I always find it amazing how some chapters I can finish so much faster than others.
It might help that I'm on break and back from vacation, and have a lot more free time on my hands.
Have Dragon Will Travel:
Alone, with nothing but the wind blazing passed, rider and dragon flew towards their destination. They saw two boats in the distance, but the fishing boat wasn't their concern. No, it was the other ship they had their sights on. The rider urged the dragon on towards it, and the assault began. No stone was left unturned, no witness was left, and once they were done, rider and dragon fled without a trace.
What they failed to realize, was the two Berkians whom had witnessed the whole thing from within that very fishing boat left untouched.
000
On Berk once again, the riders were visiting family and picking up anything they needed; for example, Astrid's medicine. There were just some supplies she couldn't get from Dragons' Edge. Gothi also liked to test her while they were there.
Hiccup handed Aric a set of new daggers for Astrid for when she came back. He sat on Shadowstar, pretty much ready to go; they were just about to set off soon.
Only a few weeks ago, Hiccup had been under the influence of some pretty nasty flowers. Pink Oleander, they were called. The last thing she clearly remembered was she went out flying with Toothless, and then the next thing she knew, she was waking up in her hut, Aric sleeping on the floor with Shadowstar. What happened in between was fuzzy, almost like a dream, just bits and pieces jumbled together and mixed up.
She looked to Aric again.
But, maybe it was just a dream. Aric said she hadn't said anything weird, and in her dream, she swore she had. She had said a lot of strange things. In any case, things were normal now, and Hiccup made sure to have Fishlegs do a full census on all the flora and fauna on the island. No more surprises.
"Okay, remember, gang, we're only bringing absolute necessities to Dragons' Edge", Hiccup reminded everyone, to which Snotlout laughed.
"Awe, I guess we're leaving you behind, Fishface", he said.
"Come on, you're better than that, Snotlout. Oh wait, no you're not", Fishlegs retaliated.
He finished loading up Meatlug with a bunch of rocks, two baskets full on each side. When Meatlug tested out her ability to fly with them, though, she wasn't having much luck, barely able to get off the ground.
"Come on, girl, you can do it. Lift with your legs", Fishlegs encouraged.
"I can do it, I can do it, I can do it!" Meatlug chanted herself, her wings flapping like a frantic humming bird.
Hiccup came over with a disapproving frown.
"Fishlegs", she looked at him, having just said they were only taking necessities.
"What? Berk granite has a nicer finish", he defended. "And trust me, you want the nicer finish." As if to prove his point, Meatlug passed gas right at that moment, right in Fishlegs' face. "See?" he coughed.
Deciding to leave it be, Hiccup turned to the twins next, Ruffnut hitting her brother over the head with one of the maces they had in a basket next to Barf and Belch.
"Oh! Not bad; that's a two. Do it again", Tuffnut said.
"Oh!" Ruffnut hit him again. "Yeah, three. I still think we can do better."
"Yes we can!" Ruffnut exclaimed, before slamming the mace right to the side of his head, making Tuffnut spin.
"Oh, yeah, now that…is a four", Tuffnut swayed. "Yep, one, two, three, four", he said, before falling back to the ground.
"I'll tag it and bag it", Ruffnut said, pleased.
"I'll tell you what", Tuffnut slurred from the ground, "Any of you four need anything, I'll be right here."
At this point, Hiccup didn't even ask.
Astrid met up with them then, but as Aric was handing her the daggers, her eyes lighting at the craftsmanship, Hiccup's father came storming up. Bucket, Mulch, and Gobber were right behind him.
"Which one of the usual suspects was out sinking boats on their dragon this morning? I have my suspicions", he said sternly.
"Sinking boats?" Hiccup questioned.
"Bucket and Mulch saw the whole thing. And don't try convincing me that there's anyone else in the archipelago who could pull something like this off! Well? I'm waiting."
Hiccup looked back towards the others, confusion written on all of their faces. So much for no more surprises, because this one took the cake.
"It was me, Chief!" Tuffnut suddenly sprung up. "I couldn't control myself; I had to do it. What's wrong with me? Why do I do things like this?! Why doesn't anybody do anything to stop me? Can't you all see that it's just a desperate cry for help?!" He fell to his knees in a dramatic show before sobbing into his hands, her father not buying the theatrics if his face and sigh was anything to go by.
Finally, Ruffnut stepped up to bring her brother back to Midgard. "What are you talking about? None of that happened", she said.
"I know that", Tuffnut immediately quit sobbing and stood. "I just always wanted to confess to something. How'd I play? I didn't overdo it, did I?"
"Yeah, I mean overall I think you seemed grounded, but still was a little hard to believe."
"Dad, the truth is we've been together all morning", Hiccup said as soon as she noticed her father's patience wearing increasingly thin. "It couldn't have been one of us attacking the ship."
"What about Astrid? She wasn't with us", Snotlout pointed out.
"Astrid would never just go sinking ships, unlike some people", Aric immediately defended.
"I was with Gothi, Chief", Astrid added. "She can vouch for me."
"Well, if it wasn't one of you, then I'd say we have a much more serious problem on our hands", her father said.
"Rouge dragon rider?" Astrid questioned.
"Not good. Not good at all", Fishlegs said.
"No, it isn't", Hiccup agreed. If there was a new rider on the loose, and they were destroying ships, Hiccup didn't think any good could come from that. After all, what if the new rider was Dagur, or some other raging lunatic? They needed to figure this out and fast.
Heading out to where Bucket and Mulch had last seen the ship, the riders quickly found it floating aimlessly along the waves.
"Okay, gang, let's spread out", Hiccup said as Toothless landed on the ship, followed by the others.
"I've been thinking about this rouge dragon rider", Aric started.
"Dagur", Hiccup quickly supplied.
"It makes sense. If Dagur has a dragon, and is attacking ships, then who's to say we won't be next?" he said, and Hiccup was almost amazed by how clearly he'd read her mind. Sometimes, it seemed they were just on the same wave length. Hiccup felt a little flutter run through her, but quickly became distracted from it when Fishlegs called.
"Hiccup! You got to see this!"
Hiccup moved over to where Fishlegs stood before a large gash in the left gunwale of the ship. "Whoa, those are some deep gashes", she inspected it. "Any idea what it could be?"
"This dragon is extremely powerful. It has the slashing attack of a Speed Stinger, yet from the depth of the strikes, it appears to be as strong as a Typhoomerang. Yeah", Fishlegs mulled over.
"You guys, you find anything else?" Hiccup called back.
"This ship has been stripped of everything valuable", Astrid said as she looked through barrels left on the deck. Meanwhile, the twins seemed to be fighting over something, until they noticed everyone else noticed.
"Uh, nothing over here, right, sis?" Tuffnut said, clearly hiding something behind his back.
"Nope. No thing", Ruffnut affirmed.
"Zilch. Not a thing in the front, behind, or to either side of us."
"You know I can see that, don't you?" Hiccup said matter-of-factly.
"Alright, alright, but we get to keep it!"
"Yeah, finders keepers", Ruffnut said.
"Losers…uh, losers don't get this, 'cause it's way too cool for a loser", Tuffnut pulled the thing out, and Fishlegs gasped.
"A barb!" he exclaimed.
"That looks like one of Stormfly's" Astrid said, except the barb seemed to be longer, and it was silver in color. It almost looked like metal.
"Which means the dragon could belong to the Sharp Class", Fishlegs went on as Hiccup stepped up to the twins. "In fact, I'd bet my Meatlug on it."
"What?!" Meatlug exclaimed, distraught.
"Oh, Nonono, don't worry, girl. It's just an expression. I'd never do that", he reassured her.
Hiccup grabbed hold of the barb, wanting to have a closer look, but then Tuffnut didn't let go.
"Tuff", Hiccup drawled as she tugged, now locked in a tug of war with him. Then Tuffnut grabbed it with his other hand above hers, Hiccup following suit, to which Tuffnut tried placing his hand on top and accidentally stabbed his palm, causing him to let go with a surprised scream and Hiccup to win. Luckily, it didn't look like he was seriously hurt.
Hiccup looked at the barb closely, thinking, but not so much as the barb as the dragon it was supposedly attached to, and the rider that was 'attached' to it.
"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.
"Ooh, ooh-ooh, good game, Hiccup!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "You think of something, and then we'll try to guess what it is. And if we do, we get a prize. Alright, think away, my good fellow, and let the game begin."
"Hmm, let me see", Snotlout said. "I'm thinking you two are mutton-heads."
"Yes! I win!"
"I was actually thinking, if we find the dragon, we find the rider", Hiccup said. "And I have a pretty good idea of how we can find the dragon."
000
"Sharp! Did I say that? It's sharp!" Bucket shouted within the Great Hall as Fishlegs was trying to draw the dragon Bucket was describing.
"I know, Bucket. We've gone over that twenty times", Fishlegs said.
