Before Hiccup could even blink, a meaty hand reached around and grabbed his lower face, covering his mouth. Fear struck his heart as he gasped, his breathing muffled by the flesh of whoever was behind him. Hiccup began to reach for the hand covering his mouth, but was caught by an arm snaking around his middle, pinning his arms to his sides.

What happened next took place over a mere few seconds, but felt like forever to the poor boy caught in this horrible trap. Hiccup strained against the colossal man, screaming into the palm of his hand. He was pulled backwards a few steps, feet stomping in an attempt to wake the sleeping dragon just a few feet away. Though Hiccup could hardly register anything at the moment, he thought he heard Toothless huff, the sound his friend would always make when awoken from a deep sleep.

The man squeezed his middle tightly at this, sucking all the air from the boy's lungs. Hiccup continued to gasp as his ability to breathe was robbed, his organs screaming and ribs popping at the man's force. Hiccup's eyes went wild as the sounds around him finally caught up to his brain.

Heavy footsteps to his left. The sound of a dragon's ferocious growls. Toothless roaring. A man shouting in pain.

"THE TRANQUILIZER YOU IMBECILE!"

More scuffling. The screech of Toothless initiating a plasma blast. The sound of something sharp piercing thick flesh. A dragon's wail of distress…

Hiccup was finally dragged far enough from the desk to view the scene before him. Several men dressed in dark armor stood around Toothless. Each had metallic helmets that covered their lower faces, leaving their eyes exposed.

One of the men held the end of a spear-like object with red rings circling the ends, the sharp end stuck through the scales on his friend's neck.

Hiccup let out a muffled cry at the sight, he watched Toothless's movements go unsteady. The dragon's pupils dilated, before he collapsed all together. The man holding the tranquilizer spear ripped it out of the creature, chuckling softly as he looked at what he'd done.

The men, who Hiccup assumed were hunters, suddenly became quiet for the first time since they'd made their presence known. The one holding him still gripped his middle tightly, making his vision grow foggy from lack of oxygen. Hiccup counted four of them that he could see, including the one restraining him. The other three stood around Toothless's limp body, looking intently at the beast.

Finally, the one restraining him spoke, "Well don't just stand there, start with the bindings!"

His gravelly voice was full of irritance, but the hunters obliged. One moved to a leather bag that looked as if it'd been tossed to the ground in a hurry, the contents partially spilled out. As the hunter grabbed ropes and a few pieces of cloth from the floor, the other hunters began fidgeting with something else contained in the bag, though Hiccup could hardly see, he thought he'd heard the sounds of chains clinking.

The hunter that carried the rope walked towards Hiccup, and with a nod of his head towards the one restraining him, Hiccup's lungs were finally able to receive air as the man loosened his grip. He inhaled sharply, feeling relieved as his vision became less cloudy. But his relief would soon evaporate as the men grabbed his shoulders and slammed him to the ground.

Landing on his chest, the hunters gripped his wrists forcefully behind his back, one of the men binding them tightly together with the ropes. He felt an armored knee dig painfully into his spine. Hiccup strained against the action as much as he possibly could, but it was to no avail. He opened his mouth and gave an ear-splitting yell of frustration.

His attempt was met with a hand firmly gripping his hair, only to have his head slammed violently into the ground. His cheekbone took most of the impact, he winced, feeling the nasty bruise already forming. He groaned in pain.

"Shut him up!" Hiccup heard one of them command. The back of his skull was grabbed once again, he tensed, expecting another blow to the face. But instead, a dirty cloth was shoved into his mouth. He gagged on the fabric as another, more narrow piece was wrapped over his mouth and tied off behind his head.

As they finished with his wrists, they began the same motions around his knees. After leaving him entirely bound, they finally let him go. Leaving him face down on the floor. Hiccup took the opportunity to flip over and use his bound legs to scoot away from his attackers, well, as much as he could anyways. This finally gave him an unfiltered view of what exactly was happening.

