Chapter Four: Planning and Preparing

One week since the word of Zekir and Thariin was coming to invade Berk, plus the night when Ukiah told his tale to Hiccup and the gang, Berk was still busy with preparing for the oncoming fight. Barricades were being set up along the cliffs; the A-team was constantly on patrol, with a few Dragon Riders helping out; and even fishing ships were being prepared to receive the invaders.

"Oi! Hiccup! Get with sharpening those swords!" Gobber shouted over his pounding on metal.

"Yeah, yeah…I'm on it." Hiccup huffed in annoyance, walking into the forge.

"Cheer up, Hiccup!" Matt teased, watching him tie a brown apron over his riding armor. "Think of it this way! You're the only one that can be Gobber's extra hand! Pun intended!"

"Gods, Matt." Heather groaned, looking like she was in physical pain. "Seriously, how do you keep thinking of those?"

"It's a gift I guess!" He teased, smirking at her; which quickly disappeared as Astrid walked by.

Slugging him in the shoulder, she then walked over to a pile of weapons that needed to be sharpened. Grabbing an armful, she carried them over to where Hiccup was starting to spin the whetstone. "Mind helping us out? I don't think your jokes are going to help stop Zekir or his men."

"He'd love to." Heather growled, grabbing him and pulling him along. "We'll polish and organize the weapons you finish up, Hiccup."

"Guess I don't have a choice…" He huffed, letting her pull him along.

"Hey! We need to help out all we can! Fishlegs and Meatlug are making as much Gronckle Iron as they can, and Snotlout is helping make Nightmare Gel for our catapults and ballista launchers."

"What're the twins up to?" Gobber asked as he looked up from a sword he was pounding on.

"You know what, I actually have no idea." She replied, grabbing a sharpened sword. Using a wet cloth, she began to polish it, while Matt grabbed his own. "Probably blowing something up."

"Might be helpful actually." Matt suggested. "Them learning a new way to blow something up might help us with the coming fight."

"Or cripple one of us." Astrid huffed sarcastically.

"Hiccup? Are you here?"

Hiccup's head perked up as he called out. "Yup! Come on in, Lydia!"

Everyone turned to see Lydia walk into the forge with Ukiah next to her. Lasher was right behind them, with little Arrow darting in-between his legs. Since the week, she was getting more and more comfortable with everyone; dragons included. Wearing a light brown, almost tan, sleeveless tunic; with dark brown linen pants, and an extra pair of Astrid's fur boots; she looked more like a native of Berk than the royalty she was. Snotlout even tried to give her one of his favorite helmets, which she quickly denied.

Stopping at the counter, she simply replied "Ukiah said you wanted to see me."

"I did! I got your new armor right here!" Hiccup called out loudly, smiling at her.

"New armor? I thought you were tempering my old set?" She replied, confused at the news.

"That's what you've been working on?" Matt interrupted, sliding a sword into a stand. "I was wondering what was keeping you up so late."

"Well, as I was working on your old armor, I couldn't help but notice that it was still pretty heavy." Hiccup explained, grabbing a small chest from under a workbench. "So…I decided to make you a new set! Out of Gronckle Iron!"

"What's so special about this iron? My old gear was steel! How is this stronger?!" She cried out, a little angry at the thought of down grading. Especially since it was her first set of armor.

"Trust me, this is better." He replied with a smile. Opening the chest, he pulled out her blue tunic, with a shining piece of metal over its chest. It had similar engravings in it as her steel armor, but this time had shoulder guards that dropped past the short sleeves, protecting her exposed arms.

"Here! Hold it!" Astrid added, grabbing it and handing it to her.

Taking the armor, she gasped to see how light it was. Though it wasn't exactly weightless, it had the same weight as some of the padded leather armor her kingdom's soldiers used. "Wow, you weren't kidding its lighter…but how is it tougher than stee-"

Ukiah simply answered the question by swinging his crossbow off of Lasher's saddle, resting the bolt tip right against the metal. Pulling the trigger, the bolt hit the metal with such force, that it jerked the tunic right out of her hands.

