A/N: So sorry this one is a day late! Got wrapped up in Labor Day fun with my family. I hope everyone had a safe and happy weekend! For those of you who skipped lat week's chapter, Tengan went with the Rides to visit Berserker Isle for the Apprentice Graduation Ceremony. Dagur showed her his newly built house, complete with a dedicated library for her. In it are the final few journals Viggo and his men had stolen. After seeing this, she accepts his proposal and promised to return for their Union Ceremony once he completes his search for Oswald. This week goes over the events of "Dawn of Destruction" and the "Wings of War" two parter. Next week will pick up with "Searching for Oswand and Chicken"! As always, thanks for reading!
CHAP 23
"Must you do this in my hut?" Tengan sighed, lifting her head from her notes on Wingmaiden Island to glance over her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Ruffnut and Tuffnut laying side by side on her bed, their heads dangling off one end. "Don't you have boars to wrestle?" She suggested gently as she turned in her chair to face the morose Riders. Her eyes momentarily flicked to Rumble, who was busy glaring at the intruding heads and necks of Barf and Belch, who seemed determined to ruin the Skrill's afternoon nap.
"Did that already." Ruffnut responded flatly, her eyes half-lidded. Lazily, she scooped a crumpled piece of parchment up from the floor before tossing it into Barf's open mouth.
"Yeah, even the boars are getting tired of us." Tuffnut added as he idly picked at a patch of loose fur on the bedspread.
"Face it." Ruff huffed as she twisted into a sitting position. "Everything's been super boring since Hiccup and Astrid decided they'd rather gaze into each other's eyes than handle any of their responsibilities around here. Did you know I ended up cleaning the stables yesterday? It was Astrid's turn! But she was busy sparring with Hiccup."
"Ruff, I cleaned the stables yesterday." Tengan responded with a quirked eyebrow. Giving up on getting any more work done the rest of the day, Tengan set aside what felt like her hundredth attempt to write home about her recent betrothal. She had spent the last few days struggling to put her announcement into words. Ideally, she would prefer to fly home with Dagur in tow to properly introduce him, but considering all records of him on the Shimmering Shores were less than positive, she wanted to send word ahead first. Give her mother time to understand.
"Not the point!" Tuffnut interjected, pointing at Tengan. "Aren't you at all upset with how they've been treating us lately?"
"I'm more upset that you two seem to have decided I'm to be your entertainment for the rest of the evening." Tenagn teased lightly as she crossed her arms. "Honestly, it has been a little grating." She frowned as she recalled the couple ganging up on her as they argued over destroying her notes on Vanaheim and the Sentinel dragons. While she understood the need to keep the place hidden from unsavory characters, she still felt her cryptic shorthand was safeguarded enough.
Physically shaking her head to dispel the frustrating memories, she continued. "But they'll come around. It's exciting being with someone." She smiled gently, her fingers coming up to brush against the Skrill embossed in her choker. "I hope you all haven't said the same about me and Dagur." She added with light humor.
The twins waved her off in unison as they made matching dismissive huffs. "Your Beloved Berserker isn't around enough to be that annoying." Ruffnut teased.
"Besides," Tuff added with a grin. "Whenever he comes around something awesome and Berserk happens!" His face lit up as he scrambled into a somewhat more normal sitting position on the bed. "When is he coming back anyway?"
Tengan frowned, her brows knitting together. "Not for some time still, I think. He planned on going pretty far west to look for Oswald." Heat flooded her chest and cheeks as she thought back to the morning of his departure. Dagur and Heather had stopped by the Edge to spend a few hours with the Riders before splitting up. That was their cover story at least, for no one saw the hide or hair of Fishlegs, Heather, Tengan, or Dagur during the entirety of their visit. The poor scribe had had difficulty walking the next day, not to mention her struggles finding different ways to hide the marks on her neck over the following week.
Tuffnut broke through the silence once more with an unnecessarily long groan as he flopped face first down on the bed.
Tengan shared a brief, unamused look with Ruff before rising to her feet. "Well, clearly I'm not going to get anything done until the two of you are entertained. Go grab Chicken and meet me in the main hall. Before we left Berserker Isle, Kralins slipped me a recipe for the sweet cakes we had at the party. I've been meaning to try it out."
The late afternoon and early evening slowly transformed from a grumbling pity-party of disgruntled Riders into an almost mini celebration. Dinner consisted of mountains of sweetcakes and a few small barrels of mead Snotlout had apparently been hiding under his hut. As the starks twinkled above the base, the small group continued to roughhouse and sing, their disjointed voices punctuated by their dragons roars and growls. It was only when Fishlegs, his face tomato red from the mead, reminded them all that they still had to get up early for the census tomorrow morning, did the slightly stumbling teens climb into their saddles and let their dragons ferry them back to their huts.
An earth-shattering boom launched Tengan from her bed early the next morning. With a startled cry, she scrambled across the wooden floor and under Rumble's raised wings. Her back pressed against the growling Skrill's side, she stared at the ceiling of her hut, her eyes flicking back and forth along the trembling timber.
