Third person POV

From one meeting to another, the queen of Arendelle found herself busy yet again. The plan was supposed to be holding a meeting, breakfast, and then visiting Hiccup. However, Anna had to delay the last bit since there were other errands to run. The meeting, after all, did produce some ideas of what else to take care of to expect Therondia's arrival. Thus, it was only natural that Anna had to be busy for the day.

However, Anna was dying to see Hiccup. She knew that he was going to be okay in the hands of the royal servants, but she just had to see him in the flesh to relieve herself. Anna was not only concerned for his wellbeing, she also longed for him.

Her heart mentioned his name several times throughout the day. What was a streak of sheer focus on papers and meetings immediately got shattered by the time his image popped inside her mind. Fortunately, Anna was an experienced queen. Despite her heart's loud voices, the brain brawled well.

However, the extra effort for the sake of focusing was taxing.

"Goodness… How many times did I get distracted today?" Anna said to herself, scratching her head.

The queen of Arendelle walked in the hallway in a zig-zag line. The windows by the walls provided beams of light from the far-west twilight. It was time for her to eat, but she had another thing in mind.

As she reached the end of the hallway, Anna made a left, another left, and stopped by the door on her right. Hiccup's room.

Before reaching to knock on the door, Anna dusted off her dress, made sure to loosen any folded part, and cleared her throat. Then she knocked on the door.

"Come in," a familiar male voice called from the other side.

And so Anna did. Inside, she discovered Hiccup standing by the window. On his own two feet!

"How are you standing?" Anna stated, disbelief sounding in her voice.

Hiccup did not answer right away. He let Anna find the answer by herself. By the time Anna walked closer, that was when she found out that Hiccup already had a new prosthetic leg.

"You like it?" Hiccup showed it off by lifting it up. Slowly.

Anna noticed the manner the viking did it. "You're still in pain, aren't you?"

Hiccup lifted his hands. "Caught," he said with a smile.

"I knew it," Anna replied. Instinctively, she pulled a chair and gestured to him to sit down. She pulled hers and sat down in front of him.

"Do you like it?" Anna asked, still inspecting the new peg leg. "Must be so different from what you're used to, isn't it?"

The viking merely shrugged. "I like it. It's not so different, really. The blacksmith was very precise with his measurement. It's a snug fit."

The queen was surprised to hear that. "I see."

Silence filled the air for a moment. Anna dragged her sight up to Hiccup's expression at his new toy. It was only at this moment that Anna felt a weight on her shoulder removed. Simply seeing him animate relieved her. Under her consciousness, Anna curled a smile.

"How are you feeling?" Anna broke the silence. "Any better from this morning?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Not really. The pain is still there, but certainly not as terrible as yesterday. I think the medicines are still working."

"You've been given medicines?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Bitter ones."

"Ah, well, there's a reason a doctor made it, not a chef," Anna replied with sarcasm.

"Har har."

After that fake laugh, the two let out a laugh that was genuine together.

"How are you feeling, Anna?" Hiccup now shot the question back. Anna found herself a bit confused at the question.

"What, me?"

Hiccup placed his hand on the lock of the window, unlocked it, and pushed it open, letting an evening breeze in. "I'm speaking to the sinister little girl behind you."

Innocently, Anna looked behind her. Of course, there was nothing there. "You–"

"Of course it's you, Anna. How have you been today?" Hiccup emphasised.

Anna slapped her thighs before starting, "I've been well, thank you very much. We've prepared for Therondia's arrival. Several posts have been established to corner their ship. We plan to ambush them when they've docked."

"I see. What do you intend to do by the time you've made them surrender?" Hiccup asked back.

"Cast the lieutenant's men and women into the dungeon and interrogate the lieutenant himself. Then we will decide what to do next with the fresh intel," Anna explained confidently. This confidence showed in her body language as well, and Hiccup received it very well.

"Hahh…" Hiccup shoved his thighs, looking down at them. "I am indebted to you, Anna. To think that you'd easily choose my side over them."

Anna hummed for a moment. "The difference is that… We've known for the past twenty years, Hiccup. Therondia arrived here only a year ago when they proposed an alliance. You are more than an ally. You're a dear friend."

The viking took a moment to process that statement. "I'm touched," Hiccup placed a hand on his chest. "Therondia came here a year ago, huh?"

