Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD
Chapter Three – Waking Nightmare
Hiccup looked around, disoriented and scared. He…he was on the ship, trapped on Hauke's ship, outside the cage. Where was Toothless? "Toothless!" he called at the top of his lungs. His friend would hear him. "Toothless! Where are you?!"
He heard a noise behind him and spun around. That man – Hauke's thrall – was standing there. Hadn't he been at that end of the companionway a moment ago? Hiccup didn't dwell on that – he was more preoccupied by the fact that the figure had no head. It began to walk towards him. Hiccup turned and fled. He rushed through the ship, seeing no one, and had no clue where he was going.
He turned a corner and saw the figure running towards him. Hiccup skidded to a stop and turned back, but the door he'd just come through – had he come through it? He couldn't remember – had shut and locked. He yanked on the handle and hammered his fists against it uselessly. Then he turned and saw the headless figure standing there, braced as if to fight.
"I'm sorry! Please, I'm sorry, I didn't…I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I didn't know they'd kill you, I never meant for anyone to die, I'm sorry…" Hiccup trailed off, a chill running down his spine when he realised that the figure was mimicking his gestures exactly. He raised his hand. The figure did likewise. He tapped his foot. The figure did the same thing, at the same time.
Heart in his mouth, Hiccup slowly approached the figure. It came nearer too. He reached out a trembling hand, as did the figure, and his fingers touched…glass. The clearest glass he'd ever seen. He'd been running from his own reflection…but it had no head…Shakily, Hiccup reached a hand up, not taking his eyes off his hand in the mirror. He felt for his head. There was nothing there.
Somehow, despite not having a head and therefore no mouth, Hiccup let out an ear-splitting, terrified scream.
*Hiccup! Hiccup!*
"Aaaaaah!" Hiccup jerked awake, gasping, and clutched at his head and neck. Yes, head, neck, shoulders, all still attached. Shaking all over, his breaths came rapidly, heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst out of his chest. Toothless crooned gently and pressed his snout to Hiccup's chest, just under his chin. *Breathe, Hiccup. It's okay. Deep breaths* he encouraged, purring.
Still trembling, Hiccup clung to the dragon and shuddered. He shut his eyes, but all he could see was that poor man's body. Oh, gods…they're all gonna think I'm dead. I can't let them…l have to get out. I have to go home. Eyes open but unseeing, he held onto Toothless like a lifeline. A wing was folded over him and Toothless kept crooning. *It's okay. I'm here. It was just a bad dream.*
At last, Hiccup remembered what had happened before he…he must have fainted. Their capture, getting stabbed – he flinched reflexively – reviving, being dragged onto the ship, having his clothes taken away, that poor man…he'd just had a nightmare, but Hiccup felt like he'd woken from one into another. This one was much worse though, because it was real.
He sat back, wrapping his arms around himself. Toothless' wing stayed wrapped around him as well. He met the dragon's green eyes. "Toothless…you can…talk."
*Yes* his friend agreed. Toothless' voice was deep and warm and full of concern. *Is that okay?*
Hiccup bit his lip and nodded. "We're…heart bound" he murmured, recalling what Toothless had said. If one of us dies, so does the other. You'll live as long as I do. Night Furies can live for three or four hundred years.
Toothless' gaze slid away in shame. *I'm sorry* he whined apologetically, feeling guilt coiling like not-to-eat eels in his gut. He had wanted to save Hiccup but instead he doomed them both. There was a thick, cloying scent of misery aboard this ship that caught in his throat and made him want to retch.
Hiccup reached out, pressed a hand to his cheek, taking care not to touch the awful muzzle he still had on. "Hey, no, it's okay. I'm not upset. I was just surprised, that's all" he said, thinking Toothless must have taken him fainting the wrong way. The dragon's eyes were big and vulnerable. *You're not angry?*
"How could I be? You saved my life. This", Hiccup gestured with his free hand at the cage they were trapped in, "isn't your fault…it's mine." He hung his head. "This never would've happened if I hadn't been such a…a selfish idiot. What was I thinking?"
Moaning sympathetically, Toothless tried to nuzzle and comfort his human; but Hiccup flinched away. He hunched his shoulders and curled in on himself, frowning deeply at the deck beneath them. Inwardly he berated himself for being so reckless and stupid, but then he stopped when he heard a small, pained noise from Toothless. Immediately, he looked up, worried for his friend.
