This was an AU I wrote for a Secret Santa gift on Tumblr to howtotrainyourbabyboo (aka Val). It's not very long and I will most likely finish more of it, but wanted to give it to her for Christmas and then post it later for you guys to read. Let me know what you think and if I should continue. Thanks!
I Will Always Return-Hijack Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron AU
I hear the wind call your name
It calls me back home again
It sparks up the fire - a flame that still burns
Oh it's to you I'll always return
I still feel your breath on my skin
I hear your voice deep within
The sound of my lover - a feeling so strong
It's to you - I'll always belong
It was on a clear day that Toothless was born. In a meadow, surrounded by his family, all eating grass and drinking from the clear stream. Toothless' mother, however, had taken shade under the giant oak as she felt the pains of her labor take hold. All the other horses watched nervously until they realized how joyous an occasion it was; Toothless was as beautiful as his mother. He was jet black with no other markings, a true beauty in the eyes of his family. And the minute he took his first steps in the world, trotting awkwardly, he was mischievous and adventurous; a true free spirit that could not be tamed.
Toothless grew with his family, surrounded by love and freedom in the beautiful country they called home. When his family grew scared or hopeless, Toothless became their guiding light, giving them strength united and leading them with fearlessness. Yes, Toothless was home and free and loved. He would never abandon his family or give up; it was in his blood. He believed this in his soul until the day everything changed.
It was night when it began. He patrolled, watching over his family, making sure all of them were safe and content. He gave a deep rumbling sigh, blending into the darkness of the night. But something was amiss; he could sense it. He looked around the plains, the mountains just barely visible in the night until he noticed it. It was strange and unlike anything he'd ever seen before; like the color of the sun, but flickering against the mountainside. It was distant, but it concerned him deeply. Anything out of the ordinary was deemed dangerous in his eyes. And he was the protector of his family so therefore, it was up to him to make sure this strange glowing sun-like object never reached his loved ones.
He quickly touched noses with his mother who looked to him worriedly. She shook her black mane nervously and sputtered. But Toothless reassured her with a whinny and then took off into the night. It never ceased to amaze his beautiful mother how fast her colt had become. The way he practically flew into the night camouflaged him and he became a blur. A part of her became scared and wondered if she should abandon her post to watch the family while he investigated and go after him, but her beautiful son had become a strong and willful horse so she had faith he would return.
She didn't sleep all night and it wasn't until a feeling inside of her burst that she realized how much danger her son might be in. With a cry, she awoke other members of the family and a few galloped with her to where she saw her son disappear. The sun was coming up, but there was no happiness to come with it this time. Praying to the wind, the sun, the sky, the plains, and the rivers, she galloped hard to find her son safe and sound and bring him home. That would not happen this day.
…..
"Well isn't this strange?" Toothless thought as he finally reached the mountain. He could smell something faint and strange. Musky and warm but it also tickled his nose a little. It must be the strange glow. He'd followed it all night long and came to the mountain where he climbed easily as though it were no challenge.
He finally reached the source but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw it; the glow.
It was small actually, much smaller than he thought it'd be. It was on top of some wood from trees and it was…destroying it. He looked around as it illuminated the area and he could see strange creatures sleeping around it. He walked closer and realized that these creatures only had hair atop their heads; their skin was very pale and bland. He'd never seen the like. He looked up when he heard a sound that was very familiar and realized that these sleeping creatures were holding horses as prisoners! Oh no! He could not stand for that!
He grumbled softly to the horses who looked to him with some hope of freedom. He walked around the strange sleeping creatures carefully; he had yet to name them, and reached the horses. They were bound by a strange thing that kept them from running free. He'd never seen it before but found he didn't like it. It was binding.
His teeth grazed the strange object and once more he found he didn't like this object; it tasted scratchy and hurt his mouth. But these horses needed to be free, so he suffered and bit at the object he so detested by now.
One horse suddenly whinnied nervously and he jumped up, spooked as he turned and saw that the creatures on the ground were no longer sleeping. Worse was that they didn't walk on all fours like Toothless did, but walked on two legs. How horrifying!
