Book 7 - The Crimson Storm - Chapters 4: Axe in Hand, Worth Two in the Face

The Crimson Storm

Chapter 4

Axe in Hand, Worth Two in the Face

         After our overnight stay, we arrived at Dragon’s Edge early the next morning.  Real early, like nearly lunch early.  By now, I am just waking up.

         We land in front of their stables.  Dismounting, we take our cats and wolf pup out of their special carry bags on our saddle.  The three are set on the ground and follow behind us.  Pebbles is with me, Titan with Annabeth, and Rogue with Dawn.  We walk down the paths leading to the Clubhouse.  Tuffnut nearly bowls us over as he leaps his way out of the Clubhouse.

         “What the-?” Dawn declares.

         Cazi, though surprised too, merely waves it off, “Eh, that’s just Tuffnut and his Changewing migration thing.”

         “O-K…” Dawn widens her eyes as she remembers the craziness of the Twins.  “Forgot about a certain pair of Thorstons being crazy as crazy can get.”

         Alerted by the blow of a horn for an arrival of some kind, we come to the front of the Clubhouse; Hiccup asks from inside, “Are we expecting visitors today?”

         Just as he finishes, Annabeth, Dawn, Cazi, and I cross the opening.

         “Well,” I said.  “We were not expected though when you called us and even don’t consider us ‘visitors’, then we will just leave.”

         Sarcastically going, “Hmph,” I turn my back from Hiccup.

         He quickly rescinds his statement, “No, no.  I mean un-expected visitors.  Someone we were not counting on coming.”

         Following Hiccup and Astrid down to the Docks, accompanied by Fishlegs, my group stops on the last platform level before the main docks near where a ship can come into port.

         We all stand behind as Hiccup takes care of his island.

         Annabeth wonders out loud, “Why is Throk here?”

         Throk’s boat comes into port as Hiccup starts, “Throk.  Uh, did we have plans?”

         Throk immediately answers, “I am on your shores today to fulfill a mission that is most personal and of the utmost importance.”

         Unsure, Hiccup responds, “Okay.  How can we help?”

         Throk requests as he ties his boat to docks, “You can point me in the direction of the fragrant savior of this man’s very life:  Ruffnut Thorston.  I am here to lift her off her feet.”

         “Um,” Hiccup said confused.  He helps Throk up to the docks and corrects the saying, “Do you mean, ‘Sweep her off her feet.’?”

         “No,” Throk affirms to the opposite.  “I will lift her from her feet, put her over my shoulder, and return with her to my island, where she will live out her days as my trustworthy wife.”

         Astrid exclaims, “What?”

         Dawn, who had been disinterested, wakes up and comments, “He’s going to do what now?”

         “Oh boy,” I sigh.

         Annabeth stands with her mouth and eyes wide open in disbelief.

         Fishlegs inquires, carefully, “Um, does she know about this?”

         Amazed by his question, Throk asks, “Is that important?”

         Astrid says something and walks towards Throk with some other intent in mind and Hiccup stops her.  Annabeth also tries to step forward, but Anora reaches her neck, from above, and puts her neck in front of Annabeth to stop her.  But what adds to the puzzle of the situation is the next voice I hear, “Is what important?”

         “Dagur?” I turn around and see both him and his sister, Heather, jump down the two yards to our level from the ramp just above.

         Wanting to ask why they are doing here, Annabeth informs her siblings what is going on, “Throk, a Defender of the Wing, just said he is going to take Ruffnut to be his wife.”

         “Huh,” Dagur replied.  “Didn’t know someone would be interested in the girl.  If he is crazy enough to think she is pretty, no offense to her, then he is perfect for her.  Enough crazy to go around.”

         “No, Dagur,” Cazi explains.  “What you don’t understand is Throk wants to forcibly take Ruffnut without even getting consent from Ruffnut if she like him or not.”
         Dagur changes his tone, “Is this serious?”

         Cazi punches her right fist into her other hand, “It’s about to be.”

         We listen back in to hear Throk mid-sentence, “…have gone soft over the years.  Losing the club has made the retrieval of the bride much more of a struggle,” Throk then raises both his arms to show his muscles to emphasis what he said.

         Just when I thought it quieted down…

         “Arrragh!” taking her axe from her back, Astrid tries to charge Throk.

         Impeding her path is Hiccup doing his best to keep Astrid back; Astrid struggles to get past him.  But that is only Astrid.  Annabeth tries to do the same thing, but I catch Annabeth with one arm.  Before she can jump down the next level, I wrap my left arm around Annabeth.  Sparklebolt picks up Cazi by using her neck to flip her up into the saddle.  Then Dawn just stands there.  I think I see steam coming off her head.  And Heather, though just to the scene, also tries to step forward, but Dagur holds her back similar to me holding Annabeth back.

