Chapter Eight: Plans in Action
"My God…I wish I brought a wakeboard or something!" Matt groaned loudly, arching his back in the hammock that was his bed since the beginning of the journey. Now only a few days away from Thariin, the large ship was getting smaller and smaller with every passing minute.
"Not that you could do much anyways." Hiccup replied with an uncaring tone. Also lying in his hammock, he was reading a book that Bruvos had lent him and flipped a page to show he didn't care about Matt's rant. "It's been raining the last few days. With no sign of letting up."
"Heh, reminds me of when we first came to Thariin." Astrid spoke up, rubbing a stone against her axe for the millionth time during the trip. "I swear Hiccup was seasick the last week of our journey."
"Was that when you first met Ukiah?" Heather asked looking away from the window she was staring out of.
Hiccup shut his book. Swinging his legs over, he smiled as he nodded. "Yeah, sure was. What were you doing the few days before we met you, Ukiah?"
Everyone turned to look at Ukiah, who was wasting the time away by playing with Arrow. For being only a month and a couple weeks old, he was already getting bigger. Running around Ukiah, who was sitting cross legged on the floor of the Rider's room, he was twice the size he was when he first hatched.
"Getting used to Arrow." He whispered, his eyes misting slightly. "He showed himself to me when I first arrived home after I tried hunting him. Heh, instead he had the opportunity to kill me."
Everyone looked down, sorry that they stirred up the memory of the former Arrow.
"But, I'd do it all over again." He said aloud, putting everyone's nerves at ease. "Finding him, going to Thariin, fighting in the arena, and escaping with you guys."
"Taking a blade to the chest?" Snotlout added, making everyone turn to glare at him.
"Even that." He replied, knowing that it was just who Snotlout was. "The only thing I'd change is how I reacted when I learned Strogg was still alive; and when Hiccup said he wouldn't help me."
"Hey, it all worked out in the end." Astrid interrupted, standing up and walking over to Ukiah. Kneeling down next to him, she let Arrow bite down on the handle of her axe. Playing tug-of-war with him, she smiled as she fought against the dragon's pull. "We all got it ironed out in the end. Even if I was a little bit of a mutton head…"
"Well, whatever happens, I have no regrets." Ukiah added, looking at Astrid with a warm smile.
"Hiccup?" A voice called out, with the door to their room opening up.
"Lydia! Come on in!" Hiccup called out.
As the door opened, everyone was surprised to see Bruvos and Auger with her. Snotlout, being less than subtle, jumped out of his hammock and walked up to Lydia.
"Hey babe, wanted to see how I was doing?"
"You were part of the reason why I came down here…but no, I didn't want to see what or how you were doing." She growled. Rolling her eyes, she purposely placed herself next to Ukiah.
"King Bruvos, is there anything we can help you with?" Hiccup called out, stepping up their friend and ally.
"Possibly, we just wanted to check on you all, as well as discuss a possible strategy." He replied, smiling at Hiccup. "I hope the rain hasn't been too hard on you all with keeping you inside."
"Some more than others." Hiccup laughed, gesturing to Matt who continued to lie in his hammock.
"…rrrraagGGGHH!" He wailed, arching his back and pulling his hair in agonizing frustration. "Seriously! I should have brought my wakeboard!"
"He'll be fine." Hiccup quickly added, shaking his head at Matt's misery.
"Well, Auger and I were counseling with each other about how we should start the invasion, and we came up with an idea that we want to talk with you about."
Hiccup instantly perked up, seeing they were here for important issues. Matt too also sat up, trying to get out of his hammock.
"We still have a quarter of our forces at our kingdom." Bruvos began to say. "If we had a way to get them to attack the backside of Thariin, we can flank their already thin forces and increase our chances of getting into their village."
"I assume you're talking about having a Rider go inform your men." Ukiah spoke up, standing up from his position.
"Exactly. If one of you could bring Auger to our home, he can lead those forces from behind. If we have two of your Riders with them, then they'll be more than just a force to reckon with."
Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me. We can send the twins and Snotlout. They have the most experience-"
"On the battlefield?" Auger interrupted.
"Uh…more so doing anything that involves being destructive. They have a special skill with dismantling things." He admitted. "They'd be great for helping break holes in walls and any defenses your men would have to get through."
"Which leads me to a second request." Bruvos continued to say. "Zekir will have a few days of a head start on us in preparing for an invastion. We have no idea what his defenses look like."
Matt instantly picked up on what the 'request' was going to be. "So send us ahead to get an idea of what we're up against, and then come back and report."
"That is exactly what we were hoping for."
"Welp! You know what I'm ready to do!" Matt said loudly, stretching his arms as he limped towards his gear. "Anything to get off this ship!"
"I agree, this would be a great idea to find any sort of weakness we could exploit." Hiccup muttered, stroking his chin in contemplation. "If anything, for Auger and his forces since they'll be coming from behind."
Ukiah then rested his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Even if it's been years, I'm willing to bet that I know those forests nearby better than most soldiers in Thariin. We can stay at my old cave while some of us scout out the actual village. We'll at least have some sort of shelter there."
"Your cave?" Auger asked, looking at Ukiah with curiosity.
"Before I was adopted, I lived near Thariin. In a forest called Fallis Woods." He explained "I was a hunter there most my life. In fact, it was my home until I was seventeen. That was when I ran into Hiccup and Astrid."
"I'll leave the choice with you." Bruvos replied. "You are allies to us, so I don't want to order you around as if you were my own men."
"No, I agree that it's a good idea. We'll go scout out Thariin and let Auger go gather the rest of your forces. We'll leave within the hour."
"Oh, sweet release…" Matt whispered, acting as if he was granted freedom from a jail cell.
"Dad, I want to go with them." Lydia asked, stepping up as she became the center of attention. "I've gotten a lot better with an axe, and it'd be nice to stretch the legs before the actual fight."
Bruvos was quick to reply. "No, you're going with Auger and staying home."
"That's not fair!" She cried out angrily.
"Don't you worry your Highness. I'm the best qualified in escorting royalty." Snotlout quickly cut in, smiling from ear to ear.
"Dad! I want to help! If you fail taking down Zekir, he'll just come for our home! I want to help fight!" She continued to shout. "Please! Don't do this to me!"
Bruvos was about to say no again, when Auger stepped in between him and her. "Dad, let her go with them."
Both Bruvos and Lydia stared at him in shock, though more so with Lydia.
"You told me yourself, she hasn't seen the world like I have. So, let her. The reason why I am who I am is because you trusted me enough to learn. Well, let her learn. Besides, we both trust the Riders that they'll protect her as if she was one of their own." Turning to look at Ukiah, he added "In some ways, they already have."
Sighing, Bruvos turned to Hiccup and asked "If you will allow her to come, I'll let her go with you."
Hiccup instantly began to nod fervently. "Of course! We'd be more than happy to have her ride along with us!" Turning to Ukiah, he then announced their plan. "We'll go to your cave first. There, we'll strategize on how we want to scout Thariin. Snotlout and the twins will continue on to take Auger to get his men. Got it?"
"Let's just hurry so we can get off of this ship!" Matt huffed in annoyance, flipping open his knife to test the edge of the blade.
"I'll pack some supplies for us to take." Heather called out, walking up to Auger. "Any chance you can lead me to the ship's storeroom?"
"Right this way." He answered with a smile. Turning to Lydia, he then instructed "Pack light. Only the necessities you know you'll need."
"Sure, I'll be the first one ready!" She replied excitedly, turning to run out of the room.
As everyone began to pack their things, Bruvos walked up to Ukiah. Seeing him stand next to him, Ukiah stepped back from everyone so they could have some privacy.
"Ukiah, I know you're here for a single purpose; and I'm not going to ask you to forget that, or to place other things in front of your goal."
