A/N: Next chapter will be formatted in a similar fashion to chapter 6...I think.
Stardust333 - Absolutely! Most likely even more than that, though.
iam-kiss - Lol, I try to update fast when I can, but it doesn't always work out the way I plan.
CHSHiccstrid - Yep. Hopefully this chapter actually makes sense. I don't actually know how to write a mission. I'm winging it.
AdamantJackal - You know Hiccup too well...
Disclaimer: Can I buy the franchise for a couple bucks? That's about all I can spare.
VALKA'S POV
"Do I need to go over the plan one more time?" I questioned, looking over Hiccup for any sign that he felt insecure or unprepared for this mission. We were nearly there, so this was his last chance to bow out. So far, his confidence had yet to waver. It was starting to feel like I was more nervous than him.
My son was crouched directly beside me, balancing with surprising ease considering he usually rode in a saddle during flight. He was wearing the flight suit he'd made from a mixture of Toothless' scales and a small amount of leather. It was almost completely fireproof, and allowed the same amount of flexibility that he had when he wasn't wearing it. I'd made my own suit right after I started rescuing dragons, and it wasn't nearly as specially crafted as Hiccup's. Its main purpose was to hide my identity from the world. I was fine with its simplicity, though Hiccup had offered more than once to update it.
*Trust me, the plan is burned into my brain at this point.* He replied sarcastically, and I could just barely see him roll his eyes behind the mask of his helmet. This outfit made him appear quite intimidating, even though he was still just a kid. The scale-covered outer protection along with the fact that he had the tendency to move like a dragon coupled together to make him seem like an actual dragon. Plus, these days he almost always used thought-speak. I'd been encouraging Hiccup to practice human behavior since he was a baby, but my efforts hadn't been entirely successful, especially now that he spent most of his time on one island or another with only Toothless as company.
"I'm just saying...once we're down there, there's no room for doubt or hesitation," I pressed. Right on cue, Cloudjumper tucked in his wings just enough to send us into a gentle dive, dipping below the cover of the clouds towards the island. We were flying in from the western side to avoid the two sentry posts set up on the southernmost beach. We'd left the nest just past sunset, so it was pitch black, but Cloudjumper didn't blend into the night like Toothless.
Hiccup nodded curtly, shifting a bit so he could see what was below. It was dark and uninhabited on this side, but torches lit up the areas where the hunters were. I'd already done plenty of reconnaissance last week, so I knew how many hunters would be in each position—roughly twenty in the main camp, a couple in each sentry tower, half a dozen or so guarding the captured dragons, and the rest would be aboard their ships docked on the eastern side of the island. It was still a relatively small operation. I'd faced worse numbers—much worse.
Cloudjumper lowered through the sky until his talons grazed the tops of the trees, heading towards the mountain range that loomed forebodingly in the darkness. He would take us in as far as he dared without being seen, then Hiccup and I were on our own. It would be much easier if I could simply bring an army of dragons, burn everything and everyone, and be done with it. But as much as I hated hunters, taking even a single life was never something I wanted to do. It was the reason I usually opted for my staff. I'd kill when necessary, but massacring dozens of people for the sake of the mission? I refused to fall that far. Stealth had always been my go-to method of dragon rescue. Alpha and the flock had helped a few times in the past, but I'd always made sure the human casualties would be minimal before I brought them along.
It was deathly silent as Cloudjumper landed in a tiny clearing near the outskirts of the camp. Hiccup immediately jumped off his back, his feet hitting the ground with a quiet thud. I slid down Cloudjumper's wing, then ran my hand lightly along his jaw as I walked around to look him in the eyes. At my inquisitive expression, he gave me a slow blink of affirmation.
*I remember what I need to do. I'll be waiting.* He assured me, having been through the motions plenty of times. His role was just as important to the mission as mine or Hiccup's. I trusted him completely to carry out his part.
I nodded, patting his cheek and taking a step back. The next moment he was in the air, his wingbeats sending a rush of wind over Hiccup and me. He would go to the top of the mountain and wait for my signal. Then he'd implement the second part of the plan.
I gestured for Hiccup to follow, then made my way into the forest, the faint glow of torchlight in the distance leading my path. Hiccup fell into step beside me, his gaze focused ahead. He looked ready to kill with the sword on his back and the two daggers across his chest. He didn't hold the same regard for human life as I did, or at least that's what he told me. He'd never actually killed anyone, so it was hard to say for sure whether he could actually go through with it. Tonight would be a test for him.
