Author's Note: :D Hello pups! :) Good whatever time of the day it is for you. This chapters been sitting halfway done for awhile. I am like, way to lazy to check for grammar /spelling errors right now. But so far, this is my favorite chapter. ;)
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Sorry for any grammer/spelling errors!
Chapter 5: The Truth Comes Out
Toothless,
My ears flicker upwards as the sound of voices draws me from sleep. My shoulders and pretty much everywhere hurts and I can feel the scabs trying to work quickly and repair the damage. It isn't dulling the pain, however, and I almost wish it would. But that's not going to happen any time soon.
In out. Breathe.
I take in a few shaky breaths but refuse to open my eyes and lift my ears up slowly to get a better grasp on what's being said. There's footsteps coming down the hallway about three or four people, maybe they're dragging another dragon into the cells. They do that about twice a week; pulling another winged reptile into their webs of deceit and destruction.
My brain is slightly foggy and I can't focus as much as I should be but I can get enough to realize that there's an odd set of steps walking across the ground like one is wearing a boot with metal on the bottom and scraping it across the ground. My eyes snap open with realization as the key is shoved into the lock.
Hiccup.
"Yup, like I was sayin' Chief, haven't seen him move for days-do you think he's dead?" The voice has a slight squeak to it like the holder isn't sure what they're saying. A deeper voice snorts.
"I guess we'll see; won't we? Stand up, child." Fear wraps around me like a cold blanket and I back up as much as I'm able too. Jink. The door is thrown open, light flooding into the small dark room. I flinch squeezing my eyes shut as the light momentarily blinds me. Dark, I am so used to the darkness.
Hiccup grunts before the sound of a body skidding across the dirty ground rises up and I open my eyes looking forward towards Hiccup's crumpled form. The messy array of bandages covering his chest and back are dirty and it's impossible to see that at one point of time they were white. His face is leaning against the floor, his manacled hands behind his back. He groans softly and doesn't seem to find the willpower to sit up.
I growl through my teeth and look up as Jink, Hitisha and Warnen (the forgetful head guard) step into the room behind him. Hitisha moves forward and grabs Hiccup's hair dragging him into a sitting position, "Get up." She growls.
Hiccup's eyes squeeze shut as Hitisha releases his scalp and steps back hand on the sword at her waist short black hair framing her glaring face. "See, I told you that he'd do something if we dragged the child in here." Jink says looking at his second in command with a self-satisfied smirk. Hitisha's eyes glaze over with I-am-not-impressed.
Hiccup looks up from the ground before meeting my eyes. The glaze covering his usually bright green eyes lifts slightly as he sees me. I move forward slowly trying my best not to wince as my shoulders move but walk as close to him as I can with the chain wrapped around my forelegs stretching back to the wall behind us.
Hiccup gives a half smile but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Hey bud," he whispers softly and lowers his head. I follow the suit and our foreheads touch in greeting and remorse. I wish I could do something, I want to break free and get Hiccup out of here; I don't even care if I make it, I just want him out.
They wanted me in the first place Hiccup wasn't supposed to get messed up in this.
"Alright, you've made your point, chief." Hitisha says with a hint of mockery at the last word. Hiccup lifts his head and turns to glare at them as I do the same. Warnen cowers under my stare slightly and Jink laughs.
"You two really are so alike." He snickers his gaze lowers into a scowl as he turns to look at Hiccup. "You've got spirit, kid, but I'll tell you what." He says and smiles, "I've enjoyed breaking it."
Hiccup's glare lowers darker, "I'm not complying to your demands and neither is Toothless, Jink, give up."
Jink laughs. "I never quit."
Hitisha moves forward and grabs Hiccup's arm pulling him to his feet. He stumbles and I leap forward to try and stop Hitisha, catch him, break free something! Hitisha moves out of the length and I stumble over my feet smashing into the ground.
Jink takes the dagger Hitisha hands him and giving a half curved upwards smirk he looks at me, "This is the result of you dragon. If you'd just complided maybe he'd live." Jink sinks the weapon into Hiccup's back and he lets out a shrill scream as the weapon pierces through his scream.
Panic courses through me.
How could JInk! Does he have no mercy!?