They came at him with the binding object he hated and he had to dodge them, jumping all over the canyon and rocks as they fumbled, knocking things over. Toothless could hardly contain his glee at having seen such obvious stupidity as they tried to take him. Toothless managed to avoid them to the point he was able to find a way to set the horses free by kicking one into the prison. The minute the creature landed on the binding object, the horses all fled happily. Toothless led them quickly to freedom, wanting them to get to safety. He turned to see the men had captured other horses and used them to try to chase the others down. Toothless was having none of that.
He urged them forward as he stayed behind to lure the two-legged creatures away from the herd. They chased him and he ran like the wind, jumping around rocks and practically climbing like a pro.
He was close to freedom when out of nowhere; he felt a tug around his neck. The itchy, horrible binding object was now wrapped tightly around his neck. He tumbled and fell. He felt intense pain as his back leg twisted painfully and realized that these creatures might have beaten him.
They came over to overtake him and bind him horribly. It hurt so much and his leg caused him intense pain. All he could do was cry out. They tugged at him forcibly, dragging his limp form and as he struggled, he could see his devastated mother coming towards him from the mountainside.
"NO!" was all he could think, she couldn't get captured. He cried out to her to go back, to be safe. She wanted nothing more than to come to him but couldn't.
"Please go back and be safe. Watch over them! I'll return!" he cried, "I'll return!"
His mother watched in despair as her beautiful son, their leader, was taken by horrid creatures that walked on two legs. He'd saved horses, but he'd been injured and captured.
An eagle flew by and she looked up to it, pleading for it to watch over her son.
And the last thing Toothless saw before he felt a deep darkness come over him was his family; but they were too far away.
….
"Hey bud." Hiccup said softly as he gave an apple to one of the horses he passed, "Don't tell anyone, okay? Our secret."
The horse gobbled up the apple greedily. Hiccup hated how the animals were treated at the fort. Shoot he hated how he was treated here. But he was stationed under Commander Dagur. What could he do?
Dagur believed in an extremely strict regimen for all humans and animals; be it beatings or starvation or sometimes extra labor. Hiccup tried standing up to him once only to get a pretty bad punishment and realized that he was no use to anyone beaten and defenseless. So he merely did what he could in secret; giving extra food to the animals, helping soldiers who were under punishment, and staying out of sight as much as possible. Not that it was easy, Dagur had eyes like a hawk and it seemed they always roved in Hiccup's direction.
Hiccup got back to the smithy shop and helped the head blacksmith, Alvin, with getting horse shoes fitted. Alvin was much rougher with the creatures but he'd enlisted Hiccup's help with calming the creatures down since they seemed to do better when he was with them. Not only that, Hiccup was an excellent blacksmith, something he'd been trained to do as a lad and now used it to help build weapons and horse saddles. He'd been trained to fight but his weak stature and size were a hindrance and Dagur wasn't a big fan of 'thin', 'muscularly challenged' soldiers.
Alvin stood out a mile away, being absolutely huge with scraggily hair everywhere on his head and face sticking out oddly. He sat on a stool that looked ready to burst and Hiccup helped a soldier bring a mare into the stable. She was a beautiful paint horse, decked in brown and white splotches. Hiccup had named her Freckles and always tried giving her extra oats when he could. She spooked easy and tended to get hit if she didn't do what was asked, causing her more fear. The minute she saw Hiccup her head perked up excitedly and her mane was tossed back a little.
"Hey girl." Hiccup breathed as he held her muzzle gently. She breathed easy as Alvin lifted up her back hoof. Hiccup merely cooed to her and told her how beautiful she was. She hardly flinched as Alvin finished both her back hooves and then moved to her front. She grew nervous as he moved but with Hiccup holding on to her, she felt comforted and much more relaxed.
He was done in seconds and Hiccup made sure to give her a sugar cube before she was led out.
He had to do this with at least three more horses with hardly a thank you. But he was glad to do some good where he could.
"Where's Private Haddock?!" a deranged voice boomed throughout the fort.
Hiccup rolled his eyes and sighed, "What now?" he mumbled to himself.
He walked out, donning his hat and straightening his uniform as best he could. He stood straight and saluted, "Sir?"
"There you are, we need you up front. Now!" he barked and Hiccup took that as a dismissal to rush to the front gates. He noticed a wagon being pulled and other soldiers gathering around while the men pulling the wagon argued with someone about something. He rolled his eyes and got to wagon and did a double take. Inside was the most gorgeous black horse. It was lying down, breathing shallow, but also unconscious.
