21 - A Big Mess
For a moment, Stoick just stared, motionless. Everything was one giant, stinking mess. Not just a chaotic mess of battle. A political mess. A moral mess.
Dragons flew above, unseen from within the dim cargo hold. No doubt, many ships had turned tail to scatter to warn their respective tribes that Berk has a massive dragon army - which will disband very soon if it hasn't already - now that Hiccup was secure. Before the attack, the dragons used Tofa as a translator to make it very clear they had absolutely no interest in fighting Berk's battles. They just wanted to rescue Hiccup since he is a sort of savior to them. No doubt there would never be such a repeat performance.
Of course, nobody else knew this. Next year, there will be an even larger armada launched against Berk with warriors from even more tribes united against the "big, bad dragon-hoarding Hooligans." It was all just a giant, stinking mess.
Stoick was startled out of his reverie by something warm and wet clamping over his arm and tugging. Toothless whined as he tried to get the only nearby creature with opposable thumbs to help his rider. Despite how prideful the dragon can be, he knew that there were some things for which his slobber was insufficient.
The chief shook himself free from the toothless maw. His son needed attention, but Stoick was a man of tradition. He watched Skuf exhale for the last time and placed a hand on his face, closing his eyelids. He was too young. Simply too young to die like this.
The duel was something Stoick never saw coming, but once declared, was honor-bound to let it run its course. In retrospect, it was a brilliant move from Skuf as every other scenario would have ended with Dagur slicing HIccup's throat in defiance. Dagur was dead and he knew it, whether he died today or went back home to die to his angry tribesmen and allies. A man who has nothing left to lose will give just as much. The challenge to a duel was a last-ditch attempt to offer some allure for Dagur to cooperate and release Hiccup. It worked like a charm, but... Skuf...
"Odin, be gentle with his soul," Stoick intoned "He was a strong warrior in life and he gave selflessly, even to the end of death."
Skullcrusher rose up and shoved the chief out of the way to nuzzle his dead rider. Stoick allowed it. On further consideration, he blamed himself for Skuf's death. The story he had woven about a dragon army seemed like a good idea at first, but good ideas don't get good men killed. He ended up attacking Dagur's pride and that was all the deranged man had left when standing on a ship surrounded by angry enemies. Such an error in tactics almost cost his son's life.
Would have, could have, should have. Put your hand to the plow and look ahead.
Stoick puffed out a sigh as he carefully removed the dagger that was still embedded in Skuf's torso and stood up to take in his surroundings. Dagur was already dead. Toothless was pining over Hiccup, who was still laying on the floor, but now unbound. A sky blue Terrible Terror was shackled by its neck to Hiccup's good ankle. The poor thing was in bad shape.
Skullcrusher took in a deep breath and gave out the loudest, most heart-wrenching, soul-piercing mourning wail that sent chills down Stoick's spine. The chief placed a large hand on the dragon's snout. Skullcrusher allowed it and, in fact, leaned into it with a heavy sigh.
"He was a good man, Skullcrusher. I'm sorry you have to endure such loss. I know how it feels. It's like a great, yawning gap stretching across your shoulders, like your very heart has been torn out of your chest and crushed in front of your eyes. You feel like you're being crushed under a great weight and nothing can save you. It is natural to grieve, but do not despair. So long as Skuf is remembered, he is not truly lost to this world."
Skullcrusher just thumped his head against the decking and laid there against his rider's side. Stoick gathered his wits and moved over to his son. The dragon may want to be alone with his fallen rider, anyway. It was only proper to give some space for a warrior to mourn the loss of someone he loved and it was starting to feel less awkward to extend such considerations to a dragon as well.
Hiccup's condition was not looking good. Bruises, whip marks, lacerations, and puffed and torn skin told a tale of the poor boy's interrogation. Amazingly, he had no broken bones save one rib on his right side. He still had all his teeth and none of them felt loose, but the physical injuries were not what really worried Stoick. Something they put in him had his eyes dilated, his mouth drooling, and his hand-eye coordination on par with a one-year-old.
