SIXTEEN: Saved

Axe practice had started to become harder as Astrid's shape changed and she found she resented the alteration in her balance that threw her aim off. And then she realised that she would just have to work harder, adjusting her technique to account for the changes in her balance and the fact her core wasn't as strong as it had been before. So she went to the woods daily before breakfast, working as she always had with her axe, throwing, cutting and slicing and as she worked, she felt a sudden peace and familiarity roll over her.

Training had always been her refuge, her space where she could forget everything else except the need to be the best she could with a lethal bladed weapon. Working out, feeling the familiar ache in her arms and legs, the prickle of sweat on her skin and the steady beat of her heart made her feel completely alive and the occasional little jab from the baby reminded her why she needed to maintain her skills. As she worked through her standard exercises, she found she could compensate for the changes and she soon found that her accuracy was almost as good as it had been. And when she walked confidently forward to tug the axe free, she heard a familiar chirrup and smiled as Stormfly entered the clearing. Instantly, she smiled and ran to embrace her dragon, standing still with the Nadder gently cooing.

"How are you, girl?" she asked gently, stroking the horn. Stormfly cooed and nuzzled into her middle, causing the baby to give a sharp thump in response. Her breath started and she rested her hand over the swell, a smile lifting her lips. "Hmm, it's okay, little one. That is Stormfly-she's just pleased to see me and you." The dragon crooned as Astrid pulled away-then leapt onto her back. "Come on, girl...let's see how my expanding middle affects my performance..." Giving an excited screech, they shot into the sky, Astrid whooping as she wheeled round and soaring in to the clouds. It was a clear day and she never even saw the forester, watching the dragon vanish above the branches and into the sky.

oOo

Gradually, light, sound and a whole range of other sensations slowly filtered into Hiccup's scrambled brain and for a horrific moment, he thought he was back in his cage on the Hunter's ship. He cringed back and whimpered, hunching his scored shoulders until he heard the reassuring croon of Toothless and realised he was wrapped in a blanket, swathed in furs and there was a warm fire a few feet from him.

"T-Toothless?" he rasped, his mouth dry. There was a shuffling and he gave a small scream as Dagur loomed over him. The Berserker rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on!" Dagur moaned. "I'm good now!" Hiccup tried to calm his breathing and gave a small, shamed nod.

"S'okay..." he mumbled. "I know..." He licked his lips. "Thirsty..." Dagur carefully lifted his head and brought a canteen to his lips, carefully letting him drink. Tenderly, Dagur laid him back on the folded blanket that was acting as a pillow and backed away a little.

"Better?" he asked and Hiccup nodded, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Thanks," he mumbled. "How-how did you find me?" Dagur tucked the blanket tighter around him.

"The dragons knew something was wrong and brought us to you," he explained then leaned closer to the patient. "Why didn't you ask me for help?" Brows furrowing, Hiccup forced his eyes open, his scattered wits struggling. His head felt muzzy and pretty much everything hurt so having a discussion with Dagur was low on his list of priorities.

"It was my mess," he mumbled thickly, his throat still dry and split lips muffling his words. "And I didn't want to hurt anyone by damaging alliances with Berk..." Dagur sat back on his heels and planted his fists on his hips.

"As if I care?" he said calmly. "Look-we are allies because of you-not Stoick. We help Berk because you have dragons, not the other way round. And if Stoick makes me choose between Hiccup and Berk...well, my baby brother wins every time..."

"Shouldn't," Hiccup mumbled, closing his eyes. "Should think of the needs of the many..." Dagur frowned and folded his arms. His scarred face moved into a confused expression as he considered the concept.

"No, I don't get that at all," he said finally. "If you have friends, you look after every one, not prioritise several over one. And anyway-helping you helps us all-because you defeated the monster dragon, defeated us, defeated Al, defeated Viggo and Ryker...helping you means I keep the friendship of the man who can protect the Archipelago against Thor knows what."

"Couldn't even protect Toothless..." Hiccup muttered with self-loathing. Toothless's ears pricked and he gave a sad croon.