"You okay, bud? Are you hurt?" he asked. Scowling at the hateful muzzle, he reached out to try and and take it off. "I can't stand seeing you like this." Toothless pulled back, and Hiccup felt a pang in his heart. "Toothless?"
The dragon whined. *Hiccup, please don't do this. Not here. Not now.*
Hiccup's brow furrowed. "Don't do what?" he whispered.
*Please don't shut me out* Toothless begged him, eyes wide and full of sorrow. *You used to tell me everything, when you were younger, you'd let me help you, but then…I don't know why, you started…pushing me away, like you didn't need me…* He was whimpering now, and each small sound was like a knife in Hiccup's heart. Unbidden, memories from ages ago rushed into his head.
Sitting on a sea stack, Toothless trying to cuddle up to him, he pushing the dragon's head aside. "Not now, bud. Sorry. Just too much on my mind."
The Great Hall, worried about his father, Toothless trying to nuzzle him. "Not, not now, bud. I appreciate the effort, but just not now."
Frustrated with his friends ramblings, yelling at them all. "None of this would have happened…if I had never shot Toothless down in the first place. You know it, I know, it, Berk knows it, everyone knows it! Even he knows it!"
"Oh, gods" Hiccup whispered, eyes wide. All those times his best friend had tried to comfort him, and he'd been so wrapped up in himself he'd rebuffed Toothless…made him feel unwanted… "I'm sorry, bud. I'm so, so sorry" he apologised, meeting his friends gaze earnestly. "You're just trying to help, and I…I don't mean to shut you out. I just…I don't deserve to be…"
Crooning gently, lovingly, Toothless pulled him closer with a wing. *Yes, you do* he insisted. This time Hiccup didn't resist, instead wrapping his arms around the dragons neck. "I won't shut you out" he whispered, "not anymore. I promise. I'm sorry…for everything."
Toothless pressed a paw against his back and held him close. *I forgive you* he said, simple and honest. Hiccup clung to him tighter. Toothless forgave him, and he was grateful for it…but he didn't think he could ever forgive himself.
They stayed like that for a few moments more, holding each other. Toothless' ear-flaps pricked. He could hear footsteps. *Someone's coming* he warned, turning to the bars of the cell door. They watched warily, and Toothless began to growl. The sound was low and menacing, but Hiccup didn't feel afraid. He felt safe. Taking a breath to steel himself, he used Toothless as a crutch to stand.
A hunter appeared outside the cell, with a crossbow strapped to his back. "You're awake, then" he noted gruffly. "'Bout time." With a rusted key, he unlocked a grate set into the bars, and chucked a wadded up ball of fabric through the gap. "Put those on, quick, and tell me when you're done" the hunter ordered, locking the hatch up again and turning his back on them. Hiccup frowned. They were…giving him clothes?
Toothless swept the pile closer with his tail. Shooting the dragon a grateful look, Hiccup knelt down carefully and picked up the first bit of clothing. It was a dirty brown tunic, and as he shook it out, Hiccup realised it was familiar, and dropped it like it had burned him. "I can't…I'm not wearing this" he refused. "This is what he was wearing, that poor man you guys murdered."
The hunter shrugged. "They're your clothes now. The only ones you're gonna get, so unless you wanna go out on deck in your underclothes, I suggest you get dressed, thrall" he prompted.
"I'm not a thrall."
"Sure", the man snorted dismissively, "keep tellin' yourself that, if it makes ya feel better. Hurry up. I don't got all day."
Given the choice between putting the thrall's clothes on, and freezing, Hiccup reluctantly chose the former. The tunic was slightly too tight, and pinched around his arms. He had to undo and retie the knot in the makeshift belt of the trousers, a length of coarse rope. Hiccup felt decidedly uncomfortable, not least because he was wearing the garb of a dead man.
Lastly, there was the prosthetic; a plain wooden stick, with a cup for his stump and more rope to tie it to the rest of his leg. There was no wadding to cushion it with, and Hiccup knew his stump would chafe against the wood like crazy. But the left leg of the trousers hadn't been cut off, and he managed to fold and tuck it into the stump, wrapping the strings around his leg and tying secure knots.
