CHAPTER 18
A/N: So, I decided to move a few episodes around to fit the narrative I have in mind a bit better. For now we're going to combine To Heather or Not to Heather and Family on the Edge. Personally, I always found it odd that Windshear suddenly had a difficult time working with the other Riders after all the time they had been together. Not to mention the several times they saved her shiny arse. So I'm skipping that bit entirely. For the following chapter, I'm jumping to Saving Shattermaster. There's a lot of story in between but my main focus is going to be on Dagur and Tengan from here on out. I may still add one shots with episodes I skipped over but had ideas for. Again, if anyone has a specific episode they really want me to flesh out, I'd love to know about it! As always, thanks for reading, seeing those hits jump up really makes my day.
"It's odd." Tengan mumbled to herself as she sat slumped over in Rumble's saddle, eyes barely cracked open towards the empty horizon. "I've almost gotten used to all of this." She gestured lazily to her surroundings. "This feels almost normal now. Isn't that weird, boy?" She dragged her nails softly against her dragon's deck scales as he hummed happily.
The rider forced herself to sit straighter, falling back into the pre-established pattern for scanning the western side of the Edge. Breaking the vast expanse of sea into four sections, she stared unblinkingly at each one for a count of thirty before moving to the next one. This she repeated endlessly for up to ten hours at a time. While patrols and watches were always a part of life on Dragon's Edge, this paranoid level of alertness had become almost routine in the last few weeks.
It had all come to a head when Astrid asked Hiccup to pull Heather out from her role as a double agent for the Hunters. Hiccup, too eager in his search for the Hunter's true leader, a man known only as Viggo Grimborn, had refused the request outright, claiming that Heather would never go for it. Especially not when she had finally been introduced to the man himself so recently.
Tengan closed her eyes for half a moment and sighed wearily before returning her attention to the sea. While dwelling on the past was rarely ever a healthy exercise, she often found herself wondering just how different, how normal, their lives might be if they had taken Astrid's gut feeling more seriously.
For starters, they would most likely still have the Dragon Eye. Viggo, in a display of cunning and strategy Tengan had never seen before, had manipulated the entire team of Riders into his palm. Between utilizing Heather to feed them a false trail, releasing a very irate Flightmare onto the group, and coaxing the Riders to leave the Edge on a wild goose chase, he had, over forty-eight hours, destroyed what had taken them more than a year to build. While they had flown through literal Typhoomerang fire to protect Heather and Windshear from a grisly fate, Viggo had sent an army of men to their base to recover the Dragon Eye.
In their search, the pillagers spared none of their possessions. Beds were smashed to pieces, weapons cast over cliffs, doors thrown off their hinges. Tengan's hut had been hit the hardest. While not exactly the treasure they were looking for, the Hunters had known the value of written information. All her scrolls, journals, maps, and notes were gone. Priceless information about all of the dragons they had encountered, maps detailing their habitats and locations, personal accounts and recollections, had all been turned over to a man who wanted to wipe out every dragon and rider in his path. Not satisfied with stealing her life's worth, the Hunters had taken most of her medical supplies as well. The few jars left behind had been smashed open on the wooden floor. She wasn't sure how long she had knelt there, numb to the world around her. She certainly didn't remember tearing at her hair or clawing at her face, but the shallow scratches left after Fishlegs had forced her to her feet had been proof enough.
Rumble's weight shifted underneath her as he settled into a more comfortable position, the movement drawing his rider's attention back to the present. Tengan rolled her shoulders and stared out into the empty expanse before her once more, the last tiny bit of hopeful optimism praying that in any moment, a silvery patch of cloud would detach itself and Windshear would be winging her way to the island with Heather. Their troubled friend had disappeared once again as soon as the fighting died down. Tengan couldn't blame her, she was sure the poor Berserker girl thought herself responsible for the failed rescue mission. As easy as it would be to funnel all her anguish at losing years of work onto Heather's shoulders, Tengan found herself worrying for the lost Rider almost daily. Viggo did not strike her as the person who would be content knowing someone who betrayed him was out flying freely over the archipelago. Especially one with innate knowledge of his group's inner workings.
"I hope she comes back to us soon." Tengan sighed. "She's not safe out there right now. Even with Windshear. Viggo wants her dead and who knows how Dagur feels about her betrayal." She snorted lightly as memories of her fretting over a stolen kiss floated into her mind. It was amazing such trivial things caused her strife two months ago. Now every day was a question of "will we be attacked" rather than searching the far reaches for new dragons.
The first month after the attack and their first real loss against the Hunters flowed by in a gray haze. Days were spent in near silence as they cleaned up, salvaging what they could and keeping a record of items found missing or too damaged to repair. Thankfully, amongst all the carnage, only a few of the Night Terrors had been slain. Their bodies were buried at the base of the cliffs and a memorial was carved out of the stone face before their small graves.
"Here lie five brave dragons who lost their lives defending those they love from the evils of this world. May their spirits join the mighty warriors in Valhalla."
Fishlegs had taken their loss the hardest. He and Meatlug stood vigil at the gravesite for an entire day before Tengan could convince him to leave with her.
Since many of her journals had contained information about her homeland, she had flown home to warn her mother of a possible raid in the near future. While she would have preferred Astrid or Hiccup to accompany her on this venture, as their dragons were the only two who match Rumble's speed, Fishlegs had needed the time away from the island the most and seemed to liven up ever so slightly by the time they had touched down on the warm sands on her birthplace.
"That was the first time I had ever seen Mother openly weep." Tengan spoke quietly to Rumble as she slid from the saddle to stretch her legs. "I know she was surprised I did not cry with her. I suppose I had no tears left." She laid a palm on her dragon's warm side, taking a moment to steady her breath. "She didn't want us to come back and keep fighting. I could see it in her eyes." She slipped into a seated position on the ground and leaned her head against Rumble's barrel chest. "But she knew we'd have to. Both of us. We owe our friends so much. It would be cowardly to leave them to fight while we hid with my people. Still…." She sighed again. "I don't like how normal this has become, Rumble. Waking up to every small noise. Counting each Night Terror weekly to make sure none were slaughtered. I never had to lock away my books and scrolls before. Knowledge is meant to be shared, not hidden in the dark from those who wish to do harm to this world."
