Friends and Foe Alike
Bodies surround me packing it in tight. Their faces are a blur as I whip my head around looking for Toothless. Voices merge together coming to one deafening sound. My head pounds as everything spirals around me. People are talking to me, slapping me on the back in a friendly manner. But I don't notice anything.
Where is he? I think desperate to get to him before the others do. Its at that point in time when a voice rings out over the rest of the crowd.
"Ahh there he is! Glad to see you alive and in one piece Lad!" My gaze snaps over to the speaker and all at once, all my senses return. The boat is quiet as everyone watches a viking move through the crowd. He is too short to see over everyone else, but then he is standing right in front of me and I get a good view of him.
Though the viking is short in stature, he has muscles that rival the Chief of Berk's. Other than that, he looks just like any other viking. Long scruffy beard, dark disheveled hair and a helmet adorned with horns on either side of the head. His arms open wide, and I take a step back before the viking engulfs me in a hug.
"We thought you were a gonner. Tell me, how did you manage to survive in the clutches of that beast?" The viking pulls back keeping his hands on my shoulders, examining me. Taking a quick glance around the ship shows every eye riveted on this conversation. I gulp, returning my gaze to the viking before me, and shrug my shoulders. If I don't talk, they won't ask questions. If they don't ask questions, I can't give anything away. Not that I would anyway.
The viking, chief I presume, narrows his eyes in confusion.
"Did you hear me Lad?" He asks. I nod and the Chief bellows out a hearty laugh. "Well then, speak up!" I glance around scooping a possible exit route.
"Hmm, well boys looks like that dragon scared the words right out of the lad!" Roars of laughter sweeps across the boat. The Chief slowly walks forward his hand on my back forcing me to follow.
"Don't worry, Lad. We got rid of the dragon. He fell into the water and hasn't resurfaced since." Stopping before a set of stairs leading down into the darkness, the Chief turns towards me.
"We are off to settle a debt with another Chief on an island not too far from here. Once there you can hitch a ride somewhere else if you want, till then, you can help out with maintenance. Get some rest I'll call you in the morning." I'm shoved downstairs and into the sleeping quarters. Finding an empty bed, I lie down silently greeting for my lost friend.
Rough hands grab me pulling me off the bed. I open my eyes blinking away the last traces of sleep.
"Rise and shine! Time to get mopping!" A bucket of water and a mop is shoved into my hands. The sunlight blinds me when I come up onto deck. Setting the bucket down, I wet the mop and begin cleaning the dirt out of the boards. I spend the rest of the day cleaning . Five more days pass before our destination is spotted.
As we drift closer to the island, my confusion grows. This place seems so familiar, but I can't place it. Perhaps Toothless and I flew over it one day with Mom.
I don't dwell on it too long, the Chief coming over and slapping his hand across my back. Gripping my shoulder with one hand, he spins me towards him.
"Well here we are! Shouldn't take more than a couple days so don't get too comfortable!" He releases his grasp on me, yelling at his men to get ready to port. The ship slows down coming to a halt next to the dock. The plank is lowered and everyone crowds to get off. All the shoving sends me to the back of the group. Fine by me. Members from the other tribe gather to greet us.
A flash of blonde hair catches my attention, and I step out from behind a bulky viking to get a better view. My eyes narrow as I try to place the maiden. Blonde hair, blue eye, axe… of course. Out of all the villages we just had to dock here. I immerse myself back in with the vikings to avoid attention.
"Found a strange fellow five days out. He was being carried off by a dragon till we saved him." The Chiefs voice reaches my ears and I flinch. Peeking in between vikings, I see the Chief of Berk. His mouth opens to speak, but his words are lost among the murmur of other vikings.
"He's quiet, doesn't speak." the Chief says turning towards us "Hey! Bring the lad forward! We have someone who wants to meet him!"
That's it. Game over for me. Back in the clutches of the Dragon Slaying Chief. Yay.
Hands push me forward, faces smirking down at me, and before I know it, I'm face to face with the chief of Berk. He's gotten older. A few stray grey hair but other than that, just how I left him. I stand there next to the two chiefs, waiting for the explosion.
5
"Here he is! Scrawny little lad isn't he? He…" Chief trails off seeing the look in the berkian's eyes.
4
He steps closer, narrowing his eyes in faint recognition.
3
"I know you…"
2
His gaze wanders down my body resting on my metal leg.
1
His gaze naps back to me vicious anger written all over his face.
BOOM
"You." His voice is quiet, but there is so much venom I stifle a wince. Taking in a deep breath, I look him straight in the eyes, a cocky grin on my face.
"You have a lot of nerve to show your face around here." When I tsk him, I can almost see smoke coming out of his ears.
"Now, is that any way to treat an old friend?"
"We are not friends. We will never be friends." I fain a stab to the heart.
"You wound me oh great Chief. After all that we have been through, will you still not call me a friend?"
