~Farmhouse~
Knock…
Knock…
Someone knocked on the door again. Ruffnut's face covered in blood and Raven sending hate glares her way. Neither one of them moved from their positions. "Ummm? Ruffnut? Fishleg?" Hiccup called out in question. Ruffnut sighed and removed her foot from Raven's chest and walked to the door. Hiccup raised his hand again to knock on the door but Ruffnut swinged the door open with a forced smile on her face. "Hiccup~! What a surprise! What brings you here to my piece of hell?" Hiccup was stunned, seeing Ruffnut smiling and bloody. He looked over her shoulder and found Raven beaten and bloody. "Do I need to come back another time?" he asked.
"Oh no, no,no. Come right in. We just had...a little argument." Ruffnut pushed herself off the door and strolled back inside with Hiccup in tow. Raven shakily got up and searched around for a chair so she could sit down. Hiccup shook his head. 'This was no little argument.' But he wasn't surprised, it was always like this with the two of them. One moment their fighting and the next their hugging and making it work. Hiccup sped up to Raven and helped her sit down. Ruffnut also sat down with her feet on the table. Raven nodded in thanks, not knowing it was their Chief. Hiccup sat himself down cross from the two, feeling the tension in the air. He wanted to ask where her husband and son were but knew better than to ask. "Well, you see...it's about Raven.." Hiccup started but Ruffnut groaned, knowing that Raven did something wrong.
"What did she do this time?!" she threw her head back, exasperated. Raven snorted, instantly regretting it as a wave of pain went through her face. She grasped her nose at the pain and Hiccup showed concern for the girl. "She...she released the Terrible Terror in the fish shed which ate half of the supply." Raven chuckled a bit. Ruffnut was red in the face and was about to have another 'talk' with her hadicaped daughter. But a thick hand gently pushed her down. "Hey Hiccup! Long time no see! You know I love having you here and I know you're only here because Raven did something wrong again, so why don't you take her for a walk and talk about her punishment?" Fishleg said nervously, speaking pretty fast so Hiccup can try to understand what he said. Hiccup looked at Fishlegs nervous face and slowly nodded. "I'll also take her to the healer, to help with the bruising." Hiccup looked straight at Ruffnut with an intense gaze that it made her squirm in her seat. He got up and walked around to Raven, gently grabbing her arm. She flinched, not expecting his touch. "It's okay." he whispered, lifting her from the chair and guiding her to the door. Caden decided to come in and saw Raven was being taken away by Hiccup. He knew full well that she was in trouble again but that doesn't mean it didn't break his heart every time she walked out that door.
Hiccup slowly let go of Raven's arm and started to walk ahead. Raven followed by the sounds of his footsteps, trying to think up of a excuse for her actions like usual. "You know you can't keep pulling these stunts. People already hate you as it is." Raven remained silent. Hiccup gave out a small chuckle, looking back at Raven. "You know, you remind me so much of your mother. Her and Tuffnut pulled a lot of pranks and stunts too." Raven spat at the ground in disgust. "I'm nothing like my mother." Hiccup frowned and continued to the healers house. "I feel...that my mother hates my very being. If I wasn't blind… I wouldn't be such a burden to her." Hiccup slowed his pace and placed an arm around her. He felt pity for her, knowing full well that she was doomed from the start but didn't have the heart to tell her. "You're mother doesn't hate you. You just remind her so much of herself that it's frustrating. And being blind is not a weakness… it's a strength." Raven laughed, empty and void of emotion. She patted Hiccup's hand in gratitude, not truly believing him but appreciating the effort.
She can hear the mere's of people whispering, the whoosh of a dragon's wings and the sketches of the dragons calling out to each other. But she felt something odd, like someone was watching her. The world went slow and faded.. Two ravens watch Raven and Hiccup in a cold glare, perched on top of the viking statue. It was Hugin and Munin, watching the blind warrior. This mortal got their curiosity and thought to obvere her in all her glory. Raven turned her head in their direction, even though the ravens were far away it looked like she was able to see them.
CAW!
The world went faster again and in full colour but Raven's gaze still looked at where the ravens once were. "Hey Raven, you alright?" Hiccup asked, they were just a mere couple of walks away to the healing house until she stopped all of a sudden and stood there like a statue, no matter how many times he shook and pulled her. Raven shook her head and looked ahead of her. "Sorry..I'm alright." Hiccup sighed in relief and was about to escort her inside when he heard the crashing of waves and men walking on and off on the ships. Now it was Hiccup's turn to be frozen on the spot. Raven jolted at the sudden stop but realized why Hiccup stopped.
She sniffed the air and smelled the salt from the sea. A smile was planted on her face. "I can't wait to go raiding." Hiccup looked at her in horror. "You will not be raiding! You're still too young." Raven pushed Hiccup off her, insulted by his words. "I am a viking! I want to raid and fight! I am no ordinary woman."
"I understand that. But you need even more training before you're ready to raid, which you are not. You don't even have a dragon! You told me once you wanted to be a dragon rider but even then no dragon wants to come near you." Raven put her head down in shame. "You will not go raiding. This will be your punishment for your stunt this morning. There are always consequences for each action you take." After that discussion Hiccup and Raven went inside the house, and the healer fixed Raven's nose and told her to rub an herb called Arnica onto her face for a week.
