"We will meet, peacefully. And if they try anything-" she pointed at Snotlout in his cage.
"We will Kill the Prisoner!"
The hall roared in bloodthirsty approval. Snotlout shrank into his cage, fear showing clear as day on his face. He would curse himself for showing weekness as his guards teased him for it later. They mimicked and embellished his expression the whole time they pushed his cage back to the barn.
Fishlegs tripped in the dark of the barn, Ruffnut scolded him and put his arm around her shoulder, as if to support him home. fishlegs was not actually that drunk, but he let himself stagger and lean on her as they left. Astrid and Snotlout exchanged a knowing look.
"So prisoner, Barnpost or Cage?" she chirped at him, waving the rope for all to see.
Snotlout snorted and whiled melodramatically, "It soaked with wine and smells like piss in here."
"Barnpost it is!"
Tuffnut snatched the rope from Astrid's hand. She blinked at him, startled. "I'll do it. you go off to bed."
Astrid cocked her head at him and studied Tuffnut. he shuffled uncomfortably and she nodded."Yeah, okay. I need to be up early, anyway."
Snotlout looked after Astrid, curiously, and caught her backward glance. She had smirked. Wha?Being so disracted, he missed his chance to escape when Tuffnut opened the cage door. Before he knew it, his hands were being tied behing his back, an arm around his neck.
He was manhandled out of the cage and set down against the barnpost. As he was being fastened, Snotlout smacked his head into the barnpost again. "OW"
"Idiot," scolded Tuffnut. Tuffnut pulled Snotlout's head down by the hair to inspect the bump, now forming.
As snotlout started swearing indignantly, Tuffnut detatched some thin steal plates from his belt. Snotlout's eyes widened and he tried to edge away. Tuffnut yanked him back and held the plates to the back of his head.
"Aah..." said the pirate as the cool metal began to calm the bump like an ice pack, "so that's what those are for..."
Tuffnut snorted, "Yeah, thats what these are for."
Snotlout relaxed appreciatively and a heavy tiredness over took him. He actually began to drift off when Tuffnut spoke once more, "Why were you so quiet while we were teasing you? It's not like you."
Snotlout muttered, "Not like me? You don't know me!"
"Sure, I do."
Snotlout blinked at Tuffnut groggily, "Hmmn...Well, They don't know what thier talking about. Course, i was friggin scared. Have any of them been subject to thier own people's hate? I Don't Think So."
"Well... It's happened more often than you'd think."Tuffnut whispered, a hand resting briefly on Snotlout's knee. Snotlout blinked himself awake to ask a question but Tuff was already gone.
$%%4-Berk at Dawn-%$^
Fog was rising out of the sea and hugging the shores. It set everyone on edge. This was the most undeniable and frustrating part of the superstitions. Whenever the pirates arrived, it was either night or fog. And the fog would follow their ship. It was said that there was an island that the pirates had declared war on that became so smothered in fog; no one could find it again.
No matter how logically Astrid and her mother had tried to explain away all the folklore, they couldn't deny the weather. The pirates really did seem to bring the fog with them.
The people formed a huge semi circle around the docks expectantly, silent as graves. Everyone had a weapon and everyone kept it in hand. Swords, hammers, and grapplers all held stiff by their owners' sides.
Astrid watched from the nearest hilltop, pacing like a caged lion. From here she would oversee all that transpired below and shoot any pirate who tried to attack her people. She began to throw her hatchet into the nearest tree again and again, imagining branches to be Pirates' heads. She turned sharply.
There had been eyes on her. Someone was watching. Turning in a slow circle, she saw nothing but fog, woods, and steep hillside. Pre-battle paranoia? It didn't help that the fog was so thick. It was like a blanket, really… suffocating. Someone could easily hide in this fog…
She looked back down toward the docks. Her people blended together into a ring of black. And there they were! Coming out of the mists, the ship with funeral black sails anchored just a hundred yards away from the docks. A long boat was being lowered into the water. She put her hatchet on her belt and from her back she pulled a bow and arrow.
The longboat reached the dock. Astrid notched her bow. The fog choked out the sun.
