Dark Valkyrie

Twenty-Six: The Most To Lose

Twenty Six: The Most To Lose

Fishlegs had managed to scavenge a sword from the bodies of the guards who were hidden behind a cage they passed but he would rather have been in the air, sitting atop Meatlug and facing the enemy with his dragon. Of course, Meatlug was at his side, her eyes slitted and wings raised in the most aggressive pose she could manage. She did look fierce and he knew how dangerous Gronckles could be, from before the war with the dragons ended-but in his heart, he could never imagine Meatlug as anything but his loving, protective friend.

The footsteps were approaching and Snotlout and Astrid were preparing for battle, weapons raised and game faces on. The change in Astrid was a surprise, for Fishlegs had known her from a child. And while she had always been focussed and serious, now there was a hard edge to her that made him truly believe she would kill without hesitation. The knowledge that she had more or less exterminated Viggo's Tribe and dismantled his organisation just underlined the change that had overtaken his friend.

But facing a battle in the enemy's base with no way out and hopelessly outnumbered with no way to use their dragons was no plan. And though Snotlout would sneer at him about being a coward and not relishing battle, Fishlegs knew he wasn't right. He had Berserker blood-through his mother's side-and the Thor Bonecrusher personality he had developed when hypnotised had expressed those tendencies...but they couldn't have emerged from his rather timid persona if they hadn't already been there.

"This is insane," he said, resting his hand on Meatlug's head. "Astrid! Is there another way out?"

"Just the main entrance," she told him shortly, shifting her weight from foot to foot as the steps closed.

"Look-this is a natural cave system-so there must be another way out," he said urgently.

"Yeah...maybe for a gnat!" Snotlout scoffed, backing up a pace.

"No-this is an extensive cave system...and a lot of water has run through here in the past," he said, gesturing to the stalactites hanging down from the surprisingly high roof of the cave. "And that had to get in somehow. We're not a long way underground and there is no volcano to make these-so there must be a good sized entrance for the water to get in."

"Aww, c'mon..." Snotlout whined but Astrid looked over at him and nodded.

"You're right," she said, then gestured. "That way. GO! I'll hold them off."

"Babe, I can totally..." Snotlout began but she rolled her eyes at him.

"Okay, Snotlout-I will take you up on your offer," she said abruptly. "You hold them off and I'll run away..."

He stared at her, jaw dropped.

"What? No, that's not what..." he began.

"Help Fishlegs get the dragons to the back of the cave system while I hold them off," she said through gritted teeth. "Stormfly and I will follow once you've had time to get away." Needing no further urging, Snotlout turned and sprinted after the husky rider as Astrid lifted her axe once more. Then he paused.

"Astrid?"

"What?"

"Hiccup needs you. Now more than ever. Please don't get yourself killed now he's found you. It would really break him."

"Getting killed wasn't in the plan," Astrid told him shortly. "Now GO!" He ran off as she raised her axe and the first man rounded the corner. "Just you and me, girl. Now let's buy them some time before we get them out of here." A scream burst from her throat as the first man appeared and her axe slashed down...