Chapter 14

I took a swig from my water bottle and pushed aside a pesky branch. Ahead of me, Rapunzel analyzed the plants. She had cut her long hair as soon as we'd left, pinning it up to slow its rapid growth. She had placed a camouflage army cap on her head to help blend in with our surroundings. Meanwhile, Jack was wearing his normal blue hoodie and his hair shown whiter than ever. I winced whenever I saw his bare head, afraid it might give us away.

Blaze swooped down and perched gently on my shoulder, her talons not digging into my skin anymore as I had had Hiccup add leather shoulder pads into my clothes so I could have her perching on me without me feeling any pain. I reached up a gloved hand to stroke her soft, feathery wings. I caught Jack watching and made a face at him, which he returned.

When Rapunzel finally called for us to stop, we rested in an alcove, sitting on the soft, dewy grass that the sun had not reached yet. We reached into our packs and took out sandwiches and cookies and fruit. While the Big Four sat in the middle, Liam was eating off to the side. I joined him.

"What's up?" I asked him.

Liam gave me his customary shrug. "I don't know. We're going into the heart of the most powerful person in the universe's lair? Forgive me for being a little worried about that."

"She's a supernovella, and so am I. Aren't we equal in strength?"

"No," said Liam. He shook his head. "She's tapped into more of her abilities, while you're only capable of doing a fraction of your powers. You're not strong enough to be equal or greater than Skye Fire yet."

"Oh," was my reply. "Well that sucks."

He laughed a little at that. "What's your favorite color?" he asked out of the blue.

"Um, purple. Why?" I looked at him.

"Just wanted to know."

"What's your favorite color, then?" I challenged.

Liam smiled. "I don't think I have one. I like many colors."

"Oh, come on, don't squirm your way out! All right, let me ask you another one then: What's your favorite food?"

"Pasta," he replied immediately. "I love pasta, all kinds. How old are you?"

"I'm 16. I'm guessing you are, too?"

He nodded. "I'm turning 17 in a few months, though."

"Cool," I said. "Do you have any siblings?"

At that question, he looked away. I felt sadness radiate from him. Yeah, I could sense feelings. So what? That's not important right now. "I have a brother," he told me quietly. "His name . . . was Dexter. He's my little brother."

"What happened?" I asked, my voice hushed as well.

"I had to leave him because I needed to pursue my own dreams. I'll never forget the look of sadness mixed with betrayal on his face when I walked away from home." He gazed at the trees.

I placed a hand on his shoulder carefully, not wanting to startle him from his dreamlike state. "Listen, Liam, I have a brother, too, named Noah. He's older than me. I also have a little sister named Kaitlyn Jane, or just Kaitlyn. So I know what it feels like to miss your family." He turned to look at me.

"Hey, you too!" Jack shouted. We both jumped and turned to see him waving his arms. "We're going now! Let's get a move on!"

Liam and I laughed a little and helped each other stand up. "All right, all right! Calm yourself, Frost!" I called, making Liam snort as he tried to hide his laughter. I gave him a playful, teasing wink before setting off on our journey again.

When we reached the heart of the forest (and we knew, thanks to Hiccup's solar/liquid-powered GPS, which could run on sunlight and any liquid: water, saliva, even blood, which I shudder at the thought of), it was nearly sunset. It made us temporarily forget where we were and what we were doing as we stared at the beautiful colors.

Jack shook his head. "Too much sun for me." He flew off to stay in the shade, a little off from us.

"It seems . . . quiet. Peaceful even," I remarked. I withdrew my sword. "Too quiet."

Merida nodded in agreement as she nocked an arrow, pulling back her bowstring carefully in preparation for a free-for-all. I was a little worried about what would or wouldn't happen.

"We have to be alert," I informed the others. "The enemy could appear at any time. We should find a less . . . open space to set up camp."

"But it's getting late," Rapunzel pointed out worriedly. "What if we can't find another place?"

"We will," Hiccup said. "Don't worry, Rapunzel, I won't get us lost." She smiled at him gratefully and Jack glared out into the distance as the others began walking. I fell behind to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, I know it's gonna take a while, but we'll get there eventually," I told him with a smile. He looked startled.

"Uh, yeah. I just . . . I've never been camping before. So I really don't know what to do." He was acting more awkwardly than the average teenage boy. But then again, he wasn't an average teenage boy. And he didn't answer the REAL question I'd asked, but I decided not to push him to his snapping point.

I caught up with Liam. "So, what's the plan?"

"We get some rest after dinner, then tomorrow we can lay out or battle plan." He yawned and mussed up his hair. "I'm too tired to even hold a pencil correctly." I shook my head and laughed a little at that.

Soon we found a cozy little alcove to set up our tents, which were light and bigger on the inside. It was like a luxury apartment inside the tent. It even had electricity, cable TV, Internet, and hot, running water.

"I think I just died and went to heaven," I told Merida and Rapunzel as I gaped at the space, but both just chuckled and shoved me onto the couch playfully as they went to get ready to take showers.

I sighed and opened up a book to read. We were going to have to continue our trek tomorrow. I was feeling too tired to even take a shower, though I knew I had to. I stank. I closed the book and gazed at the ceiling. Tomorrow we would or wouldn't go face to face with the most powerful person in the universe.