Two enormous men had come off the ship in the strange scaly armor. They carried no weapons but it seemed that they were simply so big that they didn't need any. The captain was distinguishable by his enormous stature, commanding posture, and fiery red beard. The second man was not as commanding but still intimidating. Where one man wore majesty like a cloak, the other carried fear like a load on his shoulders. He seemed hunched backed and a face without expression with a small chest being dragged behind him. He had neither a right arm nor a left leg, but gleaming pieces of had never seen such beautiful iron workmanship or such a treasure chest so marked with burns and dried blood. Everyone shrank back. Everyone but Astrid's mother.
Bertha, the endowed stepped forward to meet them. The discussion began.
:
Hiccup skidded down Cliffside. The stones were deadly slippery thanks to the fog. He reached the narrow beach and scurried up the side of the second ship on the blind side of the island. Breathless ly he reported, "Almost the entire island is surrounding Dad and Gobber. Some Women and the younger children are being kept inside their houses. Ms. Mortician has received a return signal from Snotlout. It won't be long; she'll find him any minute now."
Valhallarama nodded thoughtfully. "Things are going well. Perhaps we will be able to leave without incident."
"Um, mom?"
Ruffling his short cropped hair, "Yes, Hicca?"
"Don't call me Hicca, I get enough of that from the others." Said hiccup, rolling his eyes. He swallowed nervously before continuing, "Mom, there's an archer. On top of that hill."
"So? Take him out."
"Uh, it's a girl."
"Oh." Valhallarama examined her son thoughtfully. He had never shown this much hesitation before. "Is this the same girl burried an Arrow in the mast?"
" yes, that's her."
"Are you worried you won't be able to sneak up behind her?"
"No… the fog is thick. I could get close enough…"
Valhallarama grew impatient and changed the subject, "Hiccup, have you thought about that proposal you were offered by your uncle Alvin, the treacherous?"
Hiccup did a double take. "What about it? You're not suggesting I Accept that offer! Marry me off to Excellinor the 2nd? I think not!"
"We are in dire need of recourses, hiccup." He fell silent, eyes enormous with worry. "I would never force you to marry Excellinor; she's a cold hearted bone-napper."
Hiccup and Valhallarama shared a chuckle which Valhallarama stopped short to look him in the eye. "Hiccup, if it came down to it… Would you marry for your people?"
Hiccup looked down the beach thoughtfully, his eyes flickered to the hilltop and then back to his mother. She smiled. He grew alarmed. It was a pretty evil smile.
"Hiccup, go and wake Him." She said pointing to the enormous slow breathing mound near the front of the ship, "He'll want this chance to stretch."
;
Snotlout was in rope again, no longer tied to a barn post in case an agreement was reached. His arms were still bound together behind him and one end of his rope was being held like a leash by Fishlegs. The young pirate was ridiculously exited, pacing and sometimes skipping. When the fog bagan to set he nearly ran out to see his boat when it docked but Fishlegs was an immovable rock and Snotlout fell on his face. Snotlout pleaded with Fishlegs. "I just wanna see! Really!"
Fishlegs just sat on his end if the rope, quite content to never move again in his life. "Interesting this fog, huh? About 31% thicker than our usual weather," he commented mildly. This made Snotlout spit and swear which just made Fishlegs laugh.
Snotlout, show-off that he is, stopped swearing to savor the laughter. Under the laughter, he heard it. A frail voice singing a ditty from his childhood, a funny little song that the entire crew had grown fond of. Learned from voyages and raids in America, "There was a rich lady lived over the seaa, and she was an island queeeen. Her daughter lived off in the new countryyy, with an ocean of water betweeen."
"With an ocean of water between!" bellowed Snotlout.
"What the hell are you saying?" said Fishlegs. His eyes narrowed, suspicious. His battle axe was instantaneously out of his belt and now drifted from hand to hand. Snotlout gulped.
Well, when all else fails… make 'em laugh. Snotlout leapt to his feet and pretended to stagger like a drunkard. Switching songs to a Mess Hall Classic he sang, cheerfully, "Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother, and my sisters, and my brothers!"
Fishlegs surveyed the barn entrances, still suspicious, but he joined in under his breath. "Lo, there do I see the line of my people, Back to the beginning!"
