Night Rider

Haley's island

Don't you just love cliffhangers?

I stood still, unsure of what I should do. I had completed my task, so I didn't need to worry about the dragons, but I did worry about one thing. Hiccup. If the vikings were here, and Hiccup was meant to be distracting them, what had happened? Had they caught Hiccup? Did I take too long? Did they realise that it was a trap? If anything had happened to Hiccup I would never be able to forgive myself. All those times that he helped me, all those times that he saved me, and now I have gone and failed him. I need to get out of here, but I didn't know what to do. I could pull out my axe, but there is no way that I could take them all. I could run, but that would mean that they would try and catch me and I would leave Hiccup here by himself. I could use Stormfly, but then she would be endangered too. I could lie, but they would know that it is a lie. If I didn't do something quickly, then they would, and they are doing, something.

The three vikings were only steps away from me and on instinct, I pulled out my axe. I lashed out and hit one in the shin, causing him to stumble back. The second one swung his own axe at me, but I ducked it and when he was slightly off balance from the swing, I tripped him by swinging by leg into the back of his. I quickly met the third man's sword with my axe and I held it away from me. But he was stronger, and the first viking was recovering from his instability, so I quickly released my hold against his sword and using all my force I elbowed the first man in the face. However, the third man punched my arm which held my axe and I unconsciously let go of my axe due to the pain which was spreading from the impact on the funny bone. My axe slid across the floor where the second man reached out and grabbed it, a cruel smirk on his face.

Suddenly, a pair of strong, large hands grabbed my forearms and yanked them behind my back. In a last effort, I slammed my right foot down on his foot, but it was too late as a second pair of arms enclosed around my waist, stopping all my movement.

"Gerdan!" Screamed the man who spoke before, "Write a note to Eret and Drago. We found their missing girl." A horrific smile spread over his face. A strangled cry behind me told me that Stormfly had been captured too, and now I knew that I was doomed for. For all I know, they have imprisoned Hiccup and then I will be joining him now. Not saving him, not protecting him, joining him. I have failed.

"You're a pretty one, aren't ya?" Sneered a viking who was holding me. "We 'ever get any fresh faces 'round 'ere."

"All of our women are ol' 'n' ugly, but you..." spat the second.

"Are a beau'y. Untouch'd. Perfec'." Growled the third.

"Stay away from me." I cried, struggling in their arms, disappointed at how desparate my voice sounded.

"Fiesty too. Even be'er." The second roared. All three laughed and I gulped. What was going to happen to me?!

"Where are we going? What's better about being feisty?" I questioned, still trying to escape their metal-like grasp.

"Be'er if you don' know tha' sweetie." The first answered. They continued to drag me off up the hill away from the arena. The sky was still pitch black and the grass was wet and cold like it had just been raining. Roaring fires were situated in even spaces along the path which I was being dragged along and the houses were extremely pretty and elegant - it was hard to believe that all the women were 'ugly' if this was how beautiful every building was. The stars in the night sky seemed to be brighter here then they were in Berk and I found myself staring at them while I was being dragged rather than looking at my captives.

"Are we going in there?" I asked them when we had finished the incline of the hill and were now heading parallel to the river. A few paces infront of me, there stood a vast building. I don't remember seeing anything like it on Berk. It looked vaguelly like the Great Hall, but it had cage bars instead of windows and the smell was horrific. It smelled of blood and rotting flesh and vomit and I hoped to Thor that we weren't going in there because the smell only got worse the closer we got. I felt like I would faint if we stepped in there.