"Ruff! Tuff! If that's you, this is NOT funny!" She cried out, flinching back against her dragon as another explosion sent splintered pieces of wood raining down on her. Through the new gaps in her roof, she spotted several blurs racing past, the acrid smell of smoke drifted into the hut in their wake. Her eyes widening, Tengan scrambled to saddle Rumble as quickly as her trembling fingers would allow, double and triple checking the straps that secured her sword to the leather seat. "Somethings wrong, boy. Let's get up there and see what's going on."
Rumble's head drifted back and forth as he glared through the holes in the ceiling. Despite the serpentine motion of his neck, the rest of his body remained stock still as he permitted his Rider to saddle him. The moment she was settled safely on his back, he slammed his skull against the front door, nearly throwing it off the hinges in his rush to take to the skies.
Tengan's heart dropped as she stared, open mouthed at her home. Several of the buildings were on fire, the flames splintering logs and snapping ropes connecting pathways and bridges. Tearing her gaze from the destruction she caught sight of several Singetails circling above the Edge, periodically sending another burst of fire down to ignite another section. "Rumble! Look out!" She screamed, yanking hard on the left edge of her saddle. She shut her eyes for a brief moment as the Skrill snapped his wings tight against his body, rolling away from a charging Singetail.
"Tengan!" Snotlout hollered as he and Hookfang approached, Meatlug and Barf and Belch flanking him. "Fall back! Behind me, I have a plan!"
Her head reeling slightly from the acrobatics, Tengan only nodded, not trusting her stomach enough to speak at the moment. Urging Rumble to fall into place at the rear of their small diamond formation, she took a heavy, steadying breath. "Ok, Snotlout! Let's hear that plan."
"We are going to stand our ground! We need to be as unflinching as they are!" The Jorgenson called over his shoulder as he pressed slowly forward towards the throng of raging dragons.
"Are you sure about this?" Fishlegs asked meekly, his wide, fearful eyes reflecting the flames currently consuming the stables.
"Not really." Snotlout admitted, his face set.
"What are you talking about?" Tuffnut cheered. "THIS is epic! Exactly what I've needed!" He threw his arms in the air, drinking in the chaos all around him.
"We got this, guys!" Ruffnut added. "And, if we don't, it was nice knowing you all!" Her voice faded as the Zippleback began to dive.
"Except for you, Snotlout!" Tufnut added, turning briefly to stick his tongue out at the Monstrous Nightmare and Rider.
Tengan bit her lip as she watched the twins approach. Luckily, none of the fires had spread to their huts yet. 'But if they do, I'll lose everything… and even Dagur's unbridled determination can bring my journals back from ash.' She thought darkly, her heart pounding. With a furious cry, she and Rumble followed Meatlug and Hookfang as they dove after Barf and Belch.
As the sun slowly inched higher in the sky, the new day found the five Riders diving, swerving, twisting, and falling in spectacular displays as they continuously tried, and failed to drive off the attacking dragons. Every time one of them would get close to landing a hit, another Singetail would abruptly about-face and chase the attacker off, even if they had been preoccupied with their own target seconds ago. As the sun crested over the cliffs, a Singetail banked in front of the glowing orb, an oddly familiar shape silhouetted on its back.
"Uh, I think I just saw someone riding one of those Singetails." Fishlegs called out to the others as they regrouped for the third time."
"No you didn't Fishface." Snotlout responded, his face grim. "You saw someone riding ALL of those Singetails."
Tengan spun in the saddle to catch a closer look. Now in proper daylight, it was easy to make out the Vikings crouched over the shoulders of each of the dragons. A chain connected to their charge's mouth was clutched in one hand while the other made good use of what appeared to be a barbed riding crop. Tiny droplets of blood flew off the cruel tool each time it was brought down on the poor dragon's neck and shoulder. "That explains why they'd change targets so quickly!" Tengan cried out to the others. "We need to split up! Try to get those monsters off their dragons once you have them alone!"
"Way ahead of you!" Snotlout hollered as Hookfang flamed up, roaring his challenge at their pursuers.
Tengan silently wished her friends luck as she angled Rumble towards the volcano at the center of the island, glaring at the two Singetails who broke off to follow. "Alright boy, let's show them the true meaning of agility." Laying as flat as she could in the saddle, she pressed Rumble to dive and bank sharply around several rock outcroppings along the sheer side of the volcano. Glancing back over her shoulder, she smiled as the Singetails fell behind and, momentarily, out of sight. Landing quickly, the pair silently sheltered under the canopy of a cluster of trees until their pursuers sped past overhead.
