Chapter 11: Have Dragons Will Travel (Part 2)
Previously…
The Dragon Riders heard news of a rogue dragon rider sinking ships. They investigated and soon found their old friend Heather, who now has her own dragon, a Razorwhip named Windshear. The group soon learns that Heather has changed since the last time they saw her, she's gotten tougher. Still wanting to find out about the ships, Hiccup, Hicca, Midnight and Toothless followed Heather and Windshear, which brought them to Johann. The man reveals that Heathers lost her home when it was under attack. She is taking revenge by attacking the people responsible and distributing their goods to the survivors of her island. The Haddock twins then raced to Heathers newest target, Dagur the Deranged. They reached just in time to find Heather and Windshear trapped in chains, being pulled to the Berserker ships.
"Come on, Windshear, get us out of here." Heather urged as they were being pulled down. The Razorwhip tried her hardest to break free, but it was no use.
On deck, Dagur was still smirking as he watched the duo being pulled closer to the ships. "Oh, Heather, don't fight it.
"Guys, we have to save her!" Quickly assessing the situation, Hicca and Hiccup wasted no time and dove towards them.
That's when Dagur spotted the new arrivals. "Well, look who the dragons flew in! Glad you could join us, brother and sister! It wouldn't feel like a family reunion without you." He then started laughing before turning to his soldiers. "Now, take out those Night Furies!"
Toothless and Midnight were quick to dodge the arrows and the nets while their humans looked for the right moment to strike.
"Blast the chains, Toothless/Midnight!" Hiccup and Hicca both ordered. The dragons did so, but to their surprise, the blast had no effect!
"What?!" Hicca exclaimed.
"Dragon-proof chains?!" Hiccup realized.
"Ha-ha! Nice try, Hiccup, and Hicca! You didn't think I'd make it that easy for you, did you?" Dagur shouted in triumph.
Savage turned to the other soldiers. "Come on, lads, get him!"
"Looks like Dagur's learning from the past. I'll give him that." Hicca said.
Their dragons continued to avoid the arrows, especially one that flew right past Hiccup's face. "Whoa! Okay, that was too close!" He said. They tried to think of another way. "Come on, guys. If we can't blast the chains…"
"Blast the winches!" Hicca finished, her eyes widened.
With this in mind, the group then knew what to do. They flew back to the ships.
Dagur watched as they flew closer. "Come to Dagur…"
"Ready…" Hicca said.
"Fire!" Hiccup exclaimed. Both dragons fired, this time at the winches. And just as the Haddock twins thought it wasn't fire-proof. "Nice shooting, guys!" Both dragons continued to fire at the other winches, setting Heather and Windshear free. Immediately, all three dragons flew higher up, safe from the ships.
Dagur then walked to a nearby soldier. "Ahem. Excuse me, what good are dragon-proof chains WITHOUT DRAGON - PROOF WINCHES?!" With that, he shoved the poor soldier into the hole formed from the plasma blast. The chief then turned to glare at the three dragons above.
Above, Heather returned the glare. Undeterred by their near capture, she was going to get Windshear to fly back down when Hicca and Midnight blocked her.
"Heather you can't take on Dagur and his fleet all by yourself!" The Auburn girl exclaimed.
"I'm not by myself. I have Windshear." Heather argued. "I'm too close. I might not get this shot again!"
"But this is suicide!" Hiccup protested.
"I'm willing to do whatever it takes." The ravenette said firmly.
"But are you willing to sacrifice Windshear, too?" Hicca challenged. That question caused Heather to lose her resolve as she looked down at her dragon.
"Heather, there will be another time. Hicca and I both promise you!" Hiccup reassured, with his twin nodding in agreement.
Reluctantly, Heather flew with the Haddock twins back to the Edge and safe from the Berserkers.
(Linebreak)
The ride back was silent, as none of the humans knew what to say.
Heather finally decided to break the silence. "Blasting the winches, pretty smart."