In the dim candlelight, four hunters stood within the room. All were dressed in uniforms Hiccup had never seen. They certainly didn't look like Viggo's men, his mind suddenly went to the bounty, and he wondered if they were here on the thought that it was still active. Though, he didn't have much time to think about it.

Two of the men stood around Toothless's lifeless form, though it was hard to see with such little lighting, Hiccup heard the sound of chains rattling once again from their side of the room. The men were undoubtedly chaining the creature up. He was able to make out one of them slipping a leather muzzle on the dragon's snout, hindering any plans of escape.

The other two men stood just a few feet in front of Hiccup, though he could only see portions of their face, he saw them looking down at him with pride in their eyes. As if they'd just accomplished something very important. He glared at the hunters, trying his best to appear stoic even in his vulnerable position.

One of them men before him turned his head in the direction of the dragon, "Are you idiots finished yet?"

"He's locked up tight," One responded, pulling on the chains to test their security. "Won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

"Excellent." The man responded, looking back to Hiccup. He was the largest of the men, towering over the one beside him by at least a foot. Hiccup guessed that this man was the one who overpowered him at the desk.

"We need to get him out of here before the tranquilizer wears off." One of the men said on the opposite end of the room said, gesturing to the sleeping dragon. "We should have at least two hours."

"We'll need to move quickly then, won't we?" The large one responded, not breaking his eye contact with Hiccup, who glared at him with even more fire than before.

Like a cornered animal, Hiccup's mind started racing, as the smaller man turned and began moving towards his dragon, the mountainous one continued to stare him up and down. Like a predator sizing up his latest prey. He tried to think of anything that could help him in the situation he was in. He had little access to his weapons from his place on the floor. Toothless was incapacitated, the chains and muzzle restricting him even if he woke. The bindings on his wrists and legs would hinder any form of attack. Astrid was…

Astrid!

Out of nowhere, Hiccup felt a hot, sticky liquid splatter across his face. He instinctively shut his eyes and flinched at the sensation, but upon opening them again, he was left blinking in shock at the sight before him.

The mountainous man that had lingered in front of him stood entirely still, only beginning to sway clumsily after a few moments. An arrow protruded from the side of his neck, going all the way through and out the opposite side. Blood spurted from the wound, and Hiccup heard the sickening sounds of the man choking on his own blood. Within seconds, the large man had collapsed on his side, spraying the floor around him with red, leaving the others that surrounded Toothless to gape at their fellow soldier.

" What in Thor's name?! "

Hiccup's eyes shot upward towards the edge of the loft, just in time to see a blonde figure rolling back out of view.

The hunters looked in the same direction, studying the space for movement that none of them could see.

"Don't just stand there! Get the crossbow!" One yelled, causing another to run across the room to attain a barren crossbow Hiccup had failed to notice before. The man reached down to grab the weapon in great haste, turning swiftly to load it with an arrow. Before he could even draw the bow, the sound of another arrow whizzing from above shot through the hut. With impeccable precision, the object speared through the opening of his helmet and directly into his eye. Hiccup watched in relief and horror as the crossbow the hunter was holding cluttered to the ground, the man himself following suit.

He then heard the recognizable sound of a jamming crossbow from above.

" Shit! " The men heard from the loft, quiet, but audible.

"Who the hell is up there?!"

"The stairs! Go up the stairs!"

Hiccup looked to see the two remaining hunters scattering in confusion. One ducked behind a pillar next to Toothless, the other grabbed an unused chain as a desperate attempt for a weapon, and carefully moved towards the base of the wood stairs.

Hiccup looked hard at the top of the loft once again, but saw no sign of Astrid. His search was interrupted by the sound of footsteps pattering his way. Upon inspection, he saw the hunter that had been hiding behind the pillar running towards him, most likely to attain the fallen crossbow. But the maneuver left him out in the open.

