I step into the cave, my whole body shivering despite myself. It's just a cave, nothing to worry about. You've been in plenty of them before. I take a deep breath, preparing myself. I continue on, trying not to notice the skeletons of the soldiers who had died protecting the gold. A memory flashes through my mind. Coming into the cave. Playing hide and seek with the guards. Always winning. My father telling me and the guards off. Telling my father I was to blame. Him forgiving me...
I travel through the cave quicker now, brushing the memories aside. My feet cause echoes every time they hit the floor. My nerves are jittery and the echoes only make it worst. Every small sound causes me to jump slightly. I look around, wild eyes, at every shadow and crevice.
You left us to die. says a voice behind me. I turn around to see one of the guards speaking to me. I shake my head and the illusion disappears.
Don't try and deny it. I told you to wait, but you didn't. Just what any coward would do. says another voice. This time it's my dad's shadow speaking.
It seems so real that I respond. "No! I didn't run away. I could never, but it was too late..."
Exactly what a coward would say. Speaks the shadow-father.
"No, no! I would never! Please, no!" I scream to no one in particular. It's all in your head. Reasons a voice. So are you! I snap back. Faces and memories swim before my eyes. "No," I mutter. The faces speak, all telling me how I could've saved them, what I could've done better. "NO..." I say more loudly. The voices in my head grow louder, forcing me down on my knees. "NO!" I scream and the faces shatter, their voices disappearing with them. In the silence I start crying, my tears coming slowly at first, then quicker as I reflect back on what had just happened.
The gold... A voice whispers in my head. I stand up and dry my tears. Unfortunately, I have a job to do. I hurry into the vault, which is cracked open from decay. I grab as much gold as I can carry and stuff it into a pouch I have with me. I start to head out again, but turn, looking at the heaps of gold. "I will return this," I whisper. "I promise." I hurry out and retrace my steps to the entrance of the caves. I try to not look at my burned childhood as I race back to my boat. I load on the gold and push off, sailing away from the memories and pain...
* * *
Hiccup is studying the maps intensely with Astrid and Fishlegs. He points something out and Fishlegs mutters, "Yes, yes, but what if we came around from here..?"
"But these dragons would still be trapped," replies Hiccup.
"Hmm, right. But, won't we have someone on the inside?"
"Yeah, it's going to be Draira." Astrid stops, looking up to stare at Hiccup. "What? What's wrong?" Hiccup asks.
"I don't know, it's just, can we talk about the RumbleHorn in the camp for a minute?" asks Astrid.
"Astrid has a point Hiccup, I mean, how do we know we can trust her?" says Fishlegs.
"This is a huge mission, and you're giving her the most important part," Astrid adds.
"Come on you guys! I mean, it was her dra.. friend, that was taken," protests Hiccup.
"But, what if this is a trap?" asks Astrid.
"I don't think it is," says Hiccup. "I trust Draira like we did Dagur. She may be a newbie, but she handles dragons so well. I mean, Hookfang saved her! When does Hookfang save anyone?"
"Hiccup also has a point, Astrid," says Fishlegs. "Also, I kinda still want to know why that Dragon Root arrow affected her so much..."
"Fine," states Astrid. "I just hope you aren't wrong, both of you."
YOU ARE READING
Through A Dragon's Eye (A Httyd Fanfiction)
Fanfiction-- Completed -- By the age of seven, Draira's home island had been destroyed and her family dead. She still isn't sure how she survived so long with no one but herself, but that may have something to do with the gaps in her memory. Ten years later...