"Yes. We did some digging into them but apparently never discovered this… red-flag side of them," the queen shoved her forearms together. "But enough about that. We haven't met in a year!" She radiated a bright smile.

Hiccup furrowed his brow, finding it not believable. "Really? A year?"

"Mhm. Before they came to your land, how were things?"

Hiccup flashed himself back to the day before the raid. "Well… As a chief, since we're in the second half of the year, I thought it'd be nice to prepare ourselves for winter…"


"AHAHAH! N-no way he did that?" Anna held her tummy, trying to speak clearly while cackling.

"He really did! I mean, Tuffnut has always been a simpleton, but apparently, he's… oh god, I don't want to sound harsh, but I don't see any other way to describe him…"

Hearing that, Anna waved her hands. "It's alright, eheheh… I think I know what you want to say. So what happens next?"

Hiccup laughed in relief. "Alright, alright. Anyway, he fell down the cliff, but luckily, we've installed a landing net at the bottom. So, he was alright. And it's a good thing that he fell, actually."

Anna gave the Viking a dirty look. "What do you mean?"

"We've been meaning to test that safety net for quite a while, but no one was willing to jump. And then Tuffnut happened," explained Hiccup.

In response, Anna rounded her mouth and breathed an 'oohh…'


"So the four spirits are fire, water, earth, and wind. Elsa, being able to manipulate ice is the fifth," Hiccup recapped, still looking puzzled.

"Yeah, correct. Why do you seem confused?" Anna asked.

"But why ice? As the fifth element? Isn't that just solid water?" Hiccup questioned. The question apparently made Anna reach for her head and scratch it. She never thought about it until now. Why ice?

"Uhh…"


"Wow… How long has it been since his…" Anna asked.

Hiccup counted the years backward mentally. "Hmm.. six. Six years since he's gone."

The viking panned his vision down to the floor, as if finding it a fascinating thing to see. Anna quickly noticed it and scooched her chair closer to his, close enough to reach for his forearm and shove it.

"I miss him, too, Hiccup," Anna smiled.

Hiccup looked up to her and returned the smile. "Thank you."


"So, have you returned to Northuldra again at some point?" Hiccup asked.

Anna responded with a head shake. "No. I can't seem to find the time either."

"I see. I'm most interested in that place where Elsa learned about the past. What was it called again?" Hiccup asked the complicated name.

"Ahtohallan."

"A place to reveal the past… With water. How does that even work?" Once again, Hiccup found himself asking.

"Hmm… I'm sure magic is involved, and no one can explain magic, either. But according to Olaf, water essentially has a memory. The water that makes up you and me has been through four humans or animals before now. Including the water we consume."

A disgusted look formed on Hiccup's face. "Why did you phrase it like that…"

"That's what Olaf said! Not me! For a snowman, he reads much more books than I do!" Anna defended herself.

Hiccup still pitied that it had to be phrased like that. "Well… It does make sense. Water has been around for God knows how long. Water has memories."

The queen nodded. "Mhm. Pretty poetic, isn't it?"

"What, that the tea I consumed was inside someone else before?"

"Not that–"


"But there wasn't anything else that–"

Knock knock knock

Hiccup halted himself mid-sentence when he heard the knocking on the door. "Come in!"

And so came in a female servant with a food cart, "Ah, I knew you'd be here, my queen," she said as she spotted Anna. "I've brought dinner for you two. Enjoy them while they're still warm."

"Ah, thank you Kristin!" Anna thanked the servant. "We will."

And the servant left the room, leaving the Berkian and the Arendellian leaders alone once again. After glancing at the food cart, they shared a laugh.

"Wow, time flew, didn't it?" Anna asked while standing up to get the cart.

"It sure did," Hiccup confirmed.


The chat continued for another hour after dinner. They talked about various things, from the most trivial to the most absurd. The conversation did reach a serious topic at some point but no harm was done. Anna was having one of the best evenings in a while by chatting endlessly to her crush, and Hiccup was enjoying Anna's presence, a very dear friend from a very different background.

Hiccup would love to go on with the chat, but he noticed that it was time for bed. It was a full moon night, there really was no other reason to end the conversation. For friends with commoner backgrounds, maybe. However, Anna was a queen with responsibilities to take care of.

Anna, on the other hand, kept finding things to talk about. Not wanting to upset her, Hiccup followed along and hoped there would be an opportunity to call an end to the chat.

Little did he know, that opportunity came sooner than expected. Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Hiccup answered. After that, Elsa entered the room.