Taking to the skies once more, she grimaced. "I'm sorry about this, you two." She whispered to herself. "It may sting a little." Tapping her heels into Rumble's sides twice, she flinched in sympathy as her Skrill landed a well placed lightning strike on the Viking's helmets and, through them and thankfully to a lesser extent, their dragons. Her flinch turned into a grin as the stunned men tumbled out off their perches and towards the forest floor while the Singetails threw off their harsh chains and took off towards the open sea, only slightly wobbly from the hit. "Great shot, Rumble!"
Hours passed in a blur of Singetail fire, close calls, and well aimed lightning strikes. "Let's meet up with the others and see how they're doing." Tengan suggested breathlessly after she and Rumble took a moment to rest hidden in a tightly knit clump of trees. She gave her partner an appreciative pat on his neck as her mind drifted back to the books in her hut. 'I hope we've done enough to drive them off.' Climbing back into the saddle, she angled the Skrill towards the direction she last heard a faint 'Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!'.
"There you are!" Snotlout hailed as the Skrill approached. "Fishlegs was knocked off Meatlug. We need everyone to help find him." He gestured to the panicky Gronckle hovering anxiously around the other dragons.
"Well," Tuffnut added as he glanced off into the distance. "I'm not sure that's going to happen right now but it's a good thought!" He pointed towards the rising sun where no less than a dozen more captive Singetails were charging towards them.
"Dragon dung." Tengan cursed as she watched the new wave of enemy approach, a grim snarl on her face. "How many do you think we can take?"
Whatever half-hearted answer she expected to hear from Snotlout died in his throat as Toothless and Stormfly dove down on the approaching Singetails. With the element of surprise and a few fell-placed blasts, the pair were able to momentarily scatter the attacking formation.
"I'm sorry gang!" Hiccup cried out as he and Astrid approached. "We should have been here." He glanced up as the regrouping Singetails, his eyes widening in shock. "Wait.. are those… Fliers?! What? How!?"
"Uh, Hiccup?" Astrid added urgently. "Maybe we can have this discussion later? Focus on air tactics and defense now?"
"Couldn't agree more!" Tengan and Ruffnut replied in unison, the former's face set with fury and the latter's an unbridled expression of manic glee.
Charging back at the flock of Singetails, Tengan gripped the saddle tightly, her eyes locked on three Fliers in particular who were flying slightly below and behind the pack. "Think you can repeat that stunt from before?" She murmured into her dragon's ear as she tapped her eels against his side. The resulting lightning strike hit its mark once again, sending three more Fliers tumbling into the dark waters below. As the pair hurried back towards the island, her eyes widened in horror. The fires had continued to spread, aided by a handful of Fliers still actively attacking the base. "NO!" She cried out, her voice breaking.
Rumble, driven by his partner's anguished cries, pressed forwards towards their home only to be blocked and herded away by harrying Singetails. While a few more Fliers were sent tumbling from his blasts, the dragon eventually ran dry and had to rely on acrobatic twists and rolls to avoid injury.
"Fall back! FALL BACK!" Hiccup's command echoed over the Riders as he and Toothless winged their way over to Tengan. "There's too many of them! We can't retake the Edge right now!"
As the group landed on a sea stack several miles offshore, Tengan slipped out of the saddle and began to anxiously pace along the edge. Several times she glanced up at poor Meatulg who maintained an unwavering vigil as she stared at the hostile island where her Rider was stranded. "We need to get back, and quickly!" Tengan announced to no one in particular as she continued to pace, her haphazard path bringing her dangerously close to the edge whenever she glanced in the direction of their island.
"Woah, take it easy." Hiccup soothed the anxious Rider and partnerless Gronckle. "We'll find Fishlegs and save our island." He promised.
"And how are you going to do that, Hiccup?" Snotlout asked dismissively as he stormed over to the one-legged Viking. "Those Fliers are all over the place and they're trained. But you wouldn't have known that. You and Astrid have been consistently blowing us all off. And now we could lose our island because you two had to fly off on another Hiccstrid power couple adventure."
"We're back now." Astrid added somewhat lamely. "We shouldn't have left, I see that now but we're back and we'll make it right."
"...Not all of us." Hiccup corrected, guilt dripping from every word as he glanced at Meatlug. Pulling his spyglass from Toothless' saddle bag, he pressed the tool to his eye. "It looks like they're still searching. Which means they haven't captured Fishlegs yet… and I think I know where he might be hiding." Stowing the spyglass, he climbed back into the saddle. "Let's go. If we get separated, meet up at Caldera Cay, and fill Mala in on the situation, got it?"
Tengan, pausing in her pacing, hurried over to Hiccup before Toothless could take off. Her hands gliding under the Night Fury's chin, she stared at the black scales."Hiccup. I need your help. You and Toothless have the best chance of breaking through their ranks with night approaching…." Her voice began to break as tears stung the corners of her eyes. "If it seems like we'll fail… My journals they…. they can't fall into the wrong hands again….. Will you do this for me?" She forced herself to look up at the Viking before her, surprised at the level of understanding she found.
"I will." Hiccup promised with a small, sad smile. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that, ok?"
