Deception (A Dragons Race to the Edge Fanfic)

Chapter 25

After following the riders from around midnight (when the capture had taken place) and through the next day, you were now hovering in the dusk sky, off the western shore of Berk. You had a plan, but it wasn't exactly complicated, so you hoped it would work. You weren't sure whether Hiccup would be expecting you to come and rescue Viggo or not but, either way, you were going to try. You were mainly counting on the fact that the Screaming Death was wreaking havoc on the eastern side of the island. There were rippling vibrations as it tunneled furiously through the earth, and then back up to the surface to tackle the persistent riders, who were blocking its path to the village. You figured you could use this distraction to your advantage. As you had come in to land at Raven Point, you had glimpsed Hiccup and a few of the other riders trying to herd the Screaming Death back out to sea.

"Ok, girl." You said softly to Amethyst. "I need you to drop me off at the cove on the western edge of the island. Then, I need you to keep an eye on the riders and the Screaming Death. If they start heading west, raise the alarm." You knew it was imperative you remained undetected. It would certainly be game over if both you and Viggo were caught. Besides, a part of you was desperate to impress him with a tactical rescue. Amethyst squawked her approval, and briefly landed near the cove to allow you to begin running towards the main village. With a swoop of wings, you heard her make her way towards the eastern edge of the island, making sure she carefully camouflaged her scales with the night sky, silently observing the commotion below.

 You ran uphill through the forest, ignoring the brambles tearing at your legs. A few drops of rain began to fall, which soon turned to hail. The hail stung as it hit you, but you gritted your teeth and pushed forwards. The gradient of the hill was steep, the burning in your legs a contrast to the ice-cold hail blazing over your face with increasing force. When you reached the brink of the village, you briefly sheltered under an oak tree. You had to work quickly; there was no telling how long the diversion would keep up for.

'Now, where would they keep Viggo? The stables?' It made sense. There were plenty of dragons there to raise the alarm if he escaped, and it would be hard to get through the rest of the village unnoticed. Unfortunately, both of those factors also made your job harder.

There were people all over the village, most staring eastwards in distress, and preparing to fight the Screaming Death as it devoured the island. Despite the diversion, you knew there was no way you could get to the stables unnoticed, which meant that it was time for the next part of your plan. You had a small piece of dragon root in your pocket, wrapped in cloth so that Amethyst wouldn't be affected by it whilst flying. You carefully threw it into the village. Instantly, the dragons in the nearby area were drawn to it, and began fighting over it. The Vikings in the surrounding area soon drew all their attention towards the quarreling dragons, allowing you to sneak past undetected. You smiled with satisfaction, as you continued to look for Viggo.

Your plan had worked well, but you had to hurry: Hiccup was likely to realize what you were up to before long. You pushed the stable doors open as quietly as you could, peering inside. You stepped in. When you had been outside, the adrenaline seemed to have drawn your attention from the weather conditions, but you now realized that you were completely drenched and freezing, a shivering sensation running through you. There was an icy wind out there, and being soaking wet hadn't exactly warmed you up.

The coast seemed to be clear, as you ventured towards a cell, and found Viggo pacing within it, no doubt formulating an escape plan. He immediately looked up at you when he heard your footsteps. You couldn't tell whether the look on his face was one of surprise or relief - probably both.

"You came all the way here to rescue me? I'm honored." You heard him say.

"Consider it repayment for the times you saved me." You said, beginning to fiddle with the lock. Using the sharp tip of an arrow you'd found lying around, along with a stick, you managed to pick the lock of the cell in relatively short time. Relief flooded over you when you heard the click of the lock, that confirmed your success.