"Well, it's got a very long tail. And, it can tie itself into a knot and― Yes, yes, that's right. And two large wings to slice through―" Bucket gasped, then screamed and ran. The drawing was finished.
"So?" Hiccup asked.
"I've never seen anything like this, neither in the Book of Dragons or Bork's papers", Fishlegs said.
The dragon Bucket described was indeed sharp, long sharp scales coating its entire body into its tail where its barbs laid. A horn adorned its face like that of a Rumblehorn, and Hiccup could only imagine, with the coloration of the barb they'd found, the dragon looked as if it wore metal armor.
"But there is one place we haven't looked yet", Hiccup said, and moving to Toothless, brought out the Dragon Eye. Understanding what she was thinking, Fishlegs brought over a barrel before one of the walls.
"Alright, so I was thinking", Hiccup started as she made her way to the barrel, "Since Stormfly is also a Sharp Class―"
"Her magnesium blast could possibly illuminate some information about this new dragon", Fishlegs eagerly finished.
Hiccup gestured Astrid towards the barrel, and Astrid came forward with Stormfly. Then, bringing out her new daggers, Astrid stabbed them into the wood crisscross, providing a stand for the Dragon Eye.
"Stormfly, easy now", Astrid said, and Stormfly carefully ignited the Dragon Eye. "Just enough to light the Dragon Eye up", she encouraged with a hug to her head, careful of Stormfly's currently lit maw.
"Deadly Nadder", Fishlegs muttered as the Dragon Eye's first projection came up. "I must have missed some of this the first time around. Uh, who's got some chalk? I have to translate it."
"Fishlegs, now's not the time", Hiccup reminded, before switching the dials.
"Speed Stinger! One of my favorites; there's always so much more to learn."
"Oh my Thor", Snotlout moaned.
"I-I-I know, Fishlegs, I got it. Later", Hiccup said again, then switched the dials one more time. "That's it!"
"It's called a Razorwhip", Astrid read.
"Okay, Fishlegs, do your thing."
"Okay, Razorwhip", Fishlegs stepped up to the wall. "Sharp Class dragon. Long, spiny, barbed tail. Very aggressive, very dangerous."
"Yeah, we got that. Give us something new", Snotlout interrupted.
"You want to do this, Snotlout?!" Fishlegs questioned.
"Uh, duh, I would… But I'm just― tck, you know, I don't feel like it right now."
"Continuing on", Fishlegs moved his eyes back to the projection, "This symbol indicates that it can use its tail to wrap around a victim and literally squeeze the life out of them. Unless it's in a hurry; then it just slices you in half."
"Punch me, because I must be dreaming", Tuffnut said, to which Ruffnut obliged.
"Fishlegs, is there anything about this dragon that won't kill us?" Aric prompted.
"How 'bout its eyeballs?" Ruffnut asked.
"Nope, poisonous tears", Fishlegs said.
"Poisonous? I love it!" Tuffnut exclaimed.
"Yeah, poison's fantastic", Hiccup cut in. "Fishlegs, is there anything that might help us locate it?"
"Top speed, mating rituals, oral hygiene, feeding habits―"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, wait", Hiccup stopped him. "Go back to that one?"
"Oral hygiene?"
"No, feeding habits. If we can figure out what this dragon eats, then we may be able to figure out where this dragon eats."
"Mhm…" Fishlegs turned back to the section. "Sea slugs!" he then exclaimed.
"Where?!" Tuffnut screamed.
"It eats sea slugs", Fishlegs elaborated.
"Slugs. I hate those slimy monsters. They're just snails without homes! Giant homeless snails!"
"We've come across a few islands that are just crawling with sea slugs", Hiccup said. "Hopefully, our Razorwhip is feeling hungry. Let's saddle up, gang."
The riders filed out with their dragons, but as Hiccup was doing the same with Toothless, Aric pulled her aside.
"You don't think Dagur could have really trained a Razorwhip, do you?" he asked.
"At this point, I don't really know what Dagur is capable of", Hiccup said honestly. "But, no, I don't. Whoever this rouge rider is, he's definitely skilled, and possibly dangerous."
"I was thinking the same. I'll go tell the others to keep on their toes. We don't know who this rider is or what he's capable of."
Aric went ahead, and Hiccup felt that flutter again, that 'dream' of them from weeks ago skirting across her mind for a moment, only to be forgotten again when Toothless nudged her to get on; they had a mission to get underway.
000
"I have a good feeling about this island", Fishlegs said as they approached yet another island on their list.
"That's what you said about the last five islands!" Snotlout shouted.
"Hey, is it my fault I'm an optimist? I'm a 'yak bladder half full' kind of guy."
"I don't mean to burst your yak bladder, but has anyone considered what we're gonna do if we actually find this Razorwhip?" Astrid asked.
"You can marry it", Tuffnut suggested.
"And what if Dagur's riding it?" she countered.
"Well, then Ruffnut can have him. I admit, it will be complicated, but I will one day learn to love him as my own."
"Um, Tuffnut―"
"Like a little babe. A child that I carry in my arms, but he's too heavy."
Hiccup shrugged, used to this by now, and simply brought up her spyglass to see if she could spot anything. There, in the distance, a cloud of smoke trailed up into the clouded sky.
"Guys, look! Smoke!" she called out.
"A campfire", Aric followed.
"This dragon builds campfires?!" Tuffnut exclaimed.
Aric pushed Shadowstar forward. "Give me the 'Twins serve a purpose' speech again?" he asked Hiccup. "Quickly?"
"Yeah! I've never heard that. I've only heard the 'Twins are mutton-heads' speech. Which is also very good."
Hiccup groaned. "Okay", she merely drawled.
When they landed, no one appeared to be at the campsite, the fire recently put out judging by the smoke still trailing off it.
Astrid and Stormfly approached a pile near a tree of barrels and crates. "Could be the loot from the ship", she said.
"And these gashes look familiar", Hiccup pointed to the marks left on some rocks. "Alright, gang, let's split up and search the island for our rouge rider and his Razorwhip. He can't be far away. Fishlegs, you and Meatlug stay here. Signal if they come back."
"You got it", Fishlegs affirmed, and Toothless took off with the others.
Fishlegs watched with a calm smile, then turned his attention to the stones on the ground. "You know, Meatlug", he began tossing the stones to her, Meatlug catching each one, "Ordinarily I would pretend to be upset at being left behind, but to be honest, this time I just feel a lot safer being here with yOU!" Fishlegs screamed, a sharp tail suddenly wrapped around him, pulling him up into a tree where what could have only been a Razorwhip left him dangling.
As Fishlegs was left there, the twins were only beginning their search in the west.
"Alright, sis, you look left and I'll look right", Tuffnut said, and they began looking, when Ruffnut stalled.
"Wait, my left or your left?" she asked.
"Uh, we have the same left. We're twins."
"Right."
They took their positions again, Ruffnut looking left as Tuffnut looked right, and Barf and Belch kept their eyes in front. After a while, though, Tuffnut was starting to feel like this was pointless.
"Who are we kidding. We're never gonna find this thing", he said.
"Ah, all I see are trees", Ruffnut complained.
"All I see is my dream of spending my golden years with a Razorwhip vanishing right before my very eyes."
It was then they were suddenly hit. The impact came from nowhere. It was just, bam, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut were knocked off their saddles into the trees below. Ruffnut caught on a branch as Tuffnut hit the ground, left looking up at his dangling sister. Or, sisters.
"An eight?" he mumbled. "That is way too many Ruffnu―"
The branch holding Ruffnut collapsed, and things went black for them.
Astrid and Aric continued their search in the east, doing so from the ground so as to hopefully not tip the rider and their dragon off. It was also easier for Stormfly to track from the ground than from the sky. When it came down to it, Stormfly was a really good tracker dragon.
When Stormfly squawked, Astrid went to her, and Aric followed with Shadowstar. There were tracks. Aric bent towards them.
"These tracks look pretty fresh. Stay sharp", he said, when Stormfly suddenly became distracted by something, running off without warning.
"Stormfly?!" Astrid called and raced after.
"Astrid, wait!" Aric followed with Shadowstar roaring beside him, probably for Stormfly.
When they caught up, they found Stormfly in a cave. She appeared to be eating something, and when she turned around Astrid reared back.
"Chicken?" she questioned incredulously, when the sound of slicing suddenly reached their ears and the cave entrance started collapsing. "Oh no!"
Snotlout and Hookfang had the north. They were searching from the sky much like the twins, when Snotlout felt nature calling.
"Take us down, Hookfang! Hurry!"
Hookfang dove to the ground, landed, and Snotlout jumped off. "I knew we should've gone before we left", he said as he booked it for the bushes.
He was in the midst of relieving himself when a slice and a boom sounded.