"Lo, they do call to meee…"
Fishlegs was on his feet, his end of the rope tucked in his belt and battle axe raised high. "Who sang that?"
Snot lout faked obliviousness, "You mean that wasn't you?"
They looked at each other. Then they both looked alarmed. Then they both felt alarmed, in Ernest. Like a horror story you don't believe until you and your friends start freaking each other out.
"Fish, do you have ghosts on this island?"
"Highly unlikely, I've lived here 100% of my life and in 17 years, I should have already met one."
"Wait, you're 17? You're my age!" a gob smacked look on his face.
"Yeah. Next week, though." Said Fishlegs, entertained by his expression.
"Happy Birthday, Dude!"
"Thank you. You're 17?"
"4 months strong!" He said, puffing up his chest. He would have taken off his helmet and bowed were in not for how thoroughly he was bound.
"Funny, your maturity levels are lacking by at least 30%. I thought you must be a large 1-year-old."
"Wah- WHAT? You can't measure maturity by percentages!"
"Sure I can. You can measure anything by percentages."
"No, Some things are intangible. Your not supposed to measure them." Where is that second signal? Why is she taking so long?, he thought.
"We measure bravery. That's intangible. But we still argue about which of us will get into Valhalla. And I'm pretty sure your going to get in on bronze instead of brains."
Glaring, "Ok, that's just rude! I'm you're elder. You supposed to Respect me."
Fishlegs laughed and under his laughter Snotlout once again he heard the frail voice sing low, "Lo, they do call to meee." It was right outside.
Fishlegs stopped laughing and his eyes clapped on the barn door.
Snot lout threw caution to the wind and yelled, "They bid me take my place among them, In the halls of Valhalla!"
Fishlegs pounced on Snotlout. The barn doors burst open. In skin clinging clothes was a tall woman with brown curls tumbling down her back. Fishlegs pressed the blade of his battle axe into Snotlout's throat. "Where the brave may live foreevveeer." Finished the woman.
; ;
From her hilltop, Astrid could hear none of the deals the pirates were offering but she could feel her people getting more restless. Whatever had been offered wasn't enough. This was gonna get ugly. Something hard and sharp bounced off the back of her head. Turning, she shot an arrow into the mists. She listened to it zip through the air, coming into contact with nothing. She glared, looking for any sign of movement. A pebble suddenly shot out at her and clipped her shoulder. She shot another arrow, and heard it crash into a bush. This damn fog was too thick. Two pebbles smacked into her in rapid succession, one drawing blood from her forehead. This was no good. She couldn't see her attacker and she was too in the open. Switching her bow for her hatchet she ran into the fog, following the footpath that she knew well. She stopped behind a tree. Listen.
Nothing. Rustling. Hurried footsteps. She ran after her attacker. She could hear him panting and tripping. She had home court advantage! Adrenaline pumped into her and she doubled her speed. She heard him utter a cry of alarm directly in front of her. He's reached a dead end!
Suddenly there was nothing beneath her feet. Her mind reassessed as she began to fall. Not a dead end. A cliff. Dead End. DEAD.
It happened so fast, she forgot to scream. Something wrapped around her middle. Two things came from behind her and forced her legs apart. A dark shape rushed up to meet her. Suddenly she was sitting on something while she was falling. She felt it pull up. She saw ice cold water part before them from the rush of hair. She was going across the water, impossibly fast.
Her fingers processed that her hands had instinctively clutched onto two short horns in front of her. Her hands felt around. Hot scales and leather straps. She tried to look upward. Banks of Fog flashed by, she was driving through layers of grey and white mists at impossible speed with chilling black water a few feet below. She whimpered, screwing her eyes shut. Two arms tightened around her middle. "Lean into me," he said. She leaned back into someone's chest. The two arms relaxed away from her waist and took hold of the hand grips woven out of the leather. Astrid tried to get the nerve to open her eyes, to look over her shoulder, and to see who she was with. Then she felt the monster beneath her make a sharp turn. She screamed, her eyes popped open. The first thing she saw was the fog falling behind them and as they barreled upward into open blue sky.