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━━ chapter eight
the war awaits

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     "UH, HEY, VAL..." legs swinging off the edge of the iceberg, Hott pursed his lips and twiddled his thumbs, glancing up at his sister who paced behind him. "Not to be that person, but ... this doesn't look like heading back to Berk. You know, I━I would like to be home in time for dinner ... Mum's making her really really nice stew."

     "He as a point," Snotlout munched on a chicken leg he had brought with him from Berk. His words were muffled with his mouth full. "Your mum's stew is amazing."

     The group of Riders all hummed, agreeing whole-heartedly. But Val ignored them and just continued to pace. Zephyr's eyes followed her back and forth, squawking in his curiosity over her stress. She fiddled with her brooch, fingers running along the intricate design Hiccup spent hours carving away at. Everyone was settled against a lonesome iceberg at the ocean; they've been here for so long, the sun was starting to set and dusk-pink and salmon colours started to drift in the clouds and cross the water. Val felt bad for keeping them all here for so long, but her mind was muddled with such worry she wasn't thinking really about them.

     Hearing Astrid return on Stormfly, she looked up and hurried over, "Anything?"

    She shook her head and Valkyrie gritted her teeth. She went back to pacing. She bypassed Fishlegs, who was searching his saddle for rocks for Meatlug, Snotlout who was trying to give Ruffnut his second chicken leg, but she was too busy glumly staring out at the sunset, Hott who immediately sat up at the arrival of Astrid, and finally Tuffnut who had long fallen asleep, snoring on Belch's saddle.

     Stoick and Gobber should have been back by now. Hiccup couldn't have gone that far in mere minutes. No. Something had happened, something bad━she just knew it. She should have gone!

     Kicking the egde of the iceberg, she watched some ice fall into the water. "Stupid, stupid ..." she grumbled to herself. Tugging at the collar of her coat, Valkyrie decided that she couldn't wait any longer. "I don't like it," she stated, louder this time. She stopped next to Hott. He arched a brow up at her, a little concerned. "They should've been back with Hiccup by now."

     "I don't like it, either!" cried Ruffnut miserably. She smacked away the piece of chicken Snotlout offered her━it plopped into the water. "Eret son of Eret was the man of my dreams! My everything!" she plumeted back, throwing her arms out and dramatically sobbing fake tears.

     Snotlout frowned, "But, baby," he brushed his fingers along the stubble around his lips, betrayed, "I grew facial hair for you."

     Beside him, Fishlegs scratched his own stubble as well, sighing sadly, "Me, too."

     "Ugh!" Valkyrie stepped over Ruff's body, used to her dear friend's dramatics by now. "Who cares about━Eret son of Eret━" she put on her best impression of him, "━what if Drago shot them down?" she gestured wildly out to the evening sky. "What if they need our help?!"

     She turned towards the distance that led back to Eret's ship, going back over the plan she had been mulling over. "We have to find them."

     Fishlegs's eyes widened. He held out his hands, "Wait, wait, what? No, but Stoick said━"

     "It doesn't matter what he said if they've all been captured!" snapped Val as she jumped onto Zephyr and strapped herself in. "Come on!"

     Launching into the dusk-coloured sky, the others had no choice but to follow Valkyrie Hadock, not wanting to leave her and her dragon alone as night started to fall (and if they did, her husband would sure have a few angry words to say━and Snotlout has already been punched one too many times by the lanky man's hand with the power of Thor's Hammer).

      Seeing them form into a 'V' formation behind her, Valkyrie smirked to herself, smug.

     "How are we going to find them?" Snotlout called over the wind. "We have no idea where in Hel this Drago Bludvist could be. I say we just leave them to fend for themselves, they've got dragons, they've be fine!"

     Astrid swung past and hit him over the head, "Hiccup's our friend, Snotlout! And Stoick's our chief, and Gobber is Gobber. Val's right, we need to help them."

     "Whoa, whoa, whoa━" he shook his hands in disagreeance, "━I don't know about you guys, but Hiccup is not my friend. He punched me right in the face back on the Edge! He made me eat Toothless's slobber for no reason!"