Neither of us said a word the entire way. I didn't speak for fear of being heard, even at a whisper, and Hiccup simply had nothing to say. It didn't take us long to reach the edge of the camp. We crouched behind some bushes, waiting for the opportune moment. The goal was to get into the cave without being spotted. From there, we'd find the documents I'd been well-informed were in this camp (the trapper I'd beat it out of had been quite cooperative.) The cave was located on the side of the mountain on the other side of the clearing, which meant sneaking past the hunters. I counted the number of men in my head. Twelve. Plus two walking around the camp's borders—a patrol. If we timed it just right, we could use the scarce vegetation around the edges of the clearing as cover and the patrol would never see us. The other men wouldn't be a problem. They were too busy making weapons or playing games or drinking. I nudged Hiccup, nodding at the patrolmen. He followed my gaze, alert for any instructions. When the two men finally came around, I nearly rolled my eyes hearing their conversation.
"I'm serious! Just ask Duncan if you don't believe me," the first man grumbled, his words slurred. Was everyone in this camp drunk? If so, our jobs would prove to be easier than I expected.
The second, shorter man shoved the first with a throaty chuckle. "No man can kill a Monstrous Nightmare with his bare hands. You're a damn liar!" He protested. I glanced nervously at Hiccup, suddenly afraid their words might anger him to the point that he gave away our position. But my son was perfectly still, the slight rise and fall of his chest the only sign that he was even alive.
Luckily, the men passed by quickly, their voices fading the farther they walked. As soon as I was sure it was clear, I took off around the border of the clearing, Hiccup right on my heels. We stayed low, our hurried footsteps not making a sound in the soft dirt. Each time our forms were briefly illuminated by torchlight, I worried we'd be discovered.
But no one looked our way, and we made it into the cave without incident, running to hide around the corner of a tunnel. If my count was right, there should be six men somewhere inside. They'd most likely be split into pairs. I didn't expect to get to those documents completely unseen, but Hiccup and I would be able to take care of six men. The key was to find them before they found us.
*Should we split up? Cover more ground?* Hiccup suggested, leaning around me to glance down the main passageway. It was empty at the moment, but there were multiple tunnels throughout the cave. They could be in any one of them.
I swept my hand in front of my throat sharply, telling him Absolutely not! without saying a word. I suddenly wished I could use thought-speak. It would make communication on missions so simple.
Hiccup moved back into place against the wall, waiting for me to move. I peeked around the corner, taking a few seconds to just listen. Sound echoed quite easily in here, so we should be able to hear someone coming. The only voices I could hear were those coming from the camp outside, though. Whoever was in the cave wasn't talking. Deciding it was now or never, I crept out of our tunnel and pushed ahead, keeping close to the wall. Hiccup waited a few seconds before following. I felt extremely exposed, but there was nowhere to hide. The cave was barren save for the torches mounted on the walls.
We approached another set of tunnels, one on either side of the passage. Hiccup called out to me, halting my progress. *Mom, on the right.* He warned. I followed his line of sight, seeing a single hunter guarding the tunnel entrance, his back turned to us. I wasn't sure what he was trying to keep out of the main cave, but we were lucky he was facing the other way. One shout of alarm and we were in serious trouble.
I had a hunch that the tunnel ahead of us on our left also had a single guard, so I gestured for Hiccup to go take care of the one we could see. He nodded, showing no signs of fear at the prospect of facing his first hunter, and dashed to the opposite side of the passageway. We moved forward together, and on my signal lunged from our hiding places to subdue our targets. As expected, when I rounded the corner there was one man standing guard, his back turned to me. I sprinted up to him, maneuvering him into a chokehold before he could see me coming. Based on the muffled sounds of struggling I heard behind me, Hiccup had done the same.
The man I had a hold of scratched at my arms, unable to do much else in his current position. His attempts to get free were futile, since my armor protected me from any harm and my grip was unrelenting. Blood rushed to his face as he continuously failed to bring in oxygen, and eventually his legs gave out and I was able to force him to the ground. After a few more seconds, I felt his muscles go lax, and I let him drop to the ground in a motionless heap. He was still alive, just passed out.
I turned to see if Hiccup needed help, but he was handling his man just fine without me. Due to his shorter height, my son had leapt onto the hunter's back and wrapped his legs around the man's torso. He was pressed up against the cave wall—an effort by the hunter to break his hold, I suppose—but his chokehold was just as strong as mine had been. Years of training and flying gave a boy some muscle. When the hunter finally fell to the ground and passed out, Hiccup stepped off of him and looked my way. I couldn't see his face, but I could practically feel his smug grin from here.
Our attention was quickly diverted further down the tunnel when we heard quiet muttering coming towards us. The two hunters were walking side by side, too engaged in their conversation to notice us yet. Hiccup took off in their direction, completely ignoring my frantic signal to wait for them to walk by. I cursed internally, running after him.
