Chapter 7
~ Astrid's POV ~

We arrived at Pavla Skerry in the late hours of the afternoon.
I hopped down from Stormfly onto the grassy shore cliff.
I stumbled when my feet hit the ground.
"Oh Thor, I've been sitting down way too long!" I groaned, rubbing my thighs.
Hiccup laughed as he stretched out his calf muscles. "Agreed."

Toothless flopped down onto the grass rubbing his head in the dirt.
"Well, we still have six hours of light left...Do you reckon we can make it to-" he pulled the map out again and checked our next landing point. "Kavu Islet by nightfall."
I pouted with a huff and flopped down on the grass.
"Take fifteen, then we fly..." I slowly replied with great reluctance.
Hiccup smiled and bent over me. "Thank you."
I shoved him off and pinned him on the ground below me, sitting on him so he couldn't move.
I didn't like it when people had the upper hand on me, even Hiccup.
"What do you think about...the NightFuries....What will you do if it's real?" I hesitantly questioned, my voice low and broken with pauses.

Hiccup exhaled deeply and shook his head slowly. "I don't know. I've been dreaming about this since I was a kid! It will feel so...surreal...I don't think I will ever be able to comprehend that they've been there all along, even on a map we had, and despite all my efforts, it took a lonely, homeless stowaway for me to find what I've been looking for for so long."

I rolled off him into the thick, luscious grass beside him.
"Are you sure this isn't another trap?"
I whispered to him, my eyes never leaving his.
He took a long and deep breath before he answered.
"I don't know. I want to believe it's real this time. I just have this feeling, a hunch really, that this time...we're gonna find out the truth about the NightFuries."

~*~*~*~

We landed on Kavu Islet after Moon rise and we quickly set up camp.
It was so strange that the closer we came to the Granite Skull, the more mysterious and the more dangerous our surroundings felt.
The pressure in the atmosphere dropped, and the waters got rougher, the temperature dropped low for the summer and the light of the night sky was blocked out by dark, looming clouds.
We were plunged into inky night air so much so that I could barely make Hiccup out as he sat outside trying to find kindling with which to light a fire by the torches of Stormfly and Toothless' mouths.
We had fondly named the trick Valka had showed us when the dragons kept a flame lit in their mouths Spark Swallowing. Toothless and Stormfly had mastered it well.
"Hiccup it's freezing!" I gasped, rubbing my arms to create some friction on my skin.
"I-I k-know....I-I-I'm a-almost d-done." Hiccup replied through his chattering teeth and violent shivers.
It was so windy that even our sturdy tent was blowing around.
If the ocean wasn't so worked up it would have surely had sheet ice covering it.
"Okay..." I answered, scurrying back into the warmth.
Hiccup finally found the kindling and lit a fire outside.
He crawled through the doorway of our dragon skin tent beside me.
I pulled him into the warmth of my arms and we snuggled near the fire.
"You did it!" I giggled, rubbing heat into him with my hands.
He grinned triumphantly through his shivers. "Yeah..."
We pulled the blankets around our shoulders and laughed at each other.
We were quite a sight.
Two Vikings huddled together by a fire in a tent on an island in the middle of nowhere.
And this was normal for us.
"I'm so tired...and I have no feeling in my fingers..." I yawned, leaning on Hiccup's shoulder now his trembling had come to a tired halt.
"Me too." He smiled, his eyes trained to mine. "You turn in, I'll take first watch. I don't like the feeling I have. This island is too close to the Granite Skull for comfort." Hiccup lowly whispered.
"Agreed. Sounds like a plan." I muttered, falling into the tent on to grass with my blanket tightly coiled around me.
For a few moments I watched Hiccup as he mindlessly stared into the silent sky ready for any unwelcome visitors.
He had been so reticent for the entire journey and I doubted much would change until he finally laid eyes on another Night Fury, or this adventure came to a dead end like all of our others.
I watched the way his thoughts skittered around in his effervescent eyes. He was so quiet, so reserved, just like that teenage boy I had fallen in love with. I couldn't wait for him to be as animated with this dream as he had been with Toothless when he found him in the woods.
He was a special man and I was glad he had let me share in this suicide mission we called an adventure.

~*~*~*~
~ Hiccup's POV ~

We started out bright and early for the Granite Skull.
We had only been flying a quiet and uneventful hour before a dark island lay not too far away. It looked similar to out-cast island, though worse. A fort ruled most of the land with high walls and strong gates. Guards in thick, shiny black armour marched around the smoke-submerged turrets and patrolled the deep, black mote that flowed right around the fort.
Just the sight of it sent shivers down our spines.
"The Granite Skull..." I whispered, digging into my suit and pulling out a small book. "This entire island's foundations consist of Granite. It's a surprise that it's not been destroyed by starving Gronckles. It is one of the strongest islands in the Dark-Water Archipelago. It used to be a docking and trading port for pirates until it was taken over by a man called Eddval Hunter. He was a blood-thirsty crook and greed drove him to take. He brought his armada of pirates and attacked the wealthy island with his army of NightFuries. They say that Eddval Hunter's plan was to destroy the archipelago, but instead, he settled there and erased the island from civilisation, and made it into a prison. He is now a full-time granite trader and prison chief. He has ruled here ever since, but now Eddval Hunter goes by the name Eddval Skull-Hunter, in honour of his stronghold."
I held Toothless in the air before we were close enough to be in the soldiers reach.
"Well, his name is a bit of strategy spoiler." I smirked, trying to keep the situation light, and again, throwing jokes in the wrong places.

