Hello, Dragonites! :D How do you all do today? You doing well? I'm doing pretty good. School is...well...school, but I managed to type out this chapter for ya'll. ;) I hope you enjoy it! I really, honestly do. It's settled: the NEXT chapter, the one after this, is going to be where the story really kicks off. This is...well, you'll see what it is. ;) No spoilers from me! :D
I finished How to Train Your Dragon book 7, and I loved it! Book 8 and 9 are on their way to me right now...gosh this series has gone so fast...great series, really.
Oh, and I wanted to tell you something REALLY FUNNY that happened. So, my younger siblings were playing with their HTTYD tiny action figures in the same room with me, and all of a sudden, I hear one of them shout, "NO ONE CAN KILL OUR CHIEF...AND LIVE!" and I literally broke out laughing, and they were all looking at me like "What? What?" (They have the HTTYD2 action figues)
It was so cute and sad and hilarious all at once...
Ohhhhhhh boy...
Anyways, enjoy chapter 3! Let me know what you think, if you fancy! Constructive criticism? I'm always open! :D Enjoy chapter 3! :D
"And this is our Great Hall," Hiccup announced as they passed said building. "We're having our feast there later tonight, before the signing."
The Chief of the Lava Louts nodded. "Aye, sounds wonderful. Carry on." Hiccup turned and began walking in the opposite direction, announcing random facts as he went. However, Fire Lily heard whispering coming from behind the Great Hall, and couldn't help but wonder what it was.
Slowly, after making sure that no one was watching her, she turned and headed towards the back.
What she saw shocked her.
Two Lava Lout soldiers were behind the hall, tampering with the barrels of drinks they were going to be using that night. She watched as one of the soldiers pulled out a vial and poured it into an open barrel. Then, he turned and did the same with all the other ones.
One of them giggled. "They'll never find us out, aye, mate?" he said.
The other one elbowed him. "Quiet, you," he hissed angrily, raising his voice as high as he dared. Fire Lily ducked behind the wall, keeping a close eye on the two members of her tribe.
What are they doing? she wondered to herself. They're not supposed to be over here. Why...what are they doing? What's in that vial?
"If they do find us out," the second guard continued, "we're dead meat. We can't let them know what we're doing, got it? This is the only way to make sure the peace treaty between the Lava Louts and the Berkians doesn't work."
"But poisoning the Berkians...isn't this a little bit extreme?" the first soldier asked.
POISON!? Fire Lily thought wildly. They're poisoning the Berkians!? I have to tell my father...I have to do something before it's too late!
She spun around to race back and tell the others of her discovery, only to bump into a third Lava Lout soldier. She gasped, opening her mouth to scream, a sound not escaping before a hand was enclosed over her mouth.
"Hey!" the soldier called to the other two, who instantly turned and looked in his direction. "Look what I found!" He tossed Fire Lily forward, and she fell on her face in front of the other soldiers.
"She heard everything," the soldier hissed. "We can't let her live."
"But we can't just kill her, either," the second soldier said. He took out a dagger and aimed it at the girl's throat. "Or, actually...maybe we can." He leaned forward. "Listen here, Fire Lily," he said, right in her face. "If you tell any of the Berkians about what we're planning to do, we will kill you, and the others of the tribe, and the Berkians as well. Got it?"
Although Fire Lily's mind was screaming at her to say no and be strong, she found herself nodding in confirmation. Sure, she wouldn't tell them. Not when her life was at stake. "B-But wait," she whispered. "D-Do the other Lava Louts know about this? Are you all in on it?"
The soldiers laughed quietly. "Of course," one of the soldiers said. "They're the ones who told us to do it. Now, no telling anyone, right?"
Fire Lily nodded, although in her mind she was thinking, How could my tribe betray the Berkians? And how could I have had no say in it? How dare they?
"Good," the soldier said, withdrawing his dagger and turning around. "Now, go join up with the others, and remember, Fire Lily. Say nothing. Now go!" He kicked her, and she scrambled to her feet and raced back towards her group.
