Sigrid The Relentless - How to Train your Dragon

52. Trust Bonding

Sigrid hadn't been feeling too hot about meeting with the Defenders of the Wing.

Ever since the discovery of traitor Johann, she hadn't been too keen about communing with anyone outside of her trusted circle, one that she was sincerely starting to doubt.

Right now, the only safe people in her mind were her family, the Dragon Riders, Dagur and Heather. Anyone else, she watched like a hawk, waiting for any sign that they might be up to something. She wouldn't be fooled so easily again.

Next to her seated figure, Dagur was as bored as ever as they listened to Astrid's explanation of Hiccup's plan going forward. Right now, they needed to decide where to hide the remaining Dragon Eye lenses, and make a plan to deal with the flyers, and now also, Johann.

"Might I suggest we place them inside our Volcano, it's far from the easiest location to access." Mala spoke with a smile, seated on Sigrid's left, having full trust in her tribes abilities.

Right now, however, Sigrid did not, and it seemed that she was not alone, as her betrothed chuckled from her right.

"Inside an active volcano? That's what you're proposing?" Dagur was clearly not amused, to which Mala responded with a yes. "What happens when, you know, it erupts!"

Sigrid raised her brow at Dagur's quick risen temper. This whole situation had done a lot on him too, and he wasn't so good at hiding his frustrations. Putting a hand on his thigh under the table, she hoped to snap him back in his calmness, but it didn't work.

"If it erupts, we have the Eruptodon to manage it's lava flow." Mala explained.

Dagur scoffed. "If, when, same thing really. And you're sure your 'great protector' can manage a full scale eruption?"

Mala didn't respond, ignoring his seemingly childish outburst.

"Of course you're not." Dagur continued, making his betrothed flinch as he suddenly rose up from his chair, slamming his hand on the table. "Berserker island is the obvious choice! Our Berserker guards-"

"Allowed a coup to take place right under their noses." Mala interrupted with a smug smile. "I do have that correct, right?"

As Dagur fumed behind her, Sigrid's eye twitched at the insult thrown at them. It was a direct stab to not only their pride, but also their already boiling insecurities. They already felt like idiots, and Mala certainly wasn't trying to help with that.

"Are you questioning my intelligence?" Sigrid sneered rather than asked, with a frown on her face.

Astrid's eye widened. Dagur being angry was a very common thing, but if Sigrid got mad it could mean war.

"Okay!" She tried to intervene. "Let's just all calm down for a second."

That was definitely the wrong thing to say, as it did nothing but heighten Dagur's already awful temper, as he slammed his fist down on the table so hard it even scared the twins, making them drop their popped corn.

"I'm calm!" Dagur assured badly, before letting out a frustrated laugh. "Do I not look calm? I mean, I'm not crazy, it's her right? I mean, look at me."

No matter how hard he tried to make himself look sane, it was obvious his title still held true to his person. Not that Sigrid could blame him, in this moment she too felt a little deranged, with thoughts of fury flowing through her mind.

Mala had been ever so gracious to them... well, after she tried to kill them of course - which was now, once again, poisoning doubt into Sigrid's mind. But her demeaning comments, after her brother had done so much for them, and after her own betrothal celebration no less, it was all too much to bare. It left a bitter taste in Sigrid's mouth, to think of the possibility of the Defenders of the Wing betraying them just like Johann had.