The Terror chained to Hiccup whimpered. It had a splint on one wing and leg, but the other wing was also broken and undressed. The Berserkers surely didn't put those splints on, so it must have been Hiccup's work. Stoick decided he would take care of the Terror along with the boy.
He hefted his ax and looked down at the little dragon. "Hold still, Terror."
The dragon panicked and tried in vain to flee. A bark from Toothless silenced it's screeching and it just curled up, trembling. Stoick took careful aim with his ax and struck the chain. There was a loud CLINK and a chain link tore enough for Stoick to work it loose and free the Terror, which just huddled in a corner. There were still steel clasps around Hiccup's ankle and the Terror's neck, but it was good enough for now.
"Heeeeee diiiiiiieed," Hiccup said as he slowly rolled his head around. "Aaaaiiii Miiiisssss Hiiimmmm allllllreeeeeadyyyyy."
Stoick got Hiccup into a kneeling position and said, "Sorry, son, but I have to do this. Gotta get rid of whatever they put in you."
He cradled his son's head in one hand and rammed a finger down his throat. Hiccup's eyes bulged as he choked and Stoick leaned him forward to evacuate his stomach onto the decking.
Toothless growled, but Stoick calmly looked over at the dragon and said, "Quit your whining. I don't know what drugs they put in Hiccup, but this is the best way to flush out his system."
Astrid burst into the room, out of breath, ax in hand. A few Terrible Terrors were clinging to her shoulders and arms with one even perched on her ax head, licking up the blood, tail wrapped around the handle. They were probably Tofa's Terrors. The girl ended up living with the Hoffersons and the dragons took a liking towards her adopted sister.
Astrid looked around the room in shock. She took in Skuf and Dagur laying on the ground, dead, blood seeping all over the decking, Skullcrusher quietly mourning over the loss of his rider, the Terrors flitting over to nuzzle Skuf's limp hand and giving their own sad croons, and the injured blue one in the corner. Her eyes ended up resting on Hiccup, who was on his hands and knees, coughing out any remains in his mouth, crying or laughing or something in between his stupor.
"Astrid," the chief called out, focusing her attention on him. "I need water. A full skin's worth. Go find some for me."
However, the girl just continued to stare at Hiccup in utter shock. Now was not the time to mourn. Now was the time to make sure Hiccup pulls through with minimal setbacks. Now was the time for the shieldmaiden to distract herself with duties instead of emotionalism.
"ASTRID!" Stoick bellowed. "WATER!"
"But... what-"
"NOW!"
That shook Astrid out of her shock and she turned around without a word and ran out. It was for her own good. She would thank him for keeping her from wallowing in sorrow. She was just that kind of person - an exemplary young warrior.
A moment later, she returned with a full waterskin, uncapping it as she handed it to the chief. "What happened to him?"
Stoick raised Hiccup up from his hands and knees, setting him down against the wall in a seated position. He then took the waterskin and had Hiccup drink. Water dribbled down the sick boy's chin as he gulped it down with a giddy expression on his face.
"He's been... poisoned. I need to flush out his stomach." Then, turning to Toothless, he said, "I know it hurts to watch, but try to find something useful to do. It's the best way to deal with this situation. Find something else to occupy your attention."
Stoick continued to make Hiccup drink water, gently prodding at his belly to gauge how full it was. By the time the skin was almost empty, Stoick decided it was enough and got Hiccup to his knees again, forcing him to regurgitate once more. Toothless' whining went up in pitch and volume as his rider spewed the water and anything else in his stomach to the flooring.
The chief stole a glance up at Astrid. "Hiccup will be fine. I'll take him to Gothi. I need you to go check on how the dragons are doing. Find a way to tell them that Hiccup has been secured. Then go..."
