Chapter 6: Dagur the Deranged

Six months passed without a hitch. Eira gradually came to enjoy life on Berk with the little routine she had established. The weekly meetings with the dragon riders were her favorite part. Otherwise, she enjoyed the island with Swiftwings or Snotlout. Occasionally, news arrived from Torvald, and she sent the ship back with the message that everything on Berk was peaceful.

Then, one cool autumn afternoon, Hiccup called all the dragon riders to the academy for an emergency meeting. Apparently, Johann the trader had recently arrived to tell about a prison break at a neighboring island.

"All we got from Johann before he passed out was this," Hiccup said as he paced in front of a large map of the Archipelago plastered on the academy walls, "Dagur escaped from Outcast Island by commandeering his ships." He pointed to the map. "He threw Johann overboard about here."

Hiccup had once told Eira all about the dragon riders' adventures with Dagur the Deranged. While the story ended well, she could not help but feel a sense of tragedy. It was certainly interesting news that he had escaped. Of course, he sought revenge against Hiccup for locking him up, so they had to recapture him.

"Master Hiccup," said Johann, popping up beside the boy.

Hiccup turned to him in surprise. "Johann, you're awake."

"And feeling much better, thank you for asking. More importantly, I have more than a strong suspicion of where our nefarious foe may be heading." He pointed to the far-left area on the map.

Hiccup frowned. "Outside the Archipelago?"

"No! Just inside the fog bank on our outer group of islands." Johann gestured towards the map again.

Hiccup glanced at the map in worry. "We've never been out that far."

Johann hesitated before continuing. "When Dagur commandeered my precious ship, he also came into possession of a very important map... one that leads to a graveyard of ships hidden in that fog bank."

Eira suspected Johann had personally reasons for wanting them to go after Dagur. It turned out she was right. Johann happened to store all his treasures and wares in that fog bank. That explained why Dagur would target it. So, the plan was to intercept him before he could stock up on supplies. Easy enough. Her new friends had all stopped him once before, right?

The seven dragon riders climbed onto their dragons and took to the skies. This was just like they had practice, except it was real. Eira could not help but feel excited as she flew with Swiftwings over the ocean. They were finally doing something real and important. This was her chance to show off everything she had learned!

Night had fallen by the time the group reached the graveyard of ships. Hiccup told them to split up and search for Dagur. Eira flew off with Snotlout since he was still technically her partner. She hid her unease at the spookiness of the setting as she focused on her mission.

After several minutes, the gang gathered together on a single ship to discuss their findings. No one had caught sight of Dagur or anyone else for that matter. Waiting around did not appear to be a good option.

"Here's the plan," Hiccup said after a brief discussion. "We search the ship, gather Johann's treasure and take it back to Berk. But keep your eyes open for Dagur. He could show up anytime."

Suddenly, a loud hissing filled the air.

"What is that?" Astrid said.

"Has Dagur's voice changed?" said Tuffnut.

Hiccup looked over the side of the boat and gasped. "Eels! Everybody get to your dragons before they get spooked and take off!"

Eira spun around to face Swiftwings, but the Windwalker had already flown away. And so had every other dragon except for Toothless. Those must be some pretty nasty eels! Her heart jolted when she felt movement on the boat. The heads of two giant eels appeared on the far side of the ship.

"The eels are pulling the ship down!" Fishlegs exclaimed.

Eira fell into him as the ship tilted to the side. Instinctively, she grabbed onto him, but then they both started sliding off the ship.

"Fishlegs!" Snotlout exclaimed. "Grab my foot!"

Eira continued to hold onto Fishlegs, who latched onto Snotlout's foot. Soon, all the riders had attached themselves to each other.

"We're gonna live!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

But then Astrid slipped and fell into the water.

"Astrid! No!" Hiccup cried.

"Most of us are gonna live!" Tuffnut amended.

The eels left the ship to surround Astrid. Hiccup and Toothless dove into the water to help her while the others scrambled onto the now-stable boat. Not a minute later, Hiccup and Toothless returned with Astrid safe and sound.

"Pardon me," Snotlout said, "does anyone else think that Johann could have warned us about... I don't know... THE GIANT SCREAMING EELS?!"

"That would have been helpful," Eira said quietly.

