CHAPTER 25
"I still say you should head back and get some sleep!" Dagur called out as he and Sleuther leveled out alongside Rumble. His concerned frown deepened as he caught sight of the dark shadows framing Tengan's eyes.
"No way!" She roared back, shaking her head partially to emphasize her refusal and partly to throw off the haze of fatigue. "Heather is as good as my sister now too. No way I'm just going to wait around worried half to death if you're all ok. I wouldn't be able to sleep until you all made it back anyway."
"Let it go, Dagur." Hiccup advised with a warning tone. "I've had this argument with her more times than I can count. Haven't won one yet."
"We might need all the help we can get!" Fishlegs piped up. "Johann and Heather are walking right into a trap!"
Dagur groaned, the sound laced with frustration, as he held Tengan's unwavering glare. "The second I think you're too tired to keep up, I'm sending you back. You hear me?"
Tengan nodded once, an exhausted, feral grin stretching across her features. "Whatever you say, my love. Now let's not waste any more time! We have no idea how much of a head start they had on us!" As the dragons maintained their headstrong pace, she had to admit she was impressed with Meatlug. While they had to refrain from flying at their top speed to accommodate the Gronckle, she was doing her absolute best to keep pace with the others.
Thanks to their efforts, the far cliffs of island housing the market began to creep into view just as the sun began to descend towards the waves. The small formation of Riders shook the aches out of their limbs and toyed with the bindings holding their weapons to ensure nothing would get caught if they were needed. Landing just outside the outermost stalls, the group hurried into the still bustling market, their winded dragons crawling along behind them.
"Alright gang." Hiccup murmured. "It's too dangerous to leave the dragons behind but we don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves. So let's try to keep a relatively low profile, ok?"
At the first stall, Dagur broke off from the group and charged the unsuspecting merchant. Lifting the poor man off the ground with one arm, he snarled his demands. "A girl with dark hair and a silver dragon, have you seen her?!" His scowl deepened as the stammering merchant failed to string together a coherent answer. "Are you listening to me?! Am I speaking some sort of foreign tongue?! Tell me where my sister is or your head will end up on the end of a long pole attached TO MY SHIP!"
"I guess he missed the part about being discrete." Hiccup grumbled with a tired, defeated shrug of his shoulders.
"I mean, that is pretty discrete, for Dagur." Fishlegs countered, his eyes beginning to droop.
"I got this one." Tengan bit the side of her tongue to hide a yawn. 'All nighters are much more difficult when you're sleeping for two.' The groggy thought drifted through her mind as she all but dragged her feet towards her rampaging Berserker. "His hair doesn't match the stain of the lead ship. The colors would clash." She murmured quietly as she pressed down on Dagur's arm, encouraging him to lower the stuttering man to the floor.
"Fair point." Dagur conceded as he lowered his captive to the floor while maintaining a grip on the front of his tunic. "But he won't talk! What do you think we should do to him, baby? We could throw him to the Screaming Eels! No… it would take too long to fly there..."
"Call me old fashioned!" Hiccup interrupted, his eyes wide. "But maybe this isn't the best way to get him to do what we want."
"You're right!" Dagur perked up as he effortlessly tossed the now blubbering merchant over Tengan's head and out of his own stall. "I'm being too soft. I should REALLY work them over!" With clenched fists and a horrifyingly furious glare, he stormed back out into the market.
"What was that?" Hiccup turned on Tengan, mildly frustrated. "I thought you were going to handle him?"
She shrugged mildly, her heavy eyes narrowing. "I was going to but he has a point. Heather and Johann are in danger, and half of these shifty merchants would sell them for a few pieces of silver. We rarely come this way to trade anymore so it's not like we'll be burning any bridges." She began to follow Dagur as he hunted down his next interrogation victim. "Besides, word travels fast whenever we're here. The sooner we know where to go, the faster we can get out of this viper's nest."
"She does make several good points." Fishlegs chimed in, always the peacemaker, as he glanced over his shoulder. Several shoppers and traders were already whispering and pointing at the four dragons resting in the market-square.
"You're no help." Hiccup groaned as he trotted after Dagur. "No!" He scolded as the Berserker dunked his new captive headfirst into a bucket of grain. "We're not going to work anyone over!"
"Alright, alright! I'll tell you everything I know!" The muffled voice of the merchant rose from the barrel as his arms flailed helplessly.
"Now we're getting somewhere!" Dagur grinned as he yanked the man back out of the barrel by the scruff of his shirt. "Well? Let's hear it!"
"There was a fight." The man began as he glanced down at his legs dangling uselessly above the ground. "A short, stocky, loud-mouthed viking was with a beautiful raven-haired woman! They were accompanied by the merchant they call Johann."
A surge of adrenaline washed away her fatigue as Tengan straightened. "So she was here!" She quickly approached the suspended merchant. "Where did they go? What was that about a fight?"
"ANSWER HER!" Dagur roared as he shook the man like a dog would a small animal clamped in its jaws.
"It ended in a stalemate!" The shopkeep cried out. "At least, as far as I could tell. Then the three Dragon Riders fled north, followed by a large group of Dragon Fliers!" His voice dropped as he gazed longingly at the ground. "Oh, I'd hate to be those Riders if the Fliers find them. They'll end up like… well... you know." He finished darkly.
"Please let me hurt him." Dagur growled as he shook the merchant once more. "Please? Just a little bit?"
Tengan glared at the merchant before shaking her head. "If what he says is true we don't have the time. Although," She added, her expression grim. "I hope for your sake you're telling the truth. My betrothed here HATES being lied to."
"It's the truth I swear!" He cried out, pressing his palms together in a pleading gesture. "Now please let me go!"
