Howling Echoes - A How to Train Your Dragon Story, The Echoes, Book 1

Chapter 41: Self-Confessions

   Teeth flew at Frostflake, and she jumped back, blasted frost at them.  Meatlug, Sluether, and Toothless fired at them as well.  

   The dragons skittered away into the forest, and Frostflake growled through the bushes.  "What is it, girl?"  I patted her head, then saw a hut on a rocky part of the beach through the bushes.  I could see a blue-purple Berserker symbol on the door.

   "Look!"  I pointed at it and walked over to it.  "This wood - it was salvaged from a Berserker gallion."  "He was shipwrecked..."  Dagur said softly.  He suddenly seemed so...different.  "So...do we knock?"  Fishlegs asked.  I nodded.  "Sounds about right."

   "Heh, maybe we should stop for a snack, feeling a bit peckish."  Dagur chuckled.  "Kidding, kidding!  Gotcha!"  I narrowed my eyes.  "Dagur, open the door,"  I said sternly.  "Now."  He hesitantly opened it with a squeak and peered inside.  "Daddy?"  He gasped as he looked down.

   There was a dead body on the ground, cold and covered in a brown cloak.  "Oswald."  I murmured.  

   
   Dagur set down the helmet and shield on the pile of rocks.  "I'm sorry, Dagur,"  I said, lightly put my hand on his shoulder.  I knew how he felt...sort of.  He nodded.  "Hiccup, Dagur, Kiara, come quick!"  Fishlegs cried from inside the hut.  We rushed over to see a sketch of the dragons that had attacked us with their...teeth earlier.

   "You were right Hiccup, they're hunters.  Oswald named them Grim Gnashers.  And apparently Oswald would help the Sentinals chase them away.  Your dad was a hero, Dagur!"  Fishlegs said.  "Of course he was."  Dagur lifted his chin with evident pride in his voice.  "He was a Berserker."  

   Toothless knocked a box down, and two rolls of paper came out.  Dagur picked them up.  "One's for Heather, and...this one's for... me?" 

   Fishlegs, Hiccup and I continued to study the area.  I gasped when I saw something.  "Look, Hiccup!"  I removed a black blanket from something.  There was a silver egg with armor plates on it.  

   "He must've found an egg on the island,"  Fishlegs said.  "The Sentinals won't be able to take care of it here."  Hiccup said.  "But we do know someone who's been dying to have a 24.7 friend and playmate that hangs around someone who's very good with eggs and baby dragons..."  I tilted my head.  "Who?"  I asked.

   "You!"  Fishlegs said.  "Oh, right.  Me.  I mean, it does look like it'll hatch so -"  A crack ran down the side of the egg.  "on."  I finished.  "Hiccup, Fishlegs, Kiara!"  Dagur's distressed call.  I quickly wrapped the bottom of the egg in the warm, soft, cotton black blanket.  

   There was a light blue Gronkle being surrounded by Grim Gnashers.  "Oh no!"  I cried, tucking the egg in close.  A small wail came from the egg as we took off and blasted some of the Grim Gnashers with frost.

   Dagur chased the lead Grim Gnasher, and the Sentinals came and helped drive them off.  

   On the way back, all I could do was think.  Viggo was alive.  And apparently we were talking about that when we got back to the Edge.  What was I supposed to think about that?  If I had to be honest with myself...maybe it was normal.  If I had to have grown up with Viggo, wouldn't I feel the same way?

   Stupid familial love getting in the way of everything.  I thought.  How could this get any worse?

(P.S.  Sorry about the very undetailed fight with the Grim Gnashers...)