Chapter 13: Reunion
The dragon riders finally arrived at Drago's camp. Eret tried to run as soon as Stormfly dropped him in the grass, but Stormfly landed atop him. "Agghh!" Eret groaned. "Okay! I got you here, now get this thing off me!"
"Never take a toy from a dragon," Astrid said, sliding off Stormfly's back. "Don't you know anything?" Stormfly brooded over Eret like a mother hen on an egg while Eret grumbled.
Ingrid and the others walked to the edge of a cliff and peered down into the bubbling water surrounded by many ships. "What's down there?" Ingrid said.
Fishlegs pulled out his dragon cards and started flipping through them. "Large diameter bubbles, massive lungs, cold water deep dweller, I'm thinking class five leviathan, maybe six."
Ingrid turned around just in time to see an army of men advancing on them. Before the riders could do anything, the dragons were tranquilized. They immediately rushed to their defense.
"Meatlug!" Fishlegs cried.
"Hookfang!" Snotlout exclaimed.
"What's wrong, girl?"
"Don't move!" said one of the men as they all surrounded the riders, who had no choice but to hold up their hands in surrender.
The riders were tied up and brought onto a large ship where a man stood surrounded by guards. "Drago!" Eret shouted. "Get off me!" He pushed back one of the soldiers who grabbed his arm and strode towards the large, intimidating man. "Always great to see you, my friend! Keeping warm up here? Well, as you can see, I'm right on time with a new batch of dragons, just like I promised."
"Eret!" Ingrid said in dismay. But from his nervousness and Drago's glower, she bet he did not think he had much of a choice.
"He's waking up!" one of the men exclaimed. Hookfang groggily lifted his head and then hit the Viking. "Give me some backup here!"
"Watch out!" said another man as Hookfang swung his head around.
"Drop the ropes," Drago ordered before approaching the Monstrous Nightmare. Hookfang breathed fire on him, but he shielded himself with his cloak of dragon scales. Then Drago started to scream, swinging his bull hook. Hookfang lowered his head to the ground, and Drago stepped on his snout.
"Hookfang!" Snotlout cried.
"Hey!" Ruffnut shouted.
"What are you doing?" Astrid said indignantly.
Drago stared at Hookfang. "You belong to me now." Then his eyes traveled up his back to the saddle.
"And as an added bonus, I also caught you their riders," Eret said with a weak smile. "No extra charge."
"What?!" Astrid exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?!"
"But you were so perfect!" Ruffnutt said with a sigh.
"Turns out, there's a whole bunch of them out there," Eret went on. "They-"
Drago grabbed him by the throat, choking him. "How many?"
"Drago doesn't have them after all," Astrid said quietly.
"HOW MANY?!"
"Let him go!" Ingrid demanded.
Drago dropped Eret and turned to her. "And just who do you think you are?"
"She's no one important!" Eret said quickly. "Just ignore her." He stared at Ingrid, his eyes wide with fear.
"Be careful," Astrid said in a low voice.
"Just trust me," Ingrid whispered back. She ignored her frantic heartbeat as Drago moved to stand right in front of her, leering at her. "Listen, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Berk has no quarrels with you. I know a dragon rider has been attacking your men and freeing your dragons, but I promise you that wasn't us."
"You expect me to believe that?" Drago sneered.
"That's exactly what I told her," Eret said.
Drago looked over his shoulder at him. "Silence!" He returned to glowering at Ingrid. "You riders are an affront to me. I ALONE control the dragons! They all belong to ME!"
"That's pretty selfish of you," Tuffnut said. "Leave some for the rest of us."
Ingrid took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn't see much hope for winning this guy over, but she had to try... for Eira and Hiccup. "You don't need to control dragons. There's a better way. Whatever dragons did to you in the past, we can work through it."
"I don't need your help!" Drago bellowed. "I don't need anyone. I have all the power!"
"That seems to be working out really well for you. You look very happy."
Drago scowled. "Happiness? Who needs it?"
"You're only saying that because you can't get it," Snotlout said.
"There's no need for us to fight," Ingrid tried again. "Let's just sit down and talk about our problems. We can find a way to peace if we try."
"I have had enough of you!" Drago growled, grabbing Ingrid and pulling her forward. "Peace is impossible. Let me show all of you what happens when you mess with my by getting rid of this one." He pushed Ingrid towards the group of men, who bared their weapons.
"No!" Eret shouted.
Drago slowly turned around. "Are you offering to take her place?"
Eret winced. "No, I, uh, just-"
Drago grabbed him again. "First there was one rider. And now there's all of them. And YOU lead them to me.." He threw Eret across the dock and then looked at his men. "Get rid of him."
