Deception (A Dragons Race to the Edge Fanfic)

Chapter 13

It had been a couple of days, and you had tried to convince yourself that Ember had made some sort of recovery. But, the truth was, he could hardly stand, let alone fly. Every day, you had gone out to collect fish for him and yourself. The hunters had offered you food, but you didn't trust them. You were also offered a small tent, but you preferred to build your own camp in the forest, away from where the hunters were stumbling around clumsily, and foolishly laughing at each other's' shallow jokes. That was, when they weren't eyeing you skeptically. You could tell they didn't like having you around, but that wasn't exactly a new experience to you. Having said that, they didn't actually say anything to you, so you guessed they had been instructed not to by Viggo. Every time you glimpsed Viggo, you made a conscious effort to avoid him. There was something unnerving about him - something that made your skin prickly. As a result, you spent a lot of time sitting by Ember, hoping he would get better so you could both leave. It was exhausting having to constantly be on your guard.

This morning, however, you had got up at dawn to train. Yep, that was right, you had voluntarily chosen to train. You hadn't done much training recently in between your injuries, and you knew you had to if you were to stand a chance out there alone. You could usually use your intellect to figure your way out of a tricky situation, but you figured that being a bit fitter and improving your aim wouldn't hurt either - especially if your dragon was too weak to protect you at the moment. Viggo could turn on you at any time, or the riders could attack. You knew that you would never be able to win any battle using your strength, but perhaps improved stamina could gain you some more time if you needed it. Besides, there wasn't much else to do on this island, other than to engage in conversation with Dragon Hunters, and that was certainly not preferable. You were convinced they would kill you at the first chance they got. Only one question: why hadn't that happened yet?

'I'm sure Viggo's amusing himself deriding me, before he finishes me off.' You resolved. He reminded you of a cat that repeatedly taunts a helpless mouse, before finally going for the kill. Merely because he can. And, of course, you supposed he would find that kind of thing fun.

You were breathless, and sweat dripped down the back of your neck, as you hurled your sword, folded into a dagger, at a pine tree with deadly precision. Your accuracy was improving, as you had been working on a circuit consisting of running, climbing and throwing for the last hour and a half.  Unfolding the sword to its full length, you rapidly approached a nearby oak tree, repeatedly slashing it with the sword. The muscles in your arms burned, but you pushed yourself on, using quick jabs and slices to refine your swordmanship skills. Ten minutes later, finally satisfied that you had earned a break, you sat on a nearby rock, panting heavily. Taking a flat stone, you set to work sharpening the blade of the sword, as you regained your breath. The exercise had been vigorous, but you felt better for it. If you did this every day, you would have a much better chance against any potential enemies. Hearing a rustle in the undergrowth, you diverted your attention towards it. Viggo stepped out. Well, at least this time you had actually heard him coming.

"You've made a rapid recovery, I see." He said.

"Yeah, all the better for you, I guess." You replied.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be clearer."

"Now that I've recovered, your fun really begins. You can enjoy outwitting me, before you kill me." You said with cynicism.

"I don't remember ever hinting that that was to be my intention."

You rolled your eyes.

"You're still not convinced by what I said?" He asked.

"That we're somehow no longer enemies? And that you're not trying to kill me? Strangely, no." You responded bluntly.

"Well, that's a shame. I was just about to invite you to a game of Maces and Talons this afternoon."

"What? So, you can make a fool of me? Thanks."

"That's not necessarily true." He snapped, "I'm sure you'd be far more challenging an adversary than the other hunters."

"Oh, yeah, great. Sign me up." You muttered disinterestedly.

"Then it's settled." Viggo pitched in craftily, deliberately ignoring your intended sarcasm.

'Well that was a stupid move.' You said to yourself. Perhaps trying to be too clever had cost you. Now you were going to be stuck playing a game of Maces and Talons against Viggo Grimborn. You would be surprised if the game lasted more than five minutes. There was no way you could beat him, and you couldn't bear to think of the mocking smirk that would be cast over his face, when you failed miserably.

A/N: Sorry it took me a while to update, hope you enjoyed this chapter!