     Hott made a noise in the back of his throat, leaning back in Spikemoth's saddle, "You had both of those coming your way. But━you do have a point." At everyone's wide gazes, Hott sat up and quickly fixed his words. "I━I mean, not with the whole not saving Hiccup and the others thing, but we have no idea where Bludvist could be."

     "We know he's North," Astrid said. "Val told us that Eret said he ships the dragons North to Drago."

     Hott glanced at her, and while his heart raced at the idea of her meeting his gaze without a glare, or a look of, why are you the way you are?, he pushed away the blush threatening to cross his cheeks. He was trying everything to make Astrid realise he was more than Valkyrie's little brother; the boy Astrid saw once bathe with Asrifth when he was just four and cried out: "Eww! Val━Your brothers are naked!" He was younger than her by over a year, practically two━not something normal in the society of Berk. But that didn't make him any less of a man! It didn't make him any less smart, or capable, or━or ready to give her everything he could.

     He squared his shoulders and tried to make him look fuller in his figure than he was, ready to prove he could make good strategic decisions to the girl who desired those. But instead, it came out more sarcastic than he meant it. Hott gestured North, "And how many islands and space is that? He could be anywhere North."

     Astrid scowled at him and Hott cursed to himself. Odin's Ghost, Hott, why can't you ever impress a girl?!

     "You're right, Hott," Valkyrie agreed, and he and Astrid glanced over. The Hofferson girl was glad for the distraction of her strange new feeling in her chest at the way Hott completely contradicted her without fear of her reaction. She wasn't used to it. Sure, the boy has always been too sarastic━sometimes immature━for his own good, and was never one to shy away from aggrivating her ... why was now different?

      "But━" went on Val, eyes glinting mischievously out in front of her, "━Eret son of Eret does." She pointed down at the ship in the distance. Leaning in close to Zephyr's ears, she muttered: "Hey, boy, how do you feel about playing some fetch?"

      Zephyr flapped his wings eagerly and Valkyrie grinned. Oh, this will be so satisfying. She readied, setting herself into the position for a dive. The others hovered over the dragon trapper ship, keeping an eye out while Valkyrie bit her bottom lip in excitement.

     "Ready, Zeph?" she whispered. He bobbed his head as a yes. "Okay, three, two━now!"

     Down below on the deck, Eret son of Eret had no idea what was coming for him. Supporting a block of ice to his head, he vented to his ship crew, unbeknowest to the Windstriker and his rider diving right above. His crewmen tried to warn him, but he didn't listen, slamming down his foot and crying, "━If we don't turn up with dragons and fast━" Snatch!

     Valkyrie cheered in triumph, "Yes!" she praised her dragon. "Good boy!"

     "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH━!" hearing Eret scream made her throw her arms back to stretch, very proud of herself.

     "I would be careful what you wish for, Eret son of Eret!" she teased down at him, and he gave a desperate kick up at her. Zephyr just let go of him. He yelled, only to be snatched up in a different form.

     "DO SOMETHING!" he shouted down back at his shipmates, but they were all watching in complete shock━

     "Eret son of Eret!" they cried in dismay. "We'll miss you, Eret!"

     Eret clung on tighter to Zephyr's claws, trying hard not to gaze down at the broken sheets of ice far below. "What is this?!" he screamed. His ship grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

     Astrid flew in low next to him, sharpening her axe intimidatingly, "A kidnapping," she stated. Eret gulped.

     On his other side, Ruffnut reached up and grabbed ahold of his leg. She tugged it towards her. Eret shouted, pulling himself away and wrapping his arms tighter around Zephyr's claws. "Yay, can he ride with me?" begged Ruff. "Can he? Can he...?"

     "No, Ruffnut," said Valkyrie as Eret pushed Ruff away in disgust and her brother gagged into his elbow. They flew back into formation, and Val flicked her braid off her shoulder, letting it fly in the wind. "Now, Eret son of Eret," she glanced down at the trapper in her grasp. "You are going to show us the way to Drago."

     "And help Dragon Riders sneak into Drago's camp?" he scoffed, incredulous. "Just kill me now."