A deafening battle cry echoed off the walls of the hut, Hiccup and the hunter glanced upwards to see Astrid vaulting off the edge of the loft. An arrow locked in a death grip in her hands above her head. She was aiming for the hunter, a second away from piercing his scull with the object as she fell through the air. The man suddenly cowered, having absolutely no time to save himself.

But the girl didn't make it.

A chain was swiftly wrapped around her middle when she was a mere foot from her target, pulling her backwards abruptly and sending her body thudding to the floor. The hunter that had been heading for the steps managed to pull her away just in time.

Time seemed to stand still as Hiccup watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. Left to do nothing but uselessly pull at his bindings.

Astrid jumped up from the floor, grabbing hold of the chain that bound her and throwing it at one of the hunters with an animalistic snare. It clattered against his metal helmet, sending him backwards in shock. She took the opportunity to send a spiraling kick backwards, hitting the other man that had been approaching her from behind.

The move sent him to the floor, and she was left with the other. Recovering from the chain and coming at her with full force. After dodging a few hits, she managed to land a brutal punch to his side, making him bend over in pain. At this, she grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the face. Spinning his helmet almost comically and causing the man to fall once more.

She hastily searched the ground for the arrow she'd dropped on the way down, finding it a mere few feet away. Diving across the floor to avoid any potential blows, she grasped it firmly and returned to the fallen hunter. He'd finished adjusting his helmet just in time to see her standing over his body, arrow secured in her fists above her head once again. With a fierce yell from the girl, he watched in terror as she moved to bring it down to pierce his body.

She never made it. Hiccup screamed her name best he could through the gag, but it was too late.

The hunter behind suddenly brought one of the wooden stools from Hiccup's desk down over her head, cracking it against the back of her skull with such force the wooden legs broke and scattered across the ground.

The girl fell, arrow still in hand as her limp body slammed against the floor. Though the light was dim, Hiccup could see a small pool of blood forming around her golden hair.

Fear gripped his heart.

" NO! " He screamed through the gag, straining against the bindings so hard he felt one of his wrists pop under the pressure. He'd managed to shuffle around to his side, awkwardly trying to scoot closer to his fallen friend. But the ties on his feet and legs made it nearly impossible.

The downed hunter managed to get to his feet, panting heavily as he stared at the now incapacitated girl. Both men looked her up and down, then glanced around the bloody room, eyeing their dead partners.

The one Astrid had nearly killed suddenly removed his helmet, revealing a mess of flaming red hair and black warpaint across one of his eyes. Hiccup studied the man's face intently, seeing nothing but shock as the hunter took in the situation they were now in.

Soon enough, the shock turned into vicious rage. The man gritted his teeth, then slammed the metallic helmet on the ground with all his force.

" FUCK! " He screamed as the object hit. Hiccup could see the muscles of his arms flexing in anger. The hunter then turned to look at the girl on the wood floor once again, face contorting to one of disgust and rage.

"STUPID CUNT!" He yelled, kicking his steel-toed boot into her exposed rib cage.

Hiccup cried out as he watched the boot make contact, but Astrid didn't flinch. She was clearly still very, very unconscious.

"What are we supposed to do now?" The masked hunter suddenly asked, still grasping a portion of the broken stool in his hands.

The other man shook his head as he turned to eye the bound dragon. "We can't wheel him out of here with just the two of us."

"But Krogan said-"

"I know damn well what Krogan said!"

The red-haired hunter took a moment to catch his breath, then turned to look back at Hiccup.

"We take the boy, just like we planned. Leave the dragon and send more men for it when we get back."

The masked hunter threw the remaining piece of the stool aside, his eyes flickering across Astrid's unconscious form, then to the lifeless bodies of their fallen partners.

"What about the girl? And the others..." He asked hesitantly.

There was a drawn out pause.

"Leave them," He eventually said, glancing over his shoulder at the bodies, before his eyes fell to Astrid. "Oh Thor I'd like to drive a spear through her skull… but Krogan said to take any riders alive." He looked to the masked hunter intently. "We bring her too."