Jink pulls the weapon back and tips Hiccup forward, "I'll leave you to enjoy your last moments together." He and the others leave as I move forward towards Hiccup. Then, suddenly flames burst up around us. I stare at them in surprise but turn my gaze to Hiccup.
His hands are free and he lifts his head, dead eyes staring at mine, "Why'd you leave me?" He whispers softly.
I wouldn't! Why would I!?
I have nowhere else to go!
Hiccup is my sky now; my brother, my other half!
"You let me die, Toothless." He says and the heat from the fire whizzes up around us. He lifts up a hand to me but then freezes pulling it back, "I didn't want to die because of you!" he hisses and draws away from me, "Go." He growls and I stare at him.
But I don't have my other tailfin, how can I…?
"Go!"
I swing my tail around for him to see but stop in surprise. The left fin is intact and perfectly fine. "GO!"
I stare at him again. I won't let him die alone. No. Even if he doesn't want me here.
He shoves me back, "Can't you see that you're not wanted here!?"
I look back at him, confused. Why would he have helped me take flight again, why would he lie and say he needed me, why would-
The scene changes again and I watch as Jink plunges the blade through Hiccup's back again, and again and again and again, the shrill screams echoing in my head and bouncing pulsing aching, ah! Make it stop.
Stop it, stop it, stop it!
STOP IT!
I roar in frustration and squeeze my eyes shut before with a jolt I jerk my head upwards leaping to my feet panic pulsing through my veins as I rip my eyes open and stare around looking for fire, Jink anything but there's nothing.
Only the empty cold space of Hiccup's bedroom on Berk.
It was only a dream.
I blink several times trying to calm the racing of my heart as I scan around the room. There's nothing here, it's fine, breathe, calm down. I look at Hiccup's bed expecting to find him sleeping in it but there's no one there. Even the blanket he's been attached to the last few days is gone.
Panic slips through every part of me trying to reason and I race towards it in fear. Where would he be? Did Tijike attack and take him, but I was in the room!
He and Astrid aren't on the best of terms right now so they wouldn't be together I can really only think of one other place. I move towards the skylight and leap from it hitting the ground with ease.
The forge.
Maybe he figured something out to do with Inferno 2.0 but I could've sworn he finished it last night. Sighing through my nose I quickly trek across the village. The sun is rising in the distance but is blocked out by the thick dark storm clouds heading towards us. Snow. There is definitely going to be snow, probably by the end of today or early tomorrow.
I quickly make it across the village and spot the forge in the distance a small sigh of relief escaping through me as I see that it's lit. It might be Gobber but I have high doubts it is, Hiccup is the only person crazy enough to use it in the middle of the night. I race into the building and spot true to my instincts, Hiccup sitting towards a corner, the blanket wrapped around his lanky shoulders as he sews the edges of something together.
I dive next to him and resist the urge to leap on top of his form and cover him saliva. Instead I glare at him darkly and he looks up, his eyes widening with panic before he relaxes letting out a sigh, "Hey bud," He murmurs and lifts up a hand towards me.
I glare at him and shove past the fingers plopping my head down into his lap whining. He rests a hand on my head, "Sorry, I couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake you." He admits and I look at him. Seriously!? I would have been more than happy to have woken up from that dream.
He strokes the top of my head, "I guess I'm not the only one getting nightmares." He murmurs.
I look up at him in surprise. How does he manage to do that? He just...knows. I nod slightly and lift my head up from his project curling up next to him. He turns to he's facing me readjusting the blanket, "I don't think I'm ever going to be able to sleep properly again. I can't get more than an hour." He admits softly. His eyes have dark circles from the lack of sleep and stress.
He hasn't' been speaking as much either, he's sort of become quiet and distant from everyone but me. It's hard to strangle a full sentence from him. After last night and his small argument with Astrid, I don't know what's going to happen.
Hiccup ties off the thread he was working with and with a dagger lying next to him he cuts it. He lifts up the project and I stare at it for a second before my brain link it. "It's a new saddle," Hiccup explains lowering it, "The other one was…" He trails off as we both pause lost in the sea of memories. "Anyway it's better than the other one." He finishes quietly and smiles, it, like previous ones doesn't quite meet his eyes.
