A Siren's Song - A Hiccup Love Story (HTTYD/RTTE)

24

At this, Viggo tensed up and looked away. After a moment, he gestured to the wings on his wall and asked, "do you know why I keep those there?"

Aldru was shocked by the mention of the wings. She shook her head in response. "Most people think it's a trophie, and I let them believe it..but I don't want you to think so ill of me," he explained, "they're a reminder of why I started this, why I hunt dragons...to know that dragons, who were supposed to protect her at all costs, killed her," Viggo's fists clenched, "it proves what savage beasts they are."

"Wait a second," Aldru interrupted. She squinted her eyes and asked, "you do know it wasn't just any dragons that killed her, right?"

Viggo raised an eyebrows ans blinked a few times. Judging by his reaction, this was news. "..What do you mean?"

"The dragons were armoured," Aldru told him, "they were enslaved and forced to do what they did."

"..What..?" Viggo's face looked full of shock.

Just then, Ryker entered the tent. Upon seeing Aldru, however, he froze. He looked at his brother with menace and demanded, "what is this?"

Viggo's demeanor changed entirely. He grinned and began to speak, "brother, Aldru here has come to make a deal."

"Oh?" Ryker spoke challengingly, "and what deal might that be?"

"To give me information on Hiccup and his plans," he told him, "in exchange for the safety of her island and dragons."

"And you trust her to tell you the truth?" Ryker questioned.

Viggo squinted his eyes and replied protectively, "as a matter of fact, I do." At this Ryker stormed away. But that wasn't the end of it. Within the hour, Ryker had rallied all of the hunters and revolted against Viggo.

Men crashed into the tent and grabbed both him and Aldru. "No, let her go!" Viggo shouted, fighting to get to his daughter.

"Don't you dare let her go," Ryker yelled back, an evil grin on his lips.

It was in this time that Aldru was quite thankful that she hadn't gone to the Stones of Destiny yet. She change form, which shocked the men holding onto her, and was able to get away.

She flew up and looked down at the destruction. Upon sight of Viggo, she tried to swoop down to save him. But if she got too close, hunter shot arrows at her. "No," Viggo yelled at her, "use your brain; get out of here."

It sounded almost like an insult, but Aldru knew he was right. She had to be smart about this. So she left and flew hurriedly back to Dragon's Edge.

• • •

Hiccup woke up to the sound of Aldru's distant singing. Strangely enough, he felt completely awake and ready to go already. So, he headed up to the club house to see what Aldru was doing.

Upon arrival, Hiccup noticed that everyone else was also awake and lively. He looked to Aldru, who'd just changed back to human form, and asked, "uh, what's this all about?"

"A song for energy," Aldru answered, then stumbled a bit, "which seems to have taken much of mine." Hiccup was immediately at her side, helping her to sit down.

"Woah, cool!" Ruffnut shouted. She and Tuffnut were jogging in place with electric smiles on their faces. Even Chicken waddled in place next to them.

"But why?" Heather questioned, "is something wrong?"

"I went to see Viggo last night and I just got back," Aldru began, "but Ryker and the hunters have turned on him and he needs our help. We have to go now." Aldru stood and began to make her way to the entrance but tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground.

"Woah, woah, woah," Snotlout exclaimed and waved his hands as if to clear the air, "back up a second; what?!"

"Aldru, are you sure it wasn't a trick," Hiccup asked as he knelt to help her up.

Aldru nodded quickly as she took his hand and spoke as he pulled her back to her feet, "it only happened because I was there. I think Ryker knows that Viggo has a soft spot for me, he just doesn't know why."

"Hiccup, did you know about this?" Astrid demanded of him.

"Yes, and I would've told you, but you were all asleep already," Hiccup explained as he let Aldru lean on him for support.

There was a moment of silence. Silence, except for the rushed footsteps of Ruff and Tuff, who were still jogging in place. Snotlout glared at them and pushed them over harshly.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Fishlegs admitted, "it doesn't seem right.."

"I know," Aldru sighed, but her pleading eyes didn't lie, "but you guys weren't there. This is real, I could feel it; my dragon senses are never wrong."

• • •

After some convincing, Aldru lead the riders to where Viggo was. They found him tied firmly to a chair in his tent. Hiccup and the others could hardly believe how badly bruised he was from the rebellion. Viggo told them what happened and that Ryker's first target would be the Defenders of the Wing. So the riders took Viggo with them to meet Ryker there.

"I don't like that he's here one bit," Mala spoke sternly as she watched two of her men lock Viggo in a temporary prison cell.

"I know, we don't either," Hiccup explained, "but it was either this or let him go."

Mala then let her eyes fall on the green dragon with large, butterfly-like wings. She asked in amazement, "what is this?"

"This is Aldru," Astrid introduced.

Aldru then changed into her human form and gave the queen a wave. "By the ancients..." Mala stated in awe.

"She's a song wing, and the last of her kind," Fishlegs explained.

"You could even say," Tuffnut began, "she's the great protector, of the Great Protector!"

Mala approached Aldru and questioned in amazement, "our Great Prodector pays it's respect, to you?"

"I guess," Aldru replied somewhat awkwardly, "not me directly, but, my species."

"That is incredible," Throk admired honestly.

"Uh, can we admire Aldru later?" Snotlout asked in a panic, "hunter ships are coming in."

As the attacks began, Aldru fell back with the baby eruptadon to keep it calm. She sang soft songs in her dragon form, one wing draped over the hatchling as it ate lava. But the battle quickly intensified, and Mala insisted that the baby be taken somewhere else for the time.

Fishlegs offered immediately to care for it back at the Edge. "Aldru, you should go with them," Astrid told her then smiled, "we're supposed to protect you, too, remember?"