"By the graces of the gods... I hope you're right about this."

"I am, now get moving."

With that, the red-haired hunter picked up his helmet and placed it back on his head, sounding confident with his decision, but a shred of fear was unmistakably present.

Hiccup watched as the man then started making his way towards him, the boy was left with nothing to do but uselessly attempt to scoot away. While this happened, Hiccup saw the other hunter pick up Astrid's limp form, slinging her over his shoulder like she was nothing more than a sack of flour.

Hiccup gritted his teeth over the cloth in his mouth as the same was done to him, the red-haired hunter throwing him over his shoulder like he was practically weightless. His upper-body was left to dangle awkwardly over the man's back, all the blood rushing to his head, making the wound on his cheekbone sting even more. The hunter started for the door of the hut.

No matter how hard he thrashed, the bindings stood firm on his wrists and legs. Lifting his head slightly to see behind them, he saw the other man carrying Astrid just a few feet away. He saw the dead bodies of the two fallen hunters, their blood staining the wood floor beneath. He saw Toothless, still out cold from the tranquilizer, chained, muzzled, and bound all over. Hiccup suddenly wished dearly that his friend would open his eyes. Just so he could have some form of contact with the dragon before he and Astrid were whisked away like they were nothing.

But the dragon's eyes never opened. And when the door of the hut slid upwards, the wind of the storm blew out the single candle that illuminated his home. And he was left with nothing but stormy darkness as they were stolen in the dead of night.

The feeling of helplessness is not one that Hiccup has become accustomed to.

Sure, he had gotten himself into a vast array of predicaments throughout his life, going far back before Vikings and dragons even proclaimed peace. But there was always a way out. There was always a light in the darkness.

Most of the time it was his friends. His team. They never failed to be there when one of their own was in need. Be it for anything, they would come to aid at the first sign of trouble.

Sometimes it was his father. Looking past his serious demeanor and intimidating position as Chief of berk, he was always there for his people. For anyone in need. If he had taught Hiccup anything, it had certainly been that. A Chief protects his own.

But more than any other, it was Toothless. His best friend who had bailed him out of countless situations. The fact alone that a fire-breathing reptile could be capable of such protective nature towards a human was impressive enough on its own. But he was one that Hiccup could always trust. If his rider was in trouble, the dragon would give his life to keep him from harm, it was just in his nature.

But in this moment, on this fateful night, help would not come for them.

It was almost too perfect for the hunters. No riders around for miles. Any dragons either locked away in the stables or brutally incapacitated. The storm and night brought them limitless cover in their endeavors. And Hiccup was left to accept the situation he had found himself in.

The very, very hopeless situation.

His entire body was soaked within a matter of seconds being outside. The rain poured heavily and the winds were deafening in his ears. He saw almost nothing as he was carried down the wooden platforms of The Edge, as the hunters swiftly made their way towards the southwestern beach. It was so dark, Hiccup was convinced the men were making their way off the island solely by the occasional flashes of lightning that would illuminate their surroundings for a mere half-second.

The thought was far better than the alternative. Which would be that the hunters had been watching their home for Thor-knows how long. Memorizing the paths to the best of their ability, preparing for this night.

But that was the least of his concern at the moment.

The red-haired hunter was certainly not gentle with him, the grip on his body tight and the man's movements erratic as he fought to get to their destination. The descent and heavy rainfall made for slippery ground and uneven soil, and Hiccup's stomach would dig painfully into the man's metal spaulders with each step.

He was constantly fighting to catch a glimpse of Astrid and the other hunter. Eyes scanning the area behind them each time there was an illuminating lightning strike. He could swear they were still there, but being partially upside down made all the water that fell on his back cascade to his face. Coursing over his eyes and rendering his sight even more useless than it already had been.

After what seemed like forever, he noticed that they'd made it to a sandy terrain. Most likely the beach that the hunters were docked in. He heard the roar of water hitting the ocean surface getting closer and closer, and after the red-haired hunter took a few unsteady steps onto something elevated, Hiccup was thrown down onto a hard, wet surface.