Dagur rolled his eyes in disgust before effortlessly tossing the man over his shoulder. "Let's head North. We need to find Heather before…." He trailed off as his shoulders sagged. "This is all my fault." He added quietly, his eyes glued to the dirt beneath his boots.
"No." Hiccup chimed in before the others could react. "And Heather is a Berserker, which means she's an awesome warrior. And she had Windshear. Those two are tough to beat."
"And," Fishlegs added. "If I understood him correctly that third person is probably Snotlout."
"So we subtract a warrior then." Dagur added glumly.
"As much as I hate to admit it." Fishlegs chuckled dryly. "Snotlout can actually be pretty handy in an air battle."
"They're right." Tengan smiled reassuringly as she took one of Dagur's hands in both of hers. "We know which way she was headed in last and now we know she wasn't alone. Let's go find our sister." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
Moments later, the four dragons took to the sky and angled north. Their wings beat heavily against a strong headwind as they carried on through their apparent exhaustion, driven by their Rider's unwavering encouragement. As the moon began to rise, a cluster of sea stacks rose into view a little ways off the northern shore.
"You're doing great, boy." Tengan cooed in her dragon's ear as she bent low over the saddle to reduce their resistance as much as possible. "It can't be that much further now."
"Look!" Hiccup yelled, his face twisted with horror as he watched Krogan, sitting atop the alpha Singetail rise from one of the largest stacks and knock a large, dragon proof cage into the roaring waters below.
"Was that- oh stars, WINDSHEAR!" Tengan cried out as she caught the briefest glimpse of the Razorwhip's scales before she sank beneath the waves. "We have to help!" She urged Rumble to dive towards the waves, struggling to get the panicky Skrill to approach the rippling water.
"Heather's gone in after her!" Fishlegs screeched as he pointed towards the rapidly disappearing form of the raven-haired Berserker woman. As he and Meatlug pulled alongside Hookfang, who was breathing a bit heavier under the weight of two riders, he could only watch as she dove after the rapidly sinking cage.
"It's no use!" Tengan moaned as Rumble climbed away from the surf. "He's too spooked by the water!" Her wide eyes darted along the terrifyingly calm sea beneath them. "Dagur!" She called out to him, her voice breaking as she screamed the plea.
"On it!" The Berserker chief hollered back as he tipped forward into his saddle. Sleuther dove headfirst into the waves, a large wall of water spraying up behind them. For a long, painfully silent moment, no movement could be seen under the curtain of the gently rolling sea. Then, with increasing speed, a large yellow mass began to approach the surface. Sleuther broke through the waves, his wings straining to gain altitude as he hoisted the cage confining Windshear with his braided tails. "Sis, what did I tell you about swimming this time of year?" He playfully teased his sister as he directed Sleuther to set the cage down on the nearest sea stack.
Still gasping to regain her breath, Heather grinned up at her brother through curtains of dripping hair. After a quick blast on the cage's lock from Toothless, she scrambled onto her newly freed dragon and took off to join the others. "Thanks, brother."
"Are you both ok?" Tengan asked sternly as she approached the soaked pair, her eyes raking over them for any injuries. She could still feel her heat hammering with residual pulses of fear from the close call.
"We're fine." She dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. "But Krogan has my Dragon Eye lens." She snarled in the direction of the hovering Singetail army.
"How could they have known what it was?" Hiccup growled in frustration. "We just found out this morning and it was only because of Oswald's papers!"
"Wait, you found something about my father?" Heather asked sharply, her face perking up.
"Yes." Tengan answered slowly with a sideways glance over at her soon to be sister.. "Dagur can fill you in once we're somewhere safer."
"Tengan's right." Hiccup chimed in. "For now, I'm going after Krogan. We need to know how they found out about your lens." Without waiting for a response, he and Toothless whirled around to face the fleeing Singetails.
"Are we sure he isn't at least part Berserker?" Snotlout groaned as the others chased after the Night Fury. "Cuz he's been pretty reckless lately!"
"I know! Isn't it GREAT!" Dagur cheered as they crested over a heavy, gray cloud and closed the gap on their prey.
Hiccup and Toothless had already begun their assault on Krogan; the Night Fury twisted in the air as he fired off several shots at the large Singetail. As the lead Flier struggled to maintain control of his dragon, the lens slipped from his grasp and began to tumble towards the dark waters below.
"I'm on it!" Hiccup yelled to the others as he dove after the plummeting lens. As the pair closed in on their target, several blasts from the opposing Sinetails forced them to veer out of the way, abandoning their pursuit.
"Guess it's up to me!" Snotlout crowed as he, Hookfang, and a very panicky Johann plunged almost straight down after the tiny prize. Catching sight of Krogan, now back in control of his dragon, darting out to meet them, he simultaneously launched a small grain bag at the Flier with one arm as he plunged his free hand out to clasp onto the lens seconds before it disappeared into the ocean.
Tengan cheered as the grain bag, upon meeting the Singetail's fire, burst open in an explosion of small white puffs, granting the Rider enough time to pull out of the reckless dive. Her cheer turned into a shout of warning as another Flier peeled off to harry the Monstrous Nightmare. "Snotlout! Over here!" She hollered, throwing her arm up. As the lens soared over to her, she caught sight of two Singetails breaking off to flank her. "Coming your way, love!" She cried out as she directed Rumble to bounce the lens in a high arc off his left wing.
The glittering treasure soared through the air to Dagur, who quickly launched it over to Fishlegs, who gently dropped it down to a waiting Heather, who lobbed it back towards Snotlout and Johann. Both men made desperate grabs for the lens, causing it to fumble out of their grips and plummet towards the sea once more.
