Wild Cat 214, in! (See what I did there? *cricket chirps* You people are no fun)
Author's Notes: Hiccup and Adeline are finally escaping, but things aren't going to go as smoothly as they planned. Why? Because I like causing trouble for my characters. Especially if that trouble results in... oh, but I can't tell you. I want you to enjoy the surprise :P. Just a warning: this is gonna be a LONG chapter. Why? A lot happens in the space of one day. So BE PREPARED! (Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared!) Okay, that's enough references.
I've also changed my mind (again) and I've decided that How to Train Your Dragon 2 will be in Part 3: Clash, instead of Part 2: Fire. This is mostly because otherwise it will be so long I don't think I could handle it. I am lacking in the stamina department, unfortunately.
Now, to honor the people that have reviewed... and give them READER COOKIES!
MMM – You are my most faithful and beloved reviewer, so you're going first. Sorry I haven't answered any of your questions in previous AN's, but I'm doing it now. Better late than never. Yes, they will go back to Berk and meet the others, and eventually they will have a jealous Astrid. At first, Astrid will not be happy about Addie. Hiccup and Addie may already have feelings for each other, but Addie only realized that last chapter. And sadly, Addie is going to be nice and not get in the way just yet when they return. Hiccup still likes Astrid, but in a more platonic way. Berk and the others will be pretty hostile at first, but will eventually warm up to her. There. You happy? I've given you some insight into the next few chapters.
Firewolf2012 – I will add Sunspirit and Flameheart into my story in Part 3: Clash. I promise you that. In fact, they might actually start off the third segment. Maybe ;)
Tempest the Seawing – Thanks for your support!
Arissa895 – And thank you for your praise. I'll do my best to post more chapters soon!
ADKlover – Thank you for your splendiferous praise. To answer your question, Adeline was a name given to me by my friends while I was trying to come up with the female protagonist of Frozen Thunder, which was originally going to feature Adeline and her Snow Fury, White Fang. Gale was one of the racing lords, the employer/owner of the Storm Riders, alongside Tobias of the Thunder Racers. Simon, well, I just felt like that should be his name. Frostwave... well, I'll explain her name later. For the other pirates, if you know what Benydeyh really is, their names are actually different words in that language. Gust was a really lame reason: he was a member of the House of Winds, so that's his name. Same for the Captain/Shine. Thomas Thomas of the House of Shocks is the name of a brief character in a Doctor Who episode (The Crimson Horror). And with some of the other characters, it'll just be a name that came to me. My muse supplied them. Actually, that applies for a lot of what I have planned.
And to the Guests that have reviewed, thanks as well. I'm glad that there are people out there who do like my work. Reader Cookies for everyone!
To honor those who have favorited/followed as of this typing, a moment...
Favorited – Reaper495; darkness surrounds me
Followed – Reaper495
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN HTTYD. JUST MY OC'S. (See what I did there? Adding some variety with a push of a button. And no, I did not accidentally press CAPS LOCK. hONESTLY!
The Final Day
3rd Person POV: Gale
Finally. The day had come for Adeline to face the Ynahy and return to her place as one of the healers and blacksmiths of Blackstone. Personally, he had been amazed when, at eight years, the timid little girl that had decided to take on two difficult jobs had proven to be one of the most stubborn people he had met. Not as stubborn as Chuf, though. His beloved Chuf...
When he had first seen the Ytubdaa, he had been struck with a sense of being given a second chance. Despite the fact that their eyes and hair were different colors, Adeline had looked exactly like Chuf at that age. Maybe the gods had taken pity on him for losing his wife, and had allowed him the chance to make up for not being able to protect her from her fate. Whatever the reason, Gale had sworn to raise her to be just like his wife, even if she had been taken in by the House of Lights. Was it his fault she hadn't liked his methods, and had managed to resist every attempt to train her correctly? His fault she had instead spurned his efforts and become the dnyedunuic, buecuh-cilgehk tnylubrema she was now, instead of the loyal, helpful healer she should have been?
