The Dragon Rider

Chapter 9 ~ The Battle

They approached Berk and the sight that greeted them was one Hiccup hoped he would never have to see again. The island was blasted with spikes of the Alpha's ice and the slit eyed Toothless bore Drago on his back. He was shouting triumphantly to the hoards of terrified Berkians, that their chief was dead, that no one would protect them. He felt Merida hold his waist a little tighter.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered in his ear. "I was part of it. Part of this."

"No," he replied, his voice faltering. He turned around and faced her; her hair was whipping in the icy wind and her eyes were closed as if she couldn't bear to look at him. At the pain she'd caused him. "You weren't to know anything. I believed in the same things as you for a long time. You're one of us now." He placed a hand on her shoulder, nodding as if to ask for confirmation. Placing her hand over his for a second, she nodded. "Now let's put your trapping to good use, yeah?" Merida nodded again with a flash of her old smile.

"He took all the dragons!" Fishlegs exclaimed.

"Distract the Alpha," Hiccup instructed, "try to keep his focus off of Toothless." Tuffnut, ever the genius, asked how and Merida grinned.

"Have you forgotten who you're riding with? There isn't a dragon alive that I can't handle!" As she said that however the baby Scuttleclaw jolted its rear violently and she was cast off its back. She screamed as she plummeted through the air and Hiccup dove as fast as he could to catch her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, where she clung to his back, shaking and shocked.

"Except for that one," he said to her quietly with a tiny smile and she couldn't help but grin, despite nearly falling to her death.

"Amateur," Snotlout shrugged with a nonchalant glance at her. They rode closer and closer and they suddenly realised the scale of their situation. The Bewilderbeast loomed like a beacon, controlled by it's master who seemed tiny in comparison. When the Berkians saw them approaching on the Scuttleclaws though, they turned to them, cheering and pointing, with cries of "It's Hiccup!"

Drago seemed confused, allowing Merida and the others to slip off the Scuttleclaws and go to operate the sheep catapult used in the dragon races.

"Black sheep baby!" Snotlout shouted gleefully, pulling the lever. The Bewilderbeast turned to look but a loud sound that sounded very similar to a trumpet distracted him. It was Fishlegs, blowing the horn used in the games. Suddenly the Black Sheep landed on the face of the Bewilderbeast, falling down and hitting it's facial spines. "Ten points!" Snotlout yelled, but mumbled "Oh no," when the Alpha shook off the sheep and turned back to the Vikings on the ground with the intent to strike, but another blast from the game horn distracted him yet again. Unfortunately Fishlegs giggled, giving away his position and the Alpha let loose a blast of ice, covering the entire platform, missing Fishlegs only because he managed to jump away in time.

Hiccup meanwhile, was just about in control of the Scuttleclaw. He had raised to Drago's level, breathing hard and holding on so tight his knuckles were white. Drago smirked.

"You certainly are hard to get rid of, I'll say that." Hiccup ignored him and turned to the dragon with the slits for eyes.

"Toothless? It's me, bud. It's me. I'm right here. Come back to me..."

Drago merely laughed.

"He is not yours anymore. He belongs to the Alpha! But please, oh great Dragon Master, try to take him. He will not miss a second time."

Hiccup reached out his hand, maintaining eye contact with Toothless the whole time.

"It wasn't your fault bud. They, made you do it. You'd never hurt him. You'd never hurt me..."