Chapter Eight – War of The Kraken: Unexpected Allies

Part One – Plans, and Departure

The Great Hall of Berk, same night;

Silence followed Hiccup's words, and went unbroken for close to a minute. Finally, Astrid said, "You and Toothless aren't planning to go alone, I hope?"

"I was, at first," Hiccup said, giving Astrid a knowing smile. "Than I remembered who I'm married to." Most of the occupants of the great hall, Astrid included, rolled their eyes, but had to smile. Than Hiccup continued, "How about Toothless and me; you and Stormfly, and six Night- Furies – to keep watch while I talk to this chieftain. You, Stormfly, and the other dragons, can hold the line with Tyrek and his men; you'll have a good line of sight, and can react as needed, if something goes wrong." He shrugged, "All of this is, of course, assuming that we don't receive any more reports before noon tomorrow."

Astrid shook her head, smiling. "You always do have the answers… So: For now, we wait."

Hiccup nodded, "For now, we wait." Another moment of silence followed this; then the halls' occupants seemed to remember that their supper was getting cold, and returned to their food. Than the sounds of dishes, and conversation, resumed.

The following day; early afternoon,

No more Terrible- Terrors had arrived on Berk with more reference points; so Hiccup and Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly, and their six Night- Fury escort rose into the sky. Then angled south, towards the Shivering Shores' forward- position.

A few hours later,

The Shivering Shores' men were 'a little' surprised to see them; but they knew the fastest way to get answers was to let him speak.
Hiccup grinned, "I know this visit is a surprise, but a rather interesting opportunity has come up: The reference point you sent is the first, and only, we've received, so far. It occurred to me that someone in that fleet," he nodded towards the enemy ships, "might've figured out what we're trying to do: that message may have been sent specifically to point us in the right direction."

Tyrone's eyes widened, "You think he's trying to help us?"

Astrid grinned, "That's exactly what I said."

Hiccup smiled, nodded and, gesturing at the dragons around them, continued, "Dragons have joined the first wave, but they haven't attack directly – not like they could have… That, in itself, might make them wonder: dragons lead them to Berk; and Berk leads to me."

Tyrek nodded, thoughtfully, "The only gap in reasoning that'd leave is how you learned about the conquers' banners; and that could've easily happened during the council…"

Hiccup nodded, "I figured I'd go across and see if they have anything more … 'specific' they'd like to share. But first: to send a letter of intent," he producing a scroll, as he spoke. The nearest Terrible- Terror tossed him her scroll case; Hiccup sealed the scroll inside, and tossed it back. The small dragon caught the case, and launched herself towards the enemy ship that the messenger- bird had left from. "And," Hiccup continued, "a small gesture of goodwill." He turned his attention upwards, and uttered a short growly roar; immediately, the dragons who'd been circling above the enemy ships, and the empty ocean between the two fleets, began to withdraw; landing on the nearest of the Shivering Shores' ships.

Tyrek shook his head, "I don't know if I'm ever going to get used to that."

Hiccup grinned, "It does some getting used to, that's for sure… For me, it was getting used to being able to understand dragon- conversations; it has come in handy, though."

"I can imagine." Turning, Tyrek gave his son a pointed look.

Tyrone nodded and took a step forward, "Hiccup; could I have a quick word with you?" He gestured to one side, as he spoke.
Hiccup nodded, and they moved off. Tyrone said something; Hiccup grinned, and replied. Tyrone looked a little surprised; but spoke again, a slightly longer utterance than before. Hiccup's expression turned thoughtful; he nodded, and said several more words.
Astrid could've sworn she saw Hiccup's mouth form the words 'next time' and 'on Berk'; the rest she couldn't make out.

A few minutes later, they rejoined Astrid, Stormfly, and the rest of the crew; several of the Shivering Shores men appeared curious, but none of them asked for details. A moment later, the Terrible Terror returned. The moment she landed, the dragon said, 'I delivered your note… The man who picked it up read it once, his eyes bulged; and he ran off, shouting.' She uttered a growly chuckle, 'I think they'll be expecting you, but best give them a few minutes.'