"Yeah, and a little luck never hurts either," Hicca replied. She then looked at her twin.
Nodding in understanding, Hiccup turned to Heather. "Hicca and I talked to Johann. He told us Dagur wiped out your village... and your family. We're sorry."
"Then you two know why he has to pay," Heather said.
"We do. But you don't have to do this alone." Hicca said.
"I don't know. It seems that I'm destined to be alone. First, when I was a little girl, I get separated from my birth family-"
"Your birth family?" Hiccup couldn't help but interrupt.
"Yes, but I don't remember much," Heather said, her eyes downcast. "It was so long ago. Just a few pictures in my mind. I remember my father's hands. They were rough, like sandstone, but so gentle. And I remember the smell of his wooden shield. I don't think I was supposed to play with it, but he let me anyway. And this." She took something out of her bag and showed it to the twins, it was a horn. "He gave me this horn. I don't know if it means something, but whenever I look at it, I think of him. I just wish I knew who he was."
The twins just gave her looks of sympathy, completely understanding as they had to deal with the loss of their own mother at such an early age.
(Linebreak)
They returned to the Edge and met up with the others, who weren't happy to find their dragons locked up in their stables.
"Look, I'm sorry I locked up your dragons. I just didn't trust that you guys would let me go after Dagur." Heather apologized, once she explained her story.
"Trust does need to be earned with people and dragons," Fishlegs stated.
"Thanks for understanding, Fishlegs." Heather smiled.
Snotlout then shoved the Ingerman boy aside. "I don't really trust these guys either, Heather."
"You know, we can hear you," Astrid said, crossing her arms.
"Jealousy is an ugly quality, Astrid. But clearly, I understand where it comes from." Snotlout said, causing Astrid to roll her eyes.
"From your imagination, Snotlout." Raeda chimed in.
"The point is, we have you back, Heather. You're one of us." Hiccup said, to Heather.
"Yeah, I stocked Windshear's stable with buckets of sea slugs." Fishlegs piped in.
"And I made room for you in my hut!" Snotlout said, trying to be suave.
"And Hiccup and I have made it clear to Snotlout that you're not staying in his hut," Hicca said, mostly to Snotlout with a stern glare to him.
"Even though you were the rogue dragon rider and you sabotaged our dragons and you snuck away in the dark of the night," Tuffnut said to Heather. "Wait a minute, why do we like you again?"
"I'm truly sorry, Tuffnut," Heather said sincerely.
Tuffnut staggers back. "Whoa! That was... sincere. What am I supposed to do with that? I'm a little bit flushed and overwhelmed. Little help here? People?!" He looked to his twin for help.
"Ugh. Help yourself." Ruffnut said, stepping away from her brother.
"And if you need any help with Windshear-" Fishlegs started to offer before Snotlout shoved him aside.
"Why don't I show you around the Edge? I'm basically chief." He boasted.
"Seriously?" Hicca asked, crossing her arms.
Heather got a little uncomfortable when she noticed she was getting cornered. "Thanks, guys, really. I-"
Ruffnut interrupted. "Hey, glad you're back. Your dragon rocks."
Noticing the raven haired girls discomfort, Astrid stepped in. "Let's go have some girl time." She offered, pulling Heather away from the crowd.
"Good idea," Heather said, relieved.
"Is it 'girl time' or 'Astrid and Heather' time," Raeda asked, as she noticed that the two of them didn't stop to wait for her, Hicca and Ruffnut.
"Probably for the better. Astrid has different ideas for girl time." Hicca said. She remembered the different times Astrid wanted to hang out with her, but couldn't really find anything to do because they have completely different interests. In the end, the two would always be settled for a group flight.
'Let's see how this turns out.' Hicca thought to herself as she watches Astrid and Heather walk off.
(Linebreak)
Turns out Heather does like the same things Astrid likes.
For example, axe-throwing.