His voice drifted off as he noticed that Toothless had stopped his whining. The Night Fury was emitting some sort of guttural thrum with his eyes closed in concentration and the flaps crowning his head pulsating and twitching.
"Nevermind about talking to the free dragons," Stoick said. "Looks like our scaly wonder is doing that for us. Is your dragon flight-worthy?"
"Yessir."
"Good. Go check on Berk. I want to know what happened on our shores. If the enemy is present, don't engage, just observe from safety. And have someone find out how many deaths and injuries we have with our riders and all the dragons here."
Astrid gave a sharp nod with a "Yes, chief!" She was about to turn around to head out, but first took a step forward and crouched down to gently put a hand on Hiccup's cheek and peck a quick kiss on his forehead. The boy didn't even seem to notice, gazing at the wall across the room as if those wooden slabs were the most amazing thing in the world. With a resigned sigh, Astrid jogged out of the room and disappeared out of the jagged hole that used to be a doorway.
Most of the Terrors chirped and took off after her, but an orange one lingered to give Skullcrusher a lick and a nuzzling to the snout. The large dragon warbled and licked the Terror back, grateful for the show of sympathy. Given the size difference, it looked like he was eating the little thing for a moment before the Terror squirmed, preened, and licked him again before flying off after Astrid.
Stoick shifted his eyes over to stare at Toothless, gently placing a hand on the side of the dragon's head. Toothless leaned into the hand and gave out a long, rumbling sigh.
"While you're at it, tell the dragons they have my immeasurable gratitude. We could not have done this without them and," Stoick chuckled, lightly, "I have absolutely no clue how I can reward them and show how much this means to me."
Turning to Hiccup, he said, "We need to get you out of here, son. Can you walk?"
Hiccup shakily stood up, supported by his father, but clenched his side in pain.
"Ooowwwww... myyyy riiiiiiiib huuuuurtsssss."
Stoick smiled. "You'll be fine, son. I'll carry you. You'll be back in action before you know it."
Hiccup lurched forward to land a light punch on the side of his dragon's neck. "Thaaaaat'sss fooorrr scaaaaariiiinnng mmmmeeeee."
Toothless' whining turned into a warbling groan. With a big, goofy grin on his face, Hiccup leaned heavily on the Night Fury's head, draping his arms around. The spots of blood that hadn't dried on the scales stained the boy's tunic and Toothless eyed the blood, whined, licked at it, and whined some more because it would not come out. Stoick thought it was silly for the dragon to feel that way about his kill on that Berserker up above. It was a very productive way for the hyperactive and enraged dragon to release his fury on a clear and present threat. If there was ever one disservice Hiccup did for his dragon, it was to repress the beast's natural aggression instead of simply guiding it towards a useful purpose.
With a heroic effort, Hiccup lifted his cheek off the dragon's snout and pecked a rather awkward kiss on the forehead, giggling like a child. It was a quick, joyful sort of gesture, like when a farmer would kiss his yak for winning the plow drag race at the Thawfest games - and then spit out the hair and grime with instant regret.
"Aaaannnnd thaaat'sssssss fooorrrr beeeiiinnngggg aaamaaaziiinnnng."
Hiccup went completely slack, draped over Toothless' snout like a sack of potatoes. The dragon whined and lowered his rider to the floor, looking at Stoick with worry in his eyes. The chief rolled Hiccup onto his back and checked his vitals. His heart and breath were there: delicate, but still present. Gently, he picked up his son to carry him to the top of the deck.
"Don't worry," Stoick said, casting a glance at Toothless, following on his heels. "He's fine; just passed out. He needs the rest while his body works all this shit out of his system."
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Throst idly watched a young female Hooligan climb up to the deck and bark some orders at the pudgiest of all the riders, apparently named Fishlegs. The girl then proceeded to jump off the edge of the ship and snatch the leg of a blue Nadder that leaped after her. The dragon beat its wings once to gain some height and rolled along the axis of its tail. The girl was flung up from the motion and landed on the dragon's back as it righted itself and the two flew towards Berk. A small flock of Terrible Terrors darted after her.