"I already finished the tailfin, I guess it's just a matter of when you want to try it out." Flying. Beyond our escape from the island we haven't done much flying. He gets to his feet wincing slightly.
I growl in question and he rubs his stump, "Stupid leg." He grumbles.
He turns and grabs the tailfin tucking it under one arm looking back at me with a half grin and a small twinkle in his eyes. "Whaddya say bud? Wanna give this a shot?
000o000
Hiccup,
I don't think I'm ever going to get used the feeling of freedom flight gives.
Nothing can touch us in the air. Even though it's been months since our capture, it feels as though we've never left the air. Happiness is coursing through my blood as we sail away from Berk, but still close enough to it that we can land easily enough.
The wind is blowing past my hair in happy waves and I let out a sigh of contentment closing my eyes, "Thor, I've missed this." I murmur quietly. Toothless growls in soft agreement and continue to glide across the blanket of air.
My dad isn't going to be happy. He's made it very clear he wants me within sighting distance and flying off away from the island without really telling anyone where we're going except the rushed note in the blacksmith's is not going to please him. Not like I've done a good job at that recently anyway.
"Toothless, we are going to get our heads yelled off to Valhalla." I mutter to the Night Fury. He looks up at me, toxic green eyes full of so much personality it sometimes surprises me. He rolls the black irises, before looking forward again, flapping his powerful wings, his muscles working easily beneath me.
I release a breath through my nose and look down at the ocean blurring underneath us, giant pieces of ice float at the top of the body of water. Toothless's wings whistle slightly through the air and the frigid wind whips through my hair freezing my face. My fingers went numb the second Toothless lept into the air. We've been up for maybe half an hour but I feel like every single one of my limbs is about to freeze, fall off, come back to fall off, again. Just for good measure.
Toothless releases a heavy huff, a small cloud of smoke rising up as his breath hits the cold air. I close my eyes tightly trying to will my body to ignore the freezing cold much like it has before every time we go flying. Feeling free instead of freely freezing to death. Despite my pleas, the wind, temperature and the whole idea of flying itself in the drastic weather still built up on my cold, tired, injured muscles.
I release another breath and pat Toothless's neck my numb senses hardly picking up the touching of cold scales beneath them, "We should probably start heading back, bud." I say watching the puff of air blow past us from my breath. Toothless looks back at me, a sort of pouty, disagreeing look flashing across his face. I sigh, "I know, bud. I don't really want to leave either, but if we don't, I'm pretty sure all my limbs are going to willfully run off."
Toothless sighs before he spreads his wings, I grip the saddle's handles tighter as we rocket backwards the spread acting like a sudden parachute. Toothless whips around, heading back towards home, his wings whistling as he picks up speed. I click back the tailfin, the tail spreading outwards allowing Toothless to escalate forward faster. It works a lot better than the previous one, as does the saddle. I lean down trying to bury my head into his neck and regain what body warmth I can. Berk weather is generally resting somewhere between thirty degrees and fifty below so getting cold really doesn't happen much, but, for me, I've always felt it, similar to a deep chill settling in my bones.
I pull my hands back from the saddle and wrap them around myself rubbing it across my upper arms back and forth several times trying to restore what little heat exists to them. I release a breath and pull my head up from Toothless's neck and lift my hand up rubbing under my eyes. Exhaustion would be the first word I use to describe my current feeling. No sleep and flying in the middle of winter really isn't the best combo, then you're tired, cold and fifty feet (at the lowest) above the ocean.
Berk quickly grows in size and the heavy overcast of clouds makes it impossible to see what time of the day it is. I think it's a little past six or seven in the morning but I'm not sure. The temperature has dropped drastically. At least we'll beat everyone up and I won't have to explain about the flight to my dad.
I rub my upper arms again and watch as Toothless loops around the eastern side of the island where the training ring is. A shout of frustration rings through the air and I pause looking forward squinting. It's a very familiar sound.
Astrid.
I grit my teeth but let out a sigh, I need to face her sooner than later. "Bud, can you land, I…" I trail off unsure what to say. Want to talk to Astrid, want to check on her, apologize? I'm not sure. Toothless growls in confirmation before diving down towards the land gracefully.