"You done, yet?" the hunter demanded impatiently. With Toothless' help, Hiccup stood up and took a few tentative steps, just to make sure he could.
"Now what?"
The man turned around. "Now, you make sure that dragon o' yours don't try anything, and come with me. The chief sent me to get you."
Going to Hauke was the last thing Hiccup wanted to do. Toothless placed himself between Hiccup and the hunter, snarling at the latter. "I'm not leaving Toothless" his human refused, pressing a hand to the back of Toothless' neck.
"Stubborn brat" the hunter scowled. He spat on the ground. "Look, either you be a good boy and come quiet like, or I'll fire this bow, knock your scaly guard dog out and drag you out o' that cage myself. So what's it gonna be?"
Hiccup gritted his teeth in frustration. He didn't want to just be 'a good boy' and do what the hunter said, but if he refused, they'd bring him to Hauke anyway, probably in shackles, and Toothless would suffer. Suddenly, Hiccup had an idea. "I'll come if you let me take this muzzle off of Toothless first" he insisted.
The hunter scowled at him. "Chief never said we could. Sure, I let you take the beasts muzzle off so he can attack me and you can make a break for it, I don't think so. What were you gonna do, jump off the side and swim away?" he scoffed. "'Sides, I don't have the key."
Hiccup glared at him. As much as he hated to admit it, the hunter was right; they couldn't fly. Still, if it weren't for the freezing water, and the fact that they'd get picked off easily, Hiccup would almost want to risk swimming for it. "If we can't get away, what's the harm in taking the muzzle off?" he challenged.
"The dragon ain't losing the muzzle, Chief's orders. Right, that's it. You had your chance, brat" the man declared, unslinging the crossbow and taking aim. Without thought, Hiccup stepped between the arrow and his dragon, arms outstretched. Toothless moved to knock Hiccup aside. The hunter scowled. "Get outta the way!"
"I'll come with you – but only if Toothless isn't harmed whilst I'm gone."
Toothless growl-whined in protest. *Hiccup, don't go. I can't protect you if you're out there!*
With a sad sigh, Hiccup stroked Toothless' head. "I'm sorry. I don't think we have much choice. Besides, maybe I can learn something." Like what's going on, or a way to escape. Hiccup faced the hunter again. "So. Do we have a deal?"
"I don't make deals with thralls" the hunter snapped. Then he shrugged. "But if it shuts you up, then sure. We won't hurt your pet. Now stop dawdling and move it" he scowled, unlocking the cage door. Hiccup squared his shoulders, gave Toothless one last pat, and stepped out, chin held high. "Don't worry, bud. I'll be back soon…probably."
*And I'll be here* the Night Fury replied glumly. *Definitely.*
The hunter led him down the companionway. "By the way, Chief said if you try to make a run for it, whoever catches you gets to beat you to a pulp."
"Good to know" Hiccup replied sarcastically. His bruises were still stinging.
The hunter strode with purpose through the ship, leaving Hiccup to keep pace as best he could. He was limping; the wooden peg felt stiff and awkward to walk on. Hiccup missed his proper peg, that gave way slightly to cushion each step. It was probably at the bottom of the ocean by now.
The crewmen they passed acted as if he wasn't even there, brushing him aside with annoyed grunts. Walking on this peg would be bad enough on dry land, but the boat heaved and rocked in the swell. Hiccup struggled to keep his balance, stumbling and having to hold onto the wall. "Slow down!" he insisted, panting, as he staggered around a corner.
The hunter stopped and looked back at him. "You know what the best way to get your sea legs is? Using 'em. Now move it!" He grabbed Hiccup by the upper arm and hauled him along, pushing him up ladders and yanking him out of the way of anyone coming the other direction. Hiccup struggled to wrench his arm out of the hunter's grip, forced to move at a trot just to keep from falling.
Finally, they arrived at Hauke's cabin. "Enter", the man's voice floated through the door when the hunter knocked. He opened the door. Warily, Hiccup stepped inside, only for the hunter to press a heavy hand on his shoulder and force him to his knees. Hauke stood up from his chair behind his desk and walked around to the front of it, looking down at Hiccup, who glared up at him.
"Sorry it took so long, Chief. Stupid whelp was being stubborn."
"I thought he might be. Did you have a nice nap?" Hauke inquired rhetorically. "Let me be the first to say, 'welcome aboard'."
