Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 34 - Last Hope

I watched him silently for a few moments, unable to conceal my shock at his declaration, which wildly veered away from his Alpha's. It wasn't often I felt sympathy for a viking, but Gobber was simply too sincere to cast off as another violent brute. In the back of my mind, it occurred to me that we probably would've gotten along quite well in another life.

"I...I'll help," I said quietly, surprising myself even as my tongue formed the words.

It took Gobber so long to react that I began to wonder if I'd accidentally used thought-speak, and I opened my mouth to try again.

"What?" He blurted abruptly, practically gaping.

"I'll help," I repeated with a bit more confidence. "I'll help you find the dragon nest."

Gobber blinked. "You—But—I thought—" He spluttered, restless now; he shifted like he was torn between jumping for joy and lifting me into a bear hug. "You haven't been cooperative at all! Why the sudden change of heart?" He questioned. I scowled at his comment, but decided to let it slide. It was the truth, after all.

I hadn't wanted to do anything that would benefit them. They were vikings; they were the enemy. It only made sense to deny their demands. I'd spent my entire life fighting against them and their flawed beliefs regarding dragons. Why should I assist them in any way?

But now, knowing that monster was out there...that dragons and humans alike were suffering because of it... Surely it was my duty to try my best to put an end to it, for the sake of the dragons in its thrall, and the vikings that had been raided for hundreds of years because of it. Whatever my feelings toward humans, it wasn't in me to simply leave them to their fate when I had the opportunity to help end the war.

Besides, there was no chance in hell I was going to let it keep control of all those dragons, war or not. Toothless and I would have to face it again. And when that time came, it would be essential to have others fighting at my side. Even if that meant resorting to aligning with the vikings.

"I've just realized that we share the same goal, that's all," I answered with a shrug, crossing my arms.

"And what goal is that?" Gobber asked warily.

"Ending the war."

Gobber nodded slowly, considering my words. "Aye...'tis a noble cause, but you seemed quite adamant on keeping us away from the nest," he pointed out, somehow managing to prevent an ounce of suspicion from entering his tone, though I knew he must've felt it in some capacity.

"I don't trust you," I said bluntly, ignoring his slightly affronted yet highly amused expression as I continued, "I'd rather be anywhere than on a ship with a bunch of vikings, all of whom would love nothing more than to see my dragon dead, but I'm not stupid enough to deny the facts. We share a common enemy, and it is sitting in that nest. And it's too big and too powerful to defeat alone. We don't need to be friends. But we do need to work together. It's the only way we all get what we want," I finished firmly, lifting my chin.

Gobber seemed impressed by my conviction and was appraising me with new eyes. "Quite right," he noted thoughtfully. "Earlier...you said something about the 'Alpha.' Is that the enemy we share?" He asked curiously.

I nodded grimly, glancing at Toothless and remembering our very narrow escape from the Alpha's clutches. I hadn't had a chance to look him over properly for any injuries, but he didn't seem to be impeded in any way physically, other than the damned shackles.

Toothless tilted his head in silent question, and I couldn't resist pressing my forehead to his in a brief display of affection. He purred at the contact, closing his eyes. I let the vibrations roll through my body and calm my nerves before lifting my head to look at Gobber again. The viking was staring at us with a mixture of awe and bewilderment, but he quickly schooled his features when my attention returned to him.