"So, what's the plan, Chief?" asked Astrid, placing her hands on her hips.
I smiled and faced the palm of my hand towards her. "Toothless and I are going in first. Stay safe, stay hidden."
She nodded defeatedly.
Slowly we flew down and as we did, one of the soldier's spotted Toothless and fired an alarm bell and a blast of a horn. "NIGHT FURY!"
The noise it made disorientated Toothless and although we skilfully dodged the nets, we were good at that, we weren't expecting was to be fired at.
An arrow blasted through the sky and struck a confused Toothless.
He roared in pain and started plummeting to the ground.
He and I hit the floor neatly, but painfully, with an un-harmed Stormfly close behind.
As soon as we landed Toothless had a metal net of chainmail thrown over him and two soldiers grabbed me by the arms.
Immediately, they put a knife to my throat before I had even the breath in my chest to protest and were about to slice when a voice rippled through the chaos.

"Cease!"

Instantly the soldiers dropped me and I hit the floor gasping and trying to decide whether I was still alive or not.

Was this really happening?

I coughed a couple of times then slowly lifted my eyes to the large figure before me. "Are you Eddval Skull-Hunter?" I weakly questioned.
"Who are you?"
I frowned, he had completely ignored my question.
The silhouette marched forward and slammed his foot onto my arm pinning me to the floor.
I yelped in pain and wished I hadn't said anything.
"I asked you a question! Who are you?!" The man demanded again.
I winced in pain as the dragon claws on the back of this man's boot began to drag through my armour and into my arm.
Blood ran through onto the floor and I struggled to concentrate on anything but the intensity of the pain. "I...I am Hiccup Haddock the 3rd, son of Stoick the Vast."
The man released the pressure and stepped away.
I sat up quickly so he couldn't repeat the episode.
"Why are you here Master Haddock, son of Chief Vast? And why have you stolen one of my beautiful dragons?" asked the monster of a man.
I pulled myself to my feet as Astrid ran to my side.
"I didn't steal him from you, he has never been yours to take from you. I have come here to ask you the same question, why have you taken all the NightFuries?"
A deep chuckle rumbled from within the dark man's chest. "Beautiful aren't they," he decided, raking his fingers over Toothless' scales and receiving an unappreciative growl from the chained up dragon, "The offspring of lightning and death itself. They are magnificent from the youngest to the oldest. A dragon like this has to be used wisely. But they are wild monsters, impossible to ride. So I have a question..."
He marched over to me and leant forward, encouraging my small self to shrink back.
For the first time I saw his face in the light of a dying torch a soldier held nearby. He had deep scars zigzagging down his face as freely as tears run from your eyes. His blue eyes were bright, but one had a deep graze running through the middle. His lips were cracked and burnt and his black hair was matted and ragged running into a thick, graceless beard.
His breath was stagnant and held the faint odor of rotten fish as it brushed over my face.
He was a truly ferocious and fearless looking person. "How do you ride a beast that breathes fire?"

I gulped and felt Astrid's hand wriggle into mine. I couldn't decide whether she was comforting me or herself, probably both.
She was trembling and I was sorry I had brought her into this situation. I should have tried harder to keep her at home.
"You will never be a rider until you earn a dragon's trust and loyalty. Before then, everything you've done-" I gestured to the dark, cold world around us that Eddval had created for himself. "It signifies nothing!"
Eddval launched at me and picked me up by the collar of my flight suit.
In turn, the guards grabbed Astrid and put a knife to her throat.
A sly smile crept up Eddval's face. "She is precious to you, no? Well, to me, she signifies nothing! If you do not give your life to me, I will take hers as tribute. What do you say, thou great dragon rider?"
I felt the blood run from my head.
"No Hiccup! You don't have to do this! Just let me go..." She begged, tears in her eyes.
I swallowed hard, I had pledged when we had gotten married to protect Astrid and always put her before myself.
Now it was time to put that pledge into action.
"You have my life on the condition, you let her and her dragon free and you let me say goodbye."
Eddval glared at me for a moment, then he glared at Astrid before turning back to me. "One minute."
He dropped me and I ran towards Astrid who was also set free. Tears ran down both of our faces and Astrid grabbed me nuzzling into my shoulder. "Hiccup! I love you and I will be back for you with help and everything!" She assured me weakly, her voice cracking hoarsely.
We kept our voices low in case of close ears. "I know you will, don't worry and don't tell Lucy. Promise me you will protect her with your life Astrid because this could be about to get a whole lot messier." I said, forcing an unconfident smile.
Astrid nodded and struggled to keep her composure as I wiped the tears off her face and she wiped one that had escaped down mine.
"I promise. Hiccup, I...I'm scared."