With a stiff nod of agreement, Tengan stepped back, allowing Toothless to take off. Settling back into Rumble's saddle, she struggled to force down all stray anxious thoughts. "We've defended our home numerous times. Today, we do it again." She murmured to herself as she scratched Rumble's shoulder. "I'm grateful to have you as my partner in battle." She smiled softly as the Skrill seemed to hum in agreement.
Approaching the island, the Riders split once again as a wave of Singetails rose to meet them. Using the blinding light of the setting sun as cover, Tengan and Rumble managed to lure a pair of Fliers away form the main group where Barf and Belch, descending from the cover of a thick cloud of smoke, were able to pluck the Fliers deftly from their perches and toss them towards the hard ground below.
"Perfect!" Tengan praised the twins as they watched the newly freed Singetails flee from the chaos. As evening turned to dusk and the moon began to rise, Tenagn motioned for the twins to follow her further inland and under the shadow cover of the volcano. "Our dragons are getting too tired to keep going." She called out as Rumble drew heavy breaths beneath her. "Let's hope Hiccup was right about where Fishlegs was hiding. We can't keep this up forever."
As the Skrill and Zippleback silently glided around the volcano's base, the Riders sighed with relief as Stormfly, Hookfang, Toothless, and Meatlug approached with their partners in tow.
"Thank Thor!" Tuffnut roared over to the others. "Things have been getting pretty crazy out here. I mean, I'm all for a little chaos now and again, who isn't right? It's just-"
"Lookout!" Astrid cried out in warning, her eyes widening as several Singetails, led by a ruby-scaled titan wing surrounded the Riders.
Tengan glanced desperately between the Riders and the Fliers. All of the Singetails looked fresh and vibrated with energy while each of the Rider's dragons seemed to almost struggle with the effort to maintain airborne. It was not lost on her that they had spent an entire day defending the island with the same, unrested group of six dragons while the Fliers had the luxury of attacking in alternating waves as their Singetails tired.
"What are we going to do?" Snotlout asked in a slightly shaky voice as he twisted in the saddle to keep an eye on the Fliers closing in from behind.
"Hiccup…" Fishlegs cried out in desperation, his body trembling as he caught sight of the red titan wing.
"We gotta get out of here." Ruffnut asserted, her own voice unusually grave.
Tengan locked eyes with Hiccup, the fire in her own steadily going out as the gravity of their situation fell over her. "You know what needs to be done…. Please." Her voice broke as a single tear fell onto the Skrill's saddle.
Hiccup glanced at all his friends in turn, his expression one of frustrated anguish. "Retreat! You know where to go!" He roared to the Riders and he and Toothless broke off from the main group.
"Where is he going!?" Astrid cried out as she and Stormfly took the lead as the fleeing Riders dodged a new wave of Singetail fireballs.
"He's going to make sure nothing I wrote can never be used to harm another dragon ever again." Tengan replied in an empty, emotionless voice. Trusting the others to warn her if a rogue Singetail pursued, she refused to look back, unable to watch as Hiccup carried out her request. A small, sad smile tugged at her lips as Rumble cooed soothingly to her though his labored breathing. "We'll be alright, boy. You and I are safe, that's more important." She whispered as she placed her palm on the dragon's shoulder.
Snotlout twisted in the saddle once more to look back at the island as two muffled explosions collapsed Tengan and Hiccup's huts. "Well it's a good thing I doubled back then." He commented, patting the bulging saddlebags hanging over Hookfang's right leg.
"You mean we!" Fishlegs corrected with a glare.
"What do you mean?" Tengan asked sharply, her eyes boring into the bag. "You're not telling me you went back for them?"
Snotlout frowned. "No, not really. There wasn't time to get everything. Besides, do you know how much you write? Hookfang and Meatlug combined would never be able to take off carrying your whole library. We were able to get that bag of weird parts from Hiccup's hut and just a bag of papers and a few of your books from yours…. I'm sorry." He added quietly.
Tengan felt her gaze soften and the knot in her chest loosen a bit as she stared at Snotlout. "...Thank you." She managed to choke out.
"I'm so sorry about this gang." Hiccup apologized yet again as he and Toothless finally caught up. Gliding closer to Rumble, he sighed heavily. "I did as you asked. They won't be able to get anything from your hut…." After a moment of waiting for her to respond, he continued. "You made the right choice, if that helps at all. I did the same with mine. There were things in there I couldn't let the Fliers get their hands on."
"We haven't lost everything." Tengan finally answered, her tone strong despite the wavering in her voice. "Snotlout managed to save a few things. Said he was able to rescue a bag of odd parts."
"Well." Snotlout interjected, is arms crossed defensively. "I figured it had to be worth it since you and Astrid have been blowing us off to work on it so often."
Hiccup winced and let his head hang in shame. "You're not going to let me off the hook with a simple apology are you?"
Snotlout glanced back at the rapidly receding island behind them. Even at this distance, the flames were still plainly visible. "Not by a longshot."
