Howdy. Happy Snoggletog, Merry Christmas, and happy New Year! Have a bonus chappie, a bit quicker than i usually update. There is extra whump in this chapter, and a kinda torture-ish scene, so keep an eye out.
Shout-outs:
katurdi- Thank you very much. IKR, whump is great.
Stormyskies8- I do believe that I can. Do you mean Enemy of My Enemy?
Liz- Thanks! I'm glad you like it!
Disclaimer:
Elena- I have a headache and don't want to argue with Astrid today. So, I don't own HTTYD.
Chapter Ten
Hunters
When Hiccup woke, it was night. He was leaning against a tree, the bark pressed against his back through the shirt. The icy cold chain was still wrapped around his throat, and it clinked dully when he moved.
As he lifted his head, he groaned softly. His head hurt, probably from his fall earlier.
Lifting his bound hands up to his face, he gingerly touched his swollen jaw. Thor, the man had hit him hard. There was undoubtedly a bruise. Speaking of bruises...he shifted uncomfortably, grimacing as his bruised and scraped back rubbed against the bark of the tree. His ribs felt a little better now, but his head pounded mercilessly.
"You're awake," the Masked Man said suddenly from where he sat nearby, and Hiccup mentally kicked himself for drawing attention.
"You've caused me a lot of trouble, Haddock," the man growled, turning towards him. "If it weren't for that little stunt you pulled, we'd have already made it to the meeting point. Now we're going to have to wait for morning, which means that I won't get my gold. And I have to explain to Ryker Grimborn why I'm late, and knowing the Dragon Hunters, there'll be a loophole that keeps me from getting paid."
"...sorry?" Hiccup replied hopefully.
He was rewarded with a vicious backhand across the face. Grunting softly, he winced as the bitter taste of blood filled his mouth.
"Shut the Hel up." The masked man seized Hiccup's collar, pulling him close. "You and I need to spend some quality time together."
Well, that didn't sound good.
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Pain. Hiccup was really starting to hate being in pain constantly. His ribs occasionally shot white-hot spikes of pain through his torso, and his many bruises throbbed dully. As the Masked Man approached him with hatred in his dark eyes, he shivered under the cruel gaze.
The stranger seemed to know all the places Hiccup was already in pain; every weakness that could be exploited without killing him. He would press one hand into an especially painful bruise, or purposely push his fist into a broken rib and twist. Soon enough, Hiccup couldn't stand the pain. A cry escaped from his lips, muffled by the Masked Man's hand over his mouth.
He suddenly felt trapped, there was nowhere to go and Hiccup had always been nervous in enclosed spaces. He couldn't breathe around the hand pressed against his mouth and nose, and he began to panic.
The Masked Man chuckled darkly. "You shouldn't take your enemies so lightly. That's the sort of thing that gets people like you killed." He studied Hiccup as the heir squirmed. "Do you want me to let you go?"
Hiccup was forced to look straight into the cold, dark eyes. Clawing weakly at the hand over his mouth, he let out a tiny, pathetic moan.
The man shifted his grip, moving his hand to Hiccup's throat. "You want me to stop?"
Hiccup glared into the Masked Man's dark eyes. He wasn't going to back down that easily.
Another backhand to the face. The grip tightened and Hiccup's vision started to darken. Then the pressure was gone, and he greedily sucked in a gulp of air before the hand squeezed again.
Being strangled was a lot more painful than Hiccup had expected. He felt his face going numb, and could almost feel the bruises rising on his neck. Panic numbed his senses as he kicked and struggled weakly.
The man loosened his grip slightly again, and smirked. "Beg. I want to hear you plead for mercy."
Hiccup let out another pained whimper, and the bounty hunter raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"...Please," Hiccup pleaded, flinching away when the man reached for his throat. "Not again."
The Masked Man smirked. "That's better. Now don't cause any more trouble for me, or there'll be more of the same."
Hiccup nodded mutely. Though once he was left alone, he drew his knees up to his chest and dropped his head into his bound hands. Breaking the eerie silence of the night, a new sound was heard in the forest. Namely, the muffled sobs of a boy who hadn't cried in years. The sound would have broken the heart of any decent person, but the only beings to hear were a few animals and the heartless man nearby. The tears were of pain and loneliness, as Hiccup prayed to all the gods he knew of that his friends would come for him.
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In the morning, Hiccup was woken by a kick in the shin. Angrily, he looked up to protest, but met the cold eyes of his captor. Suddenly, he remembered the events of the night before and instantly dropped his gaze, cringing.
The dark chuckle sent chills up his spine. "I see you've learned your place, boy. It's time to leave."