"What happened to this horse?" Hiccup demanded.
One of the men on the wagon came forward, "We better get full price for that beauty! He was a demon to catch!"
"I asked what happened." Hiccup repeated angrily.
"I'll tell you what happened, that horse managed to set loose seven other horses and ride us around like ponies until we managed to snag him off the cliff. Must have twisted his feet or something cause he screamed a storm as we dragged him away."
Hiccup wanted to throttle the moron. Snagged? Dragged? Twisted ankles? God damn he hated these two.
"We'll take him, just leave him here. You'll get half since he's injured." Hiccup told them shortly.
"What? After all that-?"
"You should have thought about that before you injured the horse. Now scram!" Hiccup shouted. He had the other soldiers lead the wagon towards an open stable. He had at least eight soldiers help him get the horse off the wagon carefully and get him into the stall to lie down.
He thanked them and then got to work examining the horse, rubbing it down with a damp towel to keep it cool and massaging its legs carefully. The minute his hand touched the right back knee, the horse whinnied in pain and actually grew aggressive on the ground. Hiccup put hands on the horse to try and settle him down and came to the conclusion after more examination that the horse would be fine; its knee had twisted and sprained, causing pain all the way down his leg. A little care though and he'd be up and running in no time.
Hiccup found bandages and got to work wrapping it before the horse grew angry and tried standing.
As he did the horse seemed to wake up more and more, getting irritable and twisting around. Hiccup did quick work and then went to the other side to try and help the horse stand carefully. He didn't need to do much, this horse had a fiery spirit and the minute it aimed a kick towards Hiccup's face, he bolted.
Hiccup quickly shut the doors and prayed the horse wouldn't kick around so much or he'd damage that leg even more.
He could hear the horse throwing a fuss inside the stall and his eyes widened at how much rage he heard. He was definitely a stallion, a wild alpha one at that. No wonder those guys wanted their money's worth, it would have been better to just let this guy go. But on an injured leg there was no way he could. He wouldn't last out in the desert for even two miles before his knee gave on him.
He wanted to stay and see if he could get closer to the horse but he had other duties to attend to and if he didn't do them than others who were less intelligent would.
….
Hiccup was dead on his feet by the end of the day but he had to check on the beautiful horse that had been brought in. He carried some oats over his shoulder and headed to the stalls. He must not have been paying attention as he ran right into his commander and swallowed nervously.
"Haddock?"
"Sir?" Hiccup asked, straightening.
Dagur's huge oval face was contorted in rage, some of his scars by his eye were standing out menacingly and Hiccup couldn't remember a time when he felt more afraid of Dagur, except when he'd been beaten by the guy himself when trying to stand up for himself.
"You bought a damaged horse?" Dagur hissed angrily as he advanced on Hiccup.
"He's not damaged, sir. Once he's healed he'll be an incredible runner." Hiccup defended.
"Then why is it I've heard nothing but that menace throwing fits all day?"
"Well…it's a new place…he's pretty wild-"
"I don't care about the state of mind, I care about why you wasted our funding to buy not just a damaged horse but a crazy one at that?"
"Well…to be fair, sir, he was lying down in a cart when they brought him." Hiccup tried.
It did little good when Dagur shoved him violently down to the ground, the oats scattering.
"Do you really need to test my patience again, Haddock?"
"No sir." Hiccup mumbled as he got himself up, refusing to stay down. He wiped off the dirt and stood straighter, "I think the horse will be great. I can fix him."
Dagur scoffed, "If he's not calm by morning, I'm resorting to…other measures. And as for you…well…you and I both know what I could do to you."
"Yes sir. Understood." Hiccup said, looking away.
"Get to it then."
Hiccup nodded.
"And clean this mess up."
"Sir." Hiccup replied as he got to it. He wanted nothing more than to snag Dagur's red ponytail out from under his hat and choke him with it, but he didn't dare. He had too many goons and he was a commanding officer. Hiccup sighed as he cleaned his area and then prayed that he could get to the horse in some way. Both of their lives were on the line.
…
Jack could only smirk as he was led inside the ominous fort. He'd heard stories about this place and its commander and he was willing to go undercover to see if it was true. That and cause quite a stir while he was at it. And if there was one thing he was good at, it was causing a stir.