Blinking the water from his eyes, he was met with the same darkness as before. The only sensation he felt was the cold rain pelting his soaked body, and a sudden weight being dropped directly beside him.

A flash of lightning suddenly greeted the group. And Hiccup was left with a fraction of a second to survey his surroundings.

They were on a wooden dinghy, a large one, more than enough room to fit a Night Fury. The two hunters were pulling what appeared to be a ramp onto the boat, tossing it to the floor where it wouldn't be in the way. Beside him, Astrid's limp body lay pressed against his side. Still very unconscious. Unbound, but unconscious.

Then the darkness fell once more, heavy, like the rainfall as it continued to pelt his soaking body. But through it he could hear the sound of scuffling footsteps on the floor of the dinghy, and moments later his weight was shifted as the boat was suddenly pushed into the fierce waves.

The thunderstorm raged on as they made their way out to sea, if the boat had been any smaller, it would've no doubt capsized within seconds of being in the water. The quartet were knocked about endlessly as the waves crashed against the side of the wooden boat, much of the water spilling over the side and pooling at the bottom. The hunters stayed mainly silent as they started off, but the occasional curse and yell of frustration could be heard as they desperately pattled further out to sea.

Eventually, Hiccup noticed a small flicker of light out of the corner of his eye. Just barely able to see over the side of the boat, he saw what appeared to be the illuminous outline of a vast ship.

As they got closer, the utter size of the vessel came into view under the vicious cracks of lightning that flashed across the sky. Any insignia or sign of familiarity was impossible to identify through the rain and darkness.

Soon enough, they had reached the edge of the ship. Voices yelling from the upper decks echoed over the side of the vessel and through the thunderous rainfall. The two hunters in the dinghy began shouting as well.

"HOLD THE HOOKS! WE'RE USING THE NETS!"

Hiccup winced as he was once again picked up and held tightly over the red-haired hunter's shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other hunter pick up Astrid's limp body as well. But before he could observe anything too closely, the hunter carrying him stepped to the edge of the swaying dinghy and carefully grabbed hold of a cargo net lining the ship's side.

Hiccup's stomach dropped as they began ascending to the top deck, and if anything, he was a little impressed that the hunter was able to climb with just one available arm. But watching the sea become further and further away as they ascended was beyond fear-inducing. The rain was still falling, cascading down his face and over his eyes once more. But the added angle of the climb was causing a significant amount of water to rush into his nose, which due to the cloth in his mouth, was his only source of breath. He started choking through the gag, praying that whatever horror this ship was likely to bring them, they would simply get there already and get it over with.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before they'd reached the top of the vessel. The voices of the crew above grew especially loud, but it was impossible to make out what they were saying. Just as they'd crested the wooden side, Hiccup inhaled sharply as he was suddenly pulled from the hunter's shoulder by a foreign pair of meaty hands.

He screwed his eyes shut as he was viciously thrown onto the wooden deck, upon opening them, the light of various lanterns and torches held by crew members illuminated his vision clearly for the first time since they'd left his hut.

Circling his body was an entire crew of men, all dressed similarly to the hunters who'd taken them. Most wore the metallic helmets, but some were void of them completely. Revealing a sea of hostile faces looking down at him like he was a piece of meat.

He was only able to look at them for a moment before the shouting started.

"Where the hell are Lars and Troutbreath?!"

"Fuck them! Where's the Night Fury?!"

"What good is the boy without the dragon?!"

"When Krogan sees this, we're all fucked!"

The red-haired hunter had finally managed to step over the siding and onto the wood deck, he was panting heavily as the group that surrounded Hiccup acknowledged him.

"Lars and Troutbreath are dead." He remarked in anger, causing a wave of gasps and murmuring among crew members. Just as this happened, the hunter carrying Astrid finally crested the side of the ship as well, before he could fully reach the top, the red-haired hunter grabbed her by the braid, and threw her body onto the deck as well. Hiccup strained against his binds as she landed just a few feet away from him. The man stared at her body in rage. "This little bitch killed them where they stood!"