"He'll recover," Dagur reassured him firmly. "He's just underweight...and injured...and his wing membrane needs to heal up...he's fine..."

"Need to get out there...Astrid..." Hiccup mumbled and tried to sit up but Dagur easily pressed him back down.

"She doesn't need you flying out there and falling off the Night Fury because you're injured-and she has Stormfly to look out for her," he assured the Rider.

"But I've lost weeks," Hiccup protested. "I-I can't even imagine how I can find her..." Dagur handed him another canteen and the young Rider thirstily drank. The Berserker smiled.

"I'm sure we can help..." he began but Hiccup shook his head stubbornly.

"She's got to be...five months gone now?" he mumbled. "She needs me. I promised to be there. And I have failed her so far. I failed Berk, I failed Toothless and I can't fail her as well..." He stared up at Dagur. "Let me go," he breathed but the Berserker shook his head.

"Not until you're fit to fly, little brother," he said as Hiccup stared up at him in betrayal. "But at the moment, Toothless isn't either. So maybe you might want to let him heal first?" Sagging, Hiccup nodded.

"Sorry," he mumbled as the dragon scrambled up and lay behind Hiccup, curling around the battered and wounded young Viking. Dagur sighed.

"Look after him, Toothless," he murmured. "I'll go get more wood for the fire-and some more herbs for his fever." The dragon wrapped his wings around his Rider, who had already sunk back into sleep and the Berserker stared at the curled shape with disquiet. Somehow, even though they rode dragons, the world felt less safe once more. "Heather-where are you?"

oOo

Astrid was eating with Hjordis in the Village Hall of Sniffling when she caught a sentence that froze her blood.

"There's a dragon in the forest."

Her head snapped up and she glanced around, seeing a knot of men discussing over a few mugs of mead.

"Aye, well we'll need to hunt and kill it then," a thickset man with a flaming red beard said. Astrid was vaguely reminded of Stoick, though the man had none of the Chief's charisma or presence-and was a good two foot shorter. Frowning, she recalled his name was Morten and that he was someone who had scoffed at her skills as a warrior: her fists clenched.

"Can't have it attacking children," another man called Lars with a pox-marked face added.

"And why would it attack children?" she asked pointedly, spinning round on her chair to face them. They all gave her a condescending look.

"Because it's a dragon," they told her, as if it was obvious.

"And when was the last time a child was attacked by a dragon?" she asked them firmly. There was a pause.

"Well...um..."

There was an embarrassed pause.

"Not for a long time!" the bearded man conceded. "But that is only because we capture and kill any we find on the island..." He gestured to her middle with his mug. "You should be grateful to us, girl. In your condition, you don't want any of those ravening monsters near you-or your baby!" Red flashed before her eyes and Astrid rose to her feet, her chin up and eyes glittering with rage.

"When my child is born, he or she will know that dragons are amazing protective creatures that only attack when they are attacked or threatened and that he has nothing to fear from them!" she announced angrily. There was a sudden outburst of laughing. She snorted. "You can't recall any dragon attacks because they aren't any. My island was the most raided during the war-we had attacks every third or fourth night-and they killed hundreds of us. In recompense, we killed thousands of them. But even though I watched a dragon freeze and kill my uncle before me when I was five-I know they are not the enemy. If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone!"

"Ha! Have you ever heard such nonsense?" Lars sneered as Hjordis looked up at the angry blonde. Her eyes widened as the younger woman's fists clenched.

"The dragon you saw-the blue Nadder-is mine," she said coldly and the laughter stopped abruptly. "She is my friend and she will not harm anyone unless you attack her. She stays in the forest, eats fish she catches and greets me when I come to see her. Has she attacked a child? Has she rampaged through the village?"

"Well, no, but..." a very fat man named Ragnar answered.

"But what?" Astrid turned her gimlet glare on him.

"But..." Ragnar swallowed. "They are dangerous beasts!"