Astrid held an axe in each hand and threw them at two targets ahead. Both axes reach a bullseye. "Two axes are better than one!" She said to Heather.
Heather was impressed. "True. Unless you have one of these!" With that, she took out her foldable, double-bladed axe and threw it at the target. The axe spun before it landed on one of the targets, close to Astrid axe by a few inches.
Astrid's eyes lit up as she saw the axe. "You really have to show me how you made that!"
Heather went to take out her axe from the target. "Sure, but I prefer close combat to throwing…" She then threw the axe at a nearby tree. "So I can stare my enemy in the eye."
The blonde shield-maiden smirked, as she took one of her axes. "Not a bad tactic. But don't discount- Hyah!" Suddenly she threw the axe in Heather's direction. The axe flew passed the ravenette and struck the tree behind her.
Keeping her composure, Heather looked at the axe stricken tree. "Hmm... The element of surprise. I like that."
"That's one of Hiccup's favorite tactics," Astrid commented.
At the mention of the Haddock boys name, Heather was now curious. "So, you two are a thing, right?"
That got Astrid off-guard. "What? No, just friends!" She said, a little too quickly.
"Come on. I've seen the way you two are together." Heather teased.
"No. Seriously. Friends." The blonde girl said firmly.
"Hmm. He's kind of cute." Heather commented.
"I guess. If you like that unassuming, heroic, dragon rider type." Astrid admitted. If any of the other girls were with them, she wouldn't comment. Hicca and Raeda would have knowing smirks every time they'd see Astrid and Hiccup together and Ruffnut would just blurt it out to Hiccup, making things awkward. To distract herself, she took out the other axe and threw it at another tree.
"Bullseye," Heather said.
Astrid then decided to turn the tables. "Now, you and Snotlout, that's a match made in Valhalla." She joked. "I don't know whether to thank you or feel sorry for you."
Heather didn't seem too bothered though. "I can handle Snotlout. And besides, I'm not into the macho Viking type. I like a little smarts. Like Fishlegs".
That caught Astrid off guard. "Fishlegs?! Seriously?!" She was now wishing the other girls were here to hear this.
"What? I think he's funny and cute." Heather admitted.
"We're talking about Fishlegs, right? The guy with the Gronckle?" Astrid asked, making sure she heard right.
"Okay, all right. Enough boy talk." Heather chuckled. "What else do you do for fun around here?"
Astrid smirked. She had some other ideas.
(Linebreak)
"Keep up!" Astrid called to Heather as they ran towards the cliff. They jumped off the edge and were free-falling to where Stormfly and Windshear were, hovering in position for their humans.
Astrid safely landed on Stormfly's saddle, but unfortunately Heather wasn't as lucky continued to fall towards the rocks.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Heather screamed, covering her eyes. Luckily, Windshear was able to think fast and caught her just in time. "Thanks, Windshear!" Heather praised, getting back on her saddle.
"Want to go two out of three?" Astrid offered.
"No. I want to show you something. If you can keep up." With that Windshear started flying away from the Edge.
"Get 'em, Stormfly!" Astrid commanded and the blue Nadder flew after the two in front.
(Linebreak)
Unaware of the two girls sudden departure, Hiccup, Hicca and their dragons were in the Clubhouse, with the humans going over some notes they got from the Dragon Eye, while the dragons were trying to find a way to occupy themselves.
Toothless found the satchel Heather left behind. Curiosity getting the best of him, he used his snout to inspect its contents. Doing so, caused everything in the bag to fall out.
Hiccup looked over his shoulder and noticed what his dragon was doing. "Hey, would you knock it off, bud? Okay?" He went to pick all the dropped objects to put them back in the bag, hoping Heather doesn't walk back anytime soon.
"Snooping is not going to gain her trust, Toothless. We need to respect her privacy." Hicca said as she helped her brother.
Midnight also joined in scolding her mate, causing him to bow his head in apology.