Well, he was going to change all that. Maybe the little bit of Chuf he had seen inside her on that fateful day would help convince her to change her ways. Gale knew people could change. He had, those fifteen years ago, just like the Captain had at the same time, and the House of Snows that had lost two of their own. And if they could change, then a young woman that was easily swayed could, too.
A few hours previously...
Adeline's POV
I couldn't sleep. I would black out for an hour, then wake up all jittery. Maybe it was excitement from the fact that I was going to get out of here today. Maybe it was nervousness that we wouldn't make it. Maybe it was because of Hiccup's hand still gripping mine like a lifeline. I didn't know. And the truth is, I was scared.
I know, right? A pirate claiming to be scared. But I was. I was scared that we wouldn't get out. I was scared that Hiccup would get hurt. I was scared that I would lose the people most important to me. But most of all, I was scared of the future. Say we did get out. How would Berk treat me? Would I just be tossed into another jail? Would I be treated like garbage?
I needed to stop thinking.
Thinking was only making things worse. The future was hidden from me, and no amount of worrying was going to help. I just had to take whatever the gods threw at me and make do.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and tried to get some more sleep.
Three hours later...
I was shaken awake from my nervous dreams by Hiccup's urgent hands. Privately, I mourned the loss of that simple connection, and publicly, I sat up.
"What is it, Hiccup?" I asked sleepily. He looked up at the grate worriedly.
"Something's going on up there, but I can't understand them. Can you tell me what they're saying?" he asked, pointing at the tramping feet passing by, casting their shadows on us erratically. I worked the kernels of sleep out of my eyes and tried to listen.
"You looking forward to the arena match today?" a woman I recognized as Feht said eagerly. The person next to her, judging by his limp, was probably her husband, Cdyn.
"Of course. I can't wait to see the new guy's face when he's initiated," he replied, the thirst for blood sneaking into the cracks in his voice. They were the youngest married couple on Blackstone; Feht was related to Gale on her father's side, and Cdyn was once an Ytubdaa like myself. He had the star to prove it, green ink forming the brand of an outsider. They passed by, and another group of people took their place on the march to the arena. Now it was a cluster of girls, the same ones that had excluded me from their games so many years ago.
"I hear Adeline has decided to kill that tnykuh!" one squealed. There were some anticipatory giggles from the others.
"I wonder if that new guy is cute," another speculated. There were some more giggles. Gods, they were annoying.
"If he is, Simon might have some competition," a third whispered. They let out some scandalized giggles, and I decided I had had enough. I jumped up, clutched the bars with one hand, and reached the other up to grab one girl's ankle. She shrieked with surprise. Before she could see what had happened, I let go and dropped down into the shadows.
"What was that?" she shouted, terrified. The other girls started snickering over her fear, and eventually they moved on, bickering about the recent event. I folded my arms in front of me proudly.
"No one gets to have Hiccup but me," I muttered. A pair of eyes bore into my back, and I turned sheepishly. Hiccup was looking at me expectantly.
"What?" I said quietly. He pointed at the grate.
"Mind telling me what that was all about?" he asked. I smiled guiltily.
"Oh, uh, nothing, nothing, just messing with them. It's fun to hear them shriek," I replied maliciously. He sighed.
"And they were trying to elbow in on my territory," I added under my breath, turning my head to the side.
"I'm sorry?" I jumped and looked at him. He had moved closer when I had looked away, and now he was standing a few feet away, gazing at me intensely. I had never noticed before how clear his eyes were, like some of the gems in the Jyimd that I would sneak in to watch as they sparkled in the torchlight. I realized he had been waiting for me to answer him while I had probably been staring off into space, and I blushed a bit. That was when I remembered that I hadn't said it in Benydeyh, but Viking, and I blushed even harder.
"I didn't say anything," I said defensively. "What makes you think I said something?" Hiccup shrugged.
