Note: The first few chapters of the Redone version will be super close to the original version, but it will change later.
The Viking Life
Hans followed both Hiccup and Astrid to the place the savages called the Great Hall. The Great Hall was the largest of all the buildings on Berk, but still much smaller than what he was used to. The Great Hall had two massive Viking statues on either side of the door, and the door was just as large as the statues. Hans saw his men as well as the savages filing into the building.
I wonder if we will all fit.
Hans entered the Great Hall and saw long wooden tables with long wooden benches on either side of them. In between the wooden tables were fire pits, which kept the building warm. Further in the back, he saw three chairs that looked like thrones. On the walls were shields that depicted men with what appeared to be their sons. When Hans studied the shields he noticed that the boy pictured in one image was full grown on the next one with a son of his own. Hans spotted Hiccup standing with his father.
"I would like to welcome our guests from Arendelle and Weaseltown…" Stoick began.
"It's Weselton!" A voice interrupted.
Hans noticed that Stoick completely ignored him.
"They come to us with an offer of peace. Let us welcome our guests with open arms, and treat them with great respect and hospitality." Stoick continued.
Hans tuned the rest of the speech out, and waited for it to be done. Once the speech was done, everyone was seated, and food was brought out to everyone. Hans looked at the plate in front of him, and saw a poor excuse for a meal. The meal consisted of a chicken leg, a piece of bread, and some berries. The drink he was given was mead, and it was served in a tin goblet.
This looks do disgusting, but in order to stay on the good side of the Chief I will have to eat it.
Hans looked for some utensils, but did not find any. Everyone was eating with their hands! He reluctantly took off his gloves, and began to take small bites of the food before him. The savages, except for Hiccup, tore into their food with gusto. Speaking of Hiccup, Hans noticed that he picked at his chicken without taking a bite. His father noticed.
"Hiccup, eat your food." Stoick told him.
Hans watched as hiccup began to pull off tiny bites from the chicken before him. To Hans it looked like Hiccup was not too enthusiastic about his meal. The only reason Hiccup seemed to eat his meat was due to his father staring at him. Hiccup seemed more enthusiastic to eat his bread slice and berries.
"What brings you to our shores?" Stoick asked. "Most countries like to keep their distance from us."
Hans cleared his throat.
"Arendelle wants to extend their friendship to the Viking tribes, and hopefully trade with one another in the future."
Stoick took a swig of his drink, and leaned back in his chair. He leaned over, and began to talk to Gobber, but it was too loud to hear what was being said. Hans wrung his hands nervously, but sighed in relief, when Stoick turned back to speak with him.
"We would like to extend your invitation to your men, so we can iron out the details of this proposal. That way, you can rest, and gather supplies for your voyage home. It will also allow us to show you out way of life, so Arendelle can see that we would be good trade partners and allies."
"Thank you, you are much to kind to us, and Arendelle by extension." Hans replied.
The smile plastered on his face grew genuine, because it gave him more opportunities to execute his plan, which would involve kidnapping Hiccup.
"We will discuss the terms of the treaty in the morning; you must all be exhausted from your voyage. You will stay at my house, and your Weaseltown man can stay with Gobber, and the rest of your men will stay at the Great Hall. You are all allowed to explore the island, but I insist you take one of our men or women with you if you do so. There are boars in this area that won't hesitate to kill those that enter their territory. They are one of the things you'll have to worry about."
Hans gulped slightly at the boar comment, but smiled just the same.
"Thank you for your unending hospitality."
After the meal, Stoick and Hiccup led Hans back to their house. Hans caught a glimpse of the Duke getting dragged to the forge by Gobber. The old man looked extremely ruffled at his predicament. Hiccup guided Hans through the door and into his bedroom. Hans saw Hiccup's room, and cringed at the sight of it. The room had a simple wooden bed with nothing on it, except for a shabby blanket and lumpy pillow, for any type of comfort. He noticed a large slab of wood lying on the floor, which was near a large window.
That window will be perfect in my plan!
Hans hid his disgust at the bare bedroom, and turned towards the Viking Prince.
"Thank you for offering your bedroom to me during my stay." Hans told him.
"Yeah, it was either here, or the floor, I don't think my dad would give up his chair." Hiccup replied. "My dad and I will be downstairs; if you need anything from us don't hesitate to ask."
Hans watched as Hiccup left the room, and then turned towards the bed. It was something that an extremely poor person would have. The fact that the high ranking Vikings did not show off their status astounded Hans. Stoick the Vast was a Chief, yet his house was the same size as the others in his village. Hans felt tired, so he decided to climb into the bed, he would only have to suffer one or two more nights, until he got his hands on Hiccup, and could get off the forsaken island. After checking to make sure there weren't any bugs, he closed his eyes to sleep. He was not used to sleeping in his clothes. After trying to get comfortable, he sat up, and finally took off his shoes and any badges that were pinned to his shirt.
I will get through this, I have to, because once this is all over I will be the King!
