Chapter 9
~ Hiccup's POV ~

As I tried to sleep on the cold stone floor, I couldn't help but go over the comment that Lia's mother had made to me.

"You're not the man any of us thought you were, but I don't think you're the man any of us think you are."

First of all, who was us?
There was village in this fortress?
She was a free prisoner?
Was Eddval keeping all of the citizens of Berdwick trapped away from the world in a fortress?
Was she talking about the soldiers? What if she was talking about just she and Lia?
What if she was referring to Eddval himself?
Secondly, who did they think I was? A criminal, a murderer, or maybe just a dragon rider?
I didn't know what to think, nothing made sense, even the reason why I was being held captive didn't make sense!
If they wanted to kill me, couldn't they just get it over with, and if they wanted me to do something, why not just make me do it already!

I slammed my clenched fists against the door again. "Hey! I'm still here! Tell them I'm still here! Answer me! Is anybody out there!"
The yell ripped most of my energy away and I fell onto my knees before resting my forehead against the old door in exhaustion and hopelessness.
I lifted my trembling hand and used it to drag myself up. As I stood straight, I found myself face to face with Lia again.

"Agh! Lia! Don't do that!" I shouted in shock and surprise.
She giggled and hoisted herself up a little more.
"What are you doing here? You're not meant to be here!" I hissed, watching for prying eyes.

She just grinned on, her little fingers clasped tightly around the iron bars.
"I brought you a present!"

I smiled slowly and took the little rolled up dead leaf she was feeding through the bars.
"Thanks."
I unravelled the brown crunchy leaf as a small necklace fell out of it into my dirty palm.
It was a Night fury tooth with a small band of leather tied around it to hold it onto the necklace.

"Where did you find this?" I demanded more harshly than intended.

"I found it in the river! You find lots of treasures there! But that is the only tooth I've ever found!" She explained victoriously.

I stared at it in silence for a moment or two. "Toothless..."

"No the dragon won't be toothless, the tooth'll grow right back!"

I shook my head and grabbed the bars so I was inches from Lia.
"No, no! Toothless is the name of my dragon! Where is he? Is he okay?"

The girl frowned.

"You called a dragon Toothless, strange name! I have never seen a toothless dragon before?"

I smiled. That confirmed my suspicions. "You wouldn't...they only retract their teeth when not under threat. Your dragons are constantly under threat."

She frowned again, her dark brows furrowing over her bright eyes. I knew she didn't quite understand what I was mindlessly mumbling about.

"Do you know where he is?"

She nodded. "He's being trained to be a warrior! To listen to the right commands just like all the other dragons! I wish dragons came in other colours, they only come in black and white..."

I couldn't help but chuckle, she had obviously only ever seen one or two species of dragon.
"Training him? He's already trained?"

"Not how he should be trained."

I swung the necklace over my head and tucked it into my shirt just as that same woman from yesterday ran down the tunnel.
"Avril Lia! Have I not told you that it is dangerous in here! If you're not more careful you and I will both get a sound beating from Eddval! Do you want that?!" She snapped bending down to scold the little girl.

She shook the child by her shoulders and Lia cried out. "No Mama! No! It still stings!" Lia screamed quietly.

The woman rested her hands on Lia's cheeks. "Then please, do as I tell you!"

I watched it all through the bars of my prison.
I could see the love in Lia's mother's eyes, but also great fear.
Fear for her daughter.

"What's your name?" I asked politely.

The woman looked up slightly taken-aback. "Sonya Marie."

"Sonya, what do they want with me?" I asked, blinking a few times.

She looked to the floor, maybe to buy herself more time, maybe to prepare herself, I wasn't sure why.

"Eddval wants you to lead his army into battle for him. If you will train his men to ride, he will honour you. But you will also put many lives in danger. If you refuse, he may kill you."

Sonya lifted Lia into her arms and ran out of the tunnel before I could reply.
I gulped down to saliva that was pooling on my tongue.

I had no other choice, I would have to refuse.

"Come' on Astrid! Where are you?..."

~*~*~*~

I waited a couple more days and after those few days, a man in full body armour came to the door.
"Get out." He ordered, opening the broad door.

I slowly and weakly started towards the man who, when I reached him, grabbed the scuff of my shirt and dragged me down the tunnel.
It wasn't a particularly long tunnel, but at the end was another thick door, though larger than the one in my cell.

The soldier unbolted the chunky door and the opening filled with white light. The sky was dark with white clouds but that made the world around me all the brighter and it took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust.
The land held a cold, dark feeling. Nobody smiled and all eye contact made was a hard, remorseful stare that sent chills down to the bone.

The guard dragged me through the dark village and up some big concrete steps. At the top of the steps was a metal gate leading into a coliseum arena.