"Oh, nothing, just the fact that I heard you say my name while you were speaking Benydeyh, and then there was that moment when I thought you mentioned territory of some kind. But maybe I was just hearing things," he replied smugly. I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face, and I knew just how to do it. All I'd have to do is pull him down to my height and- no! This was not the time to be thinking about that sort of thing.
'Get your head out of the trough,' I mentally scolded myself. 'Right now, you need to be a tough pirate girl. Frostwave needs you, just like Hiccup and Toothless do.'
"So what were they saying?" he prompted, breaking into my thoughts. I shook my head slightly to get my mind back on track.
"Huh? Oh, well, Feht and Cdyn are looking forward to the arena match, and those girls were talking about us. Right now," I said, changing the subject quickly, "they're mostly talking about local gossip. Boring stuff, just the usual family rivalries, scandals, and rumors that make up pirate life. Nothing of real interest." He sighed and I grinned.
"But I bet Berk is much more fun. Open air, dragons, fishing, hunting, a charming view of the sunset," I exclaimed, quoting his description of Berk from a few days ago. He smiled at that, and a warm, fuzzy feeling rose up inside me. By the gods, Hiccup was cute when he smiled.
'Now isn't the time to be thinking about that!' my head shouted at me. Sadly, the head was right. Right now I needed to think about the plan. Focus on beating the odds and escaping. Then I could think about Hiccup, and what might be.
My mental scolding was cut short (again) by the coming of our escorts. Twenty men and women wearing thick steel armor and fur, their weapons on their backs, at their waists, in their hands, and pretty much everywhere else. When it came to defense, or attack, or both, Blackstone pirates were the best equipped. Maybe not the best, but definitely the best armed. Their captain, a stiff-lipped woman with a rod up her spine, unlocked our cell door and kept us in her line of sight while the other nineteen marched inside. The ten closest to us lowered their spears, swords, and axes, keeping them level with our hearts and heads. Don't underestimate a Blackstone guard. It can get you killed.
Wait, let me revise that. It WILL get you killed.
3rd Person POV: Hiccup
The guards secured tight leather bands connected with chains to their wrists, muzzles to the dragons, and special fetters to the ankles of their best friends. Then they were marched out of the cell into the darkened halls of the dungeon. On and on they went until finally they came to a large metal gate. A woman standing next to it did some sort of salute by waving her arms around, swinging one leg back in a half circle, bringing her hands to meet in front of her to form a circle, and bowing to the lead guard. She pulled open the gate, and the four prisoners were shoved inside rudely. Hiccup was shocked to hear a hollow sound beneath his foot and metal leg.
"What is this thing?" he asked softly, in awe of the strange accomplishments of the pirates. They were years ahead of most of the Archipelago. Adeline leaned closer to explain a few more things.
"This is the Ynahy-mevd, the thing that they built to transport prisoners, especially dangerous ones like us, directly to the arena. See that rope over there?" He did, in fact, see it. The woman that had opened the gate was now standing by it, one hand gripping the rough fibers tightly.
"The mevdgaaban, that's her over there," she whispered, pointing at the woman as best she could, "pulls on the rope to tell the people above that they need to start cranking up the Ynahy-mevd. It's basically a giant metal platform suspended on a strong pulley system, and that's connected to two giant metal winches, and it's all contained in a big stone chute. At the bottom is a pool of water, in case the chains holding us up break. Which they might. I don't know if they've done any maintenance lately. But don't worry, the water will cushion the landing, and at most we'll break a few bones," I said brightly.
"Thank you for that wonderful image. So, above us is the arena?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He pointed up as best he could, too, given that he was chained up, and Addie nodded.
"The Ynahy. It's where training is held for the younger kids to learn how to fight, but sometimes adults will go there to hone their skills. And it's where both initiation and naluhlemeydeuh-pyddmac take place."
"And that's where we're going? Sounds... pleasant," he replied casually. I smirked.
"Trust me, it's better when you're in the stands, not in the sands," I said, looking around at the guards. The mevdgaaban, a dark-haired woman with the heart tattoo of the House of Flames, pulled on rope and closed the metal gate on us. There was a harsh groaning like some ancient, massive beast waking up, and slowly the Ynahy-mevd began to rise.
