For Milady

FORTY-NINE: King and Princess

FORTY-NINE: King and Princess

Astrid was quiet. Hiccup had seen Astrid quiet before-when angry, when hurt, when thinking, when practising and when asleep. Though sleeping Astrid was completely adorable and melted his heart as she snuggled against him...but this was not one of those Astrids. Apart from angry Astrid-who was scarier than anything he knew, save Angry Stoick-he was familiar with all of them and knew this wasn't one he knew. And that worried him because he loved her with all his heart and he knew she was hurt beyond words. Her eyes locked, her brow furrowed and hands tight on the saddle with her axe slung across her back, this was Valkyrie Astrid, the vengeful warrior-daughter and Chief and utterly enraged mother who was heading to find her daughter.

They were flying fast and hard towards Berserk with Mala sitting behind Snotlout as they arrowed at top speed towards Berserk. The night was fading fast and they were not that far from sighting the island but Hiccup's mind was racing at what he had learned. The King of Dragons was astonishingly powerful and would enable Johann to command all dragons if it fell into his power. And Hiccup knew it was his duty to stop Johann and Krogan...by whatever mean were necessary. But in doing that, he left his daughter at the mercy of the evil man and he had to hope that Astrid would save her when the battle grew fierce.

The sun was rising behind them and the island was jutting against the blue morning sky, the armada already attacking. They could see Johann's fleet closing fast and the unmistakeable shapes of the Singetails and their Fliers accelerating forward to rain fire and fury down onto the Berserker village...but Hiccup knew what Krogan did not. And he felt his lips curl in a smile of triumph at the sight of the Singetails almost reaching the shore of Berserk-and then, as one, roaring protests and baulking, backing away and hovering but refusing the travel one wingbeat forward over the island.

"No dragons will fly over Berserk," Hiccup murmured to Toothless, resting his left hand flat on the Night Fury's head. "Not even you, bud. I wish you would tell me why...though I suspect that the King of Dragons prevents it to conceal himself from unwanted attention." He smiled. "I can't see Krogan giving up that easily...so let's go and give him a surprise!" And they pulled ahead, circling round the back of the island and accelerating up behind the peak of Berserk, awaiting Krogan, who Hiccup was sure would try to fly over the unseen King's influence. He could hear the thud of catapults and the roars of the Berserkers as they took advantage of the confusion over the Singetails' refusal to fly at Berserk. Dagur would know that secret and Hiccup was sure his friend would have exploited that tiny window to bring the firepower of the Berserker defences against the invaders.

And then Toothless crooned. The roars were dying down but the sounds of Singetails had come closer and he could hear Krogan yelling as they flew upwards, skirting the influence that denied them the skies until the Singetails drew level with the peak of Berserk.

And then Toothless came screaming in from the sun, plasma blasts bracketing the Fliers and slamming two back. Krogan barely evaded one aimed straight at his head and Hiccup leaned low over the Night Fury, swooping round fast and accurate, his eyes locked on the attackers.

"KROGAN! This ends now!" he shouted as Toothless fired again at the Fliers. Astrid took out a couple more and the twins swathed Krogan in Zippleback gas, causing him to spin away as the cloud ignited, singeing his hair and eyebrows. But as he righted himself, he found the dragons surrounding him-not just the Riders but Cami as well as Spitelout and Gustav, who had just arrived from Berk in response to a Terror Mail Hiccup had sent from Defenders' Isle. The evil man looked round, his face twisted in rage and shock-and then they dived away, heading back towards the armada to the cheers of the Berserkers and especially Dagur and Heather. But as Hiccup watched them retreat, he knew this was only round one.