The Night Rider: Book Two

Chapter 27: Workshop

HICCUPS POV.

Hiccups eyes fluttered open. Through the windows in his bedroom he could tell that midday had already past, it must have been around three. He was naked and in bed, with a small amount of a fur blanket concealing his crotch. He turned his head to his left and saw Astrid sleeping beside him in bed. She was also naked, but was mostly covered completely by the remainder of the fur blanket that she must have stolen from him in their sleep.

Hiccup smiled at her sleeping figure affectionately. He raised a hand carefully, not too fast to wake her, and brushed a piece of her silky golden hair out of her face. He watched her for a moment, not wanting to move from his spot in bed. He didn't want to spoil his personal moment. But, he had things to do.

Hiccup sat up carefully and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up carefully and stretched, allowing his tense muscles to loosen. He grabbed his underwear off the ground and put it on. His shoe was turned onto its side and the corresponding sock was beside it. Both were covered up by his pants, which he put on before the other two items. Last was his shirt which he couldn't find until he gingerly dug through the blankets on the bed. Early in the day when Astrid and him had decided to bring their lustful actions back to his house, they'd quickly thrown back on their clothes, and found their dragons in the forest and flown back. When they'd reached his room they'd taken off their clothes so quickly and discarded them nonchalantly, it looked like a wardrobe had violently exploded. Throwing it's contests around the room.

Hiccup walked over the the shut door and opened it quietly. The metal hinges squeaked as it moved. He looked back over his shoulder to Astrid, still asleep. He breathed a sigh of relief. He exited the room and closed the door behind him.

His footsteps thudded as he walked down the stairs. The main door to the house was open and Toothless was asleep beside it. Out the open doorway he could see Stormfly doing the same. Hiccup grabbed a small knife off a table top and a piece of flint, before he continued over to the the false wardrobe and opened its door. The opened up the back revealing the stairs that lead down. He climbed but left the hole open behind him so he could see. His hand found it's way to the torch on the wall. He struck the blade of the knife against the flint and sparks rained down onto the dormant torch, making it burst into flame.

He continued down the stairs until he reached his workshop. To his left there was the all too familiar metal door that led into where he had been keeping Dagur and to the right was the stone archway. He peeked his head through it along with the torch illuminating the large cavern with water in it. The Shellfire had been returned by the scaldrons and part of the hull was sunken farther down beneath the water due to the hole.

Hiccup walked over to a workbench and placed the torch down into a holder. In front of him on one of several workbenches was a set of armor he had been working on for a long time and was close to completion. But, his work on it had been postponed due to everything that had been happening recently. Hiccup grabbed the white sheet that covered it and yanked it off, a small amount of dust flying off with it. The armor was far different than any of his other armor sets. This one was made with a combination of Night Fury scales and a thin sheet of groncel iron beneath it. No arrow or bladed weapon would be able to cut through it. On the legs of the armor there were two small leather loops that he would be able to stick his hands through and pull on to deploy a pair of leather wings, that could allow his short term solo flight. On his back there would be a fin also made of leather that would allow him easier maneuverability during flight. On the tops of each of the reinforced gloves were small single-shot crossbows that would shoot small groncle iron tipped bolts. He had a dozen reserve bolts running down the undersides of forearms. On the top of his forearms were two metal rectangles that would eject two long groncle iron blades that he could wield if he ever lost his sword.

Hiccup picked up the incomplete helmet he had been crafting for this set. He held it in his hands, before throwing it aside. He wanted to use the helmet that had been repaired on Berk, the one that showed the Berkian crest confidently.

Hiccup grabbed a hammer off the table and got to work. He hammered groncel iron into place, and fitted Night Fury scales to the top of it. The sound of a hammer against steel echoed around his small workshop. He loaded a bolt into one of the small hand crossbows and fired it at a small target. The groncle iron tipped bolt penetrated completely through the target and lodged itself into the stone wall half an inch. Hiccup frowned. They would kill, and he didn't want that. But, it was war. He would try to avoid killing at all cost... but war has casualties. Soon, after an hours work. The armor was completed. It was his best set yet. It would truly make him what many already thought he was... unkillable.

There was still one more thing he had to make. Another ejectable flaming sword. He'd lost his last one when he'd been shot down saving Astrid. The Dragon Hunters had confiscated it, and he'd never gotten a chance to get it back. Luckily he had the blueprints for it. Hiccup began to work again, hammering out a hilt and a blade. Creating capsules of Monstrous Nightmare gel. After another thirty minuets, he was done.

Hiccup took a step back from the workbench. Wiping away a thin layer of sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder. Hiccup turned around suddenly to see Astrid standing behind him. She was dressed, and looking at him affectionately. He blushed thinking back to their previous encounter. He caressed the back of his neck in embarrassment, but she just smiled up at him sweetly, before placing a kiss on his lips which he returned.

"Good afternoon." He greeted.

"Great afternoon." She said back.

When the kiss broke Astrid began to walk around the room. She placed a hand against a set of old armor and he could see her examining the gashes along their frames. She approached the workbench and looked at his newest set of armor.

What's this?" Astrid asked approaching the metal door.

Hiccup hesitated. He wanted to lie to her. Tell her it was nothing but a storage room. But he couldn't. After their moment of love and passion, he couldn't make himself lie to her. He loved her too much...

He walked over to the door and grabbed the handle. Hiccup pulled it open revealing the room inside. The chains hanging from the walls, and bloodstained floor.

"This is where you had Dagur?" She asked. Hiccup didn't respond. Instead, he just nodded slowly.

Astrid raised a hand and placed it affectionately on his cheek. Their eyes met and they smiled at one another.

Then, there was the sound of flapping wings outside his house, and commotion. Hiccup rushed up the stairs and out of the open wardrobe, helping Astrid out as well. Outside the house they could see Windshear lying exhausted in the grass. Stormfly was walking around anxiously next to the Razor Whip. Inside the house, Heather was sitting on the floor with her back against a wall. She had clearly been beaten. He skin was bruised severely. Toothless was next to her cooing softly.

"Heather!" Exclaimed Hiccup and he rushed over to her side.

Heather lifted her head and looked at him confused. She cocked her head, her eyes studying his face. "Is that you, Night?" She asked.

Hiccup hesitated. "Yes." He eventually responded.

"What happened to you?" Astrid questioned her. Hiccup and Astrid helped Heather up to her feet and over to a chair to sit down. Astrid grabbed her horn off the floor where he had put it and returned it to Heather.

"You found my horn?" Heather asked weakly.

"Yeah. Viggo had it." Hiccup responded. Taking a seat next to her.

"Yeah, and they had me." Heather explained.

"Explain what happened." Hiccup suggested.

Heather nodded and closed her eyes briefly. Like she was trying to recollect and sift through all of her thoughts. She peeled back open her eyes. "Here's what happened."