Not saying anything, Ukiah simply stood there and continued to listen to him.
"All I ask, is that you watch over my daughter. She's willing, but is inexperienced. Will you do everything you can to ensure her safety?"
Slowly nodding, Ukiah agreed to the request. "I will. Though I'm unsure why you're asking me and not Hiccup."
"I have my reasons. If I didn't feel you were the best one to talk to about it, I wouldn't have done so."
"Fair enough." He huffed, kneeling down and grabbing his sword. Slinging the sheath over his head so it was hanging on his back, he then began to move onto his quiver of bolts. "I will do everything in my power to teach her. Survival will be up to her, but I will help her if she needs it."
"Thank you. And may Odin bless your travels to be smooth." Bruvos whispered, turning to leave the Dragon Riders. Stopping at the door, he turned to look at Ukiah one more time. Watching him strap his unique crossbow to his chest with a series of straps, he let a small crack of a smile grow on his face; to which he turned and left the Riders alone.
Several hours later, getting towards nightfall; the overcast skies never cleared up, which was a relief to some of the riders. The darker it got, the better the chance was they wouldn't be spotted by a scout ship, or patrolling fleet. Everyone kept their eyes forward, waiting for any sign of land. Well, almost everyone.
"Hiccup! Hiccup!" Snotlout shouted. "Stop ignoring me! I know you can hear me!"
"That's the problem, Snotlout. We all can hear you." Astrid groaned, shaking her head in annoyance.
"Errggh…yes, Snotlout?" Hiccup finally replied, finally giving up on ignoring him.
"Why do I have to go with the twidiots and no-fun, all-serious prince Auger, when I should clearly be the one staying and escorting the royalty that matters?!"
"Ugh!" Lydia groaned, hitting her head against Ukiah's chainmail.
Auger then hit Snotlout in the head, making his helmet spin. "I'm right behind you, Rider…"
"I know! I wanted you to hear it!"
"You should know, Snotlout." Lydia began to say. "Auger's the only one here that's in position to actually reward and act as ruler of Gorthurk. If you're looking for treasure, accolades, and recognition; I suggest you start trying to impress him!"
"Or I can have you executed when we arrive at my kingdom." Auger added, growling menacingly at him.
"Don't get our hopes up." Astrid huffed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Turning she smiled as she saw two specific dragons lag behind the group. Wasatch and Windshear. Wasatch was having fun, rolling, carving, and looping around in the air. All while Windshear was doing her own set of tricks with him.
Matt then let Wasatch surge ahead of the group, lining himself up with Ukiah. "Man, it feels good to fly…"
"Really? We couldn't tell." Ruffnut huffed sarcastically. "If I remember right, we were yelled at when we were doing our own tricks. How come you get to?"
"Because Wasatch gets excited." Matt replied with a wide smile. Pulling down his goggles, he then pointed up at the sky. "And when he gets excited, lightning starts to form in the area he's playing in. So if you're a ship, and you see lightning in the distance, what do you do?"
"Uh, sail right into it! Duh!" She replied with a wide smile.
"Right, forgot who I was talking to…" He moaned, shaking his head. "What would normal people do, seeing lighting?"
"Sail away from it." Fishlegs commented, seeing the reason.
"Exactly. So me playing around, getting Wasatch all excited, is actually helping us not be spotted! All you two would do is create an explosion so big, it'd be a signal flare to everyone."
"Ooh. Sounds like a challenge!" Ruffnut replied with a wide smile. "What say you brother?"
"Way ahead of you sis! We just need ships full of Monstrous Nightmare gel, and-"
"We're here." Ukiah interrupted, pointing up ahead. "Fallis Woods lies west of Thariin. They're a good six hour hike from each other, since I'm assuming you don't want to fly close to the village."
"Think we'll find your cave in the dark?" Astrid asked, peering ahead with the dimming light.
"I know this area. I had to in order to survive. Let's just fly along the coast and I'll recognize it." He replied, letting Lasher glide lower.