     Valkyrie sighed dramatically, "That's a shame, I really hoped we could have worked together on this, Eret son of Eret. Well, may as well send you back on your way ..." she picked at her nails. "Zephyr━" she pointed downwards, "━drop it."

     Eret's eyes widened, "Huh━?" Zephyr let go.

     "Good boy!" Val praised her dragon and he squawked happily. She listened to Eret's screams━curses, phrases, cries, and a strangled yell of: "OH, GODS, NOT AGAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNNNNN!"━one second ... two seconds ... three seconds ... before she decided it was enough. "Okay━Zeph, fetch."

      With an excited cry, Zephyr dived towards Eret with his claws outstretched. As they neared, Valkyrie heard Eret scream, "Okay! Okay! I'll take you to Drago━!" the Windstriker caught him, and they soared back up into the air.

     Val grinned, "Works every time━" she cracked her knuckles.

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     "AAAAA━!" Stormfly caught Eret in her claws. She threw him back towards Zephyr. "━AGHH━!" Valkyrie's dragon caught him, and tossed him once again, "━Nooo━!"

      "Oooh! Oooh!" Ruffnut threw her hand up to Valkyrie and Astrid. "Toss him over here━please?" she cupped her hands together in prayer and leaned forward, gazing at Eret son of Eret with a dreamy smile upon her face. "Please?"

     "No!" the girls and Eret all shouted at the same time.

     They were flying towards Drago's compound; the journey taking up most of the night and morning. The time was not doing well for Valkyrie's nerves. Who knew what Drago was doing to Hiccup, Stoick, Gobber and their dragons? What if they were imprisoned? Tortured for information regarding Berk? Killed?

     This caused for Valkyrie to set her jaw. As Stormfly passed Eret back over with his short deep-throat yell, she balanced her weight on her dragon and hung down sideways off her saddle to gaze at Eret with a narrowed glance. He yelped in alarm. "How did you do that?"

     "How far?" she instead asked, her mood for jokes and fetch over as the worry of those she cared about in danger taking over her mind yet again. Valkyrie the Vicious resurfaced, and she held no mercy. When Eret didn't respond, her narrowed glance turned into a firey glare that matched the mighty dragon she rode. "To Drago's camp? How far?"

     "Not long," Eret said, eyes wide and fearful at her sudden change of demanour. "Just over those glaciers and in through the pass."

     Hott heard them and gazed onwards. "We're heading straight for them. We should swoop around, find cover by the mouth."

     "We better not be late," Valkyrie stated, sneering at Eret. "Otherwise I'll have Zephyr drop you from the glacier myself."

     "Val," Astrid chided, giving her a quick look. Valkyrie gritted her teeth, but pulled herself back upright in her saddle. She grasped her brooch again, feeling an ache in her heart. She wore it every day, even if she was just helping scoop dragon fecies out of the Hangar. She always wore it to keep Hiccup close to her heart. But right now, even with his handiwork warm against her skin, near the heart that paced only for him, she never felt so far from him. He could be in trouble━or worse, and Valkyrie didn't know how she'd handle losing him. After everything they've been through, those five years━he had become her best friend, her lover, her husband; and she was supposed to grow old with him. She wasn't supposed to lose him before then. He was the one for her━there was no one else for Valkyrie. And she couldn't lose him.

      They soared to the left, taking a wide turn and setting down at the edge of the pass, far away from scouts if Drago had them━Eret told them this spot would be safe, and while Valkyrie didn't trust him, she found out he was right after sending Astrid and Stormfly up above to search.

      They were hidden here.

     So, she let Zephyr drop Eret down. He fell face-first into the snow. As he tried to run away, Zeph was there to sit down behind him and wrap him up in a snuggle hug to his underbelly.

     "Okay!" Eret struggled against the dragon's hold as Zephyr squawked in the back of his throat, nudging his head gently close to his cheek. "I got you here! Now get this thing off me!"

     Valkyrie slipped off her saddle, spinning her mallet in her hand. Astrid landed next to her and Stormfly bounded towards her's and Zephyr's new toy, checking him out and sniffing under his arm. Eret gagged.

      The girls smirked at his discomfort.

     "Never take a toy from a dragon," whispered Astrid, fixing her braid amongst her fur hood.

