The Clue of the Missing Socks - Chapter 20

This is a big chapter for me.  I started this story over four months ago, I had a goal to write at least 20 chapters.  I have done it!  Without the support of my readers I don't think I would have gotten this far.  I never thought anybody would really like my story.

I thought I might do seven or eight chapters and then end the story.  But thanks to the comments I have gotten, I wanted to make this story the very best I could.  I wanted to test my writing skills with several of my own characters and along with some vikings from SoD.  I would like to thank all of the people that have read my fan-fic and all of their comments.

And the thing is, I am only three-fifths the way done with my story.  So this story is not done yet.  I hope you continue to read my story and post more comments because this really spurs me on to make this a great story.

The Clue of the Missing Socks

Chapter 20

          Hiccup agreed.  I told him to meet me after supper outside my house.  I also told him to add to the story that I will be the only one at home.

          “Will do,” Hiccup said as he got on Toothless and headed to the Great Hall.  If you ever need to start a rumor, the Great Hall is the best starting point.

          I walked in to my house but told my thunderdrum to wait outside.  I saw my mother sitting next to her work table.  Just then, Asvord and Elsa walked in from the back door.

          “We have something to show you, mother,” all three of us said at the same time.  I looked at my sisters, and they looked at me.

          My mother replied, “Let me guess.  You two want me to look at the Deadly Nadder and Gronckle you two have been training over the past couple months.”

          My two sister gasped, “How did you know?” they both asked.

          “I am your mother.  It is my job to know what goes on in this family.  Also, we have had a shortage of fish and chicken for a while, so I had some clues that told me the story.”

          “What do you think I am going to say?” I asked.

          “Hmm…,” my mom started to think.  “You… You can sometimes be hard to tell, but I think you are about to tell me that you found a dragon too.  And want to show me it too.”

          “Right again,” I said.

          My mother got up and said, “It also helped that I saw you, Jarl, walking down the road to our house.  And as for you two girls, wanting to excuse yourselves from you chores during the day was also a clue.”

          We all chuckled and walked out the back door.  I found that my thunderdrum had walked around to the rear and looked like he was introducing himself to Asvord’s and Elsa’s dragons.  Asvord had a purple Deadly Nadder with green highlighted spines, greenish eyes, and had tan coloring underneath.  Elsa’s dragon is the gronckle.  Her dragon is a dark orange with black highlights, bright blue eyes, and it looked like Elsa’s dragon had dark blue specks all over its skin.

          “This is Spiker.  She can be very happy and perky or sad and mad.  Her moods spike, so that is why I called her that,” said Asvord.

          “And this is Meatballs,” said Elsa.

          “Meatballs?” I said puzzled.

          “Yeah,” replied Elsa.  “He apparently likes ground-up meat in the shape of balls.  So that is why I named him that.’

          “What is the name of your thunderdrum?” my mom asked.

          “I haven’t picked out a name yet,” I answered.  “Could you help me out?”

          “Oooo.  I want to name him Fred,” said Elsa.

          “How about Ricky or Richard?” added Asvord.

          “Hey pick mine,” Elsa insisted.

          “No mine sounds more dignified,” replied Asvord.

          “I know,” I stated.  “I will name my dragon, Fredrick.”

          “You were always the one to make both of us happy,” said Asvord, pointing to her and Elsa.  “Because if you made one unhappy, you might regret what would happen next.”

          “Uh, yeah.  If I would pick yours Asvord, Elsa would kick my shin.  If picked Elsa’s, then you would punch me in the side,” I said.

          Our mother shook her head at us and then told us to come inside and have some lunch.  She has gotten used to these types of brother/sister conversations we have together.  We may pick on, tease one another, and joke with one another but we would stick up for one another if someone else picked on us.  When some have done this, my usually saying is something like, “Hey!  No one can pick on my sisters but me.”  Then Elsa would then say something like, “Yeah, take that.”  But Asvord would most times slap me in the shoulder and tell me, “Watch it.  Be careful what you say or your arm here will be out of commission for a while.”

          We went inside and sat down at our table.  Our mother severed us some smoked yak meat with carrots and some fresh elderberries on the side.  There was also pitcher full of fresh yak milk to drink.

          It only took about fifteen minutes to finish lunch.  I asked my two sisters if they wanted to go out and train our dragons together.  They agreed.  I almost forgot to tell my mother about my plan to trap the thief who has been stealing around Berk.  She did not approve of the plan at first, but she said it was alright after I told her of the new thefts yesterday and this morning.

          My sisters and I went out the back to get our dragons.  I suddenly remembered I had not actually sat on the back of Fredrick.  So I called him to me and held out my hand so I could touch him.  I was expecting him to wait a few seconds before would allow me to touch him, but I guess since I tried to help him last night he made the first move to touch my hand.