Following his lead, the gang flew closer to each other and lower to the sea, banking slightly to start following the shoreline. Cliffs projected out of parts of the beach, creating a scene that almost looked cinematic to Matt. There were sea stacks that were littered in the ocean as well, though not half as big as the ones everyone else was familiar with.
Ukiah then began to slow down, pointing at a nearby cliff. "There. It's right there."
Everyone slowed to a hover, staring at what was Ukiah's humble home. A single cave was visible in the cliff, with a natural pathway that led to the forest behind. It even looked like a steep trail led from the cave down to the beach, which zigzagged down the cliff face.
"Tread lightly. I don't know what could've taken residence since I've been gone." He said aloud, using his single arm to ready his crossbow.
"We're right behind you." Heather whispered, readying her axe as well.
Stopping just outside the cave, Ukiah slid off of Lasher and calmly walked in. Lydia, who stayed on Lasher, held onto Arrow, who wanted to follow him. Both Heather and Astrid slid off and followed him, with Matt and Hiccup landing atop of the cave.
"Astrid, take this." Hiccup called out, dropping his sword down to her.
Catching it by the handle, she smiled as she let the sword light up with fire. Using it as a torch, she and Heather stepped in and observed what were the remains of Ukiah's home.
Scattered pots littered the ground, with a few that were broken or shattered. On top of that, dust had gathered everywhere, adding to the age of everything. In the center of the cave were the remains of a fire pit, with a rusted iron skillet tipped over next to it. Old pelts and cracked leather were folded up and stacked neatly in the back of the cave. Ukiah himself was staring at a specific spot in the cave, his face dark and solemn in the torches' flickering light.
"All clear?" Matt asked, walking in behind.
"Yeah, all clear." Ukiah whispered, shaking his head to bring him out of whatever trance he was in. "Where's Auger?"
Matt turned and pointed to Hookfang, who was still hovering outside of the cave.
Stepping past everyone, Ukiah looked up at the prince and asked "Do you want to stay the night? Or are you going to head right away?"
"I'd like to leave now. If we go all night, we should arrive by morning. Then my men and I will be ready to strike when my father arrives with the fleet."
"Twins, Snotlout, you heard him." Hiccup began to instruct. "Get him home, and then help them with whatever he needs. I'm counting on you."
"Right. Just help the guy that threated to execute me minutes ago!" Snotlout huffed angrily.
"The threat still stands." Auger growled.
"Be careful, Auger." Lydia called out, finally sliding off Lasher. "I want to see you after the battle."
"I will, Lydia. You too. Just listen to the Riders. They know what they're doing." He counseled, looking at his sister with a confident expression.
"Alright, get going! We'll see you guys in a couple of days!" Hiccup shouted, gesturing for them to leave.
With a streamflow of complaints, Snotlout began to surge ahead, with the twins following close behind.
"Alright, with that taken care of, let's start making our plan in regards to scouting out Thariin." Hiccup began to say, finally able to see the cave for the first time.
As everyone began to make themselves comfortable, dragons included, Ukiah went to the back of the cave and came back with an armful of wood.
"Old, but still useable." He huffed, stacking it in the center fire pit. "I'm actually surprised half the stuff I left here is still intact." At that, he pointed at the wood, to which Lasher let out a small flame and let the fire start roaring.
"Hey, look at Arrow!" Lydia pointed out, smiling as she watched the Sand Wraith begin to dig into the ground.
Everyone smiled as they watched him roll in the dirt, growling happily. All except Ukiah.
Seeing him, Heather stared at him in concern. "What's wrong, Ukiah?"
Everyone turned to see him with a solemn expression. Confused, they simply sat in their respected spots and waited for him to explain.
"Tha…that was Arrow's favorite spot." He whispered with a hoarse voice. Walking over to Arrow, he sat down in the dirt and began to stroke the baby Sand Wraith. "When we first met, this was where he slept. He'd dig in the dirt and bury himself a little bit every time he would sleep."
