You all know the drill. I don't own How To Train Your Dragon. But I do own any characters you don't see in the movie or apparently book that I'm just hearing about. Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Betrayal
The shock of this news was evident on Skullette's face as Gunnar looked as her seriously. He wasn't joking. She was really going to be made to kill a dragon.
She shook her head in disbelief. No, the plan was for him to face the dragon. He was to win today's session earning him the right to face it. Not this. "What are we going to do?" Skullette asked in a desperate voice.
"You're going to go into that arena and show everyone that dragons are not dangerous." Gunnar said sternly. Thanks to Skullette's mixture, he was feeling better already. "And if me or Nightingale see that it's not going as planned, we will come and save you before we make our way to somewhere new. Your father isn't the understanding person the people in the village say he is." He explained before resting on the floor again.
"You promise?" She asked making sure he was serious and wasn't just going to leave her there.
He gestured for her to come closer. And seeing how beaten up he was and how tired he must be she obliged. As she came closer she tilted her head so her ear was closer to his mouth so he could whisper to her what he wanted to say. Instead she felt a pair of soft lips touch her cheek as her eyes went wide. When the lips moved away she turned her head back to look at his face directly. A smile was adoring his beaten features but his eye was looking better then it was when she first showed up. "I promise."
She smiled down at him as all of this sunk in. That is, until Nightingale's growl pierced the air. Skullette turned around to see Nightingale standing with her back to the girl growling at something on the cliff. Peaking around the Night Fury Skullette could now see Gretchen standing at the top of the cliff looking down at them. Well, at the Night fury who was blocking the view of the two teens.
Instead of facing the dragon on her own like Skullette had thought, the girl turned around and started running back toward the village.
Skullette quickly looked back at Gunnar as if asking if he was going to be okay.
"Go, I'll be fine. Just hurry and beat her to the village." He said getting up now slowly.
"Alright, just don't try and over work yourself." She said before getting to her feet and running as quickly as she could up the slope and back to the village.
As she reached her house she went through the back and took a deep breath to calm herself. Once her breathing was normal again she heard a knock at the door. Inwardly smiling she went to the door and opened it. Outside was Olaf with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Is your father home Skullette?" He asked urgently.
Before she could respond there was a commanding voice from behind her. "I am, what seems to be the problem?" Bundar asked as he comes to the door.
"It seems Gretchen is going on about some dragon she saw in the woods, and claims to have seen your daughter with it." He explained.
"As you can plainly see, my daughter has been here sleeping until you came to our door." Bundar explained.
Skullette had figured he had been awoken by the knock on the door. This was a lucky break for her. Her father thought that she was home when Gretchen saw her and Nightingale in the woods. 'The Gods must be smiling on me today. Please last.' She thought to herself.
"You better go and explain that to the villagers before there is trouble." Olaf suggested before going back down the hill to where a group of Viking's were surrounding the teen girl in the middle.
Bundar and Skullette followed Olaf to the group. "What is going on here?" Bundar's voice boomed making everyone quiet down.
"There she is! Tell them Skullette, you have been with a dragon! I saw you, so don't go denying it!" the girl yelled at her.
Before Skullette could utter a word, her father spoke up for her. "She has been at home sleeping until Olaf had to come and disturb us because you were spreading these lies about a dragon and my daughter. Now all of you go back about your business. And as for you girl, I will hear no more of these lies. Am I understood?" He said threateningly glaring at her.
Gretchen could only nod at the chief. But the moment his back was turned she glared at Skullette with complete hatred. "I know what I saw. You won't get away with it." She growled quietly at her.
"You have no proof." Skullette said back before walking away calmly.
A little later that day, Skullette was preparing herself to face the toughest of the dragons in the arena. The Monstrous Nightmare. All around the outside of the arena the villagers where cheering her on waiting in anticipation for her to slay the dragon.
Little did they know, that just above them, high above so no one could see, Nightingale and Gunnar were hiding. Waiting for the perfect moment to step in if need be. And knowing her father; that would be sooner than Gunnar or Skullette would like.