Tengan knew she wasn't the only one who had developed new coping mechanisms. Fishlegs had become somewhat of a Weapons Master. Their meager armory vastly depleted following the raid, he and Meatlug had been working at a frantic pace to resupply the Riders with Gronkle Iron weaponry and armor. Astrid, somehow, managed to throw herself even further into her nonstop training. The only time Tengan spoke with her in the last month was when she gave herself a gash too deep to tie off with a quick bandage. Snotlout had taken the assault on their island personally and had taken on so many patrol shifts that Hookfang had fallen asleep while flying at least twice. Even the twins were more subdued and pensive. All of their boars had been slaughtered and taken for meat by the Hunters. They still hadn't rounded up any replacements. The empty, blood stained pen under their hut was a haunting sight.
Hiccup was rarely seen anymore. Whenever he was conscious, he was either flying off on solo patrols (much to Astrid's frustration) or shut in his hut working on his flight suit. On the rare occasion he led members of the Riders on rescue missions, his focus seemed to be solely on returning the wounded dragons to the safety of the Edge. Through his efforts, the island had become somewhat of a sanctuary for wounded or abused dragons. Most of them were Gronkles exploited for their lava spewing abilities, or Deadly Nadders that had their spines pulled to make weaponry. However, their growing flock, thanks to Hiccup, had also started seeing a few rarer specimens as well. Several Typhoomerangs had taken up residence in the northern forest, a pair of Catastrophic Quakens were healing in the cave system in preparation of being relocated to Dark Deep, and a Triple Stryke, rescued from an underground fighting ring, would often join the Rider's dragons at mealtimes, even if he was reluctant to let any of the humans approach.
"They all look older now." Tengan murmured as she climbed into Rumble's saddle and urged him to circle above their watch tower. "Not so much in their faces. But in their eyes. I suppose I look the same too." As they circled, Tengan heard the fluttering wing beats of a Gronkle approach as Fishlegs pulled up in front of her. "Is something wrong?" She asked stiffly. "We're not due to change guards for another hour."
"Nothing's wrong. Something's very right!" Fishlegs gasped as he spoke, his face split in a breathless grin. "Heather's coming back! I just got her Terror Mail! She should be here any minute! Come on! Hiccup wants us all to greet her!"
Tengan's eyes sparkled before she paused, biting her lip. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Fishlegs had already swung Meatlug around to face inland. "It'll be fine! No one had seen a Hunter in our waters in over a month. Besides, all the new dragons are fiercely territorial! No one will be able to sneak up on us."
Tengan sighed heavily before urging Rumble to follow. The boy did have a good point. Willingly losing herself to the rare scrap of excitement bubbling in her chest, she found herself giggling at quite literally nothing as they touched down in front of the arena. A quick glance at the others showed they were all similarly affected. All of the teens wore smiles, and Fishlegs was practically dancing.
"Oh look that's her!" The Gronkle trainer squealed as he pointed towards the sky, drawing the others' attention as well.
Tengan squinted towards the sunlight, forcing her eyes to focus on a rapidly growing blot. Her grin widened as Windshear's long, serpentine body took shape, her metallic scales glittering in the morning light.
By the time the Razorwhip was in hailing distance, the Rider's dragons were alternating between crowing their greetings and letting loose short bursts of flame in their exuberance. The moment her feet touched ground, Windshear was surrounded by her long lost friends and settled into an apparently much appreciated nuzzling and grooming session as Heather slid from the saddle to join the group once more.
"I can't believe you actually came!" Fishlegs shoved past Hiccup and pulled her into a tight embrace, momentarily lifting her off the ground.
"It's good to see you too Fishlegs." Heather replied wearily, a relaxed smile on her face.
"Took you long enough." Astrid teased, shoulder checking the brunette as Fishlegs released her.
"I'm surprised she hasn't come running back to the Snotman sooner." Snotlout wiggled his eyebrows and flexed his admittedly impressive biceps. Rebuilding the Edge had granted them all a bit more muscle tone.
"What they mean is," Hiccup smiled, accentuating the dark circles under his eyes. "We've all missed you."
"So." Ruffnut crossed her arms, a teasing smirk on her lips. "How long are you planning on staying this time?"
"Please tell me it's more than a week." Tuffnut whined as he gazed over at the cluster of wrestling dragons. "I couldn't bear it if you left with my beloved Razorwhip so soon!" He threw himself to his knees in preemptive anguish.
"Glad to see you haven't changed." Heather laughed, the sound hollow in her throat. "Well, if you guys don't mind, we were hoping we could stay a bit longer this time. Like, forever."
Hiccup nodded immediately. "You know you always have a home with us here."
Heather's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you, Hiccup. I wasn't sure you guys would want me to come back. Not after the mess I caused with Viggo."
Tengan stepped forward and placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Heather, look at me." She spoke with a gentle yet firm voice. "You never caused that. You risked your life to pass information to us several times. What happened wasn't your fault. If anything, I'm sorry that we never made that clear to you." She tried to keep her gaze stern but found her eyes softening at Heather's deflated posture. Sighing, she pulled her in for a quick hug. "I'm glad you're safe. You've been missed." She stepped back as the others swarmed forward to greet the newest member of their ranks.
Hiccup broke through the conversation several minutes later. "Heather you must be exhausted. Why don't we get Windshear settled and I can take you-"
"I can show her!" Fishlegs spoke up a bit too loudly. He blushed as all eyes fell on him. "I mean, if Heather is going to be staying, the only good spot to build a new hut is near mine. It makes sense. Doesn't it?"
Astrid was quick to stamp down on Snotlout's foot as he opened his mouth. "Of course it does." She smiled as her eyes met Heather's and Tengan's. "I'm sure you two have a LOT to catch up on."
Tengan smiled and nodded as that far off sunny afternoon of girl talk came back to her. "Sounds like a plan. We'll meet you for lunch. I want to take a bit of time to patrol the perimeter since our watch ended a little early." With a bit of coaxing, she convinced Rumble to disengage from the pile of playing dragons before taking to the air again, her chest feeling considerably lighter than it had in the past few days. "You happy to have Windshear back, boy?" She cooed to the Skrill, giggling as he responded with a loud roar. "I'll make sure you two have plenty of time to catch up later. Let's finish this quick patrol first, alright?"
