The Night Rider: Book Two

Chapter 44: I'll come back, Astrid

HICCUP/THE NIGHT RIDER POV.

The war was over quickly after they news of Rykers death spread. The news crippled the psyche of the Hunters and their fighters had fallen into chaos and been easily defeated. Only six Hunter ships escaped from the original fleet, most had been sunk. The majority of the Berserker ships remained since they were smaller and hadn't been targeted as heavily as the better equipped Hunter ships had been. Most of the Berserker ground forces had surrendered when Heather delivered them the news of Dagurs death, and since she was his brother she was now their chief. They'd reluctantly given up their arms and began to be loaded onto their boats and sent back to Berserker Island. Very few Berkians had been killed in the attack, but many wounded. The ones that weren't had been dispatched to quench the fires, and the evacuated Berkians were returning to the city at a steady pace. Cheering and applauding those who'd fought.

Toothless landed in the town square near Gothi's hut where many were receiving medical care from the old healer. Astrid was with Stormfly, Gobber, and Heather accompanied by Windshear. They were all standing around talking. But when he dismounted Toothless's saddle they stopped their talking and ran over to him. Other Berkians noticed his arrival and called his name out in celebration. Quickly there was a large crowd surrounding him.

"Hiccup! I've never seen you fight like that before!" Snotlout exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air above his head.

"Yeah, it was really something!" Agreed Fishlegs.

"Oh please! It wasn't just something! It was—." Began Tuff.

"Amazing!" Finished Ruff. Several Berkians in the crowd agreed and others hollered in approval.

"I haven't seen you fight like that for a long time." Said Heather. Although she didn't sound as approving as the others, instead, she sounded more concerned.

"That's what happens when your father's murdered." He said coldly and the crowds mood flatlined. Expressions in the crowd bore sadness and some smaller children cried into their mothers arms.

"Look, I'm sorry. I was—."

"Shut up, Heather!" He shouted. He ripped his helmet off his head, revealing his furious expression to his friends and the crowd. "His death is your fault!"

A silence fell over the crowd of Berkians and they looked amongst one another unsure of what he meant.

"Hiccup, what do you mean?" Asked Astrid him.

"She was working for them! She's the reason my father got captured in the first place! Why Spitelout and all the others died! She planned to have them captured and exchanged for my surrender!" He told the crowd. "Then, they were going to destroy Berk!"

The crowd glared at Heather, including Snotlout, who looked like he might lunge at Heather at any given moment.

"Heather, is this true?" Astrid asked her, and the crowd awaited her response.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Yes. It's just—I was so mad. And I wasn't thinking-."

"Yeah! You weren't thinking!" Hiccup interrupted. "If you were maybe more people who still be alive!"

Heather looked physically wounded by his words. But he didn't care, and he meant every single one of them.

"I'm sorry."

"Go. Leave Berk, now!" Hiccup ordered pointing to Windshear. "If I ever see you again I'll—I'll... I'll kill you!"

Heathers expression dropped and she backed away from him in dismay over to Windshear. She mounted up and gave the crowd and him more specifically one last look before taking off into the night sky flying in the same direction as the fleet of departing Berserker on their way to Berserker Island.

The crowd fell silent and they were all looking at him surprised at his angry outburst. Suddenly the crowd parted and Gothi was walking towards him slowly.

Gobber gasped. "It's time."

"Time for what?" Asked Astrid which is the same question he had.

"Kneel." Instructed Gothi when she finally reached him. The crowd was shocked by her speaking, and he followed her instruction. That's when he understood what was going to happen. She was making him chief since his father was gone.

Gothi ran two fingers across the dirt on the floor and rubbed the brown dust between her boney fingers. She raised her hand up towards his forehead. He'd thought about when this would happen when he had been younger. Long before he'd met Toothless. He'd always imagined it happening when his father had resigned. Not when his father was dead and—one of his killers was still alive. Viggo was still alive! Right before the healers dirty fingers crossed over the skin of his forehead he abruptly stood up, gaining a gasp from the crowd.

"No." He said.

"'No' what?" Asked Gobber.

"I'm not going to be chief. Not yet, anyway." He explained. "Not until every last Hunter is dead."

"What! But we need a chief! Berk can't be chief-less!" Snotlout shouted and the others agreed.

"It won't be. Snotlout, you'll be chief until I come back." The crowd, including Snotlout, gasped at his statement.

"What! That's a terrible plan!" Interjected Astrid taking a step towards him.

"Yeah, it is!" Agreed Snotlout which made the twins laugh.

"You'll be fine, Snotlout." Hiccup assured his cousin. Every Berkian, including Snotlout himself probably thought that he wasn't ready to be temporary chief, but he had faith in his cousin. He could do it. He turned away from the crowd and mounted up on Toothless.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted and she grabbed his forearm so that he couldn't leave her. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get revenge, Astrid! For my family! For all the dragons the Hunters have killed or wounded!" He explained.

"You can't do that alone!"

"I'm not alone." He said, giving Toothless a pat on the head. "I have Toothless."

Astrid shook her head. "No! I'll come with you!"

"No!" He shouted, almost screamed. All chatter fell completely silent beneath his commanding tone of voice. "No one else I love will die in this war. My war."

"But it ain't just your war!" Astrid said. "You made it all of ours when you showed us what dragons were truly like!"

"Stop Astrid! Just, stop! Please. If I'm going finish this, I'll need to know that everyone is safe." He placed a hand on the side of her face and softly cupped one of her cheeks. "Especially you." He leaned down and placed a long kiss on her lips which she returned.

The crowd gasped and parents covered their children's eyes. They broke the kiss and Astrid took a step back from them. He knew she wouldn't say it, but by stepping back she was allowing him to go without her. He dawned his helmet over his face.

"I love you." Said the Night Rider.

"I love you too."

Toothless took off from the ground and bolted up into the night sky. They zipped through the inky-black with efficiency. He adjusted his tail fin and they gained altitude climbing up into the clouds. Thunder boomed and lightning cracked across the sky around them. He looked back at Berk below them. Rain began to pour onto the island and quench the last of the fires. The crowd started to disperse, going back to their homes or to the mead hall for a beer. Except for one person who continued to stare up at the sky despite the rain drenching her. Astrid.

"I'll come back, Astrid." He whispered, and him and Toothless sped off into the black of night.

-END OF BOOK-

—The Night Rider will return—