, Chapter 7
"Largatha! I can't believe that you would just come here and attack them what were you thinking, oh wait you weren't thinking."
"But"
"No buts I sent you on your first solo mission and now you think you can attack an entire village of warriors."
"But Ragnar I thought "
Astrid watched as Hiccup/Ragnar stood on her front porch with the girl, her head lowered and getting scolded by Ragnar.
"You didn't think! What if you had hurt one of them… what if you had gotten hurt." Hiccup then took off the girl's mask to show a very young girl with a tear running down her face. "Do you know what would happen if you got hurt." Hiccup then took the girl into his arms and hugged her. "I love you kid but next time you can't do that"
"Ok uncle rag." She said in a sad voice
"Uhhh Ragnar you mind telling me what the hell is going on," Astrid said walking up to the two
"Sure but let's got inside"
As they came inside Astrid made some breakfast for them all
"Ragnar, who is this?"
"This is my niece, lagertha "
Largatha with a smile waved at Astrid as she ate her food.
"Ragnar, who is this?" Asked largatha as she wolfed down her food
"This is commander hoferson and we have been hired to protect and train the village against raiders and enemy clans."
"The way you fought you need some training." lagertha said with a snarky tone
Astrid just shot Hiccup/Ragnar a glare and then spoke.
"So lagertha how old are you?"
"I'm 13"
Astrid almost choked on the yak that she was eating when she heard this. How could a thirteen-year-old not only ride dragons but defeat and hold off seven trained warriors
"Trained her myself with the help of her...wack" as he was talking Astrid's door was kicked open and in came a what could only be described as a bloodthirsty Heather.
"WHERE IS SHE!" Heather YELLED OUT
"She's fine Heather, no one is hurt" as Hiccup said this largatha had ducked behind a pillar in the center that supported the house.
Largatha soon moved from behind it
"Hi...mom" she said raising her hand in the air awkwardly.
As Largeatha said this Astrid spit out some of the yak milk that she was drinking.
"What! That's your mother"
Before Largeatha could respond Heather had rushed over and hugged Largeatha as hard as she could.
"Uh.. mom your.. squeezing… me...I can't breathe."
"I heard what happened out there and I thought you were hurt"
"Mom I'm fine"
"Good" as soon as Heather said this she went from hugging to grabbing Largeathas ear and pulling her out the door. And Astrid and Hiccup fallowed.
"Ow ow ow wow wow mom I'm sorry it won't happen again."
"Your damn right it won't happen again I'm not letting you leave her without one of us again"
"Mmmmooooommmm! Stop" she said in pain
"Heather I already scolded the girl she's pretty sorry about it." Hiccup said
"Uhhh she hasn't even begun to be sorry for it.." she said stomping her way to the house that she came from.
All while this was happening Astrid couldn't help but laugh at how similar her family was. If she had done something like this then her mom would have acted similarly.
As they reached the guest house Heather told Largeatha to wait in the other room.
"Mom comes on I thought Ragnar needed help it was an honest mistake."
"I don't want to hear it now go"
As she stormed off Heather,Hiccup and Astrid sat down at the table and Hiccup poured some ale for himself.
"Don't be so hard on the kid it was a misunderstanding," Astrid said
"You don't tell me how to parent and maybe I won't take revenge on you for attacking my daughter!" She said glaring at her
Astrid felt the hostile tone in the sentence. Heather was clearly protective of the girl.
"Heather I think it is safe to say it was an accident." Hiccup/Ragnar said
Before they said anything thing Eret stepped in to throw the door. "Sir I need to talk to you"
Hiccup walked out with Eret while Heather stayed with Astrid and Largeatha in the house.
"what happened"
"I stepped out to get food and when I came back I found her at my door with her mask on but before i could confront her she was confronted by two guards and they asked her to identify herself and when she failed to do so they grabbed her and she fought back. "
"How did she fight," Heather asked
"She took me and 6 other guys down. You trained her well."
"Heather I'm sorry for the fight I didn't know she was your daughter"
"It's fine I'm just a little protective of her."
"She sure knows how to fight. you trained her well."