The rest of the morning flowed by with relative ease. Only once did they have to redirect their path when a group of Nadders took off from the far shore to head towards the lake. Tengan soon found herself enjoying a leisurely lunch with the other riders in the arena to allow their dragons time to play and relax. Well, almost all of the other riders. Hiccup and Toothless were absent. A disappointment, but not much of a surprise. Astrid guessed he had made a breakthrough on the Dragonfly Flight Suit and would probably not be resurfacing for at least another two meals.
Following lunch, the twins took off to take over patrols while the others began practicing maneuvers they thought they might need in an upcoming mission. Hiccup had noticed a relatively unguarded small fleet of ships from Viggo's armada moored in an unguarded patch of a fogbank less than half a day's flight away. While they had been uneasily content with letting them be for now, with the addition of Heather and Windshear, it seemed the Riders were finally going to have the upper hand. Attacking the vessels would severely dampen Viggo's hold on the islands near the Edge. If they could succeed in at least driving them away from the shipyard, sleep would once again come easy for the group.
Surprisingly, Hiccup joined them again at dinner, if only physically. He seemed to jump every time someone addressed him and was clearly not paying Astrid the slightest bit of attention as she elaborated on her ideas for going after the mostly unguarded fleet.
"So…" Hiccup spoke up after a lull in the conversation, his hands continuously fidgeting with his empty mug. "Do any of you ever wonder what happened to Dagur?"
"Uh, no." Snotlout asserted firmly for the group as he stabbed the roast chicken on his plate with an unusual amount of force.
"What brings him up anyway?" Fishlegs asked, his head cocked to the side as he eyed Hiccup with growing suspicion.
"Nothing!" Hiccup leapt out of his chair, arms up defensively. "But since we're on the subject now. Do any of you ever wonder why he helped Heather escape from Viggo?"
"Probably as a distraction so he could get away himself." Astrid spoke up with a measured tone as she cast a glance at the still silent Heather beside her.
"Let's change the subject." Tengan suggested, carefully avoiding meeting Heather or Hiccup's gaze.
"Ok, Ok. Just one last question." Hiccup rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck, a tick the others had only seen when he was trying to convince Stoick to try something new. "What if that was the first step to him changing and creating a new life for himself?"
"A new life?! Dagur?!" Heather slammed her fists down firmly on the table, the force of her blow knocking over two nearby mugs. Bolting to her feet, she glared angrily across at Hiccup. "A dragon doesn't change its markings!"
Hiccup flinched but continued, hands still raised in a surrendering position. "You might be right. But who knows? No one could have guessed that my father, Stoick the Vast, would ever learn to fly a dragon? You never know, the next time we see Dagur-"
"I'll split the father killer in two!" Heater yelled, swinging her axe onto the table where it cleaved right through her leg of mutton, cracked her earthenware plate, and sunk a few inches into the wooden table top.
Tengan, having taken her place next to Heather at dinner, had jumped back, narrowly avoiding a clay container of sauce spilling onto her lap. She glared across the room at Hiccup, vowing to knock some sense into the boy the next time she caught him alone. A quick glance towards Astrid told her she wasn't the only one with that idea.
Heather stared at the damage before her before shrinking in on herself. "Sorry. I'll head out. I have patrol tonight anyways. Might as well get a head start."
"Actually, I'll take over for you!" Hiccup exclaimed in a falsely cheery voice. "I actually wanted to send you and Snotlout to do a recon flight over the shipyard we've been telling you about. It would be good for you and Windshear to familiarize yourself with it's layout." He shifted on his feet for several seconds as no one else spoke. "In fact, I think you two should go tonight!"
"Tonight?!" Snotlout groaned. "I'm still sore from this morning! And it'll take a whole day just to get there and back!"
"Yes, tonight." Hiccup retorted sternly. "She needs to know what we're going up against."
Heather yanked her weapon from the table before patting Snotlout's shoulder lightly. "Come on. It won't be that bad. The sooner we get going, the sooner we'll be back."
Tengan quietly watched Hiccup slink out of the hall followed by Heather and Snotlout. She glanced around at the remaining teens, their confused expressions mirroring her own. "What was that all about?"
The next morning Tengan met up with Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins in their target throwing practice field nestled in the wooded area behind the huts. Hiccup had decided to take on Astrid's early morning patrol on top of Heather's night shift. He had barely spat out a lame assertion that he wanted to give the others time to practice for the upcoming mission before disappearing.
"Is everything ok with Hiccup?" Tengan asked the group at large as she yanked a practice axe from a fallen log. "He seems-"
"Possessed? Insane?" Tuffnut rattled off as he leaned against his mace, Chicken tucked under his free arm.
"Totally obsessed with Dagur?" Ruffnutt added as she launched a sword into a nearby tree. "I mean what's that all about."
Astrid opened her mouth to respond but was cut off as a nearby bush cracked and rustled intently. A second later, a familiar, if not welcome, Berserker tumbled out of the bush, looking slightly dazed. "I suppose we can ask him ourselves." Astrid growled as she raised her axe to his throat.
Fishlegs, spotting a twisted piece of metal on the ground near where Dagur emerged, quickly crouched to retrieve it. Recognizing the spare leg, his face darkened. "What have you done with Hiccup!"
Astrid, glancing at the prosthetic, snarled before quickly slamming Dagur into the dirt and binding his arms behind his back. "You better start talking!"
"Ouch!" Dagur's muffled cry came out weakly under Astrid's knee. Twisting his neck to get a better look at the group around him, he tried to speak without inhaling dirt. "He's here! He just was on his way back to the base to get a spare leg!"
Astrid shifted her weight off of the prisoner and allowed him to sit up and face the rest of them. "Why should we believe that?"
Tengan approached, practice axe still in hand, as she glared down at him. "We simply must stop meeting like this, eh Dagur?" She smirked, taking immense enjoyment out of their reversal of circumstances.
Dagur flinched at her statement before shrugging his shoulders. "Alright. I deserved that one. But you have to believe me!"
"A likely story!" Ruffnut shoved Tengan aside to approach, hands on her hips.
"Either you start singing like a canary, or we will!" Tuffnut added before preparing a lungful of air.
"That actually won't be necessary." Hiccup spoke up as he walked through the trees.
"What is going on!?" Astrid asked in exasperation, her head whipping between Dagur and Hiccup.