A new wave of murmurs came from the crowd, but the tone was very different than before. Voices began shouting from every direction.

"You let some little girl slaughter two grown men?!"

"We should've sent more in for the job!"

"Krogan wanted it to be a stealth mission you idiot!"

"And look where that got us! I'd have fucked her up before she could try anything!"

"I'd fuck her up right now if you'd let me!"

"Gods, you see that blow on her head? She's probably dead!"

"So what? At least she won't fight back!"

"Pretty little thing, she is. If Krogan says she's useless, we'll all have a go at her!"

Rage burned through Hiccup's veins at their comments, but he was left with nothing to do but glare at the group of men surrounding them. He was certainly in no position to appear threatening.

"MAKE WAY!"

A hunter's voice from the back of the crowd suddenly shouted, silencing the crude comments at once. From where Hiccup lay, he noticed the sound of shuffling boots growing closer to the front of the crew. The crowd was then splitting down the center, just as the hunter who'd carried Astrid finally got his footing on the deck of the ship from over the side. He stood by the red-haired hunter, looking panicked as the crowd finished parting to reveal a tall, cloaked figure moving towards the center of the commotion.

Hiccup looked this figure up and down, the shape of the man looking terribly familiar, but the limited lighting making him impossible to place.

"Krogan!" The red-haired hunter finally spoke, clasping his hands behind his back. "We're back from the mission," He looked both grimly and angrily at the pair of dragon riders. "It… didn't go as planned."

The figure stood there, still as a statue, before closing the distance between Hiccup and himself. He knelt down suddenly, and Hiccup was left to look at the shadowy face of the hooded man, glaring at where his eyes would be.

But as the man reached upwards and unhooded himself, Hiccup's glare faltered. And he was left to stare directly into the deep brown eyes of the bounty hunter he'd encountered just a week prior.

Krogan's eyes were full of amusement at the boy's reaction, but his intense gaze never faltered.

"Remember me?" His deep voice sounded, chilling Hiccup to the bone.

Krogan's eyes suddenly went from Hiccup's face, to Astrid's lifeless form just a few feet away. The man stood, looking down at the pair intently.

The silence that fell was extremely heavy, and it was easy to decipher the panic in the red-haired hunter's voice.

"The girl killed our two others in the boy's hut." He explained quickly, nervously. "We were able to tranquilize the Night Fury, but… we couldn't wheel him out with just the two of us."

Krogan's expressionless eyes then flickered between the two hunters who stood by the side of the ship. When he didn't respond, the other hunter joined in.

"But… the dragon is chained up and ready! We left the cart there and everything, we just need to go back for him with more men. The storm will keep us covered!"

It was as if the gods themselves were listening in, because the moment the hunter concluded, the rain began to lighten, clouds in the distance subtly parting to reveal the dim twilight of morning on the way.

The tension between the men and their leader was palpable, but Krogan remained expressionless as he stepped over Hiccup and slowly approached the two men.

The same hunter stammered on, "We… we can complete the mission before any other riders notice…" Krogan continued his approach, reaching for something beneath his cloak. "I-If we leave now we can still-"

Hiccup watched in horror as Krogan suddenly unsheathed a sword, a split second passing before the object was driven upwards, sliding underneath the man's helmet and piercing through his skull, ending the man's life in one swift motion.

The red-haired hunter stumbled backwards, wide eyed as blood poured from his partner's helmet, painting the wooden deck beneath. An awful gushing noise sounded as Krogan removed the sword, leaving the hunter's body to thud lifelessly to the ground.

Krogan remained expressionless as he then looked from the dead hunter to the red-haired one. The hunter suddenly removed his helmet and quickly tossed it aside, falling to his knees on the wood floor.

"Please, Krogan…" He pleaded, his eyes nearly welling with tears. "Please give me another chance, I won't disappoint you again! I swear it!"

