"To be acceptable is for one to ignore his weakness while knowing his strength, to cover the scar even though it's always there, however, to be impossible is for one to see his weakness as, not an adversary, but the cherry on top of his strength, to rearrange the scar so that it compliments his features."
- Criss Jami, Killopsphy
The atmosphere was thick with tension, anxiety, and a sense of urgency. Hiccup, who had sensed the gravity of the situation, had sent an urgent message to the Berserker Tribe, notifying Dagur about his sister's critical condition. In addition to informing the rest of the gang, who were now gathered outside of Gothi's hut, waiting for updates on her condition.
Dagur had arrived in Sleuther in the middle of the day, and since then, he had been pacing restlessly, his mind racing with thoughts of his beloved sister. Fishlegs, who was also present, had his face etched with worry. Despite the years of separation, Fishlegs still harbored feelings for Heather. Hiccup wished he could offer some words of comfort, but he knew that nothing he said would be enough. So, he stood by Fishlegs' side, offering him silent support and understanding.
Hiccup was worried sick about Heather's condition. He knew that her life was in danger, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing another person he cared about. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Gobber and Gothi had been inside the hut for hours, trying to stabilize Heather's condition. However, no one knew what was happening inside the hut, which made the situation even more nerve-wracking. Hiccup feared the worst, but he didn't want to let his mind wander to such dark places. All he could do was hope for the best and pray that Heather would pull through.
As he looked out into the distance, the sight of Wingshear caught his attention. The dragon was letting out ear-piercing shrieks of anguish, as she tried to make her way towards them. However, she was being stopped by the other dragons, who seemed to be guarding her. It was evident that Wingshear was in a state of absolute distress. She had a severely injured rider, whose fate was still unknown. The villagers were keeping their distance, unsure of what to do to comfort the grieving dragon. As he watched the scene unfold before him, he couldn't help but wonder how one could even begin to comfort a dragon who was grappling with such immense pain and uncertainty.
Hiccup had always been driven by a passion to help as many dragons as he could. He was so focused on this noble cause that he never really stopped to consider the potential dangers that came with it. When they were fighting the dragon hunters and ruining their businesses, he didn't think about the enemies they were making and the risks they were taking. He was naive to think that everything would always turn out fine and that they would be prepared for any challenge that came their way. However, the recent severe injury of Heather had been a rude awakening for him and the rest of the group. It was a stark reminder of the harsh reality they were facing and the potential dangers they were putting themselves in every day. He realized that they needed to be more cautious and prepared for the potential threats that awaited them, or else their way of life could be destroyed. It almost came to them when he was naive and foolish into thinking he could change the mind of Drago Bludvist which led to his father's death and the destruction of his village.
As he stood by, he couldn't help but notice the deep lines of worry etched on Dagur's face as he paced restlessly around the hut. His eyes were constantly drawn to the door, a silent plea for his sister's recovery hanging in the air. It was heart-wrenching to witness Dagur in such an agitated state, a stark contrast to the former berserker chief he once knew. The transformation in Dagur, his newfound empathy, and his rekindled bond with his sister spoke volumes about his personal growth. Yet, the thought that he might be the reason for Dagur's potential loss weighed heavily on him.
Meanwhile, Fishlegs sat between Astrid and Ruffnut, his posture reflecting a deep sense of despondency. Fingers absentmindedly twirling, his gaze often drifted towards the hut's entrance. Despite the passage of time, the lingering affection for Heather was palpable. Even after she had chosen to end their relationship in pursuit of her mission to free dragons and dismantle distant Dragon Hunter outposts, the pain of her absence still lingered in Fishlegs' heart.
As his mother stood steadfastly by his side, offering silent support, he found comfort in her quiet presence as they waited for news. His mind raced with countless theories about what might have happened to Heather, his focus so intense that he didn't notice the hut door opening and Gobber emerging with a grave expression. A gentle nudge from his mother brought him back to the present, and he leaped from his seat, noticing others doing the same.
"What is my sister's condition?" Dagur's urgent tone, filled with concern and worry, conveyed the group's eagerness to receive an update on Heather's condition. Gobber, with a solemn expression, took a deep breath, indicating the gravity of the news he was about to deliver to them.