"And you know this because...you kill them every time you see one?" Astrid asked sarcastically. "I mean, I and especially my boyfriend have only studied them, protected them, lived with them and trained them for the last five years! What would I know?"

All eyes widened and stared at her as if she had just appeared out of nowhere.

"You...train...dragons?" Hjordis gasped. Astrid nodded.

"I am a Dragon Rider," she said proudly. "The Deadly Nadder is called Stormfly. She is my dragon, my best friend. She protects me and I protect her."

"She's a witch!" a voice echoed up from the back of the room and Astrid turned and glared at her.

"No-I am a warrior who fights alongside my friends on the backs of dragons," she said proudly. "And I will not allow you to attack my friend."

"This is madness!" the bearded man yelled. "Chief Kjetil! We have to kill the dragon and drive this witch out!" Reluctantly, the Chief rose to his feet and gave Astrid an apologetic look.

"I knew about her origins-though not that she had a dragon on the island," he said with a sideways glance at the young woman. She met his look with a steely glare, unrepentant. "But she is no witch. I believe her when she points out that dragon are animals-more dangerous than your average yak or sheep, to be sure, but I do not subscribe to the ravening beast idea, since this dragon has remained hidden and has not harmed anyone in the weeks she has been with us."

"But how can she stay here when she believes such heresy?" Lars demanded. The room was filled with murmurs of agreement and many heads nodded as the young woman turned her head to her friend-and saw even Hjordis looking wary. She took a shuddering breath.

"The truth is not heresy," she said sternly. "And it is the height of stupidity to hang onto old beliefs when they are ridiculous!" Then she looked around the room. "But I will not stay and cause strife and dissent in this place, which has offered me hospitality and friendship." She looked at the Chief. "I am sorry, Chief Kjetil, but I cannot allow my friend to be slaughtered when she hides and doesn't harm anyone."

"Astrid, wait..." the Chief said and walked up to her, grasping her shoulder. "The weather is bitterly cold. Could you at least wait until the worst is gone?" She sighed.

"Do you think your peace would last that long-or some idiot wouldn't sneak out and kill Stormfly?" she asked him plainly and he paused...and then shook his head.

"I am sorry, lass," he said genuinely. "I would have wished to offer you protection-you and your child..." She smiled wanly.

"I guess the gods don't want me to stay here," she sighed. "I'll go and pack my things..."

"CHIEF! CHIEF!" The lookout-a young man called Evan-raced him, his brown eyes wide and fair hair tousled. "SHIPS!"

Immediately, there was an air of tension in the hall as the Chief's face suddenly fell into a grim look.

"Raiders!" he said in despair. "They will be after our winter stores! Ulric, Vetle, Ole-take the women to the safe caves. The rest of you-gather your weapons!" Astrid nodded as Kjetil shook his head. "You need to be safe, lass," he told her.

"I am a warrior, Chief-and I don't need to hide." She smiled. "I have my skills with an axe...and I need to get in the air..." He stared at her. "I am a Dragon Rider, Chief-and down here, none of you have any clue what we can do!" She grinned and grabbed her axe, then dodged out the door. Kjetil stared after her and then shook his head.

"Never mind," he sighed. "Prepare for the attack!"

Astrid was running through the village and heading down towards the tree line, her ears catching the creak of ships and shouts down from the docks. It seemed the raiders had gotten very close awfully fast, which suggested the look-out had been asleep on the job...or had been paid to allow them close. But it was not her concern as she broke through the tree line and gave her Nadder call.

Instantly, there was an answering screech from among the trees and the young warrior smiled and accelerated, stopping at the tree trunk where she had stashed the saddle. Immediately, Stormfly raced out of the forest and Astrid dropped her axe and embraced her dragon affectionately, her cares falling away. Stormfly was rubbing her, eager and excited to be with her rider once more and Astrid felt a huge pang of guilt for leaving her dragon alone while she was warm and accepted in the village.

Damn this idiotic villagers for wanting to attack and kill her Stormfly! It would serve them right if she took her chance and left them...