He opened the door with a loud clang and kicked me down the steps.
I hit the stone ground with a thud and my body ached all the more.
When I had gained enough strength to look up, I was faced with a monstrous nightmare.
It wasn't like the ones I was used to though.

It was bigger.
Much bigger.

But the most viable to difference, was this one had been starved.
It's eyes were bloodshot and it's skin dry and crumbly. The beasts ribs poked out and gave his body a shrunken look. I knew a hungry dragon, was one of the most dangerous.
This dragon looked as if he hadn't eaten for weeks and I would surely be his next meal.

"Meet Bludvist, your next victim, Bludvist, meet Hiccup, your next victim."

I gasped at the words, never mind the gruff voice I had come to memorise. Eddval was stood on a balcony above me with a couple of men at his side.

Immediately the dragon began to slowly walk towards me.
He had done this before, I dreaded to think how Bludvist's victims surfaced.
I noticed the long scars across his back. This dragon hadn't only been starved but beaten and abused too.
I stood up and began to walk back holding my hands out in front of me.
I would rather have one of those bitten off than my face.
"Hey, hey, it's okay! You're a beauty aren't ya! What did they do to you, it's not fair is it, it's not right. I'm sorry. But, well, I'm just skin and bone too, eating me won't get you very far." I spoke, my voice low and smooth as not to startle or intimidate the beast.

The dragon continued to gain ground as I got closer to the wall.
"This isn't gonna work on you, you just wanna eat, I know. But look-"
I pulled some week-old dragon nip from my pocket. The dragon took a sniff and began to purr before snatching it from my hand and continuing to walk toward me, with more venom in his bleeding face than before.
"Ooookay. Well, let's try something else." I suggested, talking to myself like I always did.
I racked my brain for ideas but nothing seemed to come.
"Oh boy...don't run Hiccup, run it'll break into a chase. Don't threaten him, don't- aghhh!" I started instructing myself before the dragon lurched forward and I scarcely jumped out of the way.
"You're real hungry aren't ya! I don't have any food...I also know you're scared...but please don't eat me..." I begged, trying to keep my voice as low as possible.

Eddval smiled slyly before turning to the man on his right.
"He is him. That is the Dragon Master."

~*~*~*~
~ Astrid's POV ~

I was growing stronger every day under Solomon's watchful eye. My body was at peace, but my mind was far from peaceful. I was constantly worrying about Eva, Lucy and Hiccup.
I couldn't sit around wasting any more time. At long last, I marched out to where Olaf was relaxing on a log looking out over the water.
I stood just behind him, knowing full well that I would break under eye contact.
"Olaf, I have to go home. My husband's life is in grave jeopardy! My daughter is home alone! I can't stay any longer."

Olaf exhaled forcing a puff of smoke out of his old pipe before looking back to me, a small smile on his face.
"Is she really home alone?" He asked slowly.

"Well...no...she's with my mother-in-law and my blacksmith..." I mumbled angrily.

"And are you sure your husband's life is in jeopardy?" He questioned secondly.

"Yes! Now that one is true!" I argued.
I sighed and sat down on the grass in front of him. "Olaf, I can't lose him...he and Lucy, they're all I've got."

Olaf brushed my fringe from my face, flicked it behind my ear and smiled.
"Now that is more the reason to go home. Stormfly is with Arianna."

I frowned. "But I thought Solomon forbid her from being with my dragon?"

The old man waved his wrinkly hand dismissively and laughed.
"Solomon is just scared. Everyone can be afraid, but we all have to face our fears at some point or another."

I smiled one more time before standing and squeezing Olaf's hand. "Thank you for everything."

With that, I ran. Though my waist still hurt a little, nothing could stop me. I found Stormfly and Arianna on the cliffs play-fighting.

"Hey Arianna!" I called, waving to her.
Arianna turned and smiled excitedly, running up to me like a frolicking fawn.
"Hey Astrid! I love Stormfly! She loves chicken did you know that?"

I furrowed my eyebrows but kept smiling. "How did you figure that out so quick, it took me ages to get that one. You know, you'd make a great dragon rider." I complemented.

Arianna squealed excitedly then tossed another slice of chicken in the air for the reptile to catch.
"I wish I was one. Would you teach me?" She asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.

I ran my hands over Arianna's braids and bent down to her eye level.
"Aww, I wish I could. But I have to go. I have to help Hiccup. His life is in danger and if I don't help him, who will?"
Arianna's face fell and she looked down miserably.

"Oh...you're leaving."

I bent under so I was looking up into the girl's face. "Yup. But thank you for looking after Stormfly for me, she loves you. I'll come back soon for a visit. I promise. Maybe then, you might even be able to ride her." I smirked, winking cheekily.

I kissed Arianna's forehead before climbing up onto Stormfly's back.

"Okay! Bye Astrid." She called, waving both arms in the most exerting way possible.