One of the other riders - her twin brother called her Ruff - shouted, "Show-off!"
Off to the side, a very large, blood red Monstrous Nightmare deposited an Injured Zippleback on the deck. Moments ago, one of the Zippleback's necks was impaled by a ballista bolt and pinned to the side of a ship with its body dragging in the water. The other head managed to snap off the tail of the spear and the impaled neck was able to slide off. Usually, slicing one neck would kill the entire beast, but it seemed someone had tied a tourniquet below the gaping wound to close off the esophagus so that its lungs wouldn't drown in blood.
Throst had seen some strange things, but the Monstrous Nightmare that dropped off the Zippleback proceeded to flop onto its side and squeeze the injured Zippleback's neck in a chokehold between its thighs. At least, that's what it would have looked like, but it was… was it really… no way. It was really using pressure from the insides of its thighs to stop the bleeding. As hard as that was to believe, there could be no other explanation.
Throst sighed and bumped the back of his head against the mast at his back. He wasn't restrained as there simply was no need. He was the only Berserker on the ship and was surrounded by angry dragons. All the scaly beasts had only growling and hissing for him, but they didn't attack. In fact, though Stoick had told these witless twins to watch him, they actually ended up stepping between him and any angry dragons to keep them from killing him.
Trying to run away would be pointless. Even if he made it off the ship and into the water, there was nowhere to go. Surrounding the flagship was maybe twenty burning wreckages of what used to be longboats. Beyond that, through the parting smoke, Throst could see that the remnants of the fleet had dispersed and scattered, no doubt fleeing back to home.
Stoick appeared from the ragged hole the dragons had torn to access the hold below. He had what was supposed to be the Berserker's hostage and bargaining chip, Hiccup, slung over his shoulder. He gently set the boy down and turned towards the prisoner.
Throst couldn't help himself from asking, "Is Dagur-"
"Dead," the chief impatiently interrupted.
"And Skuf, too, I bet?"
"Yes," Stoick said. "Quite the vendetta, I suppose?"
"Yes. I didn't see it at the time, but Skuf must have sworn vengeance for Oswald the Agreeable's death. He liked that old man and it hit him hard. Actually, the vendetta probably for the old man's chief of guard. It was a messy coup and Dagur had a penchant for humiliating and torturing his enemies before killing them."
The chief scoffed. "Oswald was a good man and you squat in the shadow of his boot. The world became a little darker when he breathed his last. Quite a mess you mutts managed to make and all because you wanted to have control over others."
The Night Fury, Hiccup had called it Toothless, leaped up to the deck.
Throst scoffed. "With such a dragon army, I think we had a right to be concerned, though I would have approached it differently than this. You practically summoned this armada by your own actions. If you release me, I'll be next in line for chief. The concerns of every tribe in the Archipelago seem to be well-justified, but I would resort to words before steel. Perhaps we can come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement."
The dragon sniffed at its rider, making some sort of crooning sound.
"Ha!" Stoick laughed. "If you did try talking to us, you would have seen how full of shit you all are. Now go-"
A heavy weight slammed into Throst's chest. Wide eyes locked onto a black dragon above. Anger and hatred poured out of those slit pupils. Claws sunk into his gambeson, hauled him up, and slammed him against the deck. The impact stunned Throst and the beast pounced again, slamming its paw into his face and ribs, viciously clawed at his armor, and dragged tears in his flesh. Throst was vaguely aware of the chief trying to intervene and stumbling when the dragon shoved him aside.
The claws sunk into his gambeson and hauled him up once more, this time pinning him to the mast under the paw of its foreleg. Taut tendons rippled the scaly hide in the neck, Pure fury could be seen in its eyes. It reared back and opened its mouth wide. Sharp teeth filled its jaw. Throst knew he was about to die.
