Chapter 57: Brewing Storm
Eira slept fitfully that night. Everything had changed so quickly, and she found it difficult to relax. Eventually, she drifted off but awoke all too soon. Drago was already up. As chief, Dagur decided to was his responsibility to let Drago stay with them in their extra bedroom. No one said much as the three of them quickly ate something and then headed outside.
Luna immediately appeared before Eira, seeming anxious. "It's okay, girl," she said, running her hand along the Light Fury's neck. "We're going to work out a plan today. Let's go meet the others at the stable." The dragon followed behind the humans on their trek to the hilltop stable where Krogan, Viggo, and Runa were waiting for them.
"Tyra is with Heather," Runa explained when prompted by Dagur. "She decided to stay behind to look after Berserker Island. I am here because I thought Krogan could use a dragon." She slipped into the stables and coaxed out Firelight, her Silver Phantom. The dragon cautiously bent her head towards Krogan but let out a pleased sound when he placed a hand on her snout.
"Yes, I think we can be friends," Krogan said with a smile.
Eira smiled at them. "Great."
"Hey, I need a dragon too," Drago said.
The Vikings exchanged glances. "Oh, I know which dragon will let you ride him!" Dagur said before dashing off with Sleuther. A few minutes later, he returned with his former partner, Shattermaster.
Drago looked at the green Gronckle with uncertainty. "Are you sure that's a real dragon?"
Dagur gave him an indignant look. "Of course Shattermaster is a real dragon. He's one of the best dragons you could ever find!"
"Then why don't you ride him?"
"Shattermaster works well with others. He can handle you." At Dagur's prompting, the Gronckle bounded over to Drago and nearly knocked him over.
Dragon awkwardly pat the dragon on the head. "Fine."
"We should get going," Viggo said.
"Hold on," Runa said. She was looking to the sky, where two dragons flew in close. Several moments later, Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher landed with Valka and Eret.
"What are you doing here?" Eira said, not daring to hope.
"I said I would help out around here, didn't I?" Valka said, jumping to the ground.
"Yeah. but I thought-"
"Astrid has chosen the path she believes is best for Berk. I, however, have always considered what is right in general, and I still believe in our ideas."
A warm smile spread across Eira's face. "Thank you."
"Fine, you can stay," Drago grunted.
"And I can keep an eye on him," Valka said, her eyes narrowing.
"What about you?" said Krogan to Eret.
"Well, I can't exactly endorse Astrid's no new alliances policy when I was the beneficiary of such trust, can I?" said Eret.
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Drago said.
Eret's eyes widened. He moved a bit closer to his dragon, placing a hand on his back. "Of course I can. "Of course I can. Besides, I owe a lot to Ingrid and Snotlout in particular. They did not return to Berk yesterday, so I assume they're siding with you."
"There's on Torleif Island," Eira said. "We're headed there now."
"Excellent! I shall join you."
"And I will stay to help out here," said Valka.
Viggo nodded. "Good. We appreciate the assistance."
"Then we will be off!" Dagur declared.
Everyone making the trip climbed onto their dragons and took off into the air. Eira kept an eye on Drago, who seemed a bit wobbly on Shattermaster. Luna also eyed him suspiciously, though she did not threaten him an any way. Eira had hope they would all learn to get along. It was the only way they would get through this, after all.
Reidun, Oliver, Ingrid, and Snotlout awaited them near the docks, standing in front of the villagers who took part in their training and alliance-building teams. They landed a safe distance away and slowly dismounted. All eyes drifted to Drago. Eira took in a sharp breath. Would they be turned away here too?
"Drago!" Ingrid said brightly, breaking the tension. "It's good to see you. I'm sorry about what happened to Duskscales. That must be a terrible lost. Don't worry, we'll help you get her back."
"Yeah, we'll show that Grimmel not to mess with us," Snotlout said.
Drago gave them a perplexed look. "You really mean that, don't you?"
"Of course we do," Ingrid said. "I told you we weren't being nice to you just because we needed you. We genuinely care. Do you believe me now?"
Drago dipped his head. "Yes, thank you. And I suppose I should apologize for the way I treated you. It wasn't right."
Ingrid grinned. "No hard feelings."
"Hey, how come they're the only ones who get an apology?" Dagur complained. "You hurt the rest of us too!"
"I don't remember you going on an apology tour after you joined our side," Snotlout said, and Dagur shrugged in acknowledgement.
Eira smiled at them before casting a nervous glance to Reidun, who's face did not give her away. "So, are we still on with the plan despite recent changes?"
Reidun tore her gaze from Drago to look at Krogan. "You are certain we can trust him?"
"Yes," Krogan said. "He will not betray us."
Reidun nodded. "That is good enough for me." She smiled at Eira. "Yes, we are still with you."
Eira smiled in relief. "Thank you."
An unusual gust of wind picked up, and everyone looked towards the forest. A large, black dragon emerged from the trees and landed before them. With a gasp, Eira realized it was a Night Fury. "Where do you come from?" Drago said. "I've never seen this one before."
"This is Vidar," Reidun said. She strode forward to pat the dragon on the muzzle. "He was causing trouble for us here, but now we are friends."
