The Gift of the Princess (HTTYD)

Gathering Information

Chapter 3: Gathering Information

Dagur's pleasant morning was made even better when he opened his door to find Eira standing there. "Eira!" he said cheerfully. "I didn't expect to see you so early. Did you come just to see me?"

"No," Eira said. "Well, yes. I mean, I need to talk to you... and Heather and Viggo."

Dagur's expression grew serious. He did not like that look in her eyes. "What's wrong? Do I need to pound someone?"

"No! I'll explain everything. Can we just talk?"

Of course, Dagur acquiesced. Soon, they were gathered with Heather and Viggo in the main room in his house. Eira explained how she, Ingrid, Hiccup, and Astrid came across a group of Vikings the previous day who called themselves 'dragon trappers.' They apparently worked for some guy named Drago who was building a dragon army.

"This cannot stand!" Heather said forcefully. "I knew it was only a matter of time before we faced another threat. We must act now!"

"Agreed, sister!" said Dagur. He looked at Eira with determination. "Do not worry, Eira. Your allies will come to your aid, and together we will win!"

"Whoa whoa, slow down," Eira said. "No one is attacking anyone. We don't even know that Drago knows about us yet or that he will come after us. Even if we did, we can't just attack without exhausting the alternatives."

Heather crossed her arms and frowned. "Let me guess, you want to try to talk it out with this guy?"

"Well, yes, but so does Hiccup. We have to at least try to find a peaceful solution, right?" She looked around at the others as if searching for an ally.

"As long as it's done correctly, there is no reason not to try non-violent alternatives," Viggo said. "However, 'talking it out' should not be your only tactic."

Eira nodded. "I know. That's why we're not trying it just yet. Right now, we're gathering information on Drago and the dragon trappers." She paused. "You haven't heard of either of them, have you?" She looked from Viggo to Dagur.

"This is all news to me," Dagur said.

"I'm afraid I can't help you either," said Viggo. "I may reach out to some contacts and see if I can dig anything up."

Eira gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Viggo. That would be greatly appreciated."

"What about us?" said Heather. "If these dragon trappers are a threat, they could come after our dragons."

"Yeah, we want to help!" said Dagur. He could not bear the thought of his Eira in trouble.

Eira shook her head. "You two should stay here and prepare your people in case of an attack. Chief Stoick doesn't want anyone else involved right now. The trappers don't know you have dragons, and it's better if it stays that way. You need to keep a low profile."

Dagur grit his teeth in frustration. He did not like this at all. "But Drago might attack if he thinks he can take you."

"And then we will be ready as reinforcements," Viggo said. "He will never see us coming."

"I suppose that makes sense," Heather said. "Just make sure you keep us up to date."

Eira nodded. "I will." She turned to Dagur. "I'm going to be busy dealing with this situation for awhile, so you should continue teaching the former dragon hunters with Viggo."

Dagur frowned. "But it's much better when you're there!"

"Surely we can handle it," Viggo said.