"she's a fighter when we found her on one of our jobs in Gaul, she was unconscious in the middle of a war zone. We brought her back to camp and when she awoke she didn't know who she was or where she was."
"Did she have anything on her to show where she may have come from?"
"nothing on her when I searched her body. When she woke up I was the first person she saw and from that point on she would not leave my I gave her a bath I did find something"
"What"
She had a full tattoo on her back. It was one of the most beautiful tattoos I had seen, it must have been done by a master. But what was most striking about it was what was on it. Someone had tattooed Valkyrie wings on her"
"Hmm I take it she didn't know anything about how she got those tattoos"
"No, when I took a mirror and showed her, the look of fear was heartbreaking,"
"I would have been terrified to not knowing who I was and to have strange drawings on me"
"I told Ragnar that he should finish the job without me and that I would stay at camp with Largeatha to take care of her since I could not just leave her. While everyone was away we just sat and talked and wandered around camp. I went into one of the tents for moment to grab some food for lunch but when I had returned Largeatha was not outside of the tent where I had left her. I ran around camp searching for her and couldn't find her. I then saw tracks leading into the forest and I grabbed my ax, I didn't have wind shear with me, Ragnar had asked for barrow her. When I ran in through the forest following the tracks I saw her in a clearing."
"What was she doing"
She was looking up. I went to grab her and get her and take her back to camp but when I approached her a monstrous nightmare came crashing down"
Flashback
Look out!"
Heather ran with her ax raised. A monster's nightmare had come crashing down was feet away from the little girl. Heather came and throw a knife at the dragon as it was getting closer. The dragon backed away as she grabbed the girl and ran for the trees. Before they could reach the forest a large flame shot hit in front stopping them from escaping. Heather turned to the girl "I want you to run as fast as you can. Go back to camp and hide."
"What will you do?" She said looking up at Heather.
"I will hold her off" Heather knew this girl had a better chance to live if she stayed and fought. Heather grabbed her ax and Ran at the monster's nightmare. She swung her ax at the head of the dragon but the Beast turned its body swinging its tail at Heather hitting her. As she was sent to the ground feet away Heather Saw that the girl had not run away.
Slowly the dragon moved towards the girl. "Run girl run!" Heather yelled trying to get up
As the dragon became only feet away from the girl. Heather looked on in tears as the girl just stood in front of a monstrous nightmare.
The girl looked up at the dragon as it opened its jaws but she was not afraid… in fact, she felt almost no fear looking down the mouth of a dragon. Maybe it was better to die like this. At least now she wouldn't be afraid of what she could not remember.
Suddenly two nadders came crashing down.
Heather was finally on your feet and she was running towards the girl while the nadders were fighting with the monstrous nightmare.
When Heather reached the girl she hugged her tightly out of instinct. She then turned to the dragon fight that was happening.
As the nadders finished fighting off the monstrous nightmare they turned and slowly walked toward Heather and the girl.
They came to their defense Heather still had the girl behind her.
The girl was watching this all godown and when she saw the nadders something seemed strangely familiar. She couldn't even remember her own name but these dragons… it was like she had seen them somewhere.
She knew she had to get a closer look so she got up. Heather tried to stop her but the girl didn't even recognize the hand that was holding her arm. As she approached the dragons they approached her. One of the dragons was great and the other was blue. She noticed that they had saddles on them already.
The dragons were a foot away from her head and but the girl had no fear at all, it felt like she had known these dragons before but this was the first time seeing them. Something in her told her to hold out her hand, these dragons where. Not acting aggressively, not like the last one, both the girl and Heather noticed that.
When the girl raised her hand the great dragon stepped forward and rested its forehead into the palm of her hand. Heather watched with amazement as this happened. Who was this girl? How did she know to do this and did she know these dragons and why did they have Saddles? These were all questions that she thought to her self.
The blue dragon bowed its head in submission to both the girl and to Heather it seamed and when the girl went to the dragon's side heather fallowed.
"What are you doing," Heather asked as the girl was looking at the saddle with pockets and other stuff on it.