"Well it's a long story. I'll fill you all in on the walk back to base." Hiccup knelt behind Dagur and deftly cut his binds. As the group slowly made their way back he quickly explained how on one of his solo missions, Toothless had been struck down by a Dragon Root arrow and Dagur had helped them escape when he could have turned on them several times.
While Hiccup spoke, Dagur kept completely silent as he walked along at the edge of the group. For the most part he kept his eyes focused on either the dirt under his boots or the path directly in front of them. A couple times he glanced upwards at the others, but quickly redirected his gaze after locking eyes with Tengan.
"Why did you never tell us any of this?" Astrid spoke up as he concluded, her tone soft and hurt.
"Yeah, why not, brother?" Dagur asked with a genuinely curious expression.
Hiccup sighed, avoiding looking directly at any of them as he spoke. "Because I wasn't sure how any of you would take it." He chewed his lip for a moment before adding. "I'm still not sure how I feel about it."
"To be fair I have done a few questionable things." Dagur added impassively.
"So that brings us to today." Hiccup started before Astrid could interject. "Dagur now needs my help. He wants to learn how to ride dragons."
"Why does he want to learn that?" Tuffnut blurted out.
Dagur sighed deeply. "I'm looking for Heather and I can cover more ground with a dragon."
The atmosphere chilled in the room as each of the riders glanced nervously at each other.
Hiccup took advantage of their momentary confusion to speak up. "Yes and the sooner I teach him to ride, the sooner he can go off to find Heather, WHEREVER SHE MIGHT BE." Seeing the twins' devious smirks, he plowed on. "And uh, actually, Dagur, Fishlegs here is the best Gronkle trainer in the world! He can help improve your flying! Why don't you two head off now?"
Fishlegs, catching Hiccup's meaning, nodded. "Uh sure! I'd be happy to!"
Dagur, elated, grabbed greedily at Fishlegs' shoulders. "Oh thank you! TEACH ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW!" His grin was large and childlike.
Tengan watched the two leave the hall before glaring over her shoulder at Hiccup. "No wonder you were pushing the subject last night." She exhaled slowly. "Hiccup, I thought we agreed we weren't going to keep secrets anymore. The last time it almost got Heather killed."
Hiccup sighed, shoulders sagging. "I know. It was wrong of me. But he really has changed. He could have killed me and Toothless several times but he risked his neck to save us. Toothless has even let Dagur ride him, on a couple different occasions. I owe this to him."
Tengan sighed and nodded. "I understand. Then we need to get him trained up and gone before Heather gets back. She's not ready to face-" She gestured vaguely in front of her, towards the door where Fishlegs and Dagur disappeared moments before. " -this. She just got here. It will take her time to heal."
Hiccup stood quietly for a moment. "I know, Tengan."
She nodded again. "I'll catch up with you all later. Since you're here no one's actually on guard at the moment. Besides, I want to make sure no one came with Dagur when he landed. Either with him or just by trailing him." Without waiting for a reply she slipped out of the hall and made her way towards her hut.
It took relatively little time to rouse Rumble from his nap and only a couple eels to convince him to fly the perimeter. As his wings beat steadily on the calm air, Tengan scanned the land and sea below them. "There's the ship he came in on." She commented more for her own benefit than her dragon's. "No wonder we missed it. That was where the Nadder pack came at us yesterday. He must have spooked them."
They circled the island twice before angling back towards the base. "It seems he really did come here alone." She drummed her fingers on the saddle. "What do you think, boy? Think he actually has changed?" She laughed as Rumble growled affectionately. "Why don't we take a minute to check in on him and Fishlegs. I need to see this for myself."
She urged Rumble to follow the steadily growing sound of deep laughter echoing over the beach. Turning a corner, she pulled Rumble to a halt as she watched Fishlegs and Dagur repeatedly have their dragons roll in midair, stop once their bellies pointed skyward, and drop for several dozen feet before righting themselves.
Rumble, catching sight of the Berserker, growled low in his throat for a moment before the sound died out and became a questioning keen as the Gronkle under Dagur wriggled with joy after each drop.
"I see you two have been getting along well." Tengan called out after the third drop, making a point to stay higher in the air than either Gronkle as they climbed to join her.
"I've never had such a naturally gifted student!" Fishlegs praised Dagur without restraint. "He even invented a new move. The inverted Gronkle drop."
"Is that what you call it?" She stared down impassively at the fiery-haired Viking as he scratched his dragon's neck enthusiastically.
"Hope you learned a lot, Dagur. You're with me for the rest of the day." She smirked as Rumble buffeted the smaller dragon with a gust from his wings as he took off. She set a quick, but not brutally fast pace. One the Gronkle would have to work hard at to keep up, but nothing that would strain the poor thing.
"Where are we going?" Dagur called out in a pleasant tone. He held position slightly behind and below Rumble's right wing.
Tengan stared at the other viking for a moment before responding. "There's a set of grassy hills not too far off. Far enough that we have to fly and difficult to reach on foot, but close enough to get back quickly if we have to." Angling back inland, she coaxed Rumble into gliding down in several long, spiraling circles. She was mildly impressed that Dagur managed to match their movements relatively well. Only once did Shattermaster come close enough for Rumble to bump him in a downstroke. Landing, she had Rumble take several steps away and turn to face the other pair before she dismounted. She placed her hand on his side and waited for Dagur to dismount as well before speaking. "Hiccup only told us the bare bones of what happened when he ran into you before. I want to hear the full story from you."
Dagur cocked his head to the side. "You actually want to listen to what I have to say? You didn't bring me out here to, you know, ambush me or something?"
Tengan felt a taunting smile tugging at her lips. "If I had wanted to kill you I would have had Rumble throw you off the cliffs on our flight over." Her smile widened as Rumble growled to accentuate her threat. However, the pair were slightly shocked when Shattermaster returned the growl and stepped in front of Dagur. "Wow. He's willing to defend you already."
Dagur eased his Gronkle with gentle pets and stepped forward to stand beside him before responding. "I learned a lot from Hiccup the day he and Toothless crashed onto the island I was marooned on."
