"I Do.... NOT!!"

Chapter 26: Two Battles

                            ....Astrid's POV....

       "Toothless!!!" I shrieked, racing down the arena stands. He had finished off all three reapers, fighting like an experienced warrior well beyond his age. Now he was senseless on the ground, bleeding and battered. I stumbled into the arena and crashed to the ground next to my friend. We had to know if more reapers we're coming... And I guessed he was the only one who had talked to the grim reapers enough to know. I took a deep breath and examined his wounds.

     They were bad, but I could heal it. The familiar cold, sickening feeling gripped me as the poison left his body, and major wounds healed in moments. I willed his overloaded mind to wake and then sealed my energy inside of him. Heather kept me from falling over and we watched Toothless slowly wake. His eyes fluttered and then he scrambled to his claws, roaring in terror.

      "Oh Thor!!! They're sending an army to attack Berserker island?" Heather cried. Toothless snorted and fixed her with a sad gaze. He raced from the arena and launched into the sky, flipping in circles and letting out repeated plasma distress blasts. He perched on the roof of the great hall and let out a thundering roar. He was gathering all the dragons together! We watched in amazement as dragons gathered below him, waiting for his command.

       I got to my feet, and began a wobbly trek up to the great hall with Heather's help. As we came within ear shot, I realized Toothless was discussing battle plans. The dragons soon split into two groups, with a subgroup of just four dragons to protect the dragonets and children in the most secure place on Berk- the underground cavern covered by the great hall. Toothless changed back into his human form after walking among the dragons and organizing in front of the great hall after a bit. "Astrid. You need to stay with the villagers under the great hall," Hiccup said, giving me a worried gaze. I tried to protest, but I was to exhausted to protest. All I could do was cry as Heather gently took me to the great hall with all the other villagers who couldn't fight. I had never hid with the others during a battle, I felt so weak and useless. It was killing me inside.

       ...... Hiccup's POV.....

     I felt a sinking, sad feeling watching Astrid go. I knew she couldn't stand being protected... After all she was the one who had protected others her entire life. I would talk to her after sorting things out with the villagers. Stoick approached me and asked for a brief on the plans. "I've got the A and B team dragons. Team A will stay here on Berk, patrolling and doing what they can do kill any grim reapers that come here. Team B is coming with the twins and I to Berserker Island.  The villagers will need to decide which team they want to stay with. I'm not their chief, you are. So you'll need to work out with them how they are going to help. The goal is to kill all but one or two grim reapers. We need them alive to find out where the grim reaper island. They'll stay as prisoners on Berk until we figure out how to free the dragons on that island. We are leaving as soon as possible so those coming need to hurry and meet at the forge." I told him.

     I turned and jogged off to the forge, searching for any weapons or tools we could use for the fight. As I finished handing out my finds and instructing each dragon and Viking individually on the weak points of a grim reaper, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Son, I'm staying here at Berk. A chief protects his own." Stoick said. "Sounds good." I replied. Just then I heard the welcome greeting calls of rumblehorns and a few other dragons from nearby. They had seen my distress signal and made it to Berk with surprising speed! I ran to the town square and greeted the newcomers enthusiastically.

      Stoick watched as I instructed them, and then backed up as I approached him with a massive red and green tinged male rumblehorn.  "It's ok- he won't hurt you." I said. Stoick gulped and stayed put as I brought his hand up to the rumble horn's snout. "This is skull crusher. He's a leader, like you. I know you've never ridden a dragon, but you may need to learn if things get to dangerous. There's alot of battle advantages when you have a dragon by your side." I explained. Skull crusher glared at Stoick, then sniffed his hovering hand. "He needs to know you'll treat him as an equal. You need to bow your head and look away from him. Dragons take that as a sign that you won't hurt them." I offered. Stoick turned his head away and bowed it. I had to smile at his gasp of surprise. He'd never touched a live dragon like this before. Stoick looked up warily and Skull Crusher rumbled pleasantly.