"I doing know something tells me that I have seen this dragon before," the girl said looking at the saddle.
The dragon was still calm and Heather notice that it acted like wind shear when she was about to go for a ride.
The girl noticed on the saddle that there was a name on it "earthquake" when she said this the dragon looked at her and nodded her with her head. The girl felt calm when the dragon did this, she didn't know why but it felt familiar.
Inside the pocket, there were a knife and town sticks. She first looked at the sticks and showed them to Heather and when Heather examined them she figured out what they were "flick" Heather flicked the sticks to the side and they became longer. She then connected them and she made a staff. "It's a staff kid," she said handing it to the girl. Again the girl could not explain it but this staff felt so good in her hands. Then she looked at the knife and found that the blade handle had a name carved in on it.
"Largeatha," the girl said out loud. Something about this blade something about this staff, about these dragons. It scared her that she did not know why they keeper showing up to her or why whenever she touched them she felt like she had seen them before.
What does that mean" asked Heather tho she knew it was a name.
"I...i think it's my name," she said looking down at it
Heather could tell that this was all a lot for the girl so she decided she would trie to help cheer her up. " does it sound like your name"
"I don't know I can't even remember how old I am, I'm terrified I want to go home but I don't know where that is" she said with a tears coming down her face " I'm scared, I just want to know what is happening but I don't even know if I have a family"
Heather felt heartbroken for this little girl. Out of nowhere she just hugged her and laid her head on the girl's head as the little girl sobbed into her chest. "I was taken from my family, I don't remember what they look like. Then I started a new family and gave my self a new life, stick with me kid and we will find your home." She said as the little girl was looking up at her face.
"It does feel like my name. I think I will keep it"
The present
"Two nadders came down during the fight. Are those the dragons we saw.?"
"Ya, stormfly and earthquake Largatha rides earthquake and storm fly just follows them around."
"How did you come to be her mother. I mean if you don't mind me asking."
"After all of that we went back to camp and I told Ragnar about what happened"
He agreed that we would take her with us and look for her family or if we could find someone who had seen the dragons and could point us in the right direction of where they came from.
Over time while she was with us she became less like a tag-along and more like a member of the family. I would watch her feed her wash her train her and protect her and our bond grow closer. a year of searching and going all across the archipelago and the mainland we found nothing. No birth family, no tribe that recognizes her or her dragons that fallow us everywhere.
FLASHBACK
After a year of searching and them finding nothing, Heather was worried that when she told Largeatha that the chances of finding her family was thin and she should not hold out hope. It would be heartbreaking to hear. Heather had grown very close to Largeatha. So close that it was noticeable to everyone.
Hiccup Eret Nadia and Heather all sat down while Largeatha was in the other room and they discussed what they would do when they told her that it was a slim chance that they would find her family or where she came from.
"Who will tell her" asked Eret drinking ale
"I will, as leader of the syndicate I will tell everyone what is their business, that is my burden to bear"
"No, I should I brought her to hear I should tell her" interrupted Heather.
I think that we are getting ahead of hour selves here. What happens after we tell her" asked Nadia looking at all three of them "it's not like she is going to go live on her own the girl is only 10"
"I won't be the one to kick her out," said Eret
She can remain with us but someone will have to take care of her and assume parental responsibility. She is just a child and she needs someone to take care of her while we are working. Or course if you assume this role it will not affect your role as a mercenary. It just means that when you are here or out on a job with us you have to take care of her, of course, we will help but you will get the lion's share." Hiccup said this looking at everyone. They where all Still young so taking care of a ten-year-old child was a big commitment but it did not surprise him when Heather stud up.
"If she accepted me then I will adopt her as my own with you permission leader."
"Heather I think that you would be great for the job, so you have my permission From the order of the dragon guild syndicate if Largeatha accepts you to adopt her as your own."