After landing, I slide off of Toothless and walk forward towards the arena resting a hand against his head, "Wait here, bud." I say and he nods walking towards the edge of the arena curling up into a happy ball. I move forward towards the arena and slip inside watching Astrid hack aggressively at the barrels she has set up.
Her axe is smashing the wood to bits as angered cries come out of her throat. I move forward slowly, trying not to startle her. "AGH!" She screams and whips around to grab another barrel or something I'll never know. As soon as she sees me; she freezes; a haunted look coming over her face. Her expression becomes guarded, "What are you doing here?" She demands.
I watch her for a moment, "I…" Don't know.
Astrid seems to catch the last part even though I didn't speak it and turns slamming her axe down onto a barrel. She grabs two things from a crate and turns holding up swords. She stares at me before Astrid tosses one of the weapons at me and I catch it with instinct rather than thinking. "Fight me." She commands and turns gripping the other sword. It looks strange in her hands but still deadly. I haven't really seen her use any other weapons except for an axe. She was introduced to the weapon by her uncle Finn about thirteen or fourteen years ago and it sort of stuck.
Astrid pulls the weapon into both her hands and I follow her slowly, almost sluggishly but refuse to show any weakness. Astrid grits her teeth and narrows her eyes before with war cry she dives forward towards me.
I leap out of the way clumsily and lift the weapon up barely in time to block her attack. She swings her weapon forward with graceful accuracy and it clashes against the metal of mine. She tosses her bangs from her face, "You're sloppy." She says through her clenched teeth.
Frustration runs through me. Of course I am! What does she think I was doing on Tijike constant battle lessons? Then again, I've never been the best at sword play anyway.
"I know." I grit and shove back against her weapon my muscles screaming as they try to break against hers. She pulls back abruptly and I stumble forward my feet suddenly losing their good relationship with the ground. Astrid swings her foot forward and knocks my feet out from under me.
I hit the ground with a 'thud' and spots dance in my vision. Astrid lifts her weapon forward and I lift my up to block her attack. "Slow." She adds. I squeeze my eyes shut before continuing to push against her blade I get to my feet and grip the hilt in both hands. "Your attack is predictable."
I leap forward in frustration and hack against her blade several times, she blocks it easily. Silence falls between us and after about two minutes Astrid shoves me away and stands up straight holding her weapon with one hand looking unaffected. I release a breath through my nose and tighten my grip on the sword. "You won't talk because you don't trust me, isn't it?" She demands her voice gaining a new icy feel.
I hiss through my teeth and I leap towards her with a war cry lifting the weapon over my head. I smash my weapon down on hers gasping for breath. "Lies." I hiss and she looks up at me infuriated and shoves the blade back.
"So then what's the TRUTH!?" Astrid screams her sword smashing against mine tightly. Our weapons grind against each other and I take in several pants before pulling back and hacking against her sword. "You won't talk because you're afraid, you broke, didn't you? Whatever they wanted you did." Astrid hisses the words cut through me like a physical blow. She kicks me in the stomach and I tumble backwards but manage to stay standing. I look up at her scowling then move my right hand from my stomach to the weapon.
She locks her weapon onto my hilt and swings the sword from my grip; it smacks against the ground embedding upwards in mockery. Astrid holds her weapon close to her chest as thoughts wing around my brain. I didn't break! I didn't speak! I won't talk because I'm trying to guard the secrets, much like what I did with the Tijikes. I can't stop doing it! Nothing helps. I'm trying to save them, I'm trying to help. I can't let them get hurt. Why will no one believe me!?
I narrow my eyes and grab the finished Inferno from my leg snapping the blade out the flames licking across everything from the hilt to the point. Astrid's eyes widen as she stares at it before I toss my long, dirty bangs from my face and dive forward towards her.
"I won't talk because I'm trying to save everyone." I cry and leap towards her. She lifts her hand up to block the blow easily and I smash the sword against it. "My FATHER," I scream smashing the weapon against hers with every word, "My DRAGON, the RIDERS, my TRIBE, THE WOMAN THAT I LOVE!"