She ran into the forest and I took to the sky.
I patted Stormfly's neck and grinned.
"Come' on girl, let's go and see if Berk is still in one piece."

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

My dingy cell was no different when I returned,
I lay on the stones, my arms folded behind my head, debating with myself what time it might be.
Day time, night time, I wasn't sure?
It was so dark, so cold, so dreary and I hadn't seen Lia since the escapade with the starving dragon. I couldn't wait to see Eddval himself again and give him a sound talking to.

Remembering my Astrid warning us, "be careful what you wish for!" just came flooding back to me as two guards came to the door with Eddval himself.

"What...do...you want...with me?" I sputtered weakly, gazing patiently through the bared up window in the door.
Eddval grinned harshly and signalled for the door to be opened.
He slowly stepped in before launching at me and grabbing me by the collar of my shirt and shoving me against the wall.
"Oh great Dragon Master, are you so great now? Your magnificent, regal self is desperate and broken. Now, listen to me. You will take my orders and obey them, am I clear?"

I tried to struggle from his grip but I was just too weak and Eddval was just too strong. "I...will...never....take orders....from you!" I spat, glaring at him.

Eddval pushed harder until I was unable to breathe. "You will take my orders and obey them, am I clear!" He snapped, unrelenting.

I gasped my lungs capacity and smiled slightly. Eddval was going to kill me and I would gladly die to save Astrid and Lucy, the lights of my life.

"Crystal." Was all I could reply.

Eddval released me and threw me against the wall.
I slammed into a painful and weak heap on the stone floor.

"He is harmless now and the son of Stoick does not fall back on his word."

I couldn't even lift my eyes to the monster before me, all I could do was stare at my ice cold fingers trembling and shaking from starvation, thirst and pain as my vision drifted sub-consciously in and out of the black-out zone.

The two soldiers Eddval had brought with him, grabbed me by the arms and heaved me to my feet.
Since I had no strength to stand, they dragged me on into the light of day.
My ears whistled and my eyes stung with the brightness of the cloud-white sky and the mix of a light fever I had contracted in the awful conditions of prisons.

Where were they taking me?

They dragged me through the busy village to a large building, similar to the Great Hall back on Berk.
Inside were four tunnels leading off into different directions. I could hardly work out where we were going as the men marched on down one of the dark tunnels.

It was then I heard it, the familiar and horrifying howl of a Night Fury.

Toothless.

They dropped me in front of a small cage where inside was a Night Fury with a muzzle on and tight chains roped around it's body to keep it under control.
It was angry and vicious, but not starving like the other dragon.
"Toothless!" I sputtered, as I began scrawling towards it, but then I saw what drew me to a halt.
This dragon had a large scar across its leg, Toothless didn't have one of those.
The horror inside me rose like smoke from a fire.
If this dragon wasn't Toothless, then this was the first other Night Fury I had ever seen.

Once I had looked him over a little more I began to see many more differences.
It was much bigger than Toothless for a start. And everything about its eyes, it ears, it's mouth, it's teeth, it's feet and scale pattern were different to the Fury I loved so much.
This rogue beast wasn't Toothless.

It was another Night Fury.

I turned to Eddval who was stood behind me with his hands attached behind his back.
"This is Atos. He is a beautiful one, no?"

I frowned and turned back to the dragon. "What...did you do...to him."

Eddval huffed and I felt the air from the viper's mouth run down my spine.

"That is none of your concern. Come."

The men dragged me on and dropped me in front of another Night Fury.
This one was lying down though.
It was moaning and growling in its sleep, but I knew this dragon right off.

"Toothless!" I breathed gratefully.

I forced myself forward and stretched my shaking hand through the bars.
The dragon jumped up and nearly ripped my arm off but then it saw who this arm belonged to and it began to purr and mumble affectionate sounds.
"It's okay, it's okay. Yeah, I'm right here. I won't leave you, I won't let you go." I comforted through quick gasps.

Toothless licked my face softly and then Eddval grabbed me by the arm and pulled him into a dominant position where he had the power to easily break my limb.
"Why is your dragon different and incapable of following orders like yourself. What did you do to him?" Eddval Skull-Hunter demanded angrily.

I moaned in pain then gritted my teeth to answer. "What I did was something you are incapable of even understanding."

Eddval dropped me and turned to a young man in the corner.
He was cowering on a small stool.
He had a sketchbook in his arms and was furiously drawing when Eddval looked at him.
The boy looked up and stared warily through his think dark bangs.

Eddval nodded to him.

"He's all yours."

~*~*~*~
How'd I do? Did you enjoy it? What did you think about Sonya Marie and Avril Lia with the tooth? What about the starving Monstrous Nightmare and the abused Night Fury? What about Toothless and how even without Hiccup near him he knew the right thing to do? I hope you liked it! Watch this space for chapter 10! :)

~ Httyd_2014 <3