"No!" Hiccup roared in frustration as Krogan dove and successfully retrieved the lens. He started to pursue the lead Flier once more but was forced to pull back when several Singetails fired simultaneously on the Riders. As the smoke cleared from their attack, he could barely make out the blurry outlines of the fleeing dragons disappeared into the cloud bank. "It's gone. They have the lens!" He groaned.
"Hey, Hiccup. We got Heather and Windshear." Fishlegs all but growled in response, his expression uncharacteristically fierce.
"You're right, Fishlegs." HIccup conceded, forcing himself to relax. "And given the choice, there is no choice."
"Not the way I imagined us meeting up again." Tengan called out good naturedly to the dark-haired Berserker.
"Hey!" Heather retorted playfully. "You knew what you signed up for when you put on that necklace." She winked at her brother.
"Fair point." Tengan conceded with a small smile. "Let's get you and WIndshear somewhere safe. I know you said you're alright but the water is cold this time of year. You need to get out of those wet clothes."
"The Edge is closest." Fishles piped up, his voice hopeful as he stared longingly towards Heather.
"Oh whatever, can we please get going!" Snotlout interrupted. "I need to get Mr. Yak-Butter Fingers over here off my back!" He jabbed an angry thumb at the still slightly shaking Johann.
"That reminds me, what was in that bag of grain, Snotlout?" Tengan asked, her head cocked to the side. "I've never seen anything explode like that."
"A crazy expensive bag of feed for the twins' chickens. It's why I was out here at the stupid market in the first place." He shrugged his shoulders violently to shake off Johann's hold.
"Ah, that would explain your…. outfit." She drew out the word as, even in the dim moonlight, she could clearly make out Snotlout's ragged appearance.
"Shut up, Tengan!" Snotlout grumbled back before quickly sending Hookfang into a dive to avoid Dagur's sailing fist.
The flight back to the Edge was blessedly uneventful, besides their brief pause to drop Johann off on his ship. Thankfully, he had moored it to a tiny cluster of sea stacks not too far away from the Edge and they hadn't needed to go too far off their course As the adrenaline from the battle wore off, Tengan found herself struggling to keep her eyes open. Between two days of no sleep and several missed doses of Gothi's herbal supplements, the world seemed permanently tilted and almost began to spin. Through her exhausted daze, she almost failed to notice the hushed conversation between Dagur and Heather as the siblings hung back a ways from the group.
Their topic of conversation became clear as they landed near the stables early the following morning. Heather slid out of Windshear's saddle and collapsed to her knees, a choked sob ripping through her body. The others could only watch in a respectful silence as Dagur embraced his sister tightly before extracting the scroll Oswald had set aside for her.
"What's going on?" Astrid asked quietly as she approached the group, her eyes locked on Heather's heaving shoulders.
"We found Oswald." Hiccup softly explained to Astrid, Snotlout, and the Twins. "Turns out he spent his final days protecting the sick dragons on Vanaheim."
The others spent longer than necessary settling their dragons in the stables in an effort to give the siblings some space. After a while, Heather entered and approached Astrid, her eyes red and puffy. After a brief, hushed conversation, both women turned to face the others.
"I'm going to lead Heather to Vanaheim." Astrid spoke up, her tone leaving no room for debate. Without waiting on a response, she turned to start saddling Stormfly.
"Be safe." Dagur commented gently as he led Sleuther into an empty stall. "You remember how to find Dad's hut? In the mouth of the huge skull, through the tunnel and-"
"I remember brother." Heather cut him off with a sad smile. "We'll be able to find him." She drew Dagur in for a quick hug and gave Fishlegs an appreciative smile before following Astrid and Stormfly out onto the landing pad.
Tengan staggered slightly as she followed Dagur out into the open. Leaning against him for support, she struggled to focus on the retreating dragons as they slowly shrank into the light of the rising Sun. "She seems to be taking the news well." She murmured.
Dagur slid an arm around her waist and gently pulled her flush against his side, his eyes locked on Windshear's rapidly shrinking form. "The copy you made of Dad's drawing helped a lot." He gave her a gentle squeeze before sighing. "It's too bad you don't have the Dragon Eye. At least then we could have looked at the other lens."
"Wait, back up." Hiccup interjected as he emerged from the stable, a pair of matching dark bags visible under his eyes. "Other lens?"
"Well, yeah." Dagur continued as he turned his head to peer over Tengan's wild mop of hair. "Dad gave us both lenses when we were kids. I used mine to look at stuff. Or to start fires with the Sun!" He grinned at the memory.
"That sounds about right." Tengan chuckled to herself as she let her eyes slowly shut, her weight sinking further into Dagur's side.
"Do you still have it?" Hiccup asked, his tone light and almost hopeful.
"No." Dagur admitted. "But, I know who does…" His voice dropped off before he shook his head and continued. "Why does it matter anyway? It's not like you have another Dragon Eye laying around." He chuckled, the laugh shaking his chest.
Tengan, slightly jostled, opened one eye. "Actually, we do have another Dragon Eye laying around. Hiccup's been working on it the past few weeks. Calls it the Dragon Eye II."
"Of course he does." Dagur rolled his eyes with a playful sigh. "Does it work?"
"Not quite yet." Hiccup admitted as he withdrew the mentioned gadget from his satchel. "I'm still missing the different colored gems used to filter the light going through it."
"Well!" A lofty voice carried up from the winding staircase leading up to the landing pad. "Perhaps my humble, but vast trading skills might be of some minor assistance?" Johann hailed the group as he climbed the final few steps, his arms weighed down with a heavy crate.