His hands were bound behind him and he was practically dragged by two soldiers who'd been taunting him ceaselessly as they did.
Jack was their newest Native American prisoner, but he was whiter than they were, especially his hair.
He sighed as they threatened to do all sorts of things to him, but he feigned ignorance. He spoke English better than all of them, but he was obviously dressed as a member of his tribe, so they assumed he was dumb and only spoke 'Indian'.
"What's this?" a rather tall and stocky man asked, coming forward. Jack assumed he was the leader since his uniform was decked out in ribbons and badges and his shoes were shiny and new. His red hair was wrapped in a ponytail behind his head and covered with a flat brimmed officer's hat.
"Indian scout. Caused quite a stir for our camp." One of the soldiers replied.
Dagur stepped forward to get a look at Jack who never broke eye contact with the intense green eyes that had a hint of madness in them. Jack would be lying if he said that those eyes actually made him extremely uneasy. Nonetheless, he never stopped glaring back at the intimidating figure.
"You don't look like an Indian, boy? You a traitor?"
Jack said nothing.
Dagur smirked, "We'll get it out of you."
Jack braced for anything really but didn't expect a kick straight to his gut right away. Most soldiers just punched him but this guy must be ruthless. Okay, he needed to play his cards right with this one!
He gasped for air when he felt the second kick and doubled over in pain, grunting.
"White traitor." The leader hissed with some venom in his voice, "Tie him to the post and leave him. I'll work him over later."
Jack gave a harsh glare as he was dragged and lifted onto a post where his bound hands held him. At least he could get his bearings and look around while here. Sure he stood out like a sore thumb; white hair, blue eyes, and incredibly pale skin exposed with just tan breeches that reached his calves. He chose to walk barefoot really, his feet like leather practically. His pale skin had some sunburns on it, but he'd been getting used to it.
He could see many horses in stables looking miserable and men milling around looking just as exhausted.
They were obviously breaking in some horses in the arena and training men. He could smell smoke and noticed a smithy shop where a large, burly man was fitting horseshoes on wild horses.
Jack shook his head angrily, realizing that these men took horses from the wild and forced them into submission. It sickened him.
He knelt a little more comfortably and adjusted his aching shoulders around the post, cricking his neck a little as he observed his surroundings. It was early morning and already he was hearing how horrible these people were treated. One of the main reasons he chose to live with his people in the tribe.
He'd been raised on a simple farm with his little sister, Emma, until a violent Comanche raid stormed through. His parents had been slaughtered right before his eyes and somehow he and Emma escaped into the woods. They traveled for days with nothing, and both were starving when they came upon another tribe who lived peacefully on the outskirts of the mountain. They were mostly Lakota but Jack and Emma called them Guardians. They took the siblings in, fed them, gave them shelter, and adopted them fully as their own.
They were awestruck by Jack's white hair and believed he'd been blessed by winter spirits to give them cool air and wind at night. Over time, both he and Emma learned their language and even taught the leaders English. Now Emma worked with the women hunting and gathering while Jack helped the men with scouting and keeping the tribe safe. He'd learned how to fight and fight well.
Jack was happy in his new home and would never consider himself a traitor. These were people who could have killed them or tortured them, but instead loved them as their own. He would do anything to protect them. Because of this, the people of his tribe renamed him. He still kept the name Jack given to him by his parents, but his people dubbed him Winter Warrior.
He suddenly heard a lot of yelling and shuffling as a young soldier boy was brought over, yelling angrily and struggling.
"Leave that horse alone!" he cried out as he was dragged to the post next to Jack, "Listen to me! He needs more time to heal! Let him be!"
Jack could see a head of shaggy auburn hair on the boy and was dying to get a closer look and understand what was going on.
He was shocked that the boy was tied up to the post next to Jack and left there. He looked angry and devastated as he panted. He had bags under his brilliant green eyes and they were red rimmed from crying obviously.
He shook his head and muttered expletives and Jack turned around to see some men attempting to pull out a majestic black horse with a bandage around its back knee. The ropes were awful tight and the horse was putting up a big fight, whinnying and bucking.
"He's gonna kill them." The boy muttered as he looked at the ground, "Serves them right, the bastards."