Tengan listened patiently as Dagur recounted not just that day, but his entire journey after being abandoned by Viggo. She was admittedly impressed at his apparent growth. He had learned how to coexist with the wild dragons in the area and had even developed a cure for the Dragon Root arrows. She noticed that while he spoke, he often fidgeted. Several times he wrung his hands or tickled under Shattermaster's chin. This shy, unsure man seemed as different from the person who stood smirking over her while she shined his shoes as a dragon is to a yak.
"And now I need to become a better rider so I can find Heather and make things right." Dagur finished, bringing one arm up to rub at the back of his head. For a few seconds he shifted uneasily before continuing. "There's actually another reason I'm here."
"Oh?" Tengan's eyes narrowed and her body tensed.
"Yeah." Dagur let his arms fall to his sides. "I want to apologize. To you and Rumble specifically."
Tengan froze, her mouth hanging open slightly in shock. "I have to say I wasn't expecting that."
Dagur chuckled nervously. "Fair enough. I spent some time thinking and realized that I probably, no, definitely made life difficult for the two of you. And I may or may not have misunderstood some signals between us." He finished almost too quietly to be heard, his gaze dropping to the ground.
Tengan scoffed. "Oh you mean convincing yourself that I had been secretly in love with you for years and had dedicated all of my life choices to impressing you?"
Dagur flinched, his eyes still downcast. "Yeah, that. I truly am sorry. I know it's not easy and you don't have to answer, but, do you think you could forgive me? Eventually?"
Tengan stood quietly for a moment, staring intently at the bashful man before her. Before she could decide on how to respond, she was bumped aside as Rumble shoved past her.
The Skrill approached the Gronkle and rider slowly, his eyes narrowed. He growled low in his chest when Shattermaster approached, raising to his full height and extending his wings. For several heartbeats the two dragons squared off. Something unseen shifted between them and Shattermaster stepped aside, allowing Rumble to continue his advance on Dagur. Lowering his head, he glared sternly at the Berserker, unblinking.
Tengan stood frozen to her spot, concerned she might spook either of the tightly wound dragons if she so much as stepped towards them. "Rumble…." She called out gently.
Rumble huffed into Dagur's face, sending a wave of static electricity through his hair before he closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly, bumping his snout to Dagur's forehead. A low hum vibrated through him and into the Viking before he pulled away, taking several steps back. With a playful growl, he turned to Shattermaster and took two large, running steps before leaping into the air.
Tengan sighed in relief as the Gronkle took off in pursuit of the Skrill. A genuine smile danced across her lips as she approached the clearly baffled Viking before her. "I think it's safe to say he forgives you." She met his eyes and found she rather enjoyed how gentle they looked when his face wasn't contorted with rage and frustration. "And if Rumble forgives you, I suppose I can too."
Dagur beamed and laughed. "Oh thank you!" He quickly pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug and released her just as suddenly as he had grabbed her. Practically dancing, it took him several moments to calm down, after which his eyes were drawn to the far off shapes of the two dragons as they tumbled through the air. "Uh, how are we going to get them to come back?"
Tengan, slightly ruffled by the embrace, shrugged mildly before taking a seat in the grass,a lopsided grin playing on her face. "We don't. They'll come back once they're done playing. Until then it's just you and me. Might as well have a seat." She patted the patch of grass next to her.
Dagur stiffened for a moment before taking a seat. He placed his closed fists on his lap and stared straight ahead.
Tengan shook her head slightly, wondering how this awkward Viking was ever considered one of their greatest foes. "You know, it will take some time for the others to come around but it will be good to have another Rider helping us out. Viggo has been making life difficult lately."
"I'm sure you've had a hell of a time documenting all of it…. You are still doing that right?" he added quickly with a small glance.
Tengan stiffened before pulling her knees to her chest. "Not as much lately….. when Viggo stole the Dragon Eye his men took my work. All of it." She rested her head on her knees and sighed dejectedly. "My life's work. Gone."
Dagur flinched. "I-I'm sorry. If I ever come across it, I promise I'll get it back to you."
Tengan laughed bitterly. "Sure, Dagur." She caught his downcast expression out of the corner of her eye and flinched at her tactless reply. Lightly, she placed her hand on his knee. "Thank you. That would mean a lot."
Dagur stared at her hand before meeting her eyes, his face halfway between shocked and smiling. "Of course." He chuckled nervously. "I mean, I never got to read what you wrote about me."
Tengan flinched again, drawing her hand back. "Yeah, you may not want to. My opinion of you wasn't exactly favorable back then."
Dagur chuckled, his body relaxing. "Fair enough." They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the dragons twist and dive above them. "Hey, Tengan. Can I ask you something?"
Tengan turned away from the dragons to meet his eyes. "Sure." She found it difficult to look away.
Dagur took a deep breath as if he were steeling himself. "I..I just need to know… that kiss…?" He stared hopefully at her.
For a moment, Tengan saw part of herself in his eyes. The part that wondered if the chaos of her life and this war had driven away any hope of romance. "It was only ever a distraction tactic." She answered honestly, hating herself in that moment.
Dagur's face dropped and he returned his gaze to the grass. "Yeah. I figured."
Tengan continued to stare at him as those endless hours of fantasizing and reminiscing came back to her. The small pool of heat in her gut, one she thought had been extinguished by all the fear and war they had seen, began to glow again. "If I'm being honest. It wasn't a bad kiss. Certainly nowhere near my worst."
Dagur's head whipped up as he stared openly at the young woman next to him, fixated. "Really?"
Tengan held the eye contact for a few seconds before turning away to stare directly ahead, he cheeks heating up again. "Really. Certainly much better than the time Snotlout tried to save me with the 'kiss of life' when I was napping on the beach." She giggled into the palm of her hand before she could continue. "He thought I had drowned. I knocked one of his teeth loose for that one. Took us almost an hour to find it in the sand."
Dagur threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing across the grass. The sound was free and light, no where near the manic cackling he had used most of his teen years. As the pair calmed, he found himself staring at her again, taking in everything from the insanely bouncy and tight curls framing her face to the way the sun danced on her dark skin. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "You know… I wasn't really trying. I can kiss a lot better than that."
Tengan smiled softly and turned to meet his gaze. "I'm sure you can. Maybe I'll let you try again someday." She relaxed into the simple moment, letting herself become lost in the fantasy of a simpler life where her friends weren't at war and her largest concerns could be who to court.
Dagur cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe?" He teased lightly, reaching out to take her hand.