But as she thought the words, she dismissed them. She was a warrior, a protector and she had promised Chief Kjetil that she would protect Sniffling: she would keep her word. Besides, she owed Hjordis, her friend, for her kindness and was desperate to prove her point, that dragons were useful, not untameable beasts. She scratched the scaly face.

"My beautiful girl," she murmured, feeling the dragon purr with happiness. "We need to get ready. There are some very bad men attacking the village and I think it's time we showed them what a dragon rider can do...even a fat pregnant one..." Stormfly's neck frill raised and she cawed defiantly, before Astrid swiftly saddled her and threw herself into saddle. "Okay, girl-let's go get them!"

They arrowed up into the sky but Astrid was aware she didn't have a clue about numbers or positions so she topped out high amid the clouds and soared over the island, swooping round and seeing a single large ship disgorging maybe three dozen warriors onto the docks, setting fire to the nearest homes and racing towards the rag-tag defenders who were outnumbered and outmatched.

"Okay-let's get in a pass and see if we can scare them off without bloodshed," she sighed, making sure her axe was tightly strapped to her back. "Stormfly-dive!"

Rolling, they dived fast, stitching the ground in front of the raiders with spines but the men merely avoided them though a couple pointed at the dragon and reached for bows. The raiders were surrounding the Chief so Astrid used Stormfly to drive them back, killing two with spines and leaping down to engage them. The first three men were completely thrown by the pretty young pregnant woman leaping down and axing them to death before they launched a more concerted attack-and found a furious Nadder slashing at them and defending the girl and the shaken Chief behind her. As four more fell, they retreated and headed for the store-houses. Astrid turned to Kejtil, seeing a couple of light wounds on his arm and leg.

"Are you alright, Chief?' she asked professionally and he nodded in shock, his eyes fixed on the dragon.

"She fights with you?" he asked and she nodded.

"We defended Berk and the Edge," she said proudly then turned round, seeing the defenders breathing hard and not following the raiders. "You men-with me! They're after your stores! If you don't stop them, we'll all go hungry!" Then she leapt into the saddle. "Up! Up!" she urged the dragon and Stormfly cawed, flapping up and allowing her rider to guide her to fly over the raiders, corralling them with a long blast of Stormfly's super-hot flame. Screaming, the raiders backed up and found the villagers coming up behind them. Hovering, her eyes narrowed, Astrid read the raiders' next move and as they turned to attack the villagers, Stormfly pummelled them with another spray of spines. Seven men fell this time, not all dead but all incapacitated. Dodging round, Astrid faced the leader of the Raiders.

"Leave!" she commanded and the man laughed at her.

"What are you supposed to be, girl?" he sneered. "A dragon vigilante? We can easily call the Dragon Hunters to dispose of your flying reptile and then we'll finish this village..."

"Or I kill you where you stand, chase your crew onto the ship and then sink it at sea," Astrid suggested coldly.

"You know my men have gone after the woman," the leader sneered. "They'll make good sport-or good slaves..." Astrid gasped.

"Hjordis!" she whispered as the man began to laugh. Then her brows dipped in a scowl. "Stormfly-fetch!" she snapped and the dragon lunged forward, grabbing the leader of the raiders, hauling him up into the air in her claws. She smiled coldly at his desperate screams as they arched round and headed towards the caves, seeing a raiding party just entering the space. And then she paused, hovering with the man a lethal height above the rocks.

"Call them out!" she shouted.

"I may spare..." he began. She smiled.

"Stormfly-drop!" she commanded. He fell away screaming.

"Stormfly-fetch!" she added and they swooped him up, mere feet shy of a lethal impact. They soared up again. She leaned over Stormfly's shoulders and stared at the sweating man. "You know, I can keep going all day-but she's gonna get tired and she'll miss picking you up. Now-CALL THEM OUT!"

"Why you...I'm gonna..."

"Stormfly..."