Gaping at the sight, she saw that the bolt had barely left a scratch on the shiny metal.

"There, now you can stop worrying about its protection." He huffed, strapping the crossbow back on the saddle. "Wish my chainmail was made out of the stuff when I dueled Zekir. Don't think I would have lost my arm if it was."

"How's your new set treating you?" Hiccup asked, looking at him with sadness.

Ukiah simply shrugged. "Haven't really had a chance to test it." Looking down at the armor given to him by Stoick before he left to Crev, he then complimented "Though I'm sure it'll do its job. It's been comfortable since I've had it."

"Okay, but what about my gauntlets?" Lydia asked, sizing up the new armor to herself.

"Right here!" Hiccup called out, pulling a pair of gauntlets out of the chest and setting them on a table next to her.

Seeing the leather gauntlets, she smiled as the Gronckle Iron plates strapped on had similar engravings as her old steel ones. Quickly pulling them on, she was again surprised at how light they were. "Thank you so much! I can't believe how much better they feel being this light!"

"How does it compare to your royal set?" Matt asked as he sat down to resume polishing another sword.

"I'd argue its better!" She replied with a wide smile "Thank you so much!"

"Well, we didn't want you to say that we never gave you anything, lass." Gobber teased, wiping his brow. With his black covered face from working the forge, he then winked at her. "Can't let you go back to your home thinking we weren't grateful for your warning!"

"Well, it was because of Ukiah that I was able to warn you." She quickly replied, blushing at the compliment. "I'd still be stuck in a cell, bound in irons for who knows how long!"

Ukiah simply brushed off the compliment with a shrug. "If I was in your position, I'm sure you would have done something to help." At that, he reached and grabbed a bag strapped to Lasher. "Here, Gobber, got those feathers for the arrows you asked for. Took me some time to pluck the birds I got last night, but here they are."

"Ah thanks, Ukiah." Gobber replied, taking the bag and setting next to his fletching station. "Been running low on them for a couple of days now."

"Figured I could help with that. As well as getting food to stock up on." Waving his stub of an arm, he let a wry smile grow on his face. "Not that I'd be much help anywhere else." Feeling something claw at his leg, he looked down to see Arrow trying to climb up him. "What're you going to do when you get bigger? Huh, friend?" He asked, kneeling down and scooping him up with his arm.

"He's a friendly dragon." Lydia commented, smiling as she began to slip her new armor on. "Spent the morning playing in my bed. He must have gotten in the dirt, because I'm still shaking sand out of my blankets."

"He's a Sand Wraith for a reason. Once he gets older, he'll be able to fire burning balls of sand." He replied, staring at his little dragon. "He's probably still getting used to eating sand…"

"He eats sand?!" She cried out in shock, gaping at Arrow.

"Not for nutrition; not like Gronckles do with rocks and boulders." Hiccup explained, angling a sword on the rolling whetstone. "It's the way they reload themselves. Like Ukiah with his crossbow." At that, Ukiah stepped on his crossbow's arms and pulled back the mechanism. Another bolt magically reloaded itself, thanks to Matt's and Hiccup's ingenious engineering.

Lydia stared at Hiccup, still grasping the knowledge he had of dragons as a whole. Shaking her head, she then finished tightening the straps around her armor, making sure it was on tight.

"Hey, have we thought of letting Lydia train her own dragon?" Matt asked aloud, taking a sword from Heather. Mounting it on a stand, he let a wry smile grow on his face. "I mean, the more Riders we have, the better right?"

"Haven't really thought about it actually." Hiccup admitted, checking the edges on the sword he was working on.

"Uh…thanks, but no thanks." Lydia spoke up "I'm sure it's amazing to have your own dragon as a pet-"

"As a friend." Ukiah quickly corrected, letting Arrow down to let him run around again.