Tengan allowed the contact, her fingers closing ever so slightly on his rough palm. "Maybe." She repeated. "You'd have to earn it this time around." Still smiling, she broke the eye contact once more to watch their dragons dance overhead.
"I think I can do that." He murmured, more to himself than the girl next to him. Allowing his gaze to follow hers, he sat quietly for several moments. His shoulders relaxed and his breathing slowed, hitching periodically as her fingers twitched in his hand. "I hope talking to Heather goes this smoothly."
Tengan stiffened, her eyes narrowing. As much as she wanted to help this new Dagur, the frenzied glare and violent movements Heather displayed last night over dinner weighed heavily on her mind. "I don't think it will." She frowned, pulling her hand from his to hug her knees to her chest again. She chewed her lower lip for a moment, carefully finding the words to help Dagur and protect Heather at the same time. "The last time I saw her, you came up in conversation. She's still very angry. Mentioned several times she wanted to kill you to right the wrongs she's been done in this world. Honestly, in some ways, I see her point." She cast a quick glance at her deflating companion. "But she doesn't know the new you yet. The old Dagur would have never shown the level of patience and compassion I saw from you today. When you see her, she might not take to you quickly. I know it's not my place to offer advice…." She trailed off.
Dagur shifted closer and placed a large hand on her upper arm. "Tell me! Anything to get Heather back."
Tengan nodded once before continuing. "She'll need time and space to heal, after you're able to speak to her. If she runs off, I suggest letting her. If you give her space to process everything I think she'll come to accept you. It just may take longer than you'd like."
Dagur's grip on her arm tightened before slackening and he flopped down onto his back, letting his arms splay out. "Of course. Heather can be stubborn. Berserkers often are. It takes a lot to change our minds once we've decided on something…."
Tegan turned to look at him, her head cocked slightly. It almost felt as if there was something else hidden in that last statement just beneath the surface. She opened her mouth to ask before thinking better of it and closing it. If he wanted to elaborate, he would.
Two nearby thuds announced their dragons' return. Rumble crawled up to Tengan's unoccupied side before flattening himself against the warm grass. Shattermaster waddled rather quickly to Dagur's exposed face before attacking it with enthusiastic licks.
"NO! GET OFF!" Dagur laughed, squirming under his dragon's assault with little success.
Tengan giggled as she slowly got to her feet and gently nudged the Gronkle off his rider. "Well at least you got a kiss from someone today. Come on. Let's get back before the others wonder if you've captured me again." She offered her hand.
Taking her hand more out of politeness more than genuine need, Dagur hoisted himself to his feet. He maintained the contact between them for a few heartbeats more than was strictly necessary, acutely aware his beard was coated in Shattermaster's saliva. "Next time it won't be from a dragon." His tone was serious. Determined.
Tengan blinked in surprise, the warmth in her stomach blossoming at the forward claim. "I'll hold you to that. I look forward to seeing what you'll do to earn it." Turning away to hide the red tint on her face, she climbed into Rumble's saddle and quickly urged him to take to the air. She was desperate for the wind to calm some of the heat that had settled within her.
Laughter filled the main hall as they touched down moments later. The determinedly quiet pair settled their dragons in the stables before joining the twins for dinner. Tengan made a point to sit in one of the corners as she picked at her food, content to watch Dagur listen politely as Tuffnut "demonstrated" Chicken's move set for their guest. Her smile widened and a giggle escaped as Dagur chanced a confused glance over to her after the seventh or eighth time the flightless bird was lifted gracefully into the air and an egg plopped right into his waiting palm.
"Did you name all these moves yourself?" Dagur asked with apparent interest as he set the egg gently on the table.
"Maybe…" was Tuffnut's sly reply, a sly smirk on his face.
Tengan shook her head gently at the spectacle before her. "Will you two let the man eat in peace?" She teased lightly. "He's had a long day."
"It's not a bother, really!" Dagur insisted with a warm smile. "I've honestly never seen such a talented chicken."
"Is that mutton? Awesome! We're starving!" Snotlout's voice rang through the hall as he and Heather walked through the doorway.
Heather quickly scanned the room, her whole body going rigid as she spotted Dagur at the table. "You!" She growled, her lip curling into a snarl.
Dagur's face split into an ecstatic grin as he stood and spun on his heel, nearly knocking the bench over in his haste. "Sister!" He called out cheerily, his arms spread in welcome.
It took Heather all of three bounding steps to cross the room and press the blade of her axe to Dagur's throat. Her eyes sparked with fury.
"I guess a hug is out of the question then?" Dagur chuckled nervously as he eyes the axe.
Heather's face twisted as she dropped her weapon and slammed her fist across his chin.
It took several moments for the other riders to pull Heather off of Dagur, in which time she managed to land several good blows. Finally, the two were separated, with Hiccup standing between them, arms slightly raised to maintain the distance.
"Hiccup Haddock I cannot believe you kept my Heather from me!" Dagur shouted while massaging his sore jaw. "I was so worried! Was she alive? Was she dead?"
"Oh please, drop the act!" Heather spat as she struggled against Astrid's hold on her upper arm. "And you!" She rounded on Hiccup. "It's bad enough that you were consorting with my mortal enemy! But then you teach him how to ride dragons!" Freeing herself from Astrid, she grabbed Hiccup's shirt and shook him slightly. "Have you lost your mind?"
"He saved my life, Heather." Hiccup pleaded with her, his voice desperate.
"I don't care!" She spat back. "You can't trust him! He shows up right before our mission? It's a trap. Why don't you see that? Don't you remember what he's done? He set me adrift as a child and killed our father!" She shoved past Hiccup to approach Dagur once more, her entire body shaking with rage. "He tried to kill all of us multiple times!"
Dagur fidgeted under her intense gaze. "Most, if not all of those things, are true." He admitted. "But I am trying to change, sister."
Heather oppressed the edge of her blade to his throat again. "Don't you EVER CALL ME THAT! You're nothing but a spy!"
Dagur glanced frantically around the room. "I am not a spy. But I don't know how to prove it to you. And it looks like you won't take my word for it." He sighed, his body deflating. "I wouldn't take my word for it either. So, I guess it's time for me and Shattermaster to be going. Thank you all for everything…" His voice cracked at the end as he turned and slunk out of the hall.