Eret trembled with fear. "Drago please..." The men threw their weapons at him, but Stormfly raced in front of him, shielding him. A second later, she was tranquilized.
"STORMFLY!" Astrid shouted. "NO!"
Ingrid and Eret were pushed in with the rest of the group. Ingrid noted the amazed look on Eret's face. Maybe she hadn't had an effect on Drago, but it seemed like someone learned something.
***
"We are not attacking Drago with the Bewilderbeast," Hiccup insisted. Krogan finally wanted to help them, and this was what he came up with? "If we launch a preemptive strike, war will be our only option."
"It needs to be an option," Krogan said. "When your feeble attempts at peace fail, you will need a plan to defend yourselves. This dragon is our best bet." He pointed to the observing Bewilderbeast. "Only the King of Dragons can defeat one of his own kind."
Hiccup frowned. "One of his own- What are you talking about?"
Eira looked at Krogan curiously. "You think Drago has a Bewilderbeast?"
Krogan nodded. "Drago has his own way of controlling dragons, but leading the massive army he's forming requires the power of the King of Dragons. He entrusted me with acquiring one. If he's back in the archipelago, I assume he's found one on his own."
An uneasy feeling settled over Hiccup. "And you didn't think to mention this to us?"
"I had no proof, and you could have figured it out on your own."
"We know now," Viggo said. "What will we do about it?"
"What happens if Valka's Bewilderbeast defeats Drago's?" Eira asked.
"He would likely gain control over the dragons the other was controlling. If you want to free the entire army at once, it's an efficient option."
"But if Drago's wins... he gains control of control of all these dragons," Hiccup said, eyes wide. "If Valka thought it was worth the risk, she would have already tried it."
"Then you need to convince her otherwise," Krogan said.
"First, you need to convince me otherwise. We're not risking all of these dragons."
Krogan's expression hardened. "We may not have a choice. We can't hide out here forever."
"Valka seems to think otherwise," Eira said. "We need to be thinking about how to get out of here."
"We could-"
Sigurd darted past him and stationed himself by the cave entrance once more. This time, he was followed by Toothless, Swiftwings, and Ruby. "Not again," Hiccup groaned. They did not need any more surprises.
"Oh, I forgot to mention something," Viggo said. "I showed Runa Eira's letter and told her where I was going. Then I sent the Terrible Terror back to her."
"What?!" Eira said in alarm. "Why would you do that?"
Viggo gave her a pointed look. "I don't hide things from my loved ones. And while I wanted to help you, I didn't want to be stuck here. I told Runa to send someone after me the following day as a backup plan."
"You weren't specific about who she should send?"
Viggo shrugged. "Well..."
Hiccup gasped loudly when none other than his father stepped out of the cave. "Are you kidding me?" he said. "How'd you get in here?"
"The same way we're getting you out," Stoick said with determination. After stepping out into the open, Gobber, Dagur, and Heather emerged with their dragons.
"Thank Thor we found you," Heather said in relief. Dagur looked at Eira but immediately glanced away when their eyes met.
"We need to get out of here now." Stoick paused when he saw Krogan but then continued looking around at the group. "All of you, let's go."
"The Bewilderbeast isn't going to let us go," Eira said calmly.
"What are you going on about?"
"A what now?" said Gobber.
"The King of Dragons," Viggo said, nodding in the direction of the Bewilderbeast. "He controls the minds of our dragons if we attempt to leave."
Stoick gave Hiccup an exasperated look. "Can't you just train it like every other dragon you meet?"
Hiccup chuckled nervously. "You see, there is a bit of a complication..."
"What complication?"
"What is going on now?!" Valka roared from behind them.
Hiccup swallowed hard. "Dad, meet the complication."
"I believe they've already met," Gobber said, eyes wide.
Stoick and Valka froze in shock when they saw each other. Then he slowly moved towards her. "I know what you're going to say, Stoick," Valka said nervously. "How could I have done this? Stayed away all these years. And why didn't I come back to you? To our son. Well, what sign did I have that you could change, Stoick? That anyone on Berk could? I pleaded so many times to stop the fighting, to find another answer, but did any of you listen?"
"This is why I never married," Gobber said to Hiccup. "This and one other reason."
"I know that I left you to raise Hiccup alone... but I thought he'd be better off without me. And I was wrong, I see that now, but..." Valka backed up against a tree, on the verge of tears. "Oh stop being so stoic, Stoick. Go on... SHOUT, SCREAM, SAY SOMETHING!"
Stoick touches Valka's cheek while she stared at him in fear. Then he said, as if holding back tears, "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you."
Relief washed over Valka's face, and then Stoick kissed her. Hiccup smiled with joy. Perhaps he had been wrong to fear his father reuniting with his mother. Maybe love would win after all.