Hiccup shot him a look. "Snotlout, would you relax? The dragons will be back. In the meantime, we stick with the plan. We find Johann's treasure. Quietly."

Snotlout crossed his arms and grumbled. Eira hesitantly reached out her hand and touched his shoulder. "Let's go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can leave."

Snotlout relaxed under her touch. "Right. This way."

Eira followed him into a dark room within the ship. Her eyes swept over the overturned barrels that proved to be empty. Aside from a few cobwebs, she saw nothing of notice. She perked up when Snotlout announced he had found an ornate box.

"Rich!" he said. "Ho! Rich!"

Eira frowned. "You know we can't keep anything we find, right?"

Snotlout shrugged. "Details." He unlatched the box and peered inside. "Hair! Ew! Who keeps hair in a box? There's got to be more!"

Eira clutched her sides as she burst out laughing. "You really hit the jackpot there."

Snotlout made a face as he threw the wig on the floor. "More hair? Ech! Man, what a rip-off." He glanced at a photo of two royals wearing the hair, and his face suddenly changed. "Or is it?" He placed two blond, braided wigs under his chin like a beard. "I'm Stoick the Vast! Hiccup, you're such a disappointment! Why can't you be more like Snotlout?"

Eira could not control her laughter. He looked ridiculous, and his imitation was quite good. "Not bad!"

Snotlout held the wigs to the sides of his head, making it look like he had pigtails. "Eh, I'm Ruffnut... or am I Tuffnut? Who can tell?" He laughed along with Eira. He grabbed a couple more braids and arranged them on top of his head. "I'm... Oh, actually, this is kind of nice."

Eira leaned against the wall and took deep breaths in order to calm down. "Okay, Sir Snotlout, we should find somewhere else to search."

"Alright, but I'm keeping this." He arranged the braids so the spilled out of his helmet and onto his face and then sauntered out of the room. Eira stifled a giggle and followed.

She paused at the doorway and looked back in the room to make sure she hadn't missed anything. Satisfied, she turned back to the door, but a loud 'thunk' from outside the room caused her to freeze.

"Who's laughing now?" said a male voice that was not Snotlout.

Eira immediately pressed herself up against the wall near the door and shut her eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest as she heard footsteps approach. They stopped at the entryway. She held her breath.

"Huh, I thought I heard two people in here," the voice said.

Time slowed down. After what felt like an hour but was probably only a minute, the footsteps receded, and Eira let out a deep breath. That was close. No sooner had she relaxed than panic gripped her again. Someone had captured Snotlout, and she had done nothing to help. Some partner she was!

She pushed the guilt away as she emerged from the room. Sweeping her gaze across the ship, she could not see signs of anyone. Then she noticed a nearby ship with strange flags and... a giant cage filled with her friends! She watched as a man climbed over the side, Snotlout in tow.

She had no time to waste. She let out a call that sounded like a Windwalker, hoping that Swiftwings was not far. She was not going to stand around and wait, so she climbed over the edge of the boat and dropped down onto a large rock. She hopped from rock to rock – and occasionally a floating board – to arrive at the ship that held the dragon riders.

She carefully climbed the end of the ship opposite of the cage. As she poked her head over the side, she was relieved to see that the captors had their backs turned to her. She took this chance to leap over the edge and quickly hide behind a crate. Peeking out, she examined the strange men.

Two vikings dressed in armor stood on either side of the cage. The third paced back and forth, and when he paused, Eira got the chance to take him in. He was muscular and well-built with wild, red hair, and face paint that made me look slightly intimidating. Without a doubt, this was Dagur the Deranged.

Before she could formulate a plan, Hiccup and Toothless emerged from the bottom of the ship. They immediately spotted Dagur and froze.

"Hiccup!" Dagur said joyfully. "Did you miss me? 'Cause I sure missed you. Every day for three years, I thought about you." His voice grew hard and venomous. He stepped to the side so Hiccup had a clear view of the trapped dragon riders.

"Astrid!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"And you too Mr. Night Fury," Dagur said to a growling Toothless.

Eira took a deep breath. If she was going to do something, it had to be now while they were all distracted. She slowly emerged from her hiding place and crept along the edge of the shop towards the cage.

