Chapter 68: Hide A Knife Behind A Smile

*The typical aims of dragon-rider versus dragon-rider battles in the air are often very different from battles of dragon-riders versus foot soldiers, for all that they can take place in the same battle. Dragon-riders against soldiers on the ground aim to destroy, rout, or contain the ground forces, but dragon-riders against dragon-riders often aim to capture the enemy's dragons instead of killing them or driving them off. Simply and pragmatically put, killing an enemy's dragons might deny their use to the enemy, but capturing them potentially allows for their recruitment to one's own side. The same cold logic applies to all dragon-riding forces, regardless of their affiliation—dragons are more valuable in warfare than men and far more expensive to waste, due to both their rarity and their capabilities.*

*As a result of that logic, capture weapons—nets, bolas, traps and more—have always been a component of dragon-fighting warfare, going back to before the end of the Dragon War, when capturing dragons meant that they could be killed cleanly for their parts, rather than risk them detonating. Since then, such weapons have been refined by all sides…*

*—The Wing And The Ax, Queen Marshal Astrid Haddock I, undated draft, Waterford University Archives*

## Major Events

* Sigurd rescues the empresses, and leads the Varangian dragon riders to victory over Emperor Michael's forces. The deposed emperor is blinded and mutilated.
* Stoick allows Father Dúnchad to reside on Berk to serve the Christian members of the tribe, with certain restrictions.
* After a night of binge eating by both Fishlegs and Meatlug, they and Gobber discover a new metal smelted in Gronckle stomachs--Gronckle Iron.
* Jonna and the Jomsvikings arrive on Berk.
* Drago Bludvist reveals his tamed dragons to the Pechenegs, and offers his services as a warlord and dragon tamer.
* Hiccup and his surviving companions narrowly escape their English pursuers, onto Viggo Grimborn's ship.

## Trivia

The titles of this chapter and the previous one are references to the Thirty-Six Stratagems, a Chinese book of military strategy.

## Characters

### Humans

* Sigurd Trondsson
* Theodora Porphyrogenita
* Zoe Porphyrogenita
* Fishlegs clan Ingerman
* Stoick the Vast
* Father Dúnchad
* Gothi Hiccupsdóttir
* Spitelout Clodgallsson
* Ross Alansson
* Gobber the Belch
* Murchadh mac Flannchadh
* Harald Sigurdsson
* Kristoffer
* Jorn Eriksson
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Astrid Hákonsdóttir clan Haddock
* Wulfhild of Norway
* Jonna Asgersdóttir
* Gunnar Bræsisson
* Gudmund Hallvarsson
* Michael V Kalaphates
* Khurşӑ
* Pecheneg Kagan
* Drago Bludvist
* Reidun Hemmingsdóttir
* Cami Berthasdóttir
* Merida Dunbroch
* Horsefeathers Hensteethsson
* Viggo Grimborn

### Dragons

* Hookfang
* Meatlug
* Toothless
* Ourania Aoidos
* Skuggi
* Stormfly

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that in battles involving dragon-riders vs dragon-riders, the aim is to capture the opposing dragons because dragons were too rare and valuable to consider anything else. The chapter shows Harald approving Sigurd's plan to bring in the dragons of the forces loyal to Emperor Michael alive because of the cost it took to get them in the first place and Sigurd successfully carrying it out.