          He started to purr as I petted him.  I had found some rope that I could use to hold on with.  It was like he knew what was going to happen next because he turned to allow me to get on his back.  I was surprised because being able to ride on your dragon usually comes later after a couple of weeks of bonding.  But I got on and I pointed to where I thought we should start training for today.  Fredrick immediately started after the spot.

          “I guess you know how to interrupt hand signals Fredrick,” I said as he grunted to tell me, “Of course I do.”

          My sisters followed on their dragons.  Asvord and Elsa have a slight head start on the bonding level with their dragon then me because they have been training their dragons for a couple months now.

          We spent all of the afternoon into early evening before the sun set training our dragons.  I worked on basic maneuvers with Fredrick, while my sisters work on intermediate maneuvers and target practice.  As I was learning how Fredrick flew and the he reacted to my commands, I found out that he was a very quick learner.  Fredrick knew what I wanted sometimes before I told him.  I also worked on maneuvering him through some trees.  I never pushed him because we were both starting out learning what the other one wanted.  Towards the end of our practice session I noticed Fredrick wanted to pick up speed.

          “No Fredrick,” I said as a held him back.  “As soon as I get a saddle I will see what you got for speed.  I would like it very much if I could hold on to something.”

          We continued to train a little while, while the sun was setting.  I wanted to train Fredrick to fire on command while I pointed at where I wanted him to fire.  At first it did not quiet work because I stood in front of him and pointed to a large tree to my right.  He fired, but not at the tree.  On me!  I was sent flying back over the top of Spiker and Asvord.

          “Hey you are doing great, Jarl,” Asvord told me with a sarcastic tone.  “If you keep training you like you have been, he should be able to shoot you to the next island.”

          “Very funny,” I said as I picked myself up.

          I was able to get Fredrick to shoot on command by pushing down on his back with my hands.  So as long as my target was in front of me or in the general area, he would hit it.

          It was getting dark and I needed to get back to the house to meet Hiccup.  Asvord and Elsa wanted to come too and see they could catch a glimpse of the thief.  I told them they would have to go with our mother as a decoy.  My sisters and my mother would leave, and I would double back with Hiccup and wait.  Hopefully the thief will fall prey to my plan.

          When we arrived back at my house I found Hiccup talking with my mother.  They stopped their conversation when I got within ear shot of them.

          “Are you ready for the steak-out?” I asked.

          Toothless nodded his head.  “Yeah I am ready to bud,” said Hiccup.

          I gave my mother a hug and a lantern to show the thief that she and my sisters were leaving.  Hiccup, our dragons, and I walked down the road a ways and then we doubled back to my house.  My barn that my family keeps our animals in is directly across the road, opposite our house.  Neither Hiccup nor I said much during our time waiting.  After nearly a hour of waiting, we both suggested the thief may not come.

          Suddenly, Toothless and Fredrick started to growl softly as person came casually down the road toward my house.  Hiccup whispered to me asking, “Is that the man you wrestled with the day that Adam found you?”

          I thought for a moment while the figure kept walking toward my house.  “This man has the same build and stature as the man I wrestled with, but I cannot say for certain if it is him.  Though I did hear the man’s voice; however, any man can disguise his voice to make him sound like somebody else.”  I had finished speaking as the mysterious man tried the door handle and pushed on it.  When the door opened, he walked in.  Hiccup and I heard a loud crash.  I figured it was the swords I put in a box on the edge of the table.  I fixed it so if one of the swords was picked up, the box would fall automatically.

          “Hiccup, you enter my house from the rear door as to block the man’s escape route,” I ordered.  “I will enter from the front.”

          I waited for Hiccup to get to the rear before entering.  I was completely shocked when I rushed in.  There was still enough light so I recognized but could hardly believe what I was seeing.  I saw Adam Thorvald kneeling over a man with one of the swords from the box on the table in his left hand.  Just then Hiccup rushed in from the back door.

          “Adam!” Hiccup stated blatantly surprised.  “What are you doing here and who is that on the floor?”

          “I uh.. don’t know.  I found this viking looking around your house Jarl as if he was looking for uh.. something to steal.  I saw the man had my grandmum's socks she knitted for me that I always wear.  I got two pairs, I am wearing the other pait,” Adam replied as he lefted up his pant's leg showing me.  “This viking here um.. saw me and said, 'It's you!'  He rush at me with an axe.  I um.. grabbed this sword from a box to defend myself.  The box fell over and I bent down to protect myself.  The man wasn’t expecting that so he fell over me as I bent down.”

          Adam was very fidgety while he was talking.  I walked over to the man on the floor and gasped.

          The man on the floor was Vemund Steinson!

Here is the link to my next two chapters:  http://forum.schoolofdragons.com/content/clue-missing-socks-chapters-21-and-22