Chapter 38: Uneasy Alliance

The dragon riders worked quickly to secure Dragon's Edge before the impending attack. They hid in their huts when the Shellfire struck. Unfortunately, the first wave was about all they could handle. Once it was over, they met in the clubhouse to discuss their next course of action.

"Okay, I'm not sure about you, but there's no way I'm sitting through that again," Snotlout said. "We have dragons; we should be out there sinking their ships."

"The fire isn't coming from the ships," Hiccup explained, "it's coming from the Shellfire."

All eyes were on Viggo as he strolled into the room and spoke: "I hate to be the one to say I told you so but-"

"How did you get out?!" Hiccup exclaimed.

Viggo smiled. "My friend Snotlout was good enough to allow me to use the facilities."

"Oh he did, did he?" Hiccup shot Snotlout an accusing look.

"What?" Snotlout said. "He scares me. And besides, when you got to go, you got to go, and who knows that better than me?"

"Maybe you could have kept an eye on him?" Eira suggested.

Snotlout made a face. "Ew, gross."

"That's not what I meant..."

"Hiccup, you must allow me to assist you for the sake of us all," Viggo said imploringly. "The Shellfire range is over a mile. Ryker is using ships - my ships to be exact - to protect it."

"Then we need to get passed the ships," Astrid said.

"We better do it quickly," Hiccup said. "Ruff, Tuff, you're up."

"We're on it," Ruff said.

"Hey!" Snotlout said. "What about me?"

Hiccup gestured to Viggo. "Just look after your new best friend there. And Eira, you watch Snotlout."

"Where's the fun it that?!"

"It's not supposed to be fun. And I don't care how scary he is, do not let him out of your sight again."

"Hiccup," Eira said tentatively, "I think maybe you should let Viggo help. We have a common enemy, and it wouldn't make sense for him to turn on us at this point."

Hiccup hesitated at the door. Eira saw conflicted emotions on his face, and for the first time, she thought he might listen to her. Then he glanced at Astrid, and his resolve hardened. "I'm sorry, Eira. It's too risky to try testing one of your theories."

"But-" Eira grit her teeth in frustration when she was left alone with Viggo and Snotlout. When would the others take her seriously? She had been right about Dagur... She sighed and turned to her companions. "This isn't very productive."

"I agree," Snotlout said. "I've got a better idea. Come on." He looked back at Viggo to make sure he was following him and then led the way out of the clubhouse.

"You need to be more forceful with Hiccup, Eira," Viggo said as they walked. "Show him you mean business."

"He does have a thick head," Snotlout agreed. "He rarely even listens to me."

"Hiccup is worried about making the wrong decision," Eira said. "It's a lot of pressure to be in charge of so many people... and dragons."

"Which is why he needs to learn to delegate," Viggo said. "Not everything needs to be on him."

Eira agreed, but she did not think this was the time to bring it up to Hiccup. Snotlout led them to the stables, where he promptly locked Viggo in a cage. This way, they could go fight instead of watching him.

"I don't know about this," Eira said uneasily.

"If you've got a better idea, you need to talk to Hiccup," Snotlout said. "Let's go!"

The ground suddenly shook underneath their feet. Eyes wide, Eira hopped on Swiftwings and followed Snotlout and Hookfang into the air. She nervously glanced back at the stables. She wanted to help her friends, but something did not feel right about leaving Viggo.

"Convince Hiccup you're right about Viggo and everything will be fine," Snotlout said.

Eira frowned. "It's not that easy." She ducked as a fireball came flying at them. She looked at the stables once more and gasped when she saw them on fire. "Snotlout, we have to go back!"

"But Hiccup said-"

"I don't care!" Eira turned around and flew back to the stables as quickly as possible. "Swiftwings, water balls!" The Windwalker was able to put out small patches of fire, but the fire had spread too fast for her to save the stables.

Viggo looked at her in relief when she approached the cage. "You came back."

"Of course I did." Eira instructed Swiftwings to use her water on the cage bars. Then she opened the door, allowing Viggo to walk out. She paused unsure of how to process. "I guess we have to fly out of here."

"Hold on!" said a voice from outside. Snotlout and Hookfang stood at the entrance to the stables. "I'm not letting him ride with you; it's too dangerous."

Eira frowned. "But we have to get him out of here."

"He can ride with Hookfang and me."

Eira looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were scared of him."

"I am, but there are worse things to be scared of."

Eira smiled in understanding. "Thank you."

"This is very touching," Viggo said, "but can we get out of here before this place collapses?"

"Come on," Snotlout said, climbing onto Hookfang. He offered Viggo his hand and helped him up behind him. Then they took to the air with Eira and Swiftwings beside them. Once they spotted Hiccup and Astrid hovering nearby, they flew out to meet them.

"Hiccup!" Eira said. "We need to talk."