"There you are. I need to ask about something," Elsa said. Seriousness drew her expression. The duo noticed it.

"What's up?" Hiccup asked.

Elsa approached her sister and the Viking and crossed her arms. "It's about Therondia… Don't you think it's been too long since they've departed?"

The question never popped inside Hiccup's and Anna's minds. But now that it had, "You're right," Anna said.

Elsa explained, "You'd think they'd discover that their prisoner has gone missing at max hours after they've departed from Arendelle. And make a return. But they haven't. There's no way they decided to simply abandon you, right?" She pointed a finger at Hiccup. "Especially if it's Drago's command to keep you imprisoned. If he led the raid to Berk, he must possess a high rank. And for a man like him, according to your story, too, he'd 'dispatch' those who fail to obey his command, right?"

The trio pondered for a moment. And then Elsa continued.

"What do you guys think?"

Hiccup answered, "It could be that they're facing harsh weather out there? I don't exactly know the water around this kingdom well though."

"That's certainly a possibility," Anna commented. "One way or another, we'll find out sooner than expected."

Both Hiccup and Elsa nodded, and then silence filled the air briefly. Elsa took it that neither of the two could continue the topic any further. She herself could not either.

"Well, that's all I wanted to talk about. We'll stay vigilant, as always. Anna, I don't mean to ruin the fun, but you have to sleep," Elsa advised like the big sister she was. Anna, still wanting to continue the fun, stuck her bottom lip out.

"Fineee…" Anna stood up and extended her arm to Hiccup. "Need a hand to stand up?"

"Oh I'm fine, watch," Hiccup assured. He held onto the frame of the window and used it to leverage his weight upward. It was a slow progress but he managed to do it.

"I'm impressed, Hiccup," Elsa commented. "Just don't be too reckless, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Hiccup answered. With that, he walked over to the bed and sat himself by the edge of it. "Good night, you two," He looked at the sisters with a smile. That smile soon broke into a deep yawn that Hiccup had been holding.

The yawn soon spread. Anna let out a big one, too. "Good night…"

With that, the Arendellians left the Berkian alone. As they walked their way to their rooms, Elsa spotted the goofy smile on Anna's face. Seeing this, she gave her sister a gentle push by the arm.

"Someone's in a good mood," Elsa commented. "Had fun in there?" She emphasised the italicised word.

The brunette gasped, understanding what the blonde meant. "We were simply chatting!"

"For four hours?" Elsa chuckled.

"It has not been four hours," Anna denied. This denial was replied with a shake of a head.

"You think I didn't spot you entering Hiccup's room? I initially wanted to take you to an audience with a certain farmer. But seeing you headed straight to that room, I didn't want to bother you," explained Elsa with a proud smile. "You're welcome."

Anna stopped on her track with her jaw dropped. She owed her sister one. For that, she chased after her sister and hugged her from behind, catching Elsa by surprise.

"Thank you sis," Anna said softly. "Did the audience last long?"

Elsa reached for her sister's hand. "No worries. It was only for an hour."

'Ouch… only?' Anna mentally spoke. 'I'd better make sure there's no unfinished business before calling it a day later…'

Anna paused herself, still hugging her sister from behind while walking.

'Oh well. This is a one time only. But it sure is worth it.'


Hiccup's POV

Three days. It had been three days since the departure of Therondia from Arendelle. Their ship never returned. Something was up, but I did not know what.

Yesterday, Anna sent a scout team to scan the fjord on land. The team returned empty handed. They found no foreigners on land nor on the water. Perhaps they really had left. It was really suspicious but there was little I could do, especially with my condition. Although realistically speaking, I had actually recovered well.

It was another evening. However, tonight, Doctor Eva, the doctor who looked after me previously, came to visit.

"I'm impressed Mr. Haddock," Doctor Eva commented. "The scars are healing very nicely. For such a short time, too."

"I did take my meds regularly," I smiled proudly. In response, the doctor merely replied with a stare at my face. She had a curious look.

"Does that hurt?" She pointed at my face. I did not know what she was on about.

"What do you mean?"

"That!" She pointed a finger at my left cheek. My hand raised to check what was on it and felt something rough. Oh, the scar. Under my beard.

"Oh this," I responded.

"Yes. When you smile, does it hurt?" Doctor Eva asked.

I shook my head. "Nope. I even kinda forgot it was there."