Everyone remained silent, understanding what he was recalling. They should have expected him to have recollections of him and Arrow when they decided to come here.
Finally, letting a small smile grow on his face, Ukiah scooped up a handful of dirt and began to slowly drizzle it on Arrow, who was snuggling into a ball as he did so. "This just reinforces that Arrow is back in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve this gift from the gods, but I'm sure grateful."
Glad that he wasn't bitter, or depressed, everyone began to relax. Fishlegs had taken a spot in the back of the cave with Meatlug, while Hiccup and Astrid were sitting on some rocks along the side of the cave. Toothless and Stormfly had laid themselves out at their feet, resting from the long flight they had. Matt and Heather were sitting on the ground near the entrance of the cave, with Windshear lying next to them. Wasatch was content sleeping outside of the cave, as he enjoyed the overcast weather and random lighting strikes in the distance.
Lydia, unsure of where to sit, decided to stay next to Lasher, who was more than okay with that. Laying in a semicircle with Lydia leaning against him, Lasher unraveled the braid of his tails and let one of them rest in her lap. Growling, he then nuzzled against her, given that she was usually with Ukiah and inadvertently, with him.
"So, before we drift off into the inevitable sleep, what should we do about scouting tomorrow?" Matt asked, stretching his arms and letting out a long yawn. In a smooth motion, he dropped his arm around Heather, pulling her closer to him.
"Again, smooth." She teased, smirking at him.
"Every now and then, I get lucky!" He laughed.
Smiling, Hiccup then began to assess what they needed to do. "Well, Ukiah needs to come with us regardless. He's the only one that knows how to get to Thariin on foot."
"Agreed." Ukiah replied, taking out his dagger and a small stone. Placing the whetstone in between his legs, he began to sharpen the blade and simply sat there to listen. His single arm wasn't going to stop him from taking care of his equipment.
"I don't think me going near Thariin is a good idea." Lydia began to say, folding her arms and staring at the fire with a concerned look. "People would recognize me and bring unwanted attention. If Zekir knows I'm there, I'd be either killed or captured faster than I can say help."
"So Lydia should stay." Matt summed up, agreeing with her.
"That might be good. We can't and shouldn't take our dragons near Thariin." Hiccup added, also agreeing with the idea.
"How are we going to scout it?" Astrid asked. "Are we just going along the walls of the city? Or are we going to try and get in?"
"I'd say if we get inside, we'd get a better idea of what's going on." Hiccup replied. "I don't think guards or other people would make the connection that we're from Berk. Or that we're Dragon Riders."
"Except me." Matt called out, looking a little concerned about something.
"What do you mean, except you?" Heather asked in confusion.
"Look at me. I'm wearing clothes that no one's seen before." He explained. Brushing some dirt off his snowboard pants, he looked at them with a sheepish smile. "I'd draw unwanted attention like a moth to a light. I mean, I could hide my goggles, but that's not quite what worries me."
Hiccup looked at him, seeing exactly what he meant. His snowboard pants were only part of the problem. His boots, even his jacket was enough to make him noticeably different from anyone else. Even the way he acts would make him interesting to even strangers.
"We can get something for you to change into." Heather suggested hopefully. "I mean, Thariin is supposed to be a hub for traders, right?"
"No. I don't think that's a good idea." Hiccup replied. "Apart from us wanting to be there for as long as we need, if we have any bigger group, we'll be watched."
"Smaller the better?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow. "I can stay here and watch the dragons. If we want to keep them away from any prying eyes, then maybe it'd be best that I stay here just to keep it that way."
"What if we keep it as me, you, Fishlegs, and Heather?" Astrid then added, turning to Hiccup. "Lydia can stay with Matt, while Ukiah waits for us outside the village?"
"That might be better." Ukiah finally added. "If you go two at a time. Or at least different intervals, no one will suspect you're together. Even the guards at the gates. If we really wanted, you could all enter into different gates."
