How to Train Your Dragon: Journey Beyond Berk

Chapter Sixteen - The Hope We Needed

Astrid's POV:

The men continued to lead us on the board, inching us closer to the freezing waters below. My heart raced as I tried to figure out a way out of this, if not for me at least for the life growing inside me. I watched as Eret walked closer to the edge anticipating the jump we were going to be forced to make, his eyes focused on the raging waters below.

"Looks refreshing," he said sarcastically before turning back to me, "please ladies first!" Eret said motioning to the edge of the board.

I shook my head in disbelief, "you are a steaming heap of dragon-"

Before letting me finish my sentence his smolder disappeared, "duck" he said quickly.

My eyes widened from shock as I immediately ducked down, both hands still being held by the two men behind me. I heard a struggle as I saw his leg lift up and he kicked the two men behind me. I looked up to see Eret move back, grabbing one of their weapons to break open the chains they placed on his hands. Men crowded from behind started to run towards him, but he instantly shot them down with the weapons of the two men who were now knocked out on the ground. It all happened so fast, one of the men freaked out and began to run off before Eret shot him down with a dart which caused the man to immediately fall over.

Eret turned back to me and cut open the chains that were holding my hands together, "so are we going to save your dragons and get out of here or not?" he asked as he walked off.

"What-" I asked trying to keep up, trying not to step on the men that laid unconscious on the ship, "what was that about?!"

 He began to open cages, looking through before closing them back up and continuing onto the next, "I thought back to what you said, plus that dragon of yours saved my life. It's only best if I return the favor, plus I don't believe in killing especially a pregnant lad like yourself."

 My eyes widened as he spoke, a part of me unsure if I could trust him, "If we save mine, we save all of them."

 Eret turned his focus back on me, "Are you insane?! We are lucky we got out of that alive, I don't really want to push our luck out here!"

 I shook my head, not allowing him to negotiate, "they're not weapons, they're living beings and deserved to be treated as such."

 He sighed as he walked on, "Fine. We open the cages as we go, but as soon as we run into your dragon we go before they realize what's happening."

"Deal!" I said with a smile on my face, "But there are two dragons we must leave with, so we get those two dragons plus whichever ones we run into first and then we leave."

 Eret rolled his eyes as I spoke, he let out a sigh of defeat before turning back and opening the cages one by one looking for the dragons. I smiled as we continued on, watching as the trapped dragons were slowly being freed. With each cage opened a new dragon sprung out and soared through the air, quickly making their way to freedom. 

Hiccup's POV:

 I sat at the end of the table in the hall, our search party arrived earlier this morning. My body felt anxious each moment I wasn't out searching for the dragons and Astrid. Along the table sat Gobber, Valka, Gothi and Spitelout who were all conversing in the plans for Berk as far as electing a new Chief and what to do regarding the search parties for the dragons and Astrid.

"I say it's only fair Hiccup be next in line, being son of Stoick the vast and all! Plus, what all he's done for Berk since arriving." Gobber called out, holding out a half-eaten chicken leg as he spoke.