"It's been a pretty rubbish welcome so far. Ow!" Hiccup cried out when the hunter reached down and cuffed him around the head. "What the…?"
"Shut up! You don't speak unless he asks you a question, thrall." The man made to hit him again, but Hauke cleared his throat pointedly.
"I can discipline my own slave, thank you."
"Yes, Chief. Sorry, Chief."
"You do have a point, though. You ought to learn to curb your tongue in the presence of your superiors" Hauke said to Hiccup.
"Well, I wouldn't know, cos where I come from we aren't barbaric enough to keep people as slaves" Hiccup retorted. He tensed slightly, expecting a blow.
"Why you insolent-!"
"Enough! Wait outside."
"But, sir, he"-
"One unarmed crippled boy is not a threat. Now leave" Hauke ordered, eyes narrowed. The hunter stiffened. He saluted, shot Hiccup one last disgusted look, and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
"You won't get away with this" Hiccup said defiantly, as soon as the hunter had left. "My dad rides a Rumblehorn, they can track anything! I bet he's heading towards here right now."
Hauke looked unimpressed. "I doubt that. My old thrall was wearing your clothes, covered with your scent, and the winds were blowing southwards. The same direction as my village, incidentally. I'm sure the map I left in my tent will give your father a great clue as to your whereabouts…or perhaps not."
Frowning, Hiccup protested "If the wind is blowing south, then the ship has to be going south as well."
"You would think so, but no. We are heading north."
"But that's impossible! There's no way you could row a ship this large against a headwind, it would be too slow" Hiccup insisted. Which means the others might be able to catch up!
"Humans couldn't drive the ship against a headwind" Hauke corrected. "Whilst you slept we left that fjord far behind. Face it, boy; nobody is coming for you. You're dead to them" he said cruelly. Hiccup said nothing, just glared fiercely. Enjoy my leniency whilst it lasts, Haddock thought Hauke, I intend to break you in, one way or another.
"As I said, you and he have replaced each other. My old thrall was killed in your place, and you are his successor. You will be put to work. You will follow orders. You will address my men as 'sir' and the womenfolk in the galley as 'ma'am'. You will address me as 'master'."
"I am not going to do that!" Hiccup shouted, leaping to his feet. "I'll train the dragons if I have to, but I'm not gonna be your - your errand boy! Who the Hel do you think you are? Who do you think I am?" he demanded, utterly indignant.
"I believe I just told you. I am your master and you are my thrall. For now, at least. When we reach our rendezvous point, I intend to sell you and the Night Fury to my employer. I get the gold and prestige, he gets a rare, powerful dragon for his army, and you get to stay with your friend. Or perhaps he'll simply kill you. Who can say?"
Desperately, Hiccup switched tactics. "You don't have to do this" he insisted, "all the gold you'd get from, from selling us, my dad will pay that much - no, twice that much to get us back. You took my maps. Just turn around, sail to Berk and hold us for ransom." He knew it wasn't the best plan, but getting them ransomed back was a chance to end this bloodlessly. He'd make it up to Stoick- somehow – for costing them Berk's gold. Again.
"Ah. So your father has five poundsworth of gold lying around, has he?"
Hiccup struggled to keep doubt from showing on his face. He knew Berk didn't have that much gold. "He'd get the gold…somehow" he insisted, trying to sound confident. "Besides, if my tribe thinks I'm dead, they'll declare war on yours, and we have dragons" he pointed out challengingly.
"I considered that, which is why I sent a messenger hawk back to my village to warn them a hostile tribe of dragon riding Vikings might be coming to attack."
What is with this guy? Hiccup stared Hauke down, with all the defiance he could muster. He would not break. He would not kowtow or grovel or submit. He was not Hauke's thrall. He was not a slave!
The older man glared at him, and clapped a hand on his shoulder, trying to force him to his knees again. Hiccup had been expecting that and resisted. He wasn't prepared for a punch in the stomach though. Groaning, he doubled over, and Hauke shoved him down. "You are a very stubborn, foolish boy."
Panting, Hiccup clutched his stomach and glared up at the man, but didn't try to rise again. "It's a Berk thing."