Krogan stepped towards him, stopping when he was directly in front of the man. The sword he held still dripping with the hunter's blood.

"Please!" The red-haired hunter begged on.

Krogan looked down at the man, evil behind his dark eyes.

"Alright." The leader said simply, hops arising in the hunter's watery eyes. "You want a chance? I'll give it to you." Krogan's gaze went from the man in front of him to the distant shoreline, much easier to view as the rain had almost completely faltered. "If you can make it to shore alive, you're free to go."

The red-haired hunter smiled graciously, "Oh, thank you Krogan! Thank you!"

"Hold out your arms."

The hunter's smile faltered, a mixture of fear and confusion lining his features. Slowly, he did as he was told, raising his shaky arms out in front of him.

Krogan eyed him indifferently, then stepped beside the man. In a quick motion, he took the bloodied sword and swung downwards, slicing through the man's biceps like yak butter. The red-haired hunter's screams echoed across the deck, and the crew watched helplessly as the man's severed arms fell to the ground, blood spurting from his fresh stumps.

In a matter of seconds, Krogan had hauled the man by the back of his armor, pushing him over the side of the ship. His horrific screams were replaced by the sound of a loud splash. Then, silence fell over the deck like the night itself.

Hiccup stared on in shock, witnessing the entire event from his vulnerable position on the wooden floor. His eyes went to Astrid, who was still unconscious. He became suddenly grateful that she was, he didn't want her to have to experience any of this.

Then again, she did just kill two men herself. She'd probably take it a lot better than he had.

Krogan nonchalantly wiped the blood from his sword onto his cloak, taking a few steps back toward the crew and pair of riders as he did so.

"Let this be a lesson," He started, finally sheathing his weapon. His eyes flickered across the crew of men. "To never fail my orders. Ever." He spoke firmly, boots heavy on the deck as he paced. "If you are to be ready for the things I have planned, success is vital. And I will not stand for failure. You complete the mission I give you, you take orders as I say. You will meet Odin himself before you fail me, is that clear?"

The crowd exclaimed their agreement as Krogan finished pacing, stopping directly before the two riders.

"Good." He concluded, looking down at the pair, meeting Hiccup's wide eyes. "Take them below deck, throw them in a cell. The chamber will be guarded at all hours until I give further instruction. We sail out immediately."

With that, Krogan began walking away, the crowd parting once more as he went back in the direction he emerged from. A small voice sounded from the crew as he passed.

"What about the Night Fury?"

Krogan stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the source of the voice. The outspoken hunter cowered as he was suddenly face to face with the deadly leader.

"Are you questioning my orders?"

"N-No, Krogan." He stammered, almost incoherently "Of course not, Krogan."

Krogan glared at the man for another few moments, before slowly turning and continuing on his path. Disappearing behind the crew at once.

Within seconds, Hiccup was lifted from the ground once more. He grunted, getting very tired of being thrown around like a ragdoll. As he was carried away, he fought to catch a glimpse at the now-visible insignia of the sail. It was one he didn't recognize, and he dismissed any idea that Viggo and Ryker were behind the abduction.

But if they weren't, where were they being taken?

The dim twilight of morning disappeared as he was carried below deck, nothing but torchlight to guide them as they descended into the belly of the ship. Eventually, they came to a musty corridor, cells lining the walls through the narrow passageway. As they approached one of the doors, Hiccup silently prayed that they would undo his bindings before tossing him in. But he wasn't so lucky.

The cell door screeched as it was opened, and Hiccup was thrown to the ground inside. Moments later, another man entered carrying Astrid, looking down at her with hesitation.

"Should we tie her up?"

The other man scoffed, "She's been out this whole time, don't think she poses much of a threat anymore."

With that, she was tossed in beside him, landing with a hard thud on the wood floor. The rusty door squeaked again as it was closed. Hiccup heard the men speaking as they walked off.