His death didn't come, though. The dragon snapped its jaws shut and stared off to the side. Throst groggily followed the dragon's gaze, willing the world to stop spinning. He saw the prone form of Hiccup, now awake, staring at his pet dragon through half-lidded eyes with a goofy grin on his face.
The Night Fury roared in Throst's face and let him slump to the ground. It then proceeded to sprint around the ship, run up the main mast - claws tearing chunks of wood along the way - dig its claws into the sail to slide down as it tore under his weight, run up the mast again, and bite down on the wooden gaff that supported the sails, swinging around by its teeth. It then launched itself into the air to dive into the water, leaped up on the other side of the boat, and continued like this for a while until it collapsed to exhaustion, curled around its rider, finally worn out.
Throst would have asked what in Odin's name just happened, but breathing was a difficult task with the abuse on his neck from one of the dragon's swipes.
"Damn, Toothless," Stoick grumbled. His breath hitched as he inspected Throst. "Huh. Guess I gotta hand that overgrown lizard credit where due. He sure has a sense of poetic justice. I'm guessing you're the one who initially captured Hiccup?"
Throst didn't answer. He just focused on inspecting his injuries and tried to rub his throat to make breathing less difficult.
The chief flicked a smile. "Toothless blames you for what happened to his rider. Eye for an eye. Ear for an ear. Every injury you and your cronies gave Hiccup, the dragon gave you. Good thing he didn't follow through with killing you or the irony would have been lost on you. You owe Hiccup your life. He literally just saved your life by simply being awake to stop his dragon."
Throst said, "Maybe he did. So what, am I supposed to tell everyone to simply hope and pray that your dragon master will continue on as our benevolent overlord?"
Stoick rolled his eyes. "You demonstrate your ignorance admirably. I'll call for a Thing soon and explain it to all the neighboring chieftains at once. For now, just know that you know absolutely nothing about dragons."
Stoick turned to walk away when Fishlegs landed and jumped off his Gronckle.
"Zero casualties, sir," the boy said. "Snotlout has a gash on his arm, but that was the only rider injury and it's not crippling. There are some injured dragons. That Zippleback with the impaled neck was the worst of it, thank Thor, and they'll be fine. Aside from that, a couple pulled muscles or dislocated wing joints from hitting the water. A dozen have minor injuries from spears and blades and one Monstrous Nightmare took a hit that really worries me, but I expect he should recover. There are five dragons in total who cannot fly themselves out of here. They want to rest on this ship for now while they heal up. First Contact asked if we could bring some fresh water for those who cannot fly at the moment. The dragons can provide food, though, since-"
He was cut off by a wet slapping sound of a dead shark landing on the deck right next to him. The rider looked down at it with a grimace.
"Eew." Then, looking at his dragon as it settled down next to the shark and nuzzled its rider, said, "Nice catch, Meatlug! Way to provide and take care of others. Oh, it was attacking one of the downed dragons? Well, good riddance! Is the dragon... Oh, good!"
Turning back to the chief, he said, "Anyway, the dragons like my idea, but I need your approval, sir. We could-"
"Fishlegs," Stoick breathed in disbelief.
"... row this ship to dock in our harbor and bring them water barrels and-"
"FISHLEGS!"
"Oh, uhhh… sorry?"
Stoick furrowed his eyes at the burly teen. "You can hear the dragons talk, now?"
A large, goofy grin worked its way across Fishlegs' face. "Yessir! I started to hear Meatlug talking to me a couple days ago. It was so cool! Like she didn't have a voice, but I could just somehow... know what she was saying. It's like my empathetic relationship with her shot up, like, twenty points instantly! She spent, like, all day asking me questions about why we love stew so much and how I can balance on only two feet without a tail or claws and-"
"FISHLEGS!"
"Oh, sorry, sir, I'm rambling again."