"Can't a Viking get some privacy?!" Snotlout poked his head out, noticing how the trees on either side of him were noticeably shorter than last he saw them, by which they were sliced down completely.
That was when he noticed the logs rolling towards him, only catching a glimpse of a sliver dragon flying away before he had to run for his life and pull his pants up at the same time.
"Ahh! Hookfang! Oh, god― Oh no! AH!" he suddenly fell off a ledge and into a river. "Hookfang!" he screamed as he was carried away.
Hiccup and Toothless continued to traverse the south, flying over a river through some canyons.
"Wait", Toothless stalled.
"What is it, bud?" Hiccup asked.
"Look, behind that tree", he said, and looking towards where a tree stood on a ledge, she spotted them, the rouge rider and his Razorwhip.
"Nice work, Toothless", Hiccup got a little too excited, and the rider and Razorwhip heard. The Razorwhip roared threateningly at them and then took off, cutting the tree down in her path.
"Let's get him, bud!" Hiccup roared, and the chase was on.
The Razorwhip was fast, but Toothless was faster, and as they were catching up, the Razorwhip sliced two trees clean off their trunks with her tail, the rider and dragon trying to create an obstacle and slow them down. Instead, Hiccup and Toothless swooped up and over the falling, crisscrossing trees, and continued their pursuit.
"Toothless, look out!" Hiccup exclaimed next, an avalanche of rocks coming their way made by the Razorwhip's tail slicing through the canyon walls. Still, Toothless weaved through effortlessly, still hot on the rouge rider and Razorwhip's tail.
Then, suddenly the rouge rider double backed, and for a moment, Hiccup got a glimpse of green eyes beneath a brown hood and mask, before noticing the whole tree literally flying their way.
"Look out!" Hiccup roared, and with a corkscrew, Toothless blast the tree through the middle and they made it out. "They actually ripped out an entire tree", she said astonished, but if they wasted anymore time they'd lose the rider for sure. "Come on, Toothless, give me all you got!" Hiccup encouraged, and they sped through the canyon again, quickly catching up.
As soon as Hiccup caught sight of the two, a clear shot in sight, Hiccup roared. "Now, Toothless!"
Toothless shot, and it hit, the Razorwhip thrown off and the rider thrown off his dragon's back. They fell to the ground, seemingly unharmed as the dragon and rider both got up, and the rider made to climb back onto the Razorwhip. His armor looked to be made from pieces of the dragon's scales and barbs.
Toothless landed, and Hiccup's voice was firm. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"
Toothless readied another plasma blast, and the rider spoke.
"I wouldn't either", they said, and it sounded female.
They turned, took off their hood and mask, and Hiccup's eyes widened with a silent gasp.
"Heather?"
000
"You rolled me into a river!" Snotlout yelled.
"You trapped us in a cave!" Aric yelled next, gesturing between him and Astrid.
"You left me dangling in a tree!" Fishlegs exclaimed.
"And by the way, the chicken move", Astrid started, "that brought back some memories", she smirked.
"Guys, now, I'm sure Heather has a really good reason for doing what she did", Hiccup defended. "Right?" she checked.
"Look, I've been living on my own out here for years, and I've made more than a few enemies. I didn't want you guys to be involved", Heather explained. "I needed to send you back to Berk."
"You couldn't have just, I don't know, said that?!" Snotlout shouted, still clearly angry.
"Would you have listened?"
"She has a point", Aric admitted. "We're a pretty stubborn group."
"I don't listen to anyone."
"Ugh."
"Heather", Hiccup addressed, "Whatever problems you have, whatever enemies you've made, we can help. You don't have to be out here alone."
"Hiccup, please, just let this go", Heather seemed to almost beg, but if anyone was stubborn, it was Hiccup. After all, how could she just leave someone, especially an old friend, out in the cold without at least trying to help?
"W-we have a base not far from here", she insisted. "Why don't you come back with us? Nothing permanent. We'll get you some provisions, catch up, you can see how you like it."
Against a tree beside Heather's Razorwhip, Tuffnut still laid unconscious from Heather's attack on him and Ruffnut. Upon waking up, the first thing he saw was the Razorwhip, though it seemed he was still rather dazed. Either that, or he was just being Tuffnut.
"Whoa, Razorwhip", he awed, the Razorwhip's green eyes staring back at him. "This is the best dream ever. It's like I can reach out and touch it."
He reached out his hand and touched her snout, the Razorwhip's eyes closing. Tuffnut gasped. "I can reach out and touch it."
Tuffnut stood, his hands running down the Razorwhip's head. "Cold, scaly. I, Tuffnut Thorston", he then took off his helmet and got on one knee, "take thee, Razorwhip, whatever your last name is, insert it here, to be my― Oh, hey, Heather", he noticed Heather standing by her dragon now. "What are you doing in my dream? At my wedding. I didn't put you on the list."
"You're not dreaming, Tuff", Heather smirked.
"Oh… Well, in that case, Razorwhip attack! Run!" he panicked and ran.
Heather chuckled. "I see nothing has changed", she said as Hiccup came up beside her.
"Yeah, same story, different year", she laughed along. "Let's head over to Dragons' Edge."
"You're not gonna give up, are you?" Heather said lightheartedly.
"Not likely", Hiccup's ears perked.
"Okay, Dragons' Edge it is."
"You're gonna love it!"
000
"So wait, where did you find her?" Tuffnut asked.
"More importantly, can we ride it?" Ruffnut asked next.
As soon as they'd gotten back to Dragons' Edge, everyone began bombarding Heather with questions in the clubhouse, mostly about her Razorwhip.
"Did you miss me?" Snotlout asked, invading Heather's personal space. "I think you did. That's why you threw that tree at me, isn't it?" Snotlout chuckled. "Playing hard to get. Me likey."
Unamused, Heather simply tipped him back with a finger to his forehead, Astrid's foot right there to trip him up. The two girls shared a fist bump as Snotlout laid defeated on the ground.
"Never mind him", Fishlegs said. "How did you train a Razorwhip? It's incredible."
"Actually, I owe a lot to you guys", Heather said.
"To us?" Astrid asked.
"To me. She meant to me", Snotlout boasted. "I mean, how much more obvious can she be?" He sighed. "Women. I totally understand them."
A Razorwhip tail came and knocked him down again.
"Ooh", Astrid sounded, clearly not sorry.
"When I found Windshear", Heather tried again, only to be interrupted again.
"Awesome name!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "I bet you ride like the wind, shearing through it. Get it? I used both of the words in his name to explain why he's called that!"
"Oh gods", Hiccup groaned as Aric shook his head at him, Heather looking less than amused too.
"Anyway", Heather continued, "When I found her she'd been hurt in a fight with a Typhoomerang. Windshear held her own, didn't you, girl. But, she needed to be nursed back to health. And when she was better, I used the training you guys taught me back on Berk. We've become the perfect team. We're unstoppable! I mean, look at her! No one can take us down. And if they try, they'll be sorry for it", Heather's tone turned dark, and Hiccup and Aric glanced at each other, what Hiccup could only sense a shared concern between them.
"Ha! I guess she's pretty cool", Snotlout cut in again. "But, not as cool as this. Hookfang, flame up!"
Leaping up into the air, Hookfang lit on fire.
"That's cute", Heather cooed rather condescendingly. "Windshear, tail slice!"
"Oh, gah!" Snotlout freaked when Windshear's tail came at him from above, before stabbing the floor around him in a circle. "Huh? I mean, ha! What's so great about― Wah!"
The floor collapsed in that exact circle, Snotlout falling through with it. He was luckily able to catch himself on a beam.
"Okay, we'll call it a draw", he yielded.
Fishlegs awed. "What else can she do?"
"Windshear's breath can burn the flesh off a human from a hundred feet away", Heather said.
"You gonna get me outta here?" Snotlout called.
"One single blade of her tail is as deadly as the sharpest battle-ax." As Snotlout attempted to climb out himself, Windshear's tail unfurled its spikes in his face, causing Snotlout to scream in surprised fright.
"Great having Heather back, huh?" Astrid came up beside where Hiccup and Aric stood. "She's so… I don't know, intense, hardcore, I love it!"
"Yeah, yeah, it's great", Hiccup said. "She's uh…definitely grown up since the last time we saw her." She wasn't exactly sure how she was feeling about Heather right now. At first, she was happy. Of course she was. They hadn't seen Heather in years. But, at the same time… she was so different.
"Hiccup, it's been three years. We were just kids. We've all grown up", Astrid pointed out.
"Yeah, but she was so sweet, and now she's so… I don't know", Hiccup ears pinned down in thought.
"Edgy? What's wrong with that? I like it", Astrid said.
"Alright, now Astrid", Aric decided to cut in, "There's edgy and then there's destroying ships. Don't forget about that."
"Which, I've still got to ask her about", Hiccup added. That was still a problem.
"Well, do me a favor, and wait until after I ask her about her battle-ax? I want her to show me how to make one for myself."