Once that was over she stormed off to the training grounds with fire in her wake. "Raven!" Hiccup called after her but it fell on deaf ears. With her recklessness clouding her judgement, Raven ran down to the beach where everyone would train with a shield and sword. Raven grabbed her weapons and practiced her sword movements with her shield. They men and women scoffed at the blind girl, seeing her trying to become a shield maiden made them feel disgust and pity for her. Raven can feel their eyes on her, hear the murmurs of doubt. It all became too much. "AHHHH!" she charged at the first person in her way. Their swords collided with a clang, and the first fight began. After many hours of fighting and releasing her anger, Raven returned home exhausted. She stumbled to her room and plopped onto the bed, not caring if she woke the entire household. But then she remembered that there was going to be a bonfire tonight before the raid! She scrambled off her bed, knocking down a couples of trinkets that she stole. Spoons, a wooden flute, a fur pelt, a frozen dragon egg, ect. These trinkets were like a hobby to her, anything that feels soft, rough, makes noise, she will steal it. She moved to her chest where she pulled out a dress, which was knee length, scarlet red with a brown golden belt. She changed out of her normal clothes and switched to the dress. After she felt that she was presentable, she slowly tipped to the door and opened it slightly so she can hear if anyone was up. Silence was all she could hear. Opening the door fully she still tipped toed out into the hall. She felt like she was close to the exit until…
Creak…
She cursed and stopped movement altogether. Lifting her foot off the floor."And where might you be going, my daughter." Ruffnut leaned against the wooden beam with a smirk on her face. Raven chuckled nervously, feeling a chill down her spin. She turned her back to the door and faced her doom. Ruffnut looked at her up and down her body. "You look nice, going to that bastard again?" she spat leaning off the beam. Raven growled. "Bjarke is not a bastard. He is a great warrior." Ruffnut came up to Raven and grabbed her chin harshly. "He is a lust filled mongrel. He will break your heart." Raven moved her face out of Ruffnut's hands like she burned her. Ruffnut sighed and glared at her daughter. "You will not go to the bonfire. And yes I know where you were going. Now go to your room." Ruffnut crossed her arms in anger. Raven huffed and stomped her way back to her room in defeat.
Ruffnut sighed and she too went back to bed while thinking, 'What am I going to do with her.' The night was dark and clear while Raven was sitting down on her bed in thought. "Well, that's the end of that. But now I have a bigger issue. How to sneak myself on this raid." She kept thinking in her mind of the perfect scheme.
Boom!
She jumped at the sound, she was scared at first but then remembered that Meatlug likes to dig himself a hole filled with rocks. Then it came to her! They take in sheep and goats for food and sacrifices on their journey and Meatlug will have to haul them in on the boats. She just has to go in with them and hide there until the boats depart. She smiled at her brilliant plan but deflated in an instant. "How am I going to get into the crate without being detected?" She placed her hand on her chin in thought. Like a lightning bolt, an idea flashed into her head. "Caden!"
The next morning, dark clouds covered the sky and rain pelted against the ground. Raven was down on all fours in a sheep costume. Caden and her conjured up a plan that night that it was full proof. Caden had made a sheep costume once on a holiday and hasn't worn it since. She promised that if Caden lended the costume she will bring him back a priest head and more. Caden agreed instantly, still mad at his parents for not letting him join. So when the sun rise came before the storm, Caden helped Raven steal their mothers armour and helped place it on her. She then packed her daggers, axe, sword, and a wooden flute. Caden brought down the costume from his room and led Raven to the sheep pen, where they will be gathered to the crate being carried by Meatlug. Caden squeezed her hand and smiled. "May your sword be dressed in blood." Raven nodded and got down on her hands and knees and waited for the costume to drape over her. Ironically she was a black sheep, it wasn't the best costume but if no one really paid attention no one would recognize her. Now as the sun rose even high in the sky, indicating that it was twelve o'clock. Raven felt the huge vibrations of Meatlug approaching. The sheep were getting antsy. "Alight Meatlug round them up!" Fishleg commanded. Meatlug took a deep breath.
RWAR!!!!!
All the sheep baa in fight and Meatlug chased them into the crate. Raven ran as fast as she could but kept stumbling against the muddy ground. She listened to the hooves of the sheep and followed to the best of her mobility. "That black sheep is really clumsy. Meatlug! Carry that one will you?!" Fishleg called over the baaing of sheep. A flash of fear went thorough Raven. "Wait dad! I'll get it!" Caden yelled. He ran straight to Raven and gently led her to the rest of the sheep. "Good luck." he whispered, letting her go once she was in the crate. She sighed of relief and took off the scolding hot costume. "France here I come."
She felt the carte rocking back and forth from the waves for two day. Ever since they left for the voyage, she has been blessed by Odin that she hasn't been caught. But she grew tired of the smell of sheep, and being cramped in one place for so long. So far it has been smooth sailing, but she was sure that she would die of boredom if she didn't get out. She really didn't think this plan through. "Let's all have some muten, what do you say?" a husky voice said, walking closer and closer to the crate. Panic filled Raven's lungs, there is no way that she can escape detection now. The sounds of the latch being lifted and the door opening put Raven's heart in her throat. Raven pulled out her dagger, ready to fight if she had too. The man was in shock at what he saw and just laughed. "Well, well what have we got here?"