For Milady

NINE: Friends and Allies

NINE: Friends and Allies

Stormfly was exhausted as she began to descend towards the familiar mountain and the village lying in its shadow. The statue of the Great Protector was warmed by the light of the dying sun as the exhausted Nadder finally landed in the village square and Astrid caught her breath. The tall, straight shape of Throk walked towards her, his stern face tilted in a smile.

"Astrid Hofferson!" he greeted. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" She smiled and jumped to the ground, her legs wobbling and head spinning with exhaustion. She gripped the dragon and righted herself. "Are you unwell?" the red-haired warrior asked her, his tone concerned. Throk was a fierce warrior, skilled and brave and willing to risk everything in the service of his Queen and his people but he was generally mildly sceptical about the Riders, simply because their beliefs differed so greatly from his own.

"Just tired," she admitted. "I've flown here straight from Berk." Throk frowned and caught her arm gently.

"Is there a problem?" The clear, precise voice of Queen Mala rang across the square and Astrid spun to face the elegant woman, her page-cut strawberry blonde hair framing her stern face with the clear green eyes and thoughtful expression. Astrid bowed her head.

"Yes and no," she admitted. Mala's eyebrow arched. "Viggo and Ryker are dead-as you know-but the Hunters have not gone. They are still in business-and even moe vicious than ever. They captured the adult Deathsong and badly wounded Garff, the young Deathsong we raised from an egg. But if they're chasing unusual dragons, there is a risk to the Great Protector..."

Mala nodded, her eyes pensive.

"The Great Protector is reaching the end of his life," she said quietly. "He has served our people for his whole life, four decades of service in protecting the village and quelling the volcano...but now he is tired. The young New Protector has taken over the burden and it is almost time for him to take his rest in Vanaheim." Her voice sounded sad and Astrid realised that the other woman had a bond with the Eruptodon-not the same as her bond with Stormfly or Hiccup's instinctive bond with Toothless. She sighed.

"It's hard," she sighed and the Queen frowned at the inflection in her tone.

"Harder for Throk, who has a close bond with the Great Protector," she admitted and Astrid looked over at the stern man, seeing the sadness and pride in his hazel eyes.

"Yeah," she sighed.

"Is Hiccup Haddock well?" she asked and Astrid flinched, unable to stop herself. "Astrid?" She closed her eyes.

"There is a problem," she admitted. "Hiccup has just found out he is betrothed to another woman-an arranged match that was made without his knowledge when he was ten. We-we only found out when he asked me to marry him." Mala stared at her and her eyes widened.

"Oh," she said, giving a warning look at Throk. The Defenders did not believe in arranged matches but Throk's natural stern disposition and tendency to believe that service to the Tribe was more important than everything would not help at the moment. "And you love him?" Astrid chewed her lip and nodded, not trusting herself to say anything. Cooing, Stormfly nudged her and nuzzled against her and she wrapped her arms around the scaly head.

"It's okay, girl-I'm fine," she said in a voice that showed she was anything but. Mala gently walked forward and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I can see that is hard for you, being separated from the one you love," she said quietly. Her gaze trailed up to the smoking volcano that dominated the skyline above the village and she sighed. "And I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. I guess there is no hope?" Astrid shook her head.