Turning back towards Heather, the twins were brandishing swords while Heather took out a double-sided ax, definitely custom made.
"Let's do this!" Tuffnut exclaimed, and the two charged, Heather meeting every blow with her ax.
"Come on, is that all you got?!" Heather taunted, then kicked Ruffnut down, and knocked Tuffnut's sword from his hands, a triumphant smirk on her face.
"See? Hardcore", Astrid's eyes were simply alight, before bringing out her own sword and rushing at Heather with a battle cry, the two soon locked in a mock battle of their own.
As Hiccup and Aric watched, a short silence stood between them.
"...Alright, you have to admit, it is pretty cool", Aric said, and Hiccup responded with a mock glare, arms crossed.
000
Up in the stables, Hiccup was finally able to catch Heather alone, and confront her about her being the rouge rider and all. It just didn't make sense. Out of anyone Hiccup could think of, Heather being the rouge rider was fantastic, but it was also concerning. She needed to know why.
As Heather was feeding Windshear, Hiccup came up behind her.
"Eat up girl", Heather spoke softly to her dragon. "You're gonna need all your strength for what we've got coming."
"Um, Heather", Hiccup announced her presence. "We should probably talk."
"Sure, about what?" Heather asked casually.
"About the ship? The one that you and Windshear destroyed?"
"Oh…" Heather's tone depleted, became almost sad. "That ship." She kept her back to her, hands still to Windshear.
"Heather, what are you doing out there?" Hiccup finally asked.
"I'm just taking care of business, Hiccup. It's nothing you need to worry about."
"Yeah, but I do worry about it, Heather. If dragons are attacking ships, I worry."
Heather turned towards her, but still refused to really look at her, arms crossed, closed off.
"Look, Hiccup, a lot has happened in the last few years. We're not kids anymore", she said, repeating what Astrid had said. "Everything's changed."
"But, this isn't you. It can't be."
"It is now. The last time you saw me, I―" Heather stopped and shook her head. "Never mind. I-If you want me to leave―"
"I didn't say that."
Hiccup came up beside her and placed a hand to her shoulder. "Heather, whatever it is you're going through, we can help. All of us. There's always another way", she insisted.
All this time, hadn't Heather known she could call on them? She had a dragon; she could have come to Berk at any time, and yet, for whatever reason, she'd chosen not to. Heather had chosen to bear this weight all on her own, but now she had to know she didn't have to anymore. She and the other riders, they would be there for her. They always would have.
Heather turned and hugged her. "Thank you, Hiccup. You've always been a great friend to me", she said, and Hiccup sighed. She knew that tone.
That night, Hiccup and Toothless camped out in the stables up in the rafters, and once the moon had risen high in the night sky, Heather arrived. She could tell by the sound of the hurried but quiet footsteps, even though she couldn't see, hidden behind her and Toothless' wings. She heard the click of the locks, Heather likely locking all the dragons in their pens.
"Sorry, guys. Nothing personal", Heather whispered, and then there was the flap of wings.
After a moment, Toothless and Hiccup opened up their wings, Toothless hanging like a bat with Hiccup held between his arms. They dropped down, Hiccup landing in the saddle.
"Okay, bud, let's get some answers", she said, and they took off behind her, careful not to let either Heather or Windshear know they were being followed.
When they came upon a ship, Hiccup directed Toothless behind a sea stack, and Toothless perched himself there, the two able to watch without being seen.
Heather and Windshear landed on the stern, Windshear perched there, and Hiccup took out her spyglass to get a better look. There was a man on the boat with her, the two talking, but the man's back was turned. She couldn't make out who it was.
"Ah, come on, come on, just turn around. Let me see your face", Hiccup rumbled.
Pulling out some kind of parchment―a map?―the man turned around, and it was Johann.
"Okay…" Hiccup lowered her spyglass. "This is getting strange."
Soon enough, Heather and Windshear were taking off, heading straight for them.
"Toothless", Hiccup whispered, and they hid behind the sea stack, pressed up against it. As the two passed, it didn't look as if they saw them. Now, it was time to see what she and Toothless could get out of Johann. Pushing off the sea stack, Hiccup and Toothless flew over to the ship below.
When they landed, Johann greeted them the same as always, until Hiccup asked about Heather. Sitting him down at a table, it felt more like an interrogation than anything else.
"I-I'm sorry, Miss Hiccup, but I've been sworn to secrecy. The Chief of the headhunting Asmat tribe of Papua New Guinea couldn't part these lips", he said.
"Really?" Hiccup lunged at Johann, hands slamming against the table in threat. "How about Stoick the Vast of the Hooligan tribe from Berk? Do you know what trade sanctions are, Johann?"
"Two words that should never be used in the same sentence?" Johann said warily.
Toothless growled sharply.
"Right! Where shall I begin?" Johann offered readily.
Hiccup sat across from him, not letting up on her threatening facade. She didn't want Johann to think she was playing any games, or that he could simply lie to her. If watching her father taught her anything, it was how to get people to tell you what you wanted. It also didn't hurt to have a fearsome Night Fury to back you up.
"Let's start with why Heather is out attacking ships all by herself", Hiccup said sternly.
"I suppose it would have something to do with her entire village, including her own family, being decimated by a rather nasty group of undesirables", Johann answered, keeping a wary eye on Toothless as he continued to threaten with wordless growls. "She's made it her personal mission to avenge her island and her family."
"By sinking and looting ships?" Hiccup questioned.
Toothless advanced with another growl, and Johann reared back in fear.
"She's not looting", Johann quickly answered, and Toothless let up and moved back beside Hiccup. "She's redistributing back to the victims of those horrible crimes. Every thieving ship that Heather attacks means they will get back some of what they've lost. Of course, lost loved ones can never be replaced."
"But why?" Hiccup stood. "Why now? Why her?"
"Many 'whys', Miss Hiccup. None of which I can address at this very moment."
"Johann", Hiccup bent and laid her forehead against the table, "why do we do this?"
"Sorry?"
"You know you're gonna tell me", she raised her head again. "I know you're gonna tell me. So, why not save us both the trouble and just…"
"Tell her", Toothless advanced again.
"I suppose you do have a point", Johann eyed Toothless again. "Picture, if you will, a brilliant sunny day on the Emerald Isle of Karantha, when I received a mysterious correspondence from a little boy. Yet again―"
"Johann!" Hiccup's fist slammed the table, pupils slit, Johann jolting with the outburst. "Where. Is Heather. Going."
"Now!" Toothless unsheathed his teeth.
After a moment, Johann answered. "It's not merely where she is going, Miss Hiccup", he said. "It's who she's going after."
000
Below the clouds, Heather's target was in sight, a ship with a Skrill painted on the sail. That crest would forever be etched into her mind.
"Remember, girl", Heather pat Windshear, "We're doing this for my mom and dad. For our whole village." She removed her hood and mask. "I want my face to be the last thing Dagur ever sees."
Just as she was about to signal Windshear to attack, though, more ships came into view.
"What in the name of Thor?" Dagur was supposed to be alone. Johann never mentioned a fleet. But, she couldn't just retreat, could she? Not now when she was so close!
000
"Sir, that dragon's been circling up there for a while", Savage pointed up at a silver dragon circling around in the sky.
"Hmm, I've never seen one of those before", Dagur commented. "Well, you know what I always say. When in doubt, take it out."
"Fire!" Savage commanded, and his Berserkers fired their arrows, the dragon dodging and weaving passed them, but also foolishly being led into range. Dagur shielded his eyes from the sun, keeping a close eye.
"Wait for it, wait for it… Now!"
Chains were shot from new winches on the ship. What a more perfect opportunity to really test them out. The chain wrapped around the dragon's tail, followed by another ship shooting and wrapping another one around its front leg.
The dragon attempted to flee, but it couldn't break free, nor could it drag the weight of two ships, despite it tipping them backwards.
"Reel in that spiny menace!" Dagur ordered, Berserkers grabbing onto the chains to hold it back.
That was when he noticed the rider perched up on the silver dragon. "Well, hello, Heather", he said, before shouting back at his men. "Pull harder! She can be useful to us! Very useful", he said more to himself, chuckling. Oh, how life made its twists and turns. There was something almost poetic about it.
More ships from his new fleet came, and more chains came the dragon's way, going for its neck.
000
"Windshear!"
A chain wrapped around Windshear's neck, more and more coming at them, trying to drag them down. They were surrounded. Still, Heather tried to pull the chain off. When another came flying, Heather reared back from it, another flying passed behind her. For a moment she smiled, the two chains missing her, until gravity pulled them down and she was trapped against Windshear by the two chains, one pressing against her neck, the other her stomach.
