Ok, first I want to apologize. I know it's been a month since I've updated and I'm very sorry. Unfortunately, school got a little crazy recently and I thankfully just got my grade up in Geometry (I stink at math) and that's been my main focus right now. I didn't even realize how long it had been until I got a PM from someone asking why I hadn't updated in a while. Let me just say THANK YOU to the person who PMed me, and also THANK YOU to the rest of you guys who have stuck around. Now, because I finally realize how long it's been, I'm breaking the rules (just this once) and am updating on a Sunday, because waiting until next Saturday (Oct. 26th) would not be fair to you guys. So, here is the special Sunday chapter of Saturdays on Berk. I hope you enjoy it, and again I apologize for it being so late.
Hiccup's head swirled as he tried to process the information. He hadn't been this dizzy since he woke up and realized that he was missing a foot.
"I'm sorry Alvin, I must have heard you wrong, because I know that you're not my uncle." Hiccup said as he tried to hide the worry in his voice.
"No boy, you heard me right. I'm Stoick's baby brother! Why do you think he held on to my first hatchet?" Alvin said with a sneer. Hiccup searched Alvin's face for any trace of resemblance between Alvin and his father. There wasn't much of one besides the beard length and bushy eyebrows.
"Why should I trust you Alvin? You have Astrid and I imprisoned in a cave with countless guards ready to kill us at a moment's notice, you tried to kill my father several times, and might I also mention that the dragon I'm training is somehow going to be used to take over Berk. I doubt anyone with a family would do any of that to a family member." Hiccup said defiantly.
"Well, I think it's pretty much fair game after your father banished me from Berk's shores. Besides we're Vikings, and we tend to do things a certain way, and that usually involves swords or axes or arrows."
"You're right Alvin, Vikings certainly do have a certain way of doing things, but what you're doing right now, that's not the Viking way. That's the Outcast way." Alvin's face quickly grew red and angry as his hand smacked against Hiccup's face. Hiccup fell back on the ground with a thud as blood came squirting out of his nose.
"You best mind your manners the rest of stay here boy, or I'll easily do to you what I did to your mother." Alvin said as he shook the blood off of his hand.
"What?" Hiccup asked bewildered as Astrid helped him off of the ground.
"That's right boy, I killed your mother." Alvin said, his face as dark as the night sky.
"That's not possible. Dad said she died of a sickness…"
"As I recall your father didn't mention me being your uncle either. What else could that pitiful excuse for a father have lied to you about?" The silence that followed was earsplitting. After a few minutes Alvin turned and walked out of the cell as the guards followed, leaving two at the front entrance. Hiccup slid down the wall in shock as blood continued to drip from his nose. Astrid grabbed one of the ratty blankets that they shared and tore off a piece to use as a handkerchief. She dabbed at Hiccup's nose as he continued to stare straight ahead at the wall. After a few minutes the silence became unbearable and Astrid finally huffed out a sigh.
"C'mon Hiccup, speak to me. You haven't lost that much blood so I know you're not dead. Just forget about what Alvin said and think of a new plan to get us out of here."
"How can I Astrid?" Hiccup mumbled.
"Just… Oh, I don't know, just think about flying with Toothless in the clouds and get your mind off of Alvin's lies."
"How do you know they were lies?"
"Well he doesn't have a great track record of being 100% honest, so I'd take everything he says with a spoonful of salt and then some."
"But what if he was telling the truth this time?"
"Hiccup, he's not called Alvin the Treacherous for nothing! Loki's more trustworthy than the guy, and he's the god of mischief! Besides, your dad and Alvin look nothing alike."
"So? What about my mother? If he was telling the truth, then why did my dad hide that from me all these years?! He hid Alvin from us! Why not that?!"
"Because, we were little when your mother… passed, and I happen to know that she did die from a disease. My mom and your mom were really close when they were our age. Whenever she tells a story about herself when she was a kid, your mom is always in it! She was crushed when your mom died. On some days she has that empty look in her eye that your dad has sometimes. Every time it rains, she curses it, because if your mom hadn't been soaked to the bone in the middle of brutal-winter, she'd be here with us today." Astrid threw the now blood-soaked piece of fabric off in a random direction as she studied Hiccup's nose more to make sure the bleeding had stopped. Hiccup leaned his head against the wall and groaned.
"Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't believe what he says."
"I always am." Astrid said with a small smile.
"Well, not always, but…" Hiccup said with a chuckle as Astrid hit Hiccup in the arm.
"So what's the plan now?" Astrid said in a low whisper as not to be over heard from the guards.
"I'll… think of something." Hiccup whispered back after a moment.
"Well you might want to think of something fast because the second that Changewing is trained we're finished."
"Don't remind me." Hiccup said as he shook his head.
"It's too bad that we can't just disappear like the Changewing can and fly out of here." Hiccup's head snapped up as Astrid finished speaking and a grin spread across his face.
"Astrid… you're a genius." Hiccup said quietly as he quickly gave her a hug.
"I am?" she asked a bit confused.
"Yes. Astrid, if I can manage to do convince Alvin that the Changewing needs to get used to saddles, I can make a special harness to allow us to hang from the Changewing's underside while it's invisible, and we can ride it out of here!" Hiccup said trying not to get above a whisper.
"How are you going to be able to convince Alvin to let you build the saddles?"
"I don't know, but it won't be easy. I think I'll need to make Alvin think that the Changewing is afraid of saddles or something."
"How are you going to do that?" Astrid asked. As if on cue, Nagur showed up with two bowls of broth in his hands.
"Soup's on! Today's special: Eel head soup!" Nagur said as he walked in and placed the bowls of soup in front of the two. Hiccup and Astrid glanced down at the soup and then smiled at each other.
"I think I have an idea…"
To Be Continued…
Ok, there it is. Again, I'm sorry it's been a month since I've updated, and that this chapter was shorter, but I think you guys will enjoy what this has set up. Chapter 11 will arrive on November 2nd.