Hicca then picked up one of the parchments and the title caught her eye."How to perform a Blood Eagle?" Her eyes widened at that. "I can't believe she has something like this! We need to talk to her this!"
"And how are you going to explain how you found it?" Hiccup questioned.
Hicca didn't have an answer.
"We will talk to her about her revenge against Dagur. We just need to think about to bring this and what to say." Hiccup reassured.
They were almost done putting all of Heather's things back in her bag. The only thing left was the horn she showed them earlier. Hiccup picked it up and was about to put it in the bag when something on it caught his attention. "Huh? Wait a minute!"
Without another word, he pushed this under his twin's nose. Hicca was confused for a second before she also noticed the same thing. "That's dad's Chief seal!" She exclaimed.
The twins looked at each other in shock, thinking of the implication behind their new revelation.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, Heather and Astrid arrived at their destination, although Astrid still didn't know why they were here.
"What are we doing back at your campsite? You forget something?" She asked.
"Nope." Was all Heather said, though she still seemed to be in search for something.
Astrid felt a little uneasy. "Stay put, Stormfly. Keep your ears up." The blue Nadder nodded and got her spiked tail ready just in case.
"Oh... It must be here." Heather muttered to herself.
"Are you going to clue me in on what we're doing here? Hello?" Astrid asked.
"I'm looking for something," Heather said vaguely.
Astrid was about to ask again when she suddenly heard sounds of rustling in a bush behind her. "Looking for something like-" Immediately, she took out her axe and used it to pull out the person hiding in the bush, Without looking to see who it was, pinned the figure on the ground with the axe to their throat. That's when she noticed her captive. "Trader Johann?"
"Miss Astrid, so nice to see you again," Johann said, his voice shaking. He was trying to recover from his surprise attack. "Would you mind, please, lowering you axe so my frightened soul might be granted safe passage back to my body?"
Astrid rolled her eyes but gave him space to get up.
"Johann! Thank Thor." Heather said, relieved.
"Oh. Miss Heather! I'm overjoyed you're not dead. When the Terrible Terror returned with the message I sent, I was sick with worry. Then, when I arrived here and saw your campsite abandoned, I feared the worst!" Johann explained.
"Alright, someone needs to tell me what's going on," Astrid demanded, frustrated of being out of the loop.
"You see, Miss Astrid." Johann said taking out a scroll. "if you need exotic spices from a foreign land, or one-of-a-kind cured leathers, or incredibly difficult to obtain information detailing the exact whereabouts of a certain dastardly Berserker, Trader Johann is your man." He opened the scroll to reveal a marked out map.
"Dagur!" Astrid realized.
"And if you need a warrior to take off that dastardly Berserker…" Heather continued. She swiftly took out and unfolded her axe, ready to strike[Does some fancy moves with her axe]... I'm your girl!
"So he's got the info and you've got the axe. Now what?" The Hofferson girl asked.
"Dagur is set to purchase a fleet of new ships from a group of salty undesirables in the Sea of Despair. But be wary. These new ships for his armada are outfitted with powerful anti-dragon winches and catapults. After the deal is done, I won't be able to find him again." The trader explained to the two girls. "Dagur will be back in the wind. Adrift, like a leaf in a stream…"
"Ugh," Astrid muttered at that analogy.
"And I've used my last grapevine, so I won't be able to offer my invaluable, yet expensive information." Johann finished.
"Got it. Thanks, Johann. Come on, Astrid." The ravenette said, going to her dragon.
"You're not coming?" Astrid asked the older man.
"What part of this implies 'Rushing into battle on a flying lizard'?" He replied rhetorically.
(Linebreak)
The Haddock twins didn't say much as they flew back all the way to Berk. There were so many questions forming in their minds since their discovery. And the only one who has the answer is the owner of the chief symbol: their father.