Back in the arena Skullette walked out into the middle of the arena and grabbing a shield and a small dagger, she readied herself.
Slowly the logs keeping the doors to the cage were lifted away and all was quiet for a moment. Suddenly the doors were blasted open from the inside. Out stepped, in a blazing fire, the most ferocious Dragon Skullette had ever seen. The Monstrous Nightmare.
This was the largest of the dragons. It's large jaw was full of razor sharp teeth that could tear the skin off the bones in one good chomp. It's body was four times longer than her father and was about 12' long. Its red and black scales glittered off the flames that surrounded its body.
Using the tip's of its wings as feet it moved swiftly around the arena looking for a way to escape. As it moved the flames on its body started to dissipate. It let out a fire ball into the crowd who moved out of the way quickly. Finally it stopped, hanging upside down and looking at the only one in the arena. Skullette.
It moved to the ground with little trouble and advanced on the girl slowly. Skullette backed up slowly, showing little fear and dropped the dagger and shield as she did so. "Easy, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." She said calmly. As reward the dragon stopped growling and sniffed her cautiously while still advancing slowly. The distance between them got smaller as Skullette stopped her retreat and allowed the dragon to come to her.
Up in the stands her father was not pleased. "What is she doing? Is this what you taught her to do?" He asked growling at Olaf.
"No, I don't know wha' she is doin'? But the dragon isn't attacking her. Why is tha'?" He asked aloud.
"It doesn't matter! She will kill the dragon or she will not leave the arena!" Bundar said getting out of his seat and walking to the rail, hammer in hand.
From above, Gunnar could see the chief move from his seat to the rail, helpless to do anything, he watched in worry. "This isn't good. I had hoped he would have waited a few more minutes but I guess not." He said to himself while Nightingale started to fidget slightly. He patted the head of the nervous Night Fury. "Easy girl. We won't let anything happen to her." He soothed the dragon slightly.
Back in the arena Skullette and the dragon were nearly touching now. The Monstrous Nightmare was, in the best possible sense one can have over the dragons many vocal sounds, purring. It had not attacked for some time now and everyone was looking at her as if she was insane.
"Skullette!" the booming voice of her father came from the stands. "Fight and kill the dragon!" He ordered. She would have normally obeyed but this was her chance to change her tribe. With everyone watching she could show that dragons were not what they seemed and they didn't have to kill them.
Looking up at her father with a fire, that no one had ever seen in the girl's eyes before, blazed as if it would shoot out at her father at any moment. She took in a deep breath and with all the mental strength she could muster said as calmly as possible, "No."
Gasps where heard from the entire crowd. No one dared tell the chief no, for fear they would lose their heads. It was even more surprising when his own daughter refused his demand.
"You will do as I say! You will kill this dragon and marry Torrent tonight!" He yelled.
Skullette was able to keep the dragon calm while they had this small conversation in front of the entire village. "I would rather die than marry that self absorbed little urchin." She said calmly back to her father. On the inside she was scared but she would let no one see her fear at the moment. This was her time to show she was strong without showing force.
"I Said Fight!" Bundar brought his hammer down on the bars of the arena bending them down in an arch.
The dragon as well as Skullette were startled by the action. The Nightmare started growling at her once again. Having no more mental courage she ran out of the way as the dragon shot fire at her. She ran for cover but could only grab a shield before the Monstrous Nightmare destroyed the weapon wall with its giant and powerful foot.
Having little to no place to go she continued to run holding the shield up as her only protection. As she looked back to see where the dragon was she tripped over one of the fallen hammers and slid to the ground. Before she could regain her footing to run again the dragon pinned her to the ground. There was a hammer within arm's reach that she could use to set herself free, but she refused to hurt the dragon in anyway. Everyone could see the hammer and see her under the dragon's foot not even reaching for it.
"Grab the hammer." Everyone was shouting at her. But she didn't listen to them. She didn't even hear her father yell at her to 'kill the devil!' She couldn't.
Just as she watched the dragon's mouth open and get ready to shoot fire at her for the final time, there was an explosion from above them. The arena was filled with smoke and the next thing Skullette knew she was free and being pulled into the arms of someone else. "Skully? Are you alright?" It was Gunnar. He kept his word and came when she needed him most.