"Or perhaps your father should have had a firmer hand when raising you" Hauke remarked, "then maybe you wouldn't have been so eager to go to Myrkr. Remember, Haddock; you brought this on yourself" he declared. Hiccup felt guilt bite at him inside, thinking of the man who had been killed, and the grief his father and friends would feel at his loss. This is all my fault….
No. He would take responsibility for going to Myrkr, but it was Hauke's fault he and Toothless had been taken, Hauke's fault that poor man had died.
"Since you tried to bargain with me, let me turn the tables. Obey orders, don't try to escape, and I will allow you to sleep with the Night Fury in its cell. Disobey orders, or try to escape, and not only will you be beaten, you will be made to spend the night in the barracks with the crew. I can assure you it will not be a pleasant experience. Do you understand, thrall?"
The thought of being apart from Toothless that long made Hiccup's chest feel tight and cold. Getting punched he could handle; but he didn't want to get beaten up. He didn't want to be around the people who had worked him over, and dragged him on a rope like a yak. He wanted to stay with Toothless. He didn't want to just obey, though; he loathed Hauke for making him choose.
I've been selfish enough already. Toothless needs me. "I understand" he said reluctantly. Hauke raised an expectant eyebrow, but Hiccup refused to call him… that word, so he compromised. "I understand, sir" he corrected, through gritted teeth. Without thinking, he braced for a blow.
Fortunately, Hauke didn't comment on it, or hit him. "There is one more thing. Have you figured out, yet, exactly how you managed to survive being stabbed?"
"No… sir" Hiccup replied firmly. It was a lie, and he did his best not to show that. He knew in his bones that he could not tell Hauke about being heart bound.
Hauke regarded him impassively for a long moment. "Very well. Let me know when you do. Now, since I'm in a good mood, I will allow you to ask a question. Just one question, so choose wisely" he advised.
Numerous questions crowded into Hiccup's mind. Who is your employer? How do you know so much about me? Why does Toothless have to wear that awful muzzle? Do you have any idea how much trouble you'll be in once I get rescued or escape? "What was his name?" Hiccup found himself asking. "That man you murdered. Did you even know his name, or did you just call him 'th'" –
"Sigurd. His name was Sigurd. Now, if that's all, stand aside" he instructed. Hiccup got back to his feet – well, foot – and stepped out of the way. Hauke opened the door to his cabin, grabbed Hiccup by the shoulder, and pushed him out of it. The hunter waiting outside tried to look as if he hadn't just been leaning against the wall. "Show him his chores" Hauke ordered. "You know what to do if he resists."
Hiccup followed the hunter away from Hauke's cabin and back into the labyrinthine depths of the ship. "Now look here, you stubborn brat. We ain't here to babysit ya, so you'd better listen cos I'm only gonna tell you this stuff once, got it? And if you refuse or complain or screw up, we're gonna" –
"Beat me to a pulp, I know" Hiccup responded, before he could stop himself. Moving far more quickly than a man of his size should be able to, the hunter whirled and slammed Hiccup against the bulkhead, pinning him there with an arm on his chest. Winded, Hiccup struggled, but he couldn't get away.
"You want I should start right now?" he demanded. "Lesson one – stop talking back. You need to learn to keep your smart mouth shut, thrall. Understand?"
Grimacing at the stench of the man's bad breath, Hiccup grudgingly replied "Yes, sir." I understand you're a violent bastard.
The hunter glared at him for a few more seconds, then released him. Hiccup rubbed his chest and glared daggers at the back of the man's skull as he strode off. He and Toothless really, really needed to get out of here.
They went past the cabins of the higher ranking crew members and the bridge, down to the sleeping quarters and the galley at the bow of the ship. A myriad of odours filled the place and Hiccup's nose; the reek of raw fish, a smoky tang, the assorted scents of cooking and leftover food. The smell made Hiccup's mouth water; it wasn't the most appetising aroma, but he was so hungry. His stomach rumbled loudly. Hiccup winced and pressed a hand against it, hoping the hunter wouldn't notice. But also sort of hoping he would.
"What was that?"
"I, uh…"
"Spit it out!"
"I'm starving" he said quickly. Swallowing his pride; he was desperate for something to eat; Hiccup asked "Can I please have some food?...sir" he added reluctantly, the word tasting sour on his tongue.