"I'll take first guard, set up a schedule with the others."

"What does he even want with them? The boy's no good without the dragon, the girl's useless altogether."

"Who knows… besides, a girl's never completely useless, is she?"

Deep laughter followed the comment, "I suppose you're right..."

Hiccup again tried to ignore their brute statements, knowing getting enraged wouldn't help him at a time like this. Instead he looked at Astrid, finally able to focus on her, and only her.

She was laying on her back, head tilted away from him, giving him a good view of the damage done to the back of her skull. A patch of her hair, roughly the size of a fist, was stained red with her blood. Though the bleeding looked like it had mainly ceased, little droplets still cascaded down the strands of her wet hair.

He looked at her chest, not entirely convinced that she was even still alive. Thankfully, the steady rise and fall of her ribcage proved otherwise.

He then looked around the cell, light from the torches lining the hall being his only source, making the corners almost pitch black. It was moderately sized, at least. No objects could be seen other than a wooden bucket along one of the walls. The air was humid and musty, but their soaked clothing probably didn't help.

Hiccup pulled at his bindings for the millionth time, knowing it wouldn't do him much good, but he needed to get free. If only he'd been carrying his knife, the hunters hadn't searched them, but he'd stored the weapon away the day prior. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his foggy and battered mind.

Wait-

The hunters hadn't searched them…

His eyes snapped to Astrid's form, looking her up and down. Astrid always carried a knife, he'd never seen her void of one when it was needed…

He clumsily shuffled over to her, looking up and down her body for potential places the weapon could be. He could see no indentations in or around her skirt, the way the wet clothing stuck firmly to her skin made it easy to rule out certain spots, he eventually decided on searching her boots.

Shuffling again, he turned so his back was to her, trying to feel down her fur boots for the sold handle. The first one he checked proved to be barren of any weapon, causing him to scoot over and get an attainable grip on the other one. He prayed silently as he started feeling down the wool and leather, spirits suddenly rising as he felt something long and solid beneath the material.

Removing the blade took longer than necessary, proving to be difficult as it was lodged between two firm pieces of leather, but soon enough he held the small dagger in his hand. And began clumsily cutting away at the ropes binding his wrists.

The second his hands were free, he felt a surge of blood he didn't realize had been missing fill the extremities, tingling across his palms and fingers. He quickly moved to cut away at the ropes binding his legs, trying to do so as quietly as possible, not wanting to alert the guard he knew was just down the corridor.

As soon as the ropes binding him had all been cut, he swiftly went to cut away at the gag over his mouth, letting the strap fall to the floor, and finally riding his mouth of the insufferable cloth, throwing the fabric on the ground and wetting his tongue, swallowing back a cough.

Hiccup panted for a moment, free of all bindings and able to think straight for the first time since their capture. And while he should've probably tried thinking about solutions to their predicament, all he could think about was Astrid.

He quickly returned the knife to its place in her boot, then carefully stood, trying to avoid the dizziness he felt doing so. He grabbed the cloth that had been in his mouth, then gently took hold of the girl's upper-arms. He dragged her backwards a few steps, until they'd reached the back wall of the cell.

Hiccup gingerly sat, back against the wooden wall. He pulled Astrid's body close, being especially careful with her head. He cautiously pressed the cloth against her seeping wound, then rested her head on one of his thighs.

Content with the position, he slowly brushed her wet bangs from her face, revealing her features that were somehow much paler than normal. She still looked beautiful, though. She always did. It almost made him smile...

Until the guilt settled in.

He fought to keep the crew's deviant comments from surfacing in his brain, refusing to think about what could happen to a pretty girl like her on a ship full of men like that.

He bent over to get close to her face, trailing a thumb across her cold cheek. "I'm gonna get you out of this, I promise…"

He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, unable to keep from recognizing the fluttery feeling in his chest as he did so.

Leaning back against the wall, he took a deep breath. He let his eyes close as he settled into the impossible task of figuring out how exactly he was going to keep that promise.