Hiccup sighed and nodded. "I thought as much. Well, if it helps, what you saved were pieces to build another Dragon Eye."
Fishlegs perked up immediately. "Really!? Oh my Thor!" He squealed as he wriggled in the saddle.
Astrid glared at her betrothed, clearly unamused at the revelation. "That's what we've been hunting pieces down for?" She shook her head. "Never mind. Let's focus on getting to Caldera Cay in one piece. There's still a ways to go and the dragons are already tired."
Most of the night was spent flying in silence. As the Riders touched down in the middle of the Defender's town, they were surprised with the immediate level of hospitality Mala showed them. Despite clearly having been woken up abruptly to greet them, the queen graciously offered the exhausted Riders and Dragons a series of small cabins at the edge of the settlement for the foreseeable future. Within an hour the beaten down group had selected their temporary lodging and fallen into bed.
Tengan, despite her emotional and physical fatigue, could not find sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, images of the Edge burning flashed in her mind. Finally, and through tear clouded eyes, she slipped out of the unfamiliar bed and padded softly outside to where Rumble was sleeping peacefully curled up in front of her door. It took only a couple gentle prods to awaken the Skrill enough to encourage him to lift a wing and allow her to crawl under its protective embrace. Snuggled up against the dragon's warm side, sleep finally came for the broken scribe.
The following morning's Sun brought no warmth to the displaced Riders. Tengan, still not having the strength to leave Rumble's side and see which few volumes had survived, simply sat silently, observing the group. Snotlout and Fishlegs sat shoulder to shoulder, their glassy eyes staring unfocused at the dirt beneath them. The twins laid on their backs, oddly silent as Barf and Belch laid listless beside them. Only Astrid and Hiccup were standing, although they looked rather at a loss for what to do next.
Astrid, forcing an optimistic smile into place, cleared her throat before speaking up. "Let's talk about our next move. I say we get the Edge back."
"CAN we get the Edge back?" Snotlout shot back, his empty stare struggling to focus on Astrid.
"He has a point." Fishlegs added. "I mean, how many of those Dragon Fliers are even out there?" he gestured haphazardly into the distance.
"You will all have the time to plan out the next course of action." Mala interjected as she and Throk approached the group, an almost motherly smile on her face. "But right now you are all mentally and physically exhausted. You all need to rest. Regroup. You are welcome here among us as long as you need."
"Thank you Mala." Hiccup answered for the group, his voice low and dejected. "You have no idea how much this means to us."
Mala glanced past Hiccup to observe the dejected group before sharing a knowing smile with Throk. "Fishlegs" She called gently. "There is an ore mine in the center of the island. Perhaps Meatlug would like to sample some of the stone we have there?"
As his queen spoke, Throk sidled past to approach the twins. "You know, I've been meaning to scout out a few locations to build a temporary boar pit. Or perhaps a lava pit. Would you two have any ideas?"
Despite the heavy emptiness in her chest, Tengan found herself smiling slightly as each of the Riders were invited to partake in a hobby or passion somewhere on the island. Snotlout was already marching off to the combat fields to instruct a group of young warriors in training. Her smile faded as Mala turned to face her.
"Tengan, your stays with us have always been too brief to allow any suitable time for study. Perhaps today would be a good day to spend in our library?" The Queen's eyes were gentle and sympathetic.
Tengan dropped her gaze to glance at the door of her temporary lodgings, her mind with the unopened saddle bag of her last surviving pieces of her work. "Thank you Mala, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline for now. Today I need to sort through the little Snotlout managed to rescue from the fire; inventory what books and letters….." She gasped and jumped to her feet, knocking Rumble's wing off her in the process. "Letters! Oh no." Her wide, fearful gaze met the concerned stares of Mala, Astrid, and Hiccup. "Dagur and Heather! They mentioned coming back to the Edge once they found Oswald. They don't know it's not safe. I have to get a letter to Berserker Island!"
Mala apprached with a few long strides and placed her hands on the younger woman's shoulders. "Breathe. It will be alright. Take your dragon to our library. There you will find ink and paper. Pen your note and we will send our fastest ship to deliver it. Your friends will be warned, I promise."
Tengan took several, steadying breaths, only truly feeling some tension leave her as Rumble gently nudged her shoulder blade. "Y-You're right. Thank you, Mala. We'll be off right away." With a nod to Hiccup and Astrid, she scrambled onto Rumble bareback and took to the sky, angling towards the center of town.
Several minutes later she sat, re-reading her hastily scrawled note. Her eyes scanned the lines a few times over, trying to make sure the warning was serious but would not cause any unnecessary panic.
Dagur and Heather,
If this note reaches you that means the Edge is still not safe. A group of men flying on chained Singetails chased us out a day ago. Much of what was on the island is lost but we are all safe. I dare not say where in case the Fliers intercept this note. DO NOT GO TO THE EDGE. DO NOT COME LOOKING FOR US. I will send word with updates when I can. You're both missed dearly. I hope your mission has had better luck than ours.