Hiccup almost expected to be refused, so he was surprised when the hunter replied, "Oh, sure, since you asked nice. Oi, Onarr!" he yelled, and a young man with close cropped ginger hair nearby looked up from where he was rubbing salt into pork. "Got some fresh meat here; says he's hungry. Get him summat to gnaw on."
Onarr looked at Hiccup, did a double take, and narrowed his eyes. "Yes, sir" he replied, heading off, giving Hiccup an unusually hostile look as he went. Hiccup watched him go, wondering what he could have possibly done to earn the man's ire. Did everyone on this ship but Toothless despise him?
The hunter led Hiccup over to the far end of the galley, and explained, "You'll come here first thing in the morning to help prepare breakfast for the crew. You take the Chief's breakfast to his cabin and do your chores there – you were payin' attention to how t' get from here to there, weren't ya?"
"Yes" Hiccup answered. It wasn't as if it was a complicated route. The hunter cuffed him round the head. "Ow! What was that for?"
"You didn't call me 'sir'."
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me – ow!" He flinched as he was cuffed again.
"And what did I tell you before 'bout being a smart mouth?" the hunter – on impulse, Hiccup decided to think of him as Cuffer - demanded. "You come here first thing, you take the Chief his breakfast, you do whatever he tells you to do. I'll give ya one more chance. Do you get all that, thrall?"
Giving the man a look of deepest loathing, Hiccup answered, "Yes, sir." He made a mental note to spit in all of Hauke's meals at the first opportunity.
"Once the Chief is finished with his breakfast, you bring the dish back here to be washed, and then you gut and bone the fish we've trawled for overnight. The fish we eat goes here, on the smoking-racks. The guts and fish we don't eat goes in these" he said, gesturing to a couple of large wooden pails, filled to the brim with fishy chum. The handles were hooked over a long wooden spear.
Cuffer noticed something behind Hiccup and smirked cruelly. "Ah, now this oughta shut you up for a while. Breakfast is served" he said mockingly. Hiccup turned to find Onarr holding a single sea biscuit out to him. He took it hesitantly, and the man walked away without a backwards glance. Hiccup realised at last that Onarr was also dressed in thrall's clothes. Why did the man dislike him so much if they were both in the same predicament? Hiccup tried to take a bite of the biscuit. It was like biting into a rock, and tasted about as appetising.
"What's the matter? Doesn't it meet your expectations, your highness?" Cuffer asked mockingly. "I bet a former heir like yerself is used to better fare."
Now that you mention it, yes Hiccup thought. Fortunately what self-control he had finally seemed to be kicking in, and he didn't voice it aloud. "I can't eat this…sir" he said, as politely as he could stand to speak. Which wasn't very.
"Go hungry, then" the man grunted, reaching out to take the biscuit from him. Hiccup instinctively recoiled, keeping the food – what little it was – close. The hunter glared and snapped "That's all you're gonna get, so shove it in your gob before I do and shut up, you ungrateful, whining brat."
With no other choice – he'd eaten nothing but that lump of dry bread, and some fish what felt like a lifetime ago, for hours – Hiccup put the biscuit in his mouth. It seemed to suck all the water from his mouth, and it was too large to fit, leaving him feeling embarrassed with the biscuit poking out between his lips.
"Good, now I won't get interrupted no more. Once you've done whatever the chief tells you to do, you come back here, fill these pails up with chum and take 'em down t' the dragons. Go on, then! Breakfast's already late cos you were napping, and them beasts get tetchy on empty stomachs" the hunter remarked, shoving Hiccup towards the pails. "Hurry up" he snapped impatiently.
Hiccup heaved the spear, along with the pails, onto his shoulders. The pails were heavy, but he wasn't as weak as he looked (to the hunters, at least). He wasn't pleased that the dragons only had leftovers to eat, although he supposed he ought to be glad they were given any food at all. Then he remembered that Toothless was still muzzled, and he felt gagged as well.
Cuffer led him into a meshed cage in the bow of the ship. Inside was a pulley; the hunter made him put the pails down and heave on one of the ropes. The section of deck beneath their feet began to lower. They must have this platform so they can get the fish to the dragons without dragging it through the whole ship. I guess they don't want the smell of raw fish getting everywhere Hiccup realised. The engineer in him had to admit it was efficient; part of his mind was already thinking of all the ways Berk could use pulleys like this.
