Chapter Nineteen
Ukiah slowly awoke, his eyes flickering open. Staring at the stone ceiling, he let out a heavy sigh, as if wishing he never woke up. His shoulder still felt sore, being limited in his movement. But what hurt the most, was his heart. Still feeling like a marble rock was weighing it down. He learned a little piece of history about himself, which changed everything he thought of the world.
His people were murderers. Killed who knows how many people; destroyed numberless tribes. And worst of all…Berk was defending the last survivor of that tribe. Him.
Unable to ease the gut wrenching feeling in his stomach, he turned his head to see Astrid still asleep on her cot. Her head was still bandaged, but she wore her head band over the bandage. He knew she didn't need to, but she felt it was a way she could help him get through the knowledge of his people; even though she spent most the night comforting and consoling him. He was forever grateful for that simple act, though he still was weighed down with sorrow.
Groaning he sat up and rolled to his feet. Rotating his shoulder, he exercised it a little bit before finally standing up. Looking down at Astrid, he decided to let her be. She deserved more sleep than what they actually got. Navigating through the labyrinth of cots, set up by Gobber, he made his way to the doors, which were already open.
As he walked out, he was blinded by the sun. By the position of the sun, he guessed it was late morning. Again, sleeping in longer than he wanted to. A growl sounded to his right, to which he instantly connected it with Arrow. Glancing over, he saw the Sand Wraith stretch while yawning; his teeth glistening in the sun. Blinking to wake up, Arrow then jogged to Ukiah, rubbing the side of his against him.
"Hey friend…" Ukiah whispered, forcing a small smile "How was your night?"
Arrow just growled, looking up at his bandaged shoulder, sniffing at it.
"It's all better now." Ukiah replied, his smile fading. Arrow sensed that something was wrong, which caused him to get right into Ukiah's face with an interrogating expression. Shocked at the intrusion, Ukiah again forced a smile and rubbed one of the spikes fervently. "I'm just thinking, Arrow. Nothing serious."
Arrow looked at Ukiah skeptically, not buying what he was saying.
"Come on. Let's go for a ride." Ukiah said aloud, walking to the side of the dragon. Mounting on the saddle, he was surprised to hear a voice: "Mind if I join?"
Looking up, he watched Hiccup and Toothless land smoothly in front of them. Toothless let out a soft growl at Arrow, which Arrow replied with one of his own.
"Heh, you're awake!" Hiccup called out, smiling sincerely at Ukiah "Feel a little refreshed?"
"A little, yeah." Ukiah replied, a small smile growing on his face "Still sore. But the more I use the shoulder, the better it'll be later."
Hiccup nodded, understanding what Ukiah was saying. Turning Toothless, he then said "Come on, I want to show you something."
"Where?" Ukiah asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Follow me and I'll show you." Hiccup replied with a smile. At that, he and Toothless took off.
Ukiah shrugged, wincing as his shoulder gave him a little grief. "Come on boy, let's see where they're taking us." He said aloud, bracing himself to take off. Arrow instantly launched into the air, following Toothless and trying to catch up.
Finally flying alongside Hiccup, Ukiah closed his eyes and let the wind blow through his hair. For a second, he was able to enjoy the moment for what it was. He wasn't thinking of the coming fight, nor the horrible truth of his people. He was just thinking of him and Arrow, flying with friends.
"Dad came back late last night. After you and Astrid fell asleep." Hiccup began say, turning to face Ukiah "Picked up the rest of those Thariin soldiers, including Ugo and Murky."
"Great." Ukiah replied, nodding at the news "What's your dad going to do Murky?"
"Don't know yet. We'll have to wait 'till after the war. Oh, and Ugo hates you." Hiccup replied with a smile "He's still really tender from where you shot him last night."
"I can't believe he's still alive. I hit him in the side." Ukiah huffed, shaking his head with disappointment. Then the thought hit him. Did he really hope others died? At least those he fought? Every time he thought about his tribe, he couldn't help but wonder if that was why he chose to be a hunter. Someone who enjoys killing.
"Hey, are you alright, Ukiah?" Hiccup's called out, seeing Ukiah slowly withdraw from the conversation.
Looking over at Hiccup, he saw the concern on his face. "I'm fine…" He tried to say, only to have his voice trail off. Letting out a large sigh, he then looked down and shook his head "I don't know Hiccup…I don't know how I'm doing."
"Come on. Let's talk. I want to tell you something." Hiccup quickly threw in, speeding ahead of Arrow.