"Johann?" Snotlout spoke up, clearly unamused by the trader's intrusion. "What are you doing here?"
Depositing the crate on a nearby barrel, Johann straighted, pressing his palms into his lower back. "I come bearing a gift for Miss Heather. An apology for her ghastly experience at the Northern Market. You see I-"
"Save it!" Snotlout cut across him sharply. "She's not here. You just missed her."
"But woah woah, back up to you explaining how you could help us find the gems we need for the Dragon Eye II." Hiccup approached the merchant, his eyes wide with excitement.
Tengan felt her eyes drift shut as the lulling voices of those around her crafted a plan for obtaining the proper gems. Relying almost entirely on Dagur to remain upright, the conversation ceased to have any meaning as the words all blurred together into soothing mumbles and murmurs. It was only when Dagur shifted his weight, unintentionally sending her stumbling forward that her eyes snapped open. "What's the plan?" She mumbled groggily.
Dagur's arms shot out to catch her as she tripped on her own feet. "Woah there, baby. Brother, Boynut, Girlnut, and Johann are going to the Northern Markets to finish the Dragon Eye II. I'm going back to Berserker Isle with Fishlegs and Snotpocket to get my lens."
"Alright, I'm going with you then." She yawned widely and tried to stumble towards the stables, only to be stopped as Dagur swept her up into his arms.
"You," he began sternly. "Are going to bed. You need rest."
"I've had just as much sleep as you, Fishlegs and Hiccup!" She countered, her weary voice coming out more like a whine than the stern tone she had meant to project.
"I'm siding with Dagur on this one." Hiccup shrugged. "You said it yourself, Gothi thinks you've been overworked lately. Besides, we could use someone here to watch the base. Get some sleep."
Tengan opened her mouth to retort but quickly closed it. Her normally sharp mind was much too sluggish to form any coherent argument. 'Can't risk letting the real reason slip right now.' She thought dully and barely registered Dagur turning to walk down the walkway towards her hut.
"You must be more tired than I thought." Dagur teased gently as he shifted her higher in his arms. "This is the first time I haven't heard you argue about being left behind."
"Yeah well…" She started to pout before sighing and letting herself relax in his arms. A dry laugh escaped her lips. "I thought we were done with the all-nighters." She countered weakly as he nudged the door open to her hut with his boot.
Chuckling, he gently eased her onto the bed and pulled a heavy fur over her, taking the time to make sure she was completely covered up to her shoulders. "I'll be back once we get the lens." He murmured gently in her ear before placing a long, slow kiss to her lips.
Tengan hummed into the kiss, the dark lull of sleep beginning to overtake her. "Hey..." She whispered as he finally pulled away. "When you get back there's something important we need to talk about…" She barely registered his far off murmur of agreement before she slipped into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
"Told you she was probably sleeping." Astrid's quiet whisper carried through the room as she poked her head in. "Tengan, you alive over there?"
The curly haired Rider groaned as she rolled over and pulled the furs tighter over her head, refusing to open her eyes. Curling into a tight ball, she wriggled, trying to find the sweet spot that would allow her to fall back asleep.
"Yeah, she's alive." Heather answered warmly as she sat on the edge of the bed and began to slowly peel back the covers. "Come on Sleepyhead, we already fed Rumble for you but you really have to get up."
"What? Why?" Tengan's mumbled whine came from under her furs as she desperately clung to them. "I left him with plenty of fish. Why are you two back so soon anyway? What did you forget?"
Astrid plopped down on the bed next to Heather. "We left yesterday morning. Have you really been sleeping this entire time?" She glanced down at the stubborn lump hiding under the pile of furs.
"WHAT?!" Tengan gasped as she released her hold on the cover and quickly sat up, sending Heather tumbling backwards into Astrid with the sudden movement. "Oh, my head." She groaned as the room suddenly swam from her quick action. Blinking rapidly, she squinted at her open front door. Warm, late morning sunshine was pouring in.
"Warn me next time!" Heather groaned as she freed herself from the relinquished blanket. "And yes, that was yesterday. We just got back." Her tone dropped as her eyes slowly glazed over.
Tengan leaned forward to place a comforting hand on Heather's shoulder as she shared a concerned look with Astrid. "I'm so sorry, Heather. Are you alright?"
The dark haired woman let out a croaking bark of laughter. "Yes? No? I don't know really." She shook her head vigorously, her eyes screwed shut. "I mean, I can't remember all that much, so I don't really have any right to miss him."
Astrid stiffened at the comment. "No, that's not true. He was your dad. No matter how long it had been since you two were together last he still loved you. It's ok to miss him and to be sad about not having the chance to know him better."
Tengan frowned as she silently rubbed along Heather's back, determined to simply be there for her grieving friend. As the Berserker broke down into heavy sobs, she shifted back far enough to wrap her arms around her. She began to gently rock the crying woman, humming a soothing lullaby Makara had often cooed to her as a small child.
As her tears ran dry, Heather slowly extracted herself from Tengan's arms and smiled weakly at both her friends. "Thanks… sorry for getting so emotional."
Astrid scoffed playfully as she gently punched her friend's arm. "Don't think twice about it. Although, I think now would be a good time to get something to eat. We haven't had anything since that fruit on the island and I know you haven't eaten in at least a day, Tengan." She smirked at the dark-skinned Rider.
Tengan opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by a loud, angry rumble from her stomach. "Alright, I may have slept through a couple meals." She admitted as she swung her legs over the bed.
The trio quickly stoked the fire pit in the main hall and softened a lump of dried meat and a few native vegetables in a pot of melted snow for a makeshift stew. As the stew steamed and began to simmer, Tengan set her small tin of water and herbs by the fire to heat up.