"Sorry, Hiccup," said Astrid. "He got the drop on us while we were searching-"

"Uh, quiet!" Dagur said. "Can't you see my brother and I are having a moment?"

Hiccup glared at him. "I'm not your brother, and we are definitely not having a moment."

"Oh, well, I was. Look at you, all grown up! And quite the ladies' man, I'd wager. Hmm? Hmm?"

"Hey, aren't we missing someone?" Tuffnut said, looking around.

"Where's Eira?" Fishlegs said. He looked at Snotlout. "Wasn't she supposed to be with you?"

"Snotlout, you lost Eira?" Astrid said accusingly.

"I didn't lose her!" Snotlout exclaimed. "She lost me."

"Eira?" said Dagur. "What's an Eira?"

The young princess had almost reached the cage, but she stopped upon hearing her name. At that moment, she happened to lock eyes with Hiccup. She shook her head to tell him to look away and not draw attention to her, but it was too late.

"Oh, that must be Eira!" Dagur said excitedly while pointing at her. "How did I miss her?"

"Eira, run!" Fishlegs cried.

"No, save us!" Snotlout said.

Uncertainty clouded Eira's mind. She had no idea what to do now that she had been caught. She looked from Hiccup to the other riders but found no clues.

"Who are you, anyway?" Dagur said curiously, taking a step closer to her. "I don't remember you being a part of Hiccup's little crew."

Deciding on her course of action, Eira straightened up and clear her throat. "I am Eira of Torvald, and I am a new resident of Berk. You must be Dagur the Deranged. Hiccup has told me all about your grand exploits." She offered him a small smile.

"Eira, this is no time to be nice!" Snotlout exclaimed. "Remember what I taught you!"

Dagur perked up at the girl's words. "Really? I mean – of course he has. Hiccup and I go way back. It must be boring living with such a killjoy."

Eira shrugged. "This has been the highlight of my week so far."

"Dagur, what do you want?" Hiccup said before he could speak.

"Duh, he wants the jewels," said Snotlout.

"He's not getting my family's jewels," Tuffnut said. "No way! And I'll protect them at all cost!" He stared at Snotlout. "Also, what is with that hair?"

"Ha! It's royal hair, I'll have you know."

Eira smirked and rolled her eyes. "You're such a dork."

"And you have no loyalty!"

"If she's not from Berk, she has no reason to be loyal to you," Dagur said as he stared at Eira with interest. She stared right back at him, unflinching. Dagur was the one to break eye contact, turned back to the cage. "Anyway, yes, I'll take the jewels. His too." He motioned to Ruffnut, who had jewels stuffed in her mouth.

One of the vikings hit Ruffnut in the side, causing her to spit out jewels. "Watch it, pal!" she said. When the Viking laughed, she spit a jewel right into his mouth, causing him to gag.

"Oops, thought that was the guy," said Dagur. "Never can tell with those two. It is not my policy to hurt women." He smiled at Eira before turning to Hiccup. "And I'll also take whatever it is you're hiding behind your back. Come on, hand it over like a good boy. Brothers share, you know."

Hiccup pulled out a long, tube-like object from behind his back and tossed it at Dagur. "You know you're not going to get very far with that thing, right?"

Dagur rolled his eyes. "Oh, boy, here we go. Must we always do the same dance, Hiccup, you and I? Not that you're not a fabulous dancer." He glanced at Eira. "Can you believe this guy?"

Toothless growled, and Hiccup rubbed his side to calm him. "Easy, bud, not yet."

"That's right, Mr. Night Fury," Dagur said. "Today is not the day, but it's coming! And soon. Now, if you'll excuse me. I've got people to see, an army to build, revenge to plot. Ooh, so much to do and so little time! Isn't this exciting, Hiccup? You... You must have been so bored over the last three years."

"Yeah, he's got a point about that," said Tuffnut. "Not enough explosions."

"There were explosions?" Eira said curiously.

Dagur walked back to her, stopping right in front of her. "And what should I do with you?"

"You could let me go," Eira said hopefully. "You got what you want, right?"

"True... But leaving you with Hiccup would be so boring. You'll have much more fun with me!" He grabbed her arm with his free hand and started to drag her across the ship.

"Okay, okay, I'll go with you!" she said. "No need to be so rough." Surprisingly, he did loosen up and simply held onto her wrist as she walked beside him.