"Yes, thank you." She looked up into his emerald green eyes and smiled at him lightly before the moment was broken by growling and hissing coming from behind them.
The smoke was clearing and the two dragons were visible to the everyone. Murmurs of 'Night Fury' were heard among the crowd as Nightingale fought off the Nightmare with bites and clawing. Once the two were separated the Nightmare was backed into its cage by the Night Fury and stayed there as she glared at it.
The two teens are brought back to reality when Bundar yelled with great might, "Silence!" Before staring down at his daughter and the traitor with much hatred. "What is the meaning of this? I told you to fight that dragon and kill it!"
"I won't kill a dragon! They won't hurt us! They fight us to survive!" Skullette yelled back at him stepping closer to Nightingale with Gunnar following her.
"You will turn your back on your Village? On your own father? For a monster that has killed hundreds of us?" He asked in shock and anger. His eyes glaring down at her as if daring her to say yes.
"And We Have Killed Thousands Of Them!" Skullette glared back at her father secretly telling him that she was no longer afraid of him. She watched as his hammer slipped from his fingers in surprise.
"Then you are a traitor and I will kill you myself!" Bundar said taking an axe that was next to him and jumped into the arena from the hole Nightingale made.
Acting quickly, Gunnar grabbed the axe that was next to him. The same axe Skullette refused to use against the Nightmare. And stood defensively in front of Nightingale and Skullette. "You'll face me first. How can a father say he will kill his only child?" Gunnar said angrily at the man in front of him. In his eyes, this man was anything but wise.
Bundar started to laugh at this statement. Some thought he was mad at the time until he stopped and pointed his axe at Skullette who was now on the Night Fury's back. "That child is not mine. She was a peace offering from another village we were fighting with 16 years ago. To kill her would mean nothing to me." His face read no sympathy for the girl. He had not only disowned her but declared that she was never his daughter to begin with.
"Which village?" Gunnar asked angrily. How dare this man say this and laugh about it. Skullette was an offering of peace and he was laughing at her.
"What does it matter now? She is going to die today anyways. And you along with her!" He yelled advancing on the young Viking prodigy.
Just as the man's axe came down, Gunnar deflected it by using the middle of the double sided axe to push it away and make a strike with the tips of the axe. This did nothing when Bundar side stepped out of the way. Using this to his advantage he smashed a fist into the boy's ribcage and flung him into the wall.
He advanced slowly on the teen grinning in triumph at the sight of him. "Even after that beating I gave you, you still come back for more. I won't show mercy this time. Good bye and may Hel have mercy on your soul." He raised his mighty axe into the air and grinned evilly down at the teen in front of him. Bringing it down to slice the boy's skull open, it was suddenly shot out of the man's hand and an arrow was protruding from the same hand the axe had dropped from. The axe missed Gunnar and fell to the floor next to him.
Bundar turned around to see who had dared shoot at him. His eyes landed on Skullette holding her bow in one hand and glaring at him. "I will shoot another and it will go through your heart next if you don't tell me who my parents really are." She ordered. She would not let him control her any more, not when he was not and never was her father. He never even acted like one to her.
He laughed at her heartily. "You will die before the very name's pass my lips. However, I will tell you that only your brother and father still live. Your mother died back when you were born. Being second born, it was you who caused your mother's death."
Laughter filled the arena as everyone watched what she would do next. She looked at Nightingale for a moment before smiling. She turned her head back to Bundar and smiled at him. His laughing ceased and he just stared at her for a moment wondering why she was smiling. "Thank you. I now know that I not only still have a father, but a twin brother as well." She pulled out an arrow quickly notching it into place. Pulling back and aiming, she readied to hit her mark.
Bundar looked at her like she was stupid. With his attention fully on Skullette, Gunnar took his chance and using his axe quickly slashed at his right leg causing blood to spill, he ran for Nightingale at this point but Bundar was on his tail as if the scratch hadn't happened. Thinking quickly, Gunnar took the axe and wrapped the curved portion around the back of Bundar's calf and pulled, tripping Bundar and knocking him to the ground. Bundar screamed in pain as the gash opened more and rubble got in the open wound. Skullette let her arrow fly at this point and it hit the mark. The rope keeping the arena door closed snapped making the door open for them.