     "Yeah," added Valkyrie, chuckling softly. "Don't you know anything?"

     The other Dragon Riders landed, and the girls led the team of them up the slope towards Drago's camp, leaving Eret stuck in Zephyr's protective hold. Valkyrie could hear men talking in the distance; shouts of orders related to ships as: "Arm the crossbows!" and, "Tighten the rigs!" They seemed to be getting ready for something, which didn't settle well in Valkyrie's stomach.

     She, Hott, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs and the Twins all crawled up the tip of the glacier, peering down with their chests against the ice. Valkyrie's feeling had been right. Beside her, Snotlout breathed, "Thor Almighty..."

     Down below was a shipyard of a fleet of at least fifty ships; armed to the brim with crossbows, bolas, mets and catapults. Spikes adorned them━much like the fort of Eret's, which told Valkyrie they were not dragon friendly (not that she needed to figure that out). At the centre of the fleet, the commanding ship stood tall and menacing━at least ninety oars to keep it moving and afloat. Its hull hovered by a part in the water; a bubbling mass in the middle of the underground glacier cove, like something was breathing underneath. Something large.

     "What's down there?" asked Astrid, her breath hitched.

     "Could it be a dragon?" wondered Hott, narrowing his gaze.

     Tuffnut scoffed, "Yeah, a big one at that." His eyes then widened and he gasped. "Or, it could be a yak the size of a big dragon!" the others all sighed, exasperated. "Yup!" Tuff nodded, determined. "That's definitely what it is. You're all welcome for Detective Tuffnut Thorston's deduction."

     "Yay," mumbled Hott, shooting him a scowl. "Well done."

     Fishlegs huffed as he leaned back, reaching into his pouch for his dragon cards. He sifted through them, glancing back and forth to narrow their search down. "Large diametre bubbles..." he muttered as he did so, "...massive lungs ... cold water deep dweller ... I'm thinking a class five Leviathan, maybe six ..."

     Valkyrie's stomach dropped and she stared up at Fishlegs in alarm. "How did they manage to grab one of those?"

     "They couldn't," scoffed Snotlout. "They're untrainable."

      "I don't think these guys train them, Snotlout," said Hott. "More like find ways to control them."

     Down the slope, their dragons grew restless. Zephyr perked up from where he had been playing around with Eret beside Stormfly, head peering sideways. The Riders glanced back, knowing that sound all too well━

     Zephyr nudged Stormfly awake and took flight. Out from the fallen ice settled like rocks on the snow, appeared men in white bear-skin coats. Valkyrie gasped, seeing Eret unsheath his sword━he and the dragons were surrounded. Reaching for her mallet, she and the others all started to race back down.

     Stormfly flared her wings, but the men paid no mind. With a short breath to the sticks in their fingers, darts landed in the necks of their sleeping dragons, sending them back down before they were even fully awake.

     "Meatlug!" cried Fishlegs. "What's wrong girl━?!"

     "Fangster!"

     "Spikey━!"

     "Stormfly━no!"

     Astrid's dragon━who had been trying to protect Eret from the men━took a dart to the flank and flopped to the ground. Astrid's heart dropped and she cried out in anger, raising her axe high up. Hott quickly threw a hand in front of her, having a feeling that even Astrid wouldn't be able to take on this many men. "Don't move!" they shouted and Fishlegs whimpered, throwing his hands up into the air. His cards fell to the floor.

     Valkyrie shuffled closer to her brother, trying to protect him as she counted the men ... even with the lot of Riders, they were surrounded and outnumbered two to one.

     Despite it all, Hott muttered, "I should have just headed home for dinner."

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     a/n: hey guys!!! just had some sudden inspiration ahahaha so here's a new chapter!

     also, do not ask me the reason behind this drawing, because I have no clue it just happened; like hott's design definitely needs a touch up because i keep accidentally making my httyd male designs clothing so similar.

     yo I want some hottstrid headcannons because let's be real, the story's secretly about them

    (also, just so you all know, hiccup still has valkyrie's flower and he's definitely holding it close and missing her just like she is with the brooch and him. these two are clingy mfs and it's adorable).