A few minutes later...
Hiccup could see some light above his head if he leaned back far enough, and it was slowly growing in intensity. At the same time, there was a dull roar that grew louder and louder as they got closer and closer to the arena, and it dawned on him that it was the sound of many people cheering high above them. From the sound of it, there must have been at least a hundred people, if not more. Easily enough to man most of the ships he had seen earlier that week and attack whoever they wanted. Addie grabbed his hand suddenly and he jerked his head toward her.
"Hiccup, just in case I don't make it out, take care of Frostwave. Please," she whispered urgently. He nodded then had a strange sense of déjà vu. This was just like a few weeks ago, when he and Astrid had been about to face the Monstrous Nightmare in the arena. Only this time, their positions were reversed. This time, Addie was the one in greater danger than he was, seeing as she was about to turn her back on everything she had known for years. Addie smiled in thanks and turned her head to face the direction they would get off the Ynahy-mevd, an unreadable expression on her face. If he hadn't known any better, Hiccup would have said she was steeling herself for the terrible ordeal ahead of them. But Addie wasn't like that. She was a spontaneous girl who lived in the moment, rolling with the punches and countering a moment later.
Speaking of living in the moment, the Ynahy-mevd slowed down as the light above grew brighter until they were bathed in bright sunlight reflecting off of smooth white sand. It stopped with a portentous groaning and Addie looked up in concern.
"They really should oil this thing. And replace any rusty links, just in case it decides to snap one day," she criticized thoughtfully. The guards ignored her advice and pushed them out of the lift and into the Ynahy, where they would finally escape Blackstone Island.
Adeline's POV
For what it's worth, these people knew how to keep things clean. The sand that typically blanketed the ground was smooth and neat, not a speck of blood in sight. They had probably replaced it recently, for it to be this pristine, and switched out the old grains for some from one of the many beaches of Blackstone. Trust me. It happened more often than you'd think.
The sand was warm underfoot, having had several hours to absorb some of the sunlight radiating from the skylight high above. Our ticket out of here was still open, and a quick glance at the mechanism that controlled it showed me that we wouldn't have to worry about any problems from that sector. It was so broken down, I was amazed it still looked like it worked. The cranks, gears, and pulleys that operated as the system for the skylight's cover were pitted with rust and barely being held up by brackets and poles that had been there for a few centuries themselves. In other words, everything in the Ynahy was old, from the stands circling it to the beams holding up the heavy metal dome. The traditions it contained were just as old.
No one really knows why Al Fonz came up with such an inhumane form of initiation, or why he thought kidnapping locals was a good way to replenish the island's population, but right now that was what was going to get us out of here. This sort of thing required an audience for it to have its intended effect. And right in front of us, the yards diminishing with every step, was the keystone of the whole process. The eight heads were standing near a brazier full of red-hot coals, and eight metal rods with leather handles stuck out of it like needles in a pincushion. They would debate and deal for the right to have a new addition to their family, Hiccup would be initiated, and then he would probably be taken in for his piercings and tattoo. That... would suck, mostly because I don't think he would have looked good with gems in his ears and a star tattoo over his eye and I would never be able to get used to it. Not after seeing him like this, all sweet and understanding.
Hiccup nudged me nervously.
"Uh, Addie? What're those for?" he asked, indicating the metal rods. I didn't bother answering him. With any luck, he would never need to know.
The Captain stepped forward, and the whole island quieted down.
"This is it, my people. Adeline has decided to kill that abomination and return to the fold," he projected, somehow managing to not deafen us and still be heard by the people farthest from him. I resisted the urge to make a face at him. Seriously? This sort of thing should be dealt with quickly and quietly. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to escape. And yet, that fault was what we were taking advantage of. Maybe I should stop thinking about how they could improve their security and focus on using the weaknesses to escape.
