Hey you guys! I'm so happy you guys have been enjoying this story! Things get moving in this chapter and make room for a big build up next chapter! Don't forget to review, fav, and follow!
Enjoy!
Astrid once more did her best to lay low after her discussion with Drago. He knew something or he was planning something or probably even both, and either way it involved her. She refused to be some pawn in his war, and if he thought otherwise...he had another thing coming.
His brushing everything off was no less confusing now, then when she first realized it the day he captured Hiccup and the riders. She had known he wouldn't hurt her as much as he would them, but to do nothing at all, was unsettling.
She hated it. But now wasn't the time to worry about herself. She did her chores with more vigor than she truly felt, and tried to make it through the day. She felt as though something bad was going to happen. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach. She tried to brush it off, but couldn't.
All she could do was finish the food she and the other servants were making for the people involved with Drago's dragon army. Drago had ordered they make food for everyone and bring it down to the ships. They would be leaving towards another tribe and for some reason he refused to use their food supply.
She did as he said and went with the servants down to the docks and personally delivered Drago's food along with Eret's and his crew's, as well. She was directed to the main ship and was helped aboard. Her uneasiness only multiplied as she listened to the poor creatures cry out in their cages.
She steeled herself and put on a blank face in front of those who might be watching her. Once reaching them, she put on small feigned smile and called out," Father?"
He smiled his typical menacing smile and waved her over," Get over here, girl!"
"I brought the food you asked for," she said with a smile that showed much more confidence than she truly felt.
"I can take it, lass," Eret said charmingly and gave her a roguish grin Ruffnut would have most definitely swooned over.
She smiled at him briefly but said nothing as she wordlessly handed the food to him, and he seemed a bit disappointed.
Drago didn't seem to notice and instead shooed a man from the seat next to him and motioned her forward," Sit."
She looked at him confused," But I have chores to-"
He grabbed her arm and practically shoved her in the seat," That's not important right now."
She looked down and murmured," Okay."
"I'm sure you don't know where it is we're headed," he said conversationally but with a menacing undertone.
She shook her head," I don't."
He smirked and looked at Eret and the rest of the men around him," Then I'm sure you will be thrilled to know."
She looked at him hesitantly and saw the gleam in his eyes and her heart started pounding. Oh, Thor...anywhere but Berk... She spoke up in a weaker voice than even she could have expected, and asked," Where are you going?"
Drago laughed quietly," As if you didn't know..."
She looked at him feeling her vision begin to cloud," Berk?"
Drago laughed louder and the rest of the men joined him.
"You'll be happy to know that your Father will be finally have ridden the menace that are dragons once and for all by the end of the week!" he continued in a gloating voice.
She nodded trying to mask her emotions. She couldn't afford to show how mad, angry, terrified, and worried she truly was," Oh...okay."
"Okay?" Eret asked incredulously," That's all you have to say, my dear?"
She looked at him and he frowned," I thought you would've been overjoyed!"
Drago frowned at that," Excuse me?"
Oh, Thor, Astrid thought, this couldn't be happening. She wished she could make Eret shut the Hel up, but he continued," Oh yes, we were talking about this the other day. Right, Astrid?"
She shook her head innocently," I don't really remember-"
"You asked me where it was that we were headed," he said eagerly," You were always here at the docks asking about how we were doing, and how we could've managed everything so far. And now you should be happy that all of this is going to be over and done with, right?"
Drago looked at her sharply," Did you do that?"
Astrid looked at him and was inwardly cursing Eret," I..."
"Why would you interest yourself in the dragon army, Astrid?" he asked standing up and now looming over her," Why would you ask Eret, why would you want to know what he was doing, and why would you want to know where we would be headed?"
Eret seemed to sense something was going on, and spoke up nervously," She was just worried about me and all of us here. Especially you, Sir, she-"
"She hates me," he sneered and turned to him,"She hates me, she hates you, she hates all of us, and she loves dragons, and Berk, and the heir to Hairy Hooligans tribe! What else did she ask?"
Eret looked at her, most likely noticing how petrified she must have looked and said," I don't-"
He cut him off," It doesn't matter. What matters right now is making sure that my pathetic disgrace of a daughter under no circumstances gets any more information to Berk."
Eret's and the other men's eyes widened and before Astrid could even take a breath she was soundly slapped across the face, and thrown all the way to the side of the ship where her head promptly hit the hard wood. Her head spun, and she could feel the throbbing bump already, and her head may have felt a bit cold as well, but she couldn't take the time to truly see as she was then picked right back up and Drago dropped her once more and gave her a sound kick. A sickening crack indicating that he had most likely cracked a few ribs.