"NO! NO!" he begged and yelled for his men to emerge-and they did...but with a hostage Astrid recognised with sinking heart. A man held Hjordis with a knife to her neck and she heard her prisoner laugh scornfully at the sight. "Okay, bitch-this is how this is going to work," he sneered. "You're gonna put me down and then I may spare the woman..." Astrid leaned forward and they hovered lower.

"Can you get him, girl?" she asked softly and the dragon gave a small croon. "Okay-single spine shot!" She pressed the specific point at the back of the dragon's head and a spine arrowed down, straight and true and hit the man holding Hjordis directly in the heart. He was still dropping backwards, dead as Astrid spun round, unleashing a spray of spines that took out the rest of the raiders.

"NO!"

"Now this is how this is going to go," she said sternly. "You are going to take the rest of your men and leave this place, never to return. This place will be under the protection of the Dragon Riders from now on."

"WHAT? There are more of you?" She leaned down to glare at him.

"Two whole teams," she told him, arrowing back towards the village to find the raiders surrounded by the villagers. She dropped him onto the hard earth by his men from a height of only ten feet and hovered in front of them. "Okay-now we talk compensation!" she snapped. The raiders stared at her.

"C-compensation?" one of the raiders stammered as the others helped their leader up.

"Yes-the rest of you-including those who went after the women and children in a cowardly way are all dead," Astrid announced sternly as the villagers looked at her in shock and concern. But no one dared move because this was a woman utterly different to the competent but reserved pregnant woman they knew: this was a Viking Warrior, used to command. And clearly very able to protect herself and anyone else she wished to. "So we need compensation. Bring all your food and all your gold and dump them on the docks."

"And if we don't?" the Captain sneered. Astrid smiled coldly.

"I follow you and sink you," she told them brutally. "How long do you think you'll last in the freezing water?" There was a pause and he gestured angrily and to the villagers' astonishment, the raiders resentfully walked onto their ship and retrieved barrels of salt yak and mutton, mead and ale and a small chest of gold, laying them on the ground in front of Kjetil. Astrid looked down to the Chief and, as if in a daze he nodded. "GO!" she commanded and the raiders almost ran back onto their ship and pulled away, the strong breeze taking them out of the harbour rapidly.

"Do you want me to sink them anyway, Chief?" she asked him and he stared at her,

"But...you promised not to if they paid us..." he gabbled in shock. Astrid and her dragon had saved his life and won the battle almost single-handedly. She shook her head.

"I only promised to sink them if they didn't pay us," she reminded him. "I never said I wouldn't anyway..." He stared up at her...and then shook his head, seeing her calmness and determination and guessing, if it was left up to her, that their ship would already be on fire. She was giving him the decision because it was his village that had been raided so badly.

"Let them go," he sighed, looking around his men. A few were injured, none seriously but there were dead raiders scattered across the village square. "I think they may go after softer targets now...and maybe word will get around..." She nodded wordlessly and then landed the Nadder, leaning forward and scratching behind the jaw, earning a soft coo.

"Or they could come back," she murmured softly and he nodded tiredly.

"I doubt they will risk this again for a few cured boars and yak jerky," he said and offered her his hand. Eyes widening, she rested her on it and leapt down, wincing at the aching in her hips from riding and fighting on Stormfly after barely flying for so long. He looked concerned. "Are you hurt?" he asked and she frowned, her hand instinctively resting against her neat bump.

"I'm fine, just a little achy," she said, frowning as Kjetil turned to look into the face of the dragon, seeing the pupils wide and friendly. He gave a smile.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" he asked as the women arrived back from the cave, led by the shocked but curious Hjordis and Astrid smiled, her hand gentling the dragon's muzzle.

"Chief Kjetil-meet Stormfly the Deadly Nadder-my best friend!" she said. There was an audible gasp as the Chief tentatively extended his hand and rested it against her snout. She paused-then pushed against him, giving a caw. "She's very vain-compliment her," Astrid murmured under her breath as the Chief smiled.

"You're beautiful and brave-just like your rider," he murmured softly. "Thank you." He looked up and met Astrid's eyes. "Thank you both for saving us."