第二十九章：一个意想不到的发展(8)

She turned to Hiccup. Hiccup’s anger had now entirely gone, and he felt a great calmness, as if some great weight had left him. ‘I love you, Hiccup, although my stiff lips will not let me make the kind words I hear other mothers speaking,’ said Vallhallarama with difficulty. ‘I cannot change or regret the wandering Warrior I am. But by Thor’s thunder, I can fight for you, with all my Warrior heart, and this is one thing that I truly excel at.’ The black arrow was now whirring so fast in Valhallarama’s fingers that it was just a blur. ‘The witch has spoken on behalf of Alvin, and I have spoken on behalf of Hiccup. And now we all have to make our choice, peoples of the Archipelago,’ said Valhallarama. ‘And this is mine.’ Valhallarama’s choice was pretty decisive.

So quick you could hardly see it, for a true Hero’s fingers can move as fast as thought, Valhallarama loaded that spinning arrow with black feathers, and shot it straight at Alvin’s heart. She took the Dragon Jewel from around her own neck and placed it around the neck of her son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Uproar in the courtyard. The witch shrieked. Alvin staggered, but the arrow did not penetrate the three chunky metal breast plates he wore under his royal garments. (Alvin was intelligent enough to realise he had made a few enemies in his time.) ‘I’m fine, Mother,’ he assured her, yanking out the arrow from the breastplates with some difficulty. He was purple with temper. ‘But we need to stop talking now and kill everybody.’ ‘I’m dealing with this, Alvin,’ spat the witch.