"Laddies… is not looking good for Heather. She has lost a lot of blood on her way here and being exposed to the elements has caused her to develop a serious infection that not many vikings had recovered from. She is very weak and she is getting worse and worse by the minute. Gothi is trying her best to help her through this but… she doesn't have high hopes that she will make it, so keep that in mind all of you." After he made his declaration, a heavy silence descended, and he could see the despair in everyone's eyes as the harsh reality of Heather's condition sank in for the entire group. Each person knew Heather's state when she had arrived but they did not know how worse she was, and although they all held onto hope that she would be able to pool through due to her sheer stubbornness that everybody has known that could even rival Astrid's, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on them.
"I know that for every single one of you… it is not easy to hear this after losing our beloved chief but, she wanted me to let you all know she has something to say to you all and is very urgent, especially your Hiccup regarding the mission that you sent her on". As the group approached the doorway, Gobber silently swung it open, ushering everyone inside. Hiccup hesitated for a moment, casting a reassuring glance at the others before stepping through the entrance. The rest of the group followed, forming a protective circle around the bedside where Heather lay. To her left, Gothi observed them with a grave expression as they entered the room, the weight of the situation hanging heavily in the air.
Heather's complexion was unnaturally pale, glistening with sweat, and her eyes were framed by large, dark circles, conveying the weight of her exhaustion. A solemn expression etched on her face as she gazed at them, her side tightly bound in bandages, concealing the stab wound. The room was filled with the sound of her shallow breaths, punctuating the heavy silence. Dagur had assumed his place by her bedside, holding her hand with his head bowed in solemn concern.
Heather's gaze fixated on Hiccup, her eyes shimmering with a glimmer of hope, while her left arm trembled from the exertion of reaching out to catch his attention. She yearned for him to draw nearer, and before long, he slowly made his way over, followed by the rest of the gang, until they all surrounded her bedside. They all could see that Heather did not have much time left and they all were silent including the terror twins which was a rare thing to see but it proved how dire the situation was.
"I'm…so glad… you… are all… here". It was heartbreaking to hear her putting all of her strength into just talking to them. Hiccup immediately felt his throat becoming too tight and it was hard to take a breath in as he felt so much guilt for putting Heather and Dagur in this situation. He closed his eyes tightly as he could feel tears running down his face but opened them when he felt a cold clammy hand grab his hand and opened his eyes to look into the green eyes of Heather.
"Hiccup… this is not… your fault… I knew… what I… was getting… myself into (deep breath) when I became… a spy. Hiccup I … know what… the dragon hunters… have been … doing, they are building… a massive armada… they had been… capturing… dragon's all over… the archipelago. During… my travels… I came across… rumors… that they… are building… an army". Heather immediately began to cough and it shook her entire body, and Gothi immediately took out a large jug and gave her water to soothe her aching dry throat. But, the rest of the gang were in shock that another army was being formed and one that could have the potential to plunge the entirety of the archipelago into war and use the dragon's as weapons just as Drago had done to other tribes. But, Heather was not done talking as she continued but she knew that her strength was leaving her quickly and she did not have enough time and she knew she had to warn of the notorious hunter who had attacked her as she did not want them to end up as her as she underestimated them. "Hiccup… the… warlords'... are… real…their base… is somewhere… in… the mainland (deep breath) Watch… out… for Grimmir… he did this… to me. B…beware… of them". Heather's green eyes began to dim and her breath became much shallower until she took her final breath and closed her eyes for the last time and her body became still.
Gothi closed her eyes as the sound of crying and sobs filled the air and it saddened her to see such a young Viking taken away so soon before her time and never getting the chance to experience her life and have a family of her own. But, she had also seen how Valka had turned pale of the mention of the name Grimmir and how her eyes were filled with dread as if she knew something that they all didn't know of this mysterious figure.