Tenagn
Tengan sighed, folding up the note. "I just hope they don't make it back before it gets there." Rolling up the scroll, she quickly stamped the note with a plain seal of wax and one of Rumble's smaller scales. Slipping out of the library, she and Rumble winged their way down to the dock where, thankfully, the promised ship was already waiting for her message. With a deep bow of gratitude, she handed off the note before standing quietly for some time, watching until the sloop disappeared over the horizon.
A familiar roar overhead sent chills running through her spine. Her head snapping up, she squinted at the partially overcast sky and struggled to bite back a scream as two Singetails dipped below the cloud cover. "No…. no no no." She moaned miserably as she jumped back onto Rumble. "Hurry boy! We need to get back!" Glancing nervously over her shoulder, she fought the trembling in her limbs as the world sped past her.
Thankfully, blessedly, her temporary home was still standing. Bursting inside, she threw Rumbe's saddle, the unopened saddlebag of her last few journals, and her sheathed sword outside, her frantic motions fueled by adrenaline. Father than she could ever remember having done it before, she saddled the Skrill, secured her bag and weapon, and was in the air. Heading towards the other Riders, she struggled to block out the panicked screams of the island's residents as small explosions arose beneath them. "Hiccup!" She cried out. "What are we going to do?"
Hiccup snarled down at the destruction beneath them. "We need to lead them away from the island! They came looking for us, they'll follow us!"
Tengan stared down at the destruction beneath her, her heart aching as the wild chorus of cries and shouts reached the Riders. Tearing her gaze away, she urged Rumble to follow the others as they fled, the heat of the flames fading with every wing beat.
The group flew through the day and into the night, their only solace was the enraged screeches of the Singetails that confirmed the Fliers had taken the bait. Their progress was slow going as many times they had to take shelter in thick clouds or behind cliffs to keep from being overtaken by their better rested pursuers. They finally seemed to lose the Singetails in the ever present fog near Breakneck Bog before the group decided upon fleeing to Berk.
Thankfully, Stoick immediately stepped in upon hearing the Rider's tragic tale. As the young adults and their dragons finally caught up on some well needed rest, he sent the A-Team out on around the clock patrols and instructed Gobber to ensure every able bodied Viking had a suitable weapon.
The following morning, Tengan found herself sitting quietly in her old hut, the only sound to reach her was Rubmle's steady breathing as he slept soundly in his old stall. Her eyes bore steadily into the still full saddle bag. "It's now or never." She murmured to herself as she reached for the clasp. Closing her eyes, she deftly undid the ties and overturned the bag onto her bed, acutely aware of the sounds of numerous loose sheets of paper fluttering out. With trembling breath she slowly peeked as the small collection sprawled before her.
Only five of her journals remained. Of those, three were personal thoughts while two were more academic volumes. One detailed the culture and holidays of the Berkians while the other was a collection of addendums she had planned on adding to her copy of the Book of Dragons; it's pages detailing some of the new species they had discovered since taking up residence on the Edge. The rest of her now meager collection consisted of loose papers. Shifting through them carefully, she found almost all of the love letters Dagur had sent her had been saved along with a few from her parents. The others were silly little notes; a compilation of ridiculous medical suggestions the twins had requested of her, a list of improvements for the base she and Astrid had worked on their second month on the new island, and so on. All these notes were more or less worthless if you wanted to learn anything new about building a fortress or tending dragons, but she treasured them just as much as her now burnt to ash copy of the Book of Dragons.
"Alright… alright. This… this I can manage." She whispered through the large lump in her throat as her fingers made the now familiar motion of lightly tracing the Skrill on her betrothal necklace. The medical journals and island maps she could rewrite, no matter the weeks and months it would take. She wasn't sure how, but she was eternally grateful Snotlout managed to grab the few things she'd never have been able to replace: the memories stored in the correspondence between friends. "If we live through this battle, remind me to thank him." She murmured to the dragon snoozing on the other side of the wall.
The following days were a whirlwind of preparations. While Hiccup and Toothless were often missing, apparently out to find a non-violent solution, the other Riders were continuously training. More often than not they paired up and practiced aerial combat maneuvers. Despite their safety measures, Tengan had flown a mildly injured Rider to Gothi on more than one occasion when her field dressing measures seemed lacking. The only bit of rest the pair found was when word of a nearby lightning storm reached the island and they flew off to restore Rumble's supply. The others were granted no such respite, a fact the twins vocalized vehemently.
On the eve of the second day of preparations, the entire mounted force of Riders, sans Hiccup and Toothless who were still missing from a recon flight started the day before, as well as Spitelout who apparently hadn't been seen in weeks, flew in formation over a fleet of Berk's ships as the ranks made their way back towards the Edge. The hours droned by in nervous anticipation as the army progressed in near silence under the inky black sky.