"Right, as a friend." She replied, blushing and feeling embarrassed at saying the wrong answer. "But my priority is figuring out a way to warn my dad and brother. Their men- my men…are going to be fighting for the wrong side. Though I'm not a leader like my father and brother, they're my people too! I need to be concerned for them and their well-being."

"Actually, I might have figured out a way on how to do that." Hiccup replied.

Taken back by the idea of a possibility, she quickly ran to him. "Tell me! Please!"

Handing the sword he was working on to Heather, he smiled at her anxious face. "Well, it's because we ride dragons. Unlike catapult's boulders and ballista's bolts, we can hit targets with precision. We can pick the ships we sink."

"But my father's men will still be shooting at you!" She cried in angst.

"We'll manage. We spent the last year being shot at by Hunters that specialized in taking down dragons. This won't be any different." Astrid reassured, letting a calm smile grow on her face.

"But-"

"Lydia, trust them." Ukiah whispered, resting his hand on her new shoulder guard. "They don't take risks if they know they can't come on top."

"Well, not anymore." Matt teased, smirking at Hiccup's scowl. "Took some experiences, but I think we got a good system now."

"Thank you, Matt. Helpful as usual." Hiccup huffed, rolling his eyes.

Lydia just stared blankly at the ground. Even though she was going to trust Hiccup and his friends, she still felt anxious about warning her dad and brother.

Ukiah saw her concern. Gently pulling her by the shoulder, he asked "Hey, would you mind helping me? I can skin boars and deer myself, but I think you can help me with holding my gear and the bags. Maybe we can think of an idea while we work."

Nodding, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Yeah, it might be good to keep myself busy; instead of dwelling on something I can't really help."

Nodding, Ukiah then began to walk away, saying "We'll be at the storage pit, Hiccup. If you need us, let us know."

"Sure thing, Ukiah!"

As the two walked away from the Blacksmith Shop, Lydia let a smile grow on her face. "You know, it's not often a princess helps out with skinning animals."

Ukiah nodded in understanding. "If you want, I can teach you how to do it yourself. If you think it won't be too much for you."

"Shut up." She jested. "I told you, even though I'm a princess, I hate being one. Show me how to do it, then let me try."

Grabbing his dagger out of its sheath, he carefully handed it to her. "I'll tell you how to do it. The best way to learn is to struggle through it yourself."

Taking the dagger, she smiled as she continued to walk alongside with him. One thing was for sure; the adventure she was on since she was taken hostage, was turning out for the better; at least for the moment.

"You're sure? This isn't something that Viggo is scheming for something grand, is it?"

"No, Darien." The captain replied, shaking his head vigorously. "My ship and the two escort ships are all that remains. We're the only survivors. Even then, the escort ships split away from us. We're the only ones that survived the Battle at Dragon's Edge."

Darien went numb. Collapsing in her chair, she simply stared at the desk with a blank expression. Viggo and Ryker were defeated? How?!

"How did Hiccup and his riders wreck so much havoc on you and all your forces?" Zekir questioned, deeply concerned at the news.

With the invasion fleet only days away from Berk, they ran into the remaining ships, or ship, that escaped destruction at Dragon's Edge. Since then, it's been nothing but bad news that's lowered the moral of Darien's crew.

"It wasn't the Dragon Riders. It was Ryker."

Darien's head snapped up, her eyes silently demanding for an explanation.

"Ryker turned on Viggo. His followers did battle with Viggo and his men. That's what caused so many ships to be lost. The Dragon Riders were then able to sweep the rest, leaving us to escape."

"Ryker…betrayed Viggo? Betrayed all of us?!" Darien hissed, her eyes burning with fire.

"Aye. To be fair, Viggo wasn't doing anything to gain our loyalty. That's why we chose to follow Ryker. He was going to put the Dragon Riders down. But he was killed. Well, I can only assume he was killed. We haven't seen him or Viggo since our defeat at Dragon's Edge."