Stoick took a deep breath. "Tell the injured dragons they can camp out on this ship or anything here that floats. Organize with the riders to help them get onto the deck if they're too hurt to haul themselves up. Tell them I will get them safely to our harbor where they will have food, water, shelter, and any healing supplies or services we can render. It is the least I can do for what they did for us and I hope I can do more."
That was a lot for Throst to take in. Vikings treating dragons as equals, not pets. Riders who claimed they could communicate with dragons. Claims that dragons could talk in the first place.
What's next? Dragons at the next Viking Thing? "And now, to speak on behalf of the dragon nation, Sir Toothless, Duke of the Scaly clan."
A loud squawk heralded the arrival of that blond female on the Nadder. "Chief!" She greeted as she jumped down to the deck. A Monstrous Nightmare settled down nearby, bearing another young rider. He must be this Snotlout figure Fishlegs had mentioned, judging by the hastily wrapped bandage on his arm.
Stoick turned to the female rider and said, "Astrid, report."
"Most of the seaworthy enemy ships fled home, but ten from the Murderous, Berserker, and Mystic tribes tried to assault Berk, sir. A few longboats and the rest were cogs. The cogs had ballistae and catapults and we traded fire. The ones we didn't sink with our catapults docked in our harbor like idiots and the falling logs took out half of them and-"
She stopped, casting a look at Throst with a sneer. "One casualty and some minor injuries on our side. A couple houses need repairs from their catapults. Aside from that, we took no prisoners and left no survivors. Tofa is coordinating with her Terrors to keep an eye on the coastline and scan the island just to be sure, but that's all the hostiles who dared approach us.
Stoick kept his namesake as he said, "Well done, Astrid. Thank you."
The shieldmaiden beamed at him before turning a more solemn face towards Hiccup.
The chief shouted to nobody in particular, "I need to get Hiccup to Berk. Does anyone have a dragon that can carry the extra weight and isn't worn out from the fight?"
Before anybody could respond, a Rumblehorn walked up and gently nosed at the chief's shoulder.
Stoick looked over at the dragon's eyes and said, "Skullcrusher, are you sure you can carry Hiccup and me? We'll weigh you down quite a bit and... well, you've been through a lot, already. I couldn't ask you for anything more."
The dragon huffed and lowered its belly to the decking. Stoick rubbed the dragon's snout affectionately.
"Thanks, big fella."
Stoick vaulted onto Skullcrusher's back. Ruff mounted her Zippleback to hold Hiccup and raise him up to Stoick.
From his perch, Stoick said, "Ruff, Tuff, prepare a dinghy for Throst. Give him some food and water from storage below. I promised him release and I'm good for my word."
Then, looking down at Throst, he continued, I vowed that if I got Hiccup out alive, I would let your invasion fleet go without giving chase. I'd offer to have a dragon take you to one of your boats, but I fear for the safety of my people and will not put them at risk for you. We have a dinghy ready for you, though. Your ships have quite a head start, but oh well. Safe travels."
Throst wasn't concerned about that. He was in good standing with his tribe and their allies. The Meatheads were nearby and chief Mogadon would gladly get him back home. His only difficulty was in coming to terms with Stoick's almost nonchalant response to this attack on his island.
"That's it?" Throst spat. "Just like that, you're going to pretend all this never happened?"
Tuffnut muttered, "Dude, what kinda fool inspects a gift yak's teeth?"
Stoick glowered. "Yes, for now, I will do you the favor of pretending this never happened. I will pretend that there are some among you who actually have a working brain. I will pretend that some people from your tribe would be willing to open a dialog before trying to dominate us by force. I will call for a Thing, soon. Go lick your wounds and we'll talk later."
Throst started to stumble away without a word, but there were a thousand things he wanted to say. Berk still had command over hundreds of dragons. Stoick should be furious. He should be sending them all to burn Berserker Island to the ground. Such was the consequence Throst had warned Dagur about if the deranged chief was too hasty and his attack failed.
