Chapter 3: The Peace is Over
Hazel and Astrid returned to Berk, where they saw that Heather was waiting for them with Windshear. It was the monthly Berk-Outcast-Berserker-Wingmaiden meeting, so it was bound to reason that they were there. The only people missing were the Wingmaidens, as they were busy this year because a lot of baby Razorwhips had been born.
"Hey, Heather," Hazel and Astrid both bumped their forearms with Heather before entering a small group hug. They saw Mala, Dagur's wife. Queen of the Defenders of the Wing and Chieftess of the Berserkers.
"Hazel Haddock and Astrid Hofferson-Haddock, we were wondering where you were at," Mala said.
"Mala," Hazel said.
"Soon to be Chieftess and General of Berk I hear!" Mala said. She and Hazel grasped each other's arms.
"Yeah, a little nervous," said Hazel. "But there's something..."
"Yeah, your guys' father has been looking for you," Heather said.
"Good because we have to tell him something," said Hazel. She walked past Viggo.
"Hazel, Astrid, there you are," said Grimborn. However, Hazel wasn't worried about his concern over the two women. Sure, he was no longer Viggo Grimborn, chieftain of the Dragon Hunters. No, instead, he was Viggo Grimborn, the dragon rider. The man was the person who had rescued her from Johann and Krogan when she had twisted her ankle and couldn't run. It took Stoick and the whole village a while to trust him to live on Berk. Hazel pet his female Skrill, Elektra. Meanwhile, Astrid was still a bit wary of Viggo, but it appeared to have improved. Heather still disliked him but was only civil towards him for Hazel's sake.
"Hazel, sister," Dagur said.
"No Dagur, not now!" Hazel begged. Suddenly, Dagur brought her into a big hug and swung her around. "Put me down, you idiot!"
Viggo, fed up with the way Dagur was spinning her around, shouted, "Dagur, put her down."
When he didn't, Astrid snapped, "Dagur!" The Berserker chief stopped and placed Hazel down, as she caught her breath.
"Geez, just trying to give my other little sister, a hug," Dagur said.
"Brother, this is serious. Where is my father? It's important!" Hazel begged.
"I left him with Alvin," Dagur answered.
"Why? What is it?" Heather asked. Hazel didn't explain. She, Astrid, Toothless, and Stormfly quickly rushed down to the lower levels, as that was where he and Alvin talked. Stoick was at the forge with Gobber, who was busy making a metal dragon tooth as Alvin was looking out for Hazel and Astrid.
"Any sign of her?" Stoick asked but Alvin said no.
"Ah, she's probably flown off the edge of the world by now," said Gobber.
"You sure you want the kid running the village with Astrid helping her? You can still delay your retirement."
"Oh, she's ready. You'll see."
"Ye shouldn't have scare Hazel off with the 'she's ready to be Chieftess' speech, Stoick?" Alvin asked. Sometimes, he knew his old friend's girl than Stoick did.
"Trust me, Alvin, she's ready," Stoick promised. He looked up and saw his daughters and dragon approaching.
"Ha-ha! There she is!" Stoick yelled, pointing at his daughter and Foster daughter and getting the point across Alvin and Gobber. "Huh? The pride of Berk!"
"Who finally decided to show up for work. Yay." Gobber said. Alvin saw the urgency in Hazel's eyes and he could tell it was something important.
"Sorry. Got held up," Hazel answered. She walked over to Stoick."Hey, Dad, could I have a word?
"Something you're itching to tell me?" Stoick asked.
"Not quite the itch you're thinking of, but yes." Hazel answered.
"Good woman! Now, lesson one. A chief's, or in this case a Chieftess, first duty is to his or her people. So..." Her father called out the number "forty-one," while changing the sign.
What Hazel didn't realize was Dagur, Viggo, and Heather were coming up behind them.
"Astrid, what's going on with Hazel?" Heather looked at their best friend. The Hofferson woman was not sure how to explain.
"Look, well tell you when Stoick listens to her," said Astrid. She went to join her adoptive family.
"Stoick, this is important," Astrid began.
"Of course, it is, lass," said the Chief.
"That's not what we mean," Astrid tried getting a word in but nothing.
"Could we just talk in private for-" Hazel begged but he was too busy taking with a customer. Stoick turned his daughter around.
"Dad, this is actually a little more important than building saddles," said Hazel.
" Ah-ah! Lesson two. No task is too small when it comes to serving your people. Excuse us, Grump." Stoick pet Grump, Gobber's dragon they rescued from dragon hunters. He was a Hotburple, a dragon closely related to the Gronckle. They even look similar, albeit with different features. Hazel could not help but pet him too. However, she had to get her father's mind back on track to their conversation.
"Grump! You let the forge die down again!" Gobber shouted for his dragon. Grump complied and used his fire to light the forges.
Hazel felt she was getting nowhere with her father and gathered things so he's listened to her. She sidestepped from Grump's fire. After followed, passing the fire and listening to Gobber shouting that he was going to give his dragon up for adoption.
Stoick, meanwhile was grabbing things from Hazel's workbench.
"One of these. And this..." Stoick began piling stuff in a tool box.
"DAD!" Hazel yelled again.
"There you go! Go on. Have away."
"But, seriously, I really need to tell you about this new land we came across," said Hazel.
"Another one?!" shouted Gobber. As if on cue, Hazel's other best friend, Fishlegs and Snotlout and the Twins entered.
"Any new dragons?" Fishlegs asked. Hazel took a pencil and paper and began tracing an outline as her father slapped a sheet of leather onto the dragon mold. She spoke as she did it.