"Can you just tell me? Rather than taking me somewhere to tell me something!" Ukiah called out, letting Arrow speed to catch up.
"I'd rather sit and talk to you about it." Hiccup replied, gliding lower to the ground.
Confused, Ukiah and Arrow followed the two. Gliding above the tree line, they saw a light fog covering the forest. It dawned on him that he hadn't had a chance to enjoy fog for awhile; at least like he did before. Hiccup and Toothless then dove down, disappearing from their view. Arriving where they lost track of them, they found themselves over a large cove, with cliffs on all sides. A single pond lay at the side of it, creating a sense of peace in the area. It reminded him of his old home in Thariin. At least Fallis Woods.
Hiccup dismounted off of Toothless, who promptly ran to the edge of the pond. Ukiah did the same, looking around the cove and soaking in the sight of the light fog adding to the mystery of the place. It was calming to his mind.
Arrow walked behind Ukiah, also looking around. He then noticed Toothless biting into the water, which probed his curiosity. Walking over, he realized Toothless was trying to catch some fish that were lazily swimming in the pond. Baring his sharp teeth in the form of a smile, Arrow launched into the water and began to swim around. Toothless, as well as Ukiah and Hiccup, watched the Sand Wraith swim from one end to the other. After watching the spectacle, they stared at Arrow curiously as he walked onto the shore and next to Toothless. Smiling, he dropped a small pile of fish at Toothless' feet, gesturing it towards him.
Toothless roared happily, realizing Arrow was helping him. At that, both he and Arrow laid down at the pile, and began to snack on the meal Arrow had gathered.
"Good to see they're becoming buddies!" Hiccup replied with a smile, taking a seat on a rock.
"Yeah, can't believe I was worried they wouldn't get along." Ukiah seconded, shaking his head at Arrow. For the first time in a long time, a natural smile grew on his face. Shaking his head, he took a seat on a rock across from Hiccup, watching the two dragons.
"Heh, it's hard to believe we've been friends for more than a month now." Hiccup added, smiling at Ukiah "A lot's happened in between then and now."
Nodding, Ukiah looked at Hiccup in the eyes, keeping the natural smile on his face "Yeah…a lot has happened. More than I thought possible." Looking around the cove, he asked "So…what is this place?"
"This is where I kept Toothless when I first found him." Hiccup began to explain, looking at Ukiah with a smile "My life changed here. I discovered who I was. Instead of a being a Viking that would kill dragons, like my tribe, and even my dad; I found that I'm someone who could train them, and bridge peace between the two.
Ukiah looked at Hiccup with surprise in his eyes, recalling a moment when he first arrived at Berk. Almost reluctantly, he asked "I didn't hear the details Hiccup, but…were you banished from your tribe because of what you did? From your own home?"
Hiccup let a casual smile grow on his face. "I wasn't really banished…just disowned."
"Even by your dad?" Ukiah asked, still staring at him in shock.
Hiccup's smile slowly disappeared, to which he explained "He was only thinking of protecting the tribe. I did something that no Viking even thought of doing. Trying to protect the dragons didn't really make me popular."
"But…they changed that when you saved them?" Ukiah continued to ask, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, after Toothless and I defeated the Red Death, we changed their minds." Hiccup replied with a smile "I don't think too much of it, since it was something that changed the world as they all knew it."
"But…doesn't it bug you that they did what they did? That they did banish you?" Ukiah pressed.
"No. Because that's not who I am. I try not to dwell on what happened, but what I can do." Hiccup replied simply "There's a whole world out there to explore, and we don't know anything about it! If I spent my time holding a grudge or trying to get back at them, even my dad, I'd waste my life away." Gesturing to his leg with a smile, he added "I'd still be stuck on this little mishap!" Letting his smile slowly disappear, he whispered "Ukiah, I'm explaining this to you because I'm trying to tell you that you're different from your people. You're not a killer, and you shouldn't think that you are!"
Ukiah just looked away from Hiccup, whispering back. "It's not the same Hiccup…"
"How? How is it not the same?" Hiccup argued, folding his arms and staring at Ukiah.
"Because I don't want you guys killed because of me!" Ukiah yelled back, anger ringing in his voice. Realizing he just yelled at his friend, Ukiah turned away from him, ashamed.
"What's going on, Ukiah?" Hiccup asked, looking at him with concern "That conversation last night has gotten you…tense."
Ukiah turned away from him, watching the two dragons continue to eat their breakfast. "I told you earlier. I don't know if I'm ok. Everything makes no sense, yet at the same time it does."
