Before beginning with this chapter, I'd just like to take a brief moment and thank everyone for a new milestone.
This story has reached an astounding FIFTY THOUSAND views, and all I can say is; that is insane! Half a hundred thousand! I never imagined that this story would get this far, but here we still are! And thus, I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for reading so far! But still, we have quite a way to go! We are not done yet!
Also, thanks to KorrieChan and dabzzygirl for reviewing last chapter! Great as usual, guys!
The next morning came by like a breeze to Hiccup as he and Toothless sat by the fire. Despite the decent sleep he had last night, the lad was desperate to scout out the forest to find where his friends were being held. But more importantly, he needed food, especially since his stomach now rumbled like a Rumblehorn.
He sighed, glancing at the dancing flames before diverting his attention to Magnus. "We need to find food soon, Magnus, otherwise we'll starve to death out here. Who knows how long it will take before we are found."
"Patience, Hiccup." the older Viking assured him. "We only just sent out our scout not too long ago. Just sit tight, he'll return soon. And if we're lucky, perhaps he'll have located a source of food for us."
"We'll see." replied Eira, peering off into the distance. "It's still quite a bit drizzly from last night ever since the rain started falling, and the whole area's become foggy. We don't know if-"
But before she could finish, another voice suddenly rose up. "Look! Over there! It's our scout!"
In the distance, the Warsung scout which Magnus sent out came into view, and to his surprise, from atop a stolen horse. To this, the Chief arched a brow. Perhaps the warrior had indeed found something.
As the scout approached Magnus, he gave the Chieftain a firm nod and gazed back at him with attention.
"Well, what did you find?" asked Magnus. "And more importantly… where did you get that horse?"
"It's a bit complicated, chieftain." the scout responded to him. "But in other news, I've managed to find food supplies. To the west, there is a hunting lodge supplied with meat, and near that, a farm that houses grain, boars, and yaks; it's also the same place where I found the horse. If we can sack both places, we'll have have enough food for several weeks, albeit, only for a hundred warriors."
The captain next to Magnus sighed, shaking his head. "But we're not ready yet," he replied. "We still need to heal up and get some rest. And besides, that Night Fury still needs to be tended to."
"There's no need to worry about that." Hiccup added, turning to the captain. "You and the others may stay here. Magnus, Eira, and I will follow the scout back through the woods to the farm and lodge. Perhaps we can even find more of our allies along the way."
The captain looked at Magnus with a shrug. "Your orders sir?" he asked.
"...Hiccup's strategy proves to be a good one." replied the black haired Viking. "The three of us are the best stealthers among this group, save for Toothless. We snuck onto Black Rock Isle and dealt a number the enemy; this will be no different. Until I return, I am leaving you in charge, captain."
The captain nodded in agreement. "Very good, chief. I shall carry out your order and overlook the camp till then."
"And take care of Toothless," added Hiccup. "I don't want anything bad happening to him."
"I will do my best, good master Haddock. I promise you," saluted the captain.
And to that, a plan was settled, and the targets were set. Turning their backs to the camp, the three Vikings began their march out into the woods. Simultaneously, the scout started to ride ahead.
"Well then," said the younger Viking. "Where shall we begin?"
…
The three Vikings were now swiftly sneaking through a set of bushes. By then they had traveled a decent distance away from the campsite, and already they were nearing the farm, stationed by a lake. It had everything; a hut, a granary, a storehouse, and a large pen with several horses and other animals.
However, Hiccup knew that even if they tried to upright sneak in, obtaining a good amount of food supplies would still prove to be difficult. After all, they weren't the only ones there.
"Wait, stop!" whispered Hiccup, causing the others to immediately halt. Though they stood directly before the farm, they soon realized that they were not alone.
"A guard's on patrol," added the lad.
Magnus grunted, staring down the hostile Viking. "If that guard catches us, he will blow the warning horn and signal his allies. Our only chance of slipping by undetected is to take him out."
"Then we'll attack when his back is turned." Eira nodded, unsheathing both her daggers from her belt. "Just strike him where he is vulnerable, and then we will loot the place. What say you Hiccup?"
"Sounds like a plan… though I do wonder, why is there only one guard out here? If anything, there should be at least several patrolling this area. Who would leave an important site like a farm under-defended?"
"The rest must be asleep." responded Magnus with a slight smirk. "Fools. They've merely providing us an opening."
"Wait!" said Eira.
Suddenly, in the midst of their conversation, the guard, who had unknowingly passed by the three Vikings, now turned his back, making another lap around the farm and its pen. At that, the opportunity now lied open.
Hiccup immediately unsheathed his blade, lighting it up. "Now!"
The three rushed out of the bushes towards the hostile guard, who, upon hearing their footsteps, was too late to react, for as he turned around, he was immediately pinned down and quickly stabbed to his death. Only gurgles escaped his throat, followed by blood.
Though one obstacle was cleared, that still did not mean that they were in the clear. As Magnus had suggestsd before, the rest were perhaps still asleep somewhere.
To that, the three of them made their way around the area to get a better survey of their surroundings. To their utter surprise, the farm itself was quite large; larger than most.