"Where's your dragon boy?" The other tribe is looking on with looks of confusion throughout our argument. Almost all of my disguise has been revealed, so I might as well rip it all the way off.
"Not idea. I was taking care of my own business when Toothless and I were wiped out of the sky." Gasps and murmurs begin spreading through the other tribe. " They say he died, I say he's been following us waiting to come rescue me." The Chief of Berk give me a once over before turning and talking to the viking next to him.
"Gobber, see to it that this boy is givin' the proper accommodations."
" 'Ay! On it Chief." He whacks the back of my head with his hook, and we set off through the crowds. A few moments pass before we pause.
"Astrid, you can come 'ut." A moment passed before anything moved. Out of the bushes came Astrid, the maiden I fought years ago. My heart skips a beat as she approaches. But she isn't here for pleasantries. No, she storms right up to me, grabs my wrist, and pulls it back forcing me to fall to the ground on my back.
"Not so strong and mighty now huh?" She begins mocking me but somehow, I've become lost in her eyes… Get a grip Hiccup! I shake myself free from her grasp and switch positions. I smile down at her quoting: "Not so strong and mighty now huh?" then I release her.
Gobber grabs my arm and begins pulling back to the prison from five years ago. The door rings after being closed, the darkness swelling. They have learned from last time and have all but closed the little opening on the door. Sitting down on the bed, I make myself comfortable for the long wait.
I'm not exactly sure how much time has passed but it has been roughly three days. I can tell by their feeding system. Three meals all equal space of time between the first and second, and the second and third. Then there is a long break between the third and first. Upon the third day I'm awoken by the door opening and crashing into the wall.
I squint trying to adjust to the bright light coming from the hallway.
"Come on 'ut. The chief wants a word with ya." Gobber steps out of the door frame allowing space for me to pass. He leads me out and through crowds of vikings yelling and throwing things at me. I narrowly dodge an axe aimed straight for my head. Glancing past the vikings towards the docks, I see that the vikings I met at sea are long gone.
The stairs to the great hall loom in front of me, and at the top is none other than the chief himself. Taking the stairs one at a time, I slowly reach him not eager to be here. The chief lets the vikings rile themselves up a bit more before quieting them. He raises his hands and everyone falls silent. He opens his mouth to speak every viking waiting in anticipation for his words.
"HICCUP!" For a moment I'm startled by the out burst, then I recognize the voice. I smile turning towards Toothless, mouth open to speak. Words leave my mouth as I spot who Toothless is with, Mom and Cloudjumper. I gulp torn between being thankful she's here or wishing she'd left me alone to the vikings.
Shouts of alarm raced through the vikings as the grabbed for their weapons. Mom and the dragons landed at the base of the steps. Turning to them I begin racing down the steps. Halfway down I'm pulled backwards, falling to the ground. I turn into the force using its momentum to launch me back on my feet. Turning towards my assailant, I find none other than the Chief. No words are spoken as we launch towards each other clashing blades.
"Hiccup its time to go stop playing with the extra large viking. Let's go!" I shove the Chief off of me, taking the stair two at a time. I reach the dragons, ready to hop on, when my sword is pulled out of my hands. Spinning around, I glare at the Chief. I open my mouth to speak before Mom jumps in front of me. She's wearing her dragon costume like normal. The two adults begin facing off. Vikings reach me and im forced to defend myself instead of going to Mom's help. Through the battle I get glimpses of the other fight taking place.
They clash blades briefly, then back off circling each other. Their blades clash again, a sharp ringing sound reaching nearby ears. Mom feigns a strike to the head, hitting low. The Chief blocks it, then quickly draws his axe upward towards Mom's head. She barely dodges, but the axe catches on the edge of her helmet, pulling it off her head. The Chief raises his axe pressing it against her neck.
Both of them stand there, breathing hard. Without warning, the Chief's axe falls out of his hands. Soft words are exchanged between them, and they embrace. My eyes widen in disbelief. How could Mom betray us like this? Anger fuels my body, and I jump up on Toothless.
"Come on we are leaving." I signal Toothless to take off but he strains slightly towards Mom.
"But what about-"
"No! We are leaving. You too Cloudjumper." Our take off is halted by a viking trying to strike us down. I dispose of him and prepare to take off. A voice floats above the confused murmur of the vikings who have stopped to watch their chief. The voice comes from Mom and causes me to freeze in disbelief.
"Stoick…"
I look over at the two still wrapped in a tight embrace. No. No, it couldn't be him. We are enemies, he can't be…but I can see it. The resemblance between us. The red hair, green eyes, we even share the same ears. Out of all the vikings why did it have to be him? Why did the Chief of Berk, my archrival, have to be the same man who fathered me?
Author's Note: Let me know what you think of this chapter and the whole story in general. There hasn't been very much comments lately but that's OK. Thank you soo much for those of you who have left a comment. It means so much to me and helps keep me going. Till next time!