The Dragon Master and The Lightning Rider *Hiccup Fanfic*

40. The Plan

Skye let out another whimper as the blade cut across her kneecap. She hated this particular technique—slashing at the joints for restricted movement and extra pain. It was like her whole body was burning with the effort to not fidget and cry.

"Ready to talk, Einar?" Beast asked. His face and hands were splattered with her blood, and he didn't seem to mind a bit.

Skye wasn't intimidated. She was just in too much pain to notice anything that wasn't under her nose. She gritted her teeth, tasting the tangy metal taste of blood in her mouth. So far, Beast hadn't done much except cutting her and beating her. There was only so much Beast could do before she collapsed. Her body was as heavy as a boulder, her cuts burned, and she was sure she looked like a harried mess.

"I'm not going to talk," Skye said. She spat out some blood on the floor and then closed her mouth firmly.

A sudden strike from the blade sliced her elbow, and if she didn't curse out loud, she would've been angry. She hated elbow cuts. They were unbearable. It was like someone had exposed her whole joint and added salt to it every time she jostled.

It had been seven days since she was captured. Every night Tye visited her and bandaged her, treated her wounds to prevent any infection. She considered it a preparation for the next day's bout with Beast. But she had know something was different this day. The crew above deck were more frantic, Beast wasn't as patient as the previous days, and the ship had slowed down a little.

Once their session was complete, she was unhooked from her chains and left unceremoniously on the floor. Beast picked up his dagger and swiped it against a cloth.

"Hey," Skye mumbled, "What's happening?"

Beast let out a grunt before responding. "Reaching the island in a day."

Skye hummed. The leaders of Shruiken would be at the port for sure by the time the ship docked. It stirred fear in her chest, but she breathed deeply as Beast continued.

"Tomorrow's your lucky day, Einar," he said, "no interrogation."

"They'll dress me up."

"Most definitely," Tye piped in.

They both looked at him. Tye had just suddenly appeared, or maybe he had been in a dark corner of another cell the whole time. Knowing him, he didn't have the stomach for torture. At best, he was a great sailor and leader, his strategies came natural. Skye realized that after she had revealed a little too much about her old island on one of their late night chats.
Beast left the brig. Tye brought a plate of food and aid.

"I think you'd look pretty in a dress," Tye murmured playfully.

"You know they'd never put me in a dress," Skye said as she glared at him. "That's only for their women."

"I've seen your outfit," Tye said. He let her eat from the plate while he slowly began cleaning her wounds up. She had allowed him to do it because she was exhausted. "It's quite a spectacle."

Skye let out a small guffaw. As much as she hated Shruiken, she couldn't hate Tye. He was sometimes too ridiculous, too questionable in his mannerisms. She wondered how such a hearty man joined such a place. She enjoyed their talks. "Let me guess," she said with a mouth stuffed with chicken. "The Black and Silver and Red sash?" At his nod, she shook her head. "Meant to symbolize Death, Steel, and Blood, the foundation of Shruiken," Skye recited. "For we give our lives, we fight for our lives, and we spill the blood of those who don't stand with us."

"You've memorized that rubbish?" Tye laughed.

Skye snorted. "I don't think anyone even buys it. I heard a rumor that it actually came from a poem from Crazy Crow."