"What's that for?" Heather asked, her voice still slightly hoarse from crying.
"It's an herb mixture Gothi gave me to help with my exhaustion." Tengan answered quietly, careful to avoid eye contact with either woman.
"Alright, out with it." Astrid demanded from her seat across the fire pit. "You've never done well after a night mission, but this is ridiculous, even for you. I've never seen you sleep an entire day away. And now, it's gotten so bad Gothi had to give you medicine for it! What's really going on?" She crossed her arms, glaring sternly at the woman kneeling before the flames.
"She does have a point." Heather pressed lightly. "Are you ok?"
After a long pause and a deep sigh, Tengan retreated to the table with her gently steaming mug of herbal tea. "I'm fine, really." She insisted, her eyes glued to her cup as her stomach squirmed. "Just tired lately."
"It's just us girls here." Heather pressed as she followed her friend back to the table, her brow knit with concern. "You know you can tell us anything right?"
"That's just the problem." Tengan retorted before she could think better of it. "I know I can tell you two but it's better if I don't. At least, not yet."
Astrid leaned forward and crossed her arms. "Well, until you let us in on why you've been looking like Fishlegs after endurance training these past couple weeks, we're not going anywhere."
"I think what Astrid means is that we're your friends and we want to help you." Heather added. "Although, I am with her on keeping you here until you fill us in." She smirked and leaned back to keep an eye on the stew.
Tengan stared into her mug, her heart and mind racing as she tracked the slowly swirling herbs as they swap lazy laps in her tea. Finally, her head dipped and she closed her eyes. "What I tell you does not leave this room, understand?" She spoke slowly and deliberately, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Of course." Astrid and Heather agreed in unison as they shared stares of confusion and concern.
Tengan groaned and took a long gulp of the foul tea before speaking. "When I went to Gothi, she gave me this specific blend of tea to help with my exhaustion and the muscle cramps I've been struggling with lately." She paused and glared into her friend's curious gazes. "You know if you two had been willing to wait one more day I would have explained it then."
"Yeah, well we're asking now." Astrid dismissed the comment with a wave. "Go on, what else did she say?"
Tengan sighed again, fighting the excited half smile that seemed so desperate to take over her face. "She mentioned the exhaustion shouldn't be something to worry about. It's perfectly normal to feel tired and achy during the first few months while the…" She paused and took a deep, steadying breath. "While the baby is growing."
Heather's eyes widened as her brows all but disappeared into her bangs. Her mouth fell open and several unintelligible squeaks escaped, but couldn't manage to form anything coherent.
"No!" Astrid hollered in disbelief as she leapt to her feet. "You're with child?!" Her hands shot up to run through her hair as she stared down at her expecting friend. "Is it Dagur's?"
"Of course it's my brother's!" Heather, freed from her stupor, snapped and swatted at Astrid's thigh. "Tengan… this is… wow."
"You two CAN'T tell anyone!" The dark-skinned Rider begged her friends as she looked frantically between them. "I haven't been able to tell Dagur yet and I don't want him to find out from anyone else! Please!"
Astrid slumped into the empty bench next to her panicky friend and smiled. "He won't hear it from me."
"Or me." Heather added with a warm smile. "Gotta say knowing I'll be an aunt soon is…"
"Weird." Astrid finished. "I mean, are we really old enough to be having kids yet?" She glanced up at the celinging. "I mean, you are, of course but…"
"Hey!" Tengan snapped. "First of all, I am not THAT much older than you. And yes, that does mean YOU'RE old enough to be having children as well, Astrid. No matter how much you like to ignore it, we're not kids anymore. I mean, it's been years since I first landed on Berk… Eventually, we all knew we were going to start going off on our own and start families… right?" She stared down into her rapidly cooling mug for a silent moment before hastily gulping down another mouthful.
"I think," Heather began pensively. "That it's hard to admit we're at the point where we have to start thinking about leaving our childhood behind. Even though, realistically, we've all been adults for a while now. I mean, children couldn't wage war on Dragon Hunters and Fliers."
"You mean win wars." Astrid corrected with a wry smile. "And, you hit the target with the axe on that one, Heather." She added with a groan.
"Now I know what you two were doing that night you both disappeared during the Apprenticeship graduation party." Heather said loftily as she stood and made her way over to the stew pot.
"Excuse me?" Tengan glared at Heather's retreating back, one eyebrow cocked. "Like you and Fishlegs haven't snuck off every time you've come to 'visit'." Her head whipped around as she caught Astrid's stifled chuckle. "Don't act so innocent yourself. We ALL know what you and Hiccup are up to when the two of you disappear on your oh-so-secret missions. The only surprise here is that I'm the first one with child and you two know it."
The three women glanced at each other for several moments, each struggling to maintain a stoic expression. No one remembered who cracked first, but the trio eventually broke down into waves of hysterical laughter, a full face blush spreading across the lighter skinned Rider's faces.
"So," Heather gasped as she struggled to subdue her remaining giggles. "When are you going to tell my brother he's a father?"
"Yeah!" Astrid chimed in as she helped Heather set three bowls of fresh stew on the table. "Is there a reason you haven't let him know yet?"
Tengan opted to shovel down a few mouthfuls of scalding stew to satisfy her ravenous stomach before she straightened to answer, small tears of pain from the heat of her hasty meal stinging the corners of her eyes. "Well, I meant fill him in when you both got back. If everything had gone as planned I would have told him as we flew south to announce our betrothal to my mother. Fliers or no, it's a journey I still need to take. But when he got my letters…" She broke off, unsure on how to delicately describe the situation.
