Tales of Icecadia
Chapter 9:Guardians and Crooks
Wolf Henderson
"Damn it Kodi!" I exclaimed with pissed off written across my face, eyebrows formed into a narrow slant, my nostrils flared up with rage and a chuckle of attempted patience. I've dealt with a lot of Kodi's bullshit for quite some time, I don't hate the boy— I'd defend the man if he asked me to, but what I won't tolerate is disobedience. Perhaps Kodi Matheson has gained to much comfortable ground, I've dismissed soldiers for less; "I told you, I told you to leave Harlow here."
"Wolf, I did what you told me to do, I faced Ryka and I did my deed; I don't see what harm it did in bringing Harlow along for the trip." Kodi remarked firmly.
"You disobeyed a direct order, I told you specifically to attend to the meeting solo!"
"Of course Clarke had to ruin my plan,"Kodi scoffed with annoyance.
"Excuse me?" I request resolutely.
"I mean no disrespect Wolf, Clarke told Ryka everything before I could."
I try everything within me to not hurt Kodi, whether he means with disrespect or not; he's playing it rather dangerously right now. "Matheson, watch yourself and now Clarke is within Jada Stormheart's custody; what did you do in to help her?"
"I attempted to save her like others did, the attack was all of a sudden and by the time Stormheart had Clarke in her clutches it was too risky to dive in after her." Kodi replied to defend himself. "I'm sorry Wolf, when we send the search party I'll do what I can to get Clarke back."
"You mean when I leave with the search party," I stated firmly.
"Wait, what do you mean I'm not going?" He questioned with slight confusion. "You'll need my help to find Clarke."
"Nope, because you'll be staying here," I begin. "You disobeyed me, and this isn't the first time; if you're going to be General, you must have discipline and know how to follow rules."
"I already know how to do that."
"Good, then for you this shall be easy." I replied with satisfaction in my voice. "You are dismissed Matheson."
"Hey Wolf…" Kodi began.
"You are dismissed Matheson," I remarked with a raised eyebrow.
Kodi began to think of a response but then he refrained from doing so, "Yes General." He saluted firmly before exited my office.
Clarke Emerson
When I first woke on this forsaken hunter ship, I woke to a syndical character she bore of vast intelligence beyond her years; from the amount of information that I observed from her standing in my cell. She's fairly young, Stormheart she isn't much older than me and she's loony that's for sure. A joke is being played on her, the information that she wants I probably don't even have; I'll have to give the woman some credit though—she scares the hell out of me. When Stormheart spoke to me, she was civil and calm; perhaps she knows that I don't have what she desires. If that is the case, then why go out of her way to capture me and make me her prisoner?
Well, my judgments to fear the Viking woman were on point, I don't know what is worse the fact that she broke Niles Monroe out of prison or that she was successful in doing so. Just like this strapped down with chains on a dragon hunter ship, this is how I come to meet my dear old dad; honestly after all that had happened five months ago—I had never met Monroe face to face—and I had hoped that moment would never come to pass. Unfortunately, now I'm trapped on this boat with him and he's tried his best to make conversation with me; I've tried with my best attempts to zone him out.
My efforts in doing that has been my attempts to breaking my shackles, from banging my cuffs on the floor to trying to cut the chains with the hinges of the closed prison cell door; something has to work—anything.
"Clarke, would you just give it up already?" Monroe questions with annoyance in his voice.
"Go to hell Monroe!" I snap firmly as I return my attention to freeing my hands. "I know what I'm doing."
"Do you now, so how have your escape methods worked so far?" He speaks with a sarcastic tone.
I don't respond to his question, I don't need his input, I don't need anything from him; I don't know what Niles Monroe expects will come out of this. Regardless of anything else, a grudge will forever remain between me and my dear daddy—he's the reason my mother is dead. I think back to when Wolf first told me about how Monroe sexually assaulted her, he's the reason she had to flee from her home and Wolf—her husband.
Chuckles of amusement come from his crooked smile, "That's what I thought Sweetheart, you're just like me—stuck."
"We are nothing alike!" I bark with a sneer. "Don't you dare compare me with you, because I am nothing like you!"
"Oh Clarke, my daughter we're more similar than you may think," He smirks with pleasure in his eyes.
"You don't get to call me that, I am not your daughter!"