The crowd cheered even louder than before in response. I took the chance to watch some guards carting in a weapon rack from the other side of the arena, through the main door. The gleam of steel and iron, the sweet, soapy smell of freshly washed leather, the metallic tang of the oiled weapons all combined to make my blood rush in the anticipation of battle. The Captain stepped forward and pulled me away from the others. Frostwave let out a worried growl, but let him take me. She knew the plan, and attacking the leader of an entire island of pirates in front of his people was not a part of it, or even a good idea. I counted the number of triangles I saw on the guards around us and felt my stomach sink. At least fifteen of the guards that had accompanied us had purple triangles pointing down at their eyes, and probably twice that much in the Ynahy proper. Not good, but not as bad as I had thought from what Simon told me.
"Take your weapon, dnyedun," Gale hissed, showing me the rack of weapons that had been wheeled closer during the Captain's little speech. I nodded and brushed past Hiccup, who knew exactly what to do. Yesterday, I had shown him the weakness in the shackles, and he was ready for my signal.
The choices offered me weren't the best. Let's just say, the House of Winds is not that good in the smithy, especially when compared to some people. Right now, the cold gleam of swords, knives, daggers, axes, hammers, maces, and shields greeted my eyes, not what I wanted. No, what I needed.
I was about to give up hope when I saw it coiled up on its little hook. The spear-chain. It was basically a spear head on a long, thin chain designed to be thrown or hooked, and while most people wouldn't consider it a true weapon, most people have also never been hit by the head in the middle of mortal combat. When used correctly, the spear-chain can arch around, over, and under your allies and into your enemies. However, it is incredibly difficult to use because of the finesse involved. Or at least, difficult for these guys.
Luckily for me, I had spent most of my time in the arena practicing with this baby, and many long, grueling hours and calluses later, I could hit an apple at thirty paces and pull it back completely intact. Now, I don't mean to brag, but that is not easy. At best, I can do it three out of ten times, four if I'm really lucky. But out of all these guys, one of them is considered a master if they can bring back half of it at twenty paces. And right now, my skills were going to get us out of here.
"Whenever you're ready, Adeline," the Captain said calmly, hope building up in his eyes. One of the guards, a usually nice girl called Vneaht from the House of Lights, and thus a relative of the Captain and Simon, undid my shackles. At the same time, the other guards readied their weapons in case I tried anything funny. If they only knew...
But before I could face off against Frostwave, Gale walked forward to stare me down like a snake with a frog.
"You think you can beat us, right?" he snarled under his breath, making sure I was the only one to hear him. I shrugged and returned his venomous glare with equal parts hatred and disgust.
"Well, it's better than staying in that hole for the rest of my life," I replied casually. He snorted and glanced at Hiccup.
"I can tell from a mile away. You actually like that Viking, don't you?" he marveled at the fact that I had feelings for a fellow prisoner. I blushed and tried to hide it, but he saw it quite quickly.
"Oh, you poor little girl. I'm going to enjoy it when you watch him marry someone else on the island from your cell." That did it.
"Really? Well, that's gonna be kind of hard, Gale," I retorted, my temper getting the better of me. Without another word, and much to the shock of pretty much everyone there, except maybe Frostwave, I went over to Hiccup, pulled him down a little, and kissed his cheek. His face became very hot under my lips, and I pulled away quickly to glare at the stunned Gale, ignoring the jumbled nonsense emitting from the Viking teenager's mouth.
"'Cause I'm gonna fight for him."
I would have gone on, but Gale walked over, clamped a hand over my mouth, and dragged me away from Hiccup.
"Don't taint any more people with that traitorous mouth of yours," he growled, his wild black eyes glittering insanely. I nodded, seeing as I couldn't really talk, and he let go. My hand rose up with a mind of its own to rub the spot. Man, he had a strong grip. But unfortunately for him, I had the better wrists. Before completely leaving me to take his place beside the Captain, Gale turned his head a fraction and hissed, "You bring shame to Chuf's name."
All the blood drained from my face. Did he just- How could he- Why would he bring something like that up? Hadn't he tormented me enough as a child? My head began to feel light, and I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. Fainting wouldn't solve anything.