"Now is not the best time," Hiccup said.

"Now is the only time!"

"Snotlout, why is Viggo with you?" Astrid said.

"I locked him up so Eira and I could help you guys," Snotlout explained, "but then the stables caught on fire and Eira wanted to rescue him."

"Good work, Eira," Hiccup said.

"Hiccup, I can help," Viggo said, "if you will allow me."

Hiccup gave him an exasperated look. "How? How are you gonna help?"

"I can advise you on defeating my brother and stopping the Shellfire."

"You got that all figured out, do ya?"

"As luck would've it, I do."

"Hiccup, please listen to him," Eira said earnestly.

Hiccup hesitated. "Eira-"

"You once said my area of expertise is people. It's what makes me valuable to the team, right? An expert is most important in difficult cases like this one. Don't trust him; trust me. I've talked to him. From the best I can gather, you can allow him to help up until Ryker is defeated. After that, you can resume full caution. But unless you have a better plan, we need Viggo."

Hiccup stared into her eyes, appearing deep in thought. "Fine," he said. "Let's land and regroup."

Relief flooded Eira's chest as she followed the others to the ground. Now she had to have faith she made the right decision. Once they landed, Viggo climbed off Hookfang and moved towards Toothless.

"Hiccup, are you sure about this?" Astrid said. "Are we really trusting Viggo to be on the loose, especially now?"

"Well, if Viggo can help figure out how to stop this attack-" Hiccup said.

"What if he can't? What if he won't? What if it's part of the plan? We just walked into it."

"Then, we just walked into it. But, I'm making the call. Viggo and I are gonna take this thing down." Hiccup helped Viggo onto Toothless, and they flew off.

"He'll be fine," Eira said, giving Astrid a smile smile.

Astrid looked at her worriedly. "You better be right."

"We have bigger problems to deal with," Snotlout said. "What are we going to do?"

"You two go help the others fight the ships. I'm following Hiccup and Viggo."

"Is that really necessary?" Eira said. But Astrid was gone before she could respond.

"She worries too much," Snotlout said.

Eira sighed. "Come on." The two of them flew out in search of their friends. They soon spotted Heather, Ruff, and Tuff headed for the ships out on the water. They increased their speed to catch up to them.

The dragon hunters attacked as soon as they were in range. The riders were able to keep up with them well, but then the Shellfire aimed at them.

"Oh, boy," Snotlout said. "This is gonna hurt."

"And there's no cover out here," Heather said. Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling from underwater.

"What was that?" said Tuff just before a giant dragon burst from the water.

Ruff grinned. "That, my friend, was a Submaripper." The dragon faced off against the Shellfire and attacked.

"Where did that come from?" Snotlout exclaimed. "And why is it helping us?"

Hiccup and Astrid appeared near the Submaripper, and Heather sighed in relief. "They're alive," she said. "Thank Thor!"

"For the last time, they're not dying! It's gambling. Gambling!"

Heather and Eira gave him odd looks. "This must have been Viggo's plan," Eira said. "I knew he could - and would - help us."

"You do know your villains," Heather said.

Eira shrugged. "They're humans like anyone else. They can be motivated to help us out once in awhile if you know how to work with them."

Snotlout grinned. "Good thing we have you."

Eira smiled at him. "Right. Now let's finish this!"

With the Shellfire out of the way, the riders were easily able to destroy the rest of the ships. Ryker was in a panic as his hunters abandoned him and his ship began to sink. At long last, it was finally over.

While the others swept the ocean for any lingering threats, Eira started for the volcano because she had seen Hiccup fly that way. She had not seen Viggo with him and wondered what happened. She did not have to wait long, for she came upon a surprising scene. Hiccup and Toothless stood on the volcano, and facing them was Viggo on Stormfly, holding a dagger to Astrid's throat.

"Let me guess," Hiccup said. "You want the Dragon Eye in exchange for Astrid."

"Though it sounds so much colder when you say it like that," Viggo said. "But, yes. While I do appreciate your assistance in putting brother in his rightful place, I must insist that you return it to where it belongs. With me."

"Hiccup, don't even think about it," Astrid said.

"Viggo, you don't need to do this," Eira said. She slipped off Swiftwings and took a cautious step towards the man.

"I'm afraid I do, dear Eira," Viggo said without an ounce of sympathy. "I have lost everything. This is all I have left."

Eira shook her head. "We can help you. We can find another way. What about that woman you told me about? Maybe I could bring you to Torvald and-"

"Do you really think the people of Torvald would accept me? Would allow me to marry one of their own?" Viggo's voice took on an icy tone, causing the girl to flinch. "It would never work. Yes, the people of Torvald are quite compassionate - as long as they don't get too close. No, they wouldn't approve of me just like they won't approve of Dagur."

Eira's eyes widened, and she took a step back. "W-What?"