"Eira!" Hiccup called.

She flashed him what she hoped was a convincing smile. "I'll be fine, Hiccup. Help the others." She was pretty sure Dagur would not hurt her, and if she as with him, she could get back whatever he had taken from Hiccup. Plus, anything she could learn about her new adversary would be a bonus.

"Don't go with him, Eira!" Snotlout shouted after her. "You can't leave me!"

His words caused her heart to pause, but she knew she had to continue with her current course of action. She let Dagur leader her into the rowboat that she assumed would bring them to his ship.

"Alas, my time here has come to an end," Dagur said to Hiccup. "Farewell, for now, brother. Until we meet again on the field of battle."

Eira looked up and noticed Swiftwings circling overhead, silent as always. She made a subtle hand gesture that told her to wait for her signal. The rowboat pulled up to a larger ship, and the girl allowed Dagur to help her up. Her mind swarmed with ideas for her next move.

Looking back at the ship they had abandoned, she saw Hiccup and Toothless flying towards them. Dagur seemed to expect this, and he fired off a catapult. However, the cannon ball flew past Hiccup and struck the ship behind him, creating a hole that would allow water to flood in and eventually sink the ship.

Eira gasped. "No!" She should have expected something like this, of course. This guy was a villain, and this was no drill.

Dagur laughed maniacally. "Isn't this exciting? What will he choose, ladies and gentlemen? Saving his friends or capturing his mortal enemy, his brother?"

Hiccup glared at Dagur before turning around and flying back to his friends.

Dagur frowned. "Hmm. Disappointing, but all-so-typically Hiccup."

Eira looked from the sinking ship back to Dagur, her mind spinning. It was time to take a chance. "I think I understand," she said slowly. "You can't kill someone in cold blood, but you have no problem making it happen from a safe distance."

Dagur looked at her in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I would be careful, miss," one of the ship's crew members said, laughing. "He did kill his father in cold blood in order to become chief."

Glancing at Dagur, who nodded vigorously, Eira could not help but have her doubts. "Did you see him do this?"

The Viking faltered. "Er, well, no..."

"Did anyone see him?"

"Not that I am aware of..."

"Then if he did kill him, how do you know he didn't do something like throw him in the ocean and expect him to drown?"

"Enough!" Dagur shouted. "Are you trying to make me look like a coward and a fool?"

Eira shook her head. "Not at all. The real coward kills for convenience. It is a sign of cleverness to not have to resort to that, isn't it?"

Dagur stared at her as if searching for any insincerity. Apparently finding none, he grinned at her. "Oh, you are quite right! I knew I liked you. Now, I wonder what this thing does?" He held up the cylindrical object he had taken from Hiccup.

Eira let out a silent breath of relief. Now that she had some information, it was time to get out of her. She turned to the side so no one would see the signal she gave her dragon in the sky.

She waited until Dagur became fully engrossed in his new toy before speaking: "Thank you for your hospitality, Dagur, but I think I'll be taking my leave."

Dagur looked at her. "What?"

Before he could react, she ran right at him and swiped the object he held loosely in one hand. At that moment, Swiftwings, flew over the ship, and Eira managed to latch onto her leg and climb onto her back.

"What is that?!" Dagur exclaimed.

Eira grinned at him. "This is Swiftwings, my Windwalker. See you later, Dagur." The dragon zoomed away from the ship before the crew had a chance to react. They had not come far before they came across Hiccup and Toothless headed their way.

"Eira, you're alright!" Hiccup said in relief.

"I am," Eira said. "And how about the others?"

"They're fine. They're on their way back to Berk now." He peered behind her at Dagur's ship. "I have to go back for-"

"This?" Eira said, holding up the cylindrical object.

Hiccup appeared surprised. "Yes! You got it back! Thank you."

Eira smiled and tossed the item at him. "No problem. Let's go home!"

"I couldn't agree more."

They flew side by side, away from Dagur and the graveyard of ships. Eira attempted to focus on the journey ahead, but her mind insisted on replaying the evening's events. She had so much to digest. She could not wait to share her findings with the others!

A/N: Hey, guys! I'm back. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're now getting into the show and the action. Let me know what you think!