Chapter 2

~.~

When Eret and I get back onto the deck, a ship much larger than ours has approached. Eret steps in front of me as a large man with dark skin, dreadlocks, and a beak-like nose steps onto the ship.

"Drago! I have collected six dragons, some of them extremely rare." Eret says, trying to please his boss and make sure Drago doesn't see me.

"There's something different here."

"Something different? Why would you say that? There's nothing different."

Drago shoves Eret aside and it's then I get a good look at Drago. His dark brown eyes almost make them look black as he stares at me.

"Who is this pretty thing? Your sister, perhaps?" Drago asks Eret as Drago picks up pieces of my hair.

"No. She was just some damsel in distress that bumped into our ship." I glare at Eret.

"She is quite the beautiful specimen. I shall need some time to think of a proper use for her." Drago's men get the dragons onto his ship and Drago glances at me. It's a look I've never seen before, but I fear it's a look that means my suffering. Or worse: my demise.

"Bring her on board. If she fights you, beat her, but do not make her go unconscious. I'd prefer for her to be conscious when I execute my use for her." I don't even have time to glance back at Eret as Drago's men drag me onto Drago's ship.

What Drago does to me is indescribable.

We're in the captain's quarters – his quarters – and Drago forcefully pushes me on the bed, starting to kiss me.

I never imagined my first time to be so forced.

Drago soon forces me to make love to him, but, thankfully, he uses protection, made from animal innards.

"Drago...please, don't do this."

"There's something you should know – I am a madman without conscience or mercy. Anyone who crosses me gets punished. You, however, are special. You get to spend quality time with me until the day you die." Soon, he finishes his business and is satisfied.

"You belong to me now. You will leave this ship in three weeks, and if you tell anyone, it will be the last thing you ever say." I can't say anything, as the shock has taken over.

"Thank me for sparing your life, girl!"

"Thank you for sparing my life, Drago."

Drago leaves me in the room, and I'm left laying there in shock. I soon redress myself, not bothering to clean myself up, as I know it wouldn't do me any good.

The next three weeks go on without Drago...doing what he does to me again. And for that, I'm glad. He keeps me around as his slave, fetching him his alcohol and food and things, although he calls me his personal wench around his soldiers. I sleep on the deck, as far from the captain's quarters as possible, even though Drago doesn't sexually bother me, but I'm not sure why that is, but I don't question it. Nightmares start to plague me every following day that I'm on Drago's ship, but, of course, I don't tell anyone.

When the three weeks are up, I am returned to Eret.

"My policy is that you are not to move while he comes to get you after you have spent quality time with me." Drago tells me as we stand at the side of his ship as Eret's ship approaches.

"Yes, Drago."

"You belong to me now. That will never change."

"Yes, Drago."

Eret comes up to the deck to take me back to his ship, and I couldn't be happier to see him, but I don't say anything.

"Go." With that word, Eret leads me off of Drago's ship, onto his own tiny vessel. I steal a glance back at Drago, and I can see him eyeing me greedily, even from far away.

~.~

That night I am returned to Eret, he and I get to know each other as his crew sleeps. I feel like he's trying to distract me, but I'm grateful for it.

"So, you were adopted by a family on your old island?"

"Yeah. My siblings are a rambunctious set of twins, but they're there for me when I need them to be."

"My sister would probably like you. You're around the same age as she is."

"What is she like?"

"Amalie, my younger sister. She is sweet-natured. She used to follow me around like a lost puppy when I was younger."

"You must miss her."

"I really do. I miss her, and my dad, and my mum."

"Is there anyone back home besides your parents and sister?"

"I mean, my other family is there. Other than that, no one I can think of besides other villagers that aren't related to me. What about you? Anyone else besides your siblings and parents you were close to?"

"Not really. I mean, I was kind of with the son of the chief off and on for a few years. Then over a month ago, I got banished from home, and I don't even know why. I don't think I did anything wrong."

"Were you and your siblings close?"

"Yeah, we were close. I was kind of an outcast of the village. I'm not the standard Viking...I'm more sensitive than your average Viking."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. But being out on the sea on my own, almost dying, has kind of changed me. Did I ever thank you for saving me?"