I kissed her forehead then rested mine against hers. "Don't be scared, we'll get out of this, we always do."

I gave her another small smile then two guards came up behind me and started dragging me away from her.
"No! I won't let you take him!" She fought, grabbing a dagger from her boot and striking it in the leg of the soldier clutching me. He cried out in pain then, yanked the dagger from his flesh and sliced it across Astrid's waist before pushing her away into Stormfly.

"Astrid!" I called, afraid she was seriously wounded.
She sat on the cold floor sobbing before clambering in pain onto Stormfly and flittering into the distance.

I watched her go.
I was so scared.

I didn't know what was going to happen to me, but at least I knew Astrid was safe, for now.

~*~*~*~

Eddval Threw me into a cold, dark prison. The walls were made of impenetrable thick rock and the wooden door was so hefty and broad I thought I wouldn't be able to open it, forget trying to break through it. Then, all else that was in the room was a little window in the door with three iron bars across it.
When the door locked, I fell unconscious with exhaustion and emotional damage.

I was not sure how long I was locked in the cell, I lost count of the hours and hours I spent yelling out of that window waiting for someone to come. Anyone.
I hadn't eaten anything for about a week and a half and I felt like I was dying to myself. I didn't know what day of the week it was, what time it was, how long I had really been here?
All the company I had was a small piece of chalk with which I had drawn diagrams of Toothless and Berk on the walls.
One day, night, who knew, I was sitting with my back up against the cold wall as the chills ran through my bones making me feel sick. I had been sitting like that for hours on end, just waiting for a face to show up, a person, a dragon, my doom, someone, something, anyone, anything.
I tried to picture Astrid sitting beside me playing with my hair, or Toothless rubbing his head on my legs, or Valka dancing with Lucy around the fire on SnoggleTog Eve.
I smiled to myself, they were safe, that was all that mattered to me.
To pass the time, I needed something from home.
"I would swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er a fear of drowning....and gladly ride the waves of life if you would marry me...No scorching sun, nor freezing cold will stop me on my journey, if you will promise me your heart...and love...." I sighed myself to a stop before burying my face in my hands, forcing empty tears to run from the deepest cracks in my broken heart.

I was unaware of the eyes upon me.

A small girl scrambled up the door and clung onto the iron bars. "I know that song! My Mummy used to sing it for me!" She giggled.
I looked up quickly just simply at the sound of another voice.
The face behind the bars could be no more than five years old, just like Lucy.
"Yeah? What's your name?" I asked, standing to my shaky legs and wobbling toward her.
She grinned revealing her set of milk teeth and pink gums. Her olive skin was different to the white I was used to. She wasn't from around here.
An immigrant perhaps.

"Avril Lia. You can just call me Lia like everybody else though."

I smiled and pulled myself up straight on my weak, trembling knees, gripping the iron bars for balance.
She could just be a trap. Surely not? An innocent child wouldn't know how to be a trap.
"So Lia, what are you doin' here?" I asked finally, my voice hoarse.
Lia grinned again and turned back to the tunnel from where she had come from. "I heard my Mama talking about you, she said you were innocent and just wanna go home, but Chief Eddval isn't so sure. Between you and me, I think that you're innocent too." She whispered, her giggle bouncing down the tunnel.
Before I could answer, a young lady ran down the tunnel grabbing the little girl by the arm and pulling her backwards. "Avril Lia, you stay away from there! You know the Lair is forbidden!" She ordered, her voice laced with anger and fear.
The girl apologised and kissed the lady. "I'm sorry, Mama."
The woman nodded with acceptance, I thought she was just scared, after all, I was locked up in the 'Forbidden Lair'.
I could be dangerous.
"You probably don't believe me, but I wouldn't hurt her, she's an angel. I have one back home just like her. Man, I miss her so much...Sorry....Getting side-tracked. Lia says you think I'm innocent, true?"

The lady sighed, a calm fear held a quiet compassion in her voice. "I don't think you're the man I thought you were. I don't think you're the man any of us think you are." She decided, lifting Lia into her thin arms.

"So who do you think I am?" I asked, out of all innocence.

She half-smiled and held Avril Lia closer. "I think you're a munge-bucket."
I laughed out loud before walking back to the wall when I had been sitting alone before.

How I missed being called one of those.

~*~*~*~

What did you think? What did you think about the Dark-Water Archipelago? What about Eddval Skull-Hunter? What about Hiccup's arrest and Astrid's injury when she tried to save him? What about the Granite Skull? Can you picture it? What about Avril Lia and the woman with her? Anyway, thanks for reading! All feedback is much appreciated as usual! :)

~ Httyd_2014 <3