"Oh, this is the titan wing I heard about," Eira said. "It's great you learned to get along, but what is he doing here?"
"Maybe there's trouble at his cave!" Dagur said.
"His cave?"
"At the top of the hill," Krogan said. "He has been guarding it and not letting anyone through; we think it might be the reason he started attacking the village. I doubt he would leave if there was trouble, and he does not look distressed."
"Perhaps he sensed tension from us down here," Viggo suggested.
Before anyone else could give their input, Luna ran straight up to Vida and barked at her. The Night Fury growled at her in response, but it did not seem very threatening. Luna growled back at him and nudged him in the side. After giving her an annoyed look, Vidar huffed before spreading his wings and taking flight, back towards the forest. Luna glanced at Eira and then took to the sky after him.
"That was unexpected," Snotlout said.
"Do you think they know each other?" Ingrid asked.
"Seems likely," said Drago, "unless you know another flock of Furies around here."
"We should follow them," Eira said. Everyone agreed and returned to their dragons. Being dragonless, Eira climbed onto Sleuther behind Dagur and Reidun onto Ruby behind Krogan. They flew over the trees at a gradual incline before arriving at the top of a hill.
Vidar and Luna stood in front of the mouth of a cave, appearing to be arguing with each other. As soon as Eira was on the ground, the Light Fury bounded around her and nudged her in the direction of the cave. Vidar stared at Eira as she walked towards the cave but did not stop her. She peered inside, but the darkness prevented her from seeing much. Luna gave her back to her and then looked at her expectantly.
"I think she wants you to fly with her into the cave," Ingrid said. "I bet she knows what's in there!"
"Why would a cave require flight?" Snotlout said. He started forward, but a snarl from Vidar sent him scrambling back.
Eira had a tentative answer to that question, but she needed to investigate to be certain. "I'll be right back," she said. "The rest of you should stay here."
"Good luck!" Dagur called.
Eira climbed onto Luna's back, and the dragon took off. For several long moments, complete darkness enveloped her. Then, suddenly, the dipped down and the cave opened up into a wide cavern with familiar glowing crystals and clear pools of water. "I understand!" she exclaimed. Several of the wild dragons passing by gave her suspicious looks. "Thanks for showing this to me, but I think we should get out of here now." Luna growled her agreement. A minute later, they were back on solid ground.
"What did you find?" Reidun asked.
"This cave is another entrance to the Hidden World!"
"Come again?"
"Oh, right. It's a giant, underground cavern system that is home to all kinds of dragons. Grimmel wants to force all dragons to live their so our species won't bother each other anymore. Vidar must be from the same flock as the other Night Furies who guard an entrance and was established as a guard here."
"There's no one guarding the other entrance now the Grimmel stole the Night Furies," Snotlout said.
"Unless the Bewilderbeast took over the job," said Krogan.
"So, the Hidden World is a safe haven for dragons," Reidun said, gazing at Vidar. "And you have been protecting it." The Night Fury grunted in response. "I'm afraid to say our enemies threaten your efforts. If Grimmel is working with the Night Furies, the Hidden World is not safe."
"But he says he wants to send dragons their to keep them safe," Snotlout said. He paused. "No, to keep humans safe. The dragons are in on it because they think they'll be safe there."
"Safe while the greatest threat to dragons knows their location?" Viggo said. "Unlikely. There is too much profit to be made in the dragon trade. Grimmel may want to look like a hero by eliminating them, but there is no reason why those he works with could not kill the dragons who gather near the entrance of one of the caves."
Luna whined an looked away, ashamed. "Hey, it's okay," Eira said, placing a hand on her back. "Grimmel was using you, but you know the truth now. We'll stop him together."
"And how do you propose we do that?" Reidun said. "It sounds like he has the advantage."
"Only because he's tricked everyone into listening to him," Drago growled. "We need to convince them to turn on him and take on any of those who don't!"
"That actually kind of sums up my idea," Eira said. "Grimmel would have no power himself if no one chose to listen to him. Most of the Northern Alliance probably can't be convinced to turn, but we can reach the dragons and other villages like we've been doing."
"Our real problem is the control Grimmel has over the dragons," Ingrid said. "If we want any success, we have to convince the Bewilderbeast to join our side."
"Good luck with that," Drago scoffed.
"We may be able to get him to allow the dragons to listen to our side," Eira said. "He can't be too fond of Grimmel."
"If Grimmel attacks our dragons while we don't attack his, the Bewilderbeast will see we're on the right side!" Snotlout said excitedly.
"Right!" Ingrid said. "So, we've got to show them all what it means for Vikings and dragons to work together."
Eira looked over her shoulder at the cave. "Perhaps we should speak to the dragons in the Hidden World." Vidar immediately snarled. "We won't cause them any harm, I just think they need to know what they're missing out on out here. They deserve a choice too." Luna pressed against her side and led out a sharp noise in confirmation.
"That sounds great," said Eret, "but we also need to train the villages we've already converted in addition to persuading the others. We need enough villages on our side to stop Grimmel's stranglehold over the archipelago!"