Heather struggled against them, as did Windshear, but it was no use. They were surrounded on all sides, and almost everything but Windshear's wings were trapped in chains bent on pulling them down. Even from the air, even through her own shouts and Windshear's roars, the chain around her neck threatening to choke her, Heather could hear Dagur's sadistic laughter.
000
When Hiccup and Toothless arrived to the scene, they arrived too late. Already Heather and Windshear were nearly trapped in Dagur's clutches.
"Come on, Windshear, get us out of here!" she could hear Heather screaming.
"Awe, Heather, don't fight it!" Dagur responded with that irritating taunting voice of his.
"Toothless, we have to save her", Hiccup roared, and they dove in.
"Well, look who the dragon flew in!" Dagur noticed. "Glad you could join us, sister! It wouldn't feel like a family reunion without you! Now, TAKE OUT THAT NIGHT FURY!"
And there was the order. Toothless weaved through bolas and arrows thrown their way up to Heather and Windshear, needing to make this quick.
"Blast the chains, Toothless, now!" Hiccup roared, and Toothless shot, but even as the blast made a direct hit to one of the chains, it only absorbed it. "Dragon-proof chains?"
Needing to keep moving, they circled back around.
"Ha ha!" Dagur taunted up at her. "Nice try, Hiccup! You didn't think I'd make it that easy for you, did you?!"
As Hiccup thought what to do, another bola came at them, nearly taking Hiccup's head. "Whoa! Okay, that was too close. Come on, bud."
Diving and weaving passed ships and bolas, Toothless gave Hiccup enough time to think of a plan. Looking at the chains pulling Heather and Windshear down, she began to think of something. She signaled Toothless up to a stop.
"If we can't blast the chains", she looked to the ships below and at the winches holding and reeling in the chains, "then blast the winches!"
They rounded back to Dagur's ship first, and lined the shot.
"Fire!" Hiccup shouted for Dagur to hear, and Toothless shot the winch on Dagur's flag ship, followed by all the others in quick succession, Heather and Windshear slowly but surely getting free.
"Nice shooting, bud", Hiccup pat the top of Toothless' head.
Reconvening with Heather, Hiccup tried to talk her out of this. "Heather, you can't take on Dagur and his fleet all by yourself!" She'd nearly been captured.
"I'm not by myself! I have Windshear!" Heather argued back. She sounded so angry, so fueled by hurt, rage, and grief.
A bola flew between them, and they had to move.
"I'm too close!" they circled above the fleet. "I might not get this shot again!"
"But this is suicide!"
"I'm willing to do whatever it takes!"
"But are you willing to sacrifice Windshear too?!"
That made Heather pause, becoming quiet as her eyes cast down. She was closing back in on herself.
Hiccup signaled for Toothless to get closer. "Heather, there will be another time. I promise you."
Shutting her eyes tight, Heather made an angry human growl, and shot off with Windshear.
000
For a long time, neither one of them spoke. Heather and Windshear flew lower than her and Toothless, Heather closed off again inside her head. Hiccup knew that look because she'd had it herself a few times, that far away look that just said you were somewhere else, thinking something you weren't ready to talk about or share.
Finally, though, Heather did speak.
"Blasting the winches", she smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Pretty smart."
"Yeah, and a little luck never hurts either", Hiccup smiled too, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't last, though. "I talked to Johann", she decided. "He told me Dagur wiped out your village…and your family. I'm sorry." Somehow, a part of Hiccup felt it was her fault Heather's village was gone, even though she knew it wasn't. She wasn't in charge of what evil acts Dagur did; that was all him.
"Then you know why he has to pay", Heather said.
"I do", Hiccup said, "But you don't have to do this alone."
"I don't know", Heather shook her head. "It seems like I'm destined to be alone. First, when I was a little girl, I get separated from my birth family."
"Your birth family?" The parents they'd saved from Alvin, they were her adoptive family?
"Yes, but I don't remember much. 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", Heather laughed. "I don't think I was supposed to play with it, but he let me anyway. And this", she pulled out the horn she'd carried on her hip from the first moment they'd met her. "He gave me this horn. I don't know if it's supposed to mean something, but whenever I look at it, I think of him. I just…wish I knew who he was."
Hiccup couldn't help the sadness she felt at Heather's tale. To remember having a birth father, but not know who he was, well that seemed so much worse than not having any memory of your mother, at least having stories to tell you who she was. And now, thanks to Dagur, Heather didn't even have her adoptive parents. It was no wonder she was so angry, and sad.
000
When the four got back, the dragons all bombarded Windshear outside the clubhouse.
"Thanks for letting your rider lock us in", Hookfang growled.
"Where did you guys go exactly?" Shadowstar asked.
"I'm smelling chains", Barf said, the two headed dragon coming up behind the overwhelmed dragon.
"Dagur chains", Belch followed.
"Dagur? Are you okay?" Meatlug barked worriedly.
"She looks okay to me", Stormfly tilted her head.
"Hey, back off!" Toothless came in and roared, and the dragons immediately did so, having been crowding the poor Razorwhip. "Give her some space", Toothless walked through to Windshear, before giving her a reassuring nuzzle.
"Thanks", Windshear trilled.
Meanwhile, inside the clubhouse, things were a different kind of tense. The riders stood in a semi-circle around Heather once again, the girl having a lot of explaining to do once more.
"Look, I'm sorry I locked up your dragons. I just didn't trust that you guys would let me go after Dagur", she said.
"Trust does need to be earned, with people and dragons", Fishlegs said.
"Thanks for understanding, Fishlegs", Heather smiled.
"I don't really trust these guys either, Heather", Snotlout said next, still clearly trying to win her over.
"You know we can hear you", Astrid sassed.
"Jealousy is an ugly quality, Astrid. But, clearly, I understand where it comes from."
Astrid rolled her eyes. "Ugh", she then gagged.
"The point is", Hiccup said, "we have your back, Heather", she placed a hand to her shoulder. "You're one of us."
"Yeah", Aric backed her up. "For example, I just stocked Windshear's stable with buckets of sea slugs for her."
Snotlout growled under his breath for a moment. "And, I made room for you in my hut", he then said.
"And I've made it clear to Snotlout that you're not staying in his hut", Hiccup countered, to which Snotlout crossed his arms in a huff.
"Even though you were the rouge dragon rider", Tuffnut then began, "and you sabotaged our dragons, and you snuck away in the dark of the night! Wait a minute. Why do we like you again?"
"I'm truly sorry, Tuffnut", Heather apologized and the pure sincerity of it almost broke him.
"Whoa!" he reared back. "That was…sincere? I mean, what am I supposed to do with that?"
Tuff began hyperventilating. "I-I'm feeling a little bit flushed, and overwhelmed. Little help here? People!"
"Ugh. Help yourself", Ruffnut groaned.
"And if you need any help with Windshear―" Fishlegs started, to which Snotlout interrupted again.
"Eh, why don't I show you around the Edge? I'm basically chief", he boasted.
Hiccup shook her head.
"Uh, thanks guys, really", Heather backed, starting to become overwhelmed and crowded as much as Windshear had been amongst the other dragons, especially once she was practically cornered at a wall by Fishlegs and Snotlout. "I-I―"
"Hey, glad your back", Ruffnut then truly cornered her, practically blocking an escape route as she came at her from the side and leaned against the wall. "Your dragon rocks", she whispered.
She was only saved when Astrid pulled her out. "Let's go have some girl time", she offered, and Heather couldn't have been more relieved.
"Good idea."
They promptly left the clubhouse together, and Heather followed Astrid into the forest where targets were set up.
"This is Aric's private training grounds, but I don't think he'll mind if we borrow it for a little while", she said as their dragons landed and they dismounted. "You up for some knife throwing practice?" she brought out two daggers and twirled them in her hands.
"I'm more partial to axes myself", Heather took out and slung her custom made ax over her shoulder.
"You have got to show me how to make that. It's like a double-ended spear but with ax heads instead."
Astrid threw her daggers and they hit one of the targets' bullseyes two fold. "Hmph", she smiled smugly, to which Heather smirked.
With a flick of her wrist, her ax unfolded, and after doing a bunch of fancy twirls and spins with it, threw it towards the target Astrid had hit, not only slicing passed her daggers, but hitting the second target next to it instead.
"Show off", Astrid smirked.
"Yeah", Heather shrugged, "but I prefer close combat to throwing." She took up one of Aric's single headed axes, then slammed it into a tree. "So I can stare my enemy in the eye."
"Mm, not a bad tactic. But don't discount…" suddenly Astrid took out and thrust a knife right passed Heather's head and into a tree behind her.
"The element of surprise. I like that", Heather said.
"It's one of Hiccup's favorite tactics. Aric's a bit more upfront. I guess that's why they work so well together."
"Speaking of which, those two are a thing, right?" Heather grunted as she pulled the ax she'd left out of the tree.
Astrid snorted. "Ha! I wish! But those two are more stuck than Meatlug in a tree. Don't ask." She threw another knife into the target, a little off the center.