"My brother can be a bit fanatic with his over-protectiveness." Heather supplied with an understanding smile. "I was across the island when he read your notes and still heard the yelling. You should have seen how worked up he was." She shook her head. "I tried to tell him you were clearly fine since we had your second note but he wouldn't listen. I've never seen him run to the stables so quickly before."
"Exactly." Tengan nodded in agreement. "And that's just me. I can't imagine how overprotective he'll get when he finds out there's a baby involved."
"He'll probably probably ban you from flying." Astrid gently teased as she nudged her friend.
"Maybe not at first." Heather answered seriously. "But if I know my brother, he's not going to want her flying into combat against Viggo and Krogan anymore."
"Exactly." Tengan grimaced as she imagined the inevitable confrontation. "And he was so worried about you lately," she gestured towards Heather. "I didn't want to pile this on top of everything else."
"Well, what do you want to do?" Astrid asked as she started unblinkingly at the new mother. "Are you planning on sitting these fights out?"
"No." Tengan responded immediately as she pressed her hands to her womb. "Right now, as long as I get enough sleep and take these herbs, I can still fight. I refuse to sit idly by while you all risk everything to defend our homes and our dragons. Besides, I don't want to bring a child into this world just for them to live in fear of an attack. Rumble and I will continue to help until we drive Viggo and Krogan off once and for all."
Heather smirked and nodded, her eyes fierce. "Exactly what I'd expect from my future sister. You'll make an awesome Berserker."
"Your brother often says the same." Tengan smiled back as her shoulders relaxed. "Thanks girls, it's nice being able to talk about this."
A chorus of booming laughs carried into the airy hall as the soft thunder of wingbeats filled the air.
"Looks like now's your chance." Astrid mused as she stood and looped an arm under Heather's elbow. "Why don't we go make sure they're not interrupted?" With a playful wink she walked out into the open, arm raised in greeting.
Tengan stood, her heart racing as she thought about the approaching conversation. In an effort to keep her nervous energy at bay, she busied herself with cleaning out the stew bowls and setting them near the still half full pot on the off chance any of the other Riders were hungry.
"There you are!" Dagur's cheerie voice echoed in the small hall as he all but jogged over to her, his arms winding around her waist from behind. "Heather mentioned you slept well. How are you feeling?"
Tengan smiled and leaned back against his chest, her heart fluttering as his earthy, spicy scent filled her lungs. "Better, now that you're back." Wriggling, she twisted in his grasp until they were face to face. "Did you find the lens?"
Dagur smirked and shoved one hand in his pocket to retrieve the glittering prize. "Of course!" Putting the lens away, he leaned down and captured her lips in a hungry kiss. "You mentioned wanting to talk when I got back." He murmured as he finally pulled away. "That's actually great because there's something I wanted to talk about too."
"Oh?" She asked in a slightly squeaky voice as she tugged him along to sit next to her on the bench. "Why don't you go first." She smiled, relieved to put off the reveal for a few more minutes.
"It's actually about our Union Ceremony." He began, drawing her hands into his. "I was hoping you'd be willing to move it up. After we found Dad…" He trailed off for a moment, crestfallen. As he caught a glimpse of the choker flashing in the firelight, his smile returned and he continued. "Well, all that's left is for you to visit your homeland. With everything that's been going on, it's just not safe for you to fly on your own right now. What would you say if we went together? And then after we could plan the ceremony. If we have it on Berserker Isle, it could be as soon as a few months. That would leave your mother plenty of time to travel and-"
Tengan's eyes widened as she registered his request. "Dagur, my love, that all sounds wonderful." She cut across him as gently as she could. "But, I think we might have to have it a bit sooner than that. We'll be much too busy in a few months." She added quietly, trying to subdue the trembling in her legs.
Dagur froze mid-sentence, his head cocked to the side. "Busy with what? Berserker Isle is complete. I know you want to rebuild your library but that will be easier when you move-"
Steeling herself, she took a breath and cut him off with a gentle squeeze. "I actually haven't told you everything I found out on Berk. The reason I've been so tired lately is because... I'm with child, Dagur. I'm carrying our baby." She smiled sheepishly.
Dagur froze, his body stiffening as his mouth fell partially open. His eyes, wide as dragon eggs, rapidly flicked between hers, searching for any sign, any indication of a reaction. "What?" He finally whispered, the hint of a grin beginning to spread across his features.
"You're going to be a father." Tengan said softly, her own smile beginning to form as she gazed evenly back at him.
With a cheer so loud it spooked several nearby Night Terrors into flight, Dagur leapt off of the bench, punching his fists in the air. He jumped and bounced for several moments, laughing and shouting in absolute, unbridled joy. Catching sight of Tengan watching and smiling from her seat, he gathered her hands into his once more. "I can't believe it! I'm going to be a Daddy!" He roared, devolving into a fit of laughter once more. "Oh my Thor, this is amazing!"
Tengan grinned up at her betrothed, the knot of anxiety finally relaxing. "I'm so happy you're excited. I wanted to tell you as soon as I found out, but there never seemed to be a right time." She stood and wrapped her arms around his chest, a relieved laugh escaping her.
Dagur pulled her flush against his chest, his grip tightening as their new reality set in. "Woah." He gasped at the realization. "A baby. Our baby." He whispered, more to himself than to the woman caged in his arms.
"That's pretty much how I felt when I first found out." Tengan mumbled into his chest as she leaned into the embrace. "Now, I'm just excited to meet them."
Dagur pulled away suddenly, holding her at arm's length. "We have to tell Heather! And brother Hiccup!" He beamed, his face all but bursting with barely contained excitement.