Part Two – First Contact

On the lead enemy ship, eight minutes earlier,

Albert Woodsworth was pacing the deck of the lead ship of their fleet. Ever since he'd told his cousin what the men of their tribe had been saying about the Northern Dragon- Master, and Chief of Berk; and they'd prepared and sent their latest report to the Commander of the Kraken Lords' hostage ships; he'd spent the night tossing in bed, and most of that day pacing. He'd managed to gulp down some bread, cheese, and water; but that had been that morning, and he hadn't eaten since. He had managed to drink some strong beer, though – enough to settle his nerves, and maybe a little extra.

At first, he thought it was his stomach growling. Then he saw a flicker of motion, out of the corner of one eye. He turned, and just about jumped out of his skin: There was a Terrible Terror, perched on the remains of the nearest catapult, flapping its wings to get his attention. Then, as if that wasn't enough, a voice spoke his mind. 'Finally… Now: look down, and pick up that scroll case that's been sitting by your right foot for the past minute and a half.' Albert blinked, looked down, and saw the scroll case. He blinked again, glanced suspiciously at the flask he held in one hand; and turned back to look at the Terrible Terror. He hesitated for a moment, than bent and picked up the scroll case; straightened, and unsealed it; extracted the message, and read it through.
By the time he'd finished, his eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline, and his eyes were as wide as they could get. He tossed his flask over the side rail; dropped the scroll case, and charged off, shouting for his cousin.

Two minutes later,

Albert found his cousin, Abram Grimm, in his Captains' Quarters; where he and his advisors were listening to one of the lookouts. He entered just in time to hear one of them saying, "They just showed up out of nowhere; and landed on the deck of their lead- ship! Six Night- Furies, and a Deadly- Nadder; two of them, the Nadder and a Night- Fury, have riders! It's the Northern- Dragon Master; it has to be: they're about to attack!"

"No, they aren't." Albert said, moving forward. "This… uh, this just arrived; a Terrible Terror brought it to the forward deck." As he spoke, he handed Abram the scroll.

Silence fell, in the room, as Abram read the message; by the time he'd finished, his own eyebrows had vanished into his hairline – or rather: they would have, had it not begun to recede. "He wants to talk; to get information on the Kraken Lords': Names, temperaments, anything else of note…" He looked around at his advisors, "He'll be here in ten minutes." He frowned, and turned to Albert, "Just how long were you standing there, before you saw this Terrible Terror, anyways?"

"A minute and a half," Albert shifted. "At least… that's what the Terrible Terror said." The other occupants of the room turned to give him a strange look, "Look; I know how it sounds, but I swear: the Terrible Terror was talking to me!"

Abram and his advisors looked first at him, than at one another. Finally, Abram said, "We should get on deck; he'll be here in a few minutes."

Six minutes later; on the lead Shivering Shores' leading boat,

Hiccup was about to clamber onto Toothless's saddle, when one of the Shivering Shores' lookouts hurried up to Tyrek. His tone carrying a hint of uncertainty, he said, "Sir, several more men just appeared on the deck of their lead ship; some are carrying barrels, others chairs!"

Hiccup grinned, "Sounds like they've got so much to say, they think we might get tired of standing before we're done!" He settled into Toothless's saddle, and pulled his Night- Fury helmet over his head: No harm in being cautious, or in making a 'grand- entrance'. "Let's go, bud!" Toothless spread his wings, and rose into the sky; joined by two of the six Night- Furies who'd come with them.

A minute later,

Toothless landed on the deck of the lead southern ship, and Hiccup leapt down from his back. Once his feet hit the deck, he reached up; and removed his helmet, holding it under one arm. Gesturing to the two Night- Furies, who continued to circle overhead, Hiccup said, "My friends will tell me if any other ships approach; we can speak openly."

For a moment, nobody spoke; the men from the south simply stood, staring at Hiccup and Toothless in awe – mostly at Toothless. The black dragon smirked, 'I'd forgotten how much I liked being the subject of such awed attention!'