"Those are all excellent ideas," Reidun said. "We need to get started right away. We may not have much time."
"Then maybe I could be of assistance."
Eira gasped at the familiar voice. She and Ingrid pushed through the group of Vikings and dragons to reach the newcomer, who stood beside Oliver. "Haldor!" Eira exclaimed. "When did you get here?"
"And how did you find us?" said Ingrid.
"Not too long ago," Haldor replied, accepting a hug from each of his sisters. "It's good to see you again."
"Didn't you all see the ships before racing off here?" Oliver said. "I recognized the sails and stayed behind to show him the way up here."
"Very good," Reidun said, stepping up to the siblings. "Nice work, Oliver. I assume this is someone you know."
"This is our older brother, Haldor," Eira said.
"Future king of Torvald," Ingrid added.
"I sent him a letter when we first arrived here... and a second one once we became allies." Eira had almost forgotten about those letters. So much had happened in the week it had taken her brother to arrive. Though he was no longer needed for his original purpose, he still could give them a lot of help. "Haldor, this is Reidun, chief of Torleif Island."
"It is a please to meet you," Haldor said, offering Reidun a smile.
Reidun dipped her head in acknowledgement. "And I you. I apologize for our earlier misunderstandings."
"Do not worry about it. I understand these difficult circumstances. I rushed to help, of course, but I was never overly concerned. Eira is skilled at turning enemies into friends." He looked around at the gathered Vikings.
"Speaking of which, we've got one more!" Ingrid said. "Drago Bludvist."
Dragon raised his arm in response. "Guilty."
Haldor lifted his eyebrows. "Interesting. I have heard of you. We will need to speak in private at some point."
Drago frowned and looked at the others. "Is that going to hurt?"
"You will be fine as long as you are sincere," Krogan said. "Prince Haldor is merciful and just."
By then, Luna had returned to Eira's side, and Haldor looked at her curiously. "Where did you meet this lovely lady?" he said. "I have not seen a Day Fury since I was a boy."
"You've seen them before?" Eira said in surprise. "This is Luna. She's a friend of Toothless' and mine. Berk has no information on the species, so we're calling them 'Light Furies.'"
"That works as well." Haldor stared into Luna's eyes for a long moment, and the dragon gazed intensely back at him. "I thought they had been driven to extinction. They're an off branch of the Night Fury, and their white scales make them especially vulnerable to other predators, unlike their counterpart which can hide in the night."
"This one can hide in the day!" Snotlout said. "She can make herself invisible with her fire."
"Ah, this one must have adapted. Excellent." Haldor smiled at the Light Fury. "Luna, is it? I hope we can be friends." Haldor slowly lifted his hand. Luna watched him carefully but ultimately allowed him to place his hand on her head.
"I hate to break up this reunion, but we have serious problems we need to discuss," Dagur said.
Haldor gave him a solemn look. "Indeed. I have heard reports on my way here. I have a dozen of my best dragon riders here in the village. We will give you any help you need. The threat may currently be aimed at your archipelago, but there is no doubt it would make its way to Torvald eventually. We are in this together."
"Thank you, Haldor," Eira said, feeling relief at her brother's presence. He always knew just what to do to make everything right.
"Let's head back down and discuss our plan of action," Reidun said, to which everyone agreed.
***
Hiccup hated how the day dragged on with nothing to show for it. Grimmel did feed him and Toothless (and allowed them to take care of other... necessities), but they were left mostly alone in their cages. Of course, they tried every means to escape. Hiccup was certain the soldier shad a plan if Toothless tried to fly out of there, but they had to try anyway. Unfortunately, nothing worked.
Hiccup nearly drove himself crazy trying to figure out Grimmel's plan. He knew there had to be a planned attack on Berk, so why was there no progress? He had some hope that Grimmel was waiting because he was afraid he could not win. Or perhaps he meant to torture Berk and their allies by keeping Hiccup and Toothless from them.
Grimmel finally returned when the sun reached its peek. "Look what I have found," he said. "It seems you have some visitors." He stepped out of the way, revealing two soldiers holding onto chained prisoners with familiar faces.
"Ruffnut, Tuffnut?" Hiccup said in surprise.
"Hey, Hiccup," Tuff said much more amiably than the situation required.
"What are you doing here?"
"Saving you," Ruff replied.
"Where's your dragon? Did you come alone? Wait, don't answer those questions."
"Their dragon is also under our control," Grimmel said, "and I can assure you, they are very much alone. It would appear Berk is not willing to risk more than these two to save their chief and alpha."
"How do you know we're not just a distraction?" Tuff said. "Or on a scouting mission?"
"Yeah, maybe we wanted to get captured," said Ruff.
"In any case, it is fortunate you are here," Grimmel said. "I have a message for your acting chief and one for Berserker Island's chief as well." He paused for dramatic effect. "I am going to make it easy for everyone. Tell them to meet me on Night Fury Island tomorrow just after dawn. We will discuss an end to this madness."
Hiccup's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a trap to me."
Grimmel smiled wickedly. "Oh, it is nothing of the sort."