A cacophony of dragon screeches and roars assaulted Hiccup's ears when they reached the cells on the lower deck. He didn't just hear the dragons shrieking, though. He could understand what they were saying.
*Food! Where is the food?! I'm starving!*
*If these eel-eating lumps of walking flesh don't hurry up I'll eat myself.*
*Do that then, you withered heap of scales. Give the rest of us a break!*
*I wanna go hoooome!*
That last plaintive wail cut Hiccup to the quick. So distracted was he by the dragons plight, he didn't realise the hunter was speaking until the man reached out and cuffed him again. He winced and nearly choked on the biscuit, shooting his assailant an irritated glare. That really hurt, and was really annoying.
"Listen!" Cuffer snapped at him. He held a key up on a loop of string. "Key. Hatch. Bucket. Trough. You get that, thrall, or is it too complicated for you? Being around dragons for so long, their dumbness must've rubbed off on you."
Dragons aren't dumb Hiccup wanted to protest, and neither am I. I got distracted. He couldn't say any of that, even if there wasn't a dry biscuit wedged in his mouth. Putting the pails on the floor, he took the key from Cuffer and unlocked the small hatch in the door of the first cage. The huge bucket was too heavy for him to lift, so he scooped up a large double handful of chum, grimacing slightly, and dumped it into the hatch.
The dragon – it wasn't one Hiccup had seen before, big and stocky with a large fin on its back – lunged towards the food. "OI!" the hunter yelled, jabbing the spear threateningly at the dragon, who snarled at him. "Shuddup, ya filthy beast. You know the rule!" Cuffer snapped.
Hiccup took the biscuit out of his mouth – after wiping his hands off on the tunic he'd been made to wear - and asked, "What rule?"
"Thought I told you to shut up and listen" Cuffer scowled at him. "I don't wanna repeat myself! I told you the rule on the way down here – was your head up in the clouds, dragon boy? Do I need to punch those daydreams outta your soft, stupid head?" He raised a fist to do just that, and Hiccup ducked.
He knew straightaway that had been a mistake. The hunter shot a hand out, gripped him tightly by the arm and boxed his ears, a blow to each side. Hiccup cried out in pain. "That oughta clean your ears out, whelp. You gonna listen now?" Cuffer demanded, fist curled ready to strike again.
Wincing, Hiccup ground out, "Yes, sir."
"Good. The rule is that the dragon has to wait until you count to twenty, at the least, and click your tongue. It's like with any animal – you've gotta show 'em who's boss. I'd've thought you'd know that, mister fancy dragon-tamer."
I think your definition of 'taming' and mine are very different thought Hiccup. Cuffer made him count to twenty aloud, and then he clicked his tongue, giving the dragon permission to eat. It gulped down the fish. Hiccup had to repeat the process with a Nadder in the opposite cage. "Right" said Cuffer, "then you do it for the next pair of dragons. Think you can manage doing something that simple, thrall?"
Stop calling me that. I have a name. "Yes, sir" Hiccup answered. He hated saying it, but he didn't want to get hit again. Not unless it was worth it.
"Now, a few of the cages have no dragons in 'em, but you still put fish in the troughs. The beasts are out having a nice little fly" Cuffer said, which made no sense. Cuffer grimaced in disgust. "There's dung, though, so once you're done with feeding the dragons, you get a shovel and two more pails, muck out the empty cages, take the pails up to the deck at the stern of the ship, and dump the filth overboard on the starboard side. You wash 'em out thoroughly with seawater and then swab the deck with 'em. You got all that, thrall?"
"Won't mucking the cells out mean opening them?" Hiccup dared to ask. If he could get his hands on the keys…
"Nice try, brat. They're already opened" Cuffer answered. Damn. He should've known it wouldn't be that easy. "You got all that, thrall?"
"….Yes, sir."
"You're learning" Cuffer smirked at him. "Now, I've got better things to do than hold your hand, so you'll be staying down here on your own. Stay out of trouble, and maybe I'll go easy on ya when I come back later to make sure you're still doing what you're told."
With that, he walked back to the pulley-cage, giving Hiccup one last warning glare as he hauled on the rope and disappeared from view. Good riddance thought Hiccup. He looked down at the buckets of chum, and up at the line of dragon cages, and sighed. This was going to be a long day.