Tengan gripped Rubmle's saddle tightly, hoping her message had found its way to Berserker Isle. "We never had time to send one to Mother." She whispered to her Skrill, her chest tightening at the thought. If every person fell to the Singetail Fliers, would any of the remaining members of Berk think to send note of her demise to the Shimmering Shores? And how would Dagur take it? He would come home, hopefully with his father in tow, only to learn that she- her thoughts dissipated as her dragon growled sternly beneath her. "You're right, boy. It's no use dwelling on what might be."
"Here we go!" Astrid broke the silence as the Edge finally broke into view on the horizon. "Good luck everyone!" She added as a cloud of Singetails rose and began to approach the fleet.
Tengan crouched low in the saddle as she drowned out all other sound but the rush of air leaving her lungs and the steady beat of her dragon's wings. As tense as she was, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Stoick gave the order to charge. With her best Berserker war cry, she urged her dragon into the fray.
The pair looped, twisted, and dove several times to avoid incoming fire, refraining from firing back at first. While the storm had been generous with the lightning it provided the Skrill, his energy stores were not infinite, and every shot had to count. The first blast, loosed as three Fliers tried to pen them in, struck true on the helmets of two of the men, sending them tumbling into the black water below. The others quickly caught on and made sure to keep their distance, resulting in the next two blasts missing entirely.
"I'm not sure how long we can keep this up!" Tengan called out to Astrid as they regrouped to rest the pair of dragons. "We can't stay on the defensive forever."
"I hate to say it." Astrid replied as she surveyed the battle before them. "But it might be time to decide between us and the Singetails."
"But they didn't do anything wrong!" Fishlegs protested as he and Meatlug flew past. "They're being forced to do this!"
Astrid's retort died in her throat as another wave of Singetails arose from the island. "There's more?!" She cried out in disbelief, seeming to ask the world at large more than any particular individual.
Tenagn groaned, glancing between the battered decks of the ships below them and the rapidly advancing line of Fliers. "This is going to be a long night." She leaned forward in the saddle once more, eyes narrowed in frustration at the cruel men driving the Singetails towards them at a break-neck pace.
The line of advancing Riders halted in midair as a familiar black shape, followed closely by Spitelout on his Nadder, whizzed past them.
"Look!" Ruffnut called. "Here comes Hiccup!"
Tuffnut frowned as Toothless failed to slow as he reached the end of their formation. "And there goes Hiccup." He added, a note of confusion coloring his voice. "He's become very unpredictable lately. It's unsettling."
"Was that my dad with him?!" Snotlout hollered in disbelief. "I've been looking for him everywhere!"
"They've clearly got some plan in mind." Astrid asserted, raising her voice so it carried to the entire Berk force. "Let's keep these guys busy as long as we can. Give them some time!"
A new burst of energy invigorated the Riders and their dragons as they pressed forward into the fray. Tengan had been momentarily distracted by the sheer tenacity Gothi displaced as she and her Gronckle quite literally flew into one of the Fliers, sending the man nearly a Timberjack's wingspan off to the side before he plummeted down towards the sea.
"We can' let them have all the fun, right boy?" Tengan joked as Rumble approached a lone Flier. Grinning darkly, she leaned back, coaxing her dragon to hover in midair, his wide wingspan seeming to almost double his bulk. She plugged her ears just in time as the Skrill let out a terrifyingly booming roar as he challenged the Singetail. Her grin widened as the opposing dragon balked and reared back, giving Fishlegs the opportunity to snatch his barbed crop and dispatch the opponent with a few harsh strikes across the face from the weapon. "A bit much, don't you think?" She teased the Gronckle rider gently.
"They deserve worse than that for mistreating dragons!" Fishlegs snarled as the shrinking form of the falling Flier as he threw the offending crop after him. "Any idea what Hiccup is working on?"
His question was answered as a faint glow began to shine from a nearby sea stack. "Of course! A distress signal!" FIshlegs gasped as the nearby SIngetails abruptly turned and began following the glow. "All the Singetails in the area will flock to help!"
Stoick approached the momentarily stunned group hovering in the air. "This is our chance! To the Edge!" He roared the command as he led the now opponentless group towards the island.
"Wait! What's- There!" Astrid called out, urging Stormfly to a halt as they approached the base. "Krgoan is trying to get away on that red Singetail! And…. it looks like he has someone with him!" She pointed at the landing platform before the stables.
"Well let's get down there and meet his new sidekick!" Stoick answered with a feral growl as he and Skullcrusher pressed forward once more.
Tenagn urged Rumble to follow along with the pack, her eyes peeled for any kind of trap or stray Flier who might have resided the distress signal. If they had kept the red one safely hidden, more could be close behind.
"You lot head back and secure the base!" Stoick called as they chased the Singetail out towards the sea stacks. "Astrid and I will handle Krogan. He may be a better flier than his men, but he is not better than any of us!" WIthout waiting for confirmation, he had Skullcrusher put on a burst of speed, leaving all but Stormfly behind in his wake.