Tengan smiled and nodded, deciding he didn't need to know Heather was already in the loop just yet. "I agree. It will be hard to hide it when my belly starts to grow. Why don't we tell them when Hiccup and the Twins get back? Until then…" She gently pulled him back onto the bench with her. "Tell me how you got your lens back? You mentioned before you left that someone else had it. Who was it?"
Dagur flinched slightly at the question. Giving her a sheepish smile, he began to recount his recent journey.
Tengan sat quietly for a while as Dagur recounted his tale of dealing with his old childhood bully. Several times during the story he would pause and place his hand on her still flat belly as if the baby would have grown large enough to feel in the few minutes he had looked away. Just as he began to explain how Ansen used the lens against the rampaging Scauldron, Hiccup jogged into the hall flanked by Heather, Toothless, and the rest of the Riders.
"I don't care if they're discussing something important, this has to come first!" The one legged viking explained wearily to Astrid. "Dagur, Tengan, glad you're here."
"Brother!" Dagur leapt to his feet, his arms open in welcome. "There's something we need to tell you!"
Hiccup held up his hand to forestall the Berserker, his face lined with worry. "After. Right now, there's something I need to talk to all of you about." Glancing back at the others, he motioned for those still standing to take a seat around the room.
Tengan cocked her head to the side and shared a confused look with Dagur as he sat back down. "Was there trouble getting the gems at the Northern Market?"
"You could say that." Hiccup answered with a heavy sigh as he began to pace. "It turns out Johann has been working with the Hunters all this time. Ever since he first sent us into Breakneck Bog."
The already tense atmosphere in the room chilled as Hiccup's words sunk in. Only Ruff and Tuff seemed unaffected as they grinned triumphantly, their arms crossed against their chests.
"Yeah, and the only reason you all know about it is because we tipped Hiccup off!" Tuffnut proclaimed proudly.
"It's true!" Ruffnut added. "We figured out someone had to have told the Hunters where we'd be when they all HAPPENED to be wandering around the market at the same time."
"Please tell me this is all some kind of awful, late Loki Day prank." Astrid groaned as she stared up at Hiccup.
"That's not even the worst of it." Hiccup plowed on. "It turns out Johann has been using Krogan and Viggo to collect lenses to find what they call the 'King of Dragons'." He turned to Dagur, his expression pleading. "Please tell me you have your lens."
Dagur, his gleeful expression having given way to a serious stare, quickly fished through his pocket and retrieved the lens. "Right here, brother. How will it help us find this 'King of Dragons'?" He asked with mild skepticism as he leaned back to loop an arm around Tengan's waist.
"Hopefully," Hiccup began as he inserted the lens into the Dragon Eye II. "I'll be able to answer that in just a moment. "Hit it bud." Holding the tool low, he placed it just in front of Toothless' gently glowing mouth.
Fishlegs stood and approached the image projected on the wall, his face pensive. "Five different symbols, each a dragon class."
"And we have lenses for three of them." Hiccup responded as he held two more in front of the Dragon Eye II's glow. His eyes widened with shock as the images overlapped and began to form broken images of what looked to be the beginning of a map.
"First one who finds all five lenses reveals the King of Dragons." Astrid gasped, her own eyes wide with shock.
"Should we still tell them?" Dagur whispered into Tengan's ear as he tugged her closer.
"I believe we should. If this is truly going to turn into a race, there may not be time later." She tore her gaze away from the eerie purple glow of the incomplete map to smile up at Dagur. "Do you want to, or should I?"
With a smile and a quick kiss on her forehead, Dagur stood and gently helped Tengan to her feet. "Well, brother that is quite the story, and I'm glad you went first! But now, there is another matter we need to attend to."
Hiccup tore his gaze away from the map with a somewhat irritated expression. 'What? Oh, yeah, you did mention you wanted to say something." He admitted reluctantly as he stowed the Dragon Eye II and their three lenses in his satchel.
"Well it seems with all this talk of traitors and resurrected Dragon Hunters we could all use some good news." He broke down in a giggle fit for several seconds before clearing his throat. "Tengan and I have decided to move up our Union Ceremony and we want you all there!"
The room exploded with surprised cries and cheerful 'congratulations' for several moments. Even Hiccup's sour expression gave way to a warm smile as he shared a glance with Astrid. "That's.. That's great. I'm happy for you guys. We all could use something to celebrate. Is there any specific reason why you've moved it up? I thought things were kind of on hold until after the Fliers were dealt with." He flinched as Astrid's elbow sank in between a pair of ribs.
Dagur giggled again, his face split in a massive grin. "Go on, baby! You tell them the rest!" He beamed down at her, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Tengan smiled sheepishly at her friends, well aware of the horrible job Astrid and Heather were doing containing their grins. "Well, we figured it would be a good idea to have the ceremony now before we're too busy with the baby." She spoke slowly, her eyes tracking back to Dagur as she finished the statement.
"THE WHAT!?" Hiccup and Fishlegs cried out in unison, their mouths crashing open as Heather and Astrid cheered their congratulations to the couple.
"Ha! Pay up!" Snotlout turned on the twins, his hand outstretched. "A baby! That's why she's been so tired. I called it! You two muttonheads owe me!"
"What? No way!" Ruffnut snapped back. "That wasn't the bet!"
"Besides," Tuffnut added. "Didn't you swear the reason she was so tired was because she had secretly fallen in love with Viggo and was sneaking around to go see him at night behind Dagur's back?!"
"Shut up, Tuffnut." Snotlout hollered with a quick, nervous look over at the couple.
"Wait, what did you think I was doing?" Tengan asked indignantly as she and her partner shared matching glares at the shorter viking.