"Right," began Hiccup. "That's one sheep down from the herd; now to find and deal with the rest of the cattle."
"Must you really talk like that?" asked Eira, to which she and the other Vikings chuckled as they began for the hut.
But for Magnus, the entirety of the situation made him more than just smirk; it also brought back the old memories from when they were still in Kattegat, sneaking down the roads and streets as they dealt with Ivar's guards from the inside-out. He grinned at the thought of it.
"Just like the old days back in Kattegat." he said softly. "Though those were bad times, the memories of sneaking around and killing Ivar's men were good ones."
Hiccup nodded his head just as they stopped before the hut. "Aye... but for now, let's take care of the rest of the sleeping guards. I have a feeling they're in here, most likely..."
The others stood at the Viking's side, inspecting the hut and the wooden granary connected to it, filled to the brim. From outside they could also hear loud snores emanating from the hut, indicating to the three that there was definitely others inside.
Hiccup once again nodded his head at the two, and in unison they re-drew their weapons from their sheaths before silently opening the door, and making their way inside.
The hut itself wasn't much as it was only a large one-roomed structure. However, there were four beds clustered up in the room, and the men sleeping were snoring loudly.
Thankfully, they wore nothing aside their white and brown-leathered sleeping tunics which made things easier for the three Vikings.
"Make silent steps." Hiccup whispered in a low tone. "We don't want to wake them and get our cover blown."
Magnus and Eira bowed their heads in a gesture as they softly lifted their feet and walked across the rugged floor. The wooden planks underneath made soft creaks as they walked - almost tip-toeing.
However, the snoring altogether blocked it out which made things easier, and after what seemed like forever in taking them to reach three of the sleeping guards, Hiccup, Magnus, and Eira were soon above their targets.
Hiccup then gave a nod as he rose his dimly lit sword above his head, with the blade facing down. To that, Magnus and Eira mimicked his actions, and upon raising their arms high enough, the three Vikings wasted no time and immediately brought down their blades in unison upon the three sleeping, unsuspecting guards.
...
Hiccup, Magnus, and Eira stood outside with the fourth guard pinned to the ground on his knees. His hands were tied behind his back with ropes, and his face was dirty from being pushed and dragged around. Eira held a dagger to the hostile Viking's throat, and by then, the man was aware of what was going on.
Hiccup slightly grunted, speaking with a lowered voice. "Ivar ordered you and your allies to chase us through the woods." he said angrily. "And he also ordered you capture my friends and their dragons. You will tell me where they are!"
The man chuckled at Hiccup's demand. "Why would I tell you anything, runt of Kattegat!?" he responded, spitting on the ground. "That is what you are, after all. You always were a-"
Hiccup raised a fist, punching the man in the stomach before grabbing him by the collar of his tunic. "WHERE ON MIDGARD ARE THEY!?" he shouted in his face. "We know you have camps set up in these woods! Our scout found one abandoned. So either you tell me where my friends are, or I'll gut you with burning steel!"
They all stood there for a moment, silent, and waiting for the guard to say something, but the man just sat there without saying a word. He stared at Hiccup, eye-widened at the lad, for he did not anticipate to get punched by the one that Ivar called a 'runt.'
He gave a grunt. "King Ivar did say you were a pain in the arse… But you will never figure out where your friends are being held even if you travel east to the-"
"East!" Hiccup interrupted, now grasping his collar tighter. "So, that is where my friends are then? Where specifically!?"
The guard by that point had nothing to say, for he had realized that he had already given away too much information. Hiccup saw this in his eyes; it was a sense of panic that began to rise within him.
He sighed at the guard. "Very well, then. It seems that we have no further use of you. If you are not going to give us answers, then perhaps you can have a chat to Hel in Helheim while you're at it. This isn't an honorable death by combat after all."
The man instantly tilted his head up at him, tensed. "Wait, what are you-!?"
"Eira, finish him off."
The older Viking nodded as she swung her dagger diagonally. Then, as she neared the guard who tried to break free of his bonds, he was met with a sudden slash across his throat. Soon enough, there was nothing.
Eira wiped herself off as she tipped the man over, looking back at Magnus and Hiccup. "Well, at least we have a clue as to where our friends-"
"MESSAGE!" a familiar voice called out.
In that moment, the sound of a horse galloping from behind caught their attention. Upon turning around, their faces met with the Warsung scout, breathing somewhat heavily.
Magnus approached the scout slowly, arms crossed. "What did you find, warrior?" he asked.
"A camp, my chieftain," said the scout. "And it seems to be the largest in the entirety of these woods. With what we have right now, we have no chance at getting in."
"Did you count their numbers?" Hiccup asked him.
"Aye. At least nearly three dozen." nodded the scout. "But if such a camp needs such heavy fortifications on that scale, then perhaps some of your friends and dragons can be found there."
Magnus gave a sign of agreement. "Makes sense. If there are so many guards located in one campsite, then mayhaps they're guarding something as vital as our friends. I can't guarantee it, but maybe there are even smaller camps spread throughout the eastern woods. If we go for the smaller ones first, the bigger camp will fall easily, and then the hunting lodge should be no problem to handle at all."