Her vision was swimming as a few tears smarted her eyes and blurred it. The only thing she could really make out was a dark figure looming over her. Her last thoughts going out towards Berk and a certain green eyed dragon rider.
She braced herself for the impact of a blow that never happened as a blue figure shielded her from it, and an all too familiar squawk was music to her pounding ears," Stormfly?"
Stormfly checked her over in clear distress and nudged her up, but Astrid shook her head," No, girl, you can't be here! Go!"
Stormfly wouldn't budge clearly upset at seeing her rider in such a state and hissing at Drago who looked ready to explode," Put the beast in a cage where it belongs!"
Most of the men tried to do so and successfully tied her up but Eret hung back as Drago marched back up to Astrid, and just as he was about to strike her again he stepped forward and took the blow himself.
Astrid gasped and panicked as Drago's fury turned to his current top dragon trapper," You! How dare you intervene?!"
"But, Sir!" he tried to reason as he got back to his feet," She's just a girl! She's your daughter! She-"
"She's my daughter and I will do as I see fit!" he roared," You of all people should not have defied me right now! You're the reason I'm doing this! You were stupid enough to tell her everything, and now you openly betray me once more by defying me?!"
"No!" he exclaimed trying to reason with him. But of course Drago was not someone you reasoned with," You want to betray me? Fine! Then I will treat you the way you're supposed to treat traitors."
He called his men and gave the signal. Astrid couldn't bare to watch and let herself be taken by the darkness, but not before the arrow that was supposed to be for Eret was deflected by an outraged and protective Stormfly who was probably shot at next, and they both passed out.
Astrid came to to find her wrists bound and next to Eret who looked at her in concern and asked," Astrid! Thank the Gods!"
"Where are we and what-" she was cut off the pain got to her and she could feel her head pounding, ribs protesting, cuts stinging, and bruises already having formed," Nevermind..." she muttered through the pain.
"How do you feel?" he asked after a moment of silence.
"How do you think I feel?" she snapped and then regretted it as her whole being protested against the extra effort and feeling.
"Calm down, lass," he said rolling his eyes," You're not doing either of us any favors by getting all riled up."
She rolled her eyes to," It's your fault we're even here."
He looked up at her sharply," My fault?!"
He glared at him," If you had just kept your mouth shut, Drago would never have know anything!"
He glared at her right back, before seeming to think better of it, and he just rolled his eyes," Well, maybe if you had just stayed back and not done anything. I wouldn't have had anything to tell him."
She opened her mouth to retort before he cut her off," Don't."
She narrowed her eyes at him," Excuse me?"
"Just," he said quietly," Don't. I know why you did it, and now I'm starting to rethink everything, and so just-"
"You don't know anything you-" she was cut off again as he moved his bound hands up to his chest where he showed her Drago's mark branded on his chest and she gasped remembering now.
He nodded silently," Drago gave this to me the last time I came empty handed...he promised not to be so understanding the next time...remember?"
"Then...why would you-?" she asked confused as to why he would risk Drago's wrath after being 'warned.'
He looked away for a moment," Maybe because I felt bad for you, or because I wanted to be a man, or..."
"Or?" she pressed not completely believing any of those reasons.
"Or maybe because of that dragon of yours," he said quietly.
"Stormfly?" she asked confused.
He nodded," If that... dragon was willing to protect you from him, then I sure as Hel was going to at least try to do the same."
"You say that like it's a horrible thing," she said frowning.
" Of course it is!" He looked at her sharply," My entire career and my father's as well have been a lie! Two generations of dragon trappers believing that those dragons were unfeeling beasts who needed to be contained and yet... they would be more willing to defend a helpless young girl than us!"
She almost felt pity for him...if there weren't more pressing matters at hand," Do you know where we are?"
He nodded silently," We're on Drago's ship on our way to Berk."
"Right now?" she exclaimed in alarm and moved to get up," But he..."
And then she stopped and looked down at her bound wrists and sank right back down," I can't do anything..."
"That makes two of us, lass," Eret muttered.
She paid him no mind, as her mind raced towards Berk, the dragons, the village, and Hiccup... She had failed them all.
Sorry it was on the short side, but I'll try and upload the next one soon! It'll make up for it, I promise!;)