Secrets of the Wilderwest (Httyd fic)

Chapter 20

Astrid's POV 

The events passed fairly quickly after that. Heather decided to return with her brother for now, while the soldiers retreated. Hiccup had called Gobber from Dagur's satellite phone to let him know that Soren and Heather were safe and that Soren would be accompanying us for the time being.

I sat there on a rock while staring grimly at the ocean.

"What's wrong Astrid?" Hiccup asked as he walked over to me with Soren trailing behind.

"They got away." I mumbled. "Drago now has one of the King's lost things and we have no idea where to go next."

"So what if he got Grimbeard's sword." Hiccup stated. "Probably still hasn't gotten any of the others."

"And I don't think he got this one either." Fishlegs said as he walked towards us.

"What do you mean Fishleg's? Simmons and his men got away with the sword." I state.

"Correction, they got away with 'a' sword, not 'the' sword." Fishlegs tells us and then produces the old sword that Hiccup used to cut Heather and Soren free. "Grimbeard's prophecy stated that his second-best-sword was one of the items."

"You aren't suggesting that that old blade is one of the lost things?" Snotlout asked looking quite skeptic as he and the twins also approached.

"Well it has Grimbeard's crest on it and runes that I can't translate. It is know in the history books that Grimbeard always had two swords. One was the Stormblade and his favorite sword Endeavor, which was actually a family heirloom. Endeavor was Grimbeard's second best sword and he preferred it over the Stormblade." Fishlegs began to lecture but I cut him off.

"How do we know which sword that is? You can't read the runes." I stated.

"He can't, but we can." Ruffnut stated and took the sword from Fishlegs.

All of us just stood there and gave the twins incredulous looks as both Ruffnut and Tuffnut produced a pair of black rimmed glasses and began to peruse the various runes with great scrutiny.

The twins looked up from their bickering as silence reigned.

"What?" Ruffnut asked.

"You guys can actually read that?" Snotlout asked incredulously.

"Shouldn't be too hard." Tuffnut answered. "Both of us have PhD's in linguistics."

"WHAT!!" Was shouted by several of us. Hiccup merely raised an eyebrow and asked. "Then why were you in the army?"

"Well we like blowing stuff up......Duh." Ruffnut answered and went back to reading.

"I think we got it." Tuffnut exclaims after a while. "It's very old Norse. From what we could gather this side says 'Here ye holds Endeavour'."

"So it is Endeavour." Fishlegs squeals with glee. "Then Drago's men took the Stormblade."

I see the twins frown as they read the other side of the sword. "This here seems to be a riddle. It's inscribed along the entire blade." Ruffnut said. "Why does every treasure hunt have to have a riddle?" Tuffnut grumbles.

"So what does it say?" Soren spoke up for the first time.

"Hold on little man." Ruffnut said as she began to read. "Let's see......"

I wait for thee,

behind bended knee

where the king of Gods weeps,

and Mani's slumber is deep.

When his sister stands at her peak.

Hold thy heart upon her gaze