REVIEWS:
Tim2060: Sorry, I refuse. Got to be an evil poster sometimes!
Whiskerface:Thanks.
Silverleone:Nope, it's not Toothless. On a side note, I've been going to the local swimming pool every other day to cool off...
atomicsub927: Me too!
Johann shivered, wrapping his arms around himself as his boat slid between two tall rocks. Mist rose from the sea like cold fingers, always grasping and reaching for something they couldn't have, and he flinched away from them. The only drop of colour was his red and blue clothes; everything else was in varying shades of grey. Through a dull curtain, the island of Berk started to fade in as a lump that was slightly darker than the surroundings.
Staring longingly at the large dock, Johann turned to the right and slipped silently down the west side of the island, winding between more rocks. He slid to a stop moments before crashing into a leaning tree, and rubbed his hands together, blowing on them.
"Th—this reminds me of the t—time when—" his mind went blank, the story fading away into the mist untold. They were already there, standing casually on the very tip of the tree as it swayed under her weight.
"Johann." The voice was cold and emotionless and it was impossible to identify the gender. Swathed in a black cloak with a baggy hood, the short figure looked shapeless and unidentifiable even if he'd dared try to expose them.
Screwing up his courage, Johann made an elaborate bow. "Lord."
"You've done well. Everything went well?"
Deciding not to tell them about the burn that made sitting down distinctly uncomfortable, Johann smiled weakly. "Not a hitch, Lord. The Nightmare flew away the moment I opened the cage."
"I'll be rather busy for the next few weeks. I'll let you know when I need you."
Dismissed, Johann sighed in relief and turned to go. Ever since the figure's grandfather—now that was a scary Viking—caught him smuggling goods to the Outcasts, he'd been completely under their control. Just the thought of Stoick the Vast catching wind of where Berk's hard won supplies went was enough to make him shiver—but this mysterious figure was somehow scarier than both the grandfather and the Chief of Berk put together. Taking a deep breath, he asked the question that had been niggling at his brain since he first met them.
"May I ask what the purpose of this endeavour is?"
They snapped around, the blank hood staring straight at him, and he swallowed. "Just a thought."
"As soon as Stoick kicks the bucket, Hiccup becomes Chief."
Johann smiled, fondly remembering the wide-eyed kid peering into everything on his ship. Curious and intelligent—but woefully shy and hesitant. "Not really Chief material, is he?"
"He's very clever, but incredibly naive. He'd trust anyone who showed him the least bit of kindness."
He swallowed. "I take it he's going to trust you?"
There was still no emotion in their voice. "He will. Depending on how useful he is, I might even let him live."
"Yes, Lord." Sickened by the new information, Johann shoved his boat away from Berk.
"Does this bother you?" the figure asked when he was almost out of earshot.
Johann didn't answer.
When he finally escaped from the clutching billows of mist, he passed a hand across his forehead, feeling weak and overwhelmed. Curse the stranger, curse the Outcasts, and curse his lack of backbone!
AN:
Shout out to aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, who has been an incredible beta since chapter 13 and caught so many things I missed!
~JustAnotherRandomPoster