Gobber spotted the two teens as they landed nearby. "Hicca! Hiccup! From my lips to Odin's ears. I was just saying I could use you two and your dragons help with a pesky flock of wild Nadders that have been driving me batty!" The group heard multiple loud screeches in the distance. "Yeah, you heard me, you lousy…" Gobber yelled, waving his hook hand.
But the twins stood firm in their mission. "No time, Gobber," Hicca said.
"We need to see our dad. It's urgent." Hiccup explained.
"Oh." The blonde man said, disappointed that he won't get any help with his predicament. "In that case, he's in the Great Hall. But it's Berk's gripe day, so there might be a bit of a wait." Without wasting time, the twins made their way to the Great Hall followed by their dragons. The Nadders continued to screech, making Gobber winced. "Uh-huh. Stinky little buggers."
There was a long line of villagers lined up at the throne where Stoick was sitting listening to each villagers problems one by one. It was Sven's turn.
"Stoick, them wees ones of mine are making me crazy! They run all over the house, breaking and wrecking everything. They won't sit still for a minute. I'm exhausted." He groaned.
But the chief just rubbed his temples, having heard this dilemma before. "Ugh. That's because they're sheep, Sven. And they should be kept outside!"
"Aw, but they do get so lonely." Sven objected.
"Dad," Hicca called, as she and her brother got in front of the line.
Stoick was surprised to see his children arriving unannounced. "Hicca! Hiccup!" By the looks on their faces, they weren't here for a casual visit.
Hiccup got straight to the point. "We really need to talk." He showed his father the horn they brought with them, making sure the chief seal was visible.
Stoick was deep in thought as he looked at the horn. "Hmm."
(Linebreak)
Heather and Astrid returned to the Edge with the map and gathered the rest of the Dragon Riders so that Heather can explain her plan. While everyone was surprised to find no signs of the Haddock twins or their Night Furies, Heather didn't let that deter her. "We gotta go now. Dagur won't be out in the open for long." She urged once she finished explaining her plan.
"Wait a minute. You want us to go into battle with Dagur and the Berserkers without Hiccup, Hicca, Midnight and Toothless?" Fishlegs asked, not liking that idea at all.
"That's not a good idea. We should wait for them." Raeda said. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the Haddock twins actually told Raeda of their discovery before they left. They made her promise not to say anything to anyone else until they find out the truth and asked her to cover for them.
"Guys, I wish the four of them were here, trust me. But they're not." Heather stated, matter-of-factly. "And we can't wait. Dagur's ships are rigged with dragon-proof chains and grappling hooks. And the ships he's buying are even more powerful. But with all of us attacking at once, Dagur won't know what hit him."
"I have to say any aerial assault of this magnitude would be foolish without Toothless and Midnight. They are the two most powerful dragons in our arsenal." Meatlug growled, hurt by her rider stating that. "But you're still my favorite, girl." He quickly comforted.
"Well, it's not like we need those four." Snotlout tried to brag but stopped when he noticed Astrid and Raeda glaring at him. "But it's nice to know we have Night Furies when things get hairy." He quickly said.
Heather then turned to Astrid for back-up. "You heard Johann, Astrid. This is our last chance. Tell them."
Surprisingly, Astrid hesitated with her response. "Well... Look, Heather-"
"You too?" Heather asked in disbelief. Feeling betrayed, she started walking away from the group. "Just forget it. All that stuff about trust and having my back, I guess that was just talking."
"Oh, man! Awkward." Snotlout said in a singsong voice. Raeda slapped him on the back of his head for that.
(Linebreak)
"Where did you get this?" Stoick asked his children, holding the horn.
"It's Heather's." Hiccup answered.
"Hmm."
"She's the girl that stole Stormfly a few years back." Hiccup explained.
Stoick nodded in understanding as he remembered the raven-haired girl. "Yes. Heather."
"Dad, that horn has your chief seal carved into it." Hiccup stated.
"It does." His father agreed.
"Is there something you need to tell us?" Hicca pressed, her and her brother crossing their arms.