Niles Monroe seems to be entertained with our conversation, "Sweetheart, I know you're smarter than this, we share the same blood—it bonds us—makes us the same."
"Shut up!" I bellow. "We aren't the same, you're a murderous psychopath, I'm a healer—you hurt and kill people—I heal and save."
"Oh Clarke, may I recall back to when you poisoned a seven-year-old girl?"
"That was different, I was helping her." I feel tears of anger begin to surface, I try to block out his voice for it is sickening.
"Darling, you may sugarcoat it all you want to, why not call it was it is—murder." I don't know how he pulls it off because it feels as if he's within inches of me—his lips practically ripping the skin of my ear off.
"No, please just stop!" I shout with trembles in my voice, "I put her out of her misery, I did the right thing."
"Did you do the right thing Sweetheart?" Monroe requests as if he knows my answer, "You can deny all you wish, you can't hide from the truth and no matter where you go or who you try to be—the blood in your veins makes you what you are—A Monroe!"
"Enough!" The sound of the head hunter's voice catches both of our attention, I have no idea how long he's been standing there and witnessing our bickering. When I turn to look at the Viking man, he is accompanied with two shadows who I assume are apart of Stormheart's hunter crew. One of them holds a chair as he places in the center of the room, the other unlocks my prison door as he begins to walk towards me. "Alright girly, no funny business." The hunter warns firmly, he begins to unlink the chain on the wall—that was his mistake. Suddenly, I saw my chance to escape as I knock him in his head with my cuffed hands; "Ow! Someone grab her!"
I run out of the prison cell with the door wide open, another hunter tried to stop me but I managed to wrap the loose chain around his ankle; he tumbled on the ground face first. The other Viking yanks on my chain as he attempts to drag me backwards, "Oh no you don't!" I find myself being lunged back, "Uhh!" my body hits the wooden floorboards; the hunter bends down to check on me. When his face overshadows me, I kick him in his face that sends him tumbling down. I quickly make it to my feet as I bolt to the stairs.
Before I can make it, a stabbing pain shoots in my leg as I hit the floor once again, "Ahh!" I quickly note of an arrow struck in my thigh; before I am able to check out for any nerve damage I am forced into the chair. Stormheart takes a slip of rope as she ties my hands from behind, "Darling, let's not do that again, you already have an arrow in your leg—don't try anything foolish or it'll be more that a pesky puncture wound."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I growl aggressively.
"Oh Clarke, I'd play it smart if I were you, I will be a nice as I can be; I can't have you trying to leave my ship." Stormheart remarks causally. "For every escape tactic you've thought of, I have a trap that will counteract it; either way you'll be stuck her with me—that's unless you give me what I want."
"Look the joke is on you, whatever it is your looking for I probably don't even have it."
"I just want you to answer me one simple question, that's all and once you've given me my answer—I'll set you free and as far away from Daddy Monroe." She encourages with a simple smile, simple with a hint of devious grin. "How do I get past the Icecadian fog?"
When the question leaves her lips, I become puzzled and slightly concerned—how does she know about Icecadia? I mean as far as she knows she's just in a random sector of water, I don't respond to her immediately; I slowly think of a proper response to fool her. "I don't know what you're talking about, what is Icecadia?"
In an instant, I witness the Viking woman's eye transition from calm hazel to rage of shady green and suddenly Stormheart's face is close to mine; I attempt to avoid eye contact with her—my skin dripping of sweat from my face. "Do you believe that I am a fool? I am aware that Icecadia exists and I'm also aware that you know it exists."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I remark firmly. Stormheart studies me from head to feet, her eyes perk up as they transition back to their hazel color once again; she takes note of something of value to her. Suddenly she pushes the arrow deeper into my leg, "Ahh!"
"I don't want to hurt you Clarke, hell I even like you; but you're lying to me." She replies casually, "I succeed because I know what it takes to break my opponents, the one thing that makes the parasites in their skin crawl as their tiny legs trickle up and down their spine, from limb to limb—you know my answer."
"I told you, I don't know!" I sneer with a slight tremble in my voice, Stormheart sweetly beams her "friendly" smile.
"Darling, telling lies will only make matters worse for you, I will get my answer from you." She remarks resolutely. "And now thanks to Daddy Monroe, I know how to break you."