         “Calm down,” Dagur says.

         “Calm down,” Annabeth replies.  “Calm down?!  Why should I calm down?”

         I add, “Because Throk doesn’t understand.”

         Saying that caused everyone to calm down.

         Dawn had just taken her own axe out to rush Throk too, but she instead said, “Okay.  Okay, I am calm.  I’m calm.”

         Dawn takes a few deep breaths.

         “Dawn,” Dagur observes, “Don’t you think you should drop your axe too.”

         She does so and questions, “I dropped the axe… Now let’s knock that guy’s block off.”

         Now Hiccup brings Astrid over at the moment Dawn tries to charge; Hiccup calls back to Throk, “Can’t wait to hear what you guys decide…,” Astrid was facing away from Hiccup, but she turns back to go against Hiccup.

         Dawn also charges forward, picking up the axe with her left and as Astrid yells again, Dawn winds up a right cross to go through… Hiccup yells, “Oh, no, no, no, no,” trying to talk Dawn down.  Astrid dodges the punch.  Hiccup, on the other hand… Well, let us just say that is a different story…

         Bam!

         “Aw… No!  Oh!” Hiccup stumbles back and falls into some crates, which break on impact.  Thinking this was all, Hiccup sees Dawn swinging her axe in her right hand from right to left…

         Swi-oosh!

         The axe was not aimed at him, but acting quickly, Hiccup jabbed at Dawn’s wrist to disarm her of the axe.

         “Watch it,” Hiccup calls out Dawn.

         But the axe he disarmed Dawn of, goes flying up and lodges into the bottom of the deck above… Directly in front of Pebbles…

         MEEOOOWW!

         Pebbles screams and runs away.  Rogue and Titan were also nearby and are also startled by the sudden axe tip appearing in front of them.  These two also run away.

         Laughing rhetorically, I return to Hiccup, helping him up with my right hand, “Watch where your opponent is aiming before you disarm someone.  There could be collateral damage if you are not careful.  The axe did go straight up and would not have hit them from your angle even if you tried to do it, but could have been a little more careful.”

         “I wouldn’t have to do this if certain vikings were not so triggered by every little thing…,” Hiccup replies.  “Even if their reasoning is correct.”

         Dawn did not bother helping Hiccup up, but wanting to lunge forward again, “I dropped the axe, now let me at him!”

         Dagur stretches out his right arm to grab her should, “The guy probably doesn’t understand.”

         I give Hiccup a hand up as he says, “Thank you.”

         Dagur continues, “I will make him understand myself.”

         “No, no… NO!” demands Hiccup as everyone but me starts to walk towards Hiccup.  “Fishlegs will take care of it, we have more important stuff to attend to.”

         They keep coming.  So, I keep Annabeth back and Hiccup takes Astrid on.

         “Could you guys stop already?” Hiccup frustratingly says.

         Cazi is finally able to jump down from her dragon and joins in on the “fun” too, Hiccup shrugs his shoulder and head, “Not you too Cazi.”

         Fishlegs and Throk walk by at this exact moment… And Throk adds salt to the wound, “This is why losing the club has been a chore to find a fit woman.”

         Everyone explodes.

         Hiccup struggles to stop Astrid, I keep Annabeth back in a similar way, keeping myself between her and her target, and Dagur with one arm keeps Dawn in place and with the left keeps

Cazi at bay.

         Hiccup strongly suggests to Fishlegs, “I really can’t wait to see what you guys learn.”

         Fishlegs then hurries Throk off to where they were going.  Hiccup, Dagur, and I soon get the girls calmed down.

         Dagur comments, “He isn’t even worth the punch or axe to the knee.”  This elevates some tension.

         Annabeth gets a little upset at me, “You of all vikings should know he needs to understand.”

         Defending my stance, I then say but with the understanding of where she is coming from, “Reacting the way that you did justified Throk’s thinking he needs a club to rein a woman in.”  I then got some menacing looks from them all, except Annabeth who looks to be trying to listening.  “As the doer trying to teach someone about listening to a different point of view, saying or doing one thing may tear down the listener while doing or saying something else may build up.  Especially when something is believing one thing… Like you girls are doing this moment about Throk… Wanting to beat the snot out of him for treating a potential wife like this, is not the best way to build him up to understand the better way of handling things.  I completely agree with all of you.  I want to punch him just as much as you do.  However, to what Dagur just alluded to -even if I don’t think you realized, Dagur- punching Throk because of this is not worth the punch.  Not because Throk is less of a viking for thinking a man literally takes a woman to be his wife, but because Throk doesn’t know any better way.”