Hiccup was a little surprised at how fast Ukiah closed up. Sitting there a little awkwardly, he then asked "Ukiah…I talked to my dad about how…how you feel about your people history and Strogg…"
"Did he even know we were killers?" Ukiah asked, looking back at Hiccup with dark eyes "Is that why he was willing to fight with Strogg against the Crevites?"
Hiccup didn't say anything. Rather, he just stared at Ukiah with sorrow on his face.
"Hiccup, I know you and everyone else want to keep me alive. And you're doing it as we speak." Ukiah growled "But have you ever considered that Strogg is right? That the world is better off without a Crevite living in it? Am I worth fighting for?"
"You don't believe that, do you?!" Hiccup cried out, shocked at what he was hearing.
"I don't want to, but what if I do enjoy killing? What if I'm exactly like my tribe?" Ukiah replied loudly, rolling his sore shoulder to massage it "I've been a hunter all my life Hiccup! And though I did it to survive, I enjoyed every moment of it! I didn't care that I took a life." Scoffing, he then faked a laugh while adding "Come to think of it, I didn't even care that I killed someone back in the arena! I didn't! And I killed more than one guard there. Plus don't forget what I did last night!"
"But that was to survive! In order to live!" Hiccup cried out, trying to point out the obvious to Ukiah "I didn't want to hurt anyone last night! But with Astrid captured and you surrounded, I did what I had too! Ukiah, you might not feel remorseful, but you don't outright enjoy killing! I can see that! Astrid can see that! We all can see that, Ukiah!"
Ukiah just looked away from Hiccup. He didn't feel like he was doing it to survive. Shouldn't he have felt some remorse? Even from last night? All he knew, was that he was frustrated that he didn't kill Ugo; or take down as many soldiers as he planned to.
"You still don't believe me…do you?" Hiccup observed, seeing Ukiah stay silent.
"It's hard to…" Ukiah admitted "I feel like…I feel like it has been part of me forever." Scoffing a second time, he added "I mean, I guess everything I do is in my blood. How I fight, how I react; heh, I'm willing to bet it affected how I even hunted." Glaring at Hiccup, he then asked "What's to say that my 'ability', whatever that means, won't make me enjoy murdering others?"
Hiccup stared at him, wishing he could convince him how wrong he was. Looking down, he then had a thought. "If you think you enjoy killing, then why didn't you kill Arrow?"
Ukiah looked up at Hiccup with shock on his face "Wh-what?" He stammered, taken off guard by the comment.
"Why didn't you kill Arrow?" Hiccup repeated "He couldn't fight you. He exposed himself to you, and let you get next to him to pull the arrow out of his side. Why didn't you kill him, instead of saving him?"
Ukiah looked down, realizing what Hiccup was pointing out.
"When you first got here, you were worried that we used the arena for what Strogg uses it for. Entertainment." Hiccup continued to press "Ukiah, you're concern isn't what can you kill; it's what can you save! You don't enjoy death!" Looking at him with earnest, he continued to say "Listen Ukiah. You might not feel remorse when you kill, but you don't kill unless it serves a purpose! You're people, it sounds like that they fought because loved to kill. To prove themselves! Strogg, he may have been right in destroying them, but he isn't right with how he enjoys watching death!"
Ukiah stared at Hiccup, actually starting to believe what he was saying.
"And who cares if he's right! You're not what your tribe was, Ukiah! You are you! If he wants you dead because of who your history, then we're not going to let him! That's why my dad wanted to protect you. If we just gave you to Strogg, are we any better than what he is? Are we any better than your tribe?"
Ukiah finally started to nod, seeing how selfish he was thinking that he was someone else, and not believing his friends.
"Put that all aside, and it comes down to one reason why we adopted you in our tribe. Why we're fighting for you." Hiccup continued to say "We're not fighting because you're the last Crevite; we're fighting because you're our friend."
Ukiah felt like a wall fell on him. He almost couldn't breathe because of the impact the reason had on him. They cared about him. And he completely forgot about that. He was so caught up in the news of what he was supposed to be, that he forgot what he had.
"Ukiah...do you believe me now?" Hiccup pressed again, seeing Ukiah stare into nothing.
"I do Hiccup…at least, I'm starting too." Ukiah replied, finally looking at Hiccup with a determination in his eye "Thank you…I know that if you hadn't snapped me out of whatever I was in, I probably would be starting down the path of becoming what I feared I was. A killer."
Hiccup smiled, seeing Ukiah already returning to how he knew him; caring and appreciative.