With that, she rises to her feet as she turns her back to me; before her Stormheart's men walk up the stairs to the upper deck. "I'll send someone to heal your wound, if I took it out with immediate action you'd bleed out and we surely wouldn't want that now."
Ryka Henderson
After our little trip to the dragon nursery, Ptolemy and I were able to get an overly excited Rayna out of there; Ptolemy assured her that they will make another trip some other time. Luka and Rayna walked together as they raced each other, it was a pleasant sight to see; those two were both equally excited after visiting the baby dragons. Now we've walked back to the main foyer, when we reach our stop Rayna placed herself next to me; see appears to have less energy than she did a little while ago. "Oh wow, I'm a little tired," Rayna states with a long yawn.
"He-He, did you wear yourself out?" I laugh lightheartedly.
"I think so, I could settle for a nap." She replies with sleepy eyes and a small grin. "Those baby dragons were so much fun!"
"Yes, they were fun, why don't you rest in my sleeping quarters?" I offer kindly.
"Guru," Luka grumbles with a yawn, he looks like he worn himself out as well from the herd of baby dragons. I scratch behind his ears and he responses with a series of purrs. "Why don't you both get some sleep?"
"Okay, come on Luka, let's get to bed I'm pooped." With that Luka decides to grab Rayna by her shirt and he begins to walk on his hind legs, "Ha-ha Luka, I guess you're carrying me to bed."
I just playfully roll my eyes, Luka has been friends with Toothless too long he's got Luka walking on two legs now. "I swear those two are too much, haha." I giggle lightly.
"Hehe, they do make the best of friends." Ptolemy replies with a warm smile.
"Well, how about that special archive you were telling me about?" I ask curiously. "I want to see it."
Ptolemy accepted my response with a pleased expression on his face, then he escorted me down a series of hallways; we reach a wing of the ice fortress just west of the throne room. A gigantic door with the Icecadian sacred mark on it, I carefully roll my shirt sleeve to reveal the same mark on my skin; I am in awe at how massive the door is. "What is this place?" I question.
" This is the Guardians of Icecadia Archive, there's something inside of here that you should see." Ptolemy remarks as he carefully opens the giant door. Soon a bright light shines from a vast room behind the door, when my eyes adjust I see walls of weapons, shields, and many interesting items. However, what stands out to me is a long walkway of armors, one side labeled "Dawson" and the other side "Henderson."
"Whoa, what is all this stuff?" I ask with a gleam in my eye, I can't see this gleam but I can definitely feel it.
"This is the room of every guardian of Icecadia, with both things from my family and things from yours." Ptolemy begins. "The Dawsons and the Hendersons meant serious business when building Icecadia, and everything that we stand for. These ones in particular are honored for their valor and true dedication to protecting our resolve."
"It's amazing, all of this historical information going back generations." I simply can't get enough of the beauty that is before me. I've gone my whole life without knowing much about my family, I mean aside the whole chief thing; outside of that there was nothing else that I knew—until now. Generations of knowledge to tell me what my Henderson family, my father's bloodline what they represented—what I represent as a Henderson.
"Icecadia has many great guardians, but none of them were as great as your grandmother." Ptolemy shows me a display, a painting of my grandmother hangs on the wall. She bore of silky, wavy black hair, a rich blue color her eyes; they are almost sliver. She's dressed in all white armor with a sliver sword, and sliver boots, shoulder pads.
"My grandmother was a guardian?" I question in awe.
"Evanna Henderson, she fought day and night to protect the people and the dragons of her home; she taught children knowledge of dragons and she mentored many of our warriors including our general."Ptolemy continues the story. "Some would even claim that she was more dedicated than your grandfather Magnar Henderson"
I look at the display of her armor that she wore, it looks as if it has been touched in years; "I never met her, my dad told me stories about her once—I never knew this—it's simply amazing."
"I only met her once, when I was younger and she's the one who taught me how to properly handle a sword." Ptolemy replies softly. "When she passed, she left a letter for certain people—you included."
Ptolemy then hands me an envelope from the tunic of Evanna's armor, I accept the letter as I carefully open the envelope, "Evanna requested that you receive this when you discovered Icecadia."
