Authors note: Hey People. PLEASE REVIEW! Please! Even if it is just to say you read it! So, without further Ado, Chapter 5:
Soon, we were crawling through a small, dark tunnel, heading west. Suddenly it opened out and we could stand up, without bumping the ceiling.
"I think we're halfway there!" Said Jack. I sighed. Only halfway. I was exhausted, cold and my prosthetic hurt.
We continued walking for another ten minutes, each step hurt more than the last, until Jack froze in front of us. He put his fingers to his lips and gestured for us to listen.
A strange noise could be heard. It was mechanical noise in an unknown language surrounded by static. It sounded far away, but it was getting closer.
"Gnomes!" Whispered Rapunzel and we all started running in the opposite direction. The others seemed fine, but I most definitely was not. I hadn't run nearly this far or this fast the accident. Suddenly, my foot caught on something and I fell. My hands hit the ground first, hard and there was blood, but that wasn't what worried me. My prosthetic was not only lose, but had nearly come off. The others could tell that I was hurt worse than I looked. They dragged me off into a corridor to the left, until the gnomes passed. There was a flash of green as they passed.
Merida looked into my eyes. "What is this?" She demanded. "At that angle, your leg should be broken, but you aren't screaming with pain. What is going on?"
I cursed to myself, but put on a weak smile. "Easy, that isn't my leg." I said, rolling up my trouser leg to reveal the metal part where my prosthetic attached to my real leg. "I lost my real one two years ago in a fire. So… Peg leg!" I said.
Rapunzel looked angry and confused. "Why didn't you tell us?" She asked.
"Because… I thought you wouldn't want me a part of the plan if you knew. Maybe you would think that I would slow you down, which I obviously am!" I said, looking embarrassed.
"Never" Said Jack. "We like and need you for more than your athletic abilities!"
"Thanks, Guys" I said, reattaching my leg. "Now, is that Valka's room up ahead?" I asked.
"Yeah." Said Merida. We crept silently to the door, which was slightly ajar.
I could hear a song playing softly in the background.
'I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With ne'er a fear of drowning
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you will marry me'
I knew that song from somewhere, I just couldn't quite put my finger on it.
The music cut out abruptly and a friendly voice called out "Hiccup, Jack, Merida, Rapunzel, come in"
I walked in with a confused expression on my face. "You were expecting us?" I asked.
"Well of course I was, there are security cameras every ten metres in these tunnels" she replied.
"Then… how come we got this far?" Asked Jack.
"Because I let you" She stated, simply. "Now, you came to ask a favour she said."
"How did you know that?" Asked Rapunzel.
"Because I monitor the observatory" She said.
"Why… why didn't you tell headmaster?" Asked Merida.
"I was going to." She said. "And then Hiccup came."
"What do you have to do with Hiccup?" Asked Jack.
"Nothing you need to know" She said, "Except that if he asked nicely, I would take down the security systems."
"You would do that?" I asked in disbelief "For me?"
"Yes" she said. "Then all three of you can escape."
"All four" corrected Jack automatically.
"No." Said Valka, sadly. "All three."
Jack opened his eyes wide. "What? But…"
"You had better go now" Said Valka. "The guardians are returning."
"Guardians?" Asked Merida.
"I believe you know them as Gnomes".
Suddenly we all turned and bolted out the door, Jack in the lead. Just as we ran out, Valka whispered "Goodbye, my darling. See you soon"
I was so confused. Obviously she knew me from somewhere. But where?