"We still haven't decided who will tell her yet." Said, Nadia
"I will. If she is going to be apart of our family then she most learn that all news good or bad will come from me. Heather, I will tap on the door and when I do you come in."Heather understood
Hiccup walked into the room where Largeatha was playing with a terrible terror. Hiccup was surprised at how quickly she had become so used to handling dragons. He pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat next to it. Largeatha and Hiccup weren't extremely close yet and she was still only comfortable around Nadia or Heather but she looked up to Hiccup. both as a leader and as a protector
"Largeatha can I talk to you for a minute"
"Of course sir, " she said putting down a terrible tear as it crawled over to Hiccups' shoulder.
"Please you can call me Hiccup although when we're working you remember what I told you to call me right?"
"Yeah, you told me to call you Ragnar. Why is that?"
"Well it kinda has to do with what I came in here to talk to you about." Hiccup pulled out a large map and laid it down on the bed that she was sitting on "we have been to many places and each place we've been to I have asked them if their map is as complete or if it is bigger than mine and no one has outdone my map. Largatha we have been to every tribe every Kingdom and every village on this map and each tribe kingdom or village I made it a purpose to ask them if they had known you or your dragons and none of them had said that they had. Do you understand what I'm saying"
Largatha looked at the map. She realizes that she had been to all these places with them. It had been quite remarkable to think that she's been to all of these places. " I think I have an idea of what you're saying"
"Largatha do you know why I don't want people to know my real name when I work on a job? It's because I can become someone else. Someone who isn't me." Hiccup put his hand on Largeatha back. "You don't know who gave you those Tattoos on your back and for whatever reason you have the luxury of not knowing." Hiccup started to take off parts of his left shoulder armor to reveal skin Largeatha looked as he did it, hearing him say this made a lot of things go through her head. Once his bear arm was revealed she was shocked his arm was completely scarred. But it was shocking to find that not only did it have scars but it also had a beautiful tattoo of a dragon that she did not recognize With its two horns chained.
"Your tattoo it's of a Dragon. But why is it chained?"
"Largatha before I was a mercenary I had to do some things that I was not proud of things that were horrible and the leader of the man who made me do those things forced me to mark myself with this tattoo. If I could forget all about it I would but I can't" Hiccup then showed her all the scars on his arm somewhere deep somewhere debits and others looked like they had been done from horrible horrible deeds. "my scars, I remember them all who gave them to me and how I got them."
Largatha looked down at all the scars. She wondered how many of them are from humans. She wanted to touch them but she was afraid to ask "why are you telling me this"
"Largatha you have what most people will never get. A second chance to start over. A new life."
"Does this mean that you'll stop helping me?
"No, in fact, the opposite I'm asking you to join our family."
those words rang in her head and it took her a few seconds for her to register what had just been said, family. She would have a family "You mean I can stay...with you"
Hiccup leaned in his chair and knocked on the door to her room and then came Heather. " all of us talked about you joining us and Heather has decided if you accept she will take you as her daughter. This means that she will adopt you.
"Will she be my mom?"
"If that is what you want." Hiccup said before leaving
Heather came in and sat on the bed.
Largeatha looked at her not saying a word. Too scared to speak.
"Did Hiccup explain to you everything?" Heather asked still keeping Largeatha at arm's length to not make her feel trapped.
Largeatha looked at her knees "he did"
"I'm very sorry...did he tell you anything else"
"He told me that you offered to...adopt me"
Heather looked at Largeatha in the eyes. While she had been with them Heather had been the one to look out for her, To care for her and to teach her about dragons. Apart of Heather had fallen in love with this girl, indeed Largeatha made Heather's motherly side come out whenever she would have a bad dream Heather would rush in and stay with her until she calmed down and whenever Largeatha wanted to go and play with the other kids she would ask Heather if it was all right.
"Yes but only if you…." Before she could finish Largeatha had Heather in a large hug. Heather was not expecting this but she did not pull away.
"Thank you," Largeatha said while hugging Heather. She then pulled away to look Heather in the eyes
Heather couldn't stop smiling a tear was coming down her face. "I want you to know that me adopting you means that I will become your mother however that can mean whatever you want it to mean," she said wiping away a tear
"Do you want to be my mom?" largatha said nervously
Heather paused before speaking "I would like nothing more than to be your mother" she said moving closer, taking Largeathas hands into her own. "But only if you want to be my daughter"
"I do, I really do!" Largeatha said crying
Heather pulled Largeatha into her chest "herl met miar" Heather said in Largeathas native language.
