Chapter Six
Hiccup's heart races much too fast as he jogs through the forest. The sun is slowly beginning to rise and he needs to be back by the time his father wakes up! Or more importantly, he needs to be back before Toothless wakes up...and that's assuming he isn't already.
Aragwen's words ring through Hiccup's memory. "Find my cave in the clearing where we fought..."
He stumbles into the meadow, his green eyes flashing around the tree line. The clearing is surrounded by steep hills and patches of dense woods. There's a small lake sitting in the center of it... It's presence sends a chill down his spine, remembering how he nearly drowned in it.
"The cave will be hard to find. Stick to the water's edge and skirt around. Eventually, you'll see it hidden in some cat tails."
He quickly goes over to the lake, trying to ignore its ominous presence. This is the right thing to do. He reminds himself. I'm saving my friends' lives by doing this! He runs around the outside, scanning the water where groups of cat tail plants are growing. Hiccup gets about a third of the way around before noticing something. He isn't sure what caught his eye. Maybe a different coloration of the water or a slight change in the flow... Regardless, he finds the little cave, half-submerged in icy water.
"Once you've found it, you'll have to climb through some narrow spaces in the rock. It shouldn't be too hard for you, your frame is thinner than mine."
Once he's got the cave in his sights, he runs around the edge of the lake to where it sits. Then, kicking off his boot and stripping his vest off, he steps into the cold water, shivering as it makes contact with his skin.
The teen wades through the cold lake, bracing himself on the rock. He leans over and peers inside... The cave isn't as dark as he'd imagined it would be. In fact...he's pretty sure he can see a light coming from deep inside. Where is that coming from? He wonders. But then, he feels the first rays of sunlight dancing on his cheek and he flinches. I have to hurry!
Without another moment's hesitation, he places his hands on the ground below the water and pulls himself into the cave. The entrance is very narrow, indeed. He can barely squeeze through a few spaces, making him curious as to how Aragwen fits. She's at least two feet taller than he is!
Shaking those distracting thoughts away, he half-swims half-crawls over to the ledge near the back of the cavern. Grabbing ahold of it, he just barely manages to claw his way out of the water, gripping the slippery rock as hard as he can.
"After you've gotten into the cave, follow it straight to the back. My chamber is about a hundred yards in..."
Her chamber... He shivers at what that might imply. But nonetheless, he follows her orders and trudges along the cramped corridor, his hands trailing over the claustrophobic walls so he doesn't lose track of where he is in the darkness. The absolute last thing he needs is to get lost in here...
All the while, thoughts of Astrid and Toothless float through his mind. They were both pushed by Aragwen. Astrid nearly died twice in one day... He'll never let that happen. Never. That's why he's here now. To protect them, no matter the cost!
"You'll see a cabinet near the back of the room. Open the bottom doors."
Surely enough, as Hiccup grows closer to the chamber, that odd light he'd seen at the mouth of the cave brightens considerably. He can see easily now and is still several yards from the room. However, as he rounds one last corner and finally steps into the chamber...a horrid shudder runs down his spine.
This is the place, for sure...
The room is dimly lit. The stone floor etched with chalk drawings and spell circles. There are various pedestals lining the back wall, topped with oddities from dusty old books to melting candles. That explains the light, then... Hiccup wonders how they're still lit after all this time. Has someone been...keeping them lit? If so, who?
He paces into the cave, careful not to step on anything or knock anything over. Who knows what will happen if he disturbs any of this stuff?! He watches his feet closely, definitely not wanting to test his luck by stepping into one of the many spell circles that litter the floor.
After a few minutes of cautiously traversing the cave, Hiccup finds what he's looking for. The rickety hutch Aragwen had described to him. It's a dark wood, looking to be very very old. There are a pair of glass doors on the front, as well as wooden doors on the bottom.
He kneels down in front of it, sucking in a steadying breath. He suddenly doesn't care if he makes it back before his father wakes up. He just wants to get out of here with his life intact! This place has a seriously ominous feel to it. He wants to leave. Now.
With fumbling hands, he throws open the bottom doors and peers inside. Lining the shelves are vials and bottles of all shapes and sizes, strange liquids of every color of the rainbow brewing inside. There's also a little scroll rolled up in one corner, looking like it was torn from the page of a book. It appears to be sealed with black wax...
Hiccup suddenly coughs at the foul-smelling steam that leaks out from one bottle, spilling out into the rest of the chamber. He holds his breath as he reaches in for one bottle in particular...
"I need you to bring me the thin vial at the front. The potion inside is white. It will be topped with a cork."
He grabs said vial and quickly closes the door, coughing again at the terrible smell. He hopes whatever that was that was he breathed in wasn't poison or something... Hiccup hurriedly tucks the potion into his pocket and jumps to his feet. Spinning around, he sees the rest of the cave is now flooded with rosy light. The sun is coming up!
"That potion will help us in the next step of our little project. Bring it directly to me and, please...be careful with it!"
Wasting no more time, Hiccup bolts for the exit. His hand never leaves the little bulge in his pocket where the potion is hiding. What would Aragwen do if he broke it...? Probably slaughter him and his entire family... The idea sends goosebumps across his skin.
It's been almost an hour since Hiccup first left to find Aragwen's cave. The witch is laying in her cell, her eyes closed. Although she isn't sleeping. Gingerly, she reaches out with her mind, feels it creeping over the walls as it searches, like one big, taloned hand. With a slow breath, she pushes her mind further. It expands beyond walls of the prison, steadily searching for the boy... She's just about to give up when-
Aragwen's pink lips tug into a smile. There he is... Only about a two hundred yards away from the jail. And, by the look of him, he's succeeded in finding the potion... I wonder if my power has returned yet?
With that thought, she locates Hiccup once again and pushes into his thoughts. Her mind slips into his with ease and she grins. She seems to be back at full power. Which is good. She'll need to be once he gets here. With a little chuckle, she shakes her head and sits up to prepare for his visit.
Poor Hiccup...so naive. He really thought I'd keep my promise and leave him alone... Her smile turns wicked when she thinks, Stoick really should have killed me when he had the chance...
A/N: So, what do you guys think so far...? Is the pacing okay? (I get that wrong sometimes). Let me know what you think and, as always, thanks for reading!