Viggo smirked. "But I think you already knew that." He looked to Hiccup and tightened his grip around Astrid. "Come, now, Hiccup. Are you really going to sacrifice your future or the wonderful years you have ahead of you for that?" His eyes fell on the Dragon Eye in Hiccup's hands.

Hiccup's expression hardened. "Wow, Viggo," he said. "Well, I guess when you put it that way, no, I'm not." He walked toward Viggo with the Dragon Eye held high. Viggo let go of Astrid and dropped to the ground. Then Hiccup hurled the Dragon Eye past Viggo and into the center of the volcano.

"No!" Viggo cried. He raced after the Dragon Eye, but he could not grasp it. Instead, he slipped off the edge and fell into the volcano.

Hiccup dove for him, but it was no use. Eira was soon by his side, staring down into the volcano in horror. "Viggo..." Hiccup whispered. "It didn't have to end this way."

Eira could hardly believe her eyes. Viggo had just... And she had so much hope for him. She let out a heavy sigh. "You tried," she said softly. "Thank you."

Hiccup nodded at her. Then he turned to face Astrid. Eira walked past them to give them some space. They all needed some time to decompress. Not a minute later, the other riders arrived at the volcano. They stared at something past Eira, and she turned around to find Hiccup and Astrid ending a kiss.

"This-" said Snotlout.

"Changes-" added Fishlegs.

"Everything," finished Ruff.

Eira looked at them in surprise. "You guys didn't know they were together?"

Snotlout gave her an odd look. "How did you know?"

"It's called being observant."

"You notice other people's feelings but not your own?" Heather said.

Eira shrugged. "It's easier to see in other people." She remembered the last thing Viggo said to her, and an uneasy feeling filled her stomach.

"Okay, gang," Hiccup said. "Once more around the island. Let's make sure the Edge is secure." Excitement filled the air as they took off. The dragon hunters were defeated once and for all!

Later that day, the dragon riders returned the the dragon hunter base to search for any useful or dangerous items. Eira scoured Viggo's tent with Hiccup, Dagur, and Snotlout. She was searching for something a bit different from the others. She spotted a curious chest and pried it open.

"What's that?" Snotlout asked, peering into the chest, which was filled with parchment paper.

Eira picked up one of the papers and scanned the writing. "They're letters. Love letters... Addressed to Viggo."

"That story was real?" Dagur said.

"What story?" said Hiccup.

"Viggo gave me information about some attack on Torvald," Eira explained. "He wanted me to guarantee the safety of a woman he courted there."

Snotlout scrunched his face in confusion. "Viggo was in love? I didn't think he would be capable of that."

Eira frowned. "Everyone is capable of love, Snotlout."

"But what could she see in him?"

Eira picked up another letter. "Something we couldn't. People have different sides to them, and sometimes it takes a special person to bring it out." She quickly checked the dates of a handful of letters. "She wrote to him nearly every month..."

"Look what I found!" Dagur said excitedly. He held up a sealed letter from Viggo's desk. "It looks like Viggo was getting ready to send another one to her."

"Oh, let's read it!" Snotlout said.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup scolded. "It's private. Now help me move this stuff outside." He motioned to the pile he gathered.

"Fine," Snotlout grumbled.

"Here," Dagur said, handing the letter to Eira. "You should probably take this."

"Thank you," Eira said softly. She looked from the sealed letter to the chest of papers. She knew what she had to do. She looked at Dagur almost regretfully. "I need to find her. I need to give her the letter and tell her what happened to Viggo."

"You could send the letter like Viggo intended."

Eira shook her head. "No, I need to see her in person. I need to make sure she's safe like I promised Viggo. And I need to get information about the attack to the king. I have to visit Torvald, Dagur."

"I know." Sadness glistened in Dagur's eyes as he gazed at her. "And I need to return to Berserker Island and rebuild."

Eira bit her lip. This was not how she intended for them to part. There was no closure. What would happen after she came back? Everything would be different. Viggo's warning flashed in her mind, and she hastily pushed it away. "When I get back, I promise I'll sort everything else between us." And maybe talking to her family would give her much needed clarification.

A small smile flickered on Dagur's face. "I'm going to miss you, Eira." He pulled her into a hug, which she gladly returned.

"I'll miss you too." Being this close to him, she found it hard not to be overwhelmed by her feelings. She pulled back to look into Dagur's eyes. He started to lean his head in but then stopped. Eira knew why. Before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

She felt Dagur smile against her lips. For a moment, all her problems and worries disappeared, and she simply enjoyed the moment. Dagur rested his forehead against hers when it ended. "I should tell you to take you time," he said, "but I want you to hurry back."

Eira smiled at him, warmth filling her chest. "I'll see you soon, Dagur."

A/N: Season four is finished! We're two thirds of the way done. I'm sorry there's no certainty on the romance yet. We've got some exciting stuff coming up! ;)