Dark Valkyrie

Ten: Calm

Ten: Calm

Astrid awoke and her eyes slammed open, her brow furrowed and feeling panic grip her as she realised she was in an unfamiliar room. The grey stone walls gave little clue and as she moved, she winced, stitches in her side pulling as she sat up. Grimacing, she pressed her hand to the wound and felt a bandage wound expertly around the injury. And then she frowned: her head was pounding and she felt hung over from whatever drug Johann had fed her...

Her head snapped up and she peered around. Stormfly? Where was her dragon?

Grimacing, she forced herself to her feet, finding her boots and skirt resting on the plain table and pulling her clothes on. She swayed and rested a hand against the wall for a second before she turned to the plain door and cautiously opened it.

The first thing she saw was Stormfly, roosting by the door, her head down and sleeping and the girl felt a smile lift her lips. The dragon must have brought her somewhere safe when Astrid passed out-and as she looked around the grey stone houses and the familiar column in the centre of the Plaza. And the black hooded shapes that moved through the village with purpose, occasionally looking over and nodding quiet greetings to the familiar and welcome visitor.

"Astrid Hofferson!" The familiar voice caused her to turn cautiously and she met the light brown eyes of Throk, Queen Mala's right hand warrior and the most fierce guardian of the Great Protector-the Eruptodon dragon that protected the island from the active volcano. The tall, buff man bowed his head, the light catching his red hair and Astrid frowned.

"How did I get here, Throk?" she asked in a puzzled voice. He walked to her side and gestured to the sleeping Nadder.

"Your dragon," he explained. "She flew you here, unconscious and bleeding from a deep wound to your side. You were attacked and it seemed you had been drugged?" She nodded, stepping down off the step and glancing at Stormfly.

"She knew we needed somewhere safe-somewhere that Trader Johann doesn't know about..." she murmured.

"Trader Johann?" Throk's deep voice was puzzled.

"A travelling Trader," she explained. "He sails from island to island, bartering goods and exchanging gossip and some ridiculous tall tales..." And then her face hardened. "But it's all a lie. He is the one behind Viggo and Krogan. He is the man in charge-and he's been manipulating us, hiding in plain sight for years. And he still sails into every port, trusted and ignored and he can see our defences, hear our plans and count our numbers. When I told him what I had done, he tried to kill me because I've already done such damage to his operation."

The tall man nodded gravely.

"I think you should come with me," he suggested gravely. "We should get you some food to eat and then you need to talk to Mala. Maybe she can offer you a place to stay for the moment..." Sighing, Astrid shook her head.

"If I stay here, he will find me eventually," she murmured. "He's looking for me now-and Viggo knows where you are. I can't put you at risk." Throk walked at her side across the grey cobbled Plaza as he accompanied her to the refectory.

"Pardon me-I don't understand why you cannot simply return home to the other Riders?" he asked and then she stopped, staring up at the shape of the dragon on the column before she closed her eyes.

"Hiccup is dead," she said.

oOo

"I'm glad you're alive," Snotlout said, sitting bolt upright in the chair by Hiccup's bed. He had sneaked in while everyone else was out and had run into Stoick-literally. Rebounding and landing on his ass in the main area of the Chief's House, the stocky rider had looked up at his uncle and gulped.