"Sounds like we have a plan!" Astrid replied with a smile.
"I guess…" Heather whispered, looking a little depressed over the idea that Matt wasn't coming.
"Tell you what, we stop Zekir and Darien, we can check out the village together after." Matt consoled, smiling at her frowning face.
"…sure…" She huffed, shaking her head with a growing smile she tried to fight.
Lydia, though a little hesitantly, turned to Ukiah. "Can I come with you? At least, in guiding the others to Thariin?"
A little surprised by the request, Ukiah thought about it. "I don't see why not, though it'll be more boring than staying here with Matt and the dragons."
"I don't mind. If anything, it'll teach me patience when it comes to hunting."
"I'll be able to handle the dragons. Meatlug, Toothless and Windshear are chill enough that I only have to worry about entertaining Stormfly and Wasatch." Matt added, agreeing with her that she should go.
"Then it's settled. We'll all leave tomorrow and then Fishlegs, Heather, Astrid and I will check out the village to see what kind of defenses they have." Hiccup announced, smiling at the task which they set up.
"Better get some rest then. It's a long hike and we'll have to leave early if we want to get there at a reasonable time." Ukiah called out, letting Arrow burrow in his lap.
"Fair enough. See you guys in the morning." Matt yawned, pulling Heather down with him. Windshear then used one of her wings to cover them, giving them something of a blanket.
Stormfly did the same for Hiccup and Astrid, while Toothless gave them something to lean against.
Lasher had no problem sleeping with Lydia, to which he also used his wing to keep her warm.
Fishlegs had procured an old bear pelt, and after shaking the dirt and dust off, used it as his and Meatlug's blanket.
Ukiah watched his friends slowly drift into sleep, one by one. He never imagined them being here, in his old home. He never imagined himself returning here! Looking around, he let a small smile grow on his face. He did miss it. The life he once had. Hunting every day, surviving in the wilderness, being dependent entirely on himself. It all made him long for the life he used to have. Then, looking down at Arrow, silently scolded himself. How could he forget all he went through? The moments that defined him? That made him who he was?
Watching Arrow sleep in his lap, he couldn't help but remember the blessing he was given. Another chance to have Arrow in his life. "I'll make sure you stay safe, friend." He whispered, stroking the Sand Wraith's little spikes. "I promise…"
"It seems…cowardly." Zekir huffed, walking down the hallway with Darien. "I'm not sure if this idea is better than dying."
"You fight too much with honor, Zekir." She replied with a nonchalant tone. "I fight to win. And if that means going with our plan, then I'll do it."
Zekir sighed, shaking his head. "My people will disown me. They'll be ashamed of me."
"Not if this plan works."
"No, Darien. Legacies aren't simply rebuilt or repaired. They're redefined. It'll never be the same here."
"If you feel that you need to stay and fight a losing battle, then I won't stop you with that." She replied with a hint of frustration. "But the only way we can exact revenge on the Riders, is if we both agree to this!"
"I already told you, Darien; I'm choosing to stay with you. I'm going with your plan." He explained. "I just…I'm giving up everything I worked for."
"For something more. Imagine what people will do when they see you mount every Dragon Rider's head on a spike? Or when you walk through Bruvos' walls and end him and his son? People will flock to you. You will build something grander than Thariin."
Sighing, Zekir nodded in agreement. "To be fair, I feel like I'm being idle in my passions right now. Perhaps this will force me to grow stronger and adapt to a harsher world. It's wrong for anyone to be content with life."
"You know, I chose this lifestyle myself. And by the time I'm done being in charge, it'll be grander than any position that could ever be offered!"
"I do not doubt you on your claim." He replied with a small smile. Gesturing to a door, he explained "Ugo found a half-brother to me. My father, Strogg, was far more…sexually active than we both realized.
Stopping at the door, she looked at him with a little concern. "What did Ugo think when you told him what we were doing?"
