Hello my wonderful followers and readers! I'm back for another chapter. So sorry for the long, long wait. I was able to work a bit on another chapter and I figured I upload it before too long. I will try as hard as I can to upload another one soon. Hopefully in the next week but I can't make any promises. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and please review. Reviews make me happy :) Enjoy!
Back on Berk, Astrid stood on the village cliff staring out into the ocean. Fearful thought of what could possible be happening to Hiccup were running through her head. Stoick came up beside her and looked over the horizon.
"Do you think he's okay?" Astrid asked in a soft voice. Stoick looked down at her. She continued staring out at the ocean with a concerned gleam in her blue eyes. Stoick lightly patted her shoulder.
"I am sure he is. Hiccup is stronger than most would think." Stoick said even though his worry for Hiccup was just as high, if not higher. His son, his only son was kidnapped in the middle of the night by Thor knows who with no clues or traces of where he could be. Why wouldn't he be worried? And the things that could be happening to him. What he could be going through. It pains him to even think of it. "Did you hear from the others?" He said trying to get the thought out of his mind. Astrid shook her head.
"None of them have returned. The twins are checking Thor Rock. Fishlegs is searching through Changewing island and snotlout is on Outcast island. None of them returned yet." Astrid said.
"If they aren't back in an hour we're going out looking for them. Especially Snotlout. Outcast Island is not safe for anyone." Stoick said. Astrid heard a low growl several feet from her and looked over to see Toothless pacing the edge of the cliff as if he was figuring out a way to fly without a rider.
"Maybe I can take Toothless out. He might be able to catch a scent of Hiccup." Astrid said.
"Good idea. But we will wait until the others return. If we find Hiccup and he is in danger we'll need all the help we could get." Stoick said before turning and walking away.
As he walked off, the thoughts of Hiccup being tortured, beaten, caged and starved ran through Stoicks head once again. He tried closing his eyes to calm his mind but images of the awful thoughts plagued him from behind his eye lids. He shook his head determined to get the images and thoughts away. Most people say that the worst things happen at night. Stoick always said night was when a Viking lives best to their name. It's dangerous and danger is a Vikings middle name. After all, it is an occupational hazard.
The sun peaked over the horizon signaling, working hour. Winston woke first and then woke the others. It was his job to get the others up before Maldrigard woke up. He climbed up the rafters of the barn and woke each slave until Hiccup and Fin were the only ones left. Winston hoped down and stood in front of the sleeping boys.
"Anyone want to do the honors of waking our new recruits?" He asked.
"We'll do it!" Came two male voices. Short haired brunette twins popped their heads out of a hay bed high in the rafters. They looked to each other with wide smiles.
"Shall we?" They asked in unison.
"Let's." Once of the boys said enthusiastically before they both jumped to their feet. They leaped over the side of the hay bed, doing a flip in the air before canon balling into the hay stack Hiccup and Fin were lying against. The twins landed just behind Hiccup and Fin, waking them instantly. Hiccup jumped up to a sitting position while Fin let out a small scream of surprise. He relaxed when he saw that Maldrigard was no where in sight. He let out a sigh of relief. Just then, the twins poked their heads out of the hay stack inches from Hiccup and Fin's faces. Both stunned boys turned and fell back away from the boys.
"Success!" One cheered as they fist bumped each other.
"Like always." The other replied.
"Morning newbie's." Winston said with a smile. Hiccup and Fin stood up. "Welcome to you're first day of slavery and the rest of your sorry lives." He said.
"That's uh... One way to put it." Hiccup said while scratching the back of his neck.
"I thought you said you have a plan." Fin said with worried eyes.
"I do, relax." Hiccup whispered.
"A plan?" Came a girls voice. She stepped forward revealing herself. She had shoulder length, straight red hair. She stood beside Winston with her arms crossed and her hip out. Her stance gave her the appearance of 'I'm tougher than you think' and a whole lot of attitude. "For what, escape? Good luck." She huffed before rolling her eyes.
"Daga's right. You try and escape - well - lets just say, you don't want to know what's coming to you." Winston said. Fin swallowed hard.
"I'm sure. But I don't intend to fail." Hiccup said with confidence. Winston chuckled.
"You got guts kid. Just don't let Maldrigard know that." He said as he rubbed his wrists as if recalling a past memory.
Just then Maldrigard threw open the barn doors. Everyone but Hiccup and Fin ran into a single file line and stood straight, silent and still.
"You two." He hissed in a rough voice pointing to Hiccup and Fin. "Come with me." He added. The two stayed silent and followed Maldrigard out of the barn.
Fin tried suppressing his trembles and hide his fear behind a tough-guy mask but Hiccup could see straight through it. Fin was walking with his shoulder nearly touching Hiccup's shoulder and Hiccup could feel his vibrating nerves as he brushed against him.
"Now." Maldrigard started never slowing his pace or looking to the boys. Both Hiccup and Fin jumped at the sound of his voice. "You two will be assigned different work areas through the day to find just where to put you. But if I find either of you is not fit for my work, you will be handed over to my wife." He suddenly stopped and turned to the boys shooting them a stare that would burn a hole in there head if it could. In a stern voice he growled low to them, "And I can assure you, you will not want that." Hiccup and Fin looked at one another. Fear clear in their eyes. Maldrigard turned back and continued walking. "Your first area of work will be the fields. There I grow cabbage, corn, wheat, potatoes and carrots. Tend to them, water them, pick them, keep them alive. I find one stalk, one leaf, one vine, one grain dead, you will be removed from the field, punished and switched to a new job. Understood?" He demanded. The boys stayed silent. "Answer slaves!" He demanded.
"Yes sir." Hiccup said. Fin cringed at his words. Maldrigard turned and swiftly struck Hiccup across the face with the back of his hand. Hiccup collapsed to the ground with a pained shout.
"As a slave you are to call me one thing and one thing only! I am your master and you are not to call me anything other than 'Master'! Is that understood runt!" Maldrigard shouted in rage. Hiccup held his now reddened cheek as he struggled to hold back tears. He looked to Maldrigards feet.
"Yes master." He said softly. Maldrigard roughly grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up making Hiccup cry out in pain.
"Speak up!" He shouted.
"Y-yes master." Hiccup said louder. Maldrigard threw him to the ground and huffed.
"Worthless runt. Get to work, both of you!" He demanded. Hiccup got to his feet and him and Fin ran off into the fields. Hiccup viciously wiped his tears away with his sleeve.
"You okay?" Fin asked once they were out of earshot of Maldrigard. Hiccup gently rubbed his head. He nodded silently. Fin sighed. "Master is the only name a slave can call their owner. Any other name could earn them a punishment for disrespect."
"I didn't know." Hiccup whispered. Fin placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.
"I did the same thing, my first day a slave. That was the hardest day of my life. I had never missed my family more than I did that day." Fin said sadly looking to the ground.
"Do you still miss them?" Hiccup asked.
"More than I could ever explain." He answered as tears came to his eyes. Hiccup placed a comforting hand on Fin's shoulder.
"I promise you, Fin. I'll get you back home to your family." Hiccup said.
"How?" Fin asked. Hiccup smiled.
"I'm more than you think."
Please review and thanks for reading and sticking with me!