Riders of B E R K

Part 77: Pawns in the Game

Seventy-Seven: Pawns in the Game

It was with nothing but relief that I finally flew back into Pen One of BERK, landing Stormfly by Toothless and unsaddling her to allow the other dragons to greet her with roars, rumbles and other assorted noises. Hiccup was fussing Toothless as much as I was my girl and once we had fed them, we let them rest while we walked back to the main base. Cami was going to make her own way round to the main door because she was settling the Clan into the glen behind BERK and Hiccup was already planning to bully Gobber into requisitioning whatever supplies the Clan needed to set up a comfortable camp for them and their freed dragons. We had offered medical aid for anyone who needed it and despite some dubious looks, a couple of Cami's family had indicated they could use some help, so she would be bringing them round as well.

We had only got halfway along the long passage from Pen One when I heard running feet and saw the rest of the Riders-including Snotlout in a wheelchair-approaching at speed. We stopped and Hiccup stepped back with a smile as the others-my friends-all clustered around me and greeted me like a returning hero. There were hugs, claps on the back and general raucousness that I would never have believed when I first set foot in this place. But these were my friends, my family in all but blood and I couldn't have been happier to be here once more. Especially when Hiccup took my hand once more and gave me the warmest of hugs, wrapping his arm around me to ensure that no one got the wrong idea.

"Glad to have you back, Lieutenant," Snotlout said formally and then gave his cheesiest grin. "You have really increased the Babe Quotient of this Base by about 900%!"

"Hey!" Ruff protested, pouting. I chuckled. She was a female and fit and athletic but realistically, she wasn't actually a Babe.

"Are you actually objectifying me, Sergeant?" I asked him in a half-amused, half stern voice and he gulped.

"Er...no?" he offered, wheeling himself backwards. "HOOKFANG? HELP!"

"Cami is back as well," Hiccup revealed. "With her family..."

"I am not sharing with anyone else," Tuff said firmly. "Sister Nut is the only one..."

"I think they are not likely to volunteer to be trapped inside a Base after so long as prisoners of Drago," Hiccup reassured him. "But they may want some help with the dragons...or want to offer to help with ours..."

"Not sure how that will work," Eret shrugged. "Throk will be even more paranoid after Mildew's treason." I blinked.

"What?" I asked.

"Colonel Mildew was working for Drago-though we're not sure if he was just a treacherous old coot or if he was being controlled by some chemical like the one they injected you with," Eret clarified.

"He's in the Infirmary, in an induced coma so that he can't wake until we understand whether he's still a danger to BERK," Snotlout explained. "Major Gothi is running a heap of tests on him..." He gave a smiled. "I wheel myself in and watch it. It's actually quite relaxing...especially the colonoscopy..."

"WHAT?"

"Kidding," he chuckled. "But she is investigating him within an inch of his life to try to find out if there is something controlling him..."

"And I guess I'm next," I realised as Hiccup's hand tightened on mine.

"Give me your gun and any weapons you have," he said suddenly. I stared up at him. "Milady, I know you are you but they...won't. And they will want to check what you recall-which makes perfect sense-and see if there is any residual venom, medication-whatever-in you that may cause you or us further problems." I nodded grudgingly.