Looking over at Arrow, who had fallen asleep with Toothless, Ukiah whispered "You know Hiccup, I think you gave me something that I'm going to shape my life to be."
"What's that?" He asked, looking at Ukiah curiously.
"I'm going to fight to make sure I keep my friends safe." Ukiah answered resolutely, looking back at him with a fire burning in his eyes "You, Stoick, Astrid, your friends, even Arrow."
Hiccup smiled at the comment, knowing Ukiah would keep his word. Just as he was about to add to the thought, they both heard someone in the distance. "Hiccup! Where are you?!"
"Did you hear that?" Hiccup whispered, looking around to see if he could find the source.
Ukiah nodded as he closed his eyes, straining to hear the details. Whoever it was, they sounded distressed.
"Hiccup! Ukiah!" The voice shouted again.
"Over there." Ukiah quickly said, pointing in the direction from where they came.
"Hiccup!" The voice shouted, getting louder.
"That's Fishlegs!" Hiccup replied, finally recognizing who was calling.
No sooner had he said his name, Fishlegs flew over the trees on Meatlug. As soon as he spotted the two, he almost drove Meatlug into the ground getting to them. A look of terror on his face became clear as he parked in front of them.
"Fishlegs! What's going on?" Hiccup asked, shocked at seeing his friend that scared about something.
"Th-Th-Th-Thariin ships!" Fishlegs stammered, pointing back at where Berk was "They've been spotted! Strogg's here!"
"Arrow! Let's go!" Ukiah shouted, sprinting to his dragon.
Arrow instantly woke up at the urgency in Ukiah's voice. Toothless also stood up, looking at Hiccup with concern.
"How many ships?" Hiccup asked, running to Toothless.
"Couldn't tell. Thirty, forty ships maybe?" Fishlegs replied, Meatlug taking off again.
Both Ukiah and Hiccup leaped on their dragons. Making sure he was secured on the saddle, he whispered in Arrow's ear "No matter what, we fight together."
Arrow growled, acknowledging Ukiah's words. Launching into the air, the two sped home, leaving Fishlegs trailing behind.
"Hiccup! I gotta get my crossbow and quiver!" Ukiah shouted "I'll join you in a second!"
"Sounds good! I'll talk to my dad and ask what he wants us to do!" Hiccup replied loudly.
The two then flew around a mountain, which revealed the sight they were informed about. The entire Thariin fleet, slowly coming into view over the horizon.
"Come on, Arrow! We gotta get my gear!" Ukiah urged, putting Arrow into a dive. The flight to the Great Hall felt longer than any time he could remember, even when he had the arrow in his shoulder. He couldn't move fast enough with the sudden stress that he was trying to prepare himself for. Ready or not, he was going to fight Strogg and his army.
Heading straight for the Great Hall, he pulled up just feet from the ground. Leaping off the saddle, he shoved the doors open and sprinted inside. Wham! He moved so fast that he didn't see a person reaching to open the doors, until he was already barreling into her; knocking both of them down.
"Hey Uk-Oof!" She cried out, falling on her back.
Ukiah also rolled onto the ground, but quickly rolled onto his feet in a panic. It was Astrid! Looking at her, he extended a hand to help her up. "Sorry Astrid! I didn't even think to look if anyone was behind the door!"
"Ugh, why were you in a hurry?" She grunted, grabbing his hand. Standing up, she then smacked him in the shoulder; the one that took the arrow.
"Agh!" He winced, the pain being amplified. Taking deep breaths, he shut one eye as he turned to run back to his cot "Strogg's here! I gotta get my gear!"
"What?!" She cried out, running after him "What do you mean here?"
"His fleet! His fleet just came into view!" He cried out, kneeling down and pulling his crossbow out. Knowing Arrow's saddle had a surplus of bolts, he slung the crossbow on his back and began to tie the empty quiver to his hip.
Astrid also grabbed her axe from under her cot. Testing the edge, she looked up at him with concern. "Are you going to be alright Ukiah?" She asked, turning and jogging with him.
"I'm fine." He whispered, looking at her in the eye "I had a moment to talk about it with Hiccup, and helped me snap out of whatever I was in." He replied, testing the dagger strapped to his chest "I'm better Astrid, at least better than before."
Astrid just nodded, opening the door. Arrow was anxiously waiting for Ukiah, now that the war horn was sounding and villagers were running around in the square.
"Come on, I'll help you find Stormfly." Ukiah shouted, jumping on Arrow. He filled his quiver from the saddle surplus quiver, as Astrid climbed on behind him. Making sure it was full, he whispered "Come on friend, let's go."