It has been two days since the passing of Heather and still, the gang was struggling with the fact that she was gone. Dagur had already begun to make preparations to take her body to be prepared and sent off as he had informed the Berserker tribe via terror mail of the passing of their chieftess. Hiccup knew that Dagur was struggling and now had to take the responsibility as the chieftain of the Berserkers to oversee his people and help them in their struggle. Hiccup now had to prepare for an upcoming war towards the archipelago that filled him with dread and he felt hopeless as his dream of ending the dragon and Viking conflict for the two species to be able to coexist was slowly crumbling apart.
Hiccup was inside his room of his house that sat on top of the hill that overlooked the village. He was sitting down at his work desk as he was looking through the blueprints and inventions he had made throughout his life with a depressed look on his face. He was remembering the old days when things were much simpler back than before he had ever thought that peace with the dragons would ever be on his mind. It was a very tough year for him as he was seen as the village's laughing stock because of his size and weak build compared to the rest of the boys on the island who were bigger and stronger than him and dragons were attacking and raiding his village. He knew that he would never go back to those days were there was just endless war between his people and the dragons but he did not expect the amount of animosity he would get for trying to coexist with the dragons and that some people are just too far gone to be reasoned with as Drago had shown him most painfully by taking away his father.
Toothless was lying on top of his favorite rock and had a depressed look on his face, or as much as a depressed look that a dragon could achieve but Hiccup knew that his best friend felt the same way he felt as he remembered the heart-wrenching scene of Wings hear crying and roaring in anguish as she realized that her rider was gone and nothing was bringing her back. He didn't know how Dagur did it but he was able to get to Wingshear and offer him comfort as Sleuther was there offering silent support for the grieving dragon. He took her back with him to Berserker Island where he would take care of her from now on, so they could both heal from their loss. As Hiccup continued with his musing he flinched when he heard a knock on his door and he went to open it to find Astrid on the other side with a worried look as she gazed at him.
Earlier in the day, all members of the gang bid each other farewell and started to make their way back to their respective homes, accompanied by their dragons. Valka was walking alongside her son and back to her hut, she wanted so badly to say something but she did not know what to do as she had spent the majority of her life with only dragons for companionship, and found it difficult to offer any words of comfort to her son. She had never experienced human emotions before and was at a loss as to how to handle the situation. It was heartbreaking for her to watch her son suffer and feel helpless in her inability to ease his pain. Every day, she regretted not being a part of his life and not being there to witness the growth of her son into the fine young man that he had become, but at the same time she had to protect the dragon's and protect her family from being used against her since she had made a lot of enemies. It was why she had confided in Astrid who knew her son better than she did and knew how to comfort him.
It was the reason why Astrid was outside of Hiccup's door because she knew he was blaming himself for what happened to Heather, and wanted to give him support and comfort that he desperately needed. As she was about to say something to him they were interrupted by a loud growl coming from Toothless who was laying on top of his rock bed with slitted eyes and was looking up and he appeared agitated. Then there was a loud commotion and loud voices outside as both of them rushed towards the window to look towards the horizon and saw a large number of dragons of all species flying towards Berk with roars and screeches. Some of the dragons manage to land on Berk and were growling and hissing at nearby villagers and were about to shoot out flames when a loud screeching roar interrupted them and Toothless along with Hiccup, Astrid and Stormfly landed just a few feet away from the dragons and all of the wild dragons stood down. Hiccup was observing their behaviors and he could tell that they were frightened by something.
"Hiccup! These dragons are from Dragon Island!?" exclaimed Fishlegs as could see noticable paint marks on some of the dragons scales to help categorize the islands that they had begun to check upon and to see if there were any changes in their habitats or if there were any dragon hunting activities. Hiccup was confused as to why these dragons came all the way here to Berk as he knew that Dragon Island could sustain a large population of dragons so there was no need for the dragons to come to raid for food as they had done in the past.
"We have to investigate why these dragon's came from Dragon Island because they never had to before since it's a safe sanctuary for the dragon's to live. We know that dragon hunter's will get lost in the mists without having a dragon to lead the way or fly there".
Something had happened on that island and he had a feeling that something terrible had transpired there and nothing would prepare them for what they would find.
Author Note: Hello my fellow readers I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as I faced some writer's block in how I wanted this chapter to play out and let me know if there are some errors in the chapter so that I can correct them. I hope all of you who read this have a wonderful day and I will see you all in the next chapter.