Dragon Riders

Chapter 8

Astrid was referring to nasty bruise on his face. She wanted to reach over and touch his face but the small holes in the barred wall were too small for even Astrid to stick her delicate hand through.

"Let's just say I gave a man a reason to be afraid of me" Hiccup tried to make a small joke to lighten the mood on their predicament but saw the Astrid instead looked at him worriedly. "You look like you gave them hel too"

"They gave me a choice of either I take my clothes off or they do it." Letting out a sigh at the memory of the men trying to touch her, Astrid tried to wipe it away. "Let's just say that some men here have some decently to allow me to change without them looking."

Hiccup hated how Astrid felt violated, but at least she was better off than he was a few moments ago. He refused and they literally tried to rip his gear and cloths off his body. Lucky for him, apparently, the hunter said he wanted the cloths in one piece. Something about saying it was under Drago's orders for their cloths not to be damaged.

They both were startled when they heard heavy footsteps walking towards them. Hiccup and Astrid looked up to see a guard with two trays that held dishes. The man put the trays down on the ground before bending down to pull out a key and put it in a slot in the bottom of the door. The slot opened up as the guard took one of the trays and slid it under Hiccup's door and into the boy's cell. He then locked the slot and did the same to Astrid before locking hers too before he turned around to walk away without a word.

Hiccup and Astrid watched the man leave before Hiccup got up to get the tray. On it was a bowl of stew with different kinds of seafood and what looked to be vegetables. Next to it was bread and a cup of water. Hiccup stared at it questionable before he gave it a sniff. Smelling nothing but salt, fish, and vegetables, Hiccup determined it wasn't poisoned.

"Guess they want us alive?" Astrid came to her tray and saw that it was like Hiccup's. Instead of sitting by the door, Astrid went back to her seat along the wall with her tray.

Hiccup joined her as they began to eat their meal. The food was definitely unusual. It wasn't terrible, but definitely salty. They must have kept that way to keep the food preserved. Hiccup and Astrid did not mind. It was better than nothing in their opinion. They ate their food in silence before they left it by the door. They both gave a big yawn as their eyes began toy droop. Closing their eye, they fell into a deep sleep. Hopefully the morning would be better.

Xxxxx

"How are our guests?" Drago was sharpening a bullhook with grindstone. He stopped and looked at the weapon in awe as he tested its sharpness.

"Put up a fight, ate, and now asleep" Eret picked his nails with his dagger. Picking the dirt out of his nails, he smiled at the thought of his enemy in their cell. "That sleeping powder that you had the cook put in their food did the trick. Surprised the little dragon rider didn't notice that his food was drugged."

"That's because the plant is undetectable." Scurvy glared at the hunter for his stupidity. "Even the prissiest of dragons won't be able to detect it"

Eret glared angrily at the general. He knew all that but just liked to think that his enemy was a dumb animal in a cage for now. Even though inside he knew that the dragon rider was indeed intelligent. Like his Night Fury that was giving his own men some trouble in the dragon chambers below, he just hoped the soldiers weren't stupid enough to be trick.

"Good." Seeing that the blade had made a little nick in his finger, Drago looked at his finger bleed from the tiny hole. Satisfied with its sharpness, Drago got off his seat and put the weapon back on the wall. "I want him to be fully rested for tomorrow."