***
Ingrid did knot know how they were going to get out of this one. While Drago's ship sailed, the dragon riders and Eret were on the stern, about to walk the plank. "You don't have to do this," she said to the men blocking their exit, who paid them no heed.
"Could this day get any worse?" Snotlout groaned.
"Uh, let me see," Tuffnut said thoughtfully. "You'll jump into freezing cold water and then die from drowning."
Ingrid shot him a look. "Not helpful."
Eret peered over the ledge into the water. "Looks refreshing." He motioned to Astrid. "Please, ladies first."
Astrid glared at him. "You are a steaming heap of dragon-"
Eret smiled. "Duck."
Astrid ducked, and Eret knocked the soldiers who held Astrid unconscious. This also sent a spear flying, which he caught and used to unchain himself. "Nice work!" Ingrid said brightly.
"Warn the others!" one of the soldiers shouted.
"Get 'em, you son of an Eret!" Ruffnutt said while Eret knocked out the rest of the men. He then proceeded to free the riders. "Okay, I love you again."
"So?" said Eret. "Are we going to save your dragons and get out of here or not?" Astrid nodded. "Check every trap. They're here somewhere."
Ingrid smiled at Eret as she passed him. "I knew you'd come around."
Eret smiled back at her. "You made a convincing argument."
"But I sealed it, right?" Snotlout said.
Eret blinked. "Uh..."
Ingrid rolled her eyes. "Come on." She grabbed Snotlout's arm and dragged him away.
"So, we're talking again?" Snotlout said.
Ingrid dropped his arm, frowning. "We were never not talking. You said you were fine."
"And you believed me?"
Ingrid sighed. "No. I just didn't know what to do. You didn't want to talk about what happened."
"I... was afraid you were going to break up with me."
Ingrid looked back at him in surprise. "I was upset with you, but that doesn't mean I want to break up. Normal couples fight."
Snotlout rubbed the back of his neck. "That's not what my dad said."
Ingrid frowned. "I'll question him about that later. Right now... look who I found." She stopped in front of a cage holding a Monstrous Nightmare.
Snotlout brightened. "Hookfang!"
***
Eira and Viggo updated Dagur and Heather on the situation while Hiccup, Valka, Stoick, and Gobber had their reunion. "Are you saying we're trapped here?!" Dagur said at the end of the story.
"The likelihood of that decreases by the second," Viggo said. "Stoick will leave here one way or another."
Eira nodded. "For now, let's let them work things out."
"Speaking of working things out..." Heather said, glancing at her brother. "Dagur, don't you need to talk to Eira about something?"
Dagur chuckled nervously. "Do I? I forgot."
"Eira has something she would like to say as well," said Viggo.
"We'll give you two some space," said Heather. She and Viggo started walking away, but then he stopped and looked back.
"Krogan, come with us."
When Krogan merely glowered at Viggo, Eira said, "Will you please give us a minute, Krogan?" His expression softened, and he nodded before wandering over to Viggo and Heather.
"How did you do that?" Heather said in astonishment.
Eira blinked. "Do what?"
"Never mind."
And then Eira and Dagur were alone. They spent a good minute looking around awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. Then Eira, realizing it was not healthy to go on like this, cleared her throat to gain his attention. "So, you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Oh, yes," said Dagur. He took a deep breath and finally looked at her. "I'm sorry if I did something to push you away. I didn't mean to be so clingy. I just like being around you all the time, and I worry when you're not there. But tell me to back off and I will!"
Eira took a moment to consider his words. It seemed like he took it personally when she left and didn't contact him. Perhaps Viggo had a point. "You're not too clingy, Dagur. Sometimes I just do things on my own. It's nothing against you."
"But you wrote to Viggo instead of me."
A wave of guilt washed over Eira when she saw the hurt in his eyes. "Dagur... I chose to write to Viggo because I thought he offered us the best chance of getting us out of this mess."
Dagur frowned. "Because I would have ruined everything."
Eira sighed. "That's not exactly what I meant. Dagur, you and Viggo have your own unique sets of strengths and weaknesses. This time, it was Viggo's strengths that fit the situation best. Maybe next time it will be yours." She paused. "But I should have let you know I was fine."
"You've got that right! I went crazy looking for you." Dagur gazed at her with a mix of emotions. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."
Eira knew she would feel the same way if the situation were reversed. "I'm so sorry." She closed the distance between them and embraced him. Now that she was this close to him, she realized just how much she missed him. He held onto her tightly, resting his head on top of hers. "I love you, Dagur. Even if I go off on my own again, I will always return to you."
"Good." Dagur pulled back and smiled at her. "I love you, my princess."
Overcome with emotion, Eira wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss, not caring who lay witness.
***
A/N: So, everything's fine now, right? :)