The lady gave me a dirty look, like a mother to her disobedient child. "Tsk tsk tsk. Remember that it's still there, Mr. Haddock. You don't want your biggest laugh to be a painful one in the end."

I nodded my head. "Noted, madam."

"Good boy. Now, my job's done here," She said as she started to put away her tools into her bag.

While waiting for her to leave, I thought it would be nice to break the ice a little. "How's Catherine doing, Doc?"

"She's fine. Probably out and about with her boyfriend at the moment," Doctor Eva answered with a sarcastic tone. It earned a snort from me.

"Oh, she's got one now?"

"Yeah…" She said with a sigh in the end. "That little rascal…"

The motherly annoyance was quite the sight to behold. "I wish the best for her… and you, too, obviously."

"Naturally. Especially after tending after your battle scars, chief," Doctor Eva responded. Her sarcasm was truly something else.

Now, the doctor had packed everything. She turned around to me and merely waved her free hand.

"Thank you very much, Doc," I said. With that, she opened the door, but only to find Anna about to knock on it.

"Oh, hello, Your Majesty," Doctor Eva said. Without giving Anna a chance to reply, the doctor swiftly took a leaping step forward out of the room. "Goodbye, Your Majesty."

She left.

Anna scratched her head while stepping inside the room. "I swear I have no idea how Catherine is such a sweet and genuine person, while her mother is so sarcastic."

I snorted at the statement. "Anna… Look at me."

She looked up to me after shutting the door. "Looking."

"Then look at my father. Mention our similarities."

The queen rounded her mouth. "Oooh… Good point. Anyways, what are her thoughts about your condition?"

"Positive. I'm recovering well. I can feel it, too," I smiled and gestured at the spots of my scars. "The stitchings are very well done, so they certainly help. I took my meds with discipline, that helps. I don't do anything physically demanding, that also helps. But it does bore me."

Anna's face screamed relief. "I'm glad to hear that. Have you eaten?"

She started to sound like my mother now. "I have. Have you?"

Anna nodded. "I have. Alright, I just wanted to check real quick. I gotta run again," she reached for the doorknob. It took me by surprise a little to see her in a rush.

"You still have work? This late?" I furrowed my brow.

"Yeah… Nothing I can do about it," said Anna, with tiredness clearly sounding in her tone.

I internally wished that she could stay for a bit longer. However, it would be selfish of me. "Very well. See you tomorrow?"

She smiled. "Of course. Night, Hiccup."

"G'night."

The Queen of Arendelle left the room. What was a quiet wish for her presence to remain was now a louder one.

"Hmph…" I grumbled and laid my back on the bed with my feet still on the floor. I reached for the book I left on my left and opened it. Through the pages, I tried to find the bookmark in it.

However, it was not there.

"Goddammit, where is that thing…"

Knock knock knock

Someone knocked on the door. At this time? Very unusual.

Regardless, I exclaimed, "Come in."

Once the door swung open, a man in a cloak and a mask charged in.

"Huh–"

I did not have the time to react at all. He closed the distance between us in a fraction of a second and had me pinned down with his weight on the bed. His arms and legs locked mine. I wiggled to break free but it was no use, considering my injuries were still there, too.

"W-WHO ARE–" Before I could even ask the question, another cloaked man entered my peripheral vision and shoved a piece of cloth into my mouth. Deeply. I almost gagged at the object because of the foreign man's recklessness.

"Get the bag!" Instructed the man on top of me to the other one. The other man nodded and took out a small leather bag that was clearly intended to cover my head. At this, my adrenaline pumped to the max and ignored every pain on my body.

Before the man could cover my head, I managed to free my prosthetic leg. Using the advantage of metal, I kicked the man on top of me on the chin hard.

"Guh!"

That kick earned my freedom. He collapsed on the floor and let go of my entire body. I quickly rolled away to the side and stood up on the bed, putting on a fighting stance.

Or so, I thought. Not even giving me time to prepare, the other man stepped in and punched me by the gut, rendering me paralyzed. I bent forward, enduring the pain.

"MFF–"

"You're quite the fighter–" the man jumped on the bed and lifted my head by the hair, "Aren't you?"

The man swung a jab. I ignored the pain on my stomach and ducked under. Because of this, I noticed that his legs were open. I used the window to kick him by the crotch.

He quickly covered his manhood region. "OOFFF! You little–"

I did not let him finish as I gave him another kick. This time, it was with my metal prosthetic.