"It just says that she has in trusted her armor to me, along with her cape and silver sword," I read aloud, I scan the letter once more—"it also says she wants me to try it on."
When I finish changing from my father's chief attire, to my grandmother's light armor surprisingly it's a perfect fit; it doesn't appear big on me like my previous clothing. There was a secluded area that I could quickly change, a small body mirror in the corner; the sliver cape and sliver sword complement each other very well. I finally step out to show Ptolemy, "Well, how do I look?"
A look of amazement expresses in Ptolemy's eyes, "Wow! You look majestic Princess," He adds a cute laugh, "Do you feel majestic Princess?"
"Haha, it's absolutely beautiful, and I look in the mirror I see a bit of my grandmother inside me," I smile brightly. I look into the mirror, everything about my new attire is simply stunning—I look into the mirror and everything in the image is beautiful…
"Ryka, is something wrong?" I can hear the concern tone in his voice, I just stare at the mirror with a perfect image with one flaw; "Ryka?"
I take a moment to collect myself, I think back to what Hana told me back on Wenslock; "A woman isn't strong because she held everything together, she is strong because she knew when not to." I can trust Ptolemy with this, I know I can because when I do—I know he won't run away from me—I know that he won't judge the situation; the way that others have in the past. I inhale one last breath and as I exhale I prepare myself.
"Nothing's wrong with the armor, it's unbelievably flawless—I just wish that I felt that way." I begin, "It's these stupid needle marks on my arms!"
Ptolemy places himself beside me, "I noticed those marks, I figured that's why you are sensitive when people mess with your long sleeves."
"It's embarrassing that I live in this—this shame, I just wanted to forget it and these stupid marks are just a terrible reminder—" I find myself trailing from my sentence, I don't know if I can do this; maybe it was better when I just kept everything together.
"Ryka, you can tell me what happened, I won't walk away." Ptolemy encourages soothingly.
"I don't want to scare you away, it's better if I just don't."
"Ryka, there's nothing that you can say that will remove me from you." He replies with encouragement. "I want to hear it."
I take a deep breath before I confess the contents of my story, "When we were facing Monroe, he had threatened to poison my people unless I had agreed to be his prisoner; so unsure of what he would do I decided to give myself to protect my island." I pause for a moment, "Monroe lied to me and he released the mercury poison anyway, he had also injected five needles of mercury into my limbs; it felt as if knives were piercing through my veins…I thought.."
I felt the water in my eyes build, I try everything in me to fight them back; "I thought I was doing the right thing and still my people got poisoned—he had succeeded in poisoning many people of Wenslock including Hiccup's wife Astrid who was pregnant at the time—" I take a moment to recollect myself, so far Ptolemy is still here with me. "Seven of my people died from the poison, one including a seven-year-old girl named Karissa; these stupid scars only remind me of that even when I thought I had passed it."
Ptolemy just remains silent as he patiently waits for me to continue, I catch a glimpse of his attentive blue eyes and I feel safe and comfortable around him. I never shared how I felt for five months and suddenly weight has been lifted off my shoulders. "I dealt with crazy symptoms from the poison which at the time I was unaware that I had been poisoned; intense headaches to wild hallucinations of sounds and sights that seemed so real." I pause one more time. "It was so serious that I nearly died from it, thankfully my cousin Clarke was able to give me the antidote in time."
"Well, you told me a wild story and do we have a Ptolemy Dawson?" Ptolemy remarks with encouragement. "Oh wait, yep it looks like he's alive and accounted for."
We both share a couple of laughs, it felt good to finally get all that off my chest and now that I have I feel so—free. "Haha, well I appreciate that you stuck around; thank you ."
"That was a major thing to confess, don't you feel better now?" He smiles brightly.
"Yes," I reply with a sleepy yawn.
"Haha, good" He chuckles lightly.
Without warning him I sneak in a kiss on Ptolemy's cheek, I honesty couldn't help it; he's been so sweet and I saw a small opportunity. "Thank you."
I notice that the kiss caught him off guard as a cheesy smile forms across his lips, along with a blush of his cheeks; and without warning he sneaks a kiss on my lips. I suddenly feel my breath leave my body, I didn't resist the gesture; I just relish the moment—cherish it. When we pull away from our kiss, I can feel my cheeks slightly blush red; and a warm smile soon follows. "You're welcome."
