Hiccup flew out, turning around to look back at his friends he was leaving behind once again. As if he couldn't feel anything, he kept on going, focusing on his mission. Toothless flew as fast as his two great black wings could beat, knowing what an importance the object was to his rider. But at the same time, he was wondering if Hiccup had lost his mind, for he wasn't the kind to do such dangerous things like going out on his own without warning his friends of where he's going or what he's going. Maybe he had lost his mind...
''Relax, Bud. Trust me, if I'm right, we should be back home by sunrise, with the Dragon Eye.'' Hiccup told Toothless, patting his head as he flew south.
An hour or so later, Toothless spotted an armada in the distance thanks to his echolocation ability, and landed on a near sea stack on which he would rest while Hiccup figured out how to get what he wanted without being caught.
''Great job, Bud...'' Hiccup congratulated his buddy, rubbing his dragon's dark scales. ''Now... How are we gonna get in..?'' he wondered as he pulled out his spyglass to get a better look. To his surprise, all torches were out on every ship, and every soldier seemed to be asleep. Perfect. Even though it was bizarre, they swooped in without thinking it might be a trap. ''Come on, Bud. We're getting what we came for now.''
You mean what you came for... Toothless growled in dragon-tongue before taking off towards the Berserker fleet, hoping none was awake while he would search the ship.
Toothless flew low, close to the water, and hid on the side on the ship, his claws digging in the wood so he wouldn't fall. Hiccup activated the auto tail so in case something went wrong, Toothless could fly away without any problem.
Climbing onboard, Hiccup made carefully his way through the sleeping soldiers, searching for the trap to go under deck, trusting that Dagur would keep it under deck. But that wasn't easy to find in this mess of baskets and wooden boxes laying everywhere on deck. Plus, the fact that he hadn't seen these kinds of regular vessels in a long time made it quite hard.
But at the end he found a small handle on the floor of the boat and kneeled down before it, thinking if it was a good idea to do this after all, if it was worth it. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He opened the trap and slid half inside for Toothless gave him a worried growl, holding Hiccup back for a second.
''Toothless, I'll be alright...'' Hiccup let him know, ''You cover me.'' And he slid down completely, closing the trap over his head as he disappeared.
Toothless nodded hesitantly and stayed low as he watched the most important thing in the world to him slid out of his sight. The dark dragon's eyes narrowed at any movements he caught.
Hiccup watched carefully were he stepped, for he didn't want to make things trickier than they already were. If he wakes up those soldiers above, he could easily be trap down here and Toothless could get caught and everything would be his fault.
A lot of objects sat down here. Tables, chairs, baskets, boxes, curtains, name it. But what Hiccup was looking for was something unique.
He searched around, the ship's movement making the wood around him crack as he looked. A sudden little box, big enough to put the Dragon Eye in laid on a table in the center of the place. Hiccup put down his hunting knife he had pulled out if anything happened on the table to investigate the special box. He turned it around, searching for the lock. He tried to open it with his bare hands but it was no use, the thing was too strong and only the key could open it.
Luckily, there was a key lying at the bottom of a bole not far from him and it fit perfectly. But as he opened it, and checked inside, all there was in it were jewels stolen from Trader Johan.
''Looking for this..?'' Dagur asked from behind, the Dragon Eye in hand, guarding the exit just so Hiccup didn't try running away.
''That doesn't belong to you...'' Hiccup said threateningly, gesturing at the object in hand.
''Oh, it does now...'' Dagur sang.
Hiccup eyed his hunting knife, the only weapon he had brought with him, resting on the end of the table, way closer to Dagur that him. Without thinking, Hiccup threw himself on it, so did Dagur. Luck wasn't with the youth at that moment, for Dagur got hold of it first.
Slowly they came back where they were previously, Dagur now armed with his knife... And thing was, Dagur was excellent at knife throwing, and never missed his target.
''Ah, Hiccup... you should've stayed with your books...'' Dagur spoke, examining the blade carefully, making sure it was sharp enough. ''Real life can get... messy.'' he pointed the end at Hiccup, in a way to fright to lad.
''I'm not afraid of you... And I'm not leaving without that.'' Hiccup informed him.
''I admire your bravery but fighting for the Dragon Eye? I'm afraid that's a lost cause.'' Dagur spoke. ''I got to know you better, Hiccup, since peace settle between us, you know. I know your friends aren't with you. You're here, alone, to protect them. You lie to them. Foil them... Tell me, is that how you Dragon Riders work?''
Hiccup glared at him, knowing that all he was doing was try to anger him and make him lose control of himself, so he couldn't think right anymore. But that wasn't going to happen. Of course it wasn't. He would make it out, with the Dragon Eye. Leaving the object between that man's hands would be a big mistake. Not only would he possess it, but he would run out of the Archipelago completely, and never come back. And that wasn't something that would soon happen.
''I'm simply keeping them safe, that's all...'' Hiccup answered, careful with each word he said.
''Uh... I thought you knew better, coming here alone... That isn't the cleverest plan of all. You should know that better than anyone.''
Hiccup didn't answer and searched around for anything useful that he could bring into play to get out of here before it was too late. He noticed not that far from his forehead and neither from Dagur's, an oar, hanging by the ceiling.
''You know what your problem is, Hiccup?'' Dagur continued, ''You're too selfless.'' He turned the knife around to hold it by the blade. ''Always putting the others before you... Maybe someday you'll realize, that their lives aren't worth to fight for...''
''What do you want.'' Hiccup said, more of a statement than a question, trying to get to the point.
''Oh, there are many things I want. You want me to name them all?'' Dagur asked, but got the answer just by the look of his brother's face. ''Of course not...''
''Get to the point.''
''Simple. I won't kill you, if,'' he said, ''you accept to join me.''
Hiccup was taken back, and didn't quite know how to react, but the words came to him either way.
''Betray my friends, and join you?'' he said, ''That's the most ordinary thing you could ever ask for...''
Dagur wasn't expecting Hiccup to anyway. ''It's a shame, you know... I mean, we could've really made a formable team, you and I.''
''Maybe.'' he said, ''but I choose wisely.'' He lifted up his arm and shove the oar forward, hitting Dagur in the forehead, knocking him out for a second.
Even though a second isn't long, Hiccup ran towards the exit, grabbing the Dragon Eye that lay on the floor after Dagur dropped it. He climbed up the stairs without looking behind, but as he was about to open the trap, a hand wrapped itself around his ankle, making him trip over and hit his lower jaw against one of the stairs leading up deck.
Now on top, Dagur tried seizing back the Dragon Eye Hiccup was holding behind his back, for he didn't have any weapons on him anymore to force Hiccup to hand it over.
''Hey, give it back!'' Dagur ordered as Hiccup tried to hold him as far away from him as possible as he laid on the floor, his metal leg pushing in the Berserker's stomach to make him back off.
With his good leg, Hiccup gave him a kick in the jaw, and the man backed off at last, crying out the pain.
''That's for the betrayal,'' Hiccup let know as he pulled himself up.
Without losing another second, he rushed up the stairs and lifted up the trap, and to his surprise, even though all the talking and fighting from bellow, no Berserker soldier seemed to have woken up. But Hiccup didn't take time to figure out how that was possible for Dagur would be after him... right now.
Hearing the thuds from below, Hiccup rushed to get out of the hole in the floor and ran where he had left Toothless.
But he was stopped when an arrow came plunging itself in the mast of the ship, stopping Hiccup from making one more step.
''That was a warning shot.'' Dagur spoke, aiming his crossbow at Hiccup, ordering him to turn around slowly. ''The next one goes between your eyes...''