Luckily for Snotlout, he was saved from a proper thrashing when Heather flung her arms around Dagur and Tengan, pulling them into a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you both!" She grinned at the two of them. "So what's next? How soon are we talking for the ceremony?"
Tengan smiled at her. "I'm not sure actually. I still have to visit the Shimmering Shores and-"
"Well, if you two can wait a little longer..." Hiccup pied up, still rubbing his sore ribs. "I was hoping to organize a summit for the island leaders we know are against the Dragon Hunters. They should all be warned about Johann and we can discuss how to proceed. First thing tomorrow, I was hoping we could fly out to Berk to let my dad know before extending invites to Mala and Atali."
"Sounds like a plan, brother." Dagur smiled and nodded. "Send us a Terror mail once you have a date for the summit. Right now we need to make sure Berserker Island is prepared." He turned his gaze to Tengan, his expression softening. "You should start packing. It's still early. If we leave soon, we can make it home by nightfall."
"Wait, what?" Tengan wriggled out of her lover's grip. "Dagur, I have to stay for now. They'll need whatever maps and journals I can recreate between now and the summit. Not to mention I haven't even begun tracing over the partial map to the King of Dragons. I won't abandon my friends." She pleaded.
Dagur frowned. "Tengan, I already can't bear leaving you behind, especially after the Flier fiasco." He gently took her hand, ignoring the prying stares of the other Riders. "And now that it's not just you, but our child too. I never want to be so far away I can't protect you both."
Tengan sighed, her brow furrowing. "Dagur, you have to know I could never just sit this one out. Not while you and all our friends are fighting so hard to protect our dragons. Rumble and I will continue to fight as long as we can."
Dagur smiled and nodded. "And I would never ask you to stop fighting. It's what makes you an awesome Berserker. I'm just asking that you let me help you now. And I can't do that when you're so far away. Please?" He flashed her a pleading, impressively innocent grin.
"I could help Hiccup redraw a few of your maps." Fishlegs tentatively spoke up. "At least the ones for berk and the Edge. That would leave you more time to work on the others at Berserker Island."
"Ultimately, it's up to you, Tengan. " Hiccup offered. "You and your baby would be safe here but-"
"Oh?" Dagur turned to face Hiccup. "And what exactly are your plans if the Fliers were to attack tonight, brother? You've always been great at those Hiccupy strategies but, and I say this out of love and respect for you brother, you've lost a few too many against Viggo, Krogan, and Johann." He took a deep breath, clearly uneasy. "This is something I can't gamble on. While the Edge is populated with nothing but Dragon Riders, Berserker Isle is full of armed warriors and is likely to be less of a target. She's safer with me."
The group stilled as the Riders looked back and forth between Hiccup and Dagur. Even Snotlout seemed at a loss for words. Tengan watched the turmoil rumbling beneath Dagur's pained expression for several moments before finally laying her hand on his shoulder, breaking the tension. "I'll leave for Berserker Isle with you. Only because now if probably the best time to move the few books and scrolls I still have." She turned to smile at the others, the expression bittersweet. "Fishlegs, if you could redo those maps, I'd really appreciate it. I'll work on the others until the summit." She shifted her gaze to Hiccup, who still looked as if someone had yanked his dragon out from under him. "I'll also put together a series of events Johann could have been involved in so we know where else he may have laid a trap for us."
"Thank you." Hiccup relaxed and nodded. "I can't believe you're leaving us already." He added weakly, an uneasy smile on his lips.
"Don't let the twins move into my hut." She smirked as she leaned against Dagur's side. "I'm not done here yet." She turned her gaze up to her fiery-haired Berserker. "After the summit, we'll need to fly down to the Shimmering Shores. We won't have enough time to send for my mother to be a part of the gathering, and I don't want to chance a letter being intercepted. Besides, she needs to know she'll be a grandmother soon."
Dagur smiled and slid an arm around her waist once more. "You got it, baby."
Tengan nodded and continued to stare unblinkingly up at him. "After that we'll need to decide when to hold the ceremony and where we'll be after that. We might have to schedule our time between Berserker Isle and the Edge."
Astrid smirked. "Good. Things would get boring around here without you. Who else keeps a written record of every stupid thing Snotlout says?"
"Wait, you do that?" Snoutlout perked up as he glanced between the two smirking women. "No. you're just messing with me." He grinned nervously. "Right?"
"I was working on volume three before my hut caught fire. I suppose I can make some time to rewrite them, your rambles are pretty memorable." She teased, still grinning.
"Come on, Tengan." Heather added as she tugged the young woman out of her brother's arms. "I'll help you pack. Windshear and I should be able to hold a few bags."
"You can't just keep stealing her from me!" Dagur complained as he followed them out of the hall.
Fishlegs was practically bouncing on his feet as he trailed after the small processional. "Wait, I'll come help too! Ohhh! A baby! Wait until I tell Meatlug! She loves little, squishy babies!"
The twins, who had been silently absorbing all the chaos, stalked out afterwards. "Woah, do you know what this means?" Tuffnut asked his twin.
"Oh, totally." Ruffnut responded with a wicked grin. "We finally have a protege to take on our trickster mantle!" With a high five, she followed her twin outside at a light jog.
"Oh no way!" Snotlout roared as he ran out after them. "Dagur and Tengan are going to want me to train the little warrior!"
Astrid gazed out the open door for a long, silent moment. "A baby on the way… no wonder they want to move the ceremony up." She glanced sideways at Hiccup. "What are you thinking?"
Hiccup sighed as he scratched Toothless absentmindedly under the chin. "I'm thinking they were right about us needing something to celebrate. Between Johann, Viggo, Krogan, and this King of Dragons, things are about to get pretty ugly."