"Was he crying?" Snotlout asked in disbelief.
Tengan stared at the empty doorway for several moments before turning to Hiccup. "I'll go after him." She firmly, leaving once Hiccup returned her nod. She followed the wooden walkways carefully in the dying light, eyes struggling to adjust quickly. "Dagur?" She called out softly. "Please wait. We don't want you to leave like this." She paused, ears perked for a response. "Ok, I don't want you to leave like this. Remember what we talked about?" She continued along the long path to the stable, speaking into the darkness. "She's just going to need time. So how about we-" She froze as she passed Hiccup's hut. The lantern inside illuminated Dagur standing over their strategy table as he gazed intently at their plans to attack Viggo's shipyard. "What are you doing?" She whispered as she stepped inside.
Dagur turned to her, his hands clasped on a model ship. "Fishlegs and Heather both hinted at a mission. She may still hate me, but it's my job to protect Heather. I need to know this isn't some suicide mission."
Tengan gazed down at the table. "It's a shipyard. We were originally going to just keep an eye on it but when Heather and Windshear joined us the odds tipped in our favor. We're actually planning to hit them early tomorrow morning before the men are even up." She glanced over her shoulder. "Come on. Let's get out of here before the others come along. If they see you standing over our plans it won't earn you any points. The mission is safe, the ships are mostly unguarded."
Dagur refused to move, his eyes glued to the models. "It's too easy…" He furrowed his brow and thought for several more moments. "The only way in and out on dragon back is through the sea stacks…. Tengan, this is a trap." He turned his gaze to her, his expression serious.
"You really think so?" Tengan stepped forward and looked over the models again, trying to see what he discerned that they had not.
"One hundred percent." Dagur stepped behind her and placed his hands on her hips, gently coaxing her to crouch down to the ships' level. "Look." he spoke quietly in her ear. "If you were standing on the deck and dragons flew out from behind those stacks…."
"It's a funnel." Tengan gasped, straightening quickly. "Stay here, I have to go get Hiccup so you can tell him yourself." She sidestepped the Berserker quickly and all but ran back to the hall. Even as she put distance between them, she could still feel where his hands had gripped her. She skidded to a halt before the open doorway to the hall. "Hiccup. I need you to come with me. Now." She whispered, trying not to let herself be overheard by the others who were still occupied with talking Heather down.
Hiccup nodded and silently followed without complaint. Once back at his hut, he listened intently to Dagur's explanation of how their mission was doomed to fail.
"You're too gullible!" Dagur pleaded. "I should know." He added with a mild chuckle. "I was able to trick you plenty of times. Let me ask you this: Did the number of ships in the yard suddenly increase?"
Hiccup blinked in surprise. "Yes, actually. Snotlout just told me their number jumped up from eight to twelve."
Dagur gestured wildly. "Of course it did! Because eight wasn't enough to lure you in!"
"What is going-" Astrid's voice carried form the doorway as she laid eyes on the trio standing around the table. "So you are a spy!" She cried out as she charged into Dagur, slamming his back against the wall.
"Relax." Dagur sighed in exasperation. "I was just talking sense into your boy Hiccup here."
Astrid took a step back but kept her body tense, ready to pounce. "We can't let him go now. He'll run right to the hunters and tell them our plans!"
Tengan shook her head. "Astrid, I don't think he will. Please just listen to what he has to say. He made a good point about the-"
Dagur cut her off with a wave of his hand. "It's alright Tengan. She won't believe me. So lock me up if you have to." He turned to stare directly at Hiccup. "Just know if anything happens to Heather I will hold you personally responsible."
Astrid glared at the Berserker before binding his hands. "You try anything and you'll regret it." She snarled before shoving him out of the room. "I'll take this one to the stables. You two better get some rest."
Tengan glanced nervously between the models and Hiccup. "Are we sure we still want to try for an attack tomorrow? He did make some good points. It could be a trap."
Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know. But this is too good of an opportunity to not give it a try. We'll be extra careful. The second something doesn't look right, we'll leave… Astrid was right about one thing, we really should get some rest."
Noticing the dismissal, Tengan nodded, slipped out of his hut and began to walk back towards the stable to collect Rumble. On her way she passed Astrid, who was closing the door on her way out. "I'll take care of it." She spoke up. "I like to have Rumble with me at night nowadays anyway."
Astrid eyed her for a moment before nodding once. "Don't let him get in your head, Tengan. You're smarter than that." Without waiting for a response, she turned and climbed onto the waiting Stormfly before taking off towards her hut.
Tengan slipped into the moonlit stable and quietly padded to the pair of stalls where Rumble and Shattermaster were being kept. Deftly, she opened the door her Skrill's stall before dragging a crate over to the front of the Gronkle's pen and took a seat, staring intently at the viking trapped inside. "So I suppose it's my turn to apologize." She chuckled softly.
"What?" Dagur blurted out in genuine surprise.
"I should have told you I knew where Heather was. I suppose I was just hoping to spare you two from all of this" She gestured weakly to the world around her.
Dagur exhaled sharply, his lip curling up at the edge. "I can see why you did."
She nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I still believe you. Astrid and Heather will too in time. I hope." She stood and approached the bars. "We can try again after this mission. I think if you tell them what you told me earlier today it might help." She unsheathed a small knife and stuck her hands through the bars. "Let me undo those. It's hard to sleep comfortably with your limbs bound. Trust me, I know."
Dagur grinned sheepishly as he recalled the few instances he had forced that particular discomfort onto her. Holding his arms out, he stared openly at her gentle expression as she carefully cut through the ropes, avoiding his skin. As soon as the bindings fell to the cell floor he grasped her hands firmly, minding the blade. "Tengan. This mission is a trap. You know I'm telling the truth."
Tengan jumped slightly in his grip but forced herself to relax as Rumble had jumped to his feet at her quick reaction. She stared directly into his eyes, amazed at how the green of the iris' sparkled in the pale moonlight. "Maybe. But it's a chance we'll have to take. I promise I'll keep an eye on Heather tomorrow for you."
Dagur nodded and tightened his grip slightly. "Thank you. But she's not the only one I'm worried about. You're the only one who's given me an honest second chance. I don't want to see you hurt either." He held her hands for a moment more before releasing them slowly.