Just as one of the men heard our approach and looked over with a confused scowl, Hiccup grabbed one of his daggers out of its sheath and threw it with unbelievable precision right into the hunter's thigh without breaking stride. The man gasped in shock and pain, bending over to clutch his leg. His companion was frozen in place, struggling to get his hatchet unlatched from his hip. Hiccup went for the injured hunter, grabbing the man's head and slamming a knee into his head. I simply swung out my staff, striking the second man in the jaw and sending him spinning into the dirt. I'd hit him in the perfect place, knocking him out instantly. Hiccup had already delivered a solid punch to his man's cheek, and threw one more to finally knock him unconscious.
I stared at the bleeding lump, then turned my wide-eyed gaze to Hiccup. I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or concerned. Hiccup yanked his dagger out of the man's thigh. The hunter might end up dying of blood loss, but I had a feeling that was the last thing on my son's mind. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, then pulled Hiccup away. We would talk about his spontaneous attack after the mission was complete.
We passed a few more tunnels before we finally came to the room I'd been searching for from the start. I placed a hand on Hiccup's chest to keep him from going in without me, then glanced around the entranceway. To my extreme relief, there were indeed only two hunters inside. One of them must be the leader. They were standing over a table, chatting quietly about whatever they were planning. As soon as I stepped into the room, the slightly smaller man held up a hand to silence the other, then slowly turned his head. I paused in surprise, raising my staff into a defensive position.
"I should've known you would show up, Dragon Thief," the man sneered, snatching his sword off the table. His friend followed his gaze, starting when he noticed me and Hiccup. He scrambled to pull his own sword out. Hiccup growled lowly, adjusting his grip on his dagger. "Here I was hoping this icy shithole was out of your reach," the shorter man continued in a bitter tone. Glad I could ruin your day, I thought snidely.
Well, no point in small talk. We had places to be.
I lunged for the one that had spoken, since he was closest, trusting Hiccup to handle the other one. I brought down my staff, and the man raised his sword to block me before I could land a blow to his head. For a few moments we were in a deadlock, neither willing to move. The man glared at me, gritting his teeth with the effort of keeping his sword up.
"I'm getting really sick of your interference," he snapped. "I've got people to answer to—people a lot scarier than you, pal," he hissed, ducking to the side and swinging his sword around in an attempt to slice into my torso. I turned on my heel, blocking his attack with the back end of my staff. I heard a grunt of pain from Hiccup, but I didn't have the time to even glance over my shoulder before I had to parry once again. The hunter was putting all his aggression into his strikes, forcing me to go on the defensive constantly.
Our weapons clashed together, and I took that opportunity to kick him in his stomach, causing him to stumble back a few steps with a wheeze. Not giving him a chance to recover, I drove the end of my staff into his chest with as much force as I could muster. It set him off balance, and I whirled the staff around to slam it into his back, sending him sprawling to the ground with a groan. As a last ditch effort, he swung his sword behind him without looking, managing to nick my knee. I winced, then immediately whacked his hand, causing him to drop his sword with a curse. I kicked him in the chin with a little more strength than was probably necessary. There was definitely an audible crunch. The powerful blow to the head knocked him out.
"Asshole," I muttered under my breath, grabbing his sword and throwing it out of his reach just in case. Hiccup's sudden shout of anger made me look up just in time to see him tackle the very battered and bloody hunter to the ground. The man was barely conscious at that point, and failed to block his face as Hiccup punched him once, twice, three times. I held my breath, considering pulling my son off before he busted all the guy's teeth in.
Hiccup's helmet had come off during the fight, so I could see the furious expression on his young face. There was a trickle of blood running from his hairline to his cheek, but the wound itself didn't appear to be too bad from this distance. Hiccup grabbed the second dagger from its sheath and pressed it against the man's throat, panting heavily—from exertion or anger, I couldn't tell. Time seemed to stand still as a plethora of emotions crossed my son's face. I waited in silence. This wasn't a decision for me to make.
Hiccup gulped, adjusting his hold on the dagger multiple times as he looked down at the man whose life he held in his hands. One instant he gritted his teeth with determination, then the next his eyes flickered with doubt and he loosened his grip, then back again. The man stared up at him with wide eyes, his panic the only thing keeping him awake.
Finally, Hiccup let out a frustrated hiss and pulled back his dagger, then smashed the hilt into the hunter's temple. Once the man was unconscious, Hiccup sat there staring down at him, his chest heaving. I allowed him to have a moment, instead walking over to the table. The documents were all there—the exact routes the hunters' ships sailed, locations of other camps, future plans. I hurriedly folded up the papers and tucked them into my suit. We needed to leave the camp before they found the men.