"You're kidding", Heather exclaimed. "The way those two are around each other I could have sworn they were at least dating."
"You would think so, yeah, but Aric's a hopeless dolt when it comes to romance and Hiccup's well, I'm not too sure. It's easier to annoy your brother about his annoying love life than it is your best friend, you know?"
"I see", Heather hummed. "Well, what about you then? Any guys in your life?" Heather threw the ax, landing it on the second white circle from the center of her target.
"Nope", Astrid threw two more to the target, one landing a bullseye. "Never have, probably never will."
"Do you want to?" Heather looked over curiously as she walked over and took the ax out.
"I mean, maybe", Astrid said, "but I've never even had a crush. I'm not even sure what my 'type' might be", Astrid shrugged as Heather stepped into place again.
"Huh", Heather voiced, before throwing the ax again, this time landing it dead center. "Bullseye", she smirked.
"Now, you and Snotlout", Astrid began to tease, "that's a match made in Valhalla", she laughed, followed by Heather. "I don't know whether to thank you, or feel sorry for you", she placed a hand to her shoulder.
"I can handle Snotlout. And besides, I'm not into the macho Viking type", Heather said as she stepped to pick up her custom ax. "I like a little smarts. Like, Fishlegs", she shrugged after pulling it out.
"Fishlegs?" Astrid questioned. "Seriously? You mean, the guy with the Gronckle, right?"
"Calm down, it was just an example. I like brain over brawn, but Fishlegs isn't exactly my type either."
"Just what is your type then?" Astrid's hands went to her hips.
"Okay", Heather laughed. "Alright, enough boy talk. What else do you do for fun around here?"
000
Astrid laughed as she passed Heather, the two racing towards the edge of a cliff. "Keep up!" Astrid yelled over her shoulder.
"Yeeeaaah!" she screamed when they jumped, their dragons hovering below waiting. Cliff diving was one of Astrid's favorite things to do; it was so exhilarating. She caught on Stormfly's tail, and Heather was fast behind towards Windshear.
"Whoo-hoo!" she screamed, but then missed Windshear's tail, tumbling towards the rocky sea below, until Windshear caught her with her claws. Heather stopped screaming in terror, instead breathing a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Windshear."
"Want to go two out of three?" Astrid offered atop Stormfly as Heather climbed up on Windshear.
"No", Heather chuckled. "I want to show you something", she offered instead, then Windshear took off. "If you can keep up!"
"Hey! Get 'em, Stormfly!"
000
Back in the clubhouse, Hiccup sat before a map with Aric, trying to figure out their next move with Dagur. Slowly but surely he was amassing a fleet, and they worried soon enough it may become an armada. Where he'd gotten those dragon-proof chains, though, had Hiccup especially stumped. It wouldn't leave her head.
For the moment, it was a comfortable silence between them as they thought, until Hiccup noticed Toothless rummaging through Heather's bag again.
"Come on, would you knock it off, bud?" Toothless' snout was currently stuck in Heather's bag, Shadowstar laughing at him from where she sat. "Okay?" Hiccup continued as she walked up to him. "Snooping will not gain her trust."
"It's not my fault. The bag's the one with the interesting smells", Toothless rumbled, and Hiccup pulled the satchel off. When she did, Heather's horn fell out.
"Huh", she voiced. Normally Heather wore it on her hip, but she must have put it in her bag after showing it to her on their flight. As Hiccup picked it up, though, she noticed something odd.
"Wait a minute", she muttered.
"What's wrong?" Aric perked up, before coming over to look at what she was.
"That's… That's my dad's Chief Seal."
"So…?" Aric trailed.
"So, Heather told me her dad gave her this. Why would it have my dad's seal on it?"
"You don't think…" Aric said skeptically.
"I don't know. But I know who might."
000
Following Heather, they arrived at the island they'd first found her, and as they landed, Astrid was confused.
"What are we doing back at your campsite? You forget something?" she asked.
"Nope", Heather walked ahead with purpose. Whatever they were here for, Heather was on a mission.
Astrid dismounted to follow. "Stay put, Stormfly", she told her. "Keep your ears up."
Heather stopped at a cliff. "Ugh, it must be here", she said with frustration.
"Are you gonna clue me in on what we're doing here?" Astrid questioned, but Heather just continued to search around on the cliff, looking to the ground. "Hello?"
"I-I'm looking for something."
Beside Astrid, she heard rustling, and Astrid subtly eyed it. "Looking for something like…" She swung her arms into the bush, grabbed the startled person, and swung them over her shoulder and to the ground where she held them down by her foot and quickly unsheathed and pointed her sword at them. It was then she noticed who it was.
"Trader Johann?"
"Miss Astrid! So nice to see you again", he cowered under her sword. "Would you mind, please, lowering your sword, so my frightened soul might be granted safe passage back into my body?"
Astrid sheathed her sword and stepped off him, letting the man up.
"Johann!" Heather exclaimed, somehow only now noticing he was there. "Thank Thor", she helped him up.
"Ooh, Miss Heather! I'm overjoyed you're not dead!" he suddenly hugged her. "When the Terrible Terror returned with the message I sent you, I was sick with worry", he pulled back. "Then, when I arrived here and saw your campsite had been abandoned, I feared the worst."
"Alright, someone needs to tell me what's going on", Astrid cut in, and Heather and Johann turned back to her.
"You see, Miss Astrid, 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 pulled out a map.
"And if you need a warrior to take care of that dastardly Berserker…" Heather began her show-off moves again. "I'm your girl."
"So, he's got the info and you've got the ax. Now what?" Astrid 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 out-fitted with powerful anti-dragon winches and catapults! After the deal is done, I won't be able to find him again. Dagur will be back in the wind, adrift, like a leaf in a stream."
"Oh, brother", Astrid rolled her eyes at the dramatics.
"And I've used my last grapevine, so I won't be able to offer my invaluable, yet at times, expensive information."
"Got it", Heather said. "Thanks, Johann. Come on, Astrid."
As Heather began to set off back to the dragons, Astrid turned back to Johann.
"You're not coming?" she asked.
"What part of this", he gestured to himself, "implies rushing into battle on a flying lizard?"
Astrid shrugged, then ran to catch up with Heather.
000
Arriving to Berk, as Hiccup and Aric began landing Toothless and Shadowstar, Gobber hailed them over.
"Hiccup! From my lips to Odin's ears", he said. "I was just saying I could use you and Toothless' help with a pesky flock of wild Nadders that have been driving me batty!"
" "Hey!" " the Nadders screeched.
"Yeah! You heard me, you lousy…"
"No time, Gobber", Hiccup said quickly, still holding Heather's horn in her hand. "We need to see my dad. It's urgent."
"Well, I wouldn't really say urgent, but important", Aric more accurately amended.
"Oh. In that case, he's in the Great Hall", Gobber gestured. "But, it's Berk's Gripe Day, so there might be a bit of a wait!" he said next as they set on their way, but that didn't stop Hiccup, not even when she saw the line the length of a Screaming Death. There was a little privilege in being the Chief's daughter after all.
000
Stoick rubbed his temples and sighed. Oh, how he hated Gripe Day. It was hours on end of just listening to people's complaints, most of which just needed a shred of common sense.
"Stoick!" Not-Silent-Sven entered the hall, his turn apparently. "Them wee 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."
Stoick let out a deep, frustrated sigh. "That's because they're sheep, Sven! And they should be kept outside!"
"Aw, but they do get so lonely."
"Dad!" his daughter and Aric suddenly ran through the doors.
"Hiccup!" Stoick perked up.
"We really need to talk", she held up a horn, and Stoick recognized it. What this could be about, though, he had no clue.
000
"We gotta go now. Dagur won't be out in the open for long", Heather insisted, even though Hiccup and Aric weren't there. Apparently they'd left for Berk in a hurry for some reason. Astrid stood beside her before the others, and she wasn't exactly liking Heather's plan at the moment.
"Wait a minute, you want us to go into battle with Dagur and the Berserkers without Hiccup and Toothless or Aric and Shadowstar?" Fishlegs said, basically stating her exact worry.
"Guys, I wish Hiccup and Aric were here, trust me, but they're not. And we can't wait. Dagur's ships have 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."
"Uh... I have to say, any aerial assault of this magnitude would be foolish without Toothless", Fishlegs said. "He's the most powerful dragon in our arsenal, Shadowstar only second to him due to her Night-Fury-like accuracy and firepower. At least with her, we might stand a chance, but without…" Fishlegs trailed, implying their doom, until Meatlug began to whine beside him.
"Oh, but you're still my favorite, girl", he hugged and reassured her.
Fishlegs was right, though. At least with Aric and Shadowstar here, Heather's plan might work. After all, she had the accuracy of a Night Fury and the plasma blasts of one too, along with Nadder spines. Next to Toothless, only rivaled by his speed, Shadowstar was their best dragon, and not even she was there.