Eira spun her head eastwards, placing her fists against her hips. "I will say this; if there is even a possibility, then perhaps they're also holding some of our men and allies in there. I say that we go east and check it out, before moving onto the smaller camps."
"Then it's settled." said Hiccup. "We will survey their main camp before scouting out the other outposts for possible reinforcements. After that, we'll move onto the camp by force, and then move on to the hunting lodge."
Magnus grinned at the thought. "Indeed… now then, it's best that three of us be off. I will leave the rest up to you, scout. I want you to find a cart and gather up all the supplies you can carry, including the animals and horses. Take them back to camp, and get our men well fed. We will handle the rest from here."
"Will do, sir." the scout replied before shouting "Hyah!" to his horse.
As the Warsung Viking went off once more, the three of them looked at each other whilst Hiccup had his arms crossed, along with an arched brow and smirk.
"Well, then." the young lad said. "Shall we?"
…
The three Vikings made silent steps as they snuck through brushes and bushes at a hasty pace. By then, they had managed to come upon a dirt road that led into the direction they were heading towards - to the East.
However, there was not much to see even as they went along it from within the forest's terrain.
Hiccup sighed impatiently as he continued moving forward. "There hasn't been any sign of our friends yet." he said in a whisper. "Though I still wonder how much further it will take until we are there, because now I am actually worried for their safety. After all that has happened to everyone, I-"
"It will take some time for us, Hiccup." replied Eira from behind. "The scout found the camp and got there from atop a horse, after all. But we on the other hand are on foot... Unfortunately, there is no alternative of getting there faster or even knowing if we are close. We go on the road, and we risk getting caught."
And to that, Hiccup could not say more as she was right. But his impatience was still driving him further as a result of the thoughts of the recent events still in his mind, as well as his desperation which began filling him up even further. After all, Hiccup's lust for vengeance was never higher.
He considered that perhaps it was time to act once more like a Scandinavian, like he did back in Kattegat.
However, Magnus who followed from behind was one not to disregard Hiccup's tone and act. He himself could easily hear and sense the impatience and rush in Hiccup.
"Your impatience will be the end of you." the older Viking said in a low tone. "That is what my father said before he was killed by Olaf so many years ago. He told me that if you strive too much for something without being aware of your surroundings as well as the situation, then it could lead to heavy consequences."
Hiccup rose one of his brows in interest. "...And what is your point, Magnus? What are you saying?"
The Warsung Chief slightly chuckled in a hearty manner. "Ever heard of the phrase 'you can't win everything?' In my case, it is something that is meant in itself. My point being is that even if you try and go directly for Ivar, you can't expect for everything to go your way. Look at what happened to Ivar's invasion fleet when it came for us. It sunk to the bottom of Berk's harbor because the Boy-King underestimated our combined strength and unison. It was five hundred of us against three thousand of them with five Dragons aiding us. But for Ivar; why do you think that happened?"
"...He was impatient." the young Viking answered after a brief moment of silence. "He was fixed on killing me, and destroying the whole Archipelago for his own benefit, as well as sacking it of its riches... But he didn't know what we had to throw at him, so he assumed Berk as an easy target."
"Exactly." Magnus nodded with a grin. "Thus, that proves my point. If we are to destroy Ivar faster and more efficiently, we must plan out our attacks and strategies as we've always done ever since this war started, and we must do this without rush. I understand your lust for revenge, but what's more important right now is that we-"
"Wait!" interrupted Eira as she placed a finger over her lips, shushing Magnus and Hiccup. Her head turned into the other direction. "Listen… I think someone is coming."
In the distance, the sounds of boots and chainmail hitting the ground was heard as it got closer and closer on the road. From outside the bushes, they saw a small squad of seven Viking warriors running along the dirt path - with their grey but unfamiliar colors symbolizing that they were from minor Clans.
The group at that moment stopped as they halted for a breather. Though they could not see Hiccup, Magnus, or Eira, the three Vikings could definitely see and hear what they were doing.
"Right, then!" the captain began as he removed his helmet.
"As you all know, camp Jyornstad is not too far now, and we've been given specific orders to guard the prisoners until we can find the others and execute them altogether! ...However, there has also been a rumor going around from some of our men."
The Danes looked up at their captain as he made a brief moment of silence, curious of his words, until he finally continued speaking.
"Rumor has it that our enemies from one of the Tribes has stolen a horse and scouted out this area! It is possible that our location has been discovered, thus, we will need to fortify the camp! But if we reach the camp, and there are any signs of the outsiders roaming about, 'vegask en drepa!' Understood?" he asked.
"Sjá!" the warriors shouted in Norse, and once more, the group of seven continued on the move towards the camp, picking up their speed.
Magnus let out a "hmph" as he watched the warriors run along the path. "Come on, we have to catch up with them!" he said in a low tone.
He was now rushing ahead of Hiccup and Eira from within the bushes, less sneaky - and as he became quite a distance ahead of them, the two of them soon too began to run along with him - also less sneaky.
Hiccup by that point however had multiple thoughts filling up within him. Perhaps he was indeed closer to Astrid and his friends than he thought he was - but now it seemed that their lives were on the line...