At this time, I noticed the previous man standing up on his feet. To prepare myself, I pushed aside my presumably infertile opponent off of the bed and removed the cloth inside my mouth.

"COME ON! I'M NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!" I screamed at the top of my lungs deliberately to attract attention from outside. The man noticed my attempt and jumped on the bed while throwing a jab aimed at my face.

At an instant, I moved to the left to avoid it. The fist landed on the wall instead and I swore I heard a cracking sound. Recovering from his missed jab, the man threw a hook, which I ducked under to avoid. I saw his right arm about to perform a follow-up uppercut, so I stepped backward slightly.

However, I did not see his left arm, which was reaching for my neck. He choked me, using his thumb to press my throat.

"Ack…" I tried to speak, but no air was coming out.

"Try screaming now…" the man smiled sinisterly. I tried to kick him but the other man grabbed my legs. My remaining limbs were my arms. I desperately tried to break his grasp on me by punching his joints but he was physically too strong for me.

I looked over to the right at the door, hoping someone would come in. But nobody did. Apparently nobody heard my shouting.

Without any air, my vision soon became darker. The last thing I felt was the same piece of cloth shoved down my mouth.


Third person POV

The stars were the blanket of the peaceful night in Arendelle. Some residents tucked to the bed to welcome the next day. Some were hanging out with each other. The royal guards stood still on their posts, some took a certain route to patrol. All seemed to be in order, but was everything truly in order?

It was a question to be answered soon enough.

Outside Arendelle, by the fjord, were the woods. Inside the thick lush trees lied a path with dim lighting. It would be senseless to thread down this path, especially in the dark. However, three figures were used to the dark, and they happened to be the people of Northuldra.

"How long until we get to the kingdom, Honeymaren?" Asked the male figure, with a torch on his hand.

"Patience, brother. We'll get there soon enough," Honeymaren answered. "It shouldn't be too far now."

"Where do you intend for us to spend the night?" The brother asked.

"Hmm… You two can spend the night at a lodge," Honeymaren looked behind with a sly look, referring the second figure to the reindeer they were walking with. "Meanwhile… I will…"

The brother immediately noticed that look. "Oh, would you look at that, Birta?" He called for his reindeer. "Honeymaren is so confident that the royal guards will let her–"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Honeymaren broke out in laughter. "Jeez, Ryder."

Ryder scoffed at his sister. "Be honest. You would love to spend the night with her, wouldn't you?"

Honeymaren glanced at her brother cockily. "Of course I would. But there's nothing more I'd love to do more than spending the night with my brother and his reindeer."

Ryder's eyes perked up. "Wait, can Birta sleep with us in the same room?"

"Of course not–hold."

Honeymaren's command halted the reindeer and her owner. The Northuldra sensed a presence up ahead the dark path. She heard the faintest footsteps, and they sounded heavy. Soon, they grew a tad louder, and Ryder and Birta heard it, too.

Ryder stepped forward with his torch to brighten the path ahead. There, ominously marching forward were two cloaked men. One of them carried a large sack. Neither carried a torch or any sort of lighting to guide themselves. With the light emitted from the torch, the two parties made eye contact.

Ryder gave the torch to his sister and grabbed the wooden polearm on his reindeer. The man carrying the large sack merely raised a brow.

"Why so hostile?" He asked casually, stopping on his track. His partner did, too.

"Yeah, we're only passing by, like you're passing by us," The other man added.

The Northuldra remained vigilant. Honeymaren asked, "Care to share your business then? Why are you passing this path this late?"

"Nunya," the man carrying the sack answered.

"Nunya?" Ryder asked.

The two men marched forward fearlessly, passing by the Northuldra people. Honeymaren, Ryder, and Birta stared at them with a ready stance. "Nun of ya fuckin' business, mate."

"Be on your way, you three. Bears roam the land and they're pretty active at night," the other man warned.

The Northuldra stood their ground as the mysterious figures slowly walked away. Ryder was peculiarly interested in the content of the large sack the man was carrying. Thus, he kept his eyes on it as they walked further and further.

Right when light was about to no longer reach them, Ryder saw the sack move. By itself.

"Honeymaren, the sack just moved!" Ryder whispered to his sister.

"Huh, what?" Honeymaren did not see what he meant. "Does that mean–"

Before the sister could even complete, the brother jumped on the reindeer and signalled her to gallop at the foreigners. "Which means something alive is inside!" He exclaimed.