The leader walked up to the horse and assessed him with a sneer, "I like this one, he's got spirit. I'll make sure he's obedient by the end of the day."
Hiccup narrowed his eyes angrily at the ground.
"Haddock got you through the night but I think I'll take over now. He needs time to…think about his loyalties." The leader laughed.
Haddock? What a strange name. Jack looked at the boy who relaxed himself more and finally looked up; realizing Jack was staring at him. His eyes widened and he looked Jack up and down. Jack was used to this by now from white men and women who saw him. He never broke eye contact with the strange boy however and he could tell it made him slightly uneasy. Probably just as well.
Both turned their attention to the sound of the horse being led to the smithy where the large burly man stood waiting. Jack cringed when he saw a butt crack sticking out from his slacks as he itched it.
"Where's Haddock?" the man asked in a gravelly voice, "I ain't working with a beast like that."
"You'll do fine, just get him the shoes." The leader rolled his eyes.
"Commander Dagur, I'd rather Haddock help me. You know how he is with the beasts."
"Hiccup is learning his lesson over there. He tried setting this thing go and I'm not about to let a gorgeous stallion out of my grasp."
Jack looked back over to the boy. So Hiccup was his name and he'd been trying to set the horse free. He found he liked this boy a little more.
"Fine." The smithy muttered as he took one of the ropes, "You lot help me hold him down."
….
Hiccup couldn't look at the horse he'd stayed with all night to heal. He was so worried they'd damage his knee again. The horse showed incredible strength and trust towards Hiccup by dawn. He'd avoided getting bitten, kicked, and stomped and yet he stayed to try and give the horse food and medicine for its knee. He'd been bitten at least three times by it and yet, he shrugged it off and continued trying. The horse seemed to calm down after so long and realized that this was a two-legged creature that he might be able to trust.
Hiccup remembered the exact moment before dawn when he and the horse made the connection. He'd reached out his hand carefully, looking away and trusting the animal not to take his hand off. He stood there, relaxed and nervous at the same time. The horse put its muzzle into his hand and Hiccup turned his head to look into the creature's eyes. They stayed that way for what felt like ages and yet hardly any time passed. Hiccup gave him a name by dawn only to have the horse taken from him. The minute he heard the horse was getting shoes and in the ring today, Hiccup refused. That only made Dagur angry and tie him to the post where he knew he'd be getting it.
"Toothless…" he'd named the horse. He had the bite marks to prove it.
This incredibly strong horse was going to be tortured horribly today and he was devastated. He'd never felt more connected to any creature before and it burned him inside that Dagur was taking this from him. Wouldn't be the first time he supposed.
He was so worried about the horse; he hardly noticed the Native American tied next to him. Well, he did notice and found the stranger odd looking, but he really didn't care.
He kept his gaze on the smithy shop where he could see Alvin and the others attempting to brand and fit the horse.
He wasn't sure if he was having a heat stroke, but Toothless was putting up the most hilarious fight. After nearly two hours, Alvin had failed completely to brand or fit the horse with shoes and ended up with a bruised and purple face.
Hiccup heard some laughter and looked over to see his fellow prisoner watching the scene and laughing. His bright blue eyes lit up and he nodded encouragingly as the horse kept making a statement.
Hiccup couldn't stop himself from grinning as well. Toothless sure could hold his own that was for sure.
"What are you in for?" Hiccup finally asked the Native American. He wondered if he did speak English. He actually knew of many white men and women who were raised in tribes who never learned English, but it never hurt to try.
The boy ignored him and probably didn't realize that Hiccup was talking to him. Hiccup cleared his throat and tried again, "Hey." He said a little louder.
The boy turned and looked at him. Hiccup found he couldn't seem to stop staring at those icy blue eyes.
"Uh…I'm Hiccup…" he tried, hoping the boy understood him.
The boy cocked his head to the side slightly and then smiled softly, "Jack." He replied in a smooth voice.
"You speak English?" Hiccup asked.
"Quite well actually." Jack smiled deviously.
"What's with the getup? Or are you really Native American?"
"I'm Lakota." He replied shortly.
"Right…so what brings you out to this neck of the woods?"
Jack raised an eyebrow and shrugged, preferring not to answer.