There was the soft tread of booted feet on the sand, and Simon joined his father to whisper in his ear. The two of them conversed in low tones, never rising another octave, and with one grumpy nod from his father, Simon came over to me. I was still trying to catch my breath after the dig from Gale, and spoke hurriedly.
"Hey, Addie? My father is giving us a few minutes to talk, and I just needed to tell you something," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact. I put a free hand to my hip.
"Okay. Talk." He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "The seed of Lin purges much."
Realization came slowly to me, as always, but when it did, I grinned like a madman. Or, to be more precise, a madwoman. Simon saw this cheesy grin and smiled back just a tad, then walked away to join his father. I took my weapon from the rack – the spear-chain – and held it in my hands, searching for the right balance. It was hard to find.
"Gale, a word. Tell Eteud that he really needs to work on his skills, because this thing sucks," I said, disappointed in his craftsmanship. Seriously, the links were uneven, the head didn't taper to a symmetrical point, and the whole thing was slightly off-balance. I was amazed it didn't fall to pieces in my hands.
He grunted in reply, mentally cataloging this advice. Despite his appearance, Gale was actually a smart guy, and when a blacksmith tells him to get his own family's smith in better shape, he listens.
But, oh well. Terrible or not, it would serve its purpose. My fingers finally fumbled into a balanced position on the chain, the long tail looped around my forearm loosely to make sure I wouldn't trip but I would still be able to get some reach out of it, and I took up my place in the center of the Ynahy. Frostwave was unwillingly dragged to stand before me, her feet scuffing the sand nervously. This was the first time I had seen her act so unsure in a long time. Not since I had first asked if I could ride her, three years and five months ago, to the day.
"Now, begin!" the Captain shouted.
This was it. The moment we had been waiting for, right within our reach. By tomorrow, Frostwave, Toothless, Hiccup, and I would be free from this nightmare of an island.
My feet spread apart and my knees bent just enough to make sure I could move quickly. Frostwave did the same and started growling unintelligibly, at least to me. I mean, I could write a journal entry on that whole subject.
...After much thought, I have deduced that the Silver Horrors have two separate languages, one for communicating with their human bondmates, and another for other dragons...
But I'm getting off topic. Again.
My fingers held the spearhead lightly, but firmly. Now was the moment when I would see if all that training had paid off.
I flung the spear-chain, letting the tail whip off of my arm easily and gain distance. A deep breath was sucked in with anticipation, and...
The shiny head went true to the mark, slicing through both her muzzle and her fetters. Adjusting her feet had actually helped with that, because it made a nice clean line to all three forms of bondage on her silvery body.
Moments afterwards, Hiccup twisted his right arm in and broke the chain off his shackles, then grabbed a knife from the rack and started cutting through the leather binding his best friend. I whirled around, ready to fight off more people, when I saw what Simon was talking about.
The guards were all doing the toddler dance for the bathroom, and several other people in the audience were rushing out to do their business before they couldn't hold it in any longer. I grinned widely. Good ol' Simon, using an old trick like that. After all, in large quantities, linseed has a powerful laxative effect. And judging from who was doing the dancing, I believe he slipped it in just before breakfast.
But there was one person in the way who hadn't eaten the tainted soup that wanted to kill me right now.
Gale.
And let's just say, if it weren't for one of Frostwave's species-specific powers, we might not have made it out.
"Addie! Cover your ears!" she roared, preparing to loose the beast inside. I nodded, pulled back, and clamped my hands over my ears. Hiccup saw this and imitated me, for no real reason other than the fact that I was doing it right now. When we were protected, and the guards were starting to return from their impromptu visits to the water closet, she screamed.