Astrid moves backwards as my attacks become more furious, deadly and wild as I become in sync with the blade, the weapon becoming apart of me. Inferno causes her to become more guarded because the weapon is on fire. "ALL THESE SECRETS ARE TO KEEP YOU SAFE!" I scream and smash the weapon against hers. She switches from offensive to defensive and backs up across the arena her eyes wild and frantic.
"We were shot down. We couldn't escape." I begin and back up as she grows more frustrated her eyebrows lowering and her weapon becoming gleaming death swinging towards me. "The chief's name was Jink. He wanted Toothless, he wanted to break him, he wanted the secrets and tortured us both for them. I refused to tell; Toothless's wouldn't comply to his demands."
I swing the blade upwards, "He used fire, he burned me, he whipped Toothless, he cut my skin, he taunted, he laughed, but I WOULDN'T BREAK! He said that none of you were coming but I grasped onto a small hope, I believed, I hoped, I clung to the fact that you were coming. I wouldn't put any of you in danger by LETTING MY TONGUE SLIP!"
"He wouldn't let me talk, but I spoke out, I sassed him, I irritated him, I frustrated him on purpose. I refused to break. He got angry, he used it on Toothless. It had to stop, I had to make it stop, I spoke up, I begged him and when I did, he promised that none of you were coming, you'd left me. You didn't care. You would've found me if you did. He said that if I spoke out again, he'd stab Toothless then cut out my tongue."
Tears of frustration pile on the edges of my eyes as I continue to smack against her weapon every bit rage and aggression pulsing through me clashing against her weapon. "He smacked a red hot axe against my back and tossed me into the streets. I couldn't find hope, I broke, because I REFUSED TO TALK TO PROTECT EVERYONE! I DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE COMING-ANY OF YOU! WE'D BEEN THERE FOR WEEKS! TOOTHLESS WAS DYING, I WAS FOLLOWING HIM; BUT NO ONE WAS COMING! THERE WAS NO HOPE!"
I lock my weapon onto her rainguard and swing the sword from her grip. It flies away from her smacking against where my previous one was the metal clanging. I bring my leg up and kick Astrid in the stomach; she crumples backwards hitting the ground. I leap over her form and raise Inferno over my head for a killing blow the brimmed tears streaking down my face. "By the time we escaped…" Astrid lifts up her hands to block her face but my hands falter and my thumbs brush against the latch as the weapon clicks back. My hands drop against my head the weapon clutched firmly in their grip. "...I didn't know who to trust anymore. Everyone just wanted answers; answers that I couldn't give because I don't trust anyone but Toothless."
I move away from Astrid's form collapsing to my knees. "Jink wanted to break me...and he did." I whisper dropping Inferno next to my feet. Silence clings to the air and Astrid slowly sits up and moves in front of me wiping her hands across her face. I knew it. She's not impressed, she's going to leave me like everyone else. That's why I wouldn't tell. That's why I wouldn't explain. She sits down next to me her hands playing with the dirty braids in my hair that have somehow managed to stay together in all this. She slowly runs her fingers across them unwinding the hair before picking the strands up and braiding it again.
"My mother had a fragile mug my father gave her on their wedding day." Astrid says softly and I don't look up at her. How does this have anything to do with whats going on? "She broke it, one day, dropped it. It shattered, into dozens of small pieces. She was devastated. My father gathered all the small pieces and slowly melted the cup back together. When he gave it back to her, it was stronger and more beautiful than before."
Astrid ties off the braids and slowly moves her hands forward and gently grabs my clenched ones. My palms are starting to bleed lazily from the pressure I'm putting on them and she softly opens my hand wrapping her fingers around it. With her free hand she gently tilts my chin upwards so we're looking eye to eye. "Hiccup, trust is like that cup. It's so easy to break- but it can be rebuilt; and when it is, it's stronger and more beautiful than before." She squeezes my hand as I slowly take in her words.
She wants me to trust her again. She hasn't given up on me and she's not going to. She's going to gather all my broken pieces and weld them back together. I meet her beautiful eyes and return the squeeze to her hand. I stare at her face, watching it carefully; her expression is caring, the hard edge it's had for the last couple of days washed out, but around her eyes and down her pale cheeks are streaked with water and it takes me a moment to realize what it is.
Tears.
She's been crying.
Authors Note: =) Next chapter: Berk At War. :)