Hiccup nodded. It figured; he was a soldier and Jack was obviously loyal to his tribe. Why would he even bother opening up details about his reasoning for being here.
"You could have picked a much better fort to rob." Hiccup muttered, "We don't get fed here anyways and all our horses are beat up."
Jack frowned, "You don't like it?"
"You serious? Why would anyone like it?"
"Why do you stay?"
"Because…because I'm a soldier and if I left…nobody would look after these horses." He muttered.
"Why did they tie you up like some traitor?"
"Because that's how it works here. And trust me, if you think Dagur's going to lay into me I can't wait to see what he'll do to you." Hiccup warned, "You better be ready for the worst. You'll learn quickly not to come here anymore."
Jack sure didn't like the sound of that, but honestly, he'd seen what evil could really do and he knew how to defend himself now. He wasn't that scared teenage boy running for his life anymore; he was a warrior.
"I've had it with this…this monstrosity!" Alvin roared from the shop. Hiccup could hear clanging metal and smirked, "Break him in and you see what it's like!"
The horse was led out and Hiccup couldn't believe how incredibly powerful he was. He kept fighting and Hiccup was astonished to see that Toothless would calm down for a few seconds and the men would lose their grip, thinking it was safer, until he'd get the jump on them and practically pull their limbs out. It was incredible!
"Why hasn't he been branded or fitted?" Dagur yelled angrily as he came up to the men.
Alvin came out and threw some leather saddle gear at him, "You try it. I've had it with this one! He can go straight back to hell where he came from!" and with that, he stormed off towards the infirmary.
Dagur rolled his eyes and handed one of the soldiers the saddle and bridle, "You heard him, put it on and we'll get him in the corral. We'll break him in."
A few of them looked at one another nervously and Hiccup and Jack both watched, amused as it took another good forty five minutes just to get the gear on the horse. They all came away bruised and battered but somewhat successful.
One boastful soldier of a higher rank came up, smirking, "I'll get this devil to yield, just you wait!"
Everyone gathered around to watch and both Jack and Hiccup craned their necks to look.
Jack had to admit Hiccup had been right about the horse pretty much killing everyone. Every single soldier who took a turn on the horse was thrown off in seconds and the unlucky ones were stomped on, kicked, and bitten.
It was dusk by the time half the soldiers in the fort had had a turn and by then, they'd given up.
Dagur was none too pleased as he rubbed his chin angrily, "Tie him there and leave him. No food or water and we'll see how he's feeling in the morning."
Hiccup watched sadly as the exhausted horse kept fighting but was tied to a post in the corral and left there. He longed to help Toothless but damn it if he wasn't tied to a stupid post next to a Lakota.
He suddenly caught Dagur's eye and knew it was about time for his punishment and he wasn't looking forward to it. He swallowed and turned around nervously, catching Jack's eyes briefly and then looking away.
Dagur walked over to him slowly and he almost wished he would just get here and finish him off quickly, the suspense was killing him.
Dagur stepped in front of Hiccup and then looked from one prisoner to another. He smiled at Hiccup, "I have a score to settle with you first so I think we'll show our guest just how we deal with traitors and liars in this fort."
Hiccup looked down and closed his eyes, "Just get it over and done with." He muttered.
Dagur grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced him to look up, "That's just what you want from me, isn't it? Well not this time you runt. I plan on making sure you're put in your place. Tie him to the whipping post!"
Jack's face fell and he grew nervous. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be! Hiccup hadn't done anything wrong but stand up for a horse and he was getting whipped?
"You watch you little white traitor and see if maybe you'll decide where your loyalties lie." Dagur hissed as Hiccup was dragged away. His shirt was ripped from his torso and Jack could see a freckled back being tied up to a post and soldiers gathering around to watch one more show before nightfall.
…..
Toothless was so busy fighting the ropes he didn't notice his new friend being tied to a post. When he heard an earthshattering crack did he look around nervously, the sound spooking him. It sounded more terrifying than thunder. He looked and finally saw the one two legged creature that had won over his trust the night prior. This human never yielded even when he bucked and kicked. And Toothless didn't want to trust the human until he did something…unexpected.
The boy had held out his hand and looked away, giving Toothless all his trust. It was in that moment that Toothless saw something in the boy; he was different. He wondered where he had gone to all day and why he wasn't helping him when the others had tied him up and tried hurting him or riding him. He wondered if the boy had betrayed him until he saw it.