They're going to kill the Berkians, her mind told her.
I have to warn them.
But I can't. Not without dying myself. I'm not willing to die for someone else to be saved.
But it's not just one person. It's the entire island. Everyone here except the Lava Louts. I have to tell them.
No, I can't.
She ran to join up with the others, and smashed headlong into Astrid. Astrid stepped backwards, rubbing her head and looking at Fire Lily with concern.
"Hey, there you are," she said. "We were wondering where you were."
"Oh, just...you know. Looking at the Great Hall a little longer," Fire Lily said quickly. "Now, come on. We don't want to miss the rest of the tour." She turned and raced off without another word, although her conscious clearly told her to do elsewise. She needed to tell Astrid the truth. She needed to.
But at the same time…
Astrid looked at her suspiciously, but then, she shook her head. "Okay…? If you say so," Astrid said slowly. "Come on, let's go." She followed the younger girl back to the group.
…
The evening came sooner than later, and both the tribes were meeting at the Great Hall. Hiccup and Astrid were there, looking over final preparations with Valka, Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins as Lava Louts and Berkians continued to arrive.
"It's going wonderfully, Hiccup," Valka said. "I'm so proud of you. This is exciting. It's been twenty some years since I've last seen a treaty signing…"
Hiccup shrugged. "I guess I'm a little bit excited myself," he said. "The Lava Louts don't seem as barbaric right now as they usually are. I wonder if there's a reason."
Astrid shook her head. "I doubt it," she said. "You know, tribes are capable of change, Hiccup. I told you it was alright. Nothing to worry about."
Hiccup nodded. "Yeah," he said. "So, you win again."
Astrid nodded. She turned around and looked as Lava Louts and Berkians found their places and sat down, nearly filling the Great Hall. "I think we're ready," she whispered to Hiccup.
"Yeah, me too," Hiccup replied. "You two go ahead. I'm going to make the toast."
Astrid and the others nodded before heading off and sitting at their own table. Hiccup stood up, took a cup off a table, and motioned for silence.
"Lava Louts and Berkians have been at peace for many years," he said. He was worried he was going to say something stupid, but at the same time, he knew that worrying would only make it worse. "And for that, Berk thanks you, Lava Louts. To the peace treaty!" he called at length, raising his cup.
"To the peace treaty!" the others called in unison. Just before they drank, a voice shouted from the audience.
"WAIT!"
Hiccup's eyes scanned the crowd and watched as Fire Lily stumbled forward, a terrified expression on her face. "Um...Chief Hiccup," she began. "I...I need to talk to you. In...in private, if I may."
Now this was odd. Hiccup studied Fire Lily carefully. Her eyes were pleading, and there was a terrified expression in them Hiccup simply couldn't ignore. He looked at her, asking silently, What's wrong? although he knew he couldn't get an answer.
Not unless he talked to her in private, as she had requested.
"Fire Lily," the Chief of the Lava Louts said, rising from his seat, "you are interrupting-"
"No, it's alright," Hiccup said, setting his chalice down and approaching the girl. Fire Lily looked at him with grateful, relieved eyes as soon as he got close enough. Hiccup found her behavior odd. Something must have really been wrong for her to be acting like this. "Come on, we can talk."
Fire Lily nodded and bowed her head.
Astrid watched the scene unfold in confusion. She didn't know what was going on, but she wasn't going to voice any complaints. Fire Lily looked desperate, and even if she wasn't desperate, Hiccup still would have taken the time to talk to her.
"We'll wait up for you two," Astrid assured. "But if you can hurry…"
"Can do," Hiccup nodded. "Thanks, Astrid." He motioned for Fire Lily to follow him, and she did without hesitation. Hiccup led her to a back room, shutting the door after both of them had entered.
"Alright," Hiccup said, turning around to face her, "what-"
"The Lava Louts poisoned your drinks," Fire Lily blurted.