"He was against it, as I was originally." He admitted. "But, he agreed to help with it. Though he made no promise that he'd be with us during our part."
"I figured as much…" She whispered. "Well, my men are ready. All we have to do is ensure that Ugo and you're half-brother do their jobs."
"Let's find out then, shall we?" He replied with a confident smile. At that, he opened the door to reveal Ugo standing in the corner of the room, with a nervous looking kid, maybe a little older than Zekir, pacing around nervously.
"Ch-chief Zekir!" He stammered, seeing him walk into the room. "I-I-I never challenged you! I never wanted the position of Chief! Why are you keeping me here?!" He had similar color of hair as Zekir, being a dirty blonde, though he had no facial hair. It was also tied in a long pony tail, being different from Zekir's usually short hair. In short, there were similarities between the two, but it wasn't blatantly obvious they were half-brothers.
"He doesn't believe me that you have no ill-intentions." Ugo huffed in annoyance, obviously tired of babysitting him.
"I assure you if I wanted to put you down, I'd have you brought to the arena instead." Zekir assured, gesturing to a table with wine and fruit set on it. "Please sit down. I only wish to discuss an item of business that we can both greatly benefit from."
Still unsure, the guest watched as both Zekir, and the girl with him, sat down at the table. Reluctantly, he did the same.
"Now, as you know, I'm Zekir." He began to introduce. "With me is Darien the Snake. Leader of the Dragon Hunters."
"I don't remember having a title." She replied in surprise with what he called her.
"It matches you. You're cunning and lethal. I hope you don't mind me calling you by that." He replied with a smile.
"I actually like it." She affirmed, letting a small smile grow on his face.
"Uh-uh…pleasure." The apparent brother greeted nervously, trying to keep himself from shaking.
"What is your name?"
"G-Gabor, sir…"
"Gabor? It's nice to meet someone related to me. One that doesn't want to slit my throat at least."
"Oh, trust me! I have no intention of that, Black Heart!"
"I'm aware. What do you do for your trade?" At that, he picked up an apple from a silver plate and took a bite, sitting back in his chair in a relaxed position.
"I'm an artisan. I craft mainly wooden furniture; though with the possible war, I've been helping construct catapults and battle staves."
"Really? I might have to place an order with you." Darien commented, also helping herself to some of the drink. "I've always wanted to have a legit staff."
"Legit?" Gabor repeated, trying to figure out what the word meant.
"I'm sorry. I meant authentic." She laughed. Taking a long swallow from her goblet, she followed up with "How long does it take you to make a staff?"
"Uh…maybe a few hours. But for you, possibly longer. I'd make it real ornate and unique." He replied, starting to relax with the conversation. Slowly, he reached and poured himself a drink.
"I guess I'll have to get one too." Zekir laughed, seeing Darien smile at the thought. "We can train with each other."
"Uh, sorry for the curiosity…but is this why you wanted to see me?" Gabor asked, sipping his wine as he eyed the two. "I think there's a little bit more to why you wanted to talk with me."
"There is. And what we tell you is to not be repeated to anyone. At all." Zekir answered, setting down the apple. Looking at him with a stern look, he then said "Otherwise, you will die."
"I…I understand." Gabor replied, visibly swallowing nervously.
"Darien? Would you explain your idea?"
Darien let a wide smile grow on her face. "Gabor, what we're going to be asking of you is pretty simple. We need your help. And in return…you'll be rewarded handsomely for your assistance."
"Thus the importance of keeping others from knowing what we're doing." Zekir explained. "It's one of those things where…you help us, we help you."
"I think I get it." Gabor replied, mentally getting himself ready to hear their request. "I don't understand why you needed me, but I will help my Chief and the leader of the Dragon Hunters. What do you need of me? Besides my staves?"
So sorry for the delayed update. It's the same reason that I warned about previously, being school. I won't say much about it, because most of us are all in the same position; or understand the time requirement for such an activity.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to publish again soon. Thanks for the support!