A word of advice. If you are human, never, ever, EVER let a Silver Horror scream while your ears are uncovered. You will end up with a powerful headache and nightmares for a week, at the minimum. Nature had blessed them with one more horrifying ability other than the whole ice breath deal, tail spear, three rows of teeth, and sharp claws. The scream of a Silver Horror, while harmless to dragons, is quite debilitating to members of our own species, and at close range can actually scare someone to death. Put simply, it is like the dead themselves are shouting out their pain for all to hear, resonating with the cries of our own troubled hearts. And if that sounds too poetic to you, I'm sorry, but that's the only way to describe it. Words cannot do it justice.
Even with our ears covered, it wasn't fun for me or Hiccup. I think at one point he flinched, when Frostwave made it a bit louder, and I couldn't blame him. There's a reason they're called Silver Horrors, and not Silver Kittens-and-Sunshine. Back in the old days of the dragon-pirate war, human victims reputedly had a look of sublime terror on their faces. That, and their silver scales, combine into what may be one of the scariest, fiercest, and sweetest species ever. Well, there's Toothless, too, so I guess he counts as well.
When her despairing cry ceased, we only had a few minutes to get on our freed dragons and escape through the skylight before they recovered and regrouped (so many re- words. I feel so mature), so we did the sensible thing. Hiccup got on Toothless, and I grabbed Frostwave's horns and held on tight with my legs. We took off as one, and just before we passed through the skylight I could see the faces of the people I was leaving behind.
Gale was furious, obviously, but there was something else, too. It bothered me, because for a moment there, I thought he seemed almost... pleased.
The Captain was more disappointed than angry, and he gave me one last defeated look before turning away.
And Simon seemed happy, but sad at the same time. I knew that feeling. He felt like he was being left behind.
'I'll come back for you,' I tried to send him the thought in my head. Unfortunately, I'm not telepathic, because otherwise the world might be a bit easier on me if I was. Or not. Actually, that might make things worse. Who knew how people would treat me if I could talk to them in their heads?
3rd Person POV: Hiccup
Bright sunshine greeted them as they escaped, and Hiccup took in a deep breath of the frigid, but fresh, air of the outside world. Odin's only eye, it felt good to be out of Blackstone. Speaking of which, why was it called that? He had seen the inside, and looking down could see gray, brown, tan, and red rocks, but no black.
"Hey, Addie? Why's it called Blackstone?" he called over the rush of the wind. She and Frostwave flew lower from their spot above them and she leaned down.
"Follow us," she replied sadly, gripping her dragon's horns with white knuckles. The silver-white dragon led the black dragon and its rider to a place that had been previously hidden by extremely tall, pitch black pines.
It was a large field of green-black grass, gently undulating in the breeze that managed to get past the ring of pines around it. Blackstone pines, he realized. Legendary for both their strength and their flammability. Different from other pines because of their distinctive black wood and dark green needles. And now he knew why. Spotting the field were several black rocks of different shapes and sizes, some overgrown by the strange grass while some looked like they had recently been deposited.
They landed in the center, near some of the largest of the rocks. The two dragons and two humans looked around sadly, and the pirate girl (well, ex-pirate girl) turned her head to look at the Viking boy.
"Do you know what this is, Hiccup?" Addie asked softly. He shook his head. The rocks seemed kind of... familiar, but he couldn't understand why.
"It's a graveyard... for Silver Horrors. This is where they go to die," she answered her own question breathlessly. Hiccup had no words. Suddenly, he knew why he recognized them. With every darting glance, he could see the similarities between the bones and Frostwave's structure, and in some parts he could actually see the whole skeleton laid out in the grass like a tunic left out to dry.
"It's also why some of the plants around here are so different from other places. The bones are worn into dust by time and the elements, and the plants absorb some of that dust and use it to make themselves stronger. If you took some seeds from that grass down there and planted it on another island, it would grow green, not black. A Blackstone pine would have brown wood, and it wouldn't be nearly as tough. All thanks to Frostwave's species," she said mournfully. Before he could reply, Addie jumped off of Frostwave and started searching for something underneath what must have been the skull of one of Frostwave's relatives.
"What is it, Addie? Did you lose something here?" he asked, dismounting and bending down to join her in the search. She didn't answer until her hands held a large cloth bundle.