         “Keep in mind,” I continue.  “Throk comes from a civilization that has completely different beliefs and traditions than Berk does.  This something that I am still figuring out.  But what meeting Fira in the situation that I did and then learning from her, when someone else believes something contrary to what you believe, if you show them the light, the truth of the matter, this will give them the opportunity to understand what you do.”

         “Long story short,” I finish up.  “If you truly want Throk to understand without throwing a single punch, then you do the opposite of what he expects.  If he expects to have to use club to get someone, bring no shield, come disarmed, and say, ‘No.’  Show him that we do things differently.  Talk to him, explaining there is a better way.  But then live with the fact that if he still does not want to change, he will now know how to better treat those around him.  Someone may need a punch to see the light, or the lack there of, someone else may need an explanation.  Not everything can be solved with a punch.”

         Once I finish, it became quiet for a moment.

         “Alright,” Dawn said disappointed but then perked up.  “Now, let’s go punch him.”

         Sighing and shaking my head, I facepalm.

         Looking up, I see Hiccup about to say something, I jump in instead, “That’s Dawn’s way of saying she understands.  Because if she intended of punching someone… They would be on the ground by now.”

         “Jarl’s right,” Cazi says.

         Appreciative, I reply, “Thank you.”

         “Go punch Snotlout.  He’s always worthy of a punch,” Cazi adds.

         “Ooo.  You’re right,” Dawn smiles.

         I slowly blink once and fluttery my eyelids to look at Dawn and Cazi.

         To segway why we are here, I straighten up and mention to Hiccup, “Maybe you should invite us here so much.  For one thing we are not considered visitors and another, you may be down one rider than you were before we got here.”

         Now Hiccup sighs but also laughs, shaking his head.

         Cazi then asks Astrid, “How can you stand it?  Seeing that… That face… That nicely… punch-able face and not giving it what for.”

         She folds her arms and smiles, “It is a daily struggle that has trained me to let him have it when he deserves it.”

         “Alright,” Hiccup picks up on my que.  “The reason why you are here and Dagur and Heather are here is something I wanted to say in person.”

         Now intrigued, Dawn inquires, “What is it?”

         “Remember your report a while ago that included this new material Terbsten?” Hiccup asks.  I nod.  He continues and leads the way back to the Clubhouse, “Well, we got a tip from Trader Johann that several minor Dragon Hunter leaders got wind of this and has set up a meeting Viggo and a couple other Dragon Hunter commanders about this material to discuss details of this.  Trader Johann also mentioned this meeting is going to take place relatively close to Dragon’s Edge.  Fearing maybe even an attack on Dragon’s Edge, Johann told us this.  Two things I called you guys from Mystery and Dagur and Heather.  Jarl and his friends have the best infiltrating and sleuthing skills of us all.  The other players present at the meeting, Dagur has past history with, even recent history.  But Johann was not sure if Viggo will show or not, which is why he was thinking that Viggo may try to attack Dragon’s Edge being so close.”

         Astrid then comes in, “Why Hiccup was so vague on his message to you and Dagur and Heather was because the security at this meeting will be so big that a large group of riders will be spotted, especially if those dragon riders are the Dragon Riders.  We need to see what this meeting is about, but we could not get close enough for an attack by dragon even if we wanted to.”

         Hiccup continues and then finishes as we enter the Clubhouse, “For three or for major Dragon Hunters to meet like this and make such a big deal to keep any dragon rider out, there has got to be something very important they are discussing.  Johann mentioned Terbsten but that is only one of the topics.  The information we can gain from attending this meeting is invaluable.  Going in dragons blazing, all this information will be lost.”

         Dawn off-handily jests, “So, you want us to walk into the front door?”

         Hiccup looks at her, “Yeah… Pretty much.”

         Dawn rolls her eyes, “The crazy from the Twins must be contagious.  What have you guys been eating lately?”

         Hiccup goes on, “When a stealthy mission is presenting itself, who better to call on than the master sleuths themselves?”

         Annabeth and I smile, Cazi and Dawn nod their heads.

         Hiccup brings us to the back of the Clubhouse to a table set up with model ships and sea stacks.

         Spreading out around the table, Hiccup begins to relay the plan, “First off, Johann is our man on the inside.  Johann, with his trading contacts, has gotten a way in for us: Trader Johann is bringing in outside help to help with his supply to trade.  Jarl, Annabeth, Cazi, and Dawn are Johann’s help.  Earlier, Johann gave us gear for you guys to use.  Up front, guys, you will not have any weapons.  However, there will be plenty of weapons there, hence the items you will be trading.”