The boy was being hurt; badly. Toothless didn't like it one bit. He managed to make eye contact with the boy as he was struck by something Toothless had never seen before. It was a lot like the ropes that held him, only it was causing even more pain than he imagined. He could see crimson coating the boys back and felt an urge to run to him; to help him as he had done the night prior. But he was stuck.
He found the foul creature who inflicted the pain and narrowed his dangerously black eyes. He would pay for doing that to a kind creature; he would definitely pay.
…..
Jack wasn't smiling anymore as the first whip struck Hiccup's back. The cracking sound it made against his thin body made Jack cringe for him. He was amazed at how little Hiccup cried out and couldn't help but think how much Lakota spirit he had. He lost count how many times Hiccup was beaten and didn't know if he wanted to count. All he knew was, it was too many and he no longer saw freckles dotting his back but welts and blood.
"That's enough. We'll continue this in the morning." Dagur yawned lazily and Jack fumed, "Leave him there for now. Everyone to bed!"
The soldiers left Hiccup hanging there and Jack decided he'd overstayed his welcome. It was nightfall and the stars were beginning to show. He'd seen plenty and we ready to head home and warn his people about this horrible Commander.
He looked over at the horse who was still fighting and looked to trying to get to Hiccup. Jack knew the poor thing was probably exhausted and yet he fought with every fiber in his being. Both he and Hiccup were a horrid sight, their spirits breaking little by little physically.
Jack waited until all the stars were out and then he howled and hooted into the night, blending in with the other sounds. The horse looked up when he heard these familiar noises but sputtered in annoyance when he realized it was just the strange two-legged's again being bothersome.
Jack kept at it all night long, never once stopping his caterwauling. The horse seemed rather annoyed and found he truly did detest these foul creatures, save for the poor boy tied to the post bleeding.
Jack waited and hooted once more and was rewarded with a knife flying through the air at him. It landed just inches away and he reached his foot out to grab it with his flexible toes. Sunrise was coming and he had a feeling guards would be coming by soon so he had only one chance to get this knife and use it wisely. He used his feet to toss it onto his shoulders like a pro and then shrug it down into his bound hands and hide it behind him just as the sun began rising and trumpets played the morning call.
He looked over at Hiccup who hadn't even moved all night. He wondered if the boy was even alive.
He could hear chattering and soldiers milling around in the bright morning light, getting ready for the day and passing by Hiccup as though he wasn't even there. It really sickened Jack that this was simply how things were done here with no mercy whatsoever. Well, he'd seen enough that was for sure. And before he left, he was going to create some chaos.
….
Toothless was untied from the post and his saddle was tightened. He continued to fight and even some of the horses in the stables were watching him curiously. He had to give them hope if not himself. He would get free; he just had to keep fighting.
He practically rolled his black eyes as more soldiers advanced, obviously ready to try riding him again. Oh how pathetically wrong they were about that. He would yield to no one and he planned on driving that home to these sorry two-legged maggots. Just like the day prior, with the horrid leader watching; he would give them a show. And even if the poor boy wasn't watching, he could only hope he knew that Toothless would show him how to never give up.
…
Rider after rider after rider failed and Jack was seriously considering staying just to watch the spectacle. His situation was dire, as was Hiccup's, but through it all, he was glad that at least one them had some spirit left. The horse was about to get another rider when he heard someone talking to the commander nearby and he pricked his ears to listen.
"Sir…should we release Haddock now? He's been there all night."
"No." Dagur said lazily, "I plan on giving him another round later when he wakes up. I don't want him thinking he can just get away with anything that easy."
"Sir." The soldier responded, obviously feeling very conflicted.
"Don't worry; he'll be right as rain in a few weeks and hopefully a little wiser for the wear." Dagur laughed.
"And the Indian?"
Dagur shot a look towards Jack who glared back angrily, "I'm thinking…but first…I think another lesson is in order for all you pathetic boys I thought were soldiers."
He suddenly straightened his uniform and hopped over the fence towards the horse. Jack was scared he would beat the creature, but instead, he climbed on quickly. Jack watched, almost afraid to close his eyes and miss what would happen.
The horse was still, almost too still.