"This. I couldn't leave Blackstone without it. Now let's go. They'll be looking for us soon," she replied, tucking it under her arm and getting back on her dragon. Hiccup did likewise, and together they went airborne again.
Looking down, he could see too many skeletons still in the open air, too many dead dragons for it to bode well for Frostwave. Hiccup reached up a hand and patted Addie's booted foot comfortingly.
"Don't worry, Addie. Frostwave isn't gonna be joining them any time soon. Not if we can help it," he said confidently.
Adeline's POV
Okay, why in Freya's name had Hiccup been treated like he was less than dirt as a kid? He was one of the nicest people I knew! Sure, he was kind of scrawny, but that doesn't mean he was a wimp. Hiccup had some real mental strength, to manage to survive all those treatments and not cry, to keep going after being tormented about his body, to put up with my terrible jokes and Frostwave's attitude. And for me, that sort of strength speaks louder than muscles.
But right now, that didn't really matter. We needed somewhere safe to go for now, until we were sure they wouldn't be following us. And both dragons seemed to understand that feeling, because Frostwave and Toothless flew away from that dreaded island. We landed on another piece of land some distance away to watch as smoke rose from the larger island north of us, the result of our escape. Slowly, the full extent of what this meant settled on my mind. When I realized I was finally free after ten long years, I let out an ecstatic shriek and wrapped my arms around Hiccup, dropping my precious bundle on the ground.
"We did it!" I shouted gleefully. "By the gods, we did it!" Hiccup returned the gesture just as happily and even managed to pick me up for a short time. Frostwave and Toothless let out a pair of pleased croons, making our embrace break awkwardly. My face flushed and I moved a few steps away, just like Hiccup did.
"And now we can go back to Berk," he added. My grin faltered slightly, and he gave me a concerned look.
"Addie? What's wrong?" Hiccup asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged him off before the panic could set in and smiled painfully.
"It's nothing. Just a little worried about the future, is all," I said evasively. He didn't look fully convinced, but that's Hiccup for you. He notices more than he lets on. That's what happens when you're a social outcast for most of your life.
Hiccup looked to the south, toward Berk and the new life it held for me. But that wasn't happening anytime soon. Massive thunderheads were approaching from that direction, and a feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Maybe the gods were unhappy I had betrayed what had essentially become the only "family" I had, or maybe it was some god trying to keep us away from Berk for a bit longer. Either way, both of us knew better than to go flying into that storm, and so we set off across the island in search of shelter.
Author's Notes: Translations, my most wonderful and supportive readers.
Ynahy – Arena
Ytubdaa – Adoptee
dnyedunuic, buecuh-cilgehk tnylubrema – traitorous, poison-sucking dracophile (again, another creative Blackstone insult)
tnykuh – dragon
Jyimd – Vault
Benydeyh – Piratian
Ynahy-mevd – Arena-lift
mevdgaaban – liftkeeper, the person in charge of the Ynahy-mevd
naluhlemeydeuh-pyddmac – reconciliation-battles
dnyedun – traitor
This is it. This is their story. It all begins here. They've finally escaped from Blackstone, and now they have to wait out a terrible storm before they can actually get to Berk. But that's when the real fun begins. Ohhhh, yes. I am writing a dangerous story. Keeping this much raw... awesomeness... contained? There will be consequences! But enough joking around. I've also decided to stop making the chapter titles one line. I'm thinking of reserving that for this small section only, to symbolize how limited Addie's life is, 'n stuff. Now the titles will be more descriptive and actually tell you what the heck is going to happen in the chapter. You're welcome. And come on, people, is it really that hard to remember? Your and You're. One is a possessive pronoun, the other is a contraction of You Are. Sorry. Just ranting about stupid mistakes I see when I read stuff on the site. I mean, it's almost as bad as there, their, and they're, or its and it's. Come on, people! If you're in high school or older, you should know the differences between these words! It's basic grammar! You learn this stuff in middle school! Or should have! Gah!
Wild Cat 214, out!