"When a Chief has a child, Hiccup, that child receives many gifts from all over." Stoick started to explain. "Now when you two were born, I asked Gobber to make two smallest axes he'd ever imagined. With a handle tiny enough for a baby to grasp. I wanted you two to start training the moment you opened your eyes. I thought your mother was going to feed me to the boars." He chuckled.
The twin's eyes lit up at that memory.
"I remember that axe." Hiccup said.
"Me too." Hicca agreed.
"Yeah, Hiccup, you used yours as a paperweight. And Hicca, you used yours to pin paper on the wall."
The twins sheepishly rubbed their heads before Hiccup continue to speak. "About the horn, Dad, Heather told us her father gave it to her. But it has your seal on it."
"Hmm."
"Dad, is Heather our sister?" Hicca finally asked.
Stoick looked at the horn before looking at his children. He started to explain where the horn came from.
(Linebreak)
Heather and Windshear were at the stables, with Heather finishing preparing everything she needed to attack the Berserkers. "Looks like it just you and me, Windshear... as usual." Heather sighed. Even though it was just her and Windshear, she was determined to follow through her revenge, for her home, for her family.
"Hey. If we're gonna do this, it has to be a capture mission, not a kill mission." Astrid suddenly said as she and the other teens stood at the entrance of the stable. "Agreed?"
Taken by surprise, Heather smiled at the support from her friends. "Agreed. We'll sink Dagur's armada, and drag him back to Outcast Island. Let him rot there."
"Okay. Then we're with you." Astrid said.
"You can thank me. I was the one who rallied these guys." Snotlout stepped in.
"Well, that's not really my recollection," Fishlegs said.
"Quiet, Fishlegs!" Snotlout hissed.
"As soon as she left, your lips started to do that cute little quiver thing." He mocked, quiver his lips for emphasis.
"You quiet! That's a tic! It's a tic when I'm about to fight." Snotlout defended.
"Really? So how come we've never seen that 'tic' before?" Raeda challenged.
"...Shut up, Rae." The Jorgenson boy grumbled.
Heather couldn't help but chuckle at that, before turning to Astrid. "So, what changed your mind?"
"Hiccup and Hicca," Astrid answered. "They would never want you to face Dagur alone again. And neither do I."
"Well, I know right where Dagur is," Heather said, holding the map Johann gave her.
"Good. Then you won't need this." Astrid said, taking the map from Heather. She unrolled it and used her dagger to pin it to the wall outside the stable. "Now, Hiccup and Hicca will be able to find us." She turned back to Heather. "So what's your plan?"
"Hit him when he least expects it." The green-eyed girl said with determination.
(Linebreak)
Out at sea, far away from the Edge, Dagur watched as his armada prepared for the arrival of the new ships.
"Ah. It's a good day to strengthen my armada. Then again, it's always a good day to strengthen my armada." He started laughing at that. Against his better judgment, Savage decided to join in the laughter, causing his chief to stop laughing. "What are you laughing at?" Dagur demanded, his eyes narrowing.
Savage coughed a few times before trying to regain his composure. "The gold is ready for the exchange, sir. Should we move it to the deck?"
"No, leave it down below," Dagur ordered.
"But, sir, when they arrive with the ships, they'll be expecting our gold." Savage pointed out.
"Yes! And instead of our gold, we'll give them our steel." His chief said, holding up his axe.
Savage grinned maliciously at that.
(Linebreak)
The Haddock twins and their Night Furies returned to the Edge, their thoughts filled with their father's revelation.
"Any ideas on how we are going to tell this to Heather?" Hicca asked her twin. "We may not know her that well, but this is definitely going to be the shock of her life.
"We just have to be clear and honest with her And be there for her." Hiccup said. "That's all we can do."
They swept around the Edge to look for the green-eyed girl but were surprised to find none. In fact, they didn't see any of their friends around.
