The Night Rider: Book Two

Chapter 43: Carnage

THE NIGHT RIDER POV.

Berk was in better condition than he'd imagined. On the flight from Berserker Island his thoughts had been plagued with images of Hunters rampaging through the streets, slaughtering Vikings left and right with no mercy. The streets of Berk running red with the blood of his friends and their dragons. The village completely reduced to smoldering ash, his friends along with it. His father's head mounted on a pike. When Berk had first appeared over the dark horizon, it was like a brazier due to the fire. He'd been so nervous, to see it up close and feared he was too late to help at all. But when he got closer, his worries had eased up. If only slightly.

Berk had prepared for an attack, and he could tell by the established defenses. And him and Heather had seen the evacuated Vikings in the cove when they'd been flying to the fight. The Night Rider had no doubt in his mind that the preparations had been Astrids idea, and seeing her stand before him unharmed and alive brough a smile to his face beneath his helmet. That's when what Viggo had told him about what would happen before the attack began entered his mind. His smile vanished.

"Astrid, where's my dad?" He asked her urgently. If what Viggo had told him about his plan for his dad was true, and since the fighting had already begun that meant... no-that couldn't be true! "Astrid!" He snapped at her.

Astrid took a step away from him. Her mouth opened and closed like she was talking but no sound came out. It was obvious that she was worried about telling him something. The worst possible scenarios came to his mind.

"What happened to you?" She asked him, like it was the only thing she could manage to say.

The Night Rider huffed. He didn't have time to answer stupid questions that could easily be answered later. After he saved his dad! But, maybe answering her question would clear her mind enough to answer his own. "I was tricked and captured. Dagur was going to execute me when..." He looked over to Heather, "Heather killed him. Then we came here." He explained.

"Good thing you weren't captured, Heather. There's no telling what could've happened then." Astrid said. Heather looked away from Astrid shamefully. The Night Riders first instinct was to tell Astrid and Gobber about Heathers betrayal and then her redemption. But if he did it would make them and others trust her less, and that isn't what Berk needed right now. He'd let Heather tell them later.

"Yeah. Good thing." He said, and Heather gave him a soft, yet appreciative smile. He turned his attention back to Astrid. "Now, where's my dad?"

Astrid instantly averted her eyes away from his. She couldn't even look him in the eyes. What had happened. "Astrid. Tell me. Now." He ordered.

Tears welled up in the girls' eyes and she shook her head. That was the answer. Her not being able to say it was the answer he got to confirm his greatest fear. But it couldn't be. She had to say it. He had to hear her say it. "Astrid!"

"Lass, take it easy now." Gobber said. He placed a hand onto one of his shoulders but he shoved the Gobber away from him.

"Astrid! You have to say it!" He yelled over the sound of war in Berks streets.

The first tear slipped out of one of Astrids eyes and she finally spoke. "Ryker killed him. Hiccup, I'm so sorry."

Her words hit him in the chest like an arrow made of ice that pierced straight through his heart. The cold ice seemed to spread from the arrow and into his body. His extremities went numb and the sound of battle faded away into the background. Dead. Could that even happen? His whole life his father had been a pillar of strength. When he was younger he believed that if he could end up being half of the man his father was he'd be twice as good a man as anyone else in or out of the Archipelago. But now his father was dead. The ice-cold shock that kept him immobilized forced him to relive memories from his youth with his father. Sledding together during Snoggletog, reading together, his father trying to teach him to fight. Although, that one didn't take very well.  All these things and more that he'd never experience again...