"Ah, I see he's already breaking in nicely…" Dagur boasted.
Not quite.
The horse began bucking so violently, Jack wondered how Dagur didn't snap in half. His hat fell and he was driven all over the arena. He stayed on however and seemed almost as ruthless as the horse bucking him.
The horse tried ever maneuver, even rolling on the ground a little, but still, Dagur held on.
It became so fierce that Jack was sure the horse would win…but…in the end, it was too much on the poor creature.
Toothless finally stopped, panting, his eyes reflecting how much pain he was in at having to yield to this foul beast on his back.
Dagur collected himself, fixing his hair and catching his hat that was tossed by another soldier. He was practically bragging as he kicked the horse on the side with his spurs, "Move along, mustang."
The horse found itself moving weakly and walking slowly as the rider sat proudly on its back. Jack watched in horror, looking just as defeated as the horse.
"There are those in Washington who believe the West will never be settled." Dagur said loudly to all the men watching, "The Northern Pacific Railroad will never breach Nebraska. A hostile little Indian boy will never submit to Providence." He sneered as he looked over at Jack, "And it is that manner of small thinking that would said this horse could never be broken. Discipline, time, and patience are the three great levelers. You see, gentlemen. Any horse can be broken."
…..
Any horse can be broken…
Toothless looked over at the bloodied boy who'd been his only saving grace. He was broken. But Toothless…he sure as hell wasn't.
Any horse can be broken? I don't think so. Sometimes a horse has got to do what a horse has got to do, and this was one of those times.
….
Jack didn't think this horse could surprise him any more than he already had until he threw Dagur right off of him for all to see and right into the muck stall at that. Jack hooted and hollered and was laughing as all the other horses caused a stir, practically cheering for their new hero. Now that was spirit!
Dagur was helped out of the mud and glared angrily at the horse with such hatred; Jack didn't think he'd seen anything quite like it before.
"Hold that horse down!" He barked, "And get me my rifle!"
Jack's eyes widened; he wouldn't?!
As Dagur took the rifle and a couple of men held onto the horse, Jack had had it. He untied himself quickly and snuck around, kicking the rifle out of Dagur's hand before it went off. With a cry Jack used the rifle as a bludgeon to fight off the soldiers who were shocked that their prisoner had broken free.
Dagur was back on the ground and rubbing his head in confusion and then anger when he saw Jack rushing to the coral to set loose the horse. He hopped onto the horse and rode it sideways as it hopped the fence and ran towards the stables. Jack used the rifle to shoot off the locks of the stables and set free all the horses who followed their new leader. Jack then led the horse towards Hiccup and swung down quickly to untie the boy and carry him over his shoulder as he remounted the black stallion.
Hiccup was placed on the horse carefully and Jack managed to keep his hold on the boy so he wouldn't fall while still using the rifle to his advantage.
All the soldiers were running around trying to stop them, but there were too many horses broken free and causing way too much chaos as they ran into soldiers and kicked down doors and fences.
Jack could see the weapons storage and decided it was time to light the place up. He could just see the barrel of gun powder through the open door and aimed for it. The gates were open and the horses were getting loose one by one. The smithy was at the gate hoping to close it, but the black stallion was having none of it as he charged the guy head on and knocked him back. With that, Jack turned and took his shot.
It was a true aim and the whole fort was up in smoke in seconds.
He smiled as he threw the gun from him, holding onto Hiccup. He howled like a wolf and was relieved to see his brothers coming towards them on horses. He really couldn't hold onto the side of this mustang much longer without falling off.
The horse seemed almost unaware that he was being ridden, its eyes cast ahead at the mountains before the desert. It stopped and reared angrily when a couple of horses with Jack's brothers got in front of it. Jack managed to hold onto Hiccup and get down before he was thrown. A small rope was placed around the horse's neck but Jack made sure it wasn't too tight. He patted the horse who gave him a glare and then looked behind on its back to see Hiccup lying at a strange angle, still half naked and bleeding. Jack took Hiccup down carefully and placed him on an empty horse and got up behind him. Hopefully now that he was upright the ride would be much easier. The poor guy had no clue what he was about to wake up to once they reached Jack's home. Jack only hoped he could get him there in time.
He nodded to his brothers and all headed for home, Hiccup and Toothless in tow.