Confused, they flew to the stables to check for the dragons, only to find it empty. "Where did everyone go?" Hiccup wondered as he and Toothless walked out of the stables.
"Hiccup!" Hicca called, getting her brothers attention. He turned to find her holding a parchment that was pinned to a wall with what appears to be a marked map. She showed him what the note said.
"I'm sorry guys. Heather was ready to go without us. Please hurry!"
-Raeda
The twins looked up at the marked location on the map. "Oh no," Hiccup muttered.
(Linebreak)
The rest of the Dragon Riders, plus Heather reached the Berserker ships. "There he is." Heather spotted, her target locked in.
"Alright, let me guess. You want to attack like the rogue dragon rider that you are. A full frontal assault!" Tuffnut exclaimed.
"No," Heather answered. She then turned to Astrid and smirked. "Element of surprise?"
Astrid smirked back in understanding.
"Dragons! Incoming!" One of the Berserker soldiers shouted.
Dagur instantly spotted four very familiar dragons firing at their ships. "Prepare the grappling hooks! Ready the chains!" He grinned as he watched the four dragons. "It's hunting season."
All the Berserker ships started firing at the dragons. Sparkfire, Hookfang, Meatlug and Barf and Belch made sure to stay high enough, keeping themselves and their riders safe from the oncoming arrows.
"Ah. Too high to hit anything!" Snotlout complained as he tried to get Hookfang to fire at the ships.
"That's the point. We're not supposed to hit anything." Raeda said while firing back some of her arrows.
"We're supposed to divert Dagur's attention and stay high enough to avoid his weaponry," Fishlegs added.
"We got to get lower!" The shorter man objected. "I can't-" He stopped when one of the arrows flew to close to his face. "I said higher! Hookfang, higher!"
Unbeknownst to Dagur, Windshear and Stormfly stealthily made their way to the ships without getting detected. Heather and Astrid quietly jumped on to the ship and behind a wall of barrels. They kept themselves hidden just as one of the Berserker soldiers walked towards the deck.
"What are they doing up there?" Dagur asked out loud, trying to figure out the Dragon Riders strategy.
Behind him, Astrid jumped in front of another Berserker soldier who was holding a barrel. The soldier was caught off guard, causing him to drop the barrel.
"Nice surprise face." Astrid mocked. Heather came from behind and struck him in the head, knocking him out cold. The two girls did a silent hi-five in triumph. "Yes."
Getting a strange feeling, Dagur looked away from the dragons in the air and to the back of his ship. Luckily the two girls were able to move themselves and the unconscious soldier away from sight just in time. That didn't stop Dagur from being suspicious though. "What the… What is going on?"
He was about to walk over to investigate when Meatlug's lava blast suddenly stops him in his path. "Oh, come on, already!" He shouted, looking back up at the dragons. He grabbed one of the chains, getting ready to throw it at Meatlug, but the chain got pulled back. Caught off guard. Dagur fell face-first on the floor and in a second found his legs tied together and his hands tied behind his back. "What are you doing?" He demanded, thinking it was his soldiers. He was turned on his back to face the people actually responsible. "You two?"
"Surprise, Dagur." Heather greeted coldly.
"Two axes are better than one," Astrid said, dropping the chain.
"And twelve ships trumps two axes." Dagur retorted. He looked up, only to find Stormfly and Windshear snarling at him. "I should've seen that coming."
"Windshear, finish it!" Heather ordered. The Razorwhip raised her tail, her spikes protruding.
This took Astrid by surprise. This was not part of the plan. "No, Heather, don't! You promised us a capture mission."
Heather just shrugged the blonde girl off. "Sorry, Astrid. I changed my mind. Dagur didn't 'capture' my village. So this ends here."
"If you kill me, Heather, you'll never know-" Dagur tried to say before Heather gagged him.
"Save it for the gods." She said with a glare. "Windshear!" Just as the Razorwhip raised her tail, two voices suddenly called out.