Clenching her fists in agonizing frustration, she whispered with a cold tone. "For his sake, he better be dead. If he's not, he'll wish he was by the time I get to him!"

Ugo, who had been standing next to Zekir, asked "Does this change anything, Chief Black Heart?"

"No. Our goal doesn't change. We still need to rid ourselves of Bruvos and Auger." He replied. "All this set us back with us, is our dragon trade. We'll have to acquire dragons on our own."

"And of Matt?"

"We'll see what opportunities present themselves to us, but as of now, our priority is to ensure Bruvos is dead by the end of this." He whispered, folding his arms as he contemplated the news.

"Uh…Darien…" The captain began to say, breaking the silence that had fallen over her. "You're the only form of leadership left for us. My men are ready to follow you, since we know what you're willing and capable of doing. However, I can't say the same for any others that may still be around. As I said earlier, the ships that originally survived with us, abandoned their cause."

Nodding, Darien, stared at the generic map on her desk. Staring at the island labeled Berk, she then growled "Prepare your men, captain. If we're the last of the Hunters, we will sail with Zekir. Then we will focus on rebuilding."

"Aye, Darien." The captain replied, turning to walk out.

Sighing, she then leaned back in her seat. Feeling Banshee rub against her arm, she began to stroke his head as she stared at the map on her desk. Turning to her ship's captain, she asked. "Well, Turik…where do you and your men stand? Will you turn tail and go your own way? Or will yo-"

"Our loyalty hasn't shifted, Darien." Turik quickly replied, cutting her off. "We'll sail to the end of the world under your name. I too have seen what you're capable of. Aside from the fact you ride a Flightmare, we know you'll prove to be the leader Viggo couldn't be for us."

"Why did you follow him to begin with?" She quizzed, raising an eyebrow of curiosity.

"The gold. It was good at first, but then…well, that was the only reason." He replied with a shrug. "There was no loyalty to him other than the gold he forked out to us. I imagine that was why it was so easy for Ryker to turn his own men against him. You're different. We want to follow you. Not only will you make us rich, you'll be a leader worthy to follow."

Darien let a small smile grow on her face. Nodding in understanding, she then whispered. "Then inform the men, captain. We continue to sail to Berk. After which, we'll put our trade to use; we'll hunt some dragons and rebuild."

"Aye, Darien." Turik acknowledged, marching out of her room.

Leaning back in her chair, stroking Banshee's head, she silently relished in what just happened. Though Viggo was gone, and whether he was alive or not, it didn't matter. She took everything he had left and made it her own. She succeeded in making her name great. Which in turn, would make her family's name great; with or without Dagur, Heather, or any of the Berserkers.

"I always knew you were special." Zekir whispered with a smile. "Already in charge of the remains of a Dragon Hunter army, not with money, but with respect. A feat only a few in this world obtain."

"It will only last as long as I maintain their respect." She said. "Regardless of what Turik said, Viggo did have some level of respect. He was a mastermind. The only thing I can guess as to why Viggo fell from grace, is that he assumed he wouldn't have to maintain his image in front of his men."

Zekir thought of her answer, nodding in agreement.

"This fight…after we're done, I'm going to have to do something to solidify my role as leader of the Dragon Hunters."

"Leave that to me. I'll reward you and your men for your help." Zekir replied, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You being recognized by the Chief of Thariin will add to your credibility."

"And I thank you for that." She replied with a smile. "I think this means I'm going to pass up on your offer to help you rule Thariin. But I don't see why I can't headquarter myself from your land."

Zekir smiled at the thought of her basing her operations with him. Turning to Ugo, he then ordered "Ugo, get the men ready. We're only a couple of days away from Berk. Tell them that the Hunters are still our allies. And brief Bruvos that we're still going with the invasion. While you're at it, put out any rumors that we're sailing back and that the Hunters were destroyed solely by the Riders."

