The Arcane Evil (httyd-fic)

Chapter 26

Hiccup was looking very nervous as he followed Astrid to the training grounds for the knights. "I'm not so sure about this." Hiccup mumbled.

"Don't be nervous." Astrid stated. "I'm sure we will find suitable guards."

"I meant, what if they don't like me?"

This caused Astrid to chuckle. "I was thinking the same thing when I became Queen and had to select men for the Shadow corps." Astrid admitted. "I was afraid that they would hate me. It turns out that they were more afraid of me than I was of them."

"Well it helps when you have the ability to turn someone into a frog." Hiccup stated as he thought back to the party that had chased after them across the kingdoms. Hiccup's statement caused Astrid to giggle.

"Yes it does. But Hiccup simply pick who you think would be an asset. You'll know who to choose." Astrid said sagely.

Hiccup nodded as two soldiers opened the heavy doors to the training area. Hiccup had to shield his eyes from the sun. He squinted and could see Drago standing next to several men lined up perfectly.

"Your Highness." Drago greeted with a bow while the men stood at attention. Drago gave Hiccup a nod but inwardly he was fuming that he had to do this to earn back the Queen's trust. "I have gathered some of our finest fighters."

Hiccup looked at the men that Drago had gathered. They all looked like well trained muscled soldiers. A frown formed on Hiccup's face when he looked at the men and Astrid noticed it.

"What is the matter?" She asked.

"It's just a feeling. There is something that I wish to test if you would allow me." Hiccup queried to which Astrid nodded.

"Would one of you knights like to join me for a spar?" Hiccup asked which caused the soldiers assembled to laugh.

"What is so funny?" Hiccup asked now.

One of the soldiers to the left decided to speak up. "Why should we spar with you? We will just end up beating a skinny guy like you."

Hiccup lifted a brow and then turned back to Astrid. "You were right. I will know if they are suitable. They are not."

"How can you say that?!" one of the knights asked looking incensed. "We are some of the best fighters."

"But fighting is not everything." Hiccup countered. "If I have to have someone watch my back then I would rather it be someone who would not underestimate his opponent."

"Why don't you take a walk through the training area." Astrid suggested as she noticed some of the knights gaping. She dismissed the assembled knights as well as Drago. Eret who came from one of the barracks smirked as he saw Drago leaving the training area. He had come just in time to hear Hiccup's reasoning and couldn't help but agree.

Astrid had noticed Eret nearby and then suggested "Why doesn't Eret introduce you to some of the soldiers. If I come along they will all act like statues."

"I would be happy to." Eret said as he and Hiccup began heading to the different training facilities. Astrid smiled, happy that those she considered friends were getting along.

Eret had shown Hiccup the stables where some of the knights were grooming their horses. "Are all of the city's soldiers staying in these barracks?" Hiccup asked as they simply walked through the area.

"Not all of them." Eret explained. "Some have families who live in the houses near the palace. They do come to train here daily if there is no other duty they have to perform."

They were passing several knights sparring when Hiccup's eyes fell on someone. Both men were muscled but one was simply blocking the attacks of the other without fighting back. Some of the knights were hollering for the defensive one to strike back but that did not happen. Eret stopped to look at what had gotten Hiccup's attention. "That is Cyne." Eret said. "He is a pacifist."

"Then why is he a knight?" Hiccup asked as he observed the fight. So far the attacks had been either blocked or dodged.

"It's a long story but he isn't that well liked in the order. The other knights are giving him a hard time because he refuses to fight back and his commanding officer is threatening to kick him out due to that."

"Why would his commanding officer want to do that?" Hiccup asked confused. "He would lose a skilled fighter."

Eret looked at Hiccup in confusion. "This is hand to hand combat." Hiccup explained. "I have yet to see his opponent land a blow. It is either blocked or dodged. You would have to be extremely skilled in that type of combat to pull it off." Eret was at a loss of words as he looked at the sparring match again from a new angle.

The pair soon left the sparring area and they were going to head to the practice space when some commotion near the stables caught their attention.

Eret headed back, with Hiccup following quickly behind him, to the stables they had left a few minutes ago. From the doorframe both men could see two knights had cornered a female knight.

Eret was about to step in when Hiccup stopped him. Eret looked at Hiccup questioningly. All he got out of Hiccup was "Just watch."

"What is the matter Ellyn?" One of the men asked mockingly. "You should just quit the order."

"Yeah. A pretty girl like you should just simply serve us our dinner." The other laughed.

"You wouldn't understand!" The woman, Ellyn, growled at the two men and tried to pass them only to be blocked by a hand. "Let me pass."

The men laughed. One then decided to speak "You think you can order us around! You are the lowest ranking knight here! A woman has no place as a knight."

The men were knocked onto the ground before they knew it. Ellyn had grabbed a nearby broom and had hit them in the chests before sweeping them off their feet quite literally. "You just got knocked down by the lowest ranked knight. What does that make you?" The woman questioned before placing the broom against a pillar and making her way towards the door. She nodded to Eret and Hiccup and said "Thank you for not interfering." before leaving.

Eret glared at the two soldiers on the ground and ordered them to cleaning duty for a month for harassing a fellow knight.

"You knew what was going to happen." Eret stated as he and Hiccup left the stables once more. "How?"

"I'm assuming being a woman and a knight is uncommon." Hiccup stated to which Eret nodded.

"There were three women but only she remained in the order. It was her Highness herself who gave her the opportunity to apply. She was actually one of her handmaidens at the time. The men generally do not like her being here and she has thus remained the lowest ranked knight." Eret explained. "Now how did you know she was going to do that?!"

Hiccup chuckled. "You don't survive as the only woman in a knight order without some measure of skill and she had that same glint in her eyes that Astrid gets when she wants to blow something up." That caused Eret to shudder.

"It is already getting late." Eret said as he noticed the setting sun. "Would you like to meet me here tomorrow?"

"Of course." Hiccup agreed as they proceeded to say their goodbyes.

Meanwhile Drago was fuming in his chambers as his first plan had not succeeded. Hiccup had not chosen any of the men that he had recommended and now his idea of planting a spy near Hiccup had failed.