"We didn't stick around to find out. These folks weren't particularly friendly," said Hazel. "Almost like Viggo when we first met him." She looked at the former shady man. "No offense." However, Viggo carelessly shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, really? Your Night Fury and Deadly Nadder didn't bring them cheering to the rooftops?" Gobber asked.
"No, this was different. Not the standard run-for-the-hills hoo-ha I've come to enjoy. These guys were trappers. Dragon trappers."
"You should've seen their fort," said Astrid. "All blown apart and stuck in giant spikes of ice. It was weird."
"I've only seen it once before, when a dragon froze Johann before he could kill me," added Hazel. "And worst of all, they thought we did it!"
Gobber popped out his prosthetic tongs and changed it with the wire brush. "Y'know, you two are gonna get yourselves in SERIOUS trouble one of these days. Not everyone appreciates this way of life." He proceeded in brushing his mustache and eyebrows. Hazel shook her head. Didn't they realize what was at stake.
Stoick takes the sheet of leather to the table saw. "Gobber's right, daughter. Best we keep to our own. Besides, you'll have more important uses for your time -" her dad pulled a lever, starting up the machinery.
"Once we make the big announcement!"
" They are building a dragon army," said Hazel. Alvin and Dagur and Mala had their undivided attention towards her, as did the teens and several of the other Vikings. "Or at least the guy they work for is. Dargo Bloody Fist or something." Hazel couldn't come up with the name. However, she missed Stoick giving Gobber and Alvin alarmed looks. They knew what he was talking about, being his oldest friends.
"I'll bloody his fist with my face if he tries to take my dragon!" shouted Tuffnut, bringing his fist into the palm of his hand.
"Or mine," said Ruffnut. Tuffnut glared at his sister.
"You're such a moron." said Tuffnut.
"A beautiful moron," Fishlegs added, staring at her admirably. So was Snotlout.
"Yeah..." said Snotlout. Meanwhile, with Heather, she did not feel entirely comfortable that Fishlegs was flirting with Ruffnut. She still harbored romantic feelings for him.
No, no, I'm not jealous, get it out of your head, Heather, she thought to herself.
However, she felt somewhat relief when she saw the grimace in Ruffnut's face.
"You know, Heather, Fishlegs can be yours if you still want him," said Ruffnut as she passed by her, ignoring Snotlout and Fishlegs. Heather couldn't help but smile just a little bit but she looked back at the Haddocks.
"Bludvist?" Viggo asked, grabbing her shoulders.
"Drago Bludvist?" Stoick added, grasping Astrid's shoulder.
"Yeah, that's it," Astrid said. Hazel nodded then she looked at her father and Viggo skeptically.
"Wait. You know him?" Hazel asked.
"By reputation only," Viggo answered, but Stoick was another story. He began yelling orders, much to everyone's confusion.
"GROUND ALL DRAGONS!" Stoick yelled.
"What? Why?!" Hazel asked.
Dagur and Mala began ordering around the Berserkers and Defender soldiers, including Throk. So was Alvin, ordering the Outcasts to do as Stoick told them. However, Hazel and Astrid, Gobber and Toothless were following Stoick.
"SEAL THE GATES! LOWER THE STORM DOORS!" yelled Stoick.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait! What is happening?" Hazel asked.
"You heard the man! Lock it down!" said Gobber.
"No DRAGON or VIKING sets foot off this island until I give the word!"
"What is the big deal?" Hazel asked Viggo.
"Your father has a right to fear him, Hazel," said Viggo, suspiciously not being as calm as he normally was. "I had reason to believe Drago Bludvist was Johann's and Krogan's secret mysterious buyer for the north. He is a madman, Hazel Haddock, one your family and our friends must fear."
"Because some guy you knew is stirring up trouble in some faraway land?" Astrid asked. Stoick looked at his daughters.
"Because Drago Bludvist is a madman. Without conscience or mercy. And if he's built a dragon army... gods help us all."
He continued yelling orders, as Dragons were put in their cell. Heather was following after Hazel, suspicious that her best friend was going to do something stupid.
"Get them into their pens! Quickly!"
"Then let's ride back out there," said Hazel. "We'll follow those trappers to Drago and talk some sense into him."
"No. We fortify the island."
"It's our duty to keep the peace!"
"Peace is over, Hazel. I must prepare you for war."
"War? Dad, if Drago's coming for our dragons, we can't wait around for him to get here. Let's go find him and change his mind."
"Some minds won't be changed, Hazel. Berk is what you need to worry about. A chief protects his own."
Hazel fumed. She was going to defend her people by stopping a war. Viggo must have seen her face.
"Hazel Haddock, I know that look," said Viggo, Hazel looked at Heather and Astrid.
"Viggo's right, Hazel," said Astrid. "Don't do it."
"I have to," Hazel quickly kissed her sister on the cheek. Quickly, she got on Toothless as they rode to the storm door. Stoick yelled at his daughter to come back. However, she blasted through the doors before he could grab her. Heather and Astrid looked at each other and nodded as they got on their dragon. Dagur saw his sister getting on that dragon.
"Heather, get your but over here!" Dagur shouted. Heather's dragon Windshear just flew past Stoick, following Hazel. Astrid was following as well. The two women started chasing after Hazel. Alvin saw the girls flying out just as much when he came to Stoick.
"Stubborn and determined," said Alvin. "Remind you of anyone, Stoick?"
Stoick glared. "Yes, her mother."