The Quest For Hope

Dragon's Gate: Chapter Ten

The early morning air gusted into the far corners of the castle. The only light flickered from torches as men rushed about. The silver of the knights' armour flashed in the firelight as they moved, directed by the hushed commands of their new king. The loud thuds and persistent clanking muted their voices. Swords, weaponry, and armour were stacked in one corner, provisions in another.

King Hiccup stood up front, his eyes heavy from directing the men all night. With the inevitable battle with the dragon on his mind, Hiccup struggled to stay one step ahead. His head pounded under the expectations. As the first glimpse of golden light from the morning sun started to glimmer above the horizon, King Hiccup called his men near.

"I know this comes at us quickly, a pace which has, unfortunately, become commonplace." He stopped as the grumbles of agreement flowed through the crowd full of worn faces, red from exertion and exasperation. He felt their fear.

"I know we are reeling from the past few days. How quickly celebrations can turn into disasters. How quickly life can fade before us. Now is not the time to mourn, but to act, to make a plan to counteract these problems. Now is a time to show the dragon that the kingdom of Arendelle is still strong. We didn't falter against Prince Hans's attack last fall, and we won't now. Let's rise to the occasion and end this once and for all!

He walked among them, gauging their strength and nerves. "Look back into our history, gaze upon our walls and tapestries, listen to our songs. Do you remember the dragon hunter? Lord Hawthorne? I do. His adventures stirred my heart as a child, and now his songs entice my spirit to action. It is in our history, in our blood. Together, we can add a new chapter, and put our names in the songs. Today we make our stand for the future!"

The courtyard amplified the robust cheers at their king's proclamation. "This week we prepare, and then we move." Hiccup's crimson robe shone as the sun rose above the walls. His men resumed their work, loading and sorting with renewed energy.

Princess Elsa rose and stood at the tower window, watching the sun creep above the castle walls and into the rounded edges of her tower. Her hair flowed behind her, its soft waves flowing in the breeze. She smiled, hearing her brother's voice and the wild scurrying of men following his orders echo from below. The day had barely begun, and already he called for action.

"Jack," she whispered, turning around to wake him. "Come see."

His grumbles attracted a quick toss of one of Elsa's rose pillows.

"That's worth the early wake-up," he laughed, rubbing his eyes as he joined Elsa at the window. His smile grew as he watched the men run from corner to corner, creating heaps of materials and supplies. His chuckling faded as he focused on the trolls in the corner.

"Elsa," he said with a sigh. "It looks like we have our orders too." He pointed off to the far corner, where Pabbie was directing his trolls. Their piles grew slowly in comparison to the stacks of the military men.

She exhaled, leaning over the edge, feeling a strong blend of excitement and apprehension tighten within her. "It's really happening, isn't it?"

Jack looked down at her and smiled, wrapping his arms around her, erasing her worry with one touch. "Yes, it is. Our future begins today."

She returned to the window, raising her eyes to the horizon and seeing the outline of Dragon's Gate in the distance. "It's time to go home."

Hours flew by. Everyone shared the new king's urgency. Piles upon piles lined the side of the courtyard. One corner represented the needs of Arendelle; the other, soon to travel north with Elsa, grew almost as quickly. King Hiccup's piles shone, reflecting the blinding light of the afternoon off the stacks of armour and swords. Her piles held a jumble of baskets of cloth, bakery wares, building tools, books, and all the necessary goods to care for a community.
Princess Elsa looked up and saw Hiccup across the way, scowling at the piles. She walked to his side, noticing the new lines of worry across his brow.