"I don't believe you did."

"Well, thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome. I wasn't going to let you drown."

"I kinda almost did a couple of times after the Scauldrons took over."

"Tricky dragons, Scauldrons."

"They sure are."

"Did Drago..."

Oh, here it comes. I can't tell Eret, though. One, I barely know him, and, two, Drago made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone.

Eret snaps his fingers in front of me.

"Huh? What?"

"Did Drago feed you at all? Because you know a person can only survive for three weeks without food, three days without water, three hours without shelter, and three minutes without oxygen."

"I lived off of table scraps for three weeks. It was food, nonetheless."

"You must be starving."

"I'll...I'll be okay."

"Are you all right? Is anything bothering you?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

Eret and I spend the rest of the night talking, getting to know each other.

He starts growing on me, and I believe I start growing on him.

~.~

Many months pass, and Eret's and my relationship becomes stronger. One peaceful night after a good dinner, Eret leads me to the center of the boat.

"Eret, what are you doing?"

"I am teaching you how to waltz."

"Why?"

"Everyone should know how to waltz, for special occasions."

"Are there any special occasions coming up I should know about?"

"Well, it is your 19th birthday today. So, happy birthday."

"You remembered. And thank you, but 19 doesn't really mean anything."

"You're welcome. And it's going to be a year since we've met in August."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, maybe you and I could try to be together."

"But we've only known each other for about eight months."

"True. But we've gotten to know each other quite a lot. And a waltz is a great way to bond."

"Fine. If you say so." I concede, smiling at Eret. He nods at his men, who play different instruments while a man by the name of Teeny – weird name, I know – sings a song.

It's one-two-three and suddenly

We see it at a glance -

She's radiant

He's confident, both born to take this chance.

We don't what

She has gone through

We all forgot...

Romance!

Eret, how could you do this?

How will we get through this?

We never should have let them dance!

The song ends and Eret and I look at each other in a way I've never looked at anyone before.

Could this be true love? I always expected true love to be love at first sight...but this...this is much different than I'd imagined it to be.

I shake my head to myself. Take things slow, girl. You don't know if it's true love yet.

"You okay?" I'm broken out of my thoughts by Eret.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." Eret nods at me.

"We don't have to rush into anything. Really, we don't. We can take things slow."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I go to sleep peacefully that night, not knowing that in the next 10 days, something would make our relationship more strong than ever.

~.~

A week and three days after my birthday, Eret and I stand on deck in silence as Eret's crew goes to their respectable places for the night, while Eret and I are looking out at the world, just talking.

"Do you ever think about what you'd be doing if Drago hadn't come to your village?" I ask.

"Of course I do. I'd probably...I'd probably be taking care of my family."

"I didn't hear you mention anyone special, like a girlfriend." I look at Eret and I immediately regret what I said.

"Forget I said anything. It's none of my business."

"You told me everything about you. It's only fair." Before Eret can continue, however, a scroll is dropped on the deck, and we see an armored dragon fly off.

"That's one of Drago's dragons." Eret says. He grabs the scroll.

"What does it say?" I ask. Eret suddenly goes pale.

"He knows. Drago knows about us."

Holy Mother of Thor...

(I didn't want to use GuardianDragon98's character Zenna's catchphrase "Holy Shields" because that's Zenna's thing, not Becky's)

~.~

I start pacing as soon as we had gotten the scroll.

"Eret, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. But we will get through this."

"Eret, if he hurts you..."

"I don't care if he hurts me. I just care if he hurts you."

"Well, I care if he hurts you. But thank you."

"You're welcome. And thank you."

"You're welcome."

Eret holds me close, not knowing how long Drago will separate us for this time.

Drago's large ship soon approaches and two of Drago's men come on board with Drago.

"You two are to be separated for six months." Drago says, before turning to his men.

"Take her on board." Drago says. I try to fight them, but I'm not strong enough. I look back at Eret as we set sail.

I don't know if I'll ever see Eret again.