Arrow bolted into the air, leaving a trail of sand behind. The three flew over the village, looking for Stormfly; and also where Hiccup was gathering the riders.
Flying low over the village, Astrid's attention was pulled when Ukiah said aloud "Hey Astrid."
"What? What's going on?" She asked, looking up at him.
Turning to face her, he whispered "Thanks for being my friend. I was such a mess last night that I didn't even thank you for helping me cope with my…history."
Smiling, Astrid lightly hitting him in the back of the shoulder "Your welcome Ukiah. It was something that I felt that I…needed to do."
Ukiah just stared at her, his face lighting up at the comment.
"I'll…we'll talk later." Astrid whispered, glancing down to hide the blushing. Then, in a sharper tone, said "Now if you want to pay me back, help me defend Berk."
"You're asking me to help defend my home as well? To get even with you? Heh, alright!" Ukiah laughed, turning to face forward "Let's find Stormfly and I'll get right on that!"
Shaking her head, Astrid smiled as she look back down at the village below. "There! At the blacksmith shop!" She shouted, pointing with her axe.
Sure enough, Stoick, Gobber, Hiccup, the other riders, their respected dragons, and Stormfly were there. "Alright Arrow, let's get down there!" Arrow rolled over and dove straight down. Stopping right next to Stormfly, he let Astrid jump off of his saddle right onto hers.
"Astrid! Are you going to be alright with your head?" Hiccup asked, walking Toothless next to Stormfly.
"I was better last night. This isn't going to be a problem." Astrid replied, putting on her confident smirk.
"Listen up!" Stoick ordered, catching everyone's attention "Our main purpose is to make sure they don't land on our docks or beaches. While the fleet will help defend them, and the catapults will pound them as they come, I want you all to sink as many ships that come nearby."
Ukiah nodded in understanding, knowing that Stoick wanted to avoid fighting if at all possible.
"Hiccup, I want you to take charge of your riders and do what you think's best." Stoick continued to instruct "If it gets too dangerous, pull out and help reinforce the line."
"Got it dad. We'll keep them away from the docks." Hiccup replied, noddng to acknowledge the instruction.
"Gobber, help me get a few more catapults to back up the front lines." Stoick continued to order, walking away from the group.
"Aye, Stoick, I'm right with ya'" Gobber replied, winking at Hiccup "Told ya' you'd be helping." He whispered, hobbling after Stoick.
Watching the two go, Ukiah then asked "Any way you want to do this?"
"I was thinking of breaking into two teams of three." Hiccup replied, looking at Ukiah, and then to the rest of the group "One team helps keep ships away from the docks, while the other goes and hits the fleet specifically." Glancing back at Ukiah, he added "Besides, we might be able to end Strogg that way."
Ukiah just nodded, though he had a feeling Strogg wouldn't go down that easily.
"Fishlegs, Twins, and Snotlout. You've worked together before as a team, you four will help defend the docks from ships trying to land there." Hiccup instructed "Ukiah, Astrid, and I will go and try to whittle the fleet down. If it looks like the fleet's focusing on us, come and help us out. Got it?"
"Why do I never get to be with Astrid?!" Snotlout roared, angry with who he was partnered with.
"Not now, Snotlout!" Hiccup replied, glaring at him "War, remember?"
"Exactly! Why am I not helping protect Astrid?!" Snotlout cried out.
"Snotlout, if I was to be protected by you, I might as well fly to them and surrender." Astrid groaned, shaking her head.
"Enough! Let's go!" Hiccup ordered, launching into the air. Turning to Fishlegs as he flew away, he shouted "Fishlegs, you're in charge! Just like that training yesterday!"
"Oh, ok!" Fishlegs replied, surprised at the promotion.
"You guys ready?" Hiccup asked, turning to face Ukiah and Astrid, who were right behind him.
"More than ready. I'd like to return the favor with what they did to me." Astrid replied, smiling evilly.
Ukiah just nodded, saying "Arrow and I are ready to fight for our freedom. Getting sick of Strogg messing with our lives."
Hiccup nodded, returning his attention with the fleet that was getting ever closer. "Let's go around them. Hit 'em from behind!" He shouted, pointing the rock cluster that shot out of the ocean. That'd be an easy way to cloak themselves while flying.
"Gotcha' Hiccup, we'll follow your lead." Astrid replied loudly, swinging her axe to warm her arm up.
Ukiah rolled his shoulder, trying to get used to the soreness. Whatever happened, he was going to make sure he protected his friends.