PRESENT
"That's kind of you to take her in like that."
"I was taken from my family and I remember what it's like not having a mother, I won't let what happen to me happen to her which is why I'm so protective of my girl."
Astrid looked at the room which held Largeatha in it.
"What does (herl met miar) mean?"
" it means to come here my little moon. In Gaelic, you call your daughters the moon"
"Wait when I went looking for you where was she during that time?"
Astrid could hear from the other room
"I was on a mission!" Largeatha poked her head out of the room that she was in
"Hey what did I say about Eavesdropping," Heather said throwing a shoe at the wall
Largeatha ducked back into her room laughing.
"Much to my protest Ragnar ordered Largeatha to go on her first solo job. The bog burglar tribe needed help and we all agreed that it would be a good first job"
"Where the hell is your boss anyways "
"Eret needed to talk to him about our reinforcements."
"What reinforcements"
"The rest of the dragon guild syndicate is here"
"Really! Where."
"They're camped outside of the village. Ragnar will go and talk to them and then meet with your chief to tell him that officers have arrived."
As Hiccup stepped out of the house to speak with Eret he was greeted by toothless and a barrage of licks
"Come on toothless you know this doesn't wash out."
As Hiccup, Eret and toothless sat down on the porch. Hiccup had instructed Eret to find out about his family as well as take care of the dragons and keep enemy spy's away.
"What's there to report," Hiccup said looking at the sunrise
"The spy's that I hunted down 2 weeks ago off the coast of here were traced back to a large raiding party gathering off the sullen sea"
"Did you do any recon on how many there were"
"I could not get close enough to see how many troops there where but judging by how many ships that where gathered I would say 1200. On the bright side I did not see any dragon riders."
"We are still outnumbered though"
"We can win,
"Ya we can With heavy casualties, that does not sit right with me."
"What do you suggest "
"That we strike first. Raid there fleet before they can raid us."
"Not bad,We will lose our defensive positions though. We would also have to fight on where their numbers will come into play."
"We take a portion of the fleet and attack. Then we retreat and lead there fleet right into an ambush at a nearby island."
"I suggest that we recruit dragons to pull the boats and Make them faster."
"Just because we have the alpha does not mean we use it"
"It would give us the edge that we need"
"I dont want to put the dragons in harms way"
"The wont be. They will only push the boat "
Hiccup didnt like it boat new that it he should at least consider it
"Did you find out about what i asked?"
Eret turned to Hiccup "i did" Eret gestured to Hiccup to fallow
As they walked throw the village that was still waking up Eret brought Hiccup to a statue in the corner of the village.
Hiccup approached it and looked at the statue. Then looked down to see righting in stone "the great Stoick the vast one of berks greatest chiefs may you find peace in Valhalla."
"Is this?" Hiccup asked nervously looking up at the statue
"I asked around if they knew about a warrior named Stoick and they pointed me here. I then asked what happen and the strays are exactly the same"
Hiccup heard what Eret said but was still staring up at the statue. He never met his father and yet this statue was the closest thing he had. He put on his mask to not show emotion and Eret new that he wanted to be alone.
After Eret gave Hiccup some space Hiccup just stood looking at the statue.
He eventually said, "hey dad" in an awkward voice "I know if you saw me today then you outdo be ashamed of me but I'm trying to make amends" Hiccup gesturing to toothless to come closer. "I have avenged you father," Hiccup said pulling out the same small short sword that he used to kill drago " your people came to me, I won't let them or you down. Once my job is complete then I will go...be gone so I don't disgrace your memory anymore." Hiccup took the short sword and put it on an altar under stoiks statue.
"Boss I'm going to tell cami and the other wingmaidens to get ready then I will tell the chief that we need to talk."
Hiccup knew that it was only a statue but he just wanted to stand and look at it. He could see why drago could think that he could be judge and great. Even if it only was a statue this man was massive. After a while Hiccup sat next to the statue just talking to it, telling his father all the crazy adventures he has been on or all the places he has been to.
