It was time. Viggo had arranged to meet you in his tent this evening in order to design the plans, as you had loosely discussed last night. As you approached, the sky was dark and the air was even colder than the previous night. The tips of your fingers were going slightly numb in the biting, cold air. Looking briefly up at the sky, you noticed a high mist was smothering most of the moonlight. The hazy glow seemed unnatural through the mist, and distorted the shadows of everything you walked past, making you shudder slightly. The island seemed quieter than usual as well. You had become accustomed to the rumble of hunters' laughs in the background, or the shouting of orders but, tonight, silence rang in your ears. The change in atmosphere made the island feel almost eerie, your muscles tense. You felt your fingers subconsciously inching towards your sword. However, you soon told yourself this was nonsense: you lived in the Barbaric Archipelago - the cold and the mist were no strangers, and you assumed a new fleet of hunters must have left the island for supplies this morning, so no wonder the place was quieter. Shaking your thoughts away, you advanced steadily towards the looming tent, coming to a halt as you reached the door.
Should you knock? Well, you couldn't exactly – it was made of dragon scales. He was expecting you anyway, and the last thing you wanted was to be late. You stretched out a hand to push through the entrance of the tent. You couldn't help thinking of Ember as you touched the scales. No! This didn't mean you were a dragon hunter. You were only doing this because it was time to teach the riders a lesson. You had been misunderstood and underestimated your whole life. But that would all change soon.
"Good evening." Viggo stood up from behind his desk to greet you. You nodded politely. The room was dimly lit by a few swaying lanterns. It was much warmer than outside, and strangely...calm...You walked past the Maces and Talons game board, towards his desk, where he had assembled some maps, and paper to organize the plans.
"Please, do take a seat, my dear." Viggo said, sitting down himself. You pulled out the chair, and sat down opposite him, examining the maps in front of you. It was strange to think that, only a few weeks before, you had been sitting in this chair, but as a prisoner. Now, you were working with Viggo to plan the defeat of the Dragon Riders. Everything had changed so quickly. You couldn't help thinking that, perhaps, it had been a little too quick.
"I see you've already got some ideas." You said, gesturing towards the maps.
"Yes, a few. But, it is imperative that we formulate this plan together. Only then will it be successful in besting the Dragon Riders."
"Of course." You agreed, "I have inside knowledge of the riders, so that should help."
"Precisely." He purred in a low voice.
"The closest you ever came to destroying the Edge was when you led the Eruptodon to the volcano. I have to admit, that was pretty smart. Perhaps if we targeted another island, and led the riders there, that would give us enough time to reach the Edge. " He smiled at this response.
You weren't quite sure how long you were in there discussing the plan with him. The components were pretty complex, so it must have been a couple of hours at least. You had just about finalized the details, when something that had been slowly tormenting you at the back of your mind, suddenly surfaced. Viggo must have instantly noticed the change in your expression, because he asked:
"Is there an issue with the proposed plan, my dear?" You knew he was smart, but his ability to immediately read people was unnerving. You guessed it must have been due to years of calculating people's motives whilst playing Maces and Talons. The truth was, that sinking feeling of guilt was weighing you down again. Did the Dragon Riders really deserve this? Admittedly, this plan would hopefully drive them back to Berk and teach them a good lesson, but you still weren't sure. Panic rose inside you as you realized Viggo was awaiting an answer. It was too difficult to explain your moral turmoil to him at the moment. Instead, you tried to act as casually and convincingly as you could, saying:
"No, I'm fine - just thinking it through." you gave a small smile, hoping that would satisfy his suspicion. "That's some plan!" you added, summing it up proudly. "Now let's hope it works."
"There are so many components, that Hiccup will never see through it. As worthy an adversary as he is, he cannot possibly compete with our combined intellect."
"Well, it's getting late. I should go now." You said, standing up.
"Yes. Of course." He seemed a little taken aback, but kept his composure.
You turned towards the door but, as you did, you felt Viggo seize your hand. You flinched and turned back around, your natural reflex causing you to recoil your arm slightly.
"Good night." Viggo said, as your eyes met his.
"Good night." You returned, giving a curt nod, before returning to the door. You stepped out into the frosty night air and the darkness. You breathed a deep sigh of relief, yet a part of you seemed to be glowing. If someone had told you three months ago, that the only person to appreciate and understand you would be Viggo Grimborn, then you would have laughed. But now it seemed not only possible, but probable.
A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a bit shorter than some of the others. I purposely didn't give loads of details about the plan, as it should hopefully unfold itself to keep the story interesting. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!