"Well it's not like we need Hiccup or Aric", Snotlout started, but Astrid put a stop to it with a steaming glare. As much as she loved Stormfly, she knew her limitations, and Snotlout was not about to brag about his dragon's false 'superiority' at this dire moment. "But", he quickly amended, "it's nice to know that we have a Night Fury when things get hairy."
"You heard Johann, Astrid", Heather turned to her. "This is our last chance. Tell them", she told her, but Astrid couldn't.
"...Look, Heather―"
"You too?" Heather said with what sounded like betrayal. "Just forget it. All that stuff about trust and having my back, I guess that was just talk."
Heather stormed off, and Astrid felt awful, hurt even. She felt like she'd just betrayed her best friend, one closer than Hiccup; how else was she supposed to feel? It wasn't helped by the others behind her either.
"Oh man!" Snotlout exclaimed, before chiming, "Awkward." Fishlegs just whistled awkwardly.
Astrid did her best to ignore it.
000
"Where did you get this?" her father asked as he held the horn, his back turned towards her.
"It's Heather's", Hiccup answered, leaning against one of the posts in the Great Hall, tail wrapped around her right leg. Her father hummed, and for the moment, Aric watched them both from the sidelines. "She's the girl that stole Stormfly a few years back?"
"Yes, Heather", her father seemed to remember.
"Chief, that horn has your Chief Seal carved into it", Aric spoke up.
"It does", her father nodded, still staring at the horn.
"Is there something you need to tell us? Tell Hiccup?"
Hiccup's eyes cast down, her arms holding her forearms. Aric had said it for her, because he had seen that she couldn't. The thought that not only did she have a mother she only knew from a few scattered stories, one lullaby, and a stuffed toy, but also a lost sister her father had never told her about, was too much to bear. She didn't really know how old Heather was, didn't know how possible it could be. She only prayed it wasn't true.
Her father sighed, and turned towards her, Hiccup's eyes only glancing up at him. "When a Chief has a child, Hiccup, that child receives many gifts from all over. Why, when you were born, I asked Gobber to make the smallest ax he'd ever imagined, with a handle tiny enough for a baby to grasp", he said, and Hiccup began to smile with the story, tail uncurling. She'd never heard it before, but she could imagine her father doing exactly that.
"I wanted you to start training the moment you opened your eyes", he laughed. "Thought your mother was going to feed me to the boars, haha!"
"I remember that ax", she remembered fondly, almost laughing at the idea of her mother wanting to kill her father for trying to give her an ax so young.
"Yeah", his tone turned sour. "You used it as a paper weight."
Hiccup's smile turned awkward. "O-oh-wel-ah… Look, a-about the horn."
Hiccup took a deep breath.
"Dad, Heather told me her father gave it to her. But, it has your seal on it. Dad… Is Heather my sister?"
Her father sighed mournfully, and Hiccup looked to Aric, fearing the worst.
000
On the landing platform outside the stables, Heather was almost ready to take off on Windshear. The sun shone brightly overhead, but as usual, Heather only felt clouds. She understood everyone's concerns, but she had to do this. Why couldn't they understand that?
"Looks like it's just you and me, Windshear… As usual."
Heather had never asked to be alone, but life just seemed to push her in that direction time and time again, and just when things started looking up, just when she felt loved or supported, it was ripped away from her.
The only one who'd ever seemed to stay was Windshear, but she'd thought that of her parents and village too. How long before Windshear was taken? Would it be on this mission? Was she making a mistake?
One part of her said yes, but another didn't care. Dagur needed to pay at her hand and this might just be her last chance to do it. She couldn't pass it up, no matter the risk.
"Hey", she suddenly heard Astrid's voice, and feeling a spark of hope returning, Heather turned around to find everyone there, spare Hiccup and Aric of course. "If we're gonna do this, it has to be a capture mission, not a kill mission. Agreed?"
"Agreed", Heather relented, and smiled. "We'll sink Dagur's armada and drag him back to Outcast Island. Let him rot there."
000
Astrid smiled with Heather's response. "Okay. Then, we're with you", she said.
"You can thank me!" Snotlout said. "I was the one who rallied these guys."
"Well, that's not really my recollection", Fishlegs smirked.
"Quiet, Fishlegs."
"As soon as she left, your lips started to do that cute little quiver thing", Fishlegs mocked.
"You quiet! That's a tic! It's a tic when I'm…a-about to fight!"
"So, what changed your mind?" Heather walked up towards Astrid.
"We're friends", Astrid answered. "I couldn't let you go out there alone, no matter the risks. And besides, Hiccup would kill me if I let you face Dagur by yourself, so…"
Seeming to understand, Heather smiled. "Well, I know right where Dagur is", she took out a map.
"Good. Then, you won't need this", Astrid promptly snatched it from Heather's hand, then pinned it to the stables door with a dagger. "Now, Hiccup and Aric will be able to find us. So, what's your plan?"
Heather mounted on Windshear, and looked back with an expression full of confidence. "Hit him when he least expects it."
000
Dagur sighed. "It's a good day to strengthen my armada", he said as they anchored. Soon, the new ships would arrive, and Dagur would be one step closer to taking Hiccup and her little friends down.
"Then again", he continued, "It's always a good day to strengthen my armada. Heh-heh. Haha! Hahahahahahaha― What are you laughing at?!" he turned on Savage laughing too, the man immediately stopping. So annoying.
Savage cleared his throat. "Eh, the gold is ready for the exchange, sir. Should we move it to the deck?"
"No. Leave it down below."
"But, sir, when they arrive with the ships, they'll be expecting our gold."
"Yes!" Dagur screamed, before calming himself down a moment, recollecting, and then a malicious smile spread across his face. "And instead of our gold, we'll give them our steel", he raised his ax, and Savage grew the same smile.
000
When Hiccup and Aric got back to the Edge, it was far too quiet for Hiccup's liking. Where was everyone? They landed at the stables and dismounted.
"Heather?" Hiccup called, but there was no answer. "Guys?! Where did everyone go?"
"Uh, Hiccup", Aric then called her attention, standing before something on the door to the stables. "I think I know where they went."
"Huh?" Hiccup walked up to where he stood. There was what appeared to be a map pinned to the door by a dagger, one of Astrid's daggers. Hiccup's eyes widened with realization. "Oh no."
000
"There he is", Heather said, the riders hovering within the cloud cover with at least four ships in view.
"Alright, let me guess, you want to attack like the rouge dragon rider you are. A full frontal assault!" Tuffnut exclaimed.
"No", Heather said, then looked to Astrid. "Element of surprise?"
The plan was relatively simple. Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins would distract Dagur and his Berserkers, while Heather and Astrid snuck on Dagur's ship from behind. As the others flew just out of range of Dagur's weapons, the Berserkers focused on them, Heather, Windshear, Astrid, and Stormfly, climbed over the hull of the ship and snuck aboard.
"What are they doing up there?" Dagur questioned as the others flew high and scattered their attacks. Dagur was crazy, but he wasn't dumb; they needed to make this quick, before he realized it was all a distraction.
Astrid jumped in front of one Berserker at the back, the man jumping in surprise.
"Nice surprise face", she commented, before Heather came up from behind and hit him in the back of the head, knocking him out.
"Yes", Heather cheered silently, the two crossing arms in an 'x', their bracers touching.
They snuck behind another one, this Berserker manning the winch. Astrid held a basket in her hands. Then, in three swift moves, Astrid put the basket over the Berserker's head, Heather grabbed the Berserker's feet, and the two threw him overboard.
As Dagur turned from the noise of the splash, the girls hid behind the crates. With a frustrated growl, Dagur turned back around and stormed back to the front of the ship. That was when another Berserker, this one carrying bolas, spotted them. He stopped for a moment, confused, then moved to advance, dropping the bolas to the ground. Windshear came to their rescue by suddenly wrapping her tail around him and tossing him around like a rag doll.
The noise caused Dagur to turn again, and the girls hid with the body once more behind the crates, Windshear and Stormfly out of view as they hung off the side of the ship.
Dagur huffed and picked up the chain left on deck by the Berserkers they'd taken out. "What is going on?!" he exclaimed. It seemed as if he was about to figure out something was wrong, until Meatlug shot another lava blast. "Oh, come on, already!"
He threw the chain up in the air, aiming to shoot it at Meatlug, but as it was thrown back, winding up the shot, Heather caught the end of it with her ax.
"Oh no", Dagur seemed to realize, but by then it was too late. Dagur was thrown back by Heather, and while he was down, stunned for a second, Astrid went and tied his hands behind his back.
"What are you doing?" Dagur asked, maybe not realizing what was happening quite yet, until he turned around on his back and looked up at the two girls before him, one pointing her ax, and the other her sword, each with triumphant smiles.