The cloaked men noticed the charging reindeer and drew out their swords. Heroically, Ryder lunged off Birta with his polearm pointed at the man carrying the sack. Seeing this, the man dropped it and jumped backward. Ryder ended up stabbing the ground with his weapon.

"Ryder, don't be so reckless!" Honeymaren exclaimed, running toward the scene.

"Oh shut it sis–" before Ryder could finish, he spotted the other man charging at him with his sword on the air. Luckily, Birta rammed him off with her horns in his path.

"Patchy!" The man called.

"I'm okay, Sideburns!" Patchy replied, dusting himself off to prepare to fight a… reindeer. Soon, Honeymaren joined her reindeer's side.

Sideburns, on the other hand, had Ryder to deal with. He looked over to the large sack to make sure it was not going anywhere and then up to his opponent.

"Let's dance," Sideburns declared.

With the battle officially beginning, Ryder wasted no time and swung his pole from above. Sideburns easily predicted the trajectory and blocked it with his sword. Their weapons clashed and were planted onto another. Seeing so, Sideburns held his blade from the other end and used his weight to march forward in an attempt to outweigh the Northuldra.

Ryder noticed this and fought his weight back with his own. In the process, their eyes met.

Sideburns was a heavier person than Ryder, so it was a losing fight for the Northuldra. Thus, Ryder gave his opponent a kick by the stomach. The opponent winced and took a few steps backward.

Seeing the window, Ryder swung his weapon from the side and landed a blow on Sideburns' arm.

"Gah!"

Ryder retracted his pole and swung again from the opposite side, once again landing another blow. This time, Sideburns took it on the neck.

"Guhh!"

Rage fueled Sideburns. By the time Ryder swung his polearm again from above, Sideburns stepped aside and pinned the weapon down with his foot once it landed on the ground. This caused Ryder to lose grip over his own weapon, disarming him.

"Oh shit," Ryder cursed.

"Oh shit, indeed,"Sideburns added. With a battle cry, he lunged forward with his sword. Ryder countered by stepping aside, barely evading the incoming blade. Sideburns was not done; he made a sweep with his blade, which Ryder avoided again.

The life back in Northuldra had apparently turned Ryder a flexible man. He dodged his opponent's next four moves even when he was disarmed. However, Sideburns was not without experience.

"Rahh!" Sideburns performed another sweep with his blade, which Ryder once again evaded. However, in the middle of the move, Sideburns picked up Ryder's polearm with a flick of his foot and threw it at his enemy with his already existing momentum.

This threw Ryder off guard. The polearm hit the man's forehead and flung off. It landed with its butt stabbing the patch of ground exactly next to Honeymaren, who was battling Patchy with a torch.

Honeymaren noticed the sudden arrival of his brother's weapon. She looked aside to see him on the ground, rubbing his forehead.

"Ryder, get up!" Honeymaren demanded. She was about to pick up the polearm when Patchy lunged forward with his sword pointed at her. Fortunately, she was a skilled fighter with great awareness.

Honeymaren stepped backward, far enough for the tip of the blade to not reach her. By the time Patchy had set his foot down, Honeymaren pulled his arm and used his momentum to spin him around, readying to cast him off.

"Birta! Get ready!" She commanded her reindeer mid-spin. Within a close proximity, Birta stood her ground, engaging her muscles.

"WHOaaa!" Patchy was trying to get a grip on the ground but failing.

"Catch!" Honeymaren cast her enemy right at the reindeer. When let go, Birta galloped forward at the man and rammed him with her antlers. As a result, his face kissed one of the nearby trees. The thing was that Birta did not stop. She went ahead and rammed the man, pinning him against the tree.

"MFfff–You fuckers–" Patchy cursed with a muffled voice, as his face was planted on the tree. In a desperate attempt to free himself, Patchy grabbed the antlers and shook it violently. Honeymaren noticed it and grabbed the polearm. Using the dull end of the weapon, she hit the man's head hard.

"AFFH–"

Hearing that he could still scream in pain, Honeymaren gave another hit.

"GAHH–STOP IT!"

Of course, Honeymaren did not stop. She gave it for the third time.

This time was the charm; Patchy's body collapsed. He became unconscious.

"Honeymarenn! A little help here!"

Both Honeymaren and Birta turned around to see Ryder handling a losing fight against Sideburns.

"We're coming!"