Down on His Luck

Chapter 3

Mala set down on Berserker Island to find it in chaos, the villagers running around in disarray with Dagur's dragon in the center of it all, shrieking and running in frustrated circles, bowling over anything in its path. Mala's heart skipped a beat as she failed to see Dagur, even though she knew that he should be here calming Sleuther. Acting quickly, Mala got close to the panicked animal and raised a hand to its face, and Sleuther began to settle, panting hard as he recognized her.

The queen frowned at the panic in Sleuther's eyes, turning from him just in time to see Heather approach, face tight with stress. "Thank Thor you're back! Sleuther just showed up out of nowhere near nightfall yesterday, and he's been getting more and more restless. There's no sign of Dagur, and the guards I sent to the caves report that parts of the tunnels collapsed."

Feeling a new, strong wave of fear attempt to grip her, Mala stuffed it down, determined to make a decisive plan without being overwhelmed by emotion. "So my husband has been gone all night down in the caves. He was only supposed to be gone for a few hours, and now I feel that something terrible has befallen him. I will take a group of guards and get him out." Mala hoped that Dagur wasn't down too deep and simply slightly lost in the upper tunnels, but a twisting feeling in her gut said this wasn't the case. Heather nodded, pledging to come as well.

Readying supplies, Mala noticed that Sleuther had several scrapes across his body, as if shards of ice or rock had fallen on him as he escaped. Heather had mentioned an earthquake, but just how blocked were the tunnels? Perhaps it would be impossible to reach Mala's husband... She shook her head quickly, flinging the awful thought away. Sleuther's injuries were numerous but not severe, so Dagur could be alright as well, simply waiting for Mala to find him.

Standing at the entrance to the cave with Mala and six guards, Heather pointed out the effects of the earthquake: most of what the vikings could see of the tunnel had filled with large chunks of rock, extending down into the dark depths of the cave. "There's already been some cleared, but the opening isn't big enough for us or the dragons yet. I'm sorry Mala, but this will take awhile to move." Mala gritted her teeth and nodded, frustration building with every minute that Dagur was trapped. "Very well then. Get every hand we can, and as soon as it is big enough we will enter."

The vikings began the task of moving the large rocks, and with every one removed, Mala knew she was getting closer and closer to Dagur. All she could hope for now was for Dagur to hold out until she could find him.