"You two?" he said, sounding more annoyed than anything else.
"Surprise, Dagur", Heather taunted.
"Two Vikings are better than one", Astrid followed.
"And twelve ships trumps two Vikings", Dagur said, until Windshear and Stormfly came on board. "I should've seen that coming", he deadpanned.
"Windshear, finish it!" Heather then exclaimed, and Astrid reared back. Windshear raised her tail, spikes out.
"No, Heather! Don't!" Astrid exclaimed. "You promised us a capture mission."
Heather kept her glare at Dagur, a murderous stare pointed right at him. "Sorry, Astrid", her tone was hard, "I changed my mind. Dagur didn't 'capture' my village. So this ends here."
A flick of her wrist, and her ax unfolded once more. She thrust it towards Dagur's neck, but then stopped short of it, not yet piercing skin. Could she not really do it? Or did Heather have something far worse in mind than simply slicing his neck?
Still, like the maniac he was, Dagur laughed. "If you kill me Heather, you'll never know―" he started, but was shut up by Heather shoving a gag in his mouth.
"Save it for the gods! Windshear!"
Windshear's tail raised, poised to strike, and not since Dagur had been taken by Alvin had Astrid seen true terror from Dagur. The sadistic look on Heather's face, in her eyes, frightened her.
What did she do? Dagur was their enemy, and he needed to pay for everything he'd done, but…this was wrong. Evil.
She was just about to jump over Dagur and stop all of this, when a plasma blast beat her to it, shooting passed Windshear's tail and stalling her attack.
"Stop!" Hiccup's voice shouted, and looking up was Hiccup and Aric with Toothless and Shadowstar; they'd made it!
"Heather, stop!" Hiccup leaped off Toothless and dove towards Heather, landing right in front of her as Toothless landed on the ship with Aric and Shadowstar. Aric dismounted and ran to where Astrid stood.
"Move, Hiccup!" Heather swatted Hiccup's hand away when she'd raised it.
"You don't understand!" Hiccup went on.
"You promised me there would be another time, and this is it!"
"Look", Hiccup took out a horn, "You told me your father gave you this."
"He did, b-but, what are you doing―?!"
"This is my father's Chief Seal!" she showed to Heather, Stoick's seal right there, clear as day on Heather's horn.
Heather reared back in shock, and Astrid looked to Aric. Was this why they'd left?
Heather took the horn. "Stoick's seal is carved in my horn? What are you saying?!"
"I'm saying, years ago, Stoick gave this horn to the Chief of the Berserker tribe, Oswald the Agreeable, as a gift for his newborn daughter", Hiccup said, Heather looking to her horn with confusion and distress.
"But―"
"Hiccup―" Astrid started, but Aric stopped her, his hand firmly placed on her shoulder.
"Don't", he told her.
"You were that newborn, Heather!" Hiccup exclaimed. "Oswald the Agreeable is your father. And, he is also Dagur's father", she gestured to the man Heather was just about to kill, still tied and gagged on the floor.
000
And, he is also Dagur's father.
The words repeated in Heather's mind one more time like an echo, eyes wide in shock and disbelief. But then a memory, one she could never really decipher before flashed back into her mind. It was so much clearer.
Heather was on a raft, floating out to sea. She couldn't swim, and the current was only taking her further and further from shore.
"Dagur!" she screamed. "Dagur!"
She saw him there in the distance, her big brother getting further and further as time passed. For a moment, she thought he'd jump in and rescue her, but then he ran away, and Heather screamed.
"DAGUR!"
That mysterious boy on the shore was Dagur. The name she'd been screaming was his. He'd sent her out to sea to die, and by the looks of it, Dagur shrugging his shoulders on the ground with a look that said, 'I was trying to tell ya', he knew she was his sister the whole time. And when it wasn't enough that he'd ripped her from her home, their parents, he found her on her new home and stripped that from her too.
"Heather, Dagur is your brother", Hiccup continued. "You can't kill him."
And even so, she never wanted to kill him more than she did now. Yet, there was now a part of her that didn't want to, that couldn't. After all, wasn't Dagur the only family she had left? Oswald the Agreeable was dead, killed by his own son, and she was sure their mother was long gone too. What did that mean for her? Who she was? Was she destined to be just as insane as Dagur? Was she already?
Heather had never felt more conflicted, more…confused.
"Astrid", she turned towards, but Astrid only stammered.
"I-I―"
She was cut off by an onslaught of boulders fired overhead.
000
"It's the rest of Dagur's ships!" Aric exclaimed, the catapults aimed right at their friends.
Snotlout and Hookfang got the brunt of the attack, Hookfang firing, but in the chaos, aiming at the ship they were currently standing on.
"Look out!" Astrid exclaimed, and the blast hit the hull, shaking the boat and causing everyone to get jostled.
Heather was knocked off her feet onto her back, and Hiccup was thrown into a stack of crates.
One of the ships anchored beside them and set out the gangplank. They were going to board the ship and overwhelm them.
"Heather, we have to go", Hiccup turned to Heather, the girl on her knees looking absolutely lost.
That was when Dagur stood, and broke through the ropes tying his hands.
"I have to admit, you never disappoint, sister", he directed at Hiccup. "Or, maybe you're actually my-my aunt", he laughed. "Who knows in this crazy world?!" He began to laugh even more maniacally, insanity positively coating it, until whatever switch he could just seem to flip on and off switched again, and his face morphed into menacing anger.
Heather didn't move, and Berserkers began to board.
"Heather, come on!" Hiccup shouted as Aric and Astrid mounted on their dragons.
"Heather, I'm the only family you've got left", Dagur approached her, and Toothless jumped to her protection. Still, it didn't deter Dagur from still trying to bring Heather to his side. "Join me, sister! Don't fight destiny!"
Heather still didn't move, glancing up at Dagur with a hardened expression, but of what Hiccup couldn't tell.
"I know you feel the Berserker blood flowing through your veins", Dagur went on.
Astrid and Aric kept the Berserkers at bay with Stormfly and Shadowstar's spines.
"Heather, don't listen to him!" Astrid called back.
At last, Heather stood, a dangerous smirk on her face, and for the moment Dagur appeared to think as if he'd won, but then Heather charged, grabbed her abandoned ax, and jumped with an attack. Or, so it looked. Instead, Heather jumped over Dagur.
"What are you doing?" Dagur exclaimed, and Heather landed on Windshear on the other side, the same murderous glare shot straight at him. Then she turned, and Windshear took off.
"Come back, sis!" Dagur still called after her as Hiccup mounted onto Toothless behind his back, Aric and Astrid already taking off with their dragons. "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", he turned back around and said to himself. "Pity."
Hiccup smirked, Dagur still not having noticed her and Toothless.
"Now", she whispered, and Toothless took off, Dagur straight in their path.
Dagur noticed all too late. "What?!"
Hiccup and Toothless pulled up, and Dagur was knocked down by Toothless' tail. Hiccup and Toothless laughed.
"Alright, gang", Hiccup called to the others as they continued firing at the ships below, "back to the Edge!"
"Under the circumstances, I wholeheartedly agree with that plan", Fishlegs shouted in relief, and they headed back home.
000
That evening, Astrid didn't see Heather at dinner. She had a feeling she knew where she was, though, and headed up to the landing platform outside the stables. There, she found Heather, back turned towards her, closing her bag against Windshear with a sigh.
"Guess you're leaving", Astrid said, and Heather seemed surprised at her voice. "Again. I thought you were tired of being alone."
Heather sagged, her back still turned. "I am."
Slowly, Astrid approached. "Then don't be. It's safer here; you have support. And, I'm here", she gestured to herself.
Heather sighed, and turned to her. "I know. I just…have a lot I need to figure out." She closed her bag and slug the strap over her head. Astrid picked up her ax, and after a moment, with a small, understanding smile, gave it to her. Heather smiled in return, and took it, then returned to Windshear and hopped on.
"Thanks, Astrid. It was nice having a friend again", Heather said in goodbye.
Hiccup walked up, then, and she gave a nod in farewell. Heather returned it.
"Let's go, girl", she said, and Windshear took off into the sunset.
Astrid stood there for a moment with Hiccup, just watching them go.
"Hey, I know you guys got pretty close", Hiccup said after awhile. "I'm sorry you're losing a friend."
"Yeah", Astrid sighed. "But", she wrapped an arm around her, "I still have you", she smiled, and Hiccup chuckled in return.
Alright, Heathlegs fans, don't kill me! I love Heathlegs, believe me; I think they were REALLY cute. But, they were also pointless. The relationship didn't go anywhere and neither character developed anything from it. Nothing would have changed whether or not they'd got together for the brief time that they did.
So, I took it out.
At least it gives me more time to develop Fishlegs' feelings for Ruffnut and try to smooth out the cringiness of their relationship. I don't know why, but there's just something…wrong feeling about it as it is, you know?