However, the Hooligan chief just casually flaunted his power over the dragons and, by extension, any other tribe, then claimed he will let everyone off the hook. There must be something more to this situation than meets the eyes.
"Oh, and by the way," Stoick said as Throst turned a tired face back towards him. "If you ever touch my son again..."
He gestured to the unrecognizable, tattered corpse of a Berserker warrior. His identity was unrecognizable with how torn-up the body was. The bloody streak told the tale of how his killer dragged him across half the ship while tearing him apart. Stoick needed to say no more. A corpse is worth a thousand words.
Leaning down to the dragon again, he said, "Alright, Skullcrusher. Take us to Berk."
As the dragon started to coil up to launch off the edge of the ship, loud roars sounded out overhead. Throst looked up to see a Zippleback, a Nadder, a Terrible Terror, and a Monstrous Nightmares circle over the boat. The Monstrous Nightmare peeled off and swept down alongside the ship, turning as it passed Stoick to settle itself on top of the gunwale.
"Ah! First Contact, good to see you again." Gesturing to the three other dragons above, he said, "I'm guessing they must be the other alphas from the surrounding islands? I appreciate the consideration, but if they'd like to land, I promise I won't freak out."
The other three dragons landed around Stoick, all fixing their eyes on the boy in his lap.
"Hiccup will be fine, I think," the chief said. "Oh, I think his dragon name is Fire Light... Fire Bug? But I really need to get him back to Berk so the healers can help him. If you and a few others want to come with me, you're more than welcome. Just don't bring the whole damn nest!"
He paused in thought. "You have the deepest gratitude of a weary but thankful father. I know so little about your kind and I have no clue how to express my thanks. I owe a debt to you... to all the dragons that helped us today. This little scuffle today will lead to a very big mess in the future, but it's my mess to deal with, not yours. You can be sure I won't ever let Hiccup get caught out in the middle of this again. And... well, I also vow that I will act in your best interests in keeping them off your doorstep."
Throst thought he'd seen enough crazy nonsense for one day, but this took the cake. The Hooligan chief was actually talking to dragons as if they were fellow warriors returning from a victorious fight.
Looking back towards Throst, Stoick said, "What are you still doing here? Your chariot awaits. Starboard side towards the bow. If you're not rowing by the count of ten…"
He let the threat hang. Throst scrambled to the dinghy, attempting to give all the dragons surrounding him a wide berth. They all snapped and snarled at him, but didn't attack. Still, he didn't take any chances and ignored all the aches and pains in his battered body as he slid down a rope into the dinghy and cast off.
THUMP!
Something impacted the small boat. Throst whirled around to see the Night Fury crouched there. The tattered body Stoick had pointed to earlier was clutched in the dragon' claws. It just glared at Throst as he scrambled as far away from the dragon as he could. He was tempted to jump into the water, but that would only seal his death with how chilly the breeze was.
The dragon wrapped its teeth around the head of the corpse, all while maintaining eye contact with that deathly glare. Snapping and rending could be heard as it reared its head back to slowly behead what was a Berserker warrior.
"Toothless!" Astrid shouted down from the ship. "We don't do that. Get over here now or I'll tell Hiccup what you're doing."
The dragon snorted, spun around, slapped Throst with its tail, and shot up into the sky. The dinghy rocked and took on seawater, but at least there was a bucket. As he bailed the water out, Throst thought about what just happened. What he had seen today demonstrated a certain intelligence in dragons. For the black one in particular, a certain malevolent intelligence. What it just did could have been nothing other than a threat.
Touch my rider again and your death will be grand!
A/N:
Thanks for reading! Also, thank you 10Blue10 for all the love! DragonFANFICTION, no, the story ain't over, yet. With or without Skuf, Berk is still in hot water and I can't just leave them hanging like that. Or could I? Maaaybe I will, just because I can. Ha. Ha ha! Muahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!