Hiccup tried to push himself to his feet, but failed, his legs cramped from spending all night in the same position. Without warning, the chain was snapped tight and he was yanked to his feet. Coughing as he regained control of his breaths, he watched as the Masked Man checked the ropes around his wrists. After they were yanked tight once more, the man looked down at Hiccup, smirking when the Dragon Rider flinched. "You'd better hope Ryker's in a good mood," he muttered. "Let's go."
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Ryker was in an excellent mood, as a matter of fact. Smirking in satisfaction, he gazed out across the ocean from his place on the edge of the cliff that marked the northern shore of Sleipnir Island. In the distance, he could see the Dragon Hunter fleet drifting. The elder Grimborn could just barely make out the figure of his younger brother standing on the deck of the lead ship, and grinned discreetly at the thought of what was to come.
Hiccup Haddock was the key to unlocking the secrets of dragons all throughout the archipelago. He held all the knowledge the Hunters could possibly desire on the topic of dragons. In addition, being the heir of a prosperous tribe, he could be held for ransom or as insurance.
Honestly, though, he'd expected the boy to have been brought to them sooner. Technically, there hadn't been a deadline, per se, but these things usually progressed more quickly. However, he and Viggo both suspected that today might be the day.
A Hunter came running up to him, red-faced and panting. "Someone's coming," the man gasped.
"How far away?" he asked.
"It should be just a few minutes, sir."
Ryker nodded briskly and turned away. "Have the men enter the forest for now. Wait for my signal."
He turned to look out at the Dragon Hunter fleet again, and smirked. It was only a matter of time now.
When two figures entered the clearing ten minutes later, Ryker scanned them both critically. The taller of the two was obviously a foreigner, with all exposed skin tanned a rich bronze. He was cloaked, with the lower half of his face covered. Ryker thought the man looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place the face.
The second figure was Hiccup Haddock, though it took Ryker a moment to recognize the Dragon Rider. Gods, the boy looked awful. His auburn hair hung in his face, standing out in sharp contrast to his pale skin. A purple bruise on his cheekbone showed where he had been hit recently, probably more than once. Limping along with some difficulty, the heir of Berk was obviously nursing broken ribs and probably more bruises, judging by the bluish purple discoloration peeking out from under his sleeves. His hands bound in front of him, Haddock was practically dragged along by his captor with a length of chain cruelly wrapped around his throat. As Ryker watched, the boy looked up, stopping in his tracks at the sight of the Dragon Hunter. With a growl of frustration, the Masked Man jerked roughly on the chain, backhanding Hiccup across the face once the heir was in range. Dragging his prisoner behind him, he approached.
"I've brought the boy. Now where's my gold?" asked the Masked Man smoothly, eyeing the money bag Ryker held.
Ryker studied the man, not bothering to conceal his dislike. "Hiccup Haddock. It's about time you got here." He smirked as Haddock glared at him.
Turning to the bounty hunter, he frowned. "Your eyes look familiar, Masked Man. Do I know you?"
"No games, Grimborn. I want my reward."
Ryker shrugged, holding out the bag, while the Masked Man moved to hand him the other end of the chain that bound Haddock. Despite the tension in the air, the exchange went smoothly, the two men glaring at each other the whole time. Soon enough, however, Ryker held the chain and was yanking Hiccup towards him.
The bounty hunter looked into the bag and his face darkened. Throwing down the burlap sack, he let out a feral growl as the contents were revealed - a pile of rocks.
"You tricked me!" he spat, disbelieving.
Ryker shrugged once more. "Aye, I did. Sorry, but there'll be no gold for this one-legged fool."
The man lunged, a murderous gleam in his eyes. Ryker drew one of his swords, raising a hand. "Hunters!" he called.
As he looked on, his men charged out of the forest and surrounded the stranger. Grunting in frustration, the man attacked.
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Hiccup watched silently, not sure what to do. There was no chance of escape at the moment, with Ryker guarding him. At this point, however, he wasn't sure which way he wanted the fight to go. Considering his options, he realized that either way, he was doomed. If the Masked Man won, Hiccup would remain a captive until he was brought to Viggo himself. Likewise, if the Hunters came out victorious, he would be dragged straight to the younger Grimborn.
However, when the Masked Man was downed by one of the Hunters nearby, Hiccup breathed a little easier, with a vague feeling of relief.
The next moment, however, the bounty hunter was up and charging directly towards him. Oh, gods, he thought, beginning to panic. Before Ryker could take a single step forward to guard his prisoner, the Masked Man had tackled Hiccup, body-slamming him backwards...
...right off the side of the cliff.
AAAAAAAAHHHHHH! Did I just... kill Hiccup? You'll see! PLEASE review! Any and all critique is appreciated (though haters may be glared at and have their cookies confiscated.) I know there are a lot of readers out there! Favorites/Reviews make my life happy.
See ya next time, folks!