"STOP!" The group looked up and saw Hiccup and Hicca flying in with Toothless and Midnight. The two humans jumped off, grabbed the ropes on the ship and landed in front of Dagur, blocking him from Windshear.
"Heather, stop." Hiccup said.
"Don't do it." Hicca pleaded.
"Move, you two." The raven-haired girl demanded.
"You don't understand." Hiccup said.
"You promised me there would be another time, and this is it!" Heather insisted.
Hicca took the horn out of her satchel. "Look. You told us your father gave you this."
That made Heather stop, not expecting that. "He did, but what are you doing?"
"This is our father's, Chief Seal." Hiccup said, pointing to the symbol.
Heathers' eyes widened at the implications. "Stoick's steal is carved in my horn? What are you two saying?"
"We're saying years ago, Stoick gave this horn to the Chief of the Berserker tribe, Oswald the Agreeable, as a gift for his newborn daughter," Hicca explained.
"You were that newborn, Heather." Hiccup continued. "Oswald the Agreeable is your father. And he is also Dagur's father."
Heather took a step back. "No."
"Heather, Dagur is your brother. You can't kill him." Hiccup said with some reluctance.
Heather turned to Astrid. "Astrid."
Astrid didn't know what to say. She was just as shocked. "I-" But it didn't seem like she had to think of something as Dagur's Armada caught her attention. "It's the rest of Dagur's ships. Look out!"
"Heather, we have to go." Hicca urged.
. "I have to admit, you never disappoint, brother and sister," Dagur said, getting up. With the distraction of the shocking news, he was able to use a nearby spike to cut his ropes "Or maybe you're actually my uncle and aunt. Who knows in this crazy world?" He laughed at that.
The twins didn't bother answering to that as they went to their dragons, who landed on the ship. Astrid followed suit. "Heather, come on," Hiccup called.
Heather remained frozen in shock.
"Heather, I'm the only family you've got left. Join me, sister!" Dagur offered. "Don't fight destiny. I know you feel the Berserker blood flowing through your veins."
That snapped Heather out of her trance and she immediately got on Windshear and flew off without looking back.
"What are you doing? Come back, sis! 'Heather the Unhinged' has a nice ring to it, no? You'll be back and I will welcome you with open arms! We'll have to wait on that reunion. Pity!" Dagur called out after her. He was so distracted in doing so that he didn't see Toothless and Midnight flying right towards him. "What?" It was too late to move aside as he got knocked back on the floor. "I really should've seen that one coming, too."
The four teens avoided the attacks from the rest of the Armada and rejoined with the others. "All right, gang, back to the Edge!" The older Haddock ordered.
"Under the circumstances, I wholeheartedly agree with that plan," Fishlegs said, relief evident in his voice.
(Linebreak)
Once they got back to the Edge, Raeda, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut were told about the new discovery and they were stunned.
Heather was not going to stay to take part in any of the discussion.
Astrid found her at the stables packing some supplies in Windshear's saddle. "Guess you're leaving. Again. I thought you were tired of being alone."
"I am." The other girl admitted.
"Then don't be. It's safer here. You have support. And I'm here." The blonde girl said.
"I know. I just have a lot I need to figure out." Heather said. "Thanks, Astrid. It was nice having a friend again." The two girls hugged before Heather got on Windshear. "Let's go girl."
The Haddock twins walked towards Astrid as Windshear and Heather slowly disappeared from sight. "Hey, I know you guys got pretty close. I'm sorry you're losing a friend." Hiccup comforted.
Astrid smiled at him. "But I still have you."
It was a sweet moment between the two until Astrid realized Hicca was still there. "Both of you! I still have both of you!" She corrected quickly, making Hiccup realize that his twin was still there as well.
Hicca just smirked and walked away.
Astrid looked at her retreating form in confusion. "That's new."
"Maybe she found a new way to make fun of us." Hiccup suggested.