The Gift of the Princess (HTTYD)

Gathering Information

Krogan's icy gaze bore into her. "You are anomalies, and you cannot last. Drago will see to that."

"Not if you help us out," Hiccup said. "Krogan, do you think Drago has found a king of dragons?"

Krogan looked away. "I'm not telling you anything."

"But you're afraid of him because you failed him, right? If you help us, you won't have to worry about him anymore."

"Why go through all that trouble for something doomed to fail when I am perfectly safe here?"

Hiccup turned to Eira. "See what I've been working with?" she said in response.

"We're not going to get very far like this," Hiccup said. "I'll be right back."

Eira was left alone with Krogan, and neither said a word. Hiccup soon returned with Alvin, who danged keys from his fingers. The chief used one of the keys to unlock Kroagan's cell. Then he looked at Hiccup with a frown. "Are you sure about this?"

"If he stays here, Drago might have a reason to attack you that he otherwise wouldn't because of your lack of dragons," Hiccup said.

Alvin immediately opened the cell door wide open. "Good luck to you then."

Krogan looked at the opened door skeptically. "You're freeing me?"

"Not exactly," said Hiccup. "You're coming with us to Berk, where we will keep a close eye on you."

"And if I refuse?"

Hiccup glanced at his dragon. "Toothless?" The Night Fury walked into the cage, growling.

"Fine." Krogan slowly stood up, and Toothless would not leave the cell until he was out. "I'm still not going to tell you anything."

"We'll see about that," Eira said. Truthfully, she was more worried about the reaction of everyone else on Berk, especially Stoick. She needed to find a way to calm him long enough to explain the logic of her plan. Then she could focus on Krogan. "I'm guessing you could use a good meal." Hopefully, the change in scenery would do him some good.

"And you need a bath," Hiccup said, waving his hand in front of his nose.

Krogan glared at him.

***

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING BRINGING HIM HERE?" Stoick roared.

Eira and Hiccup had barely landed when the chief and Gobber rushed over, demanding an explanation. For his part, Krogan stood a little ways off, looking around in boredom. "It's not as bad as it seems," Hiccup said, holding his hands up defensively.

Stoick narrowed his eyes at him. "It's not now, is it? This is the man who nearly killed us all and destroyed Berk!"

"Technically, you can say the same for Dagur and Viggo," Eira ventured.

Stoick fixed his steely eyes on her. "Has he been successfully rehabilitated?"

Eira bit her lip. "Well, no, but-"

"THEN I WANT HIM OFF MY ISLAND!"

"Dad, calm down!" Hiccup said. He looked around anxiously, but no one else seemed bothered to check out the commotion. "This is part of our plan."

"Plan? What plan? Your plan to drive me to insanity?"

"When Krogan was working against us, he was under Drago's authority," Eira explained.

This news only seemed to enrage Stoick further. "All the more reason to get rid of him! We can't let him loose. He'll take the first chance to run back to his mater!"

Eira glanced back at Krogan, who appeared totally uninterested in the conversation. "I don't think that's likely. He failed in his mission for Drago, remember? Eret - the dragon trapper we met yesterday - showed us a scar Drago gave him for merely showing up without captured dragons. Can you imagine how displeased he will be with Krogan?"

Stoick appeared to consider this. "Then perhaps we should hand him over to Drago as a peace offering."

Krogan's eyes widened at the suggestion. Eira moved in front of him and gave Stoick a defiant look. "No. He's under my protection."

"PROTECTION?!"

"Come on," said Hiccup, "you had to see this coming."

"He can help us," Eira insisted.

Stoick folded his arms across his chest. "And how are you going to get him to cooperate? If I recall, you've had no progress for months."

Eira winced at the reminder. "This will be different. He wouldn't talk on Outcast Island because he felt safe. Here he'll have to help us or suffer with us."

"I'm still not talking," Krogan said.

Stoick shot him a look. "You're not helping your case."

"That's because he wants to go back to his cell," Hiccup said.

"I still don't see how you intend to break him."

Thankfully, the chief's anger seemed to have subsided for now. Perhaps he and Eira could have a rational discussion after all. "I think the change in location will do him some good," she said. "He's fallen into some sort of depression. He doesn't have energy for anything. It's like he doesn't care. The sunshine and lively atmosphere should spruce him up."

"Oh, sure, give him energy to plot against us!" Gobber said unhelpfully.

"We won't let that happen," Hiccup said. "We'll keep an eye on him." He paused. "Eira will keep an eye on him."

"I don't like it when you create messes like this," Stoick grumbled, eying Eira warily.

"I know you don't like the way Eira deals with those you consider mortal enemies, but when she really insists, has she ever been wrong?"

Stoick stared hard at Hiccup. Then he looked at Eira, then Krogan, then Gobber, and then back to Eira. At last, he let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Do as you wish. But at the first sign of trouble, I want him out!"

Eira smiled in relief. "Thank you, chief. I won't let you down." She gave him a slight bow.

Stoick nodded. "See to it that you don't." He then departed with Gobber.

Eira turned to Hiccup with a smile. "Thanks for the help." She did not know if she could have gotten through that alone.

"No problem," said Hiccup. "We're all in this together." He looked at Krogan, who resumed his disinterested demeanor. "You'll need to listen to Eira while you're here."

Krogan glanced at Hiccup and then looked away.

"That probably won't be happening for awhile," Eira said.

Hiccup frowned. "There has to be a way to get through to him."

"Don't worry; I'll figure it out. I do know one thing: his survival instinct is still in tact. That means he hasn't entirely given up on life, so there has to be something that will work."

Hiccup nodded. "Good luck, and let me know if you need any help."

Eira smiled slightly. "Thanks. I will." Then she took in a long breath, let it out slowly, and approached Krogan. "So, is there anything you want to know about Berk?"

"Why isn't your little posse around causing havoc?" Krogan said.

Eira blinked. "Uh, Hiccup sent them off to gather information on the dragon trappers."

"That is a waste of time."

"Maybe you could tell me something that's not a waste of time." She smiled at him hopefully.

Krogan turned away. "I think not."

Eira did not think that would work but she had to try. It looked like she had to take things slowly. "Then let me give you a tour." She started off in a random direction. When she glanced back at Krogan, she saw him walking in the opposite direction. She immediately jogged to catch up to him. "Okay, you can lead and I'll talk."

Krogan did not respond. Eira held in a sigh. This was going to be a long process.