         Heather questions, “Where do we come in?”

         Astrid answers, “You and Dagur will be Jarl and his crew’s backup, along with their dragons they ride out there on.  While there is no way we can fight them all head on, extracting Jarl’s crew out of there might be an issue because the meeting is going to take place on ships.”

         “Right,” Hiccup continues.  “The meeting is going to take place northwest of Dragon’s Edge, just east of the Swamplands.  All of the players involved will be arriving with a small band of their vikings and soldiers.  Viggo is footing the security for this meeting since he was ‘gracious’ enough to let news spread about the Terbsten.”

         Hiccup concludes, “All of you will fly out to the Swamplands today where the thick of the swamp forest will be your staging grounds.  We are not sure how they are going to set up their ships, but they will be anchored somehow because that water is pretty choppy, even in calm weather.  The current will be moving, so with stationary ships, Heather and Dagur and swoop in and get you guys out of there.”

         Cazi asks, “Why not just pick them off?  Stationary targets are the best kind.”

         Annabeth instead responds, “Hiccup is right.  The intel we gain from this meeting is invaluable.  If we stop them here, then we do not know who they are working for, what are their plans, or anything of that nature.  This isn’t the time for the final showdown, but it is very near.  I doubt any of them will ever work together for anything, so there probably isn’t going to be a team of some sort.  However, if they find a mutual benefit like the Terbsten rumored to be Gronckle Iron proof or at least more resistant than anything they have now, then stopping their supply of this metal is crucial to anything against them.  And about the escaping part, Jarl has a Tidal Class dragon.  A Thunderdrum can slip in unnoticed, especially if Dagur and Heather distract them above ground.  In the chaos, we all can jump ship, hold on to Fredrick, and escape before anyone notices we were there.”

         “Great idea,” Hiccup thanks.  “You all can leave whenever you are ready.  We have your outfits right here for you to go ahead and put on.  Are there any questions?”

         Cazi asks, “Where’s Snotlout?”
         Hiccup chuckles, “I mean, relating to the plan?”

         “Oh,” Cazi says.  “Nah, just so long as I’ll get to punch something eventually.”

         The girls and I take the gear.  I go to Hiccup’s hut and the girls go to Astrid’s hut to try on the gear.  Meeting back at the Clubhouse to see how we all look, we comment on each other’s gear.

         See us all in costume, they are all very similar; all black, all leather, long pants, long sleeve shirt, loose fitting hood that can reach past our eye level, and even a mask.  Reminds me a lot of what Asvord’s outfit looked like, way back when; Asvord still has the mask.  Although with the girls’ outfits, they have a skirt, and it is black too.  One thing I did keep with me from my own gear, is my Hidden Blade bracer, on my left arm.  I have a plain matching bracer to put on my other arm.  Annabeth did the same with hers.  Our grappling hook is pretty exclusive to me and my crew.  Our foes may not know it, but it is even more exclusive to just Annabeth and me.

         Annabeth remarks, “Black is very sliming on me, don’t you think?”

         Knowing from what my sisters have hammered into my brain:  When a girl asks this a question, quickly answer.  Do not hesitate and do not be blunt.  Be honest, obviously, but with fewer words.

         I answer, “It looks great on you.  Couldn’t agree more.”
         “Uh-huh,” Annabeth looks at me as she realized what predicament her question put me in.

         “It is a bit constricting in the shoulders, if you ask me,” Dawn critically observed.  “I need to be able to fight, if given the chance to.”

         Cazi adds, “We’ll improvise.  I mean, that is like the majority of Jarl’s plans, right?”  Cazi mimics my voice, or at least tries to: deep undertones and she sticks out her stomach to over emphasis where my voice is coming from, “I’ll take Annabeth with me, you girls go punch some things and when we get in trouble, come bail us out.”

         “First off,” I point my finger at her.  “I do not sound like that, though I do have a deep voice.  Secondly, not all my plans go like that.”

         Dawn retorts, “Yeah, like once every twenty or so.”

         I roll my eyes.

         Hiccup comes in, “I see it all fits.  Good.  One last thing, Trader Johann will meet you guys at the eastern shores of the Swamplands, just after sundown.  You all ready?”

         The girls and I nod, Heather and Dagur come in and agree.  We mount our dragons near the Stables.

         As we say our goodbyes, I jest to Hiccup, “I wish you success with your Twin problem.”

         Hiccup shakes his head as my crew lifts into the air, “That’s a never-ending battle.”