After a while, people started to notice Dragos champion talking to stoiks statue and if they didn't find it weird they found it offensive. How dare Dragos champion desecrate Stoicks monument by sitting by it.
A large Viking approached Hiccup as he sat next to the statue. The man was older and had a very long mustache. He was missing a leg and a hand but still managed to come off as menacing. When the man approached Hiccup arose to meet the man.
"You and your dragon best just get up and go now." The man said ina determined voice.
"Didn't catch your name?" Hiccup said in a sarcastic voice
"The names gobber and I suggest you leave before I make you," gobber said angrier
"Please forgive me I'm not from around here, I just wanted to pay my respects to an…" Hiccup that about what he would say "old friend"
"How dare you! Now you're going to pay"
Every fiber in gobbers body filled with rage. This man, this monster had no right to even speak his name! Yet he had the nerve to call him his friend. In Stoick's memory, he could not let this go unanswered.
Gobber undid his fake hand and attached a hammer to it and Hiccup new that he was getting red to fight. Hiccup ordered toothless to get in the air so that he does not interfere or get hurt, Hiccup took out his flaming sword and ignited it and gobber was taken aback by it
"You cared for him," Hiccup said in a humble voice
"Eye, I cared for him, and that is why you will die"
"I'm sorry that he is gone," Hiccup said as they both got into position.
"Your sorry!" Gobber said half laughing "there dead, they're all dead because of drago and his men...especially men like you. I can't even begin to think about who you had to kill to get that title."
"No...you can't" Hiccup looked at the man in front of him he then turned to see that a crowd had gathered to watch what would happen.
"Now in front of the gods, I take my revenge on you… for Stoick and for Hiccup"
Hiccup heard his name and winced at the sound. This man knew me. Before I was the champion. Then he shall be the one to do it
"Will my death bring you peace" Hiccup looked at the man, he was in pain tormented by drago. He could offer this one thing.
"What did you say?" Gobber said angrily
Hiccup dropped his sword and took off his helmet and approached gobber
"Will you be at peace with my death?"
"Your death is the only thing that can bring any of us peace"
Hiccup got on his knees "then gobber do what you must to find peace and I will welcome the Valkyries"
Gobber thought about what kind of tricks he was playing but realized he was serious. Gobber went behind Hiccup/Ragnar and raised his hammer
Hiccup knew what was coming and closed his eyes. He was ready. he was going to see all of them. He was going to see her.
As gobber said "any last words"
Hiccup only said one thing "Nadia"
As the hammer came crashing down Hiccup suddenly Heard the sound of metal and Hiccup opened his eyes to see Eret and 4 wing maidens standing in front of him in a protective circle against the crowd.
Hiccup turned to see gobber and a girl fight while other wing maidens formed a circle around him
Hiccup still sat on the ground. More village soldiers arrived and the wingmaidens and Eret grabbed Hiccup and flew out of there
As Hiccup was being carried by two girls he didn't say a word. He just looked at berk. He was so close to the end . Why couldn't they have just let him go?
As they landed at the wingmaidens camp sight a familiar face came out and hugged him.
"Turns out you needed an army" cami said hugging him
Cami can you and the wing maidens give us a minute
"Uh sure" camicazi and the other wingmaidens left the to alone
What the hell happened" Eret said raising his shoulders.
"I don't know," he said
"It looked like you were about to let your head get bashed in"
I just...found peace for a second."
"Dammit Hiccup," Eret said throwing his hands in the air and turning around. "I thought that you were good. That you didn't need use to make sure you didn't do something like that"
What do you want me to say! That I'm sorry for wanting the voices and the screams to stop! That i dont think about it or about her" Hiccup said with tears coming down his face.
"Hiccup I didn't mean"
The man back there knew my father and he knew me before i became the champion. He wanted to avenge me and my father and so I let him."
"Sorry to interrupt but shouldn't we get Heather?" Cami said walking over to them
"Oh shit," Eret said getting back on bone crusher