One of the men tripped, and almost fell, "It can talk!"

Toothless snorted, 'He can talk, if you don't mind; and yes, why shouldn't I be able to?'

"No reason, I suppose," the nearest man commented. He cleared his throat, and turned to Hiccup, "I am Abram Grimm, I was… I am Chief of my tribe." He was silent for a moment, than continued, "I understand you want information on the Kraken Lords; not to be rude, but we'd best get on with it: there's a great deal to say, and there's no telling when one of those blasted talking- birds of theirs might show up with new orders."

Hiccup considered the man before him; he was a half a head taller than Hiccup; well muscled, with reddish- black hair and an unkempt beard of the same color. His garb was simple, and worn; as though he'd fallen on 'hard times', as he and his tribe undeniably had. Hiccup nodded in agreement, and settled into a chair, opposite the southern- chieftain.

Fifty- four minutes later,

Almost an hour after he'd arrived, Hiccup rose to his feet; he had the information he'd come for; the information he'd hoped for; and a number of other 'intriguing' facts he hadn't expected, but was sure would come in useful at some point.
As he rose, Abram said, "The northern- hostages they've taken will be a problem for you, since you've already held your council; they'll know whatever it is you're planning to do."

Hiccup chuckled, "Not so, actually… You see: I figured out the truth about the Kraken- banners the evening after the first attack; and dispatched Night- Fury patrols to the other villages to monitor for abduction attempts, that very night. When the council convened, and Chief Thommen learned his family was safe, on Berk…" Hiccup shrugged, "I chose these locations for initial battles because they would serve as ideal reference points, and Thommen kindly passed the information along… It's all unfolding as planned." He slid his helm back onto his head, and clambered back onto Toothless's saddle, "The information you've given me will be put to excellent use, I promise you; I'll send word once we've secured the hostage ships… Until next time, Chief Abram."
The black dragon spread his wings; and rider and dragon rose into the sky. The other two Night- Furies, who'd been circling overhead, rejoined them, and the three of them arched back towards the Northern' fleet.

For several minutes, the deck of Chief Abram's ship was as silent as a tomb; save for the lapping of waves, against the side of the boat. That Abram blinked and shook his head, "It's happening… Gods be good: It's really happening; Lord Bane's been outfoxed! The Kraken's all-but-dying, right in front of us!"

Part Three – Revelations

An hour after noon; the Great Hall of Berk,

They arrived back on Berk to find the first few villagers beginning to leave the Great Hall, having eaten lunch. The moment they saw Toothless, Stormfly, and the other Night- Furies coming in for a landing, they turned around, and hurried back in.
The result: Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly walked into a packed but unnaturally quiet great- hall; everyone eagerly waiting to hear about their latest adventure. The level of suspense increased when they saw Hiccup's face: his eyes glittered, and his expression was one of quiet, but visible, triumph.

Valka took one look at her son's face, raised an eyebrow, "I take it your trip was worthwhile?"

Hiccup chuckled, "'Worthwhile' is an understatement: I have everything I was hoping for, and more besides."

Fishlegs shifted, nervously, "So… do they have a master- strategist?"

"Most of their tactical decisions seem to go through a 'Lord Bane'; a third- generation member of the Kraken Council, and the grandson of the lord who first developed their 'conquest method', towards the end of his life." Hiccup shrugged, "He's not much of an 'original thinker' from what I hear; he just keeps reusing his grandfather's method, and tweaks the numbers of how many ships to send, and where to send them."
He turned to where Leanne, Lara, and Thom sat, "Apparently: the 'High- Kraken' – a 'Lord Malchior', sent him and ten ships to the peninsula where the three of you were taken; with orders to track you down, than to retrieve Chief Thommen's report… He had the better part of a day to analyze that report, on his way back to rendezvous with his fellow 'lords', and the best he could do was send subjugated- forces to the locations I'd chosen."

Lara grinned, "Which was exactly what you wanted him to do! So… it's working?"