She sat down on Nightingales lower neck and Gunnar came up behind her. As he sat down Nightingale ran for the door and up the ramp. As she reached the top she opened her wings and with one great flap they were in the air. They circled the arena to show everyone that this was possible before going over the top of the stage and out of sight.
They landed in the small area Skullette first met Nightingale to grab the basket of supplies Skullette had gathered before making their way West to the main shore. They would hide there for a few days to throw their old village off. Then they would start the search for Skullette's father and twin brother.
When they were on the boarder of the village island they looked back to say good bye. "Will you miss it?" Skullette asked Gunnar, looking at him for a moment before her eyes went back to look at the island.
"No. Not really." Gunnar said before turning his attention to the girl in front of him. "We should go before they start sending ships after us?"
With a nod she set Nightingale west and in a few short flaps the island was out of sight and they were on their way.
Finally after hours of flying on Nightingale, they could see land just a head. Unfortunately, Gunnar wasn't fairing too well. His ribs hurt and the pain was starting to get to him. So much so that he was having a hard time holding on to Skullette's hips. Feeling Gunnar's grip loosen she looked back at him to see if everything was alright. Big mistake, the moment she moved his grip released her and he fell off of Nightingale towards the ocean surface.
"Gunnar!" Skullette yelled forcing Nightingale to go after him. As they chased after him Skullette could see he was now unconscious and would drowned if they didn't catch him in time. They kept getting closer and closer to the ocean but at the last possible moment Nightingale grabbed him and held him in her claws before making her way back toward the main land.
With a sigh of relief, Skullette relaxed and tried to figure out what caused Gunnar to pass out like that. Then she remembered, Bundar had hit him in the ribs sending him into a wall. That must be what's bothering him. Why didn't he tell her sooner? They went past many small islands they could have landed on and mended his ribs. When she was done with him he was going to be sorry.
They landed on the far outskirts of town in a cave big enough for Nightingale to blend in with the back of the cave with a fire going. Nightingale placed Gunnar on the floor while Skullette gathered dry grass and sticks to make a fire.
She arranged the fire place and Nightingale lit it with a small puff of flame. Once that was done Skullette went about getting the herbs she needed to heal his sore ribs and to make sure none of them were broken. Happy, when she looked his ribs over, none of them were broken, but a few were fractured. She mashed some roots and grasses together into a paste and spread it over the dark blue-ish-purple bruises. As she finished tying off the wrappings she made sure to make it tight. When she did, Gunnar shot up screaming and holding his ribs.
"So you finally woke up." Skullette said angrily at him while putting all of the herbs and wrappings away.
Gunnar looked around confused, last he knew he was on Nightingale's back holding onto Skullette's slender hips, though he would never call them slender to her face. "Uh, where are we?" He asked dumbly, not realizing she was angry with him.
"We are in a cave on the main land and you nearly fell in and drowned in the freezing ocean had Nightingale not caught you in time. Next time you choose to ignore an injury and then not tell me that you are hurt I will keep going without you!" Skullette said while poking his bruised rip to make her point known.
Wincing in pain at every poke to his tender ribs Gunnar was able to see how worried she was about him. "You couldn't leave me behind." He ginned at her even though his ribs ached in disagreement.
Gunnar suddenly feeling flirtatious slowly moved closer and whispered, slowly breathing into her ear, "Your conscience would get the better of you." A shiver went down her spine visibly as the wisps of warm air from his breath on her ear hit just the right places. Gunnar smirked knowing it had the affect he was after and backed off.
"Uhm, … I think you should lay down and rest now. The injury's obviously making you delirious." Skullette said trying desperately to sound not at all bothered and trying not to stutter. Not in the mood to argue, Gunnar obeyed, much to her surprise, and with that they laid down to rest for now.
Ok that's it for this chapter… tell me what you all think by leaving me a review please and thank you.