Hans began to drift off to sleep, but a booming noise startled him awake, it took him a moment to realize that is was just Stoick the Vast snoring. He got up, and wrapped the blanket around himself. He peeked out of the room, and saw the Chief sleeping on a chair; a cloak was pulled around him, while his mouth was wide open. On the floor, not too far away, lay Hiccup.
He's sleeping on a shark skin!
Sure enough the Viking boy was sleeping on a shark skin rug. His head was resting on one arm, and a simple sheep rug lay below him to protect him from being shredded by the shark skin. The boy slept through his father's snores, and he did not appear to be snoring. Knowing that he would not get any sleep any time soon, Hans decided to look out Hiccup's bedroom window.
I can't wait to get off of this island, and back home.
Hans noticed that there were not many Vikings out at night. Some were guards, but they were few in numbers, and seemed to be only located far away from the village. Some Vikings were staggering home for the night after drinking. Their hollers did not seem to disturb the sleeping village. Hans turned away, and looked towards the sea. The ship appeared tiny from the village, but it stuck out like a sore thumb among the simple shabby ships that surrounded it. Hans got colder, so he tightened his grip on the blanket. He tuned out the noises around him, and ran through his plans.
The Duke of Weaseltown was not privy to all of his plans, only part of them. Hans was using him and his man to execute the first part of the plan. After kidnapping the Viking Prince they were going to reach a port that not too far from Arendalle.
Stupid little man, after this is all over I will have Weselton too.
Hans' thoughts drifted back to the ship. He had a special trunk commissioned for all of this; the best part was he did it under his brothers' noses. When he became King, he would prove that he had what it took to be in charge. He frowned slightly; he remembered what the Duke wanted to do to the boy. He would go along with it of course, because it went hand and hand with his own plan.
We encountered the other Viking tribes, but this is the only one we were able to get close to, and those stupid savages didn't know what a big help they were to me.
His thoughts drifted back to the plan of kidnapping Hiccup. Hans told the Duke that any hostages they took would be held in Weselton, and the Vikings would be turned against Arendelle. When Arendelle fell, the Duke would get his rewards. Hans lied about that, though, but the Duke had insisted on taking precautions if the hostage fell into Arendelle's hands. They would slit the hostage's throat, but not enough to kill them, just to render them speechless. He also wanted to slash the hostage's arms, so they could not write for help. Hans agreed, but he secretly had men waiting at a port for him, which he paid to deliver the hostage directly to the queen.
A gift from Weaseltown to the lovely Queen Elsa of Arendelle.
It was a dangerous plan, but it would work in his favor. The Queen would be too focused on Weaseltown trying to figure out what the Duke's angle was, which would leave her own kingdom unprotected. The Vikings would go for Arendelle to get their heir back, which left all three territories weak. Hans grinned at the thought of the carnage that would be sure to follow. Hans would swoop in, and take everything.
I will be King of Arendelle and Weaseltown, and have a Viking tribe at my beck and call!
Hans fell asleep with a smile on his face. Poor Hiccup was just a pawn in his grand scheme of things. He could not wait to kill the Queen, and prove to the world that he was not to be underestimated.
Elsa, the beautiful ice Queen of Arendelle went about her business as usual. After finishing her tasks, she decided to take a break, which was late at night, so she decided to curl up with one of her father's books. It was the history of Vikings. Long ago, Arendelle used to belong to the Vikings, but the new regime started when they left the land. The book did not explain why they left, and very few Viking tribes still existed in the territories surrounding Arendelle. They were pretty far though, and not exactly friendly, so she never had the urge to meet them.
"There you are!"
Elsa looked up at her visitor, who had burst through the door; it was her younger sister Anna. Elsa closed the book and put it aside. Her sister walked over and sat on her bed.
"I was looking all over for you." Anna told her.
"What do you want Anna?" Elsa asked.
Anna pouted, but seemed to realize her sister tired, so she perked up again.
"I want to do a sleepover!" Anna told her.
"A sleepover?" Elsa questioned.
"Yeah, we haven't done that since we were little girls, and with everything going on, I thought it was time to have one."
"Kristoff is gone isn't he?" Elsa asked.
"Yeah, he had to go up in the northern mountains after my birthday party, but he should be back soon." Anna replied. "I don't want to be alone."
Elsa had to hide a smile, Kristoff had not gone to the mountains, but he went to get something else. The young man, who was the same age as her, had sought her out before Anna's birthday to ask her permission to propose to Anna.
"Come on then." Elsa told her.
She pulled the sheets down, and scooted to the other side of the bed. Anna climbed in, and the two sisters caught up with each other's life. Elsa was so happy she no longer had to hide her powers, and that she could be Anna's sister again. No more doors would separate them; the only thing that would separate them now would be death. Anna fell asleep, and Elsa smiled at her sister, before falling asleep as well.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Note: I wanted to add Anna and Elsa earlier in the story, because I felt that I did not appreciate them as much, and wanted to build more of their side, before the events take place. Some of the references are from Frozen Fever. Also, I have the Frozen art book, and on one of the pages, it mentions the territory that they referenced for the movie used to belong to the Vikings. So, I added that