Hiccup's expression turned thoughtful, "My initial plan is on track, though the direct report to the Kraken's Council of dragons on the front- line does change things, slightly…"

Astrid frowned, "How so? You said they'd find out anyways."

Hiccup nodded, "So they would, and I was expecting them to; we just need to accelerate the 'home- front' timeline, a little…" He turned to the Night- Furies, "Would you ask you kin to prepare for a 'scenario- three', for me?"

The nearest Night- Fury frowned, 'Scenario- three? You think they'd dare launch a direct attack on Berk?'

"I think,' Hiccup said, his tone calm, "that the appearance of dragons on the front line 'might' lead them to believe that our position here is weakened." He turned, to regard the Vikings and dragons assembled before him, "We must be ready to prove, that that is not the case!" Bellow, and roars, of approval, greeted his words; echoing in the hall.

Part Four – Deception Unearthed

That morning, aboard the Kraken Lords' Warship;

The Kraken Lords and their men were just finishing their breakfasts, and the serving girls were beginning to clear away the dishes, when yet another messenger rushed into the hall. As seemed to be becoming the norm, the man was pale and stumbled, as he hurried towards the high table. He came to a stop, panting; and, produced a scroll. "My… My lords: A report has just been forwarded to us, from the One- Time- Chief; Abram Grimm!"

Across the room, and unnoticed, two of the serving girls, Arianna and Tanya, exchanged a look; each asking the same silent question: 'Why would a letter from Father be forwarded to the Kraken Lords?'

The messenger continued, "H–He writes that their force had been pinned- down; that dragons have reinforced the northerners' forward lines! They've yet to actually attack, but–"

"WHAT?" boomed High- Lord Malchior, "There weren't supposed to be dragons for at least two more days!"

At the far end of the table, Lord Bane cursed aloud; all noise in the room faded to silence, and all eyes turned to him. Lord Bane's attention was fixed on a scroll, and his eyes had gone wide. He swore a second time, and a third.

"Lord Bane; explain!" High- Lord Malchior ordered. "What is the meaning of this?"

Lord Bane rose to his feet, "My Lord: The Chief of Berk, The Dragon- Master; He must've suspected their council was compromised: he's used it to lay a false- trail… Berk has already deployed: The Dragon Master is in- play! … We–We've been tricked!"

For a long minute, nobody spoke: the serving girls; the men at the tables, and the Kraken Lords sat or stood where they were, their mouths hanging open. Then High- Lord Malchior cleared his throat, "What do you suggest?"

Lord Bane's eyes flicked over the report he held; than he crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into a corner. He breathed an irritated sigh, "There's nothing more of use in that; as to our response…" He fell silent again, and remained so for several minutes; pacing back and forth before the high- table, visibly agitated.
Finally, he said, "We must take precautions: I say we double the guard on the hostage- ships, and," he turned to the High- Lord, "give me fifty ships; let me take the fight to Berk! If he has sent dragons to each of those locations, Berk should be weakened until he can summon reinforcements… this may be the only chance we'll have!"

Lord Malcolm's eyes had gone wide, "Double the guard on the hostage- ships; but why? He can't possibly know about…"

Lord Bane turned on him, "You ignorant moron: We. Do. Not. Know. What. He. Is. Capable. Of. … We. Do. Not. Know. What. He. Is. Doing … And. We. Do. Not. Know. What. He. Knows!" He turned to the High- Lord, and took a deep breath, struggling to regain his composure. "My Lord; we need to act, and we need to act now!"

No one spoke for almost a full two minutes; as the listeners struggled to process what they had seen, and heard. Lord Bane; normally so calm, controlled, and focused; had just had a meltdown, right in front of them!

High- Lord Malchior was the first to recover from his shock, and he nodded. "Go, prepare the fifty ships; but bring Lord Malik with you; you will share the command. If the battle goes against you, you will gather as many ships as you can; and fall back, with your knowledge of this … Hiccup's command- style. Am I understood?"

Lord Bane took a deep breath; and nodded, "Yes, My Lord." He whirled around, and swept out of the room, Lord Malik hurrying to catch up.

To Be Continued…