told everyone the plan. He would distract Savage and the other traitors while the rest of them snuck out to set the dragons free. Meanwhile they would get the rest of the Berserkers to scatter to avoid being used as hostages. It would be hard, they were a proud lot, but Iris promised to get them to listen.
"Hey Savage," Dagur drawled. He had crept up from the cells below the Great Hall and managed to sneak through the shadows to the other side of the hall. "What was that about being a fool?"
"Get him," Savage shouted. "I'd listen if I was you Dagur! Your wife's life is on the line!"
"Yeah somehow I don't think it is," Dagur laughed. He reached behind a bookcase and pulled out a dusty sword. "Come on! Let's fight like true Berserkers!"
"Bastard," Savage spat. "Go on, get him!" He shoved two nervous looking men towards him.
"Come on get me," he laughed again. He let his rage take over, fueling his former deranged emotions. "It'll be fun!"
One man finally charged forward with a roar. Dagur easily side stepped him to slash at his side. The man spun and barely blocked him which left his other side unguarded. The man screamed as Dagur stabbed him laughing.
At that moment the other Viking attacked. He must have been hoping to surprise him or something but it didn't work. Easily Dagur shifted away from the injured Viking and used the momentum to block his attack. Dagur kicked forward, tripping the unstable man, and easily swung his sword. A spray of blood splattered him with blood as the man's head rolled away from his body.
"Get him you idiots," Savage snarled.
Before the unnerved men could attack though a roar shook the large door of the Great Hall. Jager crashed through it, spraying fire at the group of men. Some caught on fire and began screaming as they tried to put themselves out. However an equally furious Enigma stormed in and spat her own fireballs at the panicking men. On her back was Iris with a sword of her own in hand and fury on her face.
"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN MY PEOPLE!" she screamed. For a moment Dagur fell in love with her all over again as rage washed off of her in waves. Armed Vikings stormed in after her shouting.
"Give up Savage," Hiccup shouted. He stepped in with Toothless following him. "You can't get away now. You're surrounded."
"As if," Savage snarled. He pulled out a crossbow and aimed it at Iris. "I'll take her out before I let any of you capture me!"
"No!" Hiccup and Dagur shouted at the same time as Savage let the bolt loose.
Dagur lunged towards the other man with a snarl. Without a second thought he stabbed his sword through the gloating man's chest. He stared at the other man as surprise filled his face. Blood spilled from his lips as he gave a dark grin.
"I win," he coughed.
"ELLIE!" Iris had screamed. A furious snarl crossed Savage's lips at the name.
"You failed," Dagur gloated. "And I win."
