Bond of Two Lands

26. Revelation Part 2

Unknowing of the events taking place in the throne room at the same time, Fishlegs led Hiccup and Astrid towards the cave where he'd left the princess of Dun Broch. They came there during the time of morning when Hideous Zipplebacks were at the height of their energy, circulating in the air above the forest like vulgers did prey.

Merida sat with her back towards them as they came into the cave, seemingly fidgeting with some straws of grass, but grabbed her arrow in the blink of an eye when one of them broke a stick under their feet.

"Oh." She lowered the weapon. "It's only ya."

"Hi", Astrid said, approching with great care. "Are you alright?"

The princess shrugged, but grinned then at Fishlegs. "I'm being provided for, so why not? How about ya? Ya haven't told them, have ya?" She stared at Hiccup first and foremost.

"No, of course we haven't. We just wanted to make sure you're alright... and see that dragon", Astrid admitted.

Conflicted feelings entered Merida's face. She looked at the deepest part of the cave, where nothing but darkness seemed to exist. Then she whistled. A great, cerise serpent rose from its invicebility and looked at her with fondness written in its dialated pupils.

"It isn't dangerous", she said, her voice trembling. "It saved mi life. I just... I can't kill it. Please don't kill it."

Hiccup and Fishlegs walked closer until they were as near her as the blonde. "We would never kill a dragon", Hiccup said, gentle in ever syllable. "It's something you don't know about us. We Berkians..." At this point, he reached out his hand to pet the Changewing on the head. "... no longer kill dragons."

Merida stared at him, her mouth half open, for a great while. Then she swallowed and said: "How on earth were we supposed to loan ya troops if ya didn't tell us the most important part of the mission?"

"We were desperate", Hiccup said. "We still are. I'm sorry. It's time you learned the truth. You see, three years ago..." And so followed the tale most of us probably already know. But hearing it for the first time, and hearing the real version of how Hiccup lost his leg, was a bit much for Merida. She sat quiet again until Fishlegs tapped her on the arm.

"Ya ride a Night Fury", she said, holding on tightly to her bow. "The Night Fury. Ya all... I don't understand. Is that really why Stoik broke the alliance? Is that why we haven't met since we were children?"

Hiccup scratched his neck. "Well, we had plenty of wars before then too that took up most our time. But I guess that's about right. The dragons aren't dangerous until we make them so."

Merida lay a hesitant hand on the Changewing. "Could... could I ride a dragon?"

"Would you want to?" Fishlegs said, eager in ever bit.

"I don't know. Maybe. It's crazy, but..." She looked at the sky outside with something much like longingness in her eyes.

"Everyone's free up there", Astrid silently said. "No traps."

The tranquility among them was broken only by one Ruffnut Thorston, barching in like the true picture of a lady, leaves stuck all over her. "Hey, I found you guys! You wouldn't believe who I just saw in the harbour. It's like, major problems."

Hiccup sighed. "What now? Has Gobber and Snotlout come to attend my wedding too? Or why not the entire Archipelago?"

"No." Ruff snorted. "Wow, someone's certainly selfcentered. I was just talking about Viggo and Ryker."

All the Vikings suddenly went very pale. Merida, though, said: "That's just mi father's trappers. He summoned them to make our wedding safe." She chuckled. "What a relief, eh, Hiccup?"

"Trappers", Hiccup mumbled. "I should've seen it. Gods. This is so not good."

"Why?" Merida said, but realised then her mistake. "Oh, well I can probably ask mi father to send them on their way. There won't be any wedding anyway, so really there's no point for him either in keeping them around."

"Unfortunately, that wasn't Hiccup's point", Astrid said. "Remember those dragon hunters we told you about? They're one and the same as your trappers. They're the ones we needed your troops to protect us from."

"It is them?" Merida said, devastation colouring her features.

"And they're walking into the castle where my father and Tuffnut are", Hiccup said, dogged. "We need to do something, and I think I know what. Merida, are you ready to have your first flying lesson?"

"Mi what?"

"I'm sorry, but there is no time. It's the only way for us to get their quick enough." He looked at the Changewing. "He is the only way."

Scottish bravery mixed with Viking stubborness could be detected in the princess now. Just as once before, her best traits came forth in the time when they were most needed. "Show me", she said.

Hiccup led the calm Changewing out of the cave into the glade, where Fishlegs looked at it with even more fascination than before.

"It is so relaxed!" he said. "Perhaps it is a crossbreed...?"

"Not now, Fishlegs", Astrid pleaded.

"Yeah, not now, Fishlegs", Ruff said. "First we need to sort out how in the holy name of Loki all five of us are going to fit on one single Changewing."

"We aren't", Astrid replied. "Only Merida and Hiccup are going to ride."

Ruff crossed her arms. "How is that fair? Do you have any idea about how many trees I climbed in order to find that little missy over there?"

"They're the royals. If any of us would mount a dragon in this land, we would get into instant trouble", Fishlegs said. "Despite, if Viggo and Ryker is here, we're gonna need all the fire power we can get."

His eyes and Hiccup's met just as the Changewing decided to take off.

"That's a great idea", Hiccup shouted. "Go find the dragons, quick as you can! Bring Toothless for me!"

The remaining Vikings watched the heirs fly off like a bolt of partly invicible fire. Merida's screams echoed through the air, but had she been any lesser of a brave soul, they would have been considerably louder.

Astrid entered her fearsome pose. "Okay, this is what we do: Ruff, you go back to castle with the others. Try to assist Hiccup and Merida. Fishlegs and I are going to set sail upon where we left the dragons."

"Set sail with what?" said Ruff.

"Well, she must've left your boat somewhere, right?"

"That wreck? She's lucky she didn't sink with it. I'm totally positive it's on the bottom of the bay by now. We actually found it on the bottom of one in the first place."

"Then what do we do?" said Fishlegs. "Hiccup and Merida are counting on us!"

Ruff glanced at something behind their backs. "Why don't you just ride one of those guys?"

A Zippleback pack had just landed by the cave, crawling around in the dirt from Merida's previous fires. Their noses dug around as if...

"Dragon nip!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "Odin, I think that's the first time I've been spot on about anything."

Astrid took aim in her mind at a blue dragon which was closest to them. "Let's do this", she said.