Tengan, though reluctant, obeyed. "We better do as he says." She called out to the others as she circled back. "I couldn't bear it if we chased them off only to have those damned Fliers take over again while our backs were turned." She smiled softly to her friends. "Looks like we might win today after all."
The group quickly flew from hut to hut in their tight formation, aware that traps could have been laid for them during their absence. Thankfully, they found no obstacles, only a mountain of work that would have to be done to restore their island. The stables had been altered the most during their short absence. The stalls had numerous chains connected to iron cuffs protruding from each wall, the storeroom had been filled with crates of those awful barbed crops and metal harnesses, and the poor Terrors they kept for air mail trembled in horrifically small cages stacked several high in the loft.
Of their personal huts, it seemed only Hiccup's and Tengan's had continued to burn after they left the island. The young scribe had refused to set foot in the ruins of her old home and instead accepted the blackened husk of an unidentifiable journal from Fishlegs with a pained nod of thanks. The other rooms, while tossed and stripped of any food or fur, seemed largely untouched.
The sun had barely begun to break across the horizon when Stoick and Astrid rejoined the other Riders as they began to clean the main hall. One look at the chief's frustrated expression told them all at once what had happened.
"Is Hiccup back yet?" The blond asked in a quiet, unsure voice. "I saw something out there, just before Krogan got away…."
Hiccup landed seconds later, a tired, yet satisfied look on his face. "Someone call me?" He asked hesitantly as he glanced sheepshly around at the other riders.
Astrid's face momentarily melted with relief as she pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank Thor you're alright."
"Hiccup!" Fishlegs cheered. "The signal fire! That was unbelievable!"
"That's not the only unbelievable thing that happened tonight." Astrid added as she pulled out of the embrace. "Hiccup, there was someone else on the Singetail with Krogan….. I saw Viggo. And he had the Dragon Eye."
The following days passed in a numb blur. The warriors who had sailed under the Riders opted to stay and help rebuild the best they could with their available supplies and tools. Despite the shock of leaning Viggo and the Dragon Eye most likely survived falling into the island's volcano, many of the Riders often found themselves smiling or laughing in the bright sunlight with the villagers as the relief of their recent victory washed over them. As evening fell, the anxiety often returned and the group spent many hours sitting around the hearth in the main hall discussing what that could mean for the months to come.
Tengan, who had taken up temporary residence in the hall while her hut was still being rebuilt, sat slightly apart from the group. It was the third evening after the reconstruction started and they had gone over what Astrid had seen for what felt like the thousandth time. Before her, two Terrors playfully wrestled as they waited for her to finish her letters. Leaning back, she quickly scanned over the one she had slotted to go to Berserker Island:
Dagur and Heather,
I hope this note finds you before my first one is able to. If not, I apologize for any stress I may have caused you both. For now, the threat I spoke of is taken care of and the Edge is under control of the Riders once more. Although, we have reason to believe the Fliers will return once more. I promise we'll fill you both in the next time we see each other. Hopefully, that time will be sooner rather than later.
Tenagn
With a satisfied nod, she carefully extracted the light blue Terror from the tussle and tied the note securely to it's hind leg. After offering it a strip of dried salmon she released the small dragon out the nearest window before settling on the floor to reread her second note. With a small smile down at the remaining Terror, who seemed to be determined to wait for it's letter curled in her lap, she lifted the second piece of parchment.
Mother,
Tragedy and Comedy have found me once more. Much of my work that was recovered has been destroyed. A new threat looms and threatens the creatures we have come to care for and depend on. My only solace is that in the burning of my work, our enemies cannot turn my discoveries against us. That, and, through the strife of battle, I have found someone to spend my life with. I am unsure when we will be able to make the journey, but I am looking forward to bringing him to our shores to meet you.
Little Scribe
With gentle fingers, she repeated the process with the yellow-green Terror and spent several minutes watching the tiny flying creatures rapidly fly off in almost opposing directions. With a heavy sigh and a quick stretch she padded over to the group and sat on the pile of furs she had claimed as her temporary bed.
"Ok, let's try to look at this as a yak bladder half full kind of situation." Hiccup sighed as the conversation ran dry once again. "So Viggo is alive and he has the Dragon Eye. Both of those things are bad. But, stay with me!" He added desperately, reaching behind him to drag a small satchel forward into the firelight. "He thinks he has the only one." With a small flourish, he withdrew what was unmistakably a Dragon Eye with a few minor changes. The main piece that held the lenses had been shaped to resemble the gaping maw of a Night Fury and the body was slightly longer and sleeker than the original had been. "It's almost done. When I'm finished, ours is going to be able to do things the original Dragon Eye couldn't dream of doing."
Tengan's eyes sparkled and her fingers twitched, eager to draw a rough sketch of the new tool before them. Discreetly, she glanced at each of her friends in turn and found them all wearing the same cautiously hopeful expression. She even felt it's tiny light flicker to life in her chest once more as she slid over a blank piece of paper to begin her new sketch.