"Aye, Black Heart. I will." He replied, bowing slightly at him. Doing the same to Darien, he added "Congratulations on the promotion, Darien. I'm anxious to see what you do with your new position."

"As do I, Ugo…" She whispered, turning her attention to the map on her desk.

Leaving the two alone, Ugo closed the door behind him, as was his usual custom when they were alone.

"Every day, you get more and more beautiful." Zekir commented, taking a seat on the desk and looking down at her with a smile.

"Because every day my skin is recovering from the burns." She teased back. Looking at her left arm, she then frowned "Well, at least most of it."

Chuckling, Zekir shook his head. "You look fine. In fact, I think a little bit of the scarring will add to your legitimacy of being the new leader of the Dragon Hunters."

"I guess so…" She huffed, finally standing up from her seat. "How about we walk around the ship and you tell me how you're going to end Bruvos and Auger? I need to stretch my legs."

Grabbing her arm, he walked her out of the room, with Banshee following close behind. "Very well, I could use some fresh air myself."

As the two walked through the hallway of cages and cells of the Hunter ship, it was clear the men that were toiling around them had already heard the news that Darien was their new leader. Being hailed on both sides, she could only acknowledge the hails as they came too frequent to respond too.

Climbing up the stairs, she was greeted by the rest of the crew with shouts and cheers. Turik, who was manning the helm, smiled as she glanced at all the men cheering her on. Even the other Hunter ship that joined them was cheering, seeing her on deck. "I told you, Darien. We're loyal to you." He called out.

Slightly taken back, she simply rubbed the back of her head. "I…I know what you told me, it's just different actually witnessing it." Looking at all the men watching her, she let a proud smile grow on her face. "What say you? Shall we protect Chief Zekir's fleet from the Riders? I'm sure there's a handsome reward if we do so. That, and we'll get some dragons to boot!"

The two ships erupted into cheering in response.

"Get those ballistas in top shape! Wax the ropes on the catapults!" She ordered, smiling as the deck seemed to feel reenergized with her presence. "Fletch all the arrows we can! Hand them off sparingly to Zekir's men! If we have to, get into our extra reserves of Dragon Root!"

The deck all scrambled, with Turik issuing specific orders regarding where he needed men.

"And Darien becomes the Dragon Hunter that was needed all this time." Zekir whispered, walking her to the side of the ship. "Something Viggo could never understand. Cunning and money doesn't create followers, it creates minions. You now have people that will go to Helheim for you if needs be."

"Thanks…" She whispered, still feeling the electrifying feeling of being in charge. "Is this what it felt when you became chief?"

"Accomplished?"

"Yeah…that's a great way to describe it…" She whispered, smiling as she leaned against the railing.

Zekir smiled, also leaning against the railing. Watching the little dingy that Ugo was taking to his personal ship, the Water Breaker, he then counseled "What you've done so far is the hardest part; earning respect. And, as you told me earlier, you need to keep the image that your men see you as. It's all about maintaining what you want to be remembered by. If you don't, you'll simply be like Viggo. Lots of minions, hardly any loyalty."

Nodding in understanding, she smiled as she gazed at the water below. "So long as my men play a part in rebuilding ourselves, I'll make sure they have a leader worthy of their loyalty."

"I know. I don't need to be told to see that." He replied. "Now, as leader, you're really going to have to sharpen your fighting skills."

Taken back, she looked up at him to see him draw his broadsword.

"Draw your weapon. Your lessons begin now."

Smiling with her deranged expression, she drew her sword and stood ready to be instructed by the supposed Man'o War; The Black Heart.

Well, after a much needed break, I'm back. I hope this chapter was a little enjoyable at least. I'm going to be spuratic with the updates, as I'm back in school, as I'm sure most everyone else is too. Again, hope you enjoyed it! And I hope that I write to the same standard that you expect or would like!

I also realize this one is a little shorter, but I promise the other ones will be better/longer. Think of it as a way to transition the poor chapters previously into something better! =D