Tengan blinked several times as she withdrew her arms and sheathed the small knife. She opened her mouth to speak but, at a loss for words, simply closed it and slipped out of the stables with Rumble, pausing only long enough to lock the door behind her. She did not speak again until she and her dragon were nestled in their respective beds and sleep began to overtake them. "Oh, Rumble. What is wrong with me?"
The Skrill merely snored in response and rolled onto his side.
The pale pink, predawn sky found the riders hustling about the arena. Their dragons stood stock still in single file as the teens filled their saddlebags with armfuls of Monstrous Nightmare gel bombs. Heather threw herself into the preparations the most, securing three loads before the twins had finished one. She grumbled to herself as she worked and almost knocked Snotlout to the ground as she bustled by.
Their preparations ground to a halt as Chicken sprinted into the arena as fast as her tiny drumsticks would carry her, squawking madly.
"What's wrong girl?" Tuffnut crouched down to listen to his pet's anguished clucks. "Oh? Really? Dagur has escaped?"
"WHAT?!" The cries of the other riders echoed in unison around the arena. Several bombs were dropped in haste as they all scrambled into the saddle.
"I told you this would happen!" Heather yelled to Hiccup as they flew in formation around the island.
"Shattermaster must have broken him out!" Hiccup called back to the others. "Let's go gang! We have to hit that shipyard before Dagur gives away our plan!"
The frantic flight towards the shipyard was mostly silent. Tengan chewed the bottom of her lip nervously, her fingers flexing as her nails dug into the saddle. 'He never would have gotten loose if I hadn't untied his hands.' She berated herself as they approached the fog bank surrounding the shipyard. 'But why would he do this? He seemed to really want the others to believe him. Dagur was never good at maintaining a lie for long. He always enjoyed bragging too much. This has got to be about something else.'
"There he is!" Astrid shouted to the group and pointed towards the disappearing shape of a Gronkle into the thickening mist.
Heather shot past the group and after Dagur, urging Windshear to overtake the Gronkle as the others struggled to keep up.
Tengan gasped as Shattermaster out maneuvered Winshear and approach the lead ship before launching a spew of lava onto the deck. "Look!" She cried out to the others. He's attacking them! He's on our side!"
Hiccup urged Toothless to cut across Windshear's path. Slowing to an almost hover, he forced her back into formation. "No matter what happens we stick with the plan! On my signal we attack!"
"Wait! Look!" Fishlegs cried out, pointing towards the ships.
The group watched in horror as scores of hunters emerged from hidden alcoves along the sea stacks. Waves of dragon root arrows and flaming boulders were hurled at poor Shattermaster, who desperately dove, rolled, and veered out of their way.
"What does he think he's doing!?" Snotlout shouted in disbelief.
"Proving he was right! That this is all a trap!" Hiccup answered, guilt dripping from every word.
The group could only watch as Shattermaster's lava blasts, combined with the flaming bits of ship, formed a dark cloud of smoke that covered the entire battlefield. Soon not even the silhouettes of the ships below could be seen.
"We have to help him!" Tengan screeched and started to urge Rumble forward, only to be stopped as Stormfly blocked their path.
"There's nothing you can do. Nothing any of us can do. He's gone." Astrid cried out to her friend, a somber frown etched on her face.
Hiccup nodded once. "Astrid is right. We need to head back to the Edge." He turned Toothless and led the group away, flinching every time a dull explosion reached their ears.
Tengan hovered before the battlefield alongside Heather for a few extra wing beats before the pair of girls turned and followed.
The group flew back in silence, only broken once their island came into view. "This was my fault." Hiccup choked out. "I should have listened to him."
Astrid guided Stormfly closer to Toothless. "He knew it was a trap but he still flew right into it." Her gaze was fixed on her saddle.
"We never saw him hit the water!" Snoutlout spoke up, an edge of hopefulness in his voice. "So maybe….?"
"Yeah." Ruffnut added with a glance towards her twin. "Maybe…."
Fishlegs tightened his grip on Meatlug's saddle. "I will never forget his noble sacrifice."
Heather scoffed, her gaze forcefully locked on the approaching island. "You think my brother sacrificed himself? Not with his ego. He thought he could make it." Her voice began to waver at the end.
Tengan felt herself smiling slightly towards Heather despite her heavy heart. "He would have liked hearing you call him that."
"What?' Heather asked, eyes still boring into the rapidly growing base.
"Your brother. In the little time we spoke it was clear he really wanted to do right by you for once." Tengan pointedly turned her gaze from Heather when she saw the girl reach up to rub her eyes.
As the crew arrived on the base they all silently split up and made their way to their huts, with Heather making a beeline for the stable. Tengan all but fell out of Rumble's saddle as he touched down outside her hut. Breathing heavily, she slumped against her dragon's side, fighting to keep her thoughts under control. She barely registered the concerned vocalizations from the Skrill and didn't respond until he had nosed her gently into her hut. She took a few steps into the opening before her knees gave out and she collapsed on the floor, bringing her arms up and around herself to ward off the dark thoughts. "It's not fair…." She whispered to the floor. "It's not fair. Not right after…. He was…" Her breath hitched and she slumped forward, intending to throw herself on the floor.
Rumble, anticipating her actions, slipped his head beneath her collapsing body and stopped her descent. Letting out a long keen, he shifted slowly until she laid against his side and curled his body around his weary rider.
"Poor Heather. She's got to be feeling worse than I am. She's all alone now." Her voice caught in her throat. "No. He could have survived. We never saw Shattermaster take a hit." She curled into her body tighter. "He's coming back, right Rumble?" Her question sounded like a desperate plea, even to her own ears.
Rumble vibrated his chest deeply and nudged his head against hers. His eyes stared intently into hers, the pupils soft and understanding. A soft breeze flowed into the hut from the open door behind the pair, ghosted across his scales, and sent a piece of loose parchment fluttering to the floor before them.
"What's that?" Tengan lifted her heavy head from Rumble's side and stared at the folded paper. "I don't remember leaving anything out." She stretched as far as she could without leaving the cocoon of her dragon's embrace and was barely able to grasp it with her fingertips. Sliding back into a more comfortable position, she unfolded the paper to find a few sloppy sentences written across the center of the page.
Tengan,
I'm sorry. I won't have enough time to earn that second kiss.
Rumble is lucky to have you as a rider.
Dagur