"Come on, Hiccup," I urged, already heading for the entrance to the room. He glanced up in bewilderment, seemingly forgetting about my presence. "Now," I added firmly, my tone forcing him back into action. He leapt off the man and reached for his helmet and the other dagger, then ran after me. We sprinted down the passageway, no longer needing stealth inside the cave.
Luckily for us, the men in the camp were all gathered in a circle in the center of the clearing by the time we made it outside. They were cheering on a fight between the same men that had been patrolling when we arrived. Guess that's what happens when you put a bunch of men together and let them get drunk. Hiccup and I ran out the same way we came in, just as quiet but able to move much faster due to the distraction.
When we reached the forest, we didn't slow. We had to get to the southern beach where the dragons were being held. Hiccup was breathing heavily the entire way, and I made a mental note to include cardio in his training.
It was a ten minute sprint to our destination. We were hidden by the trees at the base of the mountain, but we could see the cages and hear the hunters from our position. I glanced up into the sky. Cloudjumper wasn't visible, but I knew he was cruising somewhere far above, waiting for my signal. I cupped my hands around my mouth and mimicked the hoot of an owl, loud enough to be heard by my dragon but not loud enough to cause suspicion from the hunters guarding the cages.
It wasn't long before I could see large flames in the distance, then a man came running up to the guards. "The ships are on fire! We're being attacked! Come on, you idiots!" He shouted, panic making him irritable.
"What about the dragons?" One of them asked nervously, clearly afraid to abandon his post.
"Those dragons are in cages, dumbass! The ones attacking the ships aren't! Let's go!" He retorted, already racing back towards the growing fire. I smirked as our plan unfolded exactly as it was supposed to—plus, they thought there was more than one dragon setting their ships on fire. That was a bonus. Cloudjumper would already be making his way to us, and they would be none the wiser.
The hunters hesitated for a moment, then one by one followed after the man. When they were gone, I tapped Hiccup on the shoulder. He'd been sitting down and catching his breath while we waited, but now he was mostly recovered. He was essential for the next part. We couldn't release the dragons one at a time, or the sentries would notice and sound the alarm before we could rescue them all. No, Hiccup needed to keep the dragons calm and cooperative while we unlatched all the cages, then we'd release them all at once. There were eleven in total, so they'd definitely draw some attention once they took to the air. Cloudjumper would come down and get us out before the hunters could do anything.
When we made it over to the cages, the dragons eyed us suspiciously, growling and shuffling around with unease. Hiccup was immediately on the case, crouching down to appear less threatening. I kept an eye on our surroundings, making sure no hunters were approaching.
*It's okay. We're here to help you.* Hiccup told them gently. The dragons all looked at him in confusion, sniffing the air to make sure they really smelled a human.
*What are you?* A Deadly Nadder questioned, sounding more curious than anything.
My son bowed his head briefly, taking a more submissive role to make all of them more comfortable. It worked well. The dragons' tension faded until they were all pressing against their cages in an attempt to get closer to him. He crawled to each cage, running a hand over the bars.
*I'm a human.* He admitted. Thankfully, the news didn't affect their attitudes towards him. *My mother and I are here to save all of you. We want to free you.* He explained. They started ruffling their wings with excitement. Hiccup let out an odd, guttural sound that I didn't even know he was capable of making, causing the dragons to calm back down so he could speak. *We're going to open your cages, but you have to stay inside until we tell you to go.* He stressed. *Do you understand?* He asked, looking between all of them. There were warbles and croons of agreement. I was surprised with how easily they were taking his direction. They'd known him all of five seconds and already trusted him.
Hiccup nodded at me, and we both went to work on the cages. It took less than a minute to get them all unlatched. The dragons did as they were instructed, some appearing more antsy and impatient than others. Once we were done, we took a few steps back.
*Okay, go!* Hiccup told them, still crouched down. The dragons didn't need any more persuading than that. All at once the cage doors burst open, and they all made a beeline for the clouds, not sparing a glance backward. When they got high enough to see from a distance, shouting erupted from the sentry towers at either end of the beach. By the time they managed to ready their bows, the dragons were disappearing into the night, out of range of any arrows.
At the same time, Cloudjumper suddenly dove into sight, taking advantage of the diversion. Instead of risking a landing, he grabbed Hiccup and me with his talons, then immediately flew back up into the sky. The hunters shot arrows at us with angry shouts, but each of them whizzed by harmlessly until we too were out of their range. I could see from this viewpoint where Cloud had utterly decimated the eastern half of the island. All the ships were in flames or sinking, the docks were destroyed, and one of the sentry towers was